Di Ming

Chapter 371 "Break Through the Qin Prince's Mansion and Slay Zhu Yichang!"

February 28th was the fourth day of Ning Caiwei's planning. It was also the last day of the deadline set by the King of Qin for her to pay her respects.

Early in the morning, after making her final preparations, Ning Caiwei, dressed in the attire of a first-rank noblewoman, rode in a sedan chair carried by eight strong women, accompanied by Ding Hongying, Wu You, Galo, and others, to the Qin Prince's Mansion in the East City to pay her respects to the Qin Prince.

Along the way, the locust blossoms of Xi'an fell like snow.

The group of sixteen women all wore soft armor specially made for Daishan Island.

Ning Caiwei rarely rode in a sedan chair; she disliked being carried. But today, she had no choice but to take a sedan chair to the Prince of Qin's residence.

According to the rules of etiquette, a person of high rank cannot summon female relatives of officials or commoners alone, unless the person of high rank is also a woman. As a man, the King of Qin could not summon Ning Caiwei.

But the King of Qin did just that. For him, etiquette, rules, and the strict separation of men and women were no greater than his power; he could act arbitrarily.

Logically, even if he wanted to summon Ning Caiwei, he should have used the name of the Princess or the Noblewoman, not issued a royal edict directly. But Zhu Yihang issued the edict directly in the name of the Prince of Qin, not even bothering to pretend. He was so arrogant and domineering that he did whatever he wanted, not even bothering to put on a show.

Inside the sedan chair, Ning Caiwei's still youthful face was faintly frosty, and her eyes were also cold.

Over the years since arriving in the Ming Dynasty, she has steadily developed Ningyin Trading Company into a comprehensive conglomerate involved in businesses such as sugar, mining, tea, pharmaceuticals, the entertainment industry, catering, metallurgy, department stores, jewelry, and textiles.

Her total net worth is nearly three million taels of silver. And the rate at which her wealth is growing is even faster than that of the gold-digging emperor.

In all these years, she had never encountered such a crisis. After marrying Zhu Yin, as the wife of a top scholar, the wife of a county magistrate, and a first-rank noblewoman, her status was exceptionally high, and she achieved twice the results with half the effort in the pursuit of fame and fortune, always succeeding.

With Zhu Yin's protection in the officialdom, her career was smooth sailing and thriving, and few dared to covet her business.

Even though the Kong family recently wanted to take back the mines in Yanzhou, they only tried to do so through underhanded tactics like creating a mining accident; they didn't dare to openly seize her business.

However, Prince Zhu Yi of Qin, relying on his power as the head of the princes, actually resorted to plunder and robbery!

Not only that, this person also wanted to possess her! He intended to humiliate her and then use it as leverage to force her to obey and follow his orders.

She herself was, after all, a first-rank noblewoman, and her husband was the Marquis of Jiangning, Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, Vice Minister of War, Deputy Censor-in-Chief, Commissioner of Korea, and Tutor to the Princes—a reincarnated deity in the eyes of the common people…

Despite having so many dazzling titles, Prince Zhu Yi of Qin remained unreserved and continued to act arrogantly and recklessly from his high position!
This is intolerable! I, Ning Caiwei, have never suffered such oppression before!

If I don't find it, I'll be such a failure as a time traveler.

As Ning Caiwei thought about this, her expression became even calmer and more serene. She lifted the curtain of the sedan chair, looked at the bustling streets, the shops and taverns, listened to the noisy sounds of the marketplace, and felt the vibrant spring sunshine and the rich atmosphere of everyday life. She couldn't help but breathe heavily and closed her eyes with a sense of contentment.

The more important the project, the more relaxed she becomes. Because only by relaxing can she make fewer mistakes.

Just in case, she wrote letters to Little Tiger and her younger sister Qingchen before she set off. In the letters, she explained the current state of Ningyin Trading Company and told them what they should do if she really couldn't come back.

"Aunt Wei." Ding Hongying, who was walking outside the sedan chair, turned her pretty face, which was both spirited and cheerful. "We're almost at the territory of the Prince Qin's mansion."

She preferred horseback riding to walking. But to appear weak, she gave up horseback riding. Not only that, she didn't carry a knife and dressed very ladylike, thus concealing her chivalrous spirit.

Ning Caiwei laughed and said, "Most women in the city have bound feet. Our group of sixteen sisters all have big feet, so we're quite a sight on the road."

