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In the early winter of the forty-second year of the Jiajing reign, Su Ning stepped through the vermilion gates of the Prince Yu's Mansion for the first time.

He stood for a long time in front of the magnificent glazed screen wall, his gaze fixed on the plaque on the wall.

It turned out to be the three gilded characters "Yangdetang" written by Emperor Hongwu himself.

His brushstrokes are vigorous and powerful, exuding the spirit of dragons and tigers, quite different from the ostentatious decorations of the Yan family mansion.

"This was bestowed upon the Prince's residence by Emperor Chengzu," the old eunuch leading the way whispered cautiously. "Every day at dawn, the Prince rises to recite the *Classic of Filial Piety* without fail; at mid-morning, he studies the *Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government*, having already read it three times. Su Jishan, please remember, the Prince despises empty formalities but values ​​practical learning..."

"Thank you for the reminder, Father-in-law."

Before he finished speaking, a series of hurried footsteps came from under the corridor.

A young man dressed in a red robe with dragon patterns strode over, the hem of his robe fluttering as he brought with him a gentle breeze.

It was Prince Yu, Zhu Zaiji.

"You are Su Ning, Su Anbang?" Prince Yu was only in his early twenties, with bright and piercing eyes.

"Su Anbang greets Your Highness."

Before Su Ning could finish his bow, Prince Yu grabbed his sleeve. "You've come at the perfect time! I was just reading the 'Discourses on Salt and Iron' and I have some questions in my mind—tell me, should Sang Hongyang have been killed or not?"

This question was so shocking that all the servants in the hall turned pale.

The old eunuch standing nearby was frantically giving him meaningful glances, while the officials who were serving as tutors were sweating profusely.

The salt and iron policies have always been sensitive, let alone making blunt and thought-provoking statements like "should they be killed?"

However, Su Ning calmly straightened his sleeves and slowly said, "Your Highness's question reminds me of Sima Qian's views in the 'Treatise on the Balance of Power.' Whether Sang Hongyang should be killed or not is not a matter of his crimes, but of the merits and demerits of his policies."

He paused slightly, and seeing that Prince Yu was listening attentively, he continued, "Without Sang Hongyang's salt and iron monopoly, how could Emperor Wu of Han have launched his northern expedition against the Xiongnu? How could he have opened up the Western Regions and expanded the territory? But..."

"But what?" Prince Yu asked urgently.

"However, if the policy of monopoly is taken to extremes, it will compete with the people for profit and harm the foundation of the country. Therefore, I believe that Your Highness should consider how to find a balance between national expenditure and people's livelihood."

Prince Yu's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands and laughed: "What a wonderful 'balance'! This is true wisdom!"

He then turned to his attendants and said, "Remove all these lecture notes! From now on, when Mr. Su comes to lecture, there is no need for formalities. What I want to hear are these kinds of insightful views!"

The servants looked at each other, but in the end dared not disobey, and hurriedly moved the heavy lecture tables aside.

Prince Yu personally took Su Ning's hand and led him to the study:
"Mr. Su just mentioned the word 'balance,' which is exactly what I was thinking. Today, let's start with the salt and iron monopoly. Please feel free to speak your mind..."

The old eunuch watched the two figures walk away into the distance, gently wiping the sweat from his brow, a relieved smile appearing on his lips.

The ancient cypress trees under the eaves swayed gently in the winter wind, as if they too sensed that some kind of change was quietly taking place in the Prince Yu's Mansion.

……

In the early spring of the forty-third year of the Jiajing reign, the first lectures on the classics were held at the Prince Yu's residence.

Conventionally, we should start with reliable classics such as "The Great Learning" or "The Book of Documents".

However, no one expected that Suning's first lesson would break the rules that had been followed for many years.

That morning, Prince Yu sat upright at his desk, flanked by officials from the Prince's residence and several scholars who served as his tutors.

