Di Ming

Chapter 143 Battleships!
Zhu Yin and Xu Wei chatted for a long time at the tomb of Crown Prince Yiwen before descending the mountain together.

As he left the tomb of Crown Prince Yiwen, Zhu Yin couldn't help but turn back and take a deep look.

Xu Wei said in a low voice, "If I ever achieve my ambitions, the tomb of Emperor Xiaokang should be restored as an imperial tomb!"

Although Zhu Yin has not yet admitted it, the shrewd and experienced Xu Wei already knew the truth.

He concluded that Zhu Yin was a descendant of Emperor Xiaokang (Crown Prince Yiwen).

As Zhu Yin was descending the mountain, he heard suppressed sobbing coming from the woods. His hearing was superior to most; upon closer listening, he recognized the voice as a soft, mournful cry:

“How difficult it is to be a eunuch. Abandoned by his family at the age of eight, he was sent to that shameful place and endured ten years of hardship under the cold lamp.”

"After finally rising from a lowly rank of minor official to a sixth-rank official, he made a small mistake and was exiled to Nanjing to guard the imperial tombs, becoming a vegetable-growing soldier who suffered daily bullying."

"Enough, enough, I am a pariah abandoned by my parents, a survivor of punishment. I have no more ties to this world. I will hang myself from a tree in the southeast, and that will end it all..."

Zhu Yin understood; it turned out that a minor eunuch who had been exiled was about to hang himself.

Seeing someone commit suicide without offering advice is certainly not Zhu Yin's style.

He went into the woods and saw a young eunuch dressed in red about to hang himself.

"Wait!" Zhu Yin said in a clear, childlike voice, "Heaven cherishes life. Even if you have been abandoned by your parents, you should cherish yourself even more!"

"Who is it?" The eunuch turned his head and saw that it was a child, and he was taken aback.

The child is only about ten years old, but he speaks like an adult.

Moreover, this child is exquisitely beautiful, lively and graceful, like a mountain spirit, unlike any child of this world.

The eunuch was surprised and somewhat moved. He cupped his hands and said:

“Young master’s words are reasonable. However, I am suffering from bitterness in this life. If I do not commit suicide, I will be humiliated to death sooner or later. I might as well end it myself.”

Zhu Yin couldn't bear it and said, "I'm a soft-hearted person, I really can't stand seeing this! You're not even twenty yet, why are you so suicidal and world-weary?"

"I ask you, have you done anything wrong, feel guilty and remorseful? Do you want to atone with your death?"

The eunuch shook his head: "Although I am a rootless person, I have never done anything evil or harmed anyone, so why should I feel guilty? It's just that I am now a member of the Clean Guard, fallen into the dust, and I have offended the steward of the Divine Palace, so my life is uncertain..."

"I thought it was something important, what's the big deal!" Zhu Yin stood on a fallen, dead tree. "What is your honorable name, Your Excellency?"

Seeing Zhu Yin's refined and noble demeanor, his magnificent attire, and the imposing guards behind him, the young eunuch knew he was a minor nobleman and couldn't help but feel a little more hopeful.

He replied respectfully, "My name is Zong Qin, a native of Beizhili. When I was studying at the Imperial Academy, I accidentally omitted a stroke when writing the character '世' (shì, meaning 'world'). I was caught for this mistake, expelled from the academy, and exiled to Nanjing..."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin also felt sorry for Zong Qin.

The fact that Zong Qin was able to enter the Inner Academy to study shows that he was a smart man, but he was unlucky just because he didn't write the character "世" (world) without missing a stroke.

Temple names in the Ming Dynasty also had to be avoided, but the enforcement was actually quite lenient. However, if taken seriously, it could indeed be a problem.

But what kind of world is it if the world is missing a horizontal line?
“You don’t have to die.” Zhu Yin waved his hand. “Brother Zong, go back and wait. In a few days, we’ll transfer you to the Nanjing Directorate of Ceremonial.”

