Di Ming

Chapter 278 Freedom is more precious than the throne.

"...Xiong Tingbi was appointed as the Assistant Commander of the Jizhou Garrison, guarding Shanhaiguan, and was granted the title of Zhaoyong General. He was also appointed as the Deputy Commander of the Shanhaiguan Guard, promoted to Senior Cavalry Captain, and awarded three hundred taels of silver, a pair of agate cups, and a flying fish robe."

Many military officers looked at Xiong Tingbi with envy in their eyes. Xiong Tingbi was originally just a garrison commander, but after the Northwest Campaign, he was recommended by Zhu Yin for meritorious service and was promoted directly from the guerrilla general to the deputy commander!

The deputy commander was assigned a post and did not have a rank. Therefore, Xiong Tingbi's rank was actually that of a Zhaoyong General of the third rank and a Commander of the third rank.

His previous official rank was a fifth-rank commander of a thousand households, so he has been promoted several ranks in one go!
Xiong Tingbi, among the military officers, remained calm upon hearing the imperial edict bestowing upon him the title of Lady. He already knew from Zhu Yin what military rank he would be granted.

At this moment, he was less excited and more grateful to Zhu Yin.

Four years! In just four years, he went from a military officer with no way to serve his country to a battalion commander, a garrison commander, and now a deputy commander and commander-in-chief!
Is this his ability?
If it weren't for his benefactor's constant support, he would probably still be wandering somewhere, unable to serve his country, and how could he have achieved what he has today?
Xiong Tingbi was deeply grateful to Zhu Yin, but little did he know that if it weren't for Zhu Yin's "help," he would have already abandoned his martial arts studies to take the civil service exam, and six years later he would have passed the exam and become a respected civil official.

Zhu Yin was naturally not surprised at all. The position of Deputy Commander of Shanhaiguan was something Zhu Yin had specifically sought for Xiong Tingbi with the help of his teacher and uncle.

At this time, Shanhaiguan had not yet been established as a town, and the deputy commander of Shanhaiguan was the highest-ranking general. The jurisdiction of the deputy commander of Shanhaiguan overlapped with that of Shanhaiguan Guard. Not only did he have a full 8,000 soldiers under his command, but he also participated in the administration of civil affairs such as military households and military farms in Shanhaiguan Guard. He was practically a miniature military governor, which was a very lucrative position.

If Xiong Tingbi hadn't had him as a powerful patron in the court, he would never have been given this lucrative position, not even with his military achievements.

In Zhu Yin's view, Xiong Tingbi was a strategic commander who would surely be of great use in the future. Placing Xiong Tingbi at Shanhaiguan was undoubtedly a far-sighted strategic move.

My adoptive father is old, and military power in Jizhou has fallen into the hands of others. Xiong Tingbi, a deputy commander in Jizhou, is there to succeed him as the general of Jizhou in the future.

But then Grand Master Luo Wanhua continued reading: "...Cao Wenzhao is appointed as the Cavalry Guerrilla General of Changping Town, granted the title of Wude General, promoted to Commander of the Right Guard of the Imperial Guard, transferred to the position of Xiaoqiwei, and awarded two hundred taels of silver and a flying fish robe."

Changping Town was not one of the nine major border towns; it was just a small military town with fewer than 30,000 troops. However, it was the closest military town to Beijing, responsible for guarding the vital Juyong Pass and the Ming Dynasty imperial tombs in western Beijing. Its defense zone was only 80 li (approximately 40 kilometers) from the capital, making it similar to the Imperial Guard, and therefore extremely important.

Cao Wenzhao, a cavalry guerrilla commander, was in charge of the only independent cavalry force in Changping Town, leading more than 2,000 cavalrymen. It was the most elite field cavalry force outside Beijing.

Guerrilla commanders, like adjutants, were assigned positions without official rank. Cao Wenzhao's rank was that of a fifth-rank General of Martial Virtue and a fifth-rank Commander of a Thousand Households.