Wu You covered her mouth and laughed, "Isn't that right? Sister-in-law, look, many pedestrians on the street are commenting on us."

As the women chatted and laughed, they arrived at Duanlufang.

Although Duanlufang is not within the Qin Prince's residence, it belongs to all the residence's markets and is essentially the Qin Prince's exclusive commercial area.

The businesses in Duanlufang were mostly shady. They dealt in a lot of stolen goods, such as pawning stolen items from the Prince's residence by eunuchs from the Prince's Palace Service Office, and human trafficking, selling women to the Prince's Palace as maids. There were also brothels and red-light districts.

Almost all the businesses here are related to the Prince of Qin's residence.

Soon, the sedan chair arrived at the Duanlimen Archway. The Duanlimen Archway is a three-arched gate with a glazed tile hip roof, located 120 steps away from the main gate of the Prince's Mansion.

There is a dismounting stele next to it, which reads: Officials below the third rank must walk here.

However, if one is a high-ranking noblewoman, she can enter directly by carriage.

According to regulations, officials must enter through the Duanli Gate to pay homage to the King of Qin. This area is under martial law; any commoner who mistakenly enters will be flogged thirty times. Ding Hongying presented the King of Qin's summons edict and Ning Caiwei's visiting card.

The master of ceremonies at Duanli Gate glanced at Ning Caiwei in the sedan chair and immediately announced:

"Lady Jiangning has been ordered to pay her respects to the King!"

"Please, Madam, tidy your appearance!"

Ning Caiwei symbolically touched her hair, as if to tidy her appearance, and then lowered the sedan curtain. The sedan continued forward, along a path lined with dozens of guards holding halberds, heading straight for the south gate of the Prince of Qin's residence.

This is one of the advantages of being a woman; she can enter the mansion directly without dismounting from her sedan chair. Noblewomen are not supposed to show their faces in public, and walking on the street is considered improper.

Moreover, since the group of sixteen were all women and did not carry any weapons, the guards did not conduct any checks.

Soon they arrived at the moat of the Prince's Palace, which was actually the Dragon Pool of the Xingqing Palace in the Tang Dynasty. The current Prince Qin's Palace is mainly located in the area of ​​the Taiji Palace in the Tang Dynasty.

As Ning Caiwei's sedan chair passed through the Xizunyi Gate, she lifted the curtain and looked out. She saw three layers of city walls coiled like giant pythons. The outermost layer was the majestic gray-blue city wall of Xi'an, and inside it was the vermilion outline of the Qin Prince's Mansion.

At its very core lies the gleaming, golden palace, showcasing the grandeur of a top-tier vassal state with its "triple city walls and double moats."

Passing through the West Zunyi Gate Bridge, one can see carts transporting deer fetuses and bear paws from the Imperial Kitchen, and faintly hear the sounds of torture coming from inside the prison walls of the Trial Chamber, eerily blending with the "Rainbow Skirt" melody drifting from the distant pavilion.

Soon, the sedan chair came to a stop in front of the Lingxing Gate of Xiaoqiang.

The gatekeepers, clad in chainmail and with bronze tallies bearing the character "Qin" hanging from their waists, checked Ning Caiwei's fish-shaped tally and waved their flags. "Pass!"

The heavy iron-clad wooden door creaked open, revealing the square in front of Duanli Gate, with the royal road paved with white marble leading directly to the main gate of the brick city.

A group of guards, each holding a golden mace, stood solemnly like bronze statues, their shoulder armor reflecting a cold light in the sunlight.

The women accompanying the prince couldn't help but secretly marvel at the magnificent Qin Prince's Mansion.

Only after passing through the Duanli Gate does the true palace city reveal its appearance.

The vast Duanlimen Square is paved with white marble. At the end of the square, the majestic Chengyun Hall rises abruptly like a mountain, covered with blue glazed tiles that gleam with a cool luster in the spring sunlight. The dragon-head ornaments on the ridge, over ten feet high, raise their heads to the sky, as if to devour the clouds.

The incense smoke from the bronze tortoise and crane in front of the hall swirls like clouds, making the three gilded plaques of "Chengyun Hall" appear as if they were a celestial palace suspended in the sky.

After re-examining the King of Qin's edict and name card, they proceeded inside.