All the eunuchs and junior eunuchs at the Xiaoling Mausoleum were under Tian Yi's command. For Tian Yi to transfer a junior eunuch to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs was a matter of a single word.

Given the relationship between Zhu Yin and Tian Yi, this small matter wouldn't require any favors; it would be a simple and effortless favor.

"What?" Zong Qin could hardly believe it, yet he was both surprised and delighted.

But Zhu Yin had already turned and left, his childish voice echoing back: "Remember! Don't try to kill yourself, go back and wait for me!"

Zong Qin called out, "Young master, what is your honorable name?"

"Lei Feng!" The boy's clear voice rang out, already far away.

As Zongqin looked at that small figure, his nose suddenly stung, and two lines of tears welled up in his eyes.

"Lei Feng..."

When Zhu Yin returned home, he also made a detour to the garrison headquarters.

That very evening, an order arrived at Xiaoling Mausoleum, transferring Zong Qin, a vegetable grower, to the position of garrison commander.

The eunuchs who had previously bullied and humiliated Zongqin were all stunned.

Some people even knelt down in front of Zong Qin and slapped themselves repeatedly.

Zong Qin accepted the transfer order with excitement, and the image of that familiar little face reappeared in his mind.

Lei Feng!

.........

In the villa, Ning Qingchen placed her tiny feet under Xiao Hei's belly.

It's very warm and feels great on the feet.

"You were really nice today," Ning Qingchen said in her childish voice. "You saved that eunuch, which shows you're very kind. If you became emperor, it would be a blessing for everyone in the world."

Holding a rat whisker in his hand, Zhu Yin sat upright, writing the "Regulations of the Propaganda Society," and said without looking up:

"Didn't you say I was vicious? How come you're kind now? Also, Zong Qin isn't a eunuch, he's a junior eunuch. Only senior eunuchs are called eunuchs."

Zhu Yin put down his pen and warmed his cold hands by the lamplight on his desk.

“It’s getting cold.” Ning Qingchen tilted her head. “I don’t like the damp cold of Jiangnan. Guanzhong is much better.”

"Yes, yes, Guanzhong is good," Zhu Yin replied perfunctorily, while warming his little hands and pondering something.

Ning Qingchen pointed at Xiao Hei in a childish voice, "Little tiger, Xiao Hei is very warm and fluffy. Why don't you use it to warm your hands?"

Zhu Yin was speechless. "Black Tiger is my comrade-in-arms, not a hand warmer."

After speaking, he handed the still-wet ink of the Xuan Society's regulations to Ning Qingchen.

Ning Qingchen looked at it, her little face serious.

"Your joining requirements have no gender or social status restrictions; women are welcome, and non-educated individuals are also welcome..."

"Moreover, once you join the Xuan Society, regardless of how many societies you join, you must prioritize the Xuan Society and participate in its gatherings first..."

"Furthermore, members of the Propaganda Society uphold the virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, trustworthiness, loyalty, courage, filial piety, and brotherly love, dedicating themselves to helping the vulnerable and weak, promoting righteousness, punishing evil and upholding justice, striving to bring about a golden age of emperors like Yao and Shun, and serving the country with impartiality..."

"Hmm, it's very deceptive and targeted; at least it can fool the emperor and his ministers. But this regulation is practically something from a political party in later generations. Would anyone participate? Would those scholars who pursue elegance and only like poetry and music societies participate?"

Zhu Yin said, "It's better to have fewer but better people. It's better if those kinds of people don't participate; I don't mind. The Propaganda Society is our core group and talent pool. The joining requirements are quite strict, and the organizational discipline is also quite rigorous..."

The Xuanshe Regulations not only contain a clear eight-character mantra and a twenty-character declaration, but also stipulate the conditions for joining.

The internal structure is very simple. There are only nine people with official positions.

Below the head of the community are the left and right community managers, the left and right community supervisors, and the four messengers of spring, summer, autumn and winter.

