Di Ming

Chapter 200: The uncle of the state plots against a childish tiger and turns it into a good fortune and joins the Zheng family

The imperial physician was kicked by Zheng Er, the emperor's brother-in-law, and felt extremely humiliated. However, he dared not retaliate and could only tense his muscles, waiting to be kicked again, while saying in a tearful voice:

"Fourth Master is bleeding from below, his underpants are soaked. Fourth Master is not injured, he just caught a cold and fell ill, how could he be bleeding from his lower orifices?"

"I just examined him and found that the Fourth Master's skin was broken and punctured, and he was bleeding profusely. Moreover, the Fourth Master's physique has shrunk to the size of a three-year-old boy. This is a case of yin growing while yang is waning."

Lying in bed, Zheng Guowang was filled with shame and indignation upon hearing the phrase "shrunken like a three-year-old boy." Over the years, his genitals had shrunk considerably, while his chest had grown increasingly swollen, requiring tight bandages to maintain its shape. This was his secret, unknown even to his parents and brothers.

Now he finally knows why.

The imperial physician continued, "My family has been practicing medicine for six generations, and our clan's medical history records many medical cases, including many strange and unusual diseases. Among them are records of hermaphrodites."

"These hermaphrodites are characterized by being half yin and half yang. They are further divided into those who are pseudo-male and true female, and those who are pseudo-female and true male. They are fine in childhood, but as they grow up, their characteristics often change. Fourth Master should be pseudo-male and true female, so as he grows up, his yang will diminish and his yin will increase, eventually making his female characteristics more prominent and his male characteristics less prominent, and he may even become pregnant and give birth. Ultimately, he should be a woman..."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Guowang, who was on his sickbed, was struck dumb as if by lightning. Coupled with his already weak and exhausted state, he let out a soft moan and fainted.

"Fourth Master!" The maids rushed forward.

"Enough!" Zheng Guorui's face turned ashen. "Stop talking. Physician Wang, this is my family's secret. If you dare to divulge a single word, I'll kill your entire family!"

Zheng Guorui had already come to believe the imperial physician's words. His younger brother had always been different from other boys; after reaching adolescence, he showed no interest in women. Now nineteen, although he had several wives and concubines, none of them had conceived. His sister-in-law even said that his sister-in-law might still be a virgin.

What does this mean? It means the younger brother is impotent!

I originally thought my younger brother was born with insufficient yang energy, but it turns out he is a hermaphrodite who is not male but female.

"I wouldn't dare! I wouldn't dare!" Doctor Wang was covered in cold sweat. "This humble servant wouldn't dare utter a single word, I will absolutely keep my mouth shut. Keeping patients confidential is also a doctor's duty."

Zheng Guorui said in a low voice, "Keep patients' medical records confidential? Then how come your family's medical records spanning six generations are so numerous? Writing them down on paper is considered keeping them confidential?"

Physician Wang trembled. “Although my family’s medical history records many cases, it does not record the patients’ names. It only records their gender and age, but erases their names. Don’t worry, Your Excellency, I would never dare to record this.”

Zheng Guorui's gaze turned icy. "Remember this: if the outside world finds out about this, no matter who spread it, you won't be able to escape responsibility. It will all be on your record. Do you understand?"

Physician Wang was on the verge of tears, and could only swallow his anger and repeatedly say that he dared not.

Don't let his position as an eighth-rank imperial physician fool you; he's an official, after all. But physicians are considered lowly, barely better than craftsmen, and hardly officials. Their status is even lower than that of a scholar.

It would be easy for Zheng Guojiu to ruin his family.

Zheng Guorui then ordered fifty taels of gold to be brought, and personally handed it to Physician Wang, saying gently:

"I was in a bad mood just now, and I'm sorry I startled you, Physician Wang. This is just a small gift as my apology. Please don't take offense, Physician Wang, and keep this a secret."

He spent fifty taels of gold in one go, which was equivalent to ten years of the royal physician's salary!

When Physician Wang received the gold, he was overwhelmed with gratitude and kept nodding in agreement. He had absolutely no intention of revealing the secret.
After Physician Wang finished writing the prescription and left, Zheng Guorui looked at the group of servants in the room.

These are people who know the secret.

The group immediately knelt down, each one like a quail, not daring to raise their heads.

