Di Ming

Chapter 275 The Ning Family Past

Upon hearing Ning Qingchen's words, Zhu Yin replied warmly, "You and your sister are also my family. Oh, and Xiao Hei too. We are a family of four."

Ning Qingchen's eyes were a little blurry under the light. "Little Tiger, my sister isn't here today. Would you like to hear about some things between me and her? Even though you're a secret agent, there are many things you probably don't know."

Zhu Yin laughed, "Is that so? Very well, Dr. Ning dares to speak freely, and I am all ears."

Zhu Yin knew that Ning Qingchen's childhood was very unhappy. Her father was a dissolute and decadent man, often not seen for ten days or half a month at a time. Her mother traveled abroad year-round, not returning to China for a year or more. Her grandfather only valued the grandchildren with business acumen, and was indifferent to the other grandchildren.

In the vast Ning family, no one cared about her except her older sister.

As for Ning Caiwei, because she was very talented in business, her parents' relationship was not broken during her childhood, and she was loved by her grandfather, her childhood was relatively happy and fulfilling.

Ning Qingchen turned to the side, her eyes gleaming as she looked at Zhu Yin. "Little Tiger, you're an agent infiltrating the Ning Group. You must have investigated the intelligence of every key member of the Ning Group. You should know about my falling out with my mother, Xia He, right?"

She actually called her mother by her first name.

Zhu Yin patted Ning Qingchen's head. "Of course I know. When I was investigating the Ning family, I discovered your mother's problems. She is actually very ambitious. She has been using any means necessary to dominate the Ning family's business in India."

"She's trying to marry you off to India's richest man, Svaha, in order to secure a long-term cooperation agreement with the Svaha Group. But she knows perfectly well that India's richest man is a womanizer, with not only several wives but also countless illegitimate children."

"So you knew all along." Ning Qingchen sneered. "She would stop at nothing to compete with Second Uncle for control of the Indian business. First, she tried to persuade me to marry that ugly, lecherous Indian man, saying that I would become the wife of India's richest man, which would be better than being an unappreciated young lady in the Ning family. What's even more disgusting is that I was only seventeen years old at the time, a senior in high school, and a minor."

"Of course I refused without even thinking. But in order to achieve her goal, she actually tried to trick me into going to India. I felt something was wrong. Why was she so persistent? So I paid an expert to go to India to investigate her. The investigation revealed that she was having an affair with the richest man in India. When the two were having an affair, the richest man in India took nude photos of her and used them to blackmail her into selling the Ning Group's business secrets."

"But she was just a peripheral figure in the Ning family's power circle and had no access to the most core secrets. Only my grandfather and sister knew the core secrets; even my father, uncles, and aunts didn't know them."

"Grandpa is a cunning old fox who has been fighting in the business world for fifty years. He is impervious to reason and leaves no room for persuasion. Moreover, he rarely leaves his home and is rarely seen. Xiahe has no chance to get an opportunity from Grandpa. So, she can only try to get something from her sister."

"But my sister has always been wary of her and our father, thinking they are both unreliable. Moreover, my sister is a very cautious person when it comes to business secrets. When she was eighteen, my grandfather praised her for being quick-witted and prudent, capable of handling important matters, and a promising young talent in our family. But the person my sister trusts the most is me, her younger sister."

"Only I have access to my sister's inner office and live in the same room as her, making me the best person to take action against her."

"Xia He plans to lure me to India, make me lose my virginity to that Indian tycoon, and then blackmail me into using my sister's trust to steal secrets, and even trick my sister into coming out and kidnapping her..."

“Little Tiger, is there such a despicable and shameless mother in the world? When I found out, I slapped her and warned her not to mess with us sisters again... But I didn’t reveal her shameful deeds... Only my sister knows about this.”

When Ning Qingchen talked about these things, it was as if she were talking about scandalous affairs of a wealthy family that had nothing to do with her, and her tone was very calm.

Zhu Yin suddenly sat up. "No wonder! I understand! I understand!"

Ning Qingchen also sat up, looking at Zhu Yin in surprise, "Little Tiger, what do you understand?"

Zhu Yin lay back down and sighed, "I understand why your sister found out so quickly that there was a national agent by her side."

Ning Qingchen, being exceptionally clever, immediately realized what was happening:

"You deliberately gave me intelligence about my mother Xia He's conspiracy with India's richest man? Your intelligence agency already knew about her affairs in India?"

Zhu Yin sneered: "Of course. What kind of private investigator did you hire that's so capable of finding out about Xia He and Suohe's collusion? You think hiring a private investigator can really uncover the secrets of India's richest man? That was information our organization gave you through your private investigator's mouth."

"However, the fact that you thought of this so quickly shows your intelligence."

Ning Qingchen clenched her two little pink fists and said in a cute but fierce tone, "So it was you! Little tiger, you spies are so cunning! You hid so well! You've been deceiving me for so long!"

