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On the Gengzi day of the ninth month of the forty-third year of the Jiajing reign, on that rainy night when the main gate of the Prince Yu's mansion was wide open, the entire mansion, after a brief silence, fell into a restrained uproar.

Outside the delivery room, the maids and eunuchs all wore joyful expressions, but they carefully suppressed their noises, afraid of disturbing the princess who had just given birth to the crown prince.

Zhu Zaiji stood under the eaves, letting the autumn rain soak his robes, but his gaze never left the direction of the delivery room.

“Your Highness, the young prince’s features are just like yours.” The old nanny’s voice trembled as she handed the swaddled baby to Zhu Zaiji.

Zhu Zaiji carefully took the tiny life into his hands, his fingertips trembling slightly.

He gazed down at the baby's rosy face, remaining silent for a long time, before suddenly turning and striding toward the ancestral hall.

"Open the ancestral hall (ancestral temple)!"

The ancestral hall was brightly lit with candles, and the ancestral tablets were faintly visible in the smoke.

Zhu Zaiji knelt on the prayer mat, holding the infant, his voice choked yet clear:
"With all our ancestors above, your unworthy descendant Zaiji respectfully declares: The Ming Dynasty has been continued!"

His forehead pressed against the cold blue bricks, his shoulders trembling slightly.

The old eunuch who was serving outside the door couldn't help but raise his hand to wipe away tears. This prince, who was always so composed, had never been so out of control before.

A moment later, Zhu Zaiji straightened his clothes and summoned Su Ning, who was standing in the corridor:
“Mr. Su,” his voice had regained its calmness, but carried an unprecedented solemnity, “I wish to request that you also assume charge of the Crown Prince’s ceremonial duties and instruct Yijun in reading and reason. I wonder if you are willing to undertake this important task?”

Su Ning bowed deeply: "Your subject will certainly not fail Your Highness's trust."

He took out a carefully prepared congratulatory gift from his sleeve. It was not gold, silver, or jade, but a hand-bound edition of the Three Character Classic with annotations for elementary education.

The book is printed on the finest Xuan paper, with neat and clear ink marks, and each page is accompanied by detailed annotations.

"This is a primer I prepared for the young prince," Su Ning said, presenting it with both hands.

Zhu Zaiji took the book and gently opened it.

As he turned the pages, he keenly sensed Su Ning's expectations.

Su Ning stepped forward at the opportune moment, pointed to the continuous autumn rain outside the window, and said with a double meaning:

"I have heard that when the Crown Prince was born, there was a rosy glow on the Western Hills that resembled a dragon. Even in the rain, its splendor could not be concealed. This is just as the saying goes, 'A dragon lies hidden in the abyss, but it will eventually rise up and bring rain.'"

Zhu Zaiji's gaze shifted between the letter paper and the rain outside the window, finally settling on the sleeping face of the baby in his arms.

He gently held the prince's small hand and whispered:

“Sir, you are right. This rain has come at just the right time.”

The sound of rain outside the ancestral hall grew louder, as if providing accompaniment for this conversation.

In the direction of the West Garden Abode, a bolt of lightning suddenly ripped through the night sky, illuminating the layers of palaces and halls of the Forbidden City.

……

On this autumn night of the forty-third year of the Jiajing reign, the candlelight in the study of the Yan family mansion burned until the third watch.

"Yijun! He's actually from the 'Yi' generation!" Yan Shifan slammed the crimson teacup in his hand to the ground, shards of precious porcelain and dark red tea splashing everywhere. "Even when the Crown Prince was born, the old Taoist priest never bestowed such an honor upon him!"

His obese body heaved violently in the candlelight, and a terrifying glint flashed in his single eye.

His staff bowed their heads and held their breath, none daring to provoke him at this moment.

A clerk in blue robes cautiously presented a secret report: "News just arrived from the Eastern Depot: the Prince Yu's residence has established a new Ceremonial Office for the Heir Apparent, and that Su Ning is concurrently in charge of the Ceremonial Office, entering and leaving the Prince's residence as if it were flat ground..."

