Di Ming

Chapter 351 "Her life was not meant to end, for she met this fairy!"

Cha Cha has abdominal pain? Could it be because of the fetus? She's due in a few months. Hopefully, nothing bad will happen now. The baby in her belly still has some use.

Zhu Yin instructed Kangxi: "Go to the Medical Academy and invite the Second Lady over. Tell her that a woman who is five months pregnant is having abdominal pain and ask her to come to the Honglu Temple Meeting Hall."

"Yes, sir!" Kangxi immediately accepted the order and left.

“There’s no need to call the imperial physician,” Zhu Yin said to Wang Zhixing. “Have you heard of my sister-in-law, Uncle Heng? Asking her is better than calling the imperial physician.”

Wang Zhixing said, "Is she Ning Yixian, the fairy Qingchen, who was born with the ability to speak and is rumored to be the reincarnation of the Medicine Buddha Bodhisattva, and who once cultivated Taoism in the North Sea?"

Zhu Yin chuckled. "It is indeed her. As for the rumors about her, do you believe them, Uncle Heng, or not?"

“This…” Wang Zhixing looked a little embarrassed. “Brother Zhihu, this is a difficult question for me to answer.”

"I've only heard that Ning Xiaoyixian is indeed a highly skilled physician. Even great doctors of the time like Li Shizhen praised her highly and admitted defeat. She has saved countless lives in the past few years, and her reputation is growing. More and more people believe in her, and it is said that she even has a shrine in her honor."

"Haha!" Zhu Yin couldn't help but laugh heartily. "Uncle Heng doesn't seem to believe me? But I do."

"Oh?" Wang Shixing was a little surprised. "If even Brother Zhihu believes it, then it must be true."

Zhu Yin nodded. "It is true that Physician Ning once cultivated Taoism in the North Sea. Uncle Heng knows this in his own heart; there is no need to spread it around."

Wang Shixing's expression was somewhat strange, and he thought to himself, "Why should I publicize this?"

He said, "It concerns the secrets of the immortals, so I'd better keep quiet."

The two walked a short distance in the vast meeting hall when Zhu Yin suddenly said, "In a few days, your appointment as the prefect of Xi'an will be issued. Uncle Heng should prepare to go to Xi'an to take up your post."

"So fast?" Wang Shixing's joy flashed briefly, then vanished. "It's all thanks to Brother Zhihu; I don't know how to express my gratitude..."

Zhu Yin waved his hand, saying, "I am doing this not only for you, but also for the court and for the people of Guanzhong. The feng shui of Shaanxi must be greatly improved; if we wait a few decades, it will be too late."

“Brother Heng, you are a talented man who can get things done, and you have long had experience in water and soil management in Guanzhong. However, I still have some suggestions for your reference.”

After speaking, he took out a small booklet from his sleeve and gave it to Wang Shixing.

Wang Shixing took it, stood under the locust tree, opened it, and after browsing through a few pages, he was greatly inspired and enlightened, feeling as if he had found a treasure.

Others might only have a vague understanding or even be completely confused by what Zhu Yin wrote, but Wang Shixing understood it immediately.

"Brother Zhihu is a man of profound knowledge and boundless talent; he truly knows everything from astronomy to geography!"

Wang Shixing was increasingly alarmed as he looked at the document. Could it be that Zhu Zhihu was truly an all-knowing genius?
"Brother Zhihu, if we use these methods to restore the feng shui of Qin, it will only take ten years. Guanzhong will surely be completely transformed, and great prosperity is within reach!"

Wang Shixing was very excited.

"Five years!" Zhu Yin held up a hand. "As long as you govern as prefect for five years, I will petition the court to recommend you as the governor of Shaanxi to manage the water and soil of the entire Qin region!"

"Good!" Wang Shixing clapped his hands. "Then it's settled! I'm willing to sign a military pledge! With Brother Zhihu's help, I will serve as the prefect of Xi'an for five years and will definitely improve the feng shui of Xi'an!"

