Di Ming

Chapter 342 "Little Tiger, your taro is cooked."

Before the laughter had subsided, a young girl wearing a brocade cloak and a warm mink hat gracefully entered the painting hall.

The moment the young girl appeared, the entire retreat seemed to brighten up.

"Sister!" Ning Qingchen cheered and rushed over to hug her tightly.

"Our family is finally reunited!"

But then she pushed the girl away, sniffed, and said, "Pah, you smell like the sea. You've really become a pirate."

Ning Caiwei reached out and gently tapped her younger sister on the head, "Haven't seen your sister for months, and you're already disgusted by her? You've been at sea for so long, do you smell like flowers instead of the fishy smell? Get out of here!"

"Giggle!" Ning Qingchen stepped forward and hugged him again, raising her fair and delicate face, and said in a soft and cute voice, "Don't be angry, I think about you every day. I'm not just longing for you, I'm longing for you across the ocean."

Ning Caiwei laughed, "Where did this 'Canghai' come from in Beijing? Nonsense."

“Why not?” Ning Qingchen laughed. “Beijing has Shichahai in the north and Nanhai in the south, both with sea ducks.”

Zhu Yin stepped forward, took Ning Caiwei's cloak, poured her a cup of hot tea, and said with a smile:

"What a coincidence! I was just conferring titles in the palace this morning, and you're already home. I thought I'd have to wait two more days, but I didn't expect you to be back so soon."

The two had met at sea ten days ago, so there was no real surprise.

Ning Caiwei took the tea and sat down, first drinking it all in one gulp before saying, "Ten days have passed, and you're already the Marquis of Jiangning. Are you having a wedding banquet at noon?"

Zhu Yin nodded: "The sooner it's done, the better. That way, many people won't have time to react before the banquet is over, and we won't have to entertain too many guests."

Ning Caiwei said, "Yes, if there are too many guests, Wanli will become more suspicious. He will only become more and more suspicious of you in the future, so it's best to keep a low profile."

"Oh, let me tell you about Jeju Island first."

"The Japanese troops on Jeju Island were too careless. They massacred tens of thousands of Korean islanders, thinking they could rest easy on the island. As a result, we surrounded them and wiped them out in half a day."

"The Japanese army are truly the same kind of beasts, both in ancient and modern times... What I saw on the island was utterly outrageous..."

After Ning Caiwei separated from Zhu Yin at sea, she secretly attacked and captured Jeju Island, which was occupied by Japanese pirates, and then occupied Jeju Island under the name of Japanese pirates.

Even the Japanese military headquarters in Korea and Kyushu were unaware that Jeju Island had been occupied by the Jinghai Navy, and still believed that Jeju Island was in their hands.

Zhu Yin laughed and said, "Next, we'll rely on Zheng Guowang. Once she convinces the emperor and the court to cooperate with the pirates, we'll direct and act out our own drama."

Ning Caiwei said, "The Japanese army in Korea will find out sooner or later that Jeju Island is no longer in their hands. If we take Jeju Island, we will have to find a way to smuggle warhorses to the island to raise. Therefore, we should defeat the Japanese army in Korea as soon as possible."

Zhu Yin frowned. "Although Emperor Bai Jin is unwilling, he has no choice but to change commanders now. But he still doesn't want to use me. He has already issued an edict to transfer Li Rusong, the general of Gansu, back to the capital to serve as the new imperial commissioner. But he is still hesitant about the choice of the military commissioner."

Ning Caiwei slammed down her teacup rather heavily. "The money-grubbing emperor didn't consider you at all? Not even a chance? He's too selfish."

Zhu Yin sneered, tapping his fingers slowly on the table. "That's not entirely true. Zong Qin's intelligence said he had three candidates. First, Yang Hao, whom he admired; second, Song Yingchang, the Left Vice Minister of War; and then me. I was recommended by Zheng Guowang; otherwise, I wouldn't even be a candidate."

Ning Caiwei asked, "How capable are these two?"

Zhu Yin shook his head. "Yang Hao and Hao Jing are similar; they're all armchair strategists. They seem knowledgeable about military affairs, but they don't really understand battle formations. Song Yingchang is a bit better, but his abilities aren't enough to quickly turn the tide. The safest option, of course, is for me to take command."

“I’m already taking action. Zheng Guowang will continue to recommend me for a while; it’s a quid pro quo. I will support his memorial about hiring pirates. Other court officials will also recommend me for the position of commander. Coupled with the pressure from the situation in Korea, it will force Wanli to choose me.”