When discussing the chapter in Mencius, "When superiors and inferiors contend for profit, the state is in danger," Su Ning suddenly closed the book and bowed deeply to Prince Yu.
"Your Highness, I have a question: If King Hui of Liang were alive during the reign of Emperor Jiajing, would he follow the example of his predecessors and continue to expand the Great Wall, or would he devote himself to reforming the Grand Canal and improving the nation's infrastructure?"

The question came suddenly, and the study fell silent.

Chief Secretary Li Xiang repeatedly winked at Su Ning, signaling him not to overstep his bounds.

Several senior scholars frowned, clearly quite dissatisfied with this unorthodox doctrine.

Prince Yu, however, showed interest and pondered, "Sir, your question is quite novel. Logically speaking, the answer would naturally be to build the Great Wall to strengthen the border defenses..."

"Your Highness, please take a look." Before Prince Yu could finish speaking, Su Ning took out a roll of silk from her sleeve and slowly unfurled it in front of everyone.

It was a meticulously drawn map of military expenditures in the nine border regions, with dense markings of military expenses for each town.

“From the 30th to the 40th year of the Jiajing reign, the imperial court spent more than eight million taels of silver to repair the Great Wall.” Su Ning’s finger traced the winding curve on the map. “In the same period, General Qi Jiguang spent only two million four hundred thousand taels of silver in four years fighting against Japanese pirates in the southeast.”

A collective gasp filled the study.

Chief Secretary Li Xiang could no longer sit still and stood up to persuade Su Jishan, "These numbers are still..."

"Let him finish speaking." Prince Yu raised his hand to stop him, his gaze never leaving the painting.

Su Ning then unfolded another picture of the canal transport: "But without the canal transport, hundreds of thousands of soldiers on the nine borders would not even be able to eat naan bread every day. Last year, the Tongzhou granary was in deficit, and Datong Town was without food for three days."

He walked between the two paintings and said in a clear voice: “Building the Great Wall is like treating an illness, treating the symptoms; improving the waterway is like maintaining health, treating the root cause. King Hui of Liang’s mistake was that he only knew how to build a city for self-defense, but did not know that improving the country’s waterways and enriching the people and strengthening the army were the fundamental solutions.”

An old scholar couldn't help but retort: ​​"Su Jishan is mistaken! The Great Wall is an established law of our ancestors; how can it be discussed so lightly?"

"That's exactly what we need to discuss!" Prince Yu suddenly slammed his hand on the table and stood up, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "This is true learning for governing the world! It's not about blindly studying the classics, but about applying what you've learned!"

He strode to the map and carefully examined the markings on it: "So, sir, you mean that the imperial court should adjust border defense expenditures as appropriate, while ensuring the smooth flow of grain transport?"

"Your Highness is wise," Su Ning bowed and said, "I believe that governing a country is like playing chess, and one must know what is important and what is urgent. At present, the northern barbarians have temporarily ceased their activities, but the Japanese pirate threat has not been quelled. The grain transport is related to the foundation of the country and should be given priority."

Prince Yu nodded thoughtfully and then turned to the chief secretary: "By order of the King, starting tomorrow, the lectures will no longer be bound by the old rules. Mr. Su may come to the mansion to give lectures at any time, and all the books and texts he needs may be used."

After everyone had left, Prince Yu deliberately kept Su Ning behind, pointing to the canal transport map and whispering, "Sir, do you know that if this map were to reach Yan Shifan..."

“I understand.” Su Ning calmly put away the scroll. “But some things need to be said.”

Outside the window, the spring snow is beginning to melt.

Prince Yu looked at the lecturer, who was more than ten years younger than himself, and suddenly laughed: "Now I understand why Grand Secretary Xu insisted on having you come to the Prince's residence."

……

On a spring night in the forty-third year of the Jiajing reign, a light rain silently soaked the capital city.

It was nearly midnight when fifteen-year-old Su Ning was annotating the Zizhi Tongjian by candlelight in the main room of Prince Yu's mansion. Suddenly, he heard a rapid knocking on the door.