"It's that poor scholar who writes poems about silkworms again!" Yan Shifan snatched the secret report, his snarling smile appearing particularly ferocious in the candlelight. "Well done, Xu Jie! Well done, Prince Yu! He's trying to use the heir apparent to cultivate his power base in court."

He paced quickly around the room for a few steps, then suddenly stopped: "Find an excuse, say that the old archives of the Nanjing Imperial Academy need to be sorted out by the Hanlin Academy, and send this Su Ning to Nanjing for a year or two!"

"Brilliant plan!" the advisor quickly flattered. "Although Nanjing is the secondary capital, this trip will naturally give the Crown Prince's real power in charge of ceremonies..."

Before he could finish speaking, there was a gentle knock on the study door.

The steward of the Yan family bowed and entered, his expression unusually grave: "Master, news has just come from the palace—today, His Majesty was in the alchemy room and suddenly asked the young alchemist serving him: 'I heard that the baby of Prince Yu's family has an exceptionally loud cry?'"

Yan Shifan's expression changed drastically: "Why would Your Majesty suddenly ask about this?"

“What’s even stranger,” the steward said in a low voice, “is that very night the Directorate of Ceremonial issued two decrees: one was to bestow upon the Crown Prince a longevity lock, and the other was to order Zhang Tianshi of Longhu Mountain to personally calculate the Crown Prince’s birth date and time.”

The study fell into a deathly silence.

The advisors exchanged bewildered glances. The Emperor had always been indifferent to his grandson, so this action was truly unusual.

Yan Shifan slowly sat back in his armchair, his single eye narrowing into a slit: "His Majesty is... giving us a warning."

He waved to dismiss everyone and went to ponder alone in a room filled with candlelight.

The autumn wind howled outside the window, making the window paper rustle.

After a long while, he picked up the wolf-hair brush and slowly wrote the character "钧" on the Xuan paper. The ink seemed to flow with blood-like light under the lamp.

"Pass on the message," he whispered to the empty study, "our matter is to be put on hold for now."

Meanwhile, inside the Prince Yu's residence, Zhu Zaiji was staring blankly at the golden lock bestowed upon him by the emperor.

Su Ning stood to the side and said softly, "Your Majesty's move is quite meaningful."

Zhu Zaiji stroked the exquisite cloud pattern on the gold lock and murmured, "Father is telling all the officials that I like this grandson very much."

……

In the early winter of the forty-third year of the Jiajing reign, the full moon banquet of the heir of the Prince Yu's mansion became a tacitly understood battleground for all the civil and military officials.

On this day, the main gate of the Prince's Mansion was wide open, and guests flocked to the mansion.

Yan Dang's congratulatory gift was the first to arrive: a red gold necklace studded with rubies and sapphires, dazzling in the sunlight and drawing gasps of amazement from everyone.

The inside of the necklace is engraved with the four characters "福寿绵长" (meaning "long life and happiness"), and the signature is surprisingly Yan Song.

"Grand Secretary Yan truly dotes on the heir." Several officials, gathered around the collar, exchanged meaningful glances.

Shortly after, Xu Jie's congratulatory gift arrived.

To everyone's surprise, it was just a simple square bamboo pen holder, with a few sparse bamboo branches carved on the bamboo joints, symbolizing "bamboo brings peace".

Only a careful observer can discover the hidden secret at the bamboo joints, where a micro-carving of "rising step by step" is engraved.

Prince Yu, Zhu Zaiji, sat in the main seat, placing the two congratulatory gifts side by side on the table, smiling without saying a word.

Just as the guests were vying to see the Crown Prince, the little Yijun in his wet nurse's arms suddenly reached out his small hand and precisely grabbed the belt of Su Ning, who was standing beside him, and held it tightly.

Everyone in the room was shocked.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Zaiji burst into laughter, his voice shaking the roof tiles: "Good boy! At such a young age, you already know who the true scholar is!"

