Di Ming

Chapter 303 The Seemingly Harmless Dangerous Girl

Zhu Yin did not blame Zheng Guowang for meddling, because from the perspective of the Han people and the deputy envoy, her concerns were not wrong.

Even though the two had personal grudges, Zhu Yin was relatively closer to Zheng Guowang than to Nurhaci, the future great enemy of China.

So Zhu Yin patiently explained, "Vice Envoy, Nurhaci has always requested to serve the court and send troops to fight against the Japanese pirates. He wants to go to Japan to see for himself and to understand the enemy's situation. The court has not said that it will definitely not summon Nurhaci to fight in the future. Since the court may conscript him, what's wrong with letting him go?"

"You say that those who are not of our race are sure to have different hearts, and that's true. But it depends on who it is! Nurhaci has always been respectful to the Ming Dynasty. He would take the initiative to return the Han people who were captured by the Jianzhou Jurchens. Over the years, he has helped the court to restrain the Hulun Four Tribes, the Khorchin Mongols, and the Wild Jurchens, so he can be considered a meritorious official. Otherwise, why would the court have rewarded him so many times?"

"We should trust Nurhaci."

Zheng Guowang, relying on her status as the emperor's brother-in-law, was not afraid of Zhu Yin, the chief envoy. She sneered:
"Submissive? No matter how submissive they are, they are still barbarians! Are they truly of one mind with the Ming Dynasty? Once these barbarians turn against their master, it's like a thief biting a knife into the bone! The envoy took so many Jurchens to Japan; what will happen if they betray us? You trust them so much? Have you forgotten the Five Barbarian Invasions and the An Lushan Rebellion? Barbarians cannot be trusted!"

Zhu Yin admitted that Zheng Guowang was right, but he couldn't explain it either, so he could only say, with a heavy heart:

"Nurhaci has been paying tribute continuously, and the court has appointed him as the Dragon and Tiger General and the Governor of Jianzhou. This is the attitude of the Emperor and the court. Why can't I trust him? On the other hand, your Zheng family has been secretly engaging in smuggling and trade with the Mongol and Jurchen tribes. What about that? Is it a case of 'the magistrate is allowed to set fires, but the common people are not allowed to light lamps'?"

"That's a completely different story!" Zheng Guowang's face flushed red. "Can they be the same? That was just for business; my Zheng family has always been wary of them. But this time it's an envoy to Japan! Once we're in Japan, we're all guests. What if Nurhaci changes his mind and colludes with Japan?"

"Furthermore, Nurhaci is a Dragon and Tiger General with the second-rank official position in the imperial court. He is a high-ranking military official of the Ming Dynasty. Did you consult the court before taking him to Japan? Did the Emperor agree, or did the cabinet agree?"

"Your Excellency, please don't be angry. I am, after all, the deputy envoy, and it is only right that I question you about this matter."

Zhu Yin coldly said, "Don't forget, I am the Imperial Envoy with Plenipotentiary authority! Don't I even have this authority? Nurhaci didn't go with us as the leader of Jianzhou or the Dragon and Tiger General; his role was as the escort for the mission! You've seen the official documents from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of War. The mission can have no more than five hundred people in total, and there's no rule against bringing anyone along!"

“Going to Japan is not only a difficult task, but also a risky one, and it’s not a desirable destination! Since they are willing to put in this effort and do their best, why should we push them away? We are not only trying to get Japan to withdraw its troops, but also to prevent Japan from forming an alliance with the foreign barbarians. Even if it’s just to deal with the foreign barbarians, what’s wrong with having more Jurchens as helpers?”

"If you insist on opposing it, then immediately submit a memorial to the Emperor to remove me from my position as Imperial Envoy and appoint someone more capable! This way, I won't have to risk my life in Japan! Wouldn't that be more convenient!"

Seeing Zhu Yin's anger, Zheng Guo didn't want to completely sever ties, so he could only back down, saying:

"Alright. Since you trust Nurhaci, then let them go. However, I must make it clear beforehand that if Nurhaci disobeys and causes trouble in Japan, I will not be lenient when we return to the capital. I will impeach him if necessary."

Zhu Yin sneered, "You've impeached me more than once. I'm waiting for your impeachment!"