The position of Qiu Shi, who was in charge of managing public expenses, was specifically reserved for the young wife.

Those with fewer than nine members are all members without official positions. Therefore, the Propaganda Society actually has no hierarchical organizational structure.

Ning Qingchen asked, puzzled, "Why isn't there an organization or structure? How will it be managed on a daily basis?"

But she quickly understood, "Are you afraid of attracting attention and being resented?"

Zhu Yin nodded: "That's right. I really want to set up a hierarchical organization, but after careful consideration, I've decided not to for the time being."

"If we don't set up management bodies for now, the propaganda society will seem loose and not much different from any other company. But once we set up various management bodies, the nature of the organization will become more serious. It will be easy for others to find fault with it."

"It's not too late to reorganize the Propaganda Department and set up new organizations when the time is right and we have a certain level of strength."

Ning Qingchen raised her little hand: "Sect Leader Zhu, I want to join the Propaganda Society! Can you give me a position as a council member? Left and right council members, that would be perfect for my sister and me."

Zhu Yin: "..."

After thinking for a moment, he took the baby girl's hand and patiently coaxed her, "When you grow up, you can be the head of the society, let alone the manager. But you are too young now."

"Hehe." Ning Qingchen laughed, "Really? Then I want to grow up quickly."

"Sigh, when will my interesting soul break free from the constraints of my young body?"

Zhu Yin touched her soft, chubby face and smiled, "It'll be here soon."

Zhu Yin took the "Xuanshe Regulations" to Xu Wei, who was surprised to find that the regulations were of such high quality.

However, Xu Wei was indeed more astute. He modified the twenty-character declaration, changing "helping the vulnerable and assisting the weak" to "unity of knowledge and action."

This change altered the entire meaning of the declaration.

The moment it was connected to the philosophy of mind, the tension immediately subsided.

"Excellent!" Zhu Yin couldn't help but exclaim.

"Sir, you truly have the ability to turn the rotten into the miraculous. The followers of the School of Mind are mostly practical talents, which is exactly the same as the purpose of our Propaganda Society. By changing these four words, the Propaganda Society can absorb talents of the School of Mind."

The more Zhu Yin spent with Xu Wei, the more he understood Xu Wei's great talent.

Xu Wei smiled and said, "Your four words, 'helping the vulnerable and assisting the weak,' embody the benevolent heart that loves all things and has compassion for all living beings, which is most rare and precious. It's a pity..."

"Unfortunately, these four words cannot be openly proclaimed, otherwise it would be suspected of inciting people's hearts and acting on behalf of Heaven. If someone hears these four words, it is hard to guarantee that they will not think of the Liangshan heroes who rob the rich to help the poor and eliminate evil and protect the innocent. If they use this to attack Xuanshe, it will be troublesome."

Zhu Yin nodded: "Now, if we change it to the twenty characters of 'Unity of Knowledge and Action,' 'Promoting Righteousness,' 'Punishing Evil and Defending the Way,' 'Making the Ruler Like Yao and Shun,' and 'Serving the Country with a Public Mind,' then there will be no fault to find."

"Sir, how about you take up the position of Left Director of the Propaganda Society?"

Zhu Yin was very satisfied, believing that the Chinese philosophy of mind played an indispensable role in Japan's Meiji Restoration.

Xu Wei stroked his beard and said, "Alright."

Thus, Xu Wei became the Left Secretary of the Xuan Society.

.........

The next day, Zhu Yin took the "Regulations of the Xuan Society" to the Imperial College and showed it to his four classmates, including Shang Yang and Mo Shao.

Shang Yang and the other three all agreed to the "Regulations" and immediately joined the Propaganda Society.

Shangyang is the Left Supervisor of the Society, Mo Shao is the Right Supervisor of the Society, He Bi is the Spring Envoy in charge of gatherings and parties, Han Shang is the Summer Envoy in charge of external liaison and recruitment of members, and Ning Caiwei is the Autumn Envoy in charge of finances.