Upon hearing this, Yan Shifan's face immediately turned ashen.

He snorted coldly and stormed off without even bothering with polite farewells.

Several officials from Yan's faction looked at each other in bewilderment and had no choice but to hurry and follow.

After the banquet ended, a maid came to invite Su Ning: "The Princess Consort invites Consort Su for a chat."

Inside the hall, Princess Li sat behind a screen, her voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable authority: "I've heard that Consort Su is well-read and knowledgeable in maritime navigation and maps. Perhaps when the Crown Prince begins his studies, he could be taught the art of stargazing and navigation?"

Su Ning bowed his head and replied, "Your subject will respectfully obey the Queen's decree."

After a moment of silence behind the screen, the princess's voice came again: "I recently read 'Zheng He's Nautical Charts' and came across the phrase 'favorable winds.' It seems that the winds at sea are perhaps more timely than the winds in the court."

Su Ning knew perfectly well that this was not about teaching the heir to observe the stars, but rather that Prince Yu was making preparations for a future retreat at sea.

He bowed deeply and said, "Your subject will do his utmost to help the Crown Prince understand the intricacies of the universe."

As Su Ning left the inner hall, he encountered Zhang Juzheng, who had been waiting for him for a long time, in the corridor.

The two walked side by side, and Zhang Juzheng said in a low voice, "Anbang, the news of the Crown Prince's arrest today will spread throughout the capital tomorrow."

Su Ning looked in the direction Yan Shifan had left and said softly, "This arrest was well done, leaving neither me nor the Yan family with any way out."

"Do you regret it?"

"How could that be! Although I am not Hai Rui, I still want to fight the Yan family." "Haha, it seems that His Highness did not misjudge you."

As night fell, the lanterns of Prince Yu's Mansion lit up one by one, illuminating this extraordinary full moon banquet as if it were daytime.

……

In the late autumn of the forty-third year of the Jiajing reign, the divination results obtained by Zhang Tianshi of Longhu Mountain, who was ordered to perform the divination, were finally presented to the emperor.

“Your Majesty,” Zhang Tianshi said, holding a jade tablet, his voice echoing in the study, “the Crown Prince’s destiny palace is exceptionally bright with the Ziwei star, indicating his immeasurable nobility. However, the astrological signs show that he needs the support of the Wood element to achieve great success.”

Emperor Jiajing stared at the bright purple hue on the divination chart, his knuckles lightly tapping the altar.

After a long silence, he slowly spoke: "Issue an imperial decree to replant all the hundred acres of the imperial estate in Xishan with pine and cypress trees, to cultivate the virtue of wood for the heir."

The imperial decree spread throughout the court and the country in an instant.

The Xishan Imperial Estate has always been used to cultivate rare medicinal herbs for alchemy, but now it has been converted into a forest for the imperial grandson. The profound meaning behind this has secretly alarmed the court officials.

Just as the court was abuzz with discussion, Su Ning noticed something amiss in the Crown Prince's courtyard.

That day, as usual, he checked the Crown Prince's diet and found that the wet nurse looked flustered.

Upon closer inspection, tiny traces of lead powder were found in the crevices of the silver spoon used for feeding.

"This is..." The wet nurse knelt down with a thud, her voice trembling, "It was the immortal master of Qingxu Temple who said that lead powder belongs to metal and can supplement the prince's five elements..."

Su Ning was shocked and immediately blocked the news, then sought an audience with Prince Yu overnight.

"Your Highness, someone is attempting to use the Five Elements as a pretext for witchcraft!" Su Ning presented the evidence. "Though the lead powder is small, its accumulation over time will inevitably damage the mind and will destroy the foundation of the heir!"

"what?"

Zhu Zaiji was furious and immediately ordered the guards of the Prince's Palace to conduct a thorough investigation.

Three days later, the abbot of Qingxu Temple was found dead in the moat, and secret letters between him and the Yan family were found in his bosom.

However, before the case could be investigated further, all leads were forcibly cut off by the Eastern Depot.