After saying that, he didn't bother with the woman pretending to be a man anymore and went to Nurhaci's side.

Seeing Zhu Yin's displeased expression, Nurhaci couldn't help but ask with concern, "Little Tiger, did you have a dispute with the Deputy Envoy? Was it for us?"

Zhu Yin nodded and said in Jurchen:

“Zheng Guowang doesn’t want you to go, saying it’s without the court’s permission and that he even wants to impeach me. That’s outrageous. This kind of person is more trouble than he’s worth. Ignore him. I’m in charge of this mission; he can’t make the decision.”

Nurhaci felt somewhat apologetic, "Little Tiger, I'm sorry for causing you trouble..."

Zhu Yin said, “We’re all on the same side, no need for formalities. We’ll stay at Yuyang Post Station tonight and set off again early tomorrow morning. Brother Wild Boar Skin, you and the warriors should change into Hanfu and wear Han crowns, so that the Koreans won’t gossip.”

Zhu Yin had finally managed to trick Nurhaci into going to Japan together, so how could he let him leave? Of course, he had to keep him tied down and make him his bodyguard the whole way.

Nurhaci shared this plan and immediately ordered his men to change their clothes. His trip to Japan was not only to understand the internal situation there, but also to take the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Korea.

The delegation immediately stayed overnight at Yuyang Post Station. Zhu Yin took out the Ministry of War's official documents, and several hundred people directly checked into the post station, occupying most of the rooms.

The route to Japan was not to sail directly from Tianjin or Shandong, but to go through Korea and first make contact with Ukita Hideie, the commander of the Japanese army that occupied Korea.

They had to meet with Japanese generals such as Ukita Hideie and Konishi Yukinaga, and explain their purpose for going to Japan, in order to obtain permission to travel and have the Japanese send a ship to escort them to Japan.

This is a necessary step, in accordance with diplomatic practice.

Because the Tsushima Strait, the only sea route to Japan, is now completely controlled by the Japanese military.

If the delegation were to sail directly to Japan without passing through the Japanese troops stationed in Korea, and without the Japanese side knowing that the delegation was visiting, they would likely be attacked by Japanese warships, unable to approach the heavily guarded Japanese coast, or even be killed by the garrison.

However, going to Japan via North Korea would be much longer. Just the journey from Beijing to Busan, North Korea, would take at least twenty days.

As soon as Zhu Yin checked into Yuyang Post Station, he immediately issued a secret order.

Soon, Wu You, who was wandering near the post station, was taken to Zhu Yin's room.

Even though the visitor was a young girl, Zhu Yin made Hongying stay to the side, because this girl named Wu You was by no means as harmless as she appeared.

The late autumn night was chilly. When the girl, disguised as a boy, was brought in, her thin body trembled slightly, like a captured fawn.

But there was no panic in her eyes. When she saw the young nobleman sitting upright under the lamp, her expression was somewhat relieved.

"Are you cold?" Zhu Yin glanced at Wu You and asked casually, as if they were old acquaintances. "The autumn night is frosty, and you're only wearing a thin shirt. You want to go to Liaodong?"

Wu You hadn't expected Zhu Yin's first words to be like this.

I originally thought they would question me first about why I was secretly following the delegation.

"It is a bit cold," Wu You said weakly, shivering involuntarily. "I am indeed dressed too lightly."

At that moment, any remaining tension vanished. She even smiled, revealing a canine tooth that looked somewhat wild, yet she carefully concealed it with quiet elegance.

Zhu Yin pointed to her bundle and chuckled:

"Your bundle contains neither warm clothes nor much silver. How far do you plan to travel, being so poor? Will you sleep in the open along the way, or beg for alms?"

Wu You lowered her head shyly. Although she was dressed in men's clothing, her slender neck still looked somewhat droopy.

Clearly, she was a very beautiful woman, younger than Zhu Yin, and remarkably, she did not have bound feet, possessing natural feet like Ning Caiwei, which allowed her to travel a long distance.

These days, there aren't many women who don't bind their feet at all.

Hongying suddenly realized that this girl named Wu You looked somewhat like Uncle Hu!

Zhu Yin said to Kangxi, "Get her a thick cotton-padded jacket so she doesn't catch a cold."