"Only with me in command can the most magnificent lineup be assembled and Nurhaci's troops be mobilized."

Ning Caiwei clapped her hands. "Only we can turn the tide. Who told us to change history? This is cause and effect, and we need to clean up the mess ourselves."

...

Seeing that her older sister, whom she hadn't seen for months, immediately started discussing important matters with the little tiger upon her return, completely ignoring her, Ning Qingchen toddled out, muttering:

"I understand. Without a virtuous couple, the Ming Dynasty will perish. You are the most capable; without you, the Ming Dynasty will be eating hairy pigs. Since you all ignore me, I will ignore you too. I'm going to read the Spring and Autumn Annals!"

After walking a few steps, seeing that her brother-in-law and sister-in-law were ignoring her, she became even more bored.

"Little Black!" Ning Qingchen called out, beckoning to Black Tiger, "Let's go! They're all men who do great things!"

Xiao Hei could only stand up listlessly and dejectedly accompany the little girl as they left.

However, as soon as the young girl stepped out of Hanzhang Terrace, she suddenly thought, "They're newlyweds after a short separation, what if they...?"

Thinking of this, Ning Qingchen immediately turned around and tiptoed back.

Upon re-entering the hall, they indeed saw the two embracing, their faces almost touching, looking very intimate. Although the posture wasn't playing cards, it was definitely a kissing interaction.

"What are you doing? Sneaking around like that!" Ning Caiwei was holding Zhu Yin's head, pressing her forehead against his cheek, and sitting on Zhu Yin's lap. When she saw her sister suddenly return, her smile froze as if her expression had changed.

Zhu Yin was also a little embarrassed, and he withdrew his hand from Ning Caiwei's waist as if bitten by a snake.

"Heh! What am I doing?" Ning Qingchen sneered, hands on her hips, her once innocent expression now brimming with a江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) air. "Caught red-handed, huh? What are you doing in broad daylight?"

"How did you agree to the three-year agreement? You're still minors, only sixteen!"

"Hehe, you two are so in sync, truly a perfect match, your minds are in perfect harmony. You deliberately ignored me, pretending to talk about important matters, just to make me leave so you could have an affair, right?"

Ning Caiwei brushed her slightly disheveled hair aside, got off Zhu Yin, straightened her clothes, and said with a frosty expression, "No manners, no respect for elders! Who taught you that?"

"Aren't you being too nosy? Don't you have any manners? Don't you have any sense of propriety?"

Lady Caiwei was really angry.

My younger sister lacked discipline back then, was willful, acted eccentrically, and often did things against the grain, which was a real headache for me.

If we let her take advantage of us, she will become even more unruly and harder to control.

"The Marquis's wife is quite imposing!" Ning Qingchen said boldly. "I'm rude? Didn't we agree before that we couldn't cross that line before the age of eighteen!"

"The moment you meet, you try to get rid of me, then you're all all lovey-dovey like you're having an affair. What's the point? Am I a fake gigolo?"

The little fairy doctor got angry too.

Zhu Yin rubbed his temples, speechless. "Qingchen, sixteen is really not young in ancient times. Even in modern times, sixteen is high school age, and aren't there plenty of girls dating then? Later laws even stipulate that playing cards with a woman over fourteen isn't considered rape..."

Ning Qingchen sneered: "How can that be the same? Is it a good thing that my sister got pregnant too early? Even though I'm a renowned doctor, I can't guarantee she'll be completely fine..."

"You can get pregnant like that?" Zhu Yin looked at her as if she were an idiot. "This won't work either? And you're just a young girl, how can you be so shameless as to meddle in these things?"

Ning Qingchen gave a haughty snort, "Isn't it just that kind of thing between men and women? I'm a medical student, what haven't I seen? What don't I know? I've never seen a pig run before, but I've never eaten pork, have I?"

"I advise Marquis Jiangning and his wife not to provoke each other, for provocation will inevitably lead to disaster! Young people, don't test your self-control or your physical desires when you're alone together in a room with burning passion!"

She spoke in a vulgar and inappropriate manner, without the slightest hint of embarrassment on her face. Instead, she appeared quite serious, like a retired cadre.

Indeed, doctors are incredibly mentally strong in this regard.

"Qingchen!" Ning Caiwei's face flushed red. "Have you had enough! I'm your older sister! Is it appropriate for you to say such things? Get out!"

