Di Ming

Chapter 370 "Your Highness is Wise!"

A meticulously crafted map of Xi'an was laid out before everyone. Before launching the operation, it was essential to familiarize oneself with the map of Xi'an and the distribution of its communities.

Today, Xi'an Prefecture encompasses the entire Guanzhong Plain, governing six prefectures and thirty-one counties. Xi'an City is both the commercial center of Northwest China and a crucial military stronghold.

Apart from the two capitals, North and South, only Xi'an City had two counties, Chang'an and Xianning, governed from the same city. The western part belonged to Chang'an, and the eastern part belonged to Xianning, with each county having its own clerk in charge of inspection.

Chang'an County administers West Street, Drum Tower West Market, and Anding Gate. Xianning County includes East Street, Changle Gate, and Qin Prince's Palace Garrison.

Compared to the Tang Dynasty, Xi'an is still a large city with a circumference of thirty li (approximately 15 kilometers), one of the four great cities in China, with a population of over 300,000. However, it is much smaller than it was during the Tang Dynasty, only one-eighth the size of Chang'an.

The city of Xi'an today is geographically almost the same as the palace city of Chang'an during the Tang Dynasty. In other words, the Tang Dynasty imperial palace was roughly the same city as Xi'an today.

The Qin Prince's Palace was located in the northeast of the city, with its eastern wall bordering Shuncheng Lane, its western boundary Xincheng Lane, its southern boundary Xihua Gate, and its northern boundary Houzai Gate. It was a true city within a city.

Ning Caiwei pointed her slender hand at the location of the Qin Prince's Mansion and said, "This is the Qin Prince's Mansion, which was built with the help of more than 20,000 people, resulted in the deaths of more than 1,000 people, and cost more than one million taels of silver."

"The walls of the Qin King's Palace are nearly three zhang high, with 360 crenellations, and more than 1,000 guards are stationed there on weekdays."

"This is the Cunxin Hall, where the Prince of Qin conducts his daily affairs... This is the Chengyun Hall, where court assemblies and ceremonies are held... This is the East Wing Hall of the Ancestral Temple, where sacrifices are offered to the founding emperor and the former kings of the Qin vassal state... This is the Altar of the Land and Grain, this is the East Guard Camp, this is the Gunpowder Bureau, this is the Weaving Bureau... This is the Dianshan Office inside the West Palace Wall, with more than 500 cooks..."

"This is the eastern and western six courtyards of the imperial harem..."

"This is the Baoji Warehouse inside the Houzaimen Gate, storing hundreds of thousands of shi of grain..."

After finishing her discussion of the Qin Prince's residence, Ning Caiwei pointed to the west city:
"The Hui people make up 10% of the city's population. This is the largest Hui community in Xi'an, the Seven Temples and Thirteen Wards. There are more than 20,000 Hui people here alone, most of whom are Semu Hui. These Semu people are different from the Western Region merchants in the city. They are descendants of the Semu people who came to the Central Plains with the Mongol army and have lived here for hundreds of years."

"But those who are not of our race are bound to have different hearts. They have lived here for hundreds of years, yet they have never been Sinicized. Take these seven temples and thirteen wards, for example; they do not allow Han people to enter. On the one hand, they are oppressed by the Prince of Qin's mansion and the government, and on the other hand, they rely on their gang to bully the Han people in the city, wielding their knives against the weaker ones and venting their resentment on the lower-class Han people. They are truly not worthy of sympathy."

Ning Caiwei then pointed to a place more than ten miles outside Yongning Gate in the south city, "This is called Nanlu'ao, which is the largest shantytown for refugees in Xi'an. There are thirty to forty thousand refugees from Fengxiang and other places, many of whom are tenant farmers of the Prince Qin's mansion. They are poorly clothed, starving, and suffer greatly from the oppression of the Prince Qin's mansion. They barely survive on government relief..."

...

After Ning Caiwei finished speaking, she asked the group to think for a while, and then asked, "Where is the biggest flaw in this plan?"

Tian Chouce spoke first: "Madam, the biggest flaw in the plan is that the government troops are too incompetent and will be unable to suppress the Hui people. The Ma family has a strong command in the Hui people. The two major Hui tribes in Xi'an can definitely mobilize five or six thousand able-bodied men."