When Kangxi brought her clothes to wear, Wu You indeed stopped shivering. However, although she was no longer cold, she was very hungry.

She only had a tael and a half of silver, which she was reluctant to spend, as she had to feed the donkey. She had only eaten two steamed buns that day and was very hungry.

How sharp was Zhu Yin's insight? He then ordered, "Have the courier send another food box."

Wu You immediately put on her clothes and stood up to thank her, saying, "Thank you, brother. I am indeed hungry."

They were incredibly blunt!

She dared to travel far with only a little over one tael of silver, actually waiting for Zhu Yin to take the initiative to see her. As long as Zhu Yin accepted her, all her needs for food, clothing, and shelter would be taken care of.

That's exactly what they were planning.

So when Zhu Yin asked her a question, he obviously saw through her intentions, but she didn't panic.

She seemed certain that Zhu Yin would accept her.

Sure enough, when Kangxi and others brought her to Zhu Yin, she felt much more at ease.

Soon, a meal was delivered to the room. Wu You ate without any hesitation, and his feigned elegance was immediately exposed.

Zhu Yin wasn't in a hurry. He picked up a map of North Korea and examined it leisurely.

After Wu You finished eating, he slowly said, "Alright, now that you're not cold or hungry, you should answer honestly."

Wu You stood up, curtsied, and glanced at Zhu Yin's face with bright eyes, saying casually:

"Brother, do you still remember the sachet I threw to you on the day you returned to the capital in triumph? I came to see you twice afterward, but the housekeeper turned me away both times."

Zhu Yin nodded and smiled, "Of course I remember. Why did you call me brother? I don't remember having a sister like you."

At this moment, Zhu Yin felt increasingly uneasy.

The surname Wu has a deep connection to him. And coincidentally, the girl who calls him "brother" also shares the surname Wu. Moreover, she seems to have him completely under her thumb. What other secrets does she hold?

Some time ago, Zhu Yin secretly sent people to monitor her. They discovered that she was just a single girl, only fifteen years old, living alone in the poorest neighborhood in the outer city, and making a living by mending clothes for her neighbors.

To be honest, she wasn't originally from Beijing, but no one knew where she came from. She had only been in Beijing for a year, and she arrived alone. She was very tight-lipped, never telling her neighbors about her past, only saying that her parents had died and she had fled to Beijing during a famine.

Therefore, even the Tiger Tooth agents haven't been able to fully uncover her background.

A group of idle men in the neighborhood had their eyes on her. But she was also very clever. She made promises of marriage to several of them without any real intention, and with a little trickery, she caused the idle men to fight among themselves, which saved her a lot of trouble.

Huya (a Chinese online forum) found that this woman is skilled in martial arts.

Moreover, it seems that he follows the path of a feminine assassin.

In her small room, she kept Japanese swords, hidden weapons, and some disguise items. She would also secretly get up in the middle of the night to practice her swordsmanship and hidden weapon skills.

No wonder that when Zhu Yin returned in triumph, she was able to throw the sachet into his sleeve with perfect accuracy amidst the crowds welcoming him.

This is a seemingly harmless but actually dangerous girl. Take the hairpin in her hair, for example; it actually contains a poisoned needle and is a weapon for killing.

But she was still too inexperienced. Tiger Fang had been secretly monitoring her for almost a month, but she was completely unaware.

Huya's initial assessment is that Wu You may also be from overseas, possibly related to the Japanese pirates of yesteryear. Her swordsmanship likely originated from a Japanese school and is already quite advanced. Her disguise skills are also very similar to those of Japanese ninjas.

She was either the daughter of Japanese pirates, or she was adopted by them.

In short, this woman is inextricably linked to the Japanese. However, she does appear to be a Chinese woman, not a Japanese woman.

However, Huya believes that Wu You likely harbors no ill will towards Zhu Yin. She must have some kind of mission, and may need Zhu Yin's help.

She even showed obvious goodwill towards Zhu Yin.

Just ten days ago, a wealthy merchant in the capital, who was associated with Zhu Yin's political enemies, publicly said that Zhu Yin was a treacherous official who sought fame and fortune but was hypocritical and wicked. He even sent people to throw excrement at a temple for prodigies outside the city.

