Late Ming Dynasty: So what if Emperor Chongzhen was inactive?!

Chapter 79 Qin Liangyu: Tyrant, tyrant!

"Wanwan, I have a difficult task for you!" Zhu Youjian said, placing his hands on Sun Shiwan's shoulders.

Sun Shiwan looked at Zhu Youjian with some helplessness, knowing that the emperor was about to cause trouble again.

"You've always admired General Qin Liangyu, haven't you?" Zhu Youjian said.

Sun Shiwan nodded and said, "Not only me, but many women are proud of General Qin."

"Very well, Qin Liangyu is still in the capital, but she is preparing to return. I want to keep her in the capital, but I don't have a sufficient reason. What do you think I should do?" Zhu Youjian asked.

"Then what does Your Majesty wish me to do?" Sun Shiwan countered.

"I have invited General Qin to the palace for a meal. You should pester her later and beg her to take you as her disciple. What do you think?" Zhu Youjian said shrewdly.

"Your Majesty wishes for me to become Qin Liangyu's apprentice?" Sun Shiwan's eyes lit up, but then she said with some helplessness, "Your Majesty, General Qin and Commander Ma must be sent back. As the chieftains of Shizhu, how can we be at ease with their families if they are allowed to stay in the capital for an extended period?"

Zhu Youjian was well aware of this, which is why he found it troublesome to keep Qin Liangyu. So he said, "In that case, let Ma Xianglin return to his hometown so that he can reunite with his wife. The White Pole Guard will be temporarily placed under the command of General Qin."

"Then should I still become a disciple?" Sun Shiwan asked Zhu Youjian with eager eyes.

"Of course, whether General Qin is willing to accept you as her disciple depends on your abilities. I can't force her to accept you as her disciple, can I?" Zhu Youjian said with a smile.

“No, Your Majesty, I need to prepare,” Sun Shiwan quickly stood up from her chair. “Your Majesty, please remember to send someone to call me when you are having your meal. I need to look at some military books for a while!”

After saying that, Sun Shiwan ran off in a hurry.

At this moment, Qin Liangyu was inspecting the Jingshan camp. Ma Xianglin, the dignified commander of the White-pole Guard and the Pacification Commissioner of Shizhu, followed behind Qin Liangyu with trepidation, just like a greenhorn.

He brought three thousand people from his hometown, but now he can't bring them back. He doesn't know how to explain it to his elderly mother.

Qin Liangyu walked around the foot of Jingshan Hill. At this time, more than three thousand small courtyards had been neatly built from top to bottom on Jingshan Hill. The White-pole Guards worked in three shifts. Usually, one thousand people patrolled the inner palace, while the remaining two thousand stayed on Jingshan Hill.

Qin Liangyu's arrival shattered the tranquility of the Jingshan camp. In any case, this group of people were trained by Qin Liangyu herself, and like Ma Xianglin, they both respected and feared her.

They never expected to see the "loyal and virtuous lady" in the capital. Everyone came out of their homes to greet Qin Liangyu, and soon several hundred people gathered.

"You all seem to be living quite peacefully here. Do you miss your hometown?" Qin Liangyu casually grabbed a lucky young man and asked.

The young man said nervously, "I...I still miss my parents very much! But we've already married in Beijing, and my wife got pregnant last year."

"Really? Then why don't we see you women? Do you have another place to stay?" Qin Liangyu asked curiously.

"Our wives were all palace maids of the emperor, and they are still serving in the palace. They can only reunite with us during their days off."

"Don't you need to farm?"

“No need! We are paid by the government, receiving seven dou of rice and three taels of silver each month. We also have free food and lodging, and we have more silver than we can spend. I have saved up several dozen taels of silver and was thinking of finding someone to send it back home. But I haven’t been able to find a suitable person. If we go through the official post station, we are afraid that our money will be stolen. Lady Zhongzhen, could you please help us take the money back home?”

"Yes, and me too! I've saved up quite a bit of money and even bought some new gadgets that we didn't have at home..."

Upon hearing this, Qin Liangyu felt helpless: "They've already settled down in the capital, so it seems we really can't bring them back."

"Ma Xianglin?!" "Your subordinate is here!" Hearing his elderly mother call him by his full name, Ma Xianglin shuddered and instinctively stood up straight.

"Since everyone wants to send money and provisions home, you should take people to collect them and register them one by one. Then have each of them write a letter home. They have been away from home for a long time, and their families must be very worried. Even if they are far away in the capital, they are still my sons from Shizhu."

"You need not worry, I have no intention of blaming you. His Majesty's methods are truly impossible to guard against. Even if I personally led the men, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to stop him. It's good to let them divide their property here. The land in Shizhu is limited and cannot support so many people." Qin Liangyu said softly.