"During the Chenghua era, the Ganzhou Hui Rebellion occurred, with several thousand Hui people besieging the prefectural government office. It took seven days to suppress them. During the Jiajing era, the Qinzhou Hui Rebellion resulted in over three thousand deaths and was quelled within ten days. Last year, the Pingliang Hui Rebellion saw several thousand people rise up, and it took Governor Ye Mengxiong half a month to suppress it."

“Madam, there are estimated to be over a million Hui people in the entire Northwest. If things escalate, other Hui communities in other places will also respond. The Prince of Qin’s mansion will be doomed, but Guanzhong will also be thrown into chaos.”

"Therefore, the Hui rebellion in the city must be suppressed as soon as possible, preferably by the government troops after the Qin Prince's mansion is destroyed. Otherwise, the aftermath will be difficult to handle."

"The biggest loophole is here. If the government troops can't suppress the situation after returning to the city, or are even defeated and captured by the Hui people, then things will be really messed up."

“This is indeed the biggest loophole.” Ning Caiwei smiled confidently. “Mr. Tian’s ability to think of this shows his resourcefulness. But you don’t need to worry at all. I have already arranged several backup plans. The Hui people will definitely be defeated. They will not succeed and there is absolutely no possibility of them occupying Xi’an City.”

Gu Hongxiu said, "I think the biggest loophole is in the refugee settlement in Nanlu'ao. What if the government troops in the city and the guards of the Prince of Qin's mansion really think that the refugees will rebel and start a massacre in advance? Wouldn't that kill a lot of refugees?"

Ning Caiwei laughed and said, "How can the King of Qin decide to wage war against refugees? Such a big matter as war requires the consent of the garrison eunuch and the governor. The King of Qin's order alone is not enough."

"Even if the government troops sent out of the city to suppress the refugees are really sure that the refugees are going to rebel, they will not immediately massacre the refugees. They will first return to the city to report to the garrison eunuch, the governor and other officials. As long as the refugees have not really rebelled, they will not agree to massacre the refugees. There are tens of thousands of refugees, not just a few dozen or a few hundred."

"Even if we believe the refugees will really rebel, Nanlu'ao is more than ten miles from the city, a round trip of thirty miles. Adding the time for discussion, it will take at least half a day. In that half a day, the Hui people in the city will have already attacked the Prince of Qin's mansion. If the Prince of Qin's mansion is attacked, how can the government troops and guards still care about monitoring the refugees? They will definitely return to the city immediately to suppress the Hui people."

Ding Hongying said, "What if Master Tian asks the garrison eunuch Xu Gui to intervene? After all, Eunuch Tian has retired to his hometown and is no longer the head of the Directorate of Ceremonial. People forget him when he's gone."

Ning Caiwei said, "Xu Gui is certainly no good either. He is equally greedy and has a lot of public resentment. He is considered the second biggest scourge in Xi'an. But he will definitely give my uncle face and will surely agree."

Tian Chouce said, "In that case, Madam has a foolproof plan, which is truly foolproof."

Suddenly, he lifted his robe and bowed deeply, saying solemnly, "The Prince of Qin's mansion and I have an irreconcilable feud. I wish I could tear Prince Zhu Yi of Qin to pieces and eat his flesh, but I dare not even think of seeking revenge. Thank you, Madam, for avenging me!"

Ning Caiwei quickly helped him up, "Get up, what are you doing! I'm not here to avenge you. Besides, things haven't been accomplished yet. Man proposes, God disposes, and only God knows the outcome."

Tian Chou said, "Whether it succeeds or fails, I will be deeply grateful!"

.........

As the sun sets behind the distant mountains of Guanzhong, the ancient city of Xi'an slowly sinks into the boundless twilight.

The Qin Prince's Mansion, covering an area of ​​2,000 acres, with over 800 halls and pavilions, is magnificent and resplendent as the lanterns are lit, resembling a dazzling galaxy. Jade palaces and vermilion gates, embroidered doors—it embodies the pinnacle of human wealth and luxury.

The master of this place is none other than Zhu Yi, the Prince of Qin, known as the King of the Northwest, who is the most powerful prince in the land!
Outside the Cunxin Hall, guards stood in rows, and the security was tight. The palace lanterns illuminated the area as if it were daytime.

Everyone knows that His Highness is receiving a mysterious distinguished guest today, and no one but a trusted confidant is allowed to disturb him or enter the Cunxin Hall.

