Di Ming

Chapter 288: Imprisoned by the Embroidered Uniform Guard?

Ning Caiwei ate and then went to sleep without even noticing a sesame seed stuck to her lips, which the groom actually saw when he lifted her veil.

This little tiger is a prime example of terminal male chauvinism. Wouldn't it be better to just pretend you don't know?

Seriously! I'm not perfect anymore!
Ning Caiwei laughed and scolded, then raised her small fist and softly punched Zhu Yin in the chest.

Zhu Yin seized her fist, pulled her into his arms, and firmly embraced his fragrant young wife, kissing her lips.

"Ai ai..." Ning Caiwei shrank her swan-like neck, furrowed her beautiful eyebrows, pointed to the inside of the big bed, and looked embarrassed.

Zhu Yin looked and saw a small head popping out from under the quilt, with a pair of cute little horns on its head. Who else could it be but Ning Qingchen?
The wedding paused as if paused before the groom's lips even touched the bride's.

"I finally caught him!" Ning Qingchen said angrily, her black gem-like eyes wide. "I almost caught them in bed together."

Zhu Yin gritted his teeth and said, "Dr. Ning, what are you doing? Today is our wedding night, isn't this all normal? I'm not playing cards!"

Ning Qingchen snorted, "Even kissing is forbidden. Kissing makes it easy to play cards. You're still young..."

Zhu Yin: “…”

Ning Caiwei gritted her teeth and said, "Dr. Ning, are you kidding me? You're meddling way too much."

Ning Qingchen crawled out of the brocade quilt, sat cross-legged on the bed, and said in a serious tone:
"What? You think I'm in your way? You want to kick me out?"

"I'm a doctor, who among you understands things better than me? You two are in love, one of you is interested in the other, all sweet talk and affection, that's like dry wood meeting a raging fire!"

"Think about it, you're only fifteen, this is not suitable for children."

"You're all so arrogantly flaunting your love, do you think I'm some kind of idiot?"

“Without me watching over you, could you have held back for three years? You think I'm a third wheel, but right now you really need a third wheel to keep you from making movies.”

Ning Caiwei: "..."

Zhu Yin: “…”

What kind of indecent words are these? Dr. Ning may be young, but she speaks so bluntly and without restraint.

Ning Qingchen, with a serious expression and a stern face, continued:

"Logically speaking, you shouldn't be getting married at your age; it's too early. The advantage is that it saves a lot of people from worrying about you and puts people at ease."

"But... you're thieves now, legally able to steal kisses and molesties anytime. If you really cross the line, there's no going back, no birth control pills. But there is such a thing as a pill, homemade and self-sold."

Ning Caiwei retorted angrily, "What kind of maggots are you spouting! You can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth! Who are you talking to? Mind your place!"

Ning Qingchen sneered, "What is my identity? I am a doctor now. Don't belittle me just because I'm young. Do you think I'm fake? Sometimes you'll remember what I say if I'm being blunt."

“If you don’t want irreparable consequences, you’ll have to accept my supervision. Even setting aside the physiological impact and reproductive safety, there will be political trouble.”

“Little Tiger, you want to be the emperor. If you really have the ability to become the emperor, is it a good thing that you and your son are so close in age? You know history, you should know more than I do.”

"If you're not careful now, what if my sister gets pregnant and gives birth to a son? You'll be a father when you're fifteen or sixteen. With that age gap, won't he get impatient and stage a coup like Li Shimin did, seizing the throne from his father, Li Zhi?"

Upon hearing this, Ning Caiwei opened her mouth but didn't say anything, only looking at her sister with an expression as if she were looking at a fool.

"No..." Zhu Yin's face turned green. "Even if what you said makes sense, what the hell is this 'Wulin Gate Coup'? It was the 'Xuanwu Gate Coup'! Li Shimin's father was Li Yuan, and his son was Li Zhi. Are you deliberately messing with me?"

"Little tiger, is that the point?" Ning Qingchen clenched his little fist, without any shame. "The point isn't who's the father and who's the son, or whether it's the Xuanwu Sect or the Zhuque Sect. The point is the reasoning behind my words!"