Zhu Yin clapped his hands and laughed, "Then I'll leave it to you, Uncle Heng. Before long, I'm afraid the Prince of Xi'an will be famous throughout Guanzhong, with no fat on his calves and no hair on his shins, able to withstand heavy rain and strong winds!"

Wang Shixing laughed heartily and said, "Brother Zhihu told me to take Yu the Great as my role model. Even if I work myself to death, I dare not slack off in the slightest. I can only do my best if I succeed."

As the two were talking, they arrived at the west second courtyard of the meeting hall. They saw that the courtyard was heavily guarded, with nearly a hundred soldiers on guard, as well as guards from the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot.

The West Second Wing contains several separate courtyards, which served as residences for lower-ranking members of various diplomatic missions. Currently, over 130 high-ranking Japanese prisoners of war are under house arrest here.

They had no worries about their daily food, but as prisoners, they had no freedom whatsoever. They could only go out for a short walk in the courtyard at fixed times, and they could not visit each other's homes freely.

Wang Zhixing said, “The Japanese emperor and his ministers are imprisoned here. Although they are restless and grieving, they are quiet and obedient and have never tried to escape or resist. Judging from their temperament and behavior, we can tell that the Japanese are not to be underestimated. If they are not destroyed, they will surely become a great calamity for the Ming Dynasty in the future.”

Zhu Yin knew the answer, but feigned ignorance and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Wang Zhixing replied, "By uniting as one, enduring hardship and bearing burdens, maintaining strict hierarchy, order still exists!"

“Even now, they still hold court every day, treating this courtyard as a palace. Every morning, Japanese ministers line up to attend court as soon as they hear the Jingyang Bell in Beijing ring. Japanese officials pay homage to the Japanese king and solemnly present their reports. The Japanese king also solemnly holds court at the gate, rain or shine.”

“Anyone who doesn’t know them would not think they are prisoners of war.”

"At first, I found it laughable and ridiculous. But as they did it every day, so meticulously, I found it not laughable, but terrifying. The Japanese people's tenacity, seriousness, and strictness of order are almost obsessive, far surpassing other foreign races. They are truly not to be underestimated."

Zhu Yin nodded and said, "I am aware of this. Therefore, Japan... cannot be allowed to remain!"

Zhu Yin entered the courtyard, but instead of immediately going to see the Japanese locust Zhou Ren, he went to see Cha Cha first.

...

In the westernmost courtyard of the compound, faint groans of pain could be heard coming from a house.

Cha Cha, five months pregnant, lay in the cold room, clutching her belly and moaning, her sweat-drenched hair plastered to her pale face.

"What are you yelling about, you Japanese pirate old hag!" the female jailer, who was guarding the door with a hand warmer in her arms, shouted. "Which woman hasn't given birth? There are plenty of pregnant ghosts who died violent deaths, one more won't make a difference!"

The blood beneath Cha Cha's body had dried, but now it started bleeding again. Her stomach ached terribly, and she felt her life slipping away. She felt incredibly cold; the room was like an icebox, and the baby inside her felt like a block of ice. If only there were a stove, perhaps it would make things much better.

The fear and anxiety she had endured for nearly two months finally took a toll on her health, bringing her to the brink of death.

Am I going to die? But the baby hasn't been born yet, I'm so unwilling to accept this.

Cha Cha said weakly, "Could you make me a fire? I'm so cold."

"I want to see Hideyama Maru..."

She swallowed the rest of her words and closed her eyes in anguish.

Is that cunning boy really Hideyama Maru? He definitely isn't.

But even though she knew he wasn't, Chacha still hoped he was Xiushan Maru, and still hoped he would appear.

The female jailer sneered, "What are you babbling about? Are you cursing me?"

She stepped forward and slapped Cha Cha twice across the face.

"Crack! Crack!"