Inside the main hall, jewels glittered and curtains were drawn, and whispers could be faintly heard.

In the dimly lit palace hall, the Qin King Zhu Yi, who was about forty years old and had a stout figure, was wearing a long jacket embroidered with gold satin and a hat inlaid with pearls and jade.

Aside from a few trusted attendants, there was only a Western Region merchant with a high nose and deep-set eyes, who was also the mysterious distinguished guest.

Although the distinguished guest was a merchant from the Western Regions, he spoke fluent Mandarin with a Guanzhong accent.

“Your Highness, my Emperor says that Your Highness is the most powerful prince in the land. He was able to establish a kingdom and become emperor in the Western Regions. Why can’t Your Highness do the same? If Your Highness raises your voice, Guanzhong will be within your grasp.”

"Your Highness, Guanzhong is the land of the Golden City, the location of imperial capitals throughout the ages. The Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui, and Tang dynasties all established their dynasties and achieved great power here. Your Highness has lived in Guanzhong for over two hundred years, with deep roots in the region. Why can't you become emperor?"

"The empire never belonged to Zhu Di's lineage; it should have belonged to the lineage of the eldest son, Crown Prince Yiwen. Zhu Di seized it back then, so why can't the Prince of Qin do the same today? Emperor Wanli was incompetent and tyrannical; what virtue or ability did he possess?"

Prince Qin, Zhu Yi, sneered, “Mr. Mai Sai is mistaken. Since Emperor Chengzu, nine generations have passed for nearly two hundred years, and the throne has been as stable as Mount Tai. It is already the legitimate successor of the empire. It is your Prince Qing who has overstepped his bounds and declared himself emperor, which is truly treasonous.”

This was certainly not what Zhu Yi truly felt. He knew that after Prince Qing became emperor, he felt more envy and jealousy than anything else.

What about the throne? How could he not have thought about it? Otherwise, why would he have secretly made dragon robes and forged the imperial seal?
The merchant from the Western Regions chuckled, “Your Highness, I have traveled from the Western Regions to Guanzhong over a period of more than a month. I have come with the sincerity and goodwill of His Majesty. I would like to ask Your Highness to reciprocate with some sincerity as well.”

"Sincerity?" Zhu Yi's fleshy face was full of mocking smiles. "If I had no sincerity, given your status, you would already be in the prison of the governor's office or the garrison eunuch's office. How could you sit in front of me and talk so eloquently?"

"Mr. Maisai, the fact that I haven't handed you over is a testament to my utmost sincerity. But what sincerity does Uncle Qing have to offer me? Is it merely words inciting me to rebel and treason?"

Although he was much older than Zhu Shuaixin, he was the nephew of both the current emperor and Zhu Shuaixin in terms of seniority, so he was addressed as "Uncle Qing".

Masay smiled slightly and slowly took a sip of tea. "My Emperor has an army of 100,000, with strong and well-equipped troops, and the support of all the tribes in the Western Regions. Moreover, the cavalry can reach Guanzhong in a month by marching eastward from the Western Regions. As long as Your Highness agrees to declare yourself emperor in Guanzhong, my Emperor will lend you 20,000 cavalry from the Western Regions!"

"Your Highness, with the assistance of 20,000 Western Region cavalry, coupled with the prestige of the Prince of Qin's mansion, Guanzhong will be within our grasp! At that time, blocking Tongguan, Dasanguan, and Wuguan will be enough to secure the pass. What can Wanli do to Your Highness?"

"Your Highness, don't forget, Wanli's elite troops are all fighting in the east and have no time to look west. This is a golden opportunity! Opportunities like this will not come again! I only hope Your Highness will consider this!" "Lend me 20,000 cavalry?" Zhu Yi was quite tempted, his breathing becoming heavy. "Would Uncle Qing be so kind? Even if he sends 20,000 cavalry to Guanzhong, he'll still occupy it. What benefit would I gain from pulling chestnuts out of the fire for him?"

Mai Sai put down his teacup. "Your Highness, how can 20,000 cavalry conquer Qin territory? Without the call to arms from the Qin Prince's Palace, 20,000 cavalry will inevitably be defeated sooner or later, and not a single horse will be able to return west!"

"Guanzhong is, after all, His Highness's fiefdom. The 20,000 cavalry are guests, while His Highness the Prince of Qin is the host! His Highness is the skin, and the 20,000 cavalry are the fur. If the skin is gone, where will the fur attach?"