Zheng Guorui sat on a stool, coldly looking down at the servants kneeling on the ground, and said indifferently:

“You should know that Fourth Master is already married and has a family. He can’t afford to lose face, the Zheng family can’t afford to lose face, and neither can the ladies in the palace.”

"If outsiders find out, not only will it be a huge laughing stock, but even Fourth Master's in-laws and Fourth Madam's family will make a scene, understand?"

Zheng Guorui exhaled a breath of stale air. "More importantly, Fourth Master is a rare scholar in the Zheng family! He's a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examinations)! He's talented! This time, he might even pass the imperial examinations! What an honor that would be! The Zheng family needs a civil official! We desperately need one!"

"But if the news of the fake man being a real woman were to leak out, he would no longer be qualified to be an official. Not to mention a noble civil official, he wouldn't even be able to become a military officer. Even someone as noble as an empress wouldn't allow a woman to hold a position in the court."

"Think about it carefully, how serious is this? Every one of you is involved, no one can escape! Remember this, Fourth Master is a man, always will be. Do you understand?"

Several servants shrank back and kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "Second Master, rest assured, we would never dare to gossip or divulge a single word. Fourth Master is a man, and always will be."

“You can leak it.” Zheng Guorui’s smile was somewhat sinister. “As long as you’re not afraid of death, as long as you’re tired of living, feel free to leak it.”

"But let me make this clear: you are all servants of the Zheng family. If this matter gets out, every single one of you will be guilty. Even if you die, don't expect a quick death. Your parents will also be implicated. Do you all understand?"

The maids repeatedly said they dared not.

Zheng Guorui stood up. "You few will stay at Ciyun Temple to take care of Fourth Master. After a while, when you return home, go to the accounting office and collect one hundred taels of silver each. Just say it's a reward from Fourth Master. Remember, you must keep your mouths shut. Not only will you live longer, but you'll also get more benefits. Now you can go out."

"Yes!" Several servants respectfully withdrew from the residence.

Zheng Guorui sat on the edge of the bed, reached out and touched Zheng Guowang's forehead, sighed and said, "Fourth brother, there is no one else left."

Zheng Guowang opened his eyes, his expression desolate. "Second brother, I...I'm really not a man?"

Zheng Guorui opened his mouth, but seeing the extremely resentful look in his "younger brother's" eyes, he could only bite the bullet and say:
"Yes, of course it is! If we say it is, then it must be. Fourth brother, your priority is to recover; you shouldn't overexert yourself..."

"Haha!" Zheng Guowang laughed bitterly, tears streaming down his face. "I finally passed the provincial examination and became a Juren. This time, I forced myself to take the exam, and there was still a chance to become a Jinshi. How did I end up as a woman? Ten years of hard study, ten years of hard study... Waaah..."

Zheng Guowang, who was usually very shrewd and calculating, could no longer hold back his emotions and burst into tears.

What was the purpose of ten years of arduous study? To enter officialdom! To realize one's ambitions! To gain fame and power!
Only by serving as a civil official can one truly be an official. Therefore, even though he was the emperor's brother-in-law, he studied diligently and did not become a privileged son who indulged in pleasure.

Where there's a will, there's a way. He passed the provincial examination at eighteen and had a good chance of passing the metropolitan examination as well. He was about to become a civil official, holding his tablet in court. But then someone told him he was a woman!

God, you are so cruel!

"Fourth brother!" Zheng Guorui said in a deep voice, "Stop crying. Aren't you always the calmest? The sky won't fall!"

"I know you've been studying the classics diligently, hoping to pass the imperial examinations and enter officialdom, but things are still in a good position. Please be patient."

He patted Zheng Guowang on the back, "Everyone knows that you are the fourth master of the Zheng family, the younger brother of the Imperial Concubine. This is an indisputable fact. No one would doubt that you are a woman, right?"

"As long as we keep the secret, you will always be a man and can enter officialdom as usual. Who can say no? Apart from not being able to be a father, it's not a big deal."

"I'll adopt a son for you then, and you can still be a father. What do you say?"

Zheng Guorui spoke casually, but inwardly he was speechless. His fourth brother was actually his fourth sister; he was also disillusioned.

Zheng Guowang finally calmed down and began to consider the pros and cons. He said, "Second brother, if this is exposed in the future, I will be guilty of deceiving the emperor, which may implicate the Zheng family."