The two eunuchs leading the way were hunched over like shrimp, hurrying north along the east side corridor. Ning Caiwei lifted the curtain, her beautiful eyes sweeping over the magnificent palaces, carved beams and painted rafters, reflected in the clear water, with vermilion railings and colorful paintings, forming a strange contrast with the rows of gray-blue official residences on the opposite bank.

That place was home to the vast government offices of the Prince's Palace. The faint sounds of abacuses from the Registrar's Office, the lecture hall of the Temple of Goodness, the aroma of medicine wafting from the Physician's Office, and the clanging of weapons on the drill ground of the Imperial Guard could be heard.

Although it's called the Prince of Qin's Mansion, it's actually a small imperial palace.

The palace was truly as deep as the sea. The sedan chair passed through another passageway, which was a full arrow's length away, then turned over a palace wall and crossed a covered bridge before finally arriving near the Cunxin Hall.

The Cunxin Hall was not the Yin'an Hall, but rather the place where the King of Qin handled daily affairs and received officials and distinguished guests. Although its status in the ritual system was not high, it was the most frequently used.

Upon reaching the palace wall, the sedan chair could proceed no further. Inside and outside the palace gate stood more than a dozen guards in gleaming armor, chests puffed out and bellies protruding, swords drawn.

Ning Caiwei alighted from the sedan chair, and two eunuchs in front of the palace gate stepped forward and said, "Please bring only two maids with you, Madam. The rest of you are not allowed to enter and can only rest in this side room."

Ning Caiwei narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly, "Hongying, Wu You, come in with me."

"Yes!" Ding Hongying and Wu You, the two strongest women in terms of martial arts, followed, passing a flower pond with goldfish and lotus flowers, and around a white marble screen wall. At the top of the steps was a red pillar and a vermilion gate, with three large characters on the plaque: "Cunxin Hall".

Several maids and servants from the Prince's residence stood with their hands clasped. Upon seeing Ning Caiwei arrive at the palace gate, they read the document and said, "Madam, please come in. The Princess Consort is already waiting."

Princess? Ning Caiwei was somewhat surprised and couldn't help but frown slightly.

Wasn't Zhu Yikong supposed to see him directly?
Hmph. If the reason for allowing the princess to see me was to maintain proper separation between men and women, then it would have been the princess who sent an invitation, not the king's decree.

Therefore, summoning the princess to see him now is definitely not for the sake of etiquette. It must be to have the princess probe the situation before the King of Qin comes out.

Ning Caiwei, dressed in the official robes of a first-rank noblewoman, led Ding Hongying and Wu You into the Cunxin Hall.

The scarlet carpet inside the hall was incredibly thick; walking on it almost sank into your ankles. The air was filled with a strong, cloying blend of sandalwood and precious flowers, almost too sweet to bear.

Princess Wang of Qin sat regally on a large throne made of sandalwood inlaid with mother-of-pearl, wearing an apricot-yellow silk robe with phoenix patterns. The eyes of the pheasants on the robe were all adorned with pearls the size of rice grains, making it shimmer and radiant.

She was well-maintained and had a graceful appearance, but there was a subtle scrutiny hidden deep in her eyes, and her gaze deliberately swept over Ning Caiwei's feet twice.

Ning Caiwei performed the four-bow ceremony according to custom, and said in a calm and unhurried manner, "Your Majesty, I, Ning, pay my respects to Your Highness. May Your Highness enjoy boundless blessings."

Ding Hongying and Wu You followed Ning Caiwei in bowing and saying together, "This humble woman greets Your Highness, may Your Highness enjoy boundless blessings."

The Queen Consort of Qin's mutton-fat jade bracelet struck the armrest, producing a clear, melodious sound. She smiled slightly and said:

"Madam, there's no need for such formality. Please rise." Her voice was gentle and warm, with a touch of polite intimacy. Although she was smiling, her gaze was somewhat cold.

When she saw Ning Caiwei, she couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. Jealous of Ning Caiwei's youthful beauty. The mere sight of Ning Caiwei made her own jeweled adornments pale in comparison.

But Ning Caiwei was, after all, a first-rank imperial consort. Although her status was far lower than hers, she was still a genuine noblewoman from a high-ranking family, so she had to give her some face.

"Someone, bring a seat for Lady Jiangning and serve her tea," said Princess Qin, then waved to Ding Hongying and Wu You, "You two may also rise."

Exquisite tea and snacks were served immediately, with fine tea served in Yue ware celadon cups decorated with gold and colorful designs.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Ning Caiwei sat down gracefully in the lower seat, her manners impeccable.

