Di Ming

Chapter 38 Gardening
Outside Zhenhai Gate, a road paved with bluestone slabs leads directly to the city gate. Willow trees, some over a hundred years old, are planted on both sides of the bluestone road.

These willow trees weren't just planted for shade and landscaping; they were also for city defense.

If the enemy is attacking the city, they must first cut down the trees, otherwise their vision will be blocked, they will not be able to form an attack formation, and their troops will be divided by the trees.

The cannons used for sieges were also blocked from firing by the trees.

By now, the area under the shade of the trees was filled with stalls set up by small vendors.

The bamboo mats were decorated with summer fruits, seafood, pastries, plum juice, sugar figurines, banana leaf fans, and other goods.

The vendors, wearing square headscarves, short brown clothes, and straw sandals, sat on small stools in front of their stalls like dogs, fanning themselves with palm-leaf fans, picking their toes, picking lice, and drinking cool tea.

He would occasionally call out to pedestrians entering or leaving the city:

"The cucumbers picked after noon still have hard thorns!"

"Lively jumping shrimp, only two cents, take them all, basket and all!"

"It's hot! How about a bowl of plum juice?"

"With the sun setting, I sold my house for a pittance!"

Small groups of pedestrians surrounded the vendors, haggling over prices.

Even outside the city, it was already bustling with activity; the vibrant atmosphere of everyday life was palpable.

Atop the city gate tower stands a statue of a deity, facing the direction of the sea.

Could it be the Dragon King? There seem to be many statues of sea gods and dragon kings on the gate towers of coastal cities.

On the ramparts, ramparts, and enemy scaffolds of the city wall, rows of cannons were mounted, their dark muzzles pointing outwards from the city.

Zhu Yin shaded his eyes with his hand, squinted, and examined the cannons on the city wall with great interest.

At this time, Dengzhou was not the Dengzhou that Sun Yuanhua later deployed large numbers of Western artillery to.

These cannons today are all domestically produced firearms from the Ming Dynasty.

The largest one is the General's Cannon.

There's the Sky-High Star Cannon, capable of firing exploding shells, shotgun shells, and solid shot; there's the Flying Cloud Thunder Cannon, which only fires exploding shells; and there's the Tiger Crouching Cannon…

It sounded pretty good, but Zhu Yin knew that these cannons were already lagging behind the Western world in terms of reliability, range, accuracy, and power.

These cannons still use technology from the Yongle reign of over a hundred years ago. There hasn't been much progress over the years.

Before the mid-Ming Dynasty, China's firearms technology was still the world's leading technology, unparalleled globally.

But now it's already late Ming Dynasty.

However, even though the Ming Dynasty's firearms technology had fallen behind the West, the gap was not large, and it was easy to catch up, since the foundation was still there.

The Qing Dynasty was the one that truly regressed and fell behind.

Zhu Yin sighed inwardly. The imperial examination system based on the Four Books and Five Classics misled countless people, and the historical regret of the Manchu conquest of China ruined the nation.

It would be strange if we didn't fall behind and get beaten.

Right now, a group of city defense soldiers, shirtless and wearing sinus pants, are lazily cleaning the cannon barrels with long poles tied with dry hemp cloth.

It only takes a couple of quick moves and it's done.

Seeing this, Old Man Qi shook his head and said, "I've said it so many times, but no one pays any attention. Cleaning the cannon barrel requires oil and water, hard work, and meticulous attention to detail, so the cannon won't misfire!"

Qi Baoguo smiled bitterly and said, "Father, why are you angry? They are just going through the motions. If the pirates come and the cannons fail to fire, they will be the ones to suffer the consequences. What does it have to do with you, Father?"

"Without an official position, one is carefree; isn't this just meddling in other people's business?"

Although he said that, his tone was filled with deep resentment.

Resentment towards the imperial court.

"Nonsense!" Old Man Qi was about to get angry again. "Military affairs are of utmost importance and cannot be taken lightly! They concern the safety of a city, a region, and a nation. Who can stand aside?"

"Ahem...!"

Zhu Yin quickly stood on tiptoe, raised her little hand high, patted his back, and said:

“What my father said is true. Everyone has a responsibility for the rise and fall of the nation. From emperors and generals to ordinary people, no one can be immune to the consequences.”

"Well said! Well said!" Old Man Qi exclaimed with admiration. "The rise and fall of a nation is the responsibility of every citizen."

He patted Zhu Yin's head and asked, "Little boy, who taught you to say that?"

Zhu Yinqing said in a childish voice, "Do I need to be taught this? No one has taught me. Just now, I heard my father's words, that family, country, and the world are all in my heart, and that's why I spoke out."

"Good!" Qi Jiguang nodded. "Zhu Yin, you are a gifted and intelligent child, a rare and wonderful boy."

"Unfortunately... if it were before, I would have been willing..."

At this point, he fell silent again, and the heroic spirit in his eyes faded away.

However, she took Zhu Yin's small hand in her own hands.

To the uninformed, this scene would look like a grandfather and grandson.

Ning Caiwei, following closely behind, smiled.

Zhu Yin was a social butterfly; he was incredibly good at cultivating relationships.