"What crime of deceiving the emperor?" Zheng Guorui shook his head. "You insist that you are a man. Who can accuse you of deceiving the emperor? At most, you were accused of obtaining an official position by deception. With your sister around, you will at most be dismissed from office."

"Then let's keep it a secret!" Zheng Guowang gritted his teeth. "I want to enter officialdom! I want to be a civil official commanding troops, governing the people, and serving in the cabinet! To make a name for myself! To help Chang Xun become the crown prince!"

Zheng Guorui said, "Good! This is a fine man of the Zheng family! He has ambition! Don't worry, my elder brother and I both work in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and we will definitely keep your secret. Apart from a few people, no one knows that you are a fake man and a real woman."

"But are you confident you'll pass this imperial examination?"

Zheng Guowang seemed to have used up all his strength. His head rested limply on the pillow as he weakly said:
"I wasn't very confident at first, but after I got sick, the thought of that little rascal Zhu Yin taking the exam while seriously ill only fueled my determination. I put life and death aside and wrote an essay that was three points better than usual. Although I was exhausted, I was even more confident of passing the exam."

Zheng Guorui was a little surprised. He didn't expect that because of Zhu Yin's stimulation, his younger brother's essay was even better than usual, and his chances of passing the exam were much greater.

If I were to pass the exam because of this, it would be a fortunate coincidence, thanks to Zhu Yin.

Zheng Guorui said, "Fourth brother, you should rest and recuperate at Ciyun Temple first, and be careful not to damage your foundation. Your second brother will handle Zhu Yin's matter."

He heard that some court officials suggested making Zhu Yin one of Zhu Changluo's teachers, instructing him in reading and writing. The reasoning was that Zhu Yin was a child prodigy and only a few years younger than Changluo; this way, they could be both teacher and friend, providing Changluo with both instruction and companionship—wouldn't that be ideal?
Clearly, the court officials were not only determined to play the prodigy card, but also to play it to the extreme.

Unless the emperor publicly admits that the prince is dull-witted and not as good as Zhu Yin.

Otherwise, they could no longer use the excuse that the eldest son was too young to refuse his marriage and education.

The question is, could the emperor say that? Of course not. Even if the emperor disliked his eldest son, the eldest son still had to be exceptionally intelligent.

Zheng Guowang gasped, "If Zhu Yin really fails the exam, that's fine. But if he does pass, we'll kill him with a soft knife. Let my sister persuade the emperor to arrange a marriage between him and Princess Rongchang, and then issue an imperial decree to grant the marriage. Once he becomes the emperor's son-in-law, his prodigy status will be ruined. Will the court officials still have the nerve to bring it up? Not to mention making him Zhu Changluo's teacher."

She was covered in cold sweat after saying those words.

"What?" Zheng Guorui's eyes widened. "This is possible? Princess Rongchang is only eight years old."

“Eight years old is barely old enough to get engaged.” Zheng Guowang smiled effeminately. “Ahem, Zhu Yin is only twelve, so he’s only four years older. A husband four years older than you, you’ll be happy for life.”

"Cough cough!" Zheng Guowang coughed until her face turned red. She wanted to laugh, but she was too weak to laugh and was panting heavily.

Zheng Guorui shook his head and said, "The princess's surname is Zhu, and Zhu Yin's surname is also Zhu. Since ancient times, people with the same surname have not been allowed to marry. Would His Majesty agree to this?"

Zheng Guowang, being well-read, explained: "In the Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties, marriage between people with the same surname was a crime. Even the Yuan law of the Mongols stipulated divorce. In the Ming law, marriage between people with the same surname was punishable by sixty strokes of the cane and divorce."

"But the so-called prohibition against marriage between people with the same surname in the current dynasty refers to people of the same clan. How can it be as strict and rigid as it was in the Qin, Han, Tang and Song dynasties? The princess is a member of the royal family, and Zhu Yin is not a member of the imperial clan. How can they not be married? As long as you persuade her, the emperor will definitely agree. The emperor also hopes to find a prodigy son-in-law, hehe."

At this point, he was too weak to speak any more and could only gasp for breath.

Zheng Guorui knew that among his brothers, the fourth brother was the smartest, so he nodded and said:

"Alright, I'll give it a try and have my sister persuade the Emperor. Fourth brother, you should rest well." ...