"If Your Highness were to let such a good opportunity slip by, it would be a gift from Heaven that you would not seize, and you would suffer the consequences!"

"By the time Wanli finishes fighting the war in the east and is able to free up his hands, it will be too late for Your Highness to think about things. Won't you regret it then?"

At this point, he took out a sealed letter from his robes and gently placed it on the table. "This is His Majesty's personal promise, a golden word! The letter makes it very clear that His Majesty does not want Guanzhong; Guanzhong belongs to Your Highness. His Majesty only needs Your Highness to rebel against Wanli and set an example for all the princes, so that they can establish their own independent kingdoms!"

"This is, of course, also for the sake of my Emperor himself. After all, Wanli's power is immense, his throne is secure, and he occupies a vast and prosperous empire. Relying solely on my Emperor to resist is like trying to hold up a tree alone; he will likely be destroyed by Wanli sooner or later. Therefore, my Emperor is helping Prince Qin to start his rebellion, to support each other and stick together for mutual warmth..."

Mai Sai's words were logical, well-founded, and watertight, leaving Zhu Yihan no choice but to be moved.

Zhu Yihan stood up and paced back and forth in the hall, his shadow stretching long on the screen.

His Qin Prince's mansion was indeed wealthy and well-fed, capable of supporting an army of 100,000, so he had no worries about supplies. However, the Qin Prince's three guards were no longer what they used to be, and now only a little over 2,000 remained.

Nominally, he still held military power over the Twelve Guards of Shaanxi. But what was the state of the Twelve Guards of Shaanxi now? At the beginning of the dynasty, they had nearly 100,000 fierce soldiers, but now only tens of thousands of weak soldiers remained. They were passable in suppressing peasant uprisings and maintaining order, but asking them to fight a tough battle was too much to ask.

Not to mention, the military power of these tens of thousands of weak soldiers in the garrison is not something they can mobilize themselves; it is actually in the hands of the garrison eunuchs.

So if he were to raise an army, the only truly usable military force would be the two thousand-odd guards of the Qin King's mansion. And whether those two thousand-odd guards would betray him if he were to rebel was hard to say.

After much deliberation, the risk of rashly launching an attack was still too great.

"What else can this manor offer His Majesty?" Zhu Yi suddenly stopped and stared at Mai Sai.

"Your Highness is very generous," Mai Sai clapped his hands and laughed. "My Emperor needs manpower, especially young and strong Han men! I hope Your Highness can sell my Emperor 100,000 young men from Shaanxi, at ten taels of silver each! This price is very high!"

Zhu Yi opened Zhu Shuaixin's secret letter and read it for a while, then said, "This matter is of great importance, and I cannot reply to you immediately. I must wait and see how things develop in Korea. I will give you an answer within a month at the latest."

He certainly wouldn't make a decision so quickly. Once he raised an army, the Qin Prince's Mansion would have no way out. The Prince of Qing's heir could still flee to the Western Regions, but where could he run to if he was defeated?

Masay smiled calmly, "Then let's make it a month. A month later, I will return to the Western Regions with His Highness's reply."

He was completely unfazed, confident that Zhu Yichang wouldn't hesitate for long before agreeing to cooperate with His Majesty. Zhu Yichang was the kind of person who couldn't resist the temptation of establishing a separatist regime in Guanzhong and declaring himself emperor; he probably dreamed of it.

He believed that Zhu Yihang would give him an answer in less than a month.

Zhu Yihang said, "Then Mr. Massey should stay at the Prince of Qin's residence for now and not leave the residence casually. There are other matters to attend to at this residence, so Mr. Massey should go and rest."

Massey stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "This humble subject takes his leave. Your Highness, please make yourself at home."

He was then invited by one of Zhu Yihan's trusted confidants to a place to rest.

As soon as Masay left, a middle-aged man in white robes and a turban entered the hall.

"Cai Yi pays his respects to Your Highness, Your Highness." The man in white bowed deeply and kowtowed. "Your Highness, Zhu Yin's wife, Ning, has agreed to visit you at the mansion tomorrow morning."

Zhu Yi snorted coldly, "It's good that she knows what's good for her. I doubt she would dare not come. Let alone a Marquis's wife, even if a Duchess came to Guanzhong, she wouldn't dare disobey the decree of this prefecture. If she dares to disobey the royal decree, this prefecture will accuse her of smuggling salt and send troops to arrest her directly."