Half a year ago, Cao Wenzhao was just a cavalry platoon leader. He was directly promoted to battalion commander by Zhu Yin, and now he has become a guerrilla general!
He was promoted several ranks in quick succession!

And he was only sixteen years old! A sixteen-year-old guerrilla fighter is quite rare.

Cao Wenzhao was incredibly excited. After all, he was only sixteen years old; how could he remain calm? More importantly, he was going to marry Hongying next month, and he could fight for a title for her.

Uncle Tiger has truly been incredibly kind to me. Not only did he promote me without regard to background, but he also strongly recommended me to serve as a cavalry guerrilla, and even betrothed Hongying to me.

Cao Wenzhao had long ago secretly vowed to repay Uncle Hu in this lifetime.

Zhu Yin glanced at the handsome and dashing young general of the Cao family and revealed a mysterious smile.

Dear Lord, you have fallen into my trap.

He won my favor and married my eldest niece. He'd better be obedient in the future, we're family.

Thinking about this, Zhu Yin couldn't help but savor the wonderful taste of power.

It was power that allowed him to suddenly promote talented people like Xiong Tingbi and Cao Wenzhao, who came from humble backgrounds, to high positions. Their honor and disgrace, their status and worth, were all in his hands!
Otherwise, why would it be said that a great man cannot be without power for even a day?

Without power or influence, you can only obediently be a submissive husband.

Soon, Luo Wanhua read out Mao Wenlong's name: "...Mao Wenlong was appointed as the Liaodong Zhenfushun Coastal Defense Guerrilla, granted the title of Wude General, Right Guard Commander of the Golden Guard, promoted to Xiaoqiwei, and awarded two hundred taels of silver and a flying fish robe."

Mao Wenlong had known about it for a long time, but upon hearing of the reward bestowed upon him, he was still overwhelmed with excitement. He felt even more grateful to Zhu Yin.

With this fifth-rank official position, he could finally give Tang Rong an explanation. He wasn't a fraudster who had tricked her into marriage; he was a coastal defense guerrilla general commanding three thousand troops!
Cao Wenzhao and Mao Wenlong were respectively the commanders of the Left Guard of the Imperial Guard and the Right Guard of the Imperial Guard. These titles sounded impressive, but in reality, they were honorary positions with fixed ranks and salaries, and they did not actually have to take up posts in the two guards.

It wasn't just the Embroidered Uniform Guard that was ruined; the entire 26 Guards directly under the emperor were also ruined, becoming institutions for bestowing favors upon the sons of officials and placing them in nominal positions, filled with a large number of military officers who only received salaries but did not perform their duties.

This rendered most of the military positions in the Twenty-Six Guards of the Upper Direct Army nominal. The Upper Direct Army, which had more than 200,000 elite troops at the beginning of the dynasty, now had only a few hundred thousand registered soldiers, and their combat strength was weak. Most of them were used for security guards, gatekeepers, warehouse guards, and ceremonial guards, and were not capable of fighting tough battles.

As for Qin Liangyu's reward, it was not surprising:

"...Promote Qin Liangyu's husband, Ma Qiancheng, to the rank of Light Cavalry Commandant, and add the title of Commander of the Left Guard of the Golden Guard. Confer upon Qin Liangyu the title of Third-Rank Lady of Virtue, and reward her with five hundred taels of silver, a set of palace-style headdress, and a pair of eight-point pearls!"

Although Zhu Yin had known this for a long time, he was still unhappy.

He recommended that Qin Liangyu officially assume a military post, setting an example for women across the land. However, this was rejected.

Qin Liangyu was a general of the White-Spear Army and had made great military achievements, but she was only granted the title of Third-Rank Lady!

When all else failed at the end of the Ming Dynasty, Qin Liangyu was finally granted a title and official position.

...

One name after another was read out, and after the imperial edicts were read out, the decrees were read out. More than fifty names were read out, the youngest of whom were centurions and battalions.

Zhu Yin listened calmly, seemingly unconcerned, but inwardly he cursed the emperor, the chief minister, and the grand marshal.