"go out!"

Ning Qingchen looked at her sister, whose face was flushed, and then at her brother-in-law, who looked utterly hopeless. She opened her mouth slightly, and her large, black, gem-like eyes slowly dimmed.

Her small mouth twitched, and large tears welled up in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.

“Okay.” Ning Qingchen nodded. “Anyway, I, Ning Qingchen, am superfluous, always have been.”

She spread her small hands, "Back in the Ning family, I was just superfluous. That despicable couple impersonated my parents and wished I were dead. Now, I'm still superfluous. I'm just a 1000-watt light bulb; I'm the one who bothers you, I'm the one in your way."

She turned and left after saying that. Ning Caiwei's heart softened, but she couldn't indulge her any longer, so she could only say ruthlessly, "You're so immature! Go out and reflect on your actions!"

Zhu Yin opened his mouth, wanting to call out to the little girl, but swallowed his words back.

"Hmph!" Ning Caiwei sat down angrily. "I've really spoiled her. Now she has no sense of propriety at all."

Zhu Yin said, "She is probably really heartbroken."

Ning Caiwei said, "Don't worry about her for now. She's not a real child; we can't let her continue to be willful."

Although Ning Caiwei said that, she was still worried and immediately called Jin Yunniang over.

"Sister Yunniang, go and keep an eye on Second Madam. Personally arrange for people to watch over her and prevent her from leaving the manor without permission..."

"Yes." Jin Yunniang immediately accepted the order and left.

Before long, Jin Yunniang arrived at Hanzhang Terrace and reported: "Second Mistress is crying sadly for some reason. I overheard her talking to herself."

"What was she muttering to herself?" Ning Caiwei suddenly became a little nervous.

Yunniang said with a strange expression, "Second Madam said that she originally intended to leave this place and return to Beihai to cultivate Taoism. However, she is the head of the medical school, a role model for the people, and bears the hopes of the masses. If she returns to Beihai to cultivate Taoism, what will become of the people? She must not act rashly. She should stay obediently, teach well, and settle the affairs of the mortal world."

After muttering these words to herself, she picked up a book, which seemed to be the Spring and Autumn Annals. She said, "My lord once said that to learn history, one should first read the Spring and Autumn Annals."

Ning Caiwei: "..."

Zhu Yin: "..."

Yunniang blinked, noticing the inscrutable expressions on the faces of the princess and her mother, and couldn't help but ask:

"My lord, my lady, is it really possible that Second Lady will return to Beihai to cultivate Taoism in the future?"

Ning Caiwei said as if possessed, "I'm afraid she'll eventually return to Beihai to cultivate. But for now, she has many important things to do in the world, and she'll have to stay there for at least several decades."

"Amitabha!" Yunniang patted her chest. "That's good, that's good. Second Madam is such a good person, like a fairy, please don't go back to Beihai."

"Little fairy?" Upon hearing this word, both Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei's lips twitched, and their smiles became strange.

Yunniang asked again, "Where exactly is this North Sea? Is it the place of immortals?"

Zhu Yin nodded and said, "Yes, it is a fairyland. It takes 432 years to come from there to the mortal world. However, this is a secret of the immortals, so don't spread it around."

Ning Caiwei coughed and said, "Yunniang, we're having guests soon. I'll leave the gift ledger to you. For guests who give gifts exceeding one hundred taels of silver, prepare an extra return gift."

After Yunniang left, Ning Caiwei took Zhu Yin's hand and said in a conciliatory tone, "Little Tiger, how about we take turns playing the good cop and the bad cop? Why don't you go and check on Qingchen?"

“You,” Zhu Yin said, lifting her chin, “are all bark and no bite.”

"Hehe." Ning Caiwei snuggled up to him and gave Jiang Ninghou a quick peck on the cheek. "Then you go ahead, I'm going to take a shower."

Zhu Yin laughed and said, "Madam's actions constitute the crime of flirting."

Ning Caiwei smiled, her starry eyes crinkling, "Then I am truly guilty of heinous crimes."

"Haha!" Zhu Yin laughed and patted Ning Caiwei's rounded 'full moon' breast. "When you turn eighteen, I, the Marquis, will punish you! Two-year suspended sentence!"

"Hehe!" Ning Caiwei couldn't help but burst into laughter when she heard the words "two-year probation." She clutched her stomach and laughed so hard she was doubled over. Where was the image of the pirate queen and the businesswoman?