On the night of the Kitchen God Festival in the twelfth lunar month, light snow fell in Beijing.

At 7:45 PM, the main gate of Prince Yu's mansion suddenly opened wide, and Emperor Jiajing's imperial carriage arrived silently.

"I've come to see my grandson." The emperor removed his Taoist robe, leaving only an ordinary brocade robe, and stood for a long time in front of the crown prince's bed.

The baby was fast asleep in the candlelight.

Emperor Jiajing stretched out his withered hand and gently stroked his grandson's full forehead. Suddenly, he took off the Hetian jade safety buckle that he had worn for sixty years and put it into the swaddling clothes.

"This jade..." he murmured, "has been with me for sixty years."

Lu Fang, who was attending to the emperor, narrowed his eyes slightly. This jade was obtained when the Jiajing Emperor ascended the throne and had never left his side.

The following morning, Grand Secretary Yan Song suddenly claimed to be ill and asked for leave.

The gates of the Yan residence were tightly shut, and the carriages and horses in front of the gate suddenly became much quieter.

Inside the Prince Yu's residence, Zhu Zaiji stroked the jade pendant bestowed upon him by his father, the Emperor, and sighed to Su Ning, "Sir, do you know that this jade is more precious than any imperial edict?"

The newly planted pines and cypresses on the western hills stand tall in the snow, their tender green needles adorned with glistening icicles.

This winter, the situation in Beijing is quietly changing as an infant grows up.

……

On New Year's Day of the 44th year of the Jiajing reign (1565), firecrackers crackled sporadically under the snow-covered eaves of Beijing.

The Prince Yu's Mansion was more lively than in previous years, with New Year's gifts from all over the country piled up like a small mountain in the flower hall.

The most eye-catching items were two special congratulatory gifts.

A three-foot-tall red coral bonsai was delivered by express horse from Fujian, its branches spreading out like a beacon tower.

Qi Jiguang's note contained only four characters: "The sea is calm and peaceful," yet it made Zhu Zaiji linger at his desk for a long time.

He gently stroked the sharp edges of the coral and whispered to Su Ning beside him, "Yuan Jing is telling me that the southeastern coastal defense is now under his control."

Almost simultaneously, an old friend from the Imperial Medical Academy quietly delivered a thick stack of manuscripts.

It turned out to be Li Shizhen's "Compendium of Materia Medica," which had not yet been published. On the title page, the renowned physician of his time personally inscribed: "Metals and minerals are poisonous; be extremely cautious."

Zhu Zaiji stared at the meaningful warning, recalling the lead powder disaster that the heir had suffered not long ago, and couldn't help but take a deep breath: "Imperial Physician Li is reminding us that someone is still coveting us in secret."

In the afternoon, as usual, Su Ning held the heir Zhu Yijun in her arms as they learned to read in the study.

The charcoal fire burned brightly in the warm room. Pointing to the character "地" (earth) in the Thousand Character Classic, he patiently explained: "Heaven and earth were dark and yellow, the universe was vast and boundless. This character '地' carries all things and is the foundation of the state..."

Before the words were finished, the baby in her arms stretched out its little hand and pressed it precisely on the character "地" (di, meaning earth), letting out a clear laugh.

Those bright eyes stared at the ink stains, as if they could truly understand their meaning.

"How amazing!" the wet nurse exclaimed in surprise, "The young master seems to recognize this character!"

Outside the window, the snow gradually melted in the sunlight, and the eaves dripped with a soft sound.

The old eunuch, who had served for many years, watched this scene and murmured to himself, "A timely snow promises a bumper harvest. The young master is so intelligent; he is a blessing for our Great Ming Dynasty..."

However, at this moment, no one could have foreseen...

This infant, born in the autumn rain, would, twenty years later, initiate the Wanli Reforms, which would shake the court and the country, injecting new vitality into the stagnant Ming Dynasty.

Meanwhile, his mentor, Su Ning, was at that moment working under the dim light of a lamp, sketching an unprecedented "Map of the World".