These dozens of people were all recommended by him based on their military merits. He was the Imperial Commissioner and Governor-General, after all. Without his memorials on military merits, the Ministry of War would not recognize merits and select people, and no matter how great your achievements were, you would not receive any rewards.

In fact, Zhu Yin recommended more than two hundred people at once, but the cabinet and the Ministry of War believed that it would be difficult to settle so many meritorious officials, so they cut most of the names and only granted titles to a few dozen. The others who were not granted titles were recorded as merits by the Ministry of War and only received silver rewards for the time being.

This was, of course, the will of the Emperor, Grand Secretary Wang Xijue, and Grand Marshal Shi Xing.

Zhu Yin originally intended to ask for an exorbitant price but then negotiate a lower one, but the fact that he could only appoint more than fifty military officers still made him very unhappy.

Damn it, not even half!

What? The soldiers risked their lives, and many of them were heroic and worthy of praise. They risked their lives, but they couldn't even get the first rank of military officer, Wuqiwei. They deserved to be common soldiers for life.
Even this was only possible because of the efforts of Shen Yiguan, Tian Yi, and others; otherwise, they wouldn't have given them even fifty-odd official positions.

However, Zhu Yin's brilliance lay in the fact that Xiong Tingbi and others were promoted several ranks in quick succession, all supported by solid military achievements. No one could say anything about it, and it appeared to be a fair recommendation. The court officials did not believe that Xiong Tingbi and others were his cronies.

After Luo Wanhua finished reading, the master of ceremonies from the Court of State Ceremonial immediately shouted, "Step forward—to express gratitude!"

Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang immediately stepped forward, leading the military officers whose names had been called to receive their rewards, to bow and kowtow, shouting in unison:
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your divine grace! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

The master of ceremonies drawled, "Rise!"

Li Rubai, Xiong Tingbi, and others rose and first bowed to Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang. Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang returned the bow.

Then they each received their imperial edicts and rewards, and withdrew in turn.

Zhu Yin, as the commander-in-chief of the Northwest rebellion suppression campaign, once again became the focus of attention.

After the awards were bestowed, the atmosphere reached its peak, and the banquet was about to begin.

It was already dusk, and the sun was setting.

The officials, according to their ranks, took their places, all filled with anticipation.

Many people were attending a palace banquet for the first time and were quite eager to go. Because the emperor was stingy, he rarely held palace banquets, and even high-ranking officials hadn't attended one in a long time.

The two princes sat in the main seats at the head of the table, followed by the cabinet ministers and the Grand Secretary of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Zhu Yin, Qi Jiguang, and others sat in the first seat among the guests, followed by a group of meritorious officials.

Grand banquets in the palace are, of course, served individually. However, except for a few people who sit alone, everyone else sits in pairs.

Inside the hall, ninety-nine cloisonné enamel palace lanterns hung, illuminating the hall as brightly as day. The blue brick floor was covered with a velvet carpet with lion patterns from the Western Regions. More than a hundred long tables with sandalwood cloud patterns were set up in the east and west corridors, arranged according to rank, with civil officials on the east and military officials on the west. Each table was covered with a red brocade tablecloth.

The tableware was already set out; officials of the third rank and above used gold-plated wine vessels, while those of the fifth rank and above used silver-plated vessels.

"Play music!" shouted the Master of Ceremonies of the Court of State Ceremonies.

"Dong dong dong—" The bells and drums of His Highness resounded, and thirty-six Jinyiwei guards stood on both sides of the palace gate, their armor gleaming coldly in the setting sun.

On the steps in front of the Wuying Hall, the bronze dragon-shaped cauldron burned with aloeswood incense, its smoke curling upwards.

The gilded bronze bells hanging from the double-eaved hip roof jingled softly, and the crouching beasts on the eaves reflected an amber light.