"You bitch, go ahead and curse me again!"

Cha Cha's nose bled from the two slaps she received, and she suddenly couldn't help but vomit.

The female jailer pinched her nose and took a step back, yelling, "You dare spit on me?! I'll make you eat it back!"

Cha Cha felt her head buzzing, as if she were in a nightmare. But just then, a familiar voice said, "She didn't curse you, she just wanted to start a fire."

Xiushan Maru?!
She looked up and saw a familiar young man, as graceful as a crane, standing under the eaves in the setting sun, like a gilded statue.

It's him! Xiushan Maru!

Suddenly, Chacha felt a surge of strength coursing through her body as she struggled to stay upright and cried out, "Hideyama Maru! Save my sister! Save my sister!"

Zhu Yin stood there quietly, his hands folded in his sleeves. His gaze was complex as he looked at Chacha, who had become emaciated and almost unrecognizable. This once-famous Yodo-dono in Japanese history had lost its former elegance.

What a radiant and elegant woman she was back then!

Haha. If Hideyoshi saw his pregnant beloved woman in such a miserable state, he would probably go crazy with rage.

The female jailer recognized Zhu Yin and suddenly realized who he was. She trembled and quickly knelt down, saying in a trembling voice, "This humble woman, Cao Linshi, greets Mr. Zhihu..."

Zhu Yin reached out to help her up and said gently, "No need for formalities. This Japanese woman isn't insulting you. Have someone light a brazier for her and heat the kang (heated brick bed) with charcoal, not coal. She is pregnant after all."

"Yes! Yes!" Cao Linshi was so excited that her face turned red. She felt her legs go weak and she was about to kneel down involuntarily, but Zhu Yin helped her up.

She readily agreed and immediately rushed off to start a fire.

Wang Shixing, who was standing to the side, witnessed firsthand how kind Zhu Yin was to Cao Linshi, a female jailer, and couldn't help but sigh with admiration.

Brother Zhihu's assessment of his refined taste and lofty character is absolutely true!

Zhu Yin walked to Cha Cha's bedside, reached out and touched her forehead, finding it burning hot. He then said in Japanese, "Hang in there a little longer, the doctor will be here soon."

Chacha gave a heartbreakingly sad laugh: "Hideyama Maru, you're here. My sister is about to die."

She struggled to grab Zhu Yin's hand, "Tell me, are you really Xiushan Maru?"

Wang Shixing couldn't understand Japanese, but he could tell from observing her that Zhihu and this woman had an unusual relationship, as if they were connected in some way.

Zhu Yin shook his head and said coldly, "I'm sorry, Chacha, I'm not Xiushan Maru."

"No!" Chacha screamed, "You are Xiushan Maru! Why did you lie to me! Waaah..."

Zhu Yin let her cry and waile, and then had Cao Linshi and the others place the brazier next to Chacha.

"Alright, stop crying. Do you really want to die?" Zhu Yin covered her with the blanket. "Don't think about yourself. You should think about the baby in your belly."

Chacha quieted down considerably, her weak and sorrowful eyes fixed on Zhu Yin. "Xiushan Maru, save me, save your nephew, I don't want to die..."

Zhu Yin nodded. "Don't worry, I'll do my best to save you. The doctor is on his way. With me here, you don't need to be afraid."

"Mmm." Cha Cha nodded on the pillow, tears streaming silently down her face.

Logically, she should hate "Hideyama Maru," but at this moment, she was helpless, with no one to turn to for help. Even the eight million gods could not protect her, and Hideyoshi, who ruled Japan, could not save her. Instead, it was "Hideyama Maru" who could save her. Seeing "Hideyama Maru" made her feel much more at ease.

This must be the greatest irony of fate.

Cha Cha wanted to cry, but also wanted to laugh; her heart was filled with mixed feelings, and she didn't know what to feel.

She still suspected that Zhu Yin was the real Xiushan Maru. Otherwise, why would he want to save her?