The position of Right Social Affairs Manager is currently vacant, as is the position of Winter Ambassador in charge of printing, publishing, and propaganda.

As soon as the Propaganda Society was established, it immediately posted notices to attract students from all halls to join.

However, when the group learned that the leader was Zhu Yin, who was only ten years old, even though Zhu Yin was a child prodigy, they were unwilling to join.

The eight-character mantra and twenty-character declaration of the Propaganda Society also seemed harsh and unconventional to them, causing them to hesitate and give up.

By the afternoon, Zhu Yin's notice of forming a society had been posted for half a day, but there were still very few respondents.

When Wang Ruifang, Dong Shi, and others learned of this, they couldn't help but laugh.

"Hahaha! Zhu Zhihu has also copied others and started his own society. But his society only has seven or eight people now! It's truly laughable!"

"Imitating Xi Shi's frown or trying to walk like someone from Handan only makes one a laughingstock."

It's no wonder they ridiculed it. On the day the Chrysanthemum Society was founded, it already had more than thirty members.

In less than ten days, the community already has two to three hundred members!

Its influence and numbers are now comparable to those of long-established major publishing houses.

Moreover, the Chrysanthemum Society's background and influence are unmatched even by established major societies. Everyone knows that it won't be long before the Chrysanthemum Society becomes the largest society in Southern Yong, and may even become the largest society in Southern Zhili in the future!

The head of the Nanyong Grand Society was none other than Wang Ruifang, who was only thirteen years old.

With the rise of the Chrysanthemum Society, Wang Ruifang, whose glory had faded after Zhu Yin took away her title as a child prodigy, has once again become a sensation, her child prodigy status restored, and even surpassed her former glory.

Zhu Yin's reputation was immediately overshadowed.

Under the deliberate suppression of the Chrysanthemum Society members, Zhu Yin's image as a child prodigy was labeled as "child's play," "poetry and literature minor skills," and "trivial skills," and was thus exaggerated, downplayed, and belittled.

The motto of the Chrysanthemum Society is a poem by Wang Ruifang:

Romantic and elegant pursuits,
Music, chess, calligraphy, and painting are enjoyed in times of peace.

There are gentlemen in both the imperial court and the common people.
Those who share the same path know the same way about their country and the world.

This poem is catchy and very clear: the Chrysanthemum Society is a society that not only indulges in refined tastes but also discusses politics and cares about national affairs.

It's much more elegant than the eight-character mantra and twenty-character declaration of the Propaganda Society.

As the school term was about to end, only three people joined the Propaganda Society: Gu Qiyuan and his two close classmates.

Gu Qiyuan is Zhao Chan'er's husband. He joined the Xuan Society not only to show his support, but also because he agreed with the society's ideals.

Zhu Yin immediately invited Gu Qiyuan to serve as the Right Secretary of the State.

Therefore, including Xu Wei and Ning Caiwei who were not present, the Propaganda Department only had ten people.

It became the smallest society in the Imperial Academy in terms of the number of employees.

Wang Ruifang and others ridiculed him relentlessly.

But Zhu Yin was not in a hurry at all. He knew very well that there were many followers of the School of Mind in the Imperial Academy, and these people were observing the situation.

There are also companies that are willing to learn, but their organization is very disorganized.

They will join once they find that the Propaganda Society aligns with their ideals.

Moreover, the Imperial College had many poor scholars like Gu Qiyuan, who were naturally incompatible with the Chrysanthemum Society and were a potential force for the Propaganda Society.

As long as the missionary's ideology is effectively promoted, many of them will join!
Zhu Yin estimates that within three months at most, the propaganda machine will experience explosive growth.

After school, Zhu Yin treated all the members to a meal at a restaurant to celebrate.

The Propaganda Society was thus hastily and hastily established.

.........

More than half a month has passed.