When they opened the door, they saw a man dressed in black, completely soaked.

When he took off his cloak, Su Ning was shocked to find that it was Xu Lu, Xu Jie's most trusted confidant.

“Mr. Su,” Xu Lu said without exchanging pleasantries, taking out a secret memorial from his robes. “Tomorrow morning at court, the Yan faction will impeach you for ‘bewitching a prince and sowing discord within the imperial family.’”

The flickering candlelight illuminated the neat handwriting on the tightly bound document.

The above lists various "crimes" of Su Ning's lectures at the Prince Yu's Mansion: unauthorized discussions on the Grand Canal, reckless comments on border affairs, and even comparing the lectures at the Prince's Mansion to the "Shiqu Pavilion Discussions," which in the previous dynasty specifically referred to a place where court officials discussed politics.

Xu Lu lowered his voice: "The Grand Secretary asked me to convey that the Prince Yu's mansion has never been a safe haven, but rather a crucible for alchemy. True gold is not afraid of being tested by fire, but it must also know how to protect itself in the fire."

He had barely finished speaking when the sound of patrolling guards came from outside the window.

Xu Lu immediately put on his cloak and disappeared silently into the rainy night.

However, Su Ning was filled with excitement. The more fiercely the one-eyed dragon attacked him, the more Prince Yu would value him.

It should be noted that the true king was still being conceived in the womb of Princess Yu, Lady Li, and history had given them plenty of time.

The next day at dawn, the Hall of Supreme Harmony was brightly lit.

Sure enough, less than half an hour into the court assembly, Yan Shifan stepped forward, holding a jade tablet: "Your Majesty, I wish to impeach Su Ning, the Ji Shan of the Prince Yu's Mansion, for using the guise of lecturing to engage in sorcery!"

His voice boomed and echoed throughout the hall: "Su Ning instigated the Prince to interfere in the Grand Canal transport and discuss border affairs, and even compared the Prince's residence to a place for political discussions. Such actions are clearly intended to sow discord within the Imperial Family, and his intentions are despicable!"

The Jiajing Emperor on the dragon throne had his eyes half-closed, his fingers lightly tapping the armrests, revealing no emotion.

Yan Shifan pressed his advantage, saying, "I request that Su Ning be imprisoned and his dealings with court officials thoroughly investigated!"

The atmosphere inside the hall immediately became tense and hostile.

Xu Jie closed his eyes and remained silent, while several upright officials looked worried.

At this critical moment, Lu Fang, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, suddenly stepped forward slowly, holding a yellow silk ribbon in his hands.

"His Majesty's decree—" Lü Fang's voice was calm yet penetrating, "I have heard that the Prince Yu's residence has recently given excellent lectures on Mencius. When King Hui of Liang asked about the way to benefit the country, Mencius answered with benevolence and righteousness. Su Ning was able to guide the Prince to think about strategies for governing the country and ensuring its peace, which is commendable. Therefore, I hereby bestow upon him a Qilin robe as a reward."

The entire court was stunned. Yan Shifan's face turned ashen instantly, and his hand holding the tablet trembled slightly.

"Your Majesty, I thank you."

Lu Fang walked up to Su Ning and personally handed him the Qilin robe, a symbol of imperial favor, and whispered, "Mr. Su, His Majesty has another saying: When lecturing, one should base one's teachings on the classics and be cautious in speaking about practical matters."

After the court session, as Xu Jie passed by Su Ning, he said softly without looking at him, "His Majesty protected you today, but the Yan faction will not let this go. That unicorn robe is both a talisman and a death warrant."

Inside the Prince Yu's residence, after learning about the turmoil in the court, Zhu Zaiji laughed and said to Su Ning, "Sir, you are indeed a true gem! However, it seems that the fire in this alchemy furnace needs to be burned even brighter."

Outside the window, the spring rain had just stopped, and the rising sun was breaking through the clouds.