"At the time, I was a little puzzled. My private investigator was so capable that he managed to uncover such confidential information. Turns out, it was you who was behind it all!"

Zhu Yin spread his hands, "How could I be the one causing trouble? I was helping you! Shouldn't you thank me? If we hadn't intervened, you would have definitely fallen into Xia He's trap and been controlled by Suohe. Also, Suohe not only wanted Ning's secrets, but also coveted your beauty. He's seen your photos and is obsessed with you."

"What I didn't expect was that after your sister learned about this conspiracy, she immediately suspected that there was a mole from the national intelligence agency among her. Because she didn't believe that the detective you hired was capable of uncovering that conspiracy, she was sure it was someone else. So, she began to suspect that there was a mole among her."

"But she remained calm and collected, instead trying to use me and leverage the power of the national intelligence agency to orchestrate a commercial fraud. Sigh, your sister is truly a remarkable woman, and your grandfather has a keen eye for talent."

"Alright." Ning Qingchen sat down as well. "I should thank you. So, after all this time, you're all kings and I'm just a bronze, right? Little Tiger, why aren't you comforting me?"

Zhu Yin said in a low voice, "There's nothing to comfort you about. Would you feel better if I told you that Xia He isn't your biological mother at all?"

"What?" Ning Qingchen sat up again like a spring. "Little Tiger, do you think this joke is funny? Although Xia He and I have broken off our mother-daughter relationship, biologically, she is indeed my mother. There is no way that can be wrong."

Zhu Yin shook his head. "Ever since the Ning family acquired core technologies that even foreign powers coveted, the national intelligence agencies have been paying attention to them. Many top-secret information can be kept from Ning family members, but not from relevant departments. Do you believe it?"

"Xia He's original name wasn't Xia He, it was Xia Lian. She was your mother's twin sister. She had actually been having an affair with your father for a long time, but your mother didn't know. Not long after your mother gave birth to you, the two of them were having an affair in the villa when your mother caught them. Your mother was weak after childbirth, and in her anger, she lost her footing and fell down the stairs, hitting her head on a stone pillar, and that was the end of her."

“Although it wasn’t murder, it was a huge scandal. Your father and your aunt came up with a plan to have Xia Lian impersonate Xia He and pretend to be your sister’s mother, thus deceiving everyone in the Ning family.”

"As for the deceased, her name was naturally changed to Xia Lian, and she was cremated and buried in Xia Lian's name."

"Although your aunt and your mother look alike, their personalities, education, and ways of doing things are ultimately different. In order to prevent the Ning family from noticing anything amiss, she often travels abroad and tries not to return to the Ning family or show up at all. That is why she is indifferent to you."

Ning Qingchen listened blankly, completely stunned.

"My mother died a long time ago? She didn't really not love me? That woman is just my aunt?"

Ning Qingchen felt a cool sensation on her face, and when she touched it, it was covered in tears.

Zhu Yin sighed, "That's the truth. So it's not that your mother didn't love you, it's that she died shortly after you were born. Your aunt's shamelessness and your father's lechery are the reasons for this tragedy."

"Also, the idea of ​​marrying you off to India's richest man was not actually your aunt's idea, but your father's. It's just that your aunt was the one who persuaded you."

"Your father disappointed your grandfather in business. Your mother was very capable and could have helped him. But after your mother died, his so-called business acumen immediately became apparent. Within a few years, your grandfather stripped him of his CEO position and made him a marginal figure."

"In order to regain his position as successor, he wanted to secure a crucial Indian project and make a significant contribution. Originally, your aunt also had this goal. The two of them contacted India's richest man to try and get the project first."

"However, as the richest man in India, Svaha is certainly much more powerful than the two of them. He is of low-caste black descent and made his fortune by marrying women of high castes. While he was being hypocritical with your father, he was also seducing the shameless and promiscuous Sharian, turning her into his mistress, and filming many videos to completely control her."

“Your father never imagined that his wife would become Svaha’s slave and plaything, and he was kept in the dark all along. He wanted to marry his youngest daughter to the richest man in India, hoping that the child born to his youngest daughter would inherit Svaha’s enormous wealth.”

“He thinks it’s a good thing for you to marry Soha, and that it’s good for you. He doesn’t think he’s harming you. In his view, the third generation of the Ning family, not counting illegitimate children, has more than a dozen people. How many shares can you, a girl, inherit? Marrying Soha is different; she’s the mistress of the Soha Group.”

"But he didn't know that Suohe only wanted Ning's secrets and his youngest daughter's body, and then used them to attack the Ning Group. Suohe never intended for his youngest daughter to be the mistress of the house, let alone for his youngest daughter's child to be the heir."

“From beginning to end, your father was just a tool and a pawn, manipulated by Svaha.”