Wu You happened to witness it. She remained calm and secretly sneaked into the wealthy businessman's room at night and cut off one of his ears.

On the day of Zhu Yin's wedding, she even set off a string of firecrackers to celebrate. When a neighbor asked her why she was celebrating, she said it was because her brother was getting married.

Otherwise, Zhu Yin would never have seen her today.

But Zhu Yin's understanding of her was limited to this.

The fact that Wu You accompanied Huya on his mission to Japan further confirms Huya's judgment: this woman must be connected to Japan!

Zhu Yin appeared kind and approachable to her, like an old friend, but it was all a smokescreen. Like a friendly interrogator, he created a pleasant illusion for the prisoner.

If this woman tells the truth convincingly, Zhu Yin wouldn't mind giving her a chance. But if she approaches him with ulterior motives, then he's sorry.

Ding Hongying sat on a stool to the side, seemingly casually trimming the lamp wick, but secretly gripping the handle of a knife in one hand.

If Wu You wanted to assassinate Uncle Hu, then without Uncle Hu lifting a finger, her blade would pierce the woman disguised as a sheep.

Wu You suddenly glanced at Ding Hongying. Her wild, instinctive senses told her that this woman in red was very strong!
My martial arts skills are definitely far inferior to hers.

Fortunately, I meant no harm.

Wu You gave a shy smile, which quickly faded, and his expression turned somewhat sad as he said:
“My younger sister is originally a Chinese from Malacca in Southeast Asia, and her ancestors were also from the Central Plains. They migrated to Southeast Asia a hundred or two hundred years ago and became a prominent family in Southeast Asia. Even the king has to be careful around the Wu family.”

“The Wu family is very prestigious and of high social standing in Southeast Asia. My maternal family, the Hong family, is also a prominent Chinese family that migrated to Southeast Asia.”

“But eight years ago, when I was seven years old, the negotiations between my family and the Westerners failed, and the two sides completely broke off relations. The Westerners attacked the Wu family’s city and seized the Wu family’s merchant ships, manors and ports.”

"At that time, my father rallied the entire Wu clan, as well as several large Hong clans that had intermarried with the Wu clan for generations, and pirates who had submitted to the Wu clan, gathering more than 10,000 people and more than 100 warships. They fought a decisive battle against the Western allied forces in Temasek (Singapore).

"Although the Western Allied Forces numbered only two or three thousand, their firearms were extremely powerful. Wu's army suffered heavy losses, and with the defection of pirates and the rebellion of natives, they were utterly defeated. The Westerners stormed the city and carried out a massacre, searching for and arresting members of the Wu and Hong clans. My parents are both dead."

"The Wu family could only flee to Java (Indonesia). To be on the safe side, they split into several groups. Some stayed in Java, some fled to Burma, Siam, and Champa, while my brother and I took a Japanese merchant ship and fled to Japan."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

This is a "catastrophe caused by foreign influence" in our family history!
After more than a century of development, the Wu family accumulated considerable power in Malaya and Indonesia. In particular, their fifth-generation ancestor, Wu Zhao, was a prominent figure in the family's history, who practically controlled the politics of several small Southeast Asian countries.

Without the Spanish and Portuguese colonists, given a few more decades, the Wu family could have completely annexed several small Southeast Asian countries and established a maritime Ming Dynasty.

Then, taking advantage of the chaos at the end of the Ming Dynasty, they could launch a northern expedition, raise the banner of Emperor Jianwen, and it is not impossible for them to rebuild the Ming Dynasty in the Central Plains and replace the Manchu Qing Dynasty.

Just as the Wu family's power was growing, Western colonists arrived. Several small royal families in Southeast Asia fantasized about using the power of the foreigners to collude with them and wipe out the powerful Chinese clans.

As a result, while powerful Chinese families like the Wu and Hong clans failed and fled in disarray, the royal families of those small Southeast Asian countries also gained nothing. They couldn't even serve as puppet rulers and were directly massacred by the foreigners.

Several small Southeast Asian countries were destroyed by foreigners, and their situation was not as good as when powerful Chinese families were in power.