"I'm going to take a shower." Zhu Yin was speechless and could only take off his heavy groom's suit and prepare to go to the bathroom to take a shower.

Ning Caiwei angrily removed her jewelry and put it heavily into the treasure box on her dressing table.

I'm too lazy to argue with my sister, who's such a goofball.

Tired, destroy it.

"You go first, then I'll go," Ning Caiwei said, treating her sister as if she didn't exist.

Ning Qingchen chuckled, "Sister, I wasn't wrong before, was I? Does Little Tiger want to be Ning's son-in-law? Did I wrong him? Alas, my words have come true..."

After saying that, he put on a pretentious, regretful expression, which was incredibly irritating.

Zhu Yin shook his head and walked out of the room. Just as he reached the corridor, Murong Gou Dan, who was on duty, appeared.

"My lord..." Murong Gou Dan asked, somewhat puzzled, "You've come out so quickly? Do you have any orders?"

He was a little confused. Today was the wedding night of the lord and his wife, so why had the lord left the bridal chamber?

Zhu Yin stopped in his tracks, his face darkening. "What? So fast? Nonsense! I'm going to take a shower!"

Murong Gou Dan sensed that his lord was a little angry, as if he had said something wrong. But he hadn't said anything. Why was his lord angry?

When Zhu Yin entered the bathroom, Jin Yunniang appeared with the gift money ledger. She looked at the somewhat bewildered Murong Gou Dan and tapped him on the head.

"What nonsense are you spouting? The lord is going to take a bath, what right do you have to say that!"

Murong Gou Dan was even more confused. What did I say?

Jin Yunniang looked towards the bathroom, her gaze filled with worry.

On this wedding night, the lord came out to take a bath as soon as he went in. Is it because... he's feeling weak?
Should we remind the lady to give the lord some nourishment?
Now that everything is finished, we can report to Madam. Madam never keeps accounts overnight.

...

Inside the bridal chamber, after seeing Zhu Yin leave, Ning Qingchen felt bored again. She lazily yawned and lay down in the middle of the bed, acting as the dividing line between Chu and Han.

"I've been guarding against thieves for a thousand days straight!" Ning Qingchen said, kicking her legs. "The fence needs to be strong, right, sister?"

Why are you ignoring me? Are you angry?

"Hey, don't ignore me."

If you don't say anything, I'm going to sleep...

Ning Caiwei glanced back at her younger sister and noticed that her eyes were glistening with tears. She immediately understood.

"Qingchen, I know what you're thinking. You're not just worried about me getting pregnant too early."

Ning Caiwei's icy face softened, revealing a hint of pity. "You're worried that if I become husband and wife with Little Tiger, you'll become an outsider, right?"

"Isn't that right?" Ning Qingchen pleaded pitifully. "You two got married today, so I'm the third party now, right..."

Ning Caiwei chuckled, "What nonsense are you spouting! Is that how you use the term 'third party'? What are you talking about!"

“From now on, Little Tiger is truly your brother-in-law. You have gained another family member, isn’t that good? The three of us together make a complete family.”

Ning Qingchen suddenly asked a tricky question: "What if you have a child in a few years? Will you distance yourselves from me?"

Ning Caiwei remained silent for a while, then suddenly said calmly:

"Whether it's a son or a daughter, they are people from ancient times, people from the Ming Dynasty. How can they compare to you? Even if they inherit the Zhu family's business in the future, compared to the three of us, they are still... outsiders!"

"A son can be born again, a daughter can be born again. But you and Little Tiger are my only ones."

"Just as I expected!" Ning Qingchen's gaze was somewhat cryptic. "You really are that kind of person! Anything you possess, unless it has sufficient scarcity, is just an investment project in your eyes, including your children. But as long as it has enough scarcity, it transcends your value system." "Like Wu Zetian, she was willing to kill her son for power. Because the throne is scarcer than her son."

"So, you are the most sentimental person, and also the most ruthless. I don't know whether I should be grateful to have a sister like you."

Ning Caiwei lay down, looked at the ceiling of the brocade tent, and said softly:

"We came into this world as a trio of people and a dog. If we can't change this world, then we've come for nothing."