Upon hearing this, Ma Xianglin said with some difficulty, "Mother, there aren't enough officers in the army. Our family doesn't have a school, and most of the soldiers are illiterate. We need to go to His Majesty to borrow some people..."

"To bother His Majesty with such a private matter?!" Qin Liangyu frowned slightly.

“It’s alright, His Majesty is always very easy to get along with! There’s no need to trouble the court officials. Many of the palace eunuchs are literate, so I’ll go and ask Eunuch Xu to borrow a few. By the way, Mother, when do you plan to return to your hometown?” Ma Xianglin asked.

"Me?! I'm afraid I won't be able to go back anytime soon. You should go back now," Qin Liangyu said calmly.

"Huh?!" Ma Xianglin was stunned.

"What do you mean, 'ah'? Fengyi thinks about you all the time, and this time she even insisted on coming to the capital with me, but I didn't allow her to come because there's no one to take care of her at home. You brat, have you found another concubine in the capital and don't want to go back? Ma Xianglin! I'm telling you right now, if you want to take concubines, I won't care, but if you dare to do that despicable thing of favoring concubines over wives, you'll be sorry!" Qin Liangyu said, glaring at her fierce eyes.

“No way! Even if the emperor offered me a palace maid, I wouldn’t dare accept it…” Ma Xianglin said aggrievedly, “Mother, what do you mean by ‘can’t go back for now’?”

Qin Liangyu sighed and said, "Yesterday I asked His Majesty to let me resign and also begged him to send you back to Shizhu. Although His Majesty did not explicitly refuse, he did not grant my request either. Governor Zhu has been retained in the capital by His Majesty, so I suppose His Majesty has other arrangements for me. But as the Pacification Commissioner of Shizhu, you must return to Shizhu no matter what. Since His Majesty refuses, I will plead with him!"

At noon, Zhu Youjian's chief attendant, Wang Chengen, personally came to Jingshan to pick up Qin Liangyu. They entered the inner palace directly from the north gate.

Wang Chengen took out an ivory waist token and handed it to Qin Liangyu, saying, "General Qin, this is a gift from His Majesty. With this token, you may freely enter and leave the inner court."

Qin Liangyu accepted the waist token, somewhat puzzled. Why was she going to the palace for no reason? Although she was a first-rank noblewoman, she wasn't familiar with the other ladies in the palace. She had been well-versed in military strategy since childhood, discussing matters of governing regions and leading troops into battle. Perhaps she wouldn't have anything to do with the noblewomen in the palace?
Filled with doubt, Qin Liangyu followed Wang Chengen through Kunning Palace and Jiaotai Hall, and arrived at Qianqing Palace.

In the West Warm Pavilion of Qianqing Palace, a woman with a slightly protruding belly and a touch of heroic spirit in her eyes stood early in the corridor to greet them.

"Your Highness, the Virtuous Consort," Wang Chengen greeted.

Qin Liangyu was slightly surprised, then bowed and said, "Your subject, Qin Liangyu, pays respects to Your Highness, the Virtuous Consort."

How could Sun Shiwan dare to be negligent? She quickly stepped aside to avoid the courtesy and said, "How could this humble woman accept such a grand gesture from the General? Please rise, General!"

Then, she seized the opportunity to help Qin Liangyu up, but did not let go of her hand. Instead, she took her arm and said, "General, you've finally arrived! I've been waiting for you! His Majesty has prepared wine and dishes in the warm pavilion, waiting for you to take your seat. To tell you the truth, I've heard of your deeds since I was a child. My father often praised your brilliant battle tactics and mentioned them to me many times. I have always admired you, and I never thought I would have the honor of meeting you in this lifetime!"

Sun Shiwan made no attempt to hide her admiration, a gaze that Qin Liangyu found almost unbearable. She asked with some curiosity, "May I ask who your father is?"

“My father, Sun Chuanting, has now been promoted to Governor of Yansui,” Sun Shiwan replied.

"Sun Chuanting?!" Qin Liangyu racked her brains but couldn't recall who he was. She knew some officials from the southwestern provinces, but she was unfamiliar with these people from the north. But could relatives of the emperor now hold power? Qin Liangyu shook her head inwardly, her opinion of the emperor dropping a few notches.

Historically, only a minority of imperial relatives have been capable of serving as virtuous ministers and generals. Most of them are merely sycophants who rose to power through the favor of empresses and concubines. If such people were to hold important positions, they would likely cause unrest in the country.

Although she had her own thoughts, Qin Liangyu did not intend to offer any advice. She was merely a military general leading troops; there were other officials who could advise the emperor, and she would not risk offending them.

(End of this chapter)