With the imperial examination over, thousands of candidates relaxed, and the red-light districts, brothels, gambling dens, and restaurants in Beijing became even more bustling with business.

However, Zhu Yin remained ill and bedridden in Yunxiang Tower, refusing visitors and only inviting doctors, shamans, and Taoist priests to his door to inquire about medicine, exorcise evil spirits, and perform rituals for days on end.

As a result, many people felt sorry for him. Because Zhu Yin was in such a state, he would definitely not be able to perform well in the examination room, and there was a 90% chance that he would fail.

The timing of the illness was really bad.

Such perseverance is admirable, but ultimately it did not lead to success in the imperial examinations.

We'll have to wait three years.

Many court officials felt regret. Originally, when Zhu Yin passed the imperial examination, they all played the prodigy card, creating auspicious public opinion, and strongly advised the emperor to allow the eldest prince to start his studies, preferably with Zhu Yin as his teacher and companion.

But Zhu Yin failed the exam, making it difficult to maintain his prodigy status. The difference between a Juren (举人) and a Jinshi (进士) is ultimately vast.

Similar to the provincial examination, after the nine-day examination, one would have time to analyze the examiner's temperament and the essay to roughly determine whether one had passed.

Most people already know what's going on.

So even without waiting until the end of the month for the results to be released, it's a mixed bag of joy and sorrow.

Many young scholars who passed the imperial examinations became sought-after sons-in-law by powerful figures in the capital.

Even married scholars who had passed the imperial examinations were still highly sought after as long as they were young.

Therefore, every year during the imperial examinations, there would be young scholars who had just passed the examinations and would divorce their wives and remarry. Under the temptation of benefits, they would abandon their wives and marry new ones, or demote their wives to concubines.

According to the law, a wife cannot be divorced without cause. But whether or not a divorce is granted is ultimately up to the local officials. With officials protecting each other, finding a pretext for divorce is easy. If there isn't one, they can make one up.

It's become the norm now; people are used to it and it doesn't become a stain on one's character, nor does it affect the "three immortalities" of a virtuous and noble person.

Even when Zhu Yin was ill, many families coveted him, wanting to marry the child prodigy.

So these days, people have been lingering outside the Yunxiang Inn, inquiring about the prodigy Jieyuan's condition.

Even more extreme, some people planned to arrange a ghost marriage between Zhu Yin and their deceased daughter if Zhu Yin died of illness.

In short, everyone was concerned about the child prodigy, regardless of whether he was alive or dead.

However, Zhu Yin refused to see guests, so they couldn't get through to him and could only worry helplessly.

These past few days, Hao Yunlai has been in high spirits as he leaves the examination hall. He has rediscovered the feeling he had after the provincial examination last year.

This exam will most likely be successful!

It's probably still a second-tier university!

Hao Yunlai's smugness immediately attracted the attention of some people. So, on the third day after he left the examination hall, someone came to make contact with him.

Hao Yunlai was only in his early twenties, not only very young, but also quite handsome. Upon inquiry, it was learned that although he was married, his wife came from a humble background and was reportedly disabled.

That would be easy.

The visitor said to Hao Yunlai, "Master Hao, my master is Sun Weiqing, a senior official in the Ministry of Personnel. He has a daughter who is sixteen years old and not yet betrothed. Coincidentally, my master is also from Yingtian Prefecture, so we are from the same hometown. If Master Hao succeeds in the imperial examination this year, he would like to arrange a marriage..."

Hao Yunlai's expression changed, and he said, "I already have a wife, so there's no need for you to say anything more."

The visitor "kindly" reminded him: "My master is... a senior official in the Ministry of Personnel, and he has a wide circle of friends."

Threat!

The words "President of the Ministry of Personnel" struck Hao Yunlai like a hammer blow, making his mind buzz.

Could he offend the official in charge of personnel?
The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel was a fifth-rank official in the capital, and more importantly, he wielded real power within the Ministry of Personnel.

If a senior official in the Ministry of Personnel is transferred to a lateral post, his starting position will be that of a prefect of a major prefecture, or even a deputy provincial inspector or councilor.

If one is promoted to a higher position outside the capital, one would typically become a provincial inspector, a right provincial governor, or even directly a left provincial governor.

If promoted within the capital, he would become a junior minister in the Grand Secretariat.