She could keenly sense that Zhu Yin still had some "affection" for her, which meant that he was probably still Xiushan Maru.

Cha Cha felt much calmer and said in a mournful tone:

"Hideyama Maru, if I die here, please send my coffin back to Japan. If you cannot, please throw my remains into the sea so that my soul may return to its homeland. I beg you, sister."

Zhu Yin nodded slowly, "Alright, Sister Chun, I promise you."

At this moment, the fire pit was also lit, and Cha Cha felt much better, with a bit more color returning to her face.

"Hideyama Maru, if I can give birth to this child, you will be his uncle. Can you name him?"

She knew very well that neither she nor the child in her womb could survive without Xiushan Pills.

She had to cling to Xiushan Maru like a drowning person grasping at a straw.

Zhu Yin generously gave Cha Cha a comforting smile, warm and gentle like the spring sunshine in March.

"Didn't you say before that the Onmyoji predicted it was a boy? Let's name him Hideyori."

"Xiulai?" Chacha was taken aback. "You're good at naming things. It's a really good name."

"But... I also hope you can give him a Han name. I'd like him to have the surname Zhu, is that alright?"

That's where her cleverness lies.

"Hmm?" Zhu Yin was a little surprised, but then he understood.

A mother's love truly makes her strong.

Zhu Yin thought for a moment and said, "Okay. Then his Han name will be... Fu Lin, Zhu Fu Lin."

“Fu Lin, Fu Lin…” Cha Cha couldn’t help but smile serenely. “This name is so nice, Xiushan Maru. You really put a lot of thought into it.”

Zhu Yin sighed, "I'm really not Xiushan Maru. I'm Zhu Yin."

Cha Cha's eyes slowly closed. "I know, I know..."

Cao Linshi pointed to Chacha's lower body, "Mr. Zhihu, she's bleeding again. I'm afraid she won't make it to tomorrow. This is massive bleeding; she'll miscarry, and she herself will bleed to death..."

Wang Shixing also said, "This woman's vital energy is severely depleted; I'm afraid even the best imperial physicians cannot save her. Even the best imperial physicians might not be able to save her."

He had barely finished speaking when a childish voice rang out from outside the door: "Even the imperial physicians can't save him? I'd like to see just how difficult it is!"

Zhu Yin and the others turned around and saw a little girl dressed in a plain white satin dress and wearing a black warm hat, walking in with a bright and innocent face.

Behind her, a group of women dressed in white with black hats and carrying medicine chests surrounded her. On the left side of their clothes was embroidered a hanging medicine pot, and on the right side was the inscription: Qingchen Medical College.

"Immortal Physician Ning has arrived!" Zhu Yin said with a smile. "Today, we'll witness Immortal Physician Ning's skills."

Wang Shixing hesitated for a moment before saying, "So it's the Little Fairy Doctor Ning. I've long admired your name; it's legendary."

This was the first time he had seen Ning Xiaoyixian, the renowned little doctor and dean of the medical academy, who was indeed a precocious child and seemed extraordinary. But to say that this little girl was truly a miracle doctor was still hard for him to believe.

Ning Qingchen waved her hand, "No need for polite words, it's naturally very well-known."

"However, even a divine healer wouldn't dare to guarantee a cure for all diseases. I certainly wouldn't make such a promise. But if even I can't help her, then her fate has run its course, and she is destined to be ruled by the God of Destiny!"

"Men, please leave! This fairy is going to make a diagnosis."

Zhu Yin and Wang Shixing, along with the other men, immediately complied and withdrew.

However, less than a quarter of an hour later, a clear and confident voice came from inside, its tone resolute:

"It's preeclampsia! She wasn't meant to die, she met this fairy!"

P.S.: I'm on the train today, so I can only update here whenever I can. That's all for now. I'll definitely have a longer chapter tomorrow! Thank you! Please vote with my monthly tickets!

(End of this chapter)