Di Ming

Chapter 268 Imperial Edict!

Zhu Yin said it was difficult, and it truly was.

He was already the eldest prince's teacher at such a young age, and his reputation and military achievements were already great. How could a monarch with Wanli's magnanimity not be wary of him? Even without Zheng's interference, Wanli, who was not ambitious but suspicious, would have suppressed himself.

If it weren't for his natural protection as a civil official and the large sums of money he had given away, the emperor could have easily found an excuse to demote or dismiss him.

Although he had secretly asked Shen Yiguan, Tian Yi, and his cronies in the court to submit a memorial requesting the dispatch of Jurchen and Mongol surrendered troops to fight in Korea, the emperor was unlikely to agree.

Korea has always been very submissive, and Wanli Emperor regarded it as his own flesh and blood. It was impossible for Wanli to conscript Jurchen and Mongol troops into Korea against Korea's opposition. Even without Consort Zheng's influence, Wanli would most likely have sided with the Korean king.

“Brother Wild Boar Skin.” Zhu Yin put down his wine cup. “I have already reported this matter to the emperor, but he will most likely not allow it.”

"The Emperor and the court know that Brother Wild Boar Skin is loyal to the Ming Dynasty. This matter cannot be rushed; it will probably take another year or two."

Zhu Yin certainly knew why Nurhaci was in such a hurry to go to Korea to fight. There was also a foreshadowing he had laid earlier.

At this time, Nurhaci's goal was merely to unify the Jianzhou Jurchens and become a force to be reckoned with, rivaling the Yehe and Hada tribes. He didn't even dare to dream of rebelling against the Ming, let alone eliminating the Haixi Jurchens and unifying Liaodong.

During this period, Nurhaci was seen by the court as the most obedient and submissive Jurchen leader. The Ming Dynasty's accumulated power over two hundred years meant that, at least on the surface, it remained incredibly strong, and the Jurchen tribes were far from being able to resist it.

Historically, Nurhaci twice pleaded to go to Korea to fight against the Japanese pirates, but both times the short-sighted Ming court refused. The main reason for the Ming court's refusal was that Korea did not agree.

That's really bizarre.

The result? The Ming army fought intermittently in Korea for several years, not only depleting the national treasury but also losing tens of thousands of elite troops from Liaodong, which led to Nurhaci's rise to power.

The irony of history lies here. Nurhaci twice requested to go to Korea to participate in the war, but he himself did not know that what would have been most advantageous for him was not to participate in the war.

Nurhaci sighed and said, "So, even if there's an opportunity to go to Korea to fight the Japanese pirates, we'll have to wait until next year."

He took a sip of wine, feeling a little depressed. "Little Tiger, can you command troops this time? If you go to Korea to command troops, I'll take some men and follow you there as your servants."

Zhu Yin smiled wryly and said, "I'm definitely not going to command the troops this time. The Ming Dynasty has many talented people who can command troops, and there are many famous generals. It's not like I'm the one who gets to command them every time."

"Brother Wild Boar Skin, how many soldiers do you have now?"

Nurhaci said with a hint of pride, "We can mobilize up to 23,000 men, but only 5,000 are armored soldiers. Alas, armor is too difficult to make. Money alone is not enough; we also need iron and craftsmen. The court doesn't sell armor to us."

“We sell sable furs, ginseng, and pearls, using imperial edicts to trade, earning tens of thousands of taels of silver a year, but it’s still hard to buy armor.”

Zhu Yin said, "If the court agrees to let you participate in the war, I'll take care of the armor; at least five thousand sets of blue armor!"

Nurhaci said with great joy, "Then I thank you in advance, little tiger brother! If you can participate in the war, I can mobilize at least 10,000 troops to go on the expedition."

Zhu Yin laughed and said, "If I could command troops, and Brother Wild Boar Skin led more than 10,000 Jianzhou warriors, how wonderful it would be if we could fight against the Japanese pirates and make a fortune together."

Zhu Yin knew that in six years, Nurhaci would have completely unified the Jianzhou tribe, and three years later he would have established the Niru system, formed four banners, and fifteen years later the four banners would have become eight banners. He would have established a state, declared himself Khan, and issued the Seven Grievances against the Ming Dynasty.

But now that he, a time traveler, is around, Nurhaci will never have another chance to establish a great Jin dynasty.

He has a very thorough understanding of the intelligence surrounding Nurhaci's group.

Among the forces of the Wild Boarskin, the strongest was undoubtedly Nurhaci himself, who controlled the majority of the troops. Next was his brother Shurhaci, with approximately seven thousand troops, and third was his son-in-law, Heheli, the husband of Dongguo Gege, with five thousand troops.

Although Nurhaci was the leader of this group, Shurhaci and Heheli each had their own subordinates and were relatively independent in status.

This is why Zhu Yin had to treat Dongguo Gege before, because He Heli was a powerful figure within Jianzhou!
In recent years, Huya spies have been operating in the Jurchen tribes under the name of Ning Caiwei's Liaodong merchant caravan, and have also maintained contact with Dongguo Gege.