Female musicians from the Imperial Music Bureau entered in procession, carrying dragon flutes and phoenix pipes, and slowly began to play the melody "Pacifying the Four Directions." Meanwhile, the chime bells and other court instruments in the corridor resounded with grand and elegant music.

The entire hall was instantly filled with a solemn, elegant, and auspicious atmosphere. Even the foreign envoys sat solemnly.

Thirty-six dancers danced gracefully to the beat of drums below the palace. They wore tall, elaborate hairstyles, moon-colored skirts with brocade horse-face shields, and flowing silk shawls draped over their arms like clouds, making them look like fairies in the clouds.

Many people who had never seen the world were stunned.

"Time for the meal!" the Master of Ceremonies of the Court of State Ceremonial announced in a long voice. Two teams of palace servants carried in four vermilion lacquered food boxes in single file. When the lids were opened, wisps of fragrant steam rose out.

One delicious dish after another was served at the banquet.

The official from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices in charge of the banquet unfolded the menu and read out the names of the dishes one by one. Each time a dish was read out, it was served.

The first main course was "Dragon Liver and Phoenix Marrow." It sounds impressive, but it was actually a dish of roasted camel hump and swan breast arranged in a dragon and phoenix pattern, served on a gold sunflower plate with engraved silver gilding.

The second dish was "Qilin Offering Auspiciousness," an eight-treasure soup made with deer tendons, bear paws, and orangutan lips, served in a blue-and-white porcelain bowl with a dragon and sea pattern.

Putting everything else aside, these two main dishes alone are the kind that the emperor and his family usually eat; they are incredibly precious. The emperor was supposed to attend the victory celebration banquet, but even though he wasn't there, the quality of the dishes couldn't be lowered.

Then there are the other dishes.

Inside the cloisonné enamel eight-treasure box were eighteen delicacies, including braised quail with cherry meat, pickled goose feet and duck tongues, and crab stuffed with orange.

As for alcoholic beverages, in addition to the commonly used imperial wines, there were also wines from the Western Regions, coconut flower wine presented by the Kingdom of Siam, and Mongolian mare's milk wine.

The hall was immediately filled with a rich fragrance.

Without a doubt, the imperial chefs and winemakers in the palace were the best in the world. Many dishes and wines could not be made outside with the same ingredients and recipes; only the palace had them.

Even ministers from noble and powerful families were interested in palace banquets. Take Zhu Yin, for example, who was extremely particular about the finest food, yet many of the dishes were ones he had never even seen before.

Those military generals, especially those from humble backgrounds, were particularly eager to try their luck.

Eighteen dishes—it's impossible to finish them all. What to do? Take them home. That's right. Officials attending the palace banquet could take the leftovers home to share with their families, signifying that they were all receiving the emperor's favor and that their families also felt the emperor's boundless grace.

Therefore, the Guanglu Temple, which was in charge of the banquet, thoughtfully prepared many food boxes, so that the officials attending the banquet could take the food and wine from their seats home.

Zhu Yin also asked for a food box, intending to bring some dishes he hadn't tried before to share with the Ning sisters.

Once all the dishes were served, the officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices sang loudly:

"Advance—to a noble title—"

All the officials raised their wine cups in unison, the gleaming glasses reflecting each other, creating a magnificent scene.

The master of ceremonies chanted again: "Thank you for your grace—"

Hundreds of people, holding wine cups, stood up, facing north, and raised their cups to the empty golden throne, saying:
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the banquet!"

Then he covered his face with his sleeve and drank it all in one gulp.

At the same time, the music and dance changed to "The Dance to Pacify the World." A new group of dancers appeared under the palace corridor, wearing golden-threaded buns, gold-embroidered horse-face skirts, and holding gold-painted shields and wooden swords, posing as if breaking through enemy lines, accompanied by the rapid sound of cymbals.

Then, the master of ceremonies announced again: "Promote the rank again!"

The palace servants immediately filled the cups with wine, and the courtiers raised their glasses again.

The official in charge of ceremonies said, "A salute to the heroes of the great victory in the Northwest!"