"Your Majesty, may I ask what brings His Highness the Prince of Qin and Your Majesty to summon me?"

Upon seeing this, Princess Qin couldn't help but think to herself, "Rumor has it that Lady Ning, the wife of the Marquis of Jiangning, is quite extraordinary, and seeing her today, it's certainly true. At such a young age, she is so poised and elegant, as if she has seen the world. It's also rare to find someone as beautiful as a goddess. It's a pity that she comes from a wealthy merchant family; her upbringing is lacking, as she hasn't had her feet bound."

"This woman actually managed to maintain her composure when she saw me, the princess, which is quite repulsive."

Princess Qin was displeased. She preferred people who were obsequious and servile in her presence. Ning Caiwei's composure, however, appeared stiff and pretentious to her, which only made her feel disgusted.

Hmph, wait until that old man ruins your reputation, then let's see if you can still hold your head high.

As the Princess Consort of Qin, how could she not know the nature of her prince? He might even dare to rebel, let alone seize the wives of officials. Right now, there are over a hundred beautiful women who have been abducted and taken as concubines in the inner garden, including wives of officials.

This old bastard, our own prince, is not much better than Prince Zhu Dianyan, who raped and murdered forty-three women, committed adultery with his aunt, forcibly abducted women during his mourning period, humiliated officials' wives, forced singers to dance naked in public, took more than four hundred concubines, and killed the prefect of Henan without authorization.

The King of Yi's status was far inferior to that of the King of Qin. Despite committing so many crimes, he was able to live freely for more than ten years before being stripped of his title and imprisoned. One can imagine what would happen to his own prince.

The imperial family "values ​​kinship over the lives of ordinary people." Even if Lady Ning died in the Prince of Qin's mansion, her husband Zhu Yin could only endure it; the emperor would never punish the old man for it.

Thinking of this, the Queen Consort of Qin couldn't be happier that Ning Caiwei was harmed by the King of Qin.

Princess Qin didn't mince words, stating bluntly: "The Shaanxi Provincial Military Command reports that on the second day of this month, a caravan of thirty camels smuggling tea belonging to the Ning family was seized in Fengxiang. The people and the stolen goods were apprehended. According to the Great Ming Code…"

"Madam Jiangning, as a noblewoman, you should not be personally involved in business; it is disgraceful. Even if you truly wish to inherit your father's business and cannot let go of the commercial world, you must still abide by the laws of the land! Selling smuggled tea in Tibet may be extremely profitable, but it is strictly prohibited by law!"

She took a sip of tea and said slowly, "The Prince of Qin's residence is stationed in Shaanxi, and it's their duty to investigate smuggling. They reported it to the Prince, who initially intended to send troops to arrest them directly. I dissuaded him, saying that you are, after all, a noblewoman, an official's wife..."

Before she could finish her affected speech, Ning Caiwei suddenly said, "Your Highness, this is a frame-up. Although I have a tea business, I have never smuggled tea to Tibet. I dare not violate the court's prohibitions. The Ning family's tea exports to Tibet are a cooperative business with Fengxiang Prefecture, with proper travel permits. It is by no means a private sale. I beg Your Highness to see the truth..."

Princess Qin smiled slightly: "Fengxiang Prefecture? Lady Jiangning, I only told you this because I thought you were a clever woman. I didn't expect you to be so clever on the outside but foolish on the inside." "Very well, I'll just say it directly. The Ning family's business cannot be done in the Northwest. You have broken the law and violated the law. The Qin Prince's Mansion has its duties and will never bend the law for personal gain or tolerate evil."

At this point, she waved her hand and said, "Someone, bring me the map."

Two eunuchs immediately brought over a picture and slowly unfolded it.

The map meticulously depicts the geography of the Northwest and the main trade routes. What is even more striking are the densely packed small red characters marking the map: "Annual revenue of the Salt Tax Office...", "Taxes of the Tea and Horse Office...", "Suzhou Customs...", "Ganzhou Market...", and so on.

This is a map of commerce in Northwest China.

The princess's voice remained gentle, yet carried an undeniable air of authority:
"The Northwest is a treacherous route, rife with bandits. It is truly difficult for Lady Jiangning, a woman alone. However, the Prince's Mansion can guarantee the smooth flow of goods. Lady Jiangning only needs to sell her Northwest trade route business to the Prince's Mansion, and the Prince's Mansion will give you a fair price. From then on, you can be relieved of your burdens, enjoy your honor and dignity, be a good wife and mother, and not have to show your face in public. Isn't that the best of both worlds?"