Su Ning stroked the exquisite embroidery on the Qilin robe, knowing full well that there was no turning back in this contest.

……

In late autumn, the night rain tapped on the glazed tiles of the Prince Yu's Mansion, producing a fine and cool sound.

Su Ning had just taken off his official robes when he received an urgent summons from Prince Yu.

He hurried through the corridors, which were glistening from the rain, and arrived at the study deep within the palace.

Zhu Zaiji dismissed his attendants and solemnly took out a plain white scroll.

As the scroll slowly unfurled, it revealed a completely blank page.

"I wish to paint a 'Map of the Vast Coastline' to demonstrate my ambition for the maritime frontier." Prince Yu's fingers gently traced the blank silk surface, his gaze fixed intently on Su Ning. "Could Ji Shan assist me?"

Suning understood.

He stepped forward and gently pressed his finger on the sandalwood scroll's shaft, revealing a hidden compartment.

He took a thin booklet from his pocket and carefully placed it inside...

That was a copy of the customs ledger that he had secretly copied from the Ningbo Maritime Trade Office through his connections with his peers. It contained detailed records of the true maritime trade revenue that Yan's party had concealed in recent years.

“Your Highness,” Su Ning said in a low voice, “the troubles on the southeastern coast are not caused by Japanese pirates, but by the neglect of maritime administration. The annual revenue of the Maritime Trade Office should have filled the national treasury, but now most of it has flowed into private pockets. This book may be a first draft for Your Highness’s plans.”

Prince Yu gently closed the hidden compartment and rolled up the scroll again: "What a fine first draft. If the sea ban can be lifted one day and the Yongle era's prosperity can be restored, you will deserve the greatest credit."

As Su Ning left the study, the old eunuch guarding the door quietly slipped a secret letter into his sleeve.

Back in the carriage, by the light of the flickering lanterns, Su Ning unfolded the secret letter.

The front bears Zhang Juzheng's familiar handwriting: "Qi Jiguang's troops have been short of pay for three months, and the soldiers' complaints are growing. Japanese pirates have been active frequently off the coast of Taizhou recently, and the military situation is critical."

Turning to the back, there was a line of small characters added by Xu Jie in red ink: "The Prince's Palace official Ji Shan can coordinate with the local authorities to solve the immediate crisis. Prefect of Ningbo Chen Ziming may be of use."

Suning's fingertips felt slightly cool.

This clearly intended for him to use the name of the Prince Yu's Mansion to interfere in the military and financial affairs of the southeast, a forbidden zone that even the Yan faction dared not easily touch.

The carriage slowly drove past the gate of the Yan residence, where the pair of stone lions looked particularly ferocious in the rainy night.

Unconsciously, Su Ning tightened his grip on the jade pendant with the unicorn design at his waist. The icy touch made him acutely aware that:

From the moment he accepted that Qilin robe—no, from the moment he stepped into the Prince Yu's residence—he was no longer the Hanlin scholar who only needed to study the classics.

What he held in his hands was the military pay that was related to the food and clothing of the soldiers in the southeast, the power struggle that affected the balance of the court, and Prince Yu's ambition to conquer the world.

The sound of the morning bell from the Prince Yu's Mansion came from outside the car window, piercing through the continuous autumn rain and striking the sleeping night sky of the capital.

Su Ning took a deep breath, brought the secret letter close to the flame of the lantern, and watched it turn into a wisp of smoke.

He knew that he had been drawn into a torrent far deeper than the imperial examination system.

And the morning bell of Prince Yu's Mansion, on this rainy autumn night, tolls again and again, heralding the future of the dynasty.

……

On the day of Gengzi in the ninth month of the forty-third year of the Jiajing reign, Beijing was shrouded in continuous autumn rain, and the sky darkened early.

At 7:45 PM, the main gate of Prince Yu's mansion suddenly swung open, and eight red lanterns were raised high, piercing the heavy rain curtain.