Dongguo never forgot her godfather. He Heli, for the sake of his young wife, was also grateful to his "godfather-in-law" whom he had never met.

The Jurchen tribes are Tiger Fang's primary targets, and their intelligence network is already quite comprehensive. Even if Zhu Yin were to step down from his official post, as long as Tiger Fang remains in power, the unification of the Jurchen tribes would be an impossible task.

Nurhaci never dreamed that the Jianzhou Jixiang, nicknamed "Little Tiger Brother," who was as close as a brother and had a sincere smile, was actually the most terrifying natural enemy of the Jurchen tribes.

He was already somewhat drunk, and with his arms outstretched, he said passionately:
“I once dreamed that I was carrying a big sword for Lord Cuohazhan, following in his footsteps on his Red Hare horse, fighting across the land between the white mountains and the black waters. Mother Fodo told me, ‘Nurhaci, remember, you were born for war and you will die for war. You cannot stop fighting. In battle, you will become a great hero of the Jurchens.’”

“Little Tiger Brother, if we can fight together, even if I die in battle as Mother Fodo said, it would be the best ending for me.”

Zhu Yin also said, "Brother Wild Boar Skin, the gods have granted your wish. You will become a great hero of the Jurchens. If you are born in battle and die in battle, that will be the blessing of Lord Cuohazhan. Your descendants will inherit your courage and wisdom, and your lineage will continue."

When Nurhaci heard Zhu Yin mention descendants, he immediately changed the subject, saying:
“Little Tiger Brother, Chu Ying, Dai Shan, and Dong Guo all miss you very much. Chu Ying and Dai Shan have started learning how to fight, and Dong Guo just had a son named Tiger Infant. We named him this to thank you, our adoptive father.”

"Not long after you left Jianzhou, I had another son named Mangultai."

“My wife, Menggu Zhe Zhe, is nine months pregnant and will give birth next month. After the shaman wife performed the ritual, she said it would definitely be a son, which will be my eighth son.”

Zhu Yin's eyes flashed upon hearing this. Heh, Meng Gu Zhe Zhe's son, born in the twentieth year of the Wanli reign, and the eighth son, must be Hong Taiji (Huang Taiji).

Huang Taiji's original name was Hong Taiji or Huang Taiji, but the Manchus deliberately changed it to the domineering Huang Taiji.

It seems that while history has changed a lot, much of it has remained the same.

Nurhaci was very fond of Menggu Zhe Zhe and had high expectations for this unborn child. With a radiant face, he continued:

“When I return to Afra City, I will be able to see this child. Little Tiger, I would like to ask you to name this unborn child, so that I may share in your good fortune and blessings.”

Zhu Yin said solemnly:
"No wonder! No wonder I dreamt the night before last that there was a baby boy in the north. He was wearing a red shirt with a Tai Chi symbol on it. It looked very magical and must have been a sign of something."

"But I'm not married yet, so why would I dream of a baby boy?"

"When I heard you say your eighth son was about to be born, then it's definitely true. Look, the child is in the north, and it's the eighth, which hints at the Bagua Taiji diagram in the dream. His mother's name is Menggu, which means red clouds and represents red clothes. Doesn't that match up?"

Nurhaci, a Jurchen who believed in shamans and gods, had no reason to doubt Zhu Yin's words. He was even more delighted and said, "Then this child must have some background. He's wearing red clothes with a Bagua Taiji diagram on them. Could this be a child blessed by the gods? Little Tiger Brother, how should we name him?"

Zhu Yin said in a serious tone, "Red clothes, Bagua and Tai Chi, this child might be related to Taoism. Hmm, let's call him Red Tai Chi."

Zhu Yin fabricated a bunch of nonsense, combining and separating Hong Taiji and Huang Taiji, and using homophones to create the name Hong Taiji.

“Red Taiji? Good! Good!” Nurhaci thought the name was easy to pronounce, sounded very impressive, and had a profound meaning. It was very different from the names of ordinary Jurchen children, and he was very happy.

"Let's name the child Hong Taiji. Little Tiger brother, you've really chosen a great name."

Zhu Yin nodded and smiled. "Of course it's a good name; it's only one character different from 'Red Wolf'."

Nurhaci then said, “Little Tiger Brother, this child is very destined for you, and you even named him. You can be his Guchu Ama (godfather). Anyway, you are already Dongguo's Guchu Ama, so one more won't make a difference.”

“Alright, Brother Wild Boar Skin.” Zhu Yin agreed readily. “Then this unborn Red Taiji will be my adopted son, Gu Chu Zhu Yi.”

He took off a jade pendant with a blue bat design from the Tang Dynasty palace from his waist. "This jade pendant is said to have belonged to Yuan Tiangang, the Grand Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty. It has a strong Taoist spirituality and was bestowed upon Yuan Tiangang by Emperor Taizong of Tang. Today, I will give this ancient jade to my child. May Buddha Mother and Laozi bless my Zhuyi (son) Hong Taiji."

Nurhaci didn't stand on ceremony. He accepted the crystal-clear blue-and-white jade with bat motif, which was clearly a very valuable antique.