"However, Svaha was unaware that our organization had been watching him all along. Because many of his businesses involved supporting anti-China forces. This is a classic case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it, and behind the oriole, there is a child with a bow."

"So that's how it is." Ning Qingchen almost laughed in anger. "Brilliant, brilliant, truly brilliant. That couple really got their just deserts. It seems that I only slapped her once back then, which was far too lenient. It turns out she wasn't my mother, but the enemy who killed her."

Zhu Yin said, "Your sister knew all along that your mother had been switched. That's why she only trusts you and not that couple. Your grandfather actually knew as well."

"But your father and Xia Lian thought your sister and grandfather didn't know, and they thought they were keeping it a secret. Your grandfather removed your father from the position of president, although the excuse was that he was incompetent, but the main reason was actually this matter, which your father just didn't know."

Ning Qingchen sighed, "They knew perfectly well, yet they pretended not to know. Grandpa and my sister are too cunning. Indeed, if this matter were to be made public, it would be a huge scandal, and the stocks of several listed companies under the Ning Group would plummet, resulting in huge losses."

“Little Tiger, I was so naive to think you were only working as my sister's bodyguard because you wanted to live off her, and I even tried to force you to resign. What were you thinking back then?” Zhu Yin laughed and said, “I was thinking that this Miss Ning was really too naive.”

Ning Qingchen: "..."

She covered her head with the blanket and refused to stick her little head out for a long time.

Zhu Yin remained silent, letting the young girl process what he had to say. Some things he would have to tell her sooner or later. She had the right to know.

A faint sobbing sound came from under the covers, intermittent sobs, like the lament of a ghost in the night.

After a while, Ning Qingchen finally poked her head out; her eyes were a little swollen. It was the first time Zhu Yin had ever seen her cry so fiercely and for so long.

But crying it out makes you feel much better. The pent-up emotions that have been building up in your heart for years will dissipate as a result.

"Little Tiger, thank you," Ning Qingchen said weakly. "I might really seem childish in front of you and my sister..."

Zhu Yin said, "You're allowed to be naive in front of me and your sister. You just need to do what you want, and we'll protect you from the wind and rain."

Ning Qingchen's nose tingled with emotion. "After hearing what you said, I want to cry again, but I really can't cry anymore."

Zhu Yin said, "After saying so much, I guess you don't have so many worries anymore. It's too late, go to sleep."

Ning Qingchen smiled sweetly, "Goodnight, little tiger."

Zhu Yin yawned. "Goodnight, Dr. Ning."

.........

The next morning, Zhu Yin was practicing archery in the garden when new intelligence arrived.

This was sent by Emperor Kangxi.

"My lord, the emperor has decreed that the eldest prince can finally attend the victory banquet. But it's not just the eldest prince; the third prince will also be attending."

Zhu Yin handed the bow to Murong Gou Dan beside him, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "I guessed it too. Even if the emperor is forced to agree, he will still send the third prince along. It's enough to see the eldest prince. I have something to say to him."

Most of the court officials were people who respected ancestral rules and supported the eldest son of the emperor. They were all watching Zhu Yin, the eldest son's teacher.

Zhu Yin has become one of the leading figures supporting the eldest son of the emperor!

Zhu Yin thus gained the respect and support of many court officials and received considerable political benefits. In recent years, the Zhu faction has grown rapidly, and in addition to gold, silver, and intelligence, his position as the tutor of the eldest prince has also played a significant role.

Right now, if I don't do something to support and encourage the eldest prince, many people will be disappointed in me.

He made it clear that he supported the eldest son of the emperor, and the courtiers made it even clearer that they supported him.

Kangxi then took out another official gazette and continued:

"My lord, Zhou Yong, the former governor of Liaodong and governor of Jiliao who has retired from public life, has submitted a memorial to the court, saying that Nurhaci has the eyes of an eagle and the gaze of a wolf, and will surely become a great threat to the court in the future. He should be eliminated as soon as possible."

Zhou Yong? Zhu Yin searched his mind and immediately remembered the historical figure Zhou Yong.

This man was from Yanjin, Henan. He was not a famous figure in history and his reputation was not prominent. However, he held a high official position, retiring from the post of Censor-in-Chief. He should have been about sixty years old at the time.

Zhu Yin remembered Zhou Yong because Zhou Yong, while serving as the governor of Liaodong, discovered Nurhaci's extraordinary talent and believed that Nurhaci would definitely become a future threat. He then wrote to Emperor Wanli to promptly eliminate Nurhaci.

He was the first Ming Dynasty minister to petition for the suppression of Nurhaci, and also the first minister to discover the danger posed by Nurhaci.

His assessment of Nurhaci was that he had "the eyes of an eagle and the gaze of a wolf."