"As you know, the ancestral precept of Emperor Taizu stipulated that the families of officials of the fourth rank and above were not allowed to engage in business."

After she finished speaking, she clapped her hands, and immediately a female official stepped forward and presented a document. Another female official held up a pen and ink.

As a princess, she naturally coveted Ning's business in the Northwest. Although the Qin Prince's mansion was incredibly wealthy, its expenses were also enormous; money flowed like water, so how could they complain about having too much?

The documents and writing materials were placed quietly in front of Ning Caiwei. They were indeed contracts for the transfer of large-scale businesses such as coal mines, tea, cotton cloth, and medicinal herb gardens in Northwest China.

The transfer price written on it was... eight thousand taels!

Ning Caiwei almost laughed out of anger. "Damn it, eight thousand taels? My business in the Northwest earns two or three hundred thousand taels of silver a year, and you're giving me eight thousand?"
Ning Caiwei set down her teacup, the bottom of which made a soft clinking sound on the small rosewood table. She raised her eyes, her gaze calm and resolute:
"Your Highness, I am deeply grateful for your kindness. However, I am carrying on my father's wishes to trade in the Northwest. The Northwest trade route is crucial to the Ning family's foundation and the livelihoods of many employees. I dare not trouble the Prince's Mansion. I am afraid I cannot comply with this matter. If I were to sign, I would not only be unable to answer to my husband, but also to my deceased father."

Ning Caiwei refused outright and decisively. The plan was already in place, and she had nothing to fear.

Princess Qin sighed, "Lady Jiangning, you are too young, why do you do this?"

Ning Caiwei feigned indifference and said, "May I write a letter to my husband? As his wife, I dare not act on my own without his permission."

The already fake smile on Princess Qin's face vanished like the tide, leaving only icy frost in her eyes.

Ning Caiwei's smile remained unchanged, as if she couldn't see the princess's face gradually turning icy.

Princess Qin yawned and waved her hand, ordering, "Go and invite the Prince here."

"Yes!" A young eunuch immediately accepted the order and left.

Ning Caiwei thought to herself, "They're really going to bring up the Prince of Qin," but her expression remained calm. Her composure only made the Princess Consort of Qin even more disliked.

Little hussy... no, Ning Dajiao, do you think you can go against the Prince of Qin's mansion just because you're Zhu Yin's wife?

You've lost your mind! This is Guanzhong, the Qin Prince's Mansion!

Suddenly, Wu You narrowed his eyes and glanced at the back hall.

Footsteps echoed from deep within the hall. Then, from behind the enormous sandalwood screen inlaid with precious stones, twelve burly guards clad in iron armor and long swords at their waists filed out, like ghostly soldiers emerging from the shadows.

They were expressionless, and the bronze tallies hanging from their waists clearly bore the words "Qin Palace Ceremonial Guard" in the candlelight.

Then, the sound of jade pendants jingling filled the air, and a tall, stout man in fine clothes, surrounded by several eunuchs, slowly strolled into the main hall.

The richly dressed man was around forty years old, with a large nose, broad forehead, and wide cheeks, giving him a rather imposing appearance. He wore a red, round-necked, narrow-sleeved robe with sun and moon patterns on the shoulders and a red jade belt with a coiled dragon design around his waist. His face was gloomy, and his brows were filled with a long-standing sense of arrogance and impatience.

"Your Highness!" Princess Qin immediately stood up and bowed respectfully. "I tried my best to persuade her, but Lady Jiangning, relying on her noble status, remained unmoved and stubborn."

Ning Caiwei could only suppress her anger for the time being, and gracefully bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I, Ning, the principal wife of Marquis Jiangning, pay my respects to Your Highness, Prince Qin."

Without even glancing at his princess, Prince Zhu Yi of Qin fixed his hawk-like gaze directly on Ning Caiwei, his gaze heavy and imposing.

"So you're from the Ning family? You sell smuggled tea, collude with the Tibetans, bribe border troops, evade commercial taxes, and dare to disobey the royal decree of this prefecture? If you weren't a first-rank imperial consort, this prefecture would have already sent troops to arrest you. How could I have invited you into the prefecture? What an ungrateful and stupid woman."