But thinking of his wife who had lost an eye, Hao Yunlai shook his head, took a deep breath, and said, "I already have a wife, so I can only decline your kind offer."

He now understood that those newly appointed Jinshi and Juren who divorced their wives and remarried were not necessarily heartless and ungrateful. They were probably just doing it out of necessity, not out of their own free will, because they dared not offend the powerful and influential.

The visitor looked embarrassed and said dryly, "It's alright, it was just my fault for being nosy. It was only my idea, and my master is unaware of it. Besides, even if Mr. Hao is willing, we'll have to wait until he passes the imperial examination. So, I'll take my leave now."

After saying that, he stood up with a blank face and left without even drinking a sip of tea.

"Take care." Hao Yunlai forced himself to see the person off, but his legs felt weak when he returned.

If Sun Langzhong is not magnanimous enough, even if I am a second-class Jinshi, my future will be affected.

For a high-ranking official like the Ministry of Personnel, it wouldn't be difficult to make a newly appointed scholar without connections sit on the sidelines.
Sending someone to a remote, difficult-to-govern county as a magistrate for seven or eight years is all within the scope of one's authority.

"Brother-in-law," the two brothers-in-law said, looking very ashamed, "we've offended such a high-ranking official..."

Hao Yunlai slumped down, picked up a cup of cold tea, and gulped it down in one go.

It was tea, but after drinking it, his face turned completely red and his whole body felt hot, as if he were drunk.

"I thought that if I passed the imperial examination, I would rise to prominence and achieve great success. But now it seems that if I don't have a powerful backer and offend the powerful, my career will be fraught with difficulties and I will face many hardships in my official career."

He lowered his head and thought for a while, “To be an official, you need a powerful backer. The difference between those who pass the imperial examination and those who don’t is like heaven and earth. But I don’t have a powerful backer.”

Hao Yunlai suddenly felt a little sad.

Slowly, a thought came to mind.

I've heard that the court officials are locked in a fierce power struggle with the Zheng family, the imperial relatives, over the succession to the throne. If I were to pass the imperial examination and join the Zheng family, they would surely welcome me.

After all, the Zheng faction had very few civil officials, and they desperately needed them to join.

Zheng family!

Hao Yunlai's eyes lit up.

If we seek refuge with the Zheng family, even if we offend the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, so what?
Everyone says that the Emperor favors Consort Zheng's son, Zhu Changxun, but who knows if Zhu Changxun will become the Crown Prince?
If Zhu Changxun is made crown prince, then as one of the few civil officials in the Zheng clan, what need is there for me to say about my career? It won't be difficult for me to become a minister or vice minister in the future.

Hearing that the court officials liked the child prodigy Zhu Yin, he deliberately did the opposite and sided with the Zheng family!

As for the integrity of civil officials, Hao Yunlai never took it seriously. He never believed that civil officials should keep their distance from the maternal relatives of the emperor.

Moral principles are bullshit! Power is what really matters.

If I don't side with the Zheng family, and if Physician Sun ruins my career, am I supposed to just accept it passively?

Hao Yunlai suddenly stood up and said, "I'll take my scholar's name card and go to pay a visit to the Zheng family!"

……

When Hao Yunlai returned to the inn, he was already quite drunk.

If the wine is not intoxicating, everyone will get drunk.

As expected, the Zheng family welcomed his visit, even though he was only a Juren (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). This was because there were very few Juren within the Zheng faction.

The second son of the Zheng family said that as long as he passed the imperial examination this time and ranked third, he would help him get a position as a principal officer in one of the Six Ministries after he had been in office.

If one is ranked second-class, after observing the political situation, they will help him obtain the positions of Supervising Censor and Attendant Censor! They might even arrange for him to become a Junior Compiler!

He would never allow himself to be appointed as a county magistrate in a remote area.

……

Time flies, and ten days have passed in the blink of an eye.

On the 28th of the second month, the results of the imperial examinations were announced!

Early that morning, the area in front of the examination hall was packed with people.

Throughout Beijing, from the emperor and the chief minister to ordinary people, everyone was watching the results of the imperial examinations being released!

P.S.: Hao Yunlai and Zheng Guowang are important supporting characters in this book, so I've devoted some space to them. Please don't criticize if you don't like it; it's just how the characters are. Thank you, goodnight.

(End of this chapter)