After laughing and joking around for a while, Zhu Yin stood up, wrapped a scarf around his neck where he had been given a hickey, and then pulled out a copy of "Zuo Zhuan" from the bookshelf.

Then, Zhu Yin took the Zuo Zhuan to Ning Qingchen.

Ning Qingchen was currently at Songyue Lodge, not far from Hanzhang Terrace, in a warm room with a fire for heating in winter. The maids at the courtyard gate greeted Zhu Yin with bows, saying, "My Lord..."

"No need for formalities." Zhu Yin waved his hand. "What is Second Madam doing?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, he is reading."

"You all go ahead and get busy, we don't need you here."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

The Zhu Mansion was a famous mansion in Beijing with many courtyards, but Zhu Yin rarely visited Songyuelu.

The small courtyard, built with thatched roofs, looked quite elegant. In the main house, a large fire was burning brightly beside the kang (a heated brick bed), using high-quality old pine wood, which produced light smoke and a fragrant flame.

Zhu Yin lifted the windproof curtain and went inside. Immediately, he felt warm and cozy, and the chill disappeared.

Although the room had earthen walls, it was filled with books, and had all the necessary writing implements.

But in addition to the refined tastes of scholars, there is also a touch of rural charm: in the corner there is a pile of firewood, a basket of taro, a straw raincoat, as well as a hoe and a wood-chopping knife.

Ning Qingchen, dressed only in a jacket, sat by the fire pit reading, seemingly lost in thought. The flames danced in her clear eyes, and traces of tears were faintly visible on her face.

Little Black was also lying by the fire pit, seemingly asleep but not quite.

Even though Ning Qingchen knew Zhu Yin had come in, she didn't even raise her head.

Only Xiao Hei lazily stood up, stretched, and gave Zhu Yin a perfunctory tail wag as a greeting.

Zhu Yin sat down next to Ning Qingchen, his tone as warm and pleasant as a pine tree: "Reading? Reading is good; it can calm your mind."

Ning Qingchen turned her head slightly, ignoring her completely, her small lips pursed tightly.

Zhu Yin stood up, walked to the corner of the wall, picked up three taro roots, and went back to the hearth, putting the taro roots into the fire. Instantly, the aroma of roasted taro filled the air.

Zhu Yin dusted off his hands, pointed to the Spring and Autumn Annals in her hands, and continued:

"The Spring and Autumn Annals, with its subtle words and profound meanings, is the ancestor of all histories and a historical book that is included in the classics."

"Therefore, Zhu Xi said: When studying history, one should begin with the Spring and Autumn Annals in order to understand the mind of the sages."

Ning Qingchen seemed to be touched, but she still kept her tear-streaked face taut.

Zhu Yin smiled slightly, poking at the firewood in his hand, and muttered to himself:

"Although one should study the Spring and Autumn Annals first when learning history, the Spring and Autumn Annals is written in a concise style with a lot of blank space, making it difficult to interpret in different ways. This is what is known as the Spring and Autumn Annals style."

He took out the Zuo Zhuan from his pocket. "Therefore, the ancients wrote commentaries on the Spring and Autumn Annals, and the most famous of them is the Zuo Zhuan."

"You can't understand it by just reading the Spring and Autumn Annals. It's best to read it together with the Zuo Zhuan."

After saying this, he placed the Zuo Zhuan on Ning Qingchen's lap.

Ning Qingchen sniffed, looked at the roasting taro in the fire, and finally spoke: "The Spring and Autumn Annals clarifies the ways of the Three Kings and distinguishes the records of human affairs."

"Huh?" Zhu Yin was greatly surprised. "You know this saying? 'A scholar should be looked at with new eyes after three days' absence.'"

Ning Qingchen gave a soft snort, "I saw this sentence when I was copying the Records of the Grand Historian to practice calligraphy. It comes from the 'Preface by the Grand Historian' in the Records of the Grand Historian. I memorized it after copying it once."

"Hehe!" Zhu Yin was very happy. "So my Qingchen is a natural scholar."

Ning Qingchen chuckled, "You're only just realizing this? That's what being naturally smart is like; once you start learning, you understand it instantly."

After saying that, he pointed to the hearth and said, "Little Tiger, your taro is cooked."

P.S.: This chapter depicts daily family life, which some readers may not enjoy, but daily life is an essential part of the book. It's a short section and couldn't be omitted. Thank you for your understanding. Goodnight, thank you, and please vote with your monthly tickets!
(End of this chapter)