Before we knew it, it was the end of November. The Zhu family's workshop, covering a hundred acres, finally rose from the ground and was fully completed.

During this period, Zhu Yin taught Qingchen classes during the day and trained students in the evenings.

He might attend gatherings of the Propaganda Society, visit Shen Yiguan, Tian Yi, and Zhuang Tingjian, manage the intelligence network, or inspect the three manors and eight medicinal gardens to become familiar with the tenant farmers of the manors and the herb farmers of the medicinal gardens.

Of course, every morning, they also practiced horseback archery and Qi family martial arts.

My days are packed with activities and very fulfilling.

His essays, written in the traditional eight-legged style, also showed significant improvement under repeated problem-solving and guidance from Shen Yiguan.

At the end of the month, the teacher gave a clear evaluation, noting that the essay had improved and become more "rounded and gentle," showing signs of maturity.

On the first day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhu Yin finally asked for leave.

The time I had agreed upon with Caiwei was fast approaching.

I made a promise with Caiwei that we would meet in Zhoushan on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month and then lead our fleet to attack Itte Island, the Spanish base for conquering the Ming Dynasty!
Zhu Yin missed Caiwei terribly after not seeing her for almost three months.

On the first day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhu Yin, along with Ning Caiwei and others, under the pretext of visiting relatives in the south, took a boat down the Grand Canal and headed straight for Zhejiang.

The plan was to reach Hangzhou, the end of the canal, then take a boat to Ningbo, bribe the patrol officers and the coastal defense station, and hire a boat to go out to sea.

.........

As Zhu Yin headed south, Ning Caiwei also led two large riverboats, more than twenty people, and five thousand catties of dried milk powder, sailing down the Pearl River to the sea.

Crossing Guangzhou Bay again, Ning Caiwei's mood was different once more.

They had previously hired a ship with only a dozen or so attendants.

This time there were two large ships, and ten more servant warriors gifted by Cen Bingxiu.

Ning Caiwei was dressed in a colorful cloud-patterned dress of the Tong people, adorned with dazzling silver ornaments, looking like a young lady from a Tong noble family.

Ning Caiwei stood on the deck, looking at the bustling city of Guangzhou on the north bank of the Pearl River, her eyes narrowed.

Her appearance was thinner than before, and she had a somewhat worldly look.

The past three months have gone relatively smoothly. Although they encountered bandits and mountain thieves several times, thanks to her meticulousness, quick wit, and the bravery and skill of Hongying and the others, they escaped unscathed.

Fortunately, although Guangxi is a place prone to malaria, no one fell ill during the autumn and winter seasons.

Once they reached the territory of the Cen clan chieftain, they were even safer.

Cen Xiubing was very pleased, and the two parties quickly reached an agreement on cooperation.

With Cen Xiubing's help, the originally complicated matter became incredibly smooth.

At the command of Chief Cen, all the Western crossbred dairy cows in the grasslands and Nanshan pastures were gathered together.

One or two hundred dairy cows and herdsmen were all rented to Ning Caiwei.

Ning Caiwei immediately set up Ningyin Livestock Industry and established a dairy farm, hiring people to breed and mate cattle while raising and milking them.

After more than a month of hard work, they obtained more than 5,000 kilograms of milk powder and immediately rushed back.

Cen Xiubing sent her two ships and also selected ten valiant and skilled servant warriors to escort her back north.

Therefore, the return trip was smoother and safer.

Ning Caiwei and Cen Xiubing agreed to send someone to deliver milk powder regularly. She wanted to make this business a source of income for the Cen family as well.

Having already passed Guangzhou, Ning Caiwei was even more eager for the future.

We're about to see the tiger cubs, and my little sister too.

Soon after, the two riverboats arrived at Xiangshan County, and then at Haojing, which was occupied by the Portuguese.

Ning Caiwei sold the riverboat and bought her old large ship, setting sail north.

But soon after, they encountered a massive warship with four tall masts and white sails like clouds. It was a true behemoth of the sea and looked quite awe-inspiring.