Everyone turned around together, and led by the Grand Secretary, raised their wine cups to the meritorious officials, including Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang, who were in the center.

Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang quickly stood up and raised their wine cups. Dozens of meritorious officials followed suit and raised their cups as well.

The assembled officials, holding cups in both hands, said, "The royal army has returned in triumph; the soldiers have worked hard! Please!"

Zhu Yin also held his cup with both hands and said loudly:
"We dare not claim credit! It is thanks to Your Majesty's boundless blessings, the diligence of your officials in serving the country, and the valiant efforts of your soldiers that we were able to quell the rebellion and pacify the Northwest! We only wish for a prosperous and peaceful Ming Dynasty, and for Your Majesty to live a thousand years! Let us drink this cup together!"

Seeing Zhu Yin, a handsome young man, emerging from the mountains like a cloud, with a calm and composed demeanor, everyone felt that the scenery was serene and the worldly was beyond compare.

Zhu Zhihu truly possesses the qualities of a renowned minister of ancient times!

"May the Ming Dynasty enjoy peace and prosperity, and may Your Majesty live a thousand years!" The ministers also drank it all in one gulp.

The master of ceremonies announced, "The ceremony is complete!"

Only then did everyone begin to eat and drink more casually, and the banquet became lively with clinking glasses and cheerful conversation as everyone toasted each other.

"Your Highness, this humble subject greets Your Highness!"

"Your Highness is young, please take a sip, I will drink it all in one go!"

"Your servant respectfully greets Lord Tian!"

The two princes did not represent the emperor, nor were the emperor and empress present. As a result, everyone was at ease, and the atmosphere became even more relaxed.

"Good wine! Good wine!"

"As expected of a palace banquet!"

Those who hadn't tried it marveled at it. Those who had were even more captivated by the song and dance performances.

Zhu Changluo took the initiative to hold the wine glass, stood up and said to Zhu Yin, "This student, Changluo, respectfully offers this glass to you, sir! May you enjoy long life and good health!"

Zhu Yin smiled and held up his cup, saying, "Your Highness, I also wish you good fortune and all your wishes come true! Your Highness is still young and should not drink too much."

"Yes!" Zhu Changluo obediently accepted the order, then took a small sip, put down his wine cup, and began to eat.

These dishes are so delicious; he rarely gets to eat them.

I must bring some back to Jingyang Palace today so that my mother can have a taste and make her happy.

Zhu Yin then toasted Shen Yiguan, Tian Yi, and others, which was perfectly natural.

Everyone was happy, but there were exceptions.

For example, the Korean envoy.

The Korean envoy, Andong Han, drank absentmindedly, his brow furrowed, sighing deeply.

The Ming Dynasty is holding a victory celebration banquet, but our country has lost all eight provinces, and the emperor has fled north, teetering on the brink of collapse. Although the Ming Dynasty has agreed to send a large army to the capital, it is unknown when they will be able to cross the river.

Alas, the lament of "Shu Li" (a poem about millet) is so poignant; how can one not feel sorrow and grief? Even the finest food and wine taste bland in comparison.

Coincidentally, sitting a little over ten feet away from him was Nurhaci, the Jianzhou envoy with whom he had a falling out.

An Donghan glared at Nurhaci with disdain.

The Jurchen barbarians!

Seeing An Donghan's expression, Nurhaci narrowed his eyes and said in Chinese, "Mr. An, do you wish to visit Chao?"

Nurhaci's expression was teasing. He liked "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," and the line "Do you miss Shu?" left a deep impression on him.

Upon hearing Nurhaci's words, An Donghan's expression turned even more unpleasant.

"How dare you insult me?" An Donghan's anger flared.

Nurhaci smiled slightly, "Mr. An, you are overthinking it. I had no such intention."

An Donghan snorted coldly, "I knew you wouldn't dare." After saying that, he picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Nurhaci chuckled and didn't refute.

...