"I work so hard to make money and help the little tiger develop his power. Do you think I just want him to become a dragon and then become an empress myself?"

“I, Ning Caiwei, am not that shallow. If the Empress cannot change history, then she is nothing.”

"We must not only save China and help the people, but also pass on our spirit and hope. As for whether our descendants will continue to be rich and powerful, I don't care."

Ning Qingchen smiled.

"Others think I, Ning Qingchen, am crazy, but actually you are the craziest one. Sister, you are the most unconventional person in the Ning family. It's just that you hide it well and have always worn a mask. Perhaps that's why Little Tiger likes you the most."

Ning Caiwei laughed too, "Today is my big day, why are we talking about these things? Let's look at the gift money list and have some fun."

"Hmm, I reckon Yunniang will be here soon too."

As luck would have it, just as Ning Caiwei finished speaking, Jin Yunniang's voice came from outside the door: "Madam, the gift list has been completed and tallied."

"Come in." Ning Caiwei perked up and quickly sat up.

Upon hearing the gift list, Ning Qingchen remained listless and showed no intention of getting up.

Jin Yunniang entered and was stunned. Before her eyes, with the red candles burning brightly, she saw that the Second Mistress, Ning Qingchen, was also lying on the bed.

This... could it be the reason why the lord went out to bathe so quickly? They didn't... consummate the marriage?
But judging from the lady's expression, she didn't seem to want the young lady to leave.

Jin Yunniang suddenly felt a headache and was at a loss.

"Yunniang, what's with that expression?" Ning Caiwei frowned. "Give it to me!"

"Oh..." Yunniang seemed to wake from a dream and quickly handed over the thick stack of gift lists, along with the account books she had compiled, to Ning Caiwei.

Ning Caiwei didn't look at the ledger first, but instead picked up the top gift list, which turned out to be Dong Qichang's gift list. The calligraphy on the cover of the congratulatory message was very beautiful.

"Congratulations on the alliance between Qin and Jin, and may the friendship between Zhu and Chen last forever."

The inscription reads: "Dong Qichang, a student of this humble student."

Regardless of the quality of his gift, his calligraphy itself is a gift in itself. Among calligraphers today, Dong Qichang's reputation is growing ever stronger.

Upon seeing this congratulatory message, Ning Qingchen immediately said:

"What a blunder! It really is a blunder! This Dong Qichang is so muddle-headed! Or maybe he's just deliberately trying to annoy my sister!"

"What's wrong?" Ning Caiwei asked, puzzled. Pointing to the gift list, she said, "One hundred taels of engraved silver ingots, a copy of Emperor Huizong's 'Winter Forest Painting,' ten bolts of Huzhou two-tone palace silk, and a pair of Jun kiln moon-white glazed spittoons! Aren't these gifts important? Dong Qichang knows how to curry favor."

When Ning Caiwei mentioned Dong Qichang, she suddenly remembered his nephew Dong Shi, who was the one who helped Wang Ruifang in Nanyong and opposed the little tiger at every turn.

Unexpectedly, a few years later, Dong Shi's uncle, Dong Qichang, actually came to give gifts and attend the wedding banquet for Little Tiger. He and Little Tiger were born in the same year, but he claimed to be his junior disciple.

Ning Caiwei didn't understand why her sister said Dong Qichang was deliberately trying to disgust her.

But then Ning Qingchen pointed at the congratulatory message and said in a cute but fierce way:

"Dong Qichang's congratulatory message, 'Congratulations on the alliance between Qin and Jin, and may the friendship between Zhu and Chen last forever!' Isn't that utter nonsense? My sister's surname is Ning, so it should be 'Zhu Ning's friendship,' not 'Zhu Chen's friendship. What kind of intention is that?! It's either a blunder or intentional!"

"Ah?" Jin Yunniang, who could already read, also noticed. This fisherwoman didn't understand the meaning of "oolong," but she understood Ning Qingchen's words. She frowned and said:

"Yes! I didn't even notice! Madam, that Dong is truly despicable. What talk of 'Zhu-Chen affinity,' when Madam's surname is clearly Ning..."