The Zhuang samurai, in particular, who had never seen a large ship before, were all dumbfounded.

Looking at the terrifying Spanish sailing warships, even a time traveler from a later era couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the strength of the Spanish navy in the 16th century.

This is the earliest ocean-going warship in human history to conquer the ocean, and it is undoubtedly a powerful weapon on the seas today.

Fortunately, there was only one.

"Lady Caiwei, it's a Portuguese warship (Spanish)!" Zhou Desi's expression changed. "A Portuguese galleon!"

"Frankish galleons rarely come to this area. Why are they heading north? Are they returning from Japan?"

Zhang Naizhu's face was grim. "What bad luck! We've run into Portuguese warships today. They're just like pirates."

"They're using flag signals!" Liu Shan'a said. "Lady Caiwei, they're telling us to stop; they're going to rob us!"

"Run!" Ning Caiwei shouted. "Raise a white flag to confuse them, and then adjust the sails and rudder to escape! Their boat is big, and ours is small; they won't be able to catch us!"

"Yes!" the crowd replied.

Immediately, a white flag was hoisted on Ning Caiwei's boat.

Just as the enemy lowered their guard, the ship flying the white flag suddenly changed sails and rudder, indicating that it was trying to escape.

"Cunning Eastern merchants!" roared the Spanish captain on the warship. "Fire! Sink them!"

His turquoise eyes were filled with arrogant indifference.

He drew his command sword from his waist and elegantly brandished it in front of his chest, performing a salute in the form of a pre-battle salute.

Although Ning Caiwei couldn't see his battlefield etiquette, he had to abide by it.

An elegant gentleman, a king's knight, a pope's child, will not abandon his noble manners and upbringing because of the rudeness, barbarity, or disrespect of his enemies.

The massive warship suddenly sounded a sharp whistle, and two or three hundred sailors shouted as they operated the awe-inspiring cannons.

At the same time, the warship also turned sideways.

This is a Spanish sailing warship, a large sailing ship equipped with more than twenty cannons. The heaviest cannons could fire cannonballs weighing up to thirty pounds several miles away.

Every Spanish warship had a priest accompanying it.

At this moment, the priest accompanying the army held the cross, kissed it, and prayed.

May the Lord bless the brave and fearless warriors of the West, His people, and swiftly sink the cowardly enemy ships that flee in disarray.

Good heavens!
This sailing battleship, originally stationed in Luzon, was one of five sailing battleships in Luzon. Three months ago, it escorted a group of missionaries and a merchant ship to Japan.

It was a pleasant visit overall.

On their return voyage south, they robbed several merchant ships along the way, which was quite enjoyable.

But this time, the other ship's owner was clearly a cunning fellow.

The captain and sailors unanimously felt it was a shameful and regrettable thing.

Good heavens, can you imagine someone who has raised the white flag suddenly turning around and running away?
This is terrible; it brings shame to the victors.

If that fellow who can be called Captain (for lack of a better term) is caught, he should be stripped naked and hanged from the mast at the stern of the ship.

The Spanish gunners loaded the propellant, aimed, and then lit the fuses.

The massive ship trembled, a plume of black smoke rose from the flames, followed by a deafening roar.

"Rumble—"

Dozens of feet behind Ning Caiwei's ship, columns of water several meters high rose up.

"Boom boom—" Another roar, and the shells pierced the sky for miles and came whistling in.

This time, the closest shell came within ten feet of the ship, and a spray of water even landed on Ning Caiwei's face.

Her hair immediately became wet.

Seawater streamed down my hair, onto my face, and onto the corners of my mouth, leaving an extremely bitter taste.

Ning Caiwei turned around and stared intently at the arrogant Spanish sailing warships behind her, her eyes filled with a leaden gray, like a gloomy sky!

P.S.: Does anyone know anything about Spanish galleons? Thanks, goodnight!

(End of this chapter)