After three rounds of wine, night had fallen. The moonlight was just beginning to rise outside the palace, and a hundred ram-horn palace lanterns were lit one after another, blending with the incense smoke rising from the gilded Boshan censer.

The palace servants then presented a gilded lacquer box containing the palace's Dragon Ball Snow Tea.

At five quarters past the hour of You (5:45 PM), suddenly, grand music rose from the imperial steps. The musicians changed to "The Song of the Flaming Essence," and the sounds of the chime bells and jade chimes became even more elegant and soothing.

Everyone put down their wine cups to cool off and began to drink tea. A palace banquet couldn't be just about drinking and eating.

After slowly finishing two cups of tea, it was already 7:45 PM.

Suddenly, a eunuch outside the palace shouted, "Let's set off fireworks!"

Outside the hall, a nine-story fireworks tower had already been erected. With the whistling of rockets, a fiery dragon soared into the sky, exploding into countless golden sparks. The fiery trees and silver flowers rose into the air, creating a magnificent spectacle, like a swirling galaxy.

The assembled officials, holding their wine cups, were all momentarily stunned.

The foreign envoys, who were unfamiliar with the world, were completely captivated by what they saw.

It truly is a Celestial Empire!

After drinking for a while longer, the banquet finally began to end. The first to leave were, of course, the two princes.

Zhu Changluo looked at Zhu Yin with reluctance and said with a childlike expression:

"Sir, Changluo has left. Please take care of yourself. I heard that you are about to get married. It is a pity that Changluo cannot leave the palace to congratulate you, nor can he send you any gifts."

"Your Highness," Zhu Yin said with a touch of sadness, "after today's parting, I don't know when I will see Your Highness again. Your Highness must take good care of yourself and not underestimate yourself."

"Yes!" Zhu Changluo cupped his hands in greeting. "This student will follow your teachings and never forget them."

Zhu Yin instructed in a voice only the two of them could hear: "The Four Books and Five Classics can be studied later. However, you should read the Book of Han and the Records of the Grand Historian more often. It is better to study history than to understand principles."

Zhu Changluo also whispered, "I hope you will know that I have read the Records of the Grand Historian twice and am now reading the Commentary on the Book of Han."

"Hmm, not bad." Zhu Yin nodded in satisfaction. "Then, Your Highness, tell me, what is so remarkable about the *Li Shu*?"

Zhu Changluo replied, “In response to your question, sir, the ‘Lishu’ says that one can only see through a tube and measure a li. If a person’s knowledge is shallow and narrow, he will have a limited view and will not know the true nature of things. He will be deceived by himself. Therefore, one should be learned and knowledgeable.”

Zhu Yin said, "Well said. So how can one truly become learned and knowledgeable?"

Zhu Changluo replied, "Besides reading more and thinking more, one must travel the world, get to know the people of the world, and see the world's events. One cannot be closed-minded and narrow-minded..."

He suddenly stopped talking, looking somewhat forlorn.

Zhu Yin, observing the situation, chuckled softly, "Does Your Highness wish to travel the world, meet the people of the world, and witness the affairs of the world?"

Zhu Changluo lowered his head and said weakly, "Changluo dreams of it, but Changluo doesn't dare."

“Your Highness,” Zhu Yin lowered his voice, “at least you can’t be wrong to dare to think. Even if your body cannot leave the Forbidden City, Your Highness’s thoughts should be able to fly beyond it. I cannot help Your Highness fulfill this wish now, but I will remember Your Highness’s hope.”

He reached out and patted Zhu Changluo on the shoulder. "Your Highness, go now. Remember my words: you must exercise every day and not neglect it."

"Yes!" Zhu Changluo said with tears in his eyes, "Teacher, please take care. This student will take his leave!"

Zhu Yin looked at Zhu Changluo's youthful figure, who kept turning back, and couldn't help but sigh softly.

Luo'er, freedom is more precious than the throne.

You're too mature for your age.

P.S.: Sigh, you guys are so mature for your age. Thank you, goodnight! Sorry it's too late today.

(End of this chapter)