The map not only marked the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty, but also outlined the vast ocean and the legendary foreign continent.

On the southeastern coast, he specially wrote a note in red ink: "Though the sea is calm, undercurrents still exist. To open a new chapter, we must look to the world."

The flickering candlelight cast Su Ning's silhouette onto the window paper, weaving a hazy picture with the melting snow outside.

On this seemingly ordinary New Year's Day, the future of the Ming Dynasty is quietly being conceived in this study.

……

While the high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital were still praising the intelligence of the Prince Yu's heir, a rouge shop called "Sinking Fish and Falling Geese" had already quietly taken root in the major prefectures and cities of the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty, like spring rain nourishing the earth.

That evening, after finishing his shift at Prince Yu's residence, Su Ning did not return directly to the residence, but instead took a detour to the "Sinking Fish and Falling Geese" main branch located on Qipan Street in the capital.

The shopfront is unassuming, but the black plaque with gold lettering exudes a calm and serene air.

He quietly entered through the side door and went straight to the elegant room on the second floor, where his cousin Zhou Zhengjie was already waiting.

“Cousin, you’ve arrived.” Zhou Zhengjie put down the account book in his hand, his face showing both excitement and exhaustion. “The branches in Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Yangzhou all opened last month and the response has been excellent. Even the family of the Nanjing garrison eunuch sent people to make purchases. Now, our ‘Sinking Fish and Falling Goose’ brand has finally been established in the core prefectures of the north, south, and thirteen provinces.”

A huge map of the Ming Dynasty hangs on the wall, cleverly marked with dozens of vermilion marks, stretching from Xuanda and Jiliao in the north to Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan in the south, forming a meticulous commercial network.

Su Ning walked to the window, looking down at the endless stream of carriages and women below, and said softly, "People only know that 'beauty that makes fish sink and geese fall' sells rouge and powder, but they don't know that this rouge and powder is also the best cover for the exchange of information and the flow of money."

Zhou Zhengjie nodded, lowering his voice: "Exactly. Through the flow of goods between our branches, we have not only opened up trade routes between the north and south, but also woven a network for transmitting information. The manager of the Yingtian Prefecture branch sent a secret letter the other day, saying that he has established contact with several former members of Qi Jiguang's army in Zhejiang through the passing caravans. In addition, the profits from our branches in various places, apart from maintaining operations, have all been transferred to Dengzhou through money exchanges as you instructed, and entrusted to reliable people. Ostensibly, it is for purchasing overseas spices, but in reality, it is for..."

He paused here, his words carrying a profound meaning.

“The navy,” Su Ning continued, his gaze still fixed on the window. “The imperial navy has been neglected for too long, and the Yan faction controls the Taicang treasury. There are some things that the court won’t do, so we have to make plans early. What flows in this rouge shop is not just money, but also the lifeblood of the future.”

Zhou Zhengjie walked to his side, his expression turning serious: "Cousin, this is extremely risky. If..."

"If this is exposed, it will be a capital offense." Su Ning turned around, her eyes calm but firm. "But cousin, we both know that the Ming Dynasty is peaceful on the surface, but like this rouge, its colorful exterior hides hidden dangers. The prince is kind and the heir is intelligent, but the empire is about to collapse, and one pillar cannot support it. Our actions are not treason, but to leave this dynasty a way out and preserve its vitality."

He picked up an exquisite porcelain box from the table, and inside was a richly colored rouge: "Look, this little rouge can adorn one's appearance, convey messages, and even accumulate wealth. Behind it are countless people like you and me who do not want to see this land fall into ruin."

As night deepened, Qipan Street was brightly lit, and the "Sinking Fish and Falling Geese" sign gleamed with a warm glow under the lights.

Now that we're in the game, it would be a shame not to make a move.

Unbeknownst to anyone, this seemingly ordinary rouge shop had quietly extended its reach to every corner of the empire. It not only adorned the faces of Ming Dynasty women, but also unknowingly participated in shaping the future landscape of this dynasty.

...(End of chapter)