"Old Cai, I heard that Ning is only sixteen years old and is a rare beauty?"

At this point, Zhu Yi, a prince, actually revealed a lewd and evil smile.

Cai Yi got up, bent over and laughed, "Isn't that right? She truly is a beauty rarely seen in the world. It's a pity, a real shame... that she has such big feet, she's known as Big Feet Ning..."

At this point, his expression suddenly changed, and he quickly knelt down again, saying, "I spoke without thinking, and would never have dared to offend you intentionally. Please forgive me, Your Highness!"

After saying that, he started slapping himself repeatedly, one hand on each side.

"Old Cai, what are you doing?" Zhu Yi was very puzzled. "What did you say wrong? Why are you slapping yourself? It's inexplicable!"

"Your Highness isn't angry?" Cai Yi was taken aback, quite surprised. It turned out that Empress Xiaoci Gao, née Ma, was nicknamed "Big-Footed Ma" by the common people because she had unbound feet.

Therefore, the nickname "Bigfoot" was taboo among the royal family and could not be mentioned, as it was considered highly disrespectful.

But the prince wasn't angry?
Cai Yi dared not conceal the truth, fearing that the prince might punish him later. He could only honestly reply, "The words 'big feet' offended Empress Xiaoci Gao. I deserve to die, I deserve to die..."

He then kowtowed repeatedly.

"Hahaha!" Zhu Yihan burst into laughter, unable to contain his amusement. "I wondered what was going on, and now I find out! How hilarious! It turns out that Empress Xiaoci Gao also had unbound feet. Interesting, very interesting!"

Cai Yi was astonished. Even as Qin Wang's trusted steward, who was familiar with Zhu Yi's temperament and behavior, he couldn't understand why the prince would laugh so heartily and say it was funny when he mentioned it.

Is Your Highness really so heartless?
But considering the prince's usual behavior, he didn't find it strange at all.

But the prince continued, "Most of the beauties I've slept with were bound feet. I haven't yet tasted women with unbound feet, though. I imagine it must be quite a different experience, and it might not necessarily be bad."

Cai Yi: "..."

Your Highness, as a prince of the Ming Dynasty, is it appropriate for you to say such things? Cai Yi thought to himself, but dared not show it on his face.

He could only echo, "Your Highness has very refined tastes, and I wholeheartedly agree."

Zhu Yihang laughed and said, "She is the wife of the top scholar. How many of her are there in the world? Just that identity alone is quite interesting."

"Once she enters the Prince's mansion tomorrow, she will be placed under house arrest. After I have enjoyed myself for a few days, I will release her."

Cai Yi mustered his courage and said, "Your Highness, the original intention of letting her into the mansion was to seize her business and property in the Northwest and force her to hand over her assets and property. What if Your Highness takes her body and she refuses to hand over her assets in anger and shame? We can't just kill her, after all, she is the wife of a top scholar and a first-rank imperial consort."

Zhu Yi chuckled, "Old Cai, you don't understand women. Once a woman's body is taken, she will become obedient and even less likely to resist."

“A woman’s reputation and honor are of utmost importance. She has spent several days in the mansion with me and enjoyed my company. Would she really go out of her way to tell others? The one who would least dare to publicize it is herself.”

"She dares not publicize it, so the evidence is in our hands. The court will remain unaware, and Zhu Yin will be kept in the dark. What can she do? We can even use this evidence to make her obedient and force this top scholar's wife to serve us obediently. In this way, we can gain both money and her."

Cai Yi was truly impressed and couldn't help but flatter him, saying, "Your Highness is wise!"

PS: Sorry, the story of defeating the Prince of Qin still needs one more chapter, I'll definitely finish it tomorrow! Thank you, please vote and leave a review! During the Wanli era, due to the exploitation by the Prince of Qin's mansion, many bankrupt farmers in Guanzhong became refugees, including 50,000 refugees in and around Xi'an. The existence of refugees in the book is historical fact, not fabricated for the female lead's plan. Also: Ming Dynasty princes mostly referred to themselves as "this prince" when addressing subordinates, "this vassal" when addressing the Six Ministries, and "your subject, Prince So-and-so" when addressing the emperor. They rarely referred to themselves as "this prince" in any situation (exceptions exist).

(End of this chapter)