He referred to himself as "this humble official" instead of "I, the lonely one." According to regulations, any Ming dynasty prince who referred to himself as "I, the lonely one" was demoted to commoner status. Although "I, the lonely one" was used by princes of previous dynasties, it was prohibited in the early Ming dynasty.

Ning Caiwei knelt on the cold, polished floor, her head bowed, and said softly, "Your Majesty, I dare not. I know nothing of the crimes Your Highness has mentioned, and they are truly unrelated to me."

"How dare you." Zhu Yihang put his hands on his hips and walked down to Ning Caiwei. The distance was so close that his embroidered gold boots were right in front of Ning Caiwei.

Ning Caiwei suddenly felt a sense of humiliation she had never experienced before.

Zhu Yi's voice was arrogant and domineering, "Do you think that just because you are Zhu Yin's wife, this manor can't do anything to you? Although Zhu Yin was a top scholar and was fortunate enough to be ennobled, he is ultimately a servant of the imperial family and a subject of the imperial family."

At this point, he waved his hand and said, "Read it!"

The judge of the Qin Prince's court, standing beside him, immediately unrolled another dark-colored document with blackened edges. Several blurry, bloody handprints were pressed onto it, and he read it dryly:
"An investigation revealed a petition signed in blood by starving people in Yan'an Prefecture, accusing the Ning family's merchant caravan of taking advantage of the famine last December to inflate grain prices, triggering a popular uprising that led to the destruction of their families and the deaths of many..."

Below the bloodstain, a bright red "Yan'an Prefecture Seal" was prominently displayed.

"Did you see clearly?" The King of Qin's voice was icy cold, with a cruel tone like a cat hunting a mouse. "Are you capable of bearing these charges? Don't ruin your husband's career. The fact that I personally intervened is already a great favor to Zhu Yin."

He pointed to the resale contract, "Sign it! I'll smooth things over for you! Otherwise..." He leaned forward slightly, his fingers tapping heavily on the bright yellow contract.

"Otherwise, how many raids could your meager assets withstand?!"

Ning Caiwei raised her head, her star-like eyes still calm and composed, and said without fear, "This matter is of great importance, Your Highness, please allow me a day to consider it."

Upon seeing Ning Caiwei's flawless face, the King of Qin's Adam's apple bobbed, a slight itch stirring within him. He chuckled and said:

"Very well, I'll give you one day to consider. You're currently a convict, so don't leave the manor. Just think about it here. Get up."

At this moment, he was completely playing the cat and mouse game.

The contract had to be signed by Ning Caiwei, and she was to be slept with. A woman's reputation was of utmost importance, so she would have no choice but to swallow her anger and dare not make a sound.

He planned to consummate the marriage with the top scholar that very night!
"Thank you, Your Highness." Ning Caiwei stood up, still elegant and composed, showing no sign of anger.

The King of Qin had never seen a woman like this before, and he was determined to have her.

Just then, the chief secretary of the Prince's residence rushed into the Cunxin Hall, looking somewhat anxious, and said:

"Your Majesty! The refugees in Qinglu'ao are in a state of great anger, threatening to rob the manor and rebel against the royal palace! Some even say they will rebel and attack Xi'an! Right now, we must send troops to quell the unrest immediately and guard against any unrest."

"What?!" Zhu Yihuang roared, "How dare you, you scoundrel! Are you not afraid of death?!"

"Immediately issue this imperial edict to mobilize the Imperial Guard to suppress the rebellion! We cannot allow them to loot the manor, much less rebel!"

Zhu Yi's eyelids twitched. Qinglu'ao had tens of thousands of refugees, mostly young and strong. But right now, the entire city of Xi'an only had six or seven thousand soldiers. If the refugees rebelled, it would be a real problem.

If I had known they would be so bold, I shouldn't have confined them to one place.

The chief clerk said, “Your Majesty, we only have a little over two thousand guards, which is probably not enough to suppress tens of thousands of refugees. To be on the safe side, please issue a document to the garrison eunuch and the governor’s office to dispatch four thousand city defense troops to suppress them together.”

Zhu Yi was most afraid of popular uprisings. If he hadn't already regarded the tens of thousands of displaced people as tenant farmers to be exploited, he would have taken action against them long ago.

"Very well! I will immediately issue a decree to mobilize the city's garrison troops to suppress the rebellion!"

Zhu Yihan dared not delay and immediately issued a document to the garrison eunuch's office and the patrol office.