Ning Caiwei let out a soft moan, weakly rubbing her forehead with her hand, "Are you guys here to joke around? The alliance between Zhu and Chen is an ancient allusion, just like the Qin-Jin alliance! Read more books!"

"Oh, it's a historical allusion..." Ning Qingchen suddenly realized. "No wonder. Hehe, this allusion just happens to have the character 'Zhu' in it, how could I not misunderstand? What a ridiculous allusion..."

Jin Yunniang lowered her head, looked at her large feet, and chuckled awkwardly:

"I am not well-educated and should read more. But it is my fault for showing off. If it weren't for your extensive knowledge, Madam, this would have been a misunderstanding."

Ning Caiwei shook her head, too lazy to talk to the two of them anymore; her aversion to stupidity was about to kick in.

Ning Caiwei continued looking at the gift lists, and saw:
"Twenty taels of gold ingots, twelve sheets of gold-flecked coral paper, and a set of Japanese mother-of-pearl inlaid erotic lacquerware boxes."

"One hundred taels of silver, one silk curtain with a hundred sons and a thousand grandsons, and one six-tenths diameter pearl curtain from the South Seas."

"Ten ancient ink sticks, a pair of official kiln blue and white lotus-patterned plum vases, a rubbing of the 'Timely Clearing After Snowfall' calligraphy, and a set of sandalwood movable type."

"One hundred taels of pure silver, a set of gold-inlaid jewelry, ten bolts of Shu brocade, and a sandalwood screen carved with the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea."

"Two hundred silver dollars, five bolts of Siamese peacock feather gold brocade, a pair of rhinoceros horn-carved nuptial cups, and a string of agarwood prayer beads."

"Twenty reams of Chengxintang paper, four Wanli official kiln polychrome dragon and phoenix bowls, and eight bolts of brocade."

"An ancient Duan inkstone, a Longquan kiln celadon-glazed tripod incense burner..."

Many of the gifts were quite valuable, with an average value exceeding sixty or seventy taels of silver, clearly indicating that Little Tiger was quite prestigious.

Ning Caiwei picked up the account book again and saw that it contained a total of more than 18,200 taels of silver, more than 820 taels of gold, as well as various jewelry, silks, antiques and other items.

All of these incomes added up to at least 30,000 taels!

That's pretty good.

Many gifts were given under the name of "Hong Jing" (a respectful form of gift), making them seem more "legitimate and reasonable."

Nowadays in Beijing, even noble families wouldn't receive so much in wedding gifts. The sons and daughters of high-ranking officials would only receive tens of thousands of taels of silver for their weddings.

Jin Yunniang smiled and said, "When Madam gives birth to a son, we'll receive another gift!"

"Let's go!" Ning Caiwei stood up. "We'll go to the warehouse tonight!"

Ning Caiwei and her entourage left Hanzhangtai, but before they even reached the silver treasury, Kangxi arrived in a hurry with several people.

"Madam! Something has happened to Eunuch Tian."

"This very afternoon, Gao Huai secretly reported to the Emperor that Tian Gong had secretly instructed eunuchs to give preferential treatment to Prince Zhouquan and his mother, Consort Gong. He also alleged that Tian Gong had secretly colluded with ministers to petition for the Emperor's eldest son to be allowed to return to the palace for further studies. Furthermore, Gao Huai secretly reported that while in Nanjing, Tian Gong had embezzled hundreds of thousands of taels of confiscated funds..."

"The Emperor is furious and has issued an edict to remove Lord Tian from his position as Grand Eunuch and imprison him in the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

"Madam Ning has fainted from the shock..."

"What? Thrown into the Jinyiwei prison?" Ning Caiwei was both shocked and furious upon hearing this.

Without thinking, she ran into the bathroom and shouted:

"Little Tiger, your uncle is in trouble. His house might be raided!"

P.S.: Historically, Tian Yi did not become the Grand Eunuch so early. In the book, due to the butterfly effect, Tian Yi became the Grand Eunuch several years earlier. However, his fate differed from that of the historical figure.

(End of this chapter)