"Your Highness, the Princess Consort has gone into labor!" A maid rushed in to report when Zhu Zaiji was in his study discussing the "Discourses on Salt and Iron" with Su Ning.

The teacup in his hand trembled slightly, and a few drops of clear tea spilled out.

"Please have a seat, sir." Prince Yu rose, his voice tinged with barely perceptible tension. "I will be right back."

This journey took two hours.

The palace was brightly lit, and midwives and maids were walking back and forth on the corridor outside the delivery room.

The patter of rain could not drown out the faint cries of pain coming from inside.

Su Ning sat alone in his study, the pages of the book in front of him untouched for a long time.

Suddenly, a loud baby's cry pierced the rainy night.

Immediately afterwards, the entire palace seemed to come alive, with joyful footsteps echoing everywhere.

"Congratulations, Your Highness! It's a young prince!" The old eunuch staggered over to deliver the good news, his voice hoarse with excitement.

Zhu Zaiji stood outside the delivery room, the rain soaking the hem of his robe, but he was completely unaware.

This usually composed prince was now somewhat at a loss.

He turned to look at Su Ning, who had come running at the sound, a complex light flashing in his eyes: "Sir, this is my third son..."

Before he could finish speaking, the chief clerk stepped forward quickly: "Your Highness, according to regulations, we should report to the Emperor immediately!"

Zhu Zaiji snapped out of his daze, his expression turning solemn: "Prepare the horses! Open the middle gate, take the red lanterns, I must personally go to the West Garden to deliver the good news!"

"Your Highness, you mustn't!" the chief clerk hurriedly dissuaded him, "It's late and the rain is heavy; your life is of utmost importance..."

“It is precisely because it is late at night and the rain is heavy that we show our sincerity,” Prince Yu said resolutely. “Bring me my royal robes!”

While the Prince Yu's mansion was in a flurry of activity, the scene inside the West Garden Abode was quite different.

The Jiajing Emperor, dressed in a Taoist robe, was silently reciting the "Huang Ting Jing" in front of the alchemy furnace.

Amidst the swirling sandalwood incense, Lü Fang, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, quietly entered and knelt to report:

"Your Majesty, the Prince Yu's residence has announced good news: Princess Li has given birth to her third son."

The emperor paused, his hand holding the cinnabar, and slowly opened his eyes: "Name him... Yijun."

After saying that, he closed his eyes again and continued meditating, as if there had been an insignificant ant among them.

Lu Fang respectfully withdrew, but as he closed the door, he caught a glimpse of the Tao Te Ching spread out in front of the emperor.

By the flickering candlelight, he could clearly see a new line of small characters added to the margin of the page—"Jun is a heavy instrument."

As the night deepened and the dew grew heavy, a crisp cracking sound suddenly came from inside the alchemy room.

The eunuch on duty trembled with fright, only to see the emperor's most beloved jade chime shattered beside the alchemy furnace.

Emperor Jiajing remained seated with his eyes closed, as if nothing had happened.

Meanwhile, inside the Prince Yu's residence, Zhu Zaiji had changed out of his wet clothes and was holding the infant in his arms. He whispered to Su Ning, "Sir, the name Yijun... what is the deeper meaning behind Father Emperor's choice of the character 'Jun'?"

Su Ning gazed at the baby's tender face and said softly, "The Book of Rites says: 'Jun is a heavy instrument of the world. Your Majesty's name carries profound meaning.'"

Outside the window, the autumn rain has not stopped.

This grandson of the emperor, born on a rainy night, was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, destined to stir up ripples in the deep palace of the Ming Dynasty.

Prince Yu, Zhu Zaiji, had four sons in his lifetime. Unfortunately, his eldest and second sons did not live to adulthood, so his third son became the eldest legitimate son.

The birth of this third son solidified Prince Yu's status as heir, so even if Jiajing still had some doubts, it didn't matter anymore.

...(End of chapter)