Is this something from the Taoist school? Could the unborn son be related to Taoism?

I've heard that there's a very famous Zhang Tianshi in the Central Plains, whose family has been Taoist nobles for generations. There's also a Taiji Zhang Sanfeng, who is said to be a true immortal, even more powerful than the shaman king of the 'Nine Black Clouds'.

Nurhaci felt a strange, indescribable feeling as he thought about this. Yet, he was still very happy to have obtained the blue bat.

Nurhaci accepted the green bat jade pendant, watched the Han folk songs and dances below the hall, listened to the tinkling pipa music, and drank the rare Ming imperial wine, becoming completely intoxicated and lost in the moment.

The Jurchens were known for their voracious drinking, and Nurhaci, with his imposing physique, was no exception, possessing an exceptionally high capacity for alcohol. The banquet was barely halfway through when he had already downed two jugs of fine wine.

Jianzhou generals Eidu and Feiyanggu each drank a pot and a half. Lancha, Meh, and Niman also drank heartily.

Only Zhu Yin drank little; the pregnant Galo and the young Ning Qingchen did not drink any.

As they drank, they sang the "Kongqi Song" they used when hunting, shaking their heads, waving their arms and legs, and behaving very freely and boldly.

In particular, Nurhaci and the other two were wearing Ming Dynasty official robes and had taken off their hats to reveal their swaying money rat tails, which was both comical and an eyesore.

For a moment, the elegant Han folk songs and dances, the expensive tableware of the wealthy, and the exquisite Central Plains delicacies seemed out of place and quite incongruous with the unrestrained and boorish guests at the banquet.

The singers, musicians, and maids serving wine in the Zhu family barely managed to suppress their laughter.

We've never seen a guest like this before.

Nurhaci suddenly stood up and said, "Little Tiger Brother, I am very happy today and would like to play the pipa for you, and sing and dance to express my gratitude."

Zhu Yin clapped his hands and laughed, "I almost forgot, Brother Wild Boar Skin is very good at playing the pipa. He is the pipa master of Jianzhou. His pipa playing can make monkeys listen and tigers bow their heads."

He wasn't just making things up; Nurhaci was indeed very skilled at playing the pipa.

Zhu Yin then shouted, "Guards! Bring me my Tang Dynasty Southern Music Pipa and my Tiger Roar Guqin!"

"Brother Wild Boar Skin, since you want to play the pipa for me, then I will play the instrument for you, and we can all sing and dance to our hearts' content!"

Before long, the Nanyin pipa and the Huyin guqin were presented before the banquet. Zhu Yin reached out and plucked the strings of the Huyin, and amidst the lingering, clear sound, he said:
"Brother Wild Boar Skin, this pipa is also an antique from the Tang Dynasty. I'll give it to you as a gift, so please don't refuse."

The servant immediately presented the Nanyin pipa to Nurhaci with utmost respect.

"Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony." Nurhaci skillfully held the pipa horizontally, first plucking it a few times, then expertly adjusting the strings, and quickly got it set up.

Then he paced around the hall like a wild dance, playing the pipa while shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head as he sang:
"Brother, you chase deer across the mountains, your bow drawn, geese brought down, wine jars overflowing; whose son are you, digging ginseng to buy a girl… Brother, the provisions are left on your horse…"

Despite his large knuckles and thick calluses, he plays the pipa with remarkable dexterity, producing powerful and unrestrained pipa music with a subtle, resonant quality.

He even managed to play the elegant pipa like a suona, making it sound incredibly catchy.

Zhu Yin, however, sat upright, dressed in white, exuding the air of a refined gentleman. A guqin lay across his body, displaying the demeanor of a Han nobleman and a renowned scholar from the Central Plains.

After receiving guidance from Tian Yi and Xu Wei, his skill in playing the qin (a seven-stringed zither) had already reached a high level, and he could be considered a master in this field.

As he stroked his fingers, the sound of pine breezes emanated, like celestial music from the clouds, the clear cries of phoenixes and luan birds, echoing across the seven strings. The zither's sound was clear and soothing, yet even amidst the rapid and powerful notes of the pipa, the melody remained captivating.

It was none other than the song "Yangguan Sandie".

Amidst the melodious strains of the zither, Mr. Zhihu began to slowly sing "The Ballad of the Konghou," saying, "Friendship is based on mutual understanding; blood ties are not necessarily essential..."

The two have completely different styles, yet they can still harmonize and play together.

Feiyanggu, Eidu, and others couldn't resist dancing the Mangshi dance to the music.

Just as everyone was celebrating, Kangxi rushed in and said, "Your Majesty, the Emperor's decree has arrived, ordering you to personally welcome him at once!"

"What?" Zhu Yin stopped playing the zither and asked, "Is it an imperial edict or a verbal order?"

Kangxi said, "That eunuch clearly said it was His Majesty's oral decree, not an imperial edict!"

P.S.: Emperor Wanli suddenly issued an imperial edict to the little tiger; can you guess what it was about? That's all for today.

(End of this chapter)