Unfortunately, neither Emperor Wanli nor the cabinet at the time took him seriously, believing that Nurhaci was obedient and loyal, and therefore not a threat. Furthermore, with the impeachment by the censor Feng Jinglong, Zhou Yong did not submit a memorial defending himself, but instead resigned in anger, requesting to retire and return to his hometown.

Zhu Yin wholeheartedly praised Zhou Yong, for the man indeed possessed keen insight.

However, Zhu Yin knew very well that Nurhaci had already bribed many ministers and even paid tribute to the emperor and the Zheng family relatives every year.

His money wasn't wasted; he had many courtiers who spoke up for him.

Zhou Yong was outnumbered and outmatched, and Nurhaci was very submissive. How could he possibly bring down Nurhaci with just the four words "eagle-eyed and wolf-looking," as if they were fabricated?
The emperor didn't believe him.

Zhu Yin was certain that as soon as Zhou Yong submitted his memorial, someone would immediately impeach him for "framing him with false accusations and making alarmist statements," or for "creating trouble and framing him, and recklessly initiating border affairs," and so on.

Zhu Yin frowned and said, "Zhou Yong is also confused. He didn't even choose a good time to submit his memorial. Right now, Japan has hundreds of thousands of troops in Korea, eyeing the Ming Dynasty covetously. We are too busy pacifying the Jurchen tribes to cause any more trouble."

"Even if we want to deal with the Jurchens, we must first deal with the Japanese army in Korea."

Kangxi said, "Your Majesty, you may not know this, but intelligence reports say that Zhou Yongsheng is seriously ill and doesn't have much time left. That's why he's submitting this memorial now. He must be worried that he won't have the chance to submit his own memorial."

Zhu Yin thought for a moment, "I will submit a memorial to the court to defend Nurhaci. The Zheng family has received tribute from Nurhaci, so they will probably speak up for him as well."

Kangxi laughed and said, "In that case, Your Majesty can do Nurhaci a favor."

The saying "doing a favor when things are going smoothly" is quite apt. Because regardless of whether Zhu Yin submitted a memorial defending Nurhaci, the emperor would not heed Zhou Yong's words and take action against Nurhaci.

But Zhu Yin had to maintain this attitude. This attitude wasn't for the emperor and Zheng Shi to see, but for Nurhaci. At this moment, he needed Nurhaci's subservience and loyalty to the Ming Dynasty, even if it was false and temporary.

With Japan occupying Korea and the Japanese pirate army looming large, Liaodong must be stabilized! It cannot be allowed to descend into chaos!

He had to let Brother Wild Boar Skin know that Little Tiger Brother, I like Prince, I stand with the Jianzhou Jurchens and Brother Wild Boar Skin, I am the Jianzhou Jurchens and Brother Wild Boar Skin's support in the court, and I am a loyal and righteous brother.

Only in this way can he make the most of the wild boar skin, manipulate wild boar skin, sell the wild boar skin and even have the wild boar skin count the money for him!
Zhu Yin read the official gazette for a while and found that Zhou Yong's words were very explicit, urging the court to annihilate Nurhaci.

Clearly, Zhou Yong's purpose was to remind the court, with the intention of giving it a wake-up call.

Zhu Yin shook his head and instructed, "Go find Second Madam and ask her to get some medicine. Secretly send someone to deliver it to Zhou Yong. Try your best to prevent Zhou Yong from dying. Don't say that we sent the medicine. Keep it a secret."

"Yes!" Kangxi accepted the order and immediately went to find Ning Qingchen.

Zhu Yin practiced archery for a while longer before returning to his study to write a memorial to the throne.

"Your subject, Zhu Yin, Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, respectfully submits this memorial: Regarding the impeachment of Zhou Yong for making unfounded accusations about Nurhaci of the Jianzhou Jurchens, Zhou Yong, based on baseless accusations, speculated about the personal vassal state ministers and attempted to smear them with three words, but there is no basis for such a accusation… I humbly request Your Majesty to issue an edict to reprimand him, so as to appease the people's hearts and carry out the work of the kingly rule… I respectfully submit this memorial and await Your Majesty's decree."

After writing this memorial defending Nurhaci, Zhu Yin immediately posted it on the yellow paper and then personally delivered it to the Office of Transmission.

In the afternoon, Zhu Yin changed into a festive outfit, took the invitation from the Ministry of Rites, and hung up his ivory plaque to attend the victory celebration banquet at the Wuying Hall.

Upon arriving at the Meridian Gate, many officials who had come to attend the victory celebration banquet immediately turned their gazes toward Zhu Yin in unison!
P.S.: Many readers probably won't enjoy reading today's story about the Ning family, thinking it's irrelevant to the main plot, but I've wanted to explain these things for a long time. The Ning sisters both have somewhat unconventional personalities, and their upbringing and inner worlds haven't been explored in depth. Today, I've accomplished that task. Thank you, and goodnight!

(End of this chapter)