This history is clearly recorded in family histories. However, neither Spain nor Portugal recorded this history. Because their actions of conquering, massacring, and colonizing countries in Southeast Asia were truly disgraceful, they deliberately erased it.

As a result, the bloody records in the Wu family history were later simply not recognized.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin was now certain that Wu You was not lying.

She must be my great-great-great-aunt!
But Wu You continued, "I was seven years old at the time, and my brother was nine. We went to Japan with a Japanese merchant who was a close friend of my father."

"Who knew that as soon as we arrived in Japan, the Japanese merchant was killed by the Japanese pirates, and we also fell into their hands and were sold to a ninja who took in Chinese children to learn ninjutsu, which is assassination, espionage, and disguise."

"That ninja was very powerful, but he wasn't actually Japanese. He was a Chinese man, at least fifty years old, and it's said he arrived in Japan twenty or thirty years ago. He trained Chinese orphans to be ninjas so he could return to China to take revenge and assassinate a big shot."

Zhu Yin couldn't help but ask, "What's his name?"

He knew a great deal about ninjas. Japanese ninjas had a significant influence and were real historical figures, not the fictional creations that the ignorant believed.

Wu You shook his head: "I don't know. He has a Japanese name, Hattori Haruki. He is the son-in-law of the Hattori family of the Iga school. The Hattori family was wiped out by Oda Nobunaga, and he was one of the few who escaped. Although we are his disciples, we have never seen what he looks like. He is currently employed by Tokugawa Ieyasu to secretly monitor the Toyotomi family's top generals."

“My brother and I studied ninjutsu under him for six years before he graduated. At only fifteen years old, he and several senior brothers and sisters were sent back to the Ming Dynasty to carry out assassination missions. And I am my brother’s bond.”

“If my brother betrays him, he will kill me. For my sake, my brother has no choice but to obey.”

"But my brother never returned. And the important figure he wanted to assassinate is still alive and well. In other words, my brother failed."

"I spent a whole year looking for an opportunity, and finally escaped his control, hiding on a smuggling merchant ship returning home, and went back to the Ming Dynasty. I have only one purpose: to find my brother!"

"I believe my brother is still alive..."

At this point, Wu You was already in tears.

"I don't know who the important figure my brother is going to assassinate is; that's a secret mission. But I'm thinking that since it's such a difficult person to get his hands on, it's most likely in Beijing. Because Beijing has the most and the most powerful important figures."

"So a year ago, I came to Beijing and went into hiding."

"But I haven't been able to hear any news about my brother. This February, you were appointed Imperial Commissioner and led troops to the Northwest to quell the rebellion. Many people saw you off when you left the capital, and I suddenly saw you. At that moment, I almost thought that you were my brother!"

"Because you and your brother really do look alike at first glance, at least six or seven points similar. The last time I saw your brother, he was exactly fifteen years old, the same age as you. So I cried then, feeling that heaven had finally helped me find my brother..."

"But I soon realized that you weren't my real brother. Yet from then on, I couldn't help but want to get closer to you, to see you..."

At this point, Zhu Yin understood completely.

Because he looked like her older brother, he became her emotional anchor. She had no relatives or friends in Beijing, and seeing someone who looked so much like her brother, she easily mistook him for family.

This explains her later strange behavior. It also explains why she would naturally call herself "brother".

At this point, Wu You took out a scroll of silk painting from inside his clothes and slowly unrolled it, saying:
"This is a portrait I commissioned a Japanese artist to paint of my brother two years ago, when he passed away. Do you think it looks like him?"

The silk cloth depicts a handsome young man whose features are strikingly similar to Zhu Yin's!
But then Wu You said, "His name is Wu Lu."

Wu Lu!

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin's heart stirred even more.

This is the name of my ancestor!
P.S.: Zhu Yin's resemblance to Wu Lu is actually quite easy to explain. This is a phenomenon of atavism: several generations of a person's descendants may produce people who look very similar. The Wu siblings and the mysterious Chinese ninja are both important foreshadowing elements, not just elaborations. This book has passed its steady, uneventful phase, and the plot is starting to become more dramatic and intricate. These days, monthly votes are pitifully few. Thank you to all my readers who have consistently supported me. Can you guess who the Chinese ninja is? And who is the important figure he wants to kill?
(End of this chapter)