Ning Caiwei and Ding Hongying exchanged a glance and both breathed a sigh of relief.

The plan is progressing smoothly, that's great.

With this major event occurring, Zhu Yi could no longer stay in the Cunxin Hall. He immediately went to arrange for the suppression of the refugees, treating it as a major crisis.

As a result, Ning Caiwei and the others were taken to a secluded guest courtyard, placed under strict guard, and imprisoned.

A mournful, poignant sound of a pipa drifted from the back garden. The player's fingers were clumsy, the melody out of tune, filled with despair. Further away, within the towering walls of the trial court, the faint thuds of whips lashing flesh and piercing screams of agony could be heard.

Soon after, the sound of the Prince's guards assembling and the sound of war drums could be heard.

Ning Caiwei couldn't help but sneer. These corrupt and tyrannical rulers were so terrified of popular uprisings.

She hoped that the Tiger Fang spies among the refugees wouldn't escalate the situation and cause a real rebellion, which would invite government troops to suppress it.

Before they knew it, it was afternoon. Wu You's figure disappeared from the courtyard without attracting the attention of the guards.

As the sun slowly set, the four thousand government troops in the city finally left the city and headed towards Qinglu'ao.

The entire city of Xi'an was temporarily left sparsely defended. Only a small number of soldiers remained to guard the city gates and warehouses. More than two thousand guards were transferred out of the Qin Prince's Mansion, leaving only three hundred guards to defend the vast mansion.

The Qin Prince's mansion, which had always been heavily guarded, was now sparsely armed.

As the setting sun sank behind the green hills, the heavy city gates slowly closed. Suddenly, three deafening cannon shots rang out from the city walls.

This was the daily ceremony at the Prince's Palace to close the city gates. The sound of cannons echoed in the twilight, sending shivers down one's spine.

Dusk fell. The majestic Chengyun Hall was reduced to a massive and menacing outline, its blue glazed tiles reflecting a blood-red hue in the last rays of the setting sun.

On the towering eaves, the silhouette of the Chaofeng Beast bared its fangs and claws, as if it were about to pounce down and devour someone at any moment.

As night gradually fell, an ominous atmosphere emerged over the Qin Prince's mansion.

However, Qin King Zhu Yi, who was holding a banquet at night, was still indulging in fine wine and beautiful women, enjoying himself immensely.

The main hall was filled with the sounds of singing and dancing, a decadent atmosphere. Zhu Yi, already slightly tipsy, tapped his cup and plate, reciting one of his favorite ancient poems:

"A room brimming with springtime light, wealth and elegance emanating naturally. Fragrant skirts billow in the breeze, golden lotuses bloom with graceful steps."

"Haha, hahaha!"

He planned to go to the courtyard where Ning Caiwei and the others were being held captive after the banquet and "favor" the delicate, rosy-cheeked wife of the top scholar.

Oh, and her two maids were also quite beautiful, so she was also "favored" by them.

A group of subordinates raised their cups and said, "Your Majesty, do not worry. The army has already left the city to suppress the rebellion, and the refugees will certainly not dare to revolt. At the latest, by tomorrow, the refugees will be begging for mercy."

Zhu Yi waved his hand, "Once the army arrives, they won't dare to rebel, otherwise we'll slaughter them all. Tomorrow, they'll be distributed to their respective manors..."

Before he could finish speaking, a commotion suddenly erupted from the city, followed by a gasp of surprise.

"Your Highness! Your Highness! A large band of Hui thugs has stormed into the capital, claiming to be avenging someone. They've already attacked, and someone is leading the way!"

"What!" Zhu Yi's drunkenness instantly turned into a cold sweat, and he shouted angrily, "You dog of a servant, talking nonsense! How did they get in!"

The man's face turned ashen. "This servant knows nothing! Someone opened the city gates and let the Hui thugs in!"

"Your Highness, let's go quickly! There are many of them, probably several thousand!"

Zhu Yi swayed and almost fell!
Just then, a shout came from not far away: "Break down the Qin Prince's mansion and kill Zhu Yi!"

P.S.: Note that the term "slave" existed as early as the Ming Dynasty, appearing frequently in Ming novels and documents; it was not exclusive to the Manchu Qing Dynasty. Thank you for this long chapter of nearly 8,000 words. Goodnight! Tomorrow I'll finish the Guanzhong storyline.

(End of this chapter)