As the sun set, Qi Jiguang's shadow stretched long, with a small figure beside him. His hair was as white as frost, and his face was as youthful as a painting.

An old man and a young man, bathed in the glow of sunset and sunrise. Through turbulent years, their lives have been vibrant and lush.

Ancient cities all had barbicans, so the city gates were not visible at a glance.

After crossing the moat, the group took a detour into the barbican, where they finally saw the city wall flanked by two horse-faced walls.

Upon seeing Qi Jiguang, all the guards at the city gate stood up and respectfully clasped their hands in salute.

"Junior Protector".

"The Junior Protector has entered the city."

Zhu Yin couldn't help but show surprise as he looked at Qi Jiguang, who was holding his little hand.

Qi Jiguang smiled slightly and offered no explanation.

Sure enough, with Qi Jiguang leading the way into the city, no one checked the travel permit at all.

We entered the city without any problems.

Upon entering Dengzhou City, the atmosphere of a bustling, worldly city unfolded like a scroll painting.

The ancient city from over four hundred years ago unfolds vividly before Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei.

Streets and alleys paved with blue bricks, teahouses and taverns adorned with banners, and shops lined up one after another...

A bustling crowd, men, women, young and old, a diverse array of people.

There were well-dressed gentlemen, scholars gently waving folding fans, porters carrying loads, and women dressed in flamboyant attire…

Horse-drawn carriages, sedan chairs, donkeys, mules, palanquins, and all sorts of other means of transportation can be seen everywhere.

There are also temples, Taoist temples, stone bridges, government offices, bell towers... all depicting the colors of northern cities in the late Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei were both touched when they saw this.

It felt both familiar and strange, both distant and comforting. It was as if some deep-seated factor had suddenly awakened and come alive.

Ning Caiwei said softly, "It's been a long time."

Only Zhu Yin and Ning Qingchen could understand these four words.

The four Jurchens, including Lancha, who had never seen the world, were like Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden, their eyes wide open in amazement.

Everyone was incredibly excited.

However, Qi Jiguang did not allow the group any leisurely tour of the city.

He led everyone directly to the Qi family's ancestral home.

The Qi family mansion was very large, covering an area of ​​over 100 meters in diameter, and it seemed to occupy almost half a street. It was very impressive.

First are two tall archways, with four pillars, three bays, and five-story eaves, towering and majestic.

These two tall memorial archways were bestowed upon Qi Jiguang by the Jiajing Emperor.

After passing through the archway, you will reach the ancestral home of the Qi family, which is also known as the Shaobao Mansion by the people of Dengzhou.

The small square in front of the Junior Guardian's Mansion is now overgrown with weeds.

The long row of mounting stones was covered with moss.

There wasn't even a servant guarding the tall gate.

Empty.

Zhu Yin then exclaimed in surprise, "So, Father is the famous Qi Shaobao? I was truly blind to his greatness!"

After speaking, he straightened his clothes solemnly, bowed with his hands clasped like a little adult, and said:

"This humble one, Zhu Yin, pays his respects to the Junior Guardian..."

Ning Caiwei and the others also bowed in greeting.

"Alright, alright," Qi Jiguang waved his hand and said, "I am a dismissed official who is guilty of a crime, so why should I talk about Junior Guardian? No need for formalities."

"Come in. The Qi family is not what it used to be, please don't laugh at us."

Upon entering the courtyard, one sees pavilions, towers, and lush trees; it looks like the mansion of a wealthy family.

However, the ground was overgrown with weeds, creating a desolate scene.

Qi Jiguang's ancestors held the hereditary position of Vice Commander of Dengzhou Guard. Living in such a large ancestral home, it's hard to believe they were poor.

However, Qi Jiguang was skilled in military command but inept at managing his household; in reality, he was a spendthrift.

Despite his past as a first-rank military officer, he was actually a penniless wretch.

The ancestral home is large, but he can't just pawn it off.

That would be disrespectful to our ancestors!

As Zhu Yin passed by an attic, he saw a familiar couplet:

"The title of Marquis is not my intention, but I hope the sea will be peaceful."

It was clearly written by Qi Jiguang himself.

Qi Jiguang gave a few instructions, arranged a quiet courtyard, and then went to the back garden alone.

Zhu Yin immediately followed without any hesitation.

It turns out that Qi Jiguang was watering several apple trees in the back garden with a water ladle.

The trees are already laden with green fruit.

At this time, the Yantai apple of later generations did not yet exist. This apple was likely a local variety called Linqin, also known as Naiguo.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Yin couldn't help but laugh and said, "Father, you really are like someone who carries a water jar to water the garden."

Old Man Qi put down the water ladle and turned around. "You little rascal, you've even read Zhuangzi. You're quite something."

His face was ruggedly handsome, as if carved by an axe, yet he wore a kind smile reminiscent of his ancestors.

"Little Zhu Yin, you've read many books. At what age did you begin your formal education?"

Zhu Yin answered earnestly: "I started reciting Tang poems when I was three years old, and I began reading the classics as soon as my hair started to cover my forehead. It has been six years now, and I still don't know why."

"Hahaha!" Qi Jiguang couldn't help but be amused by the child and burst into laughter.

"You naive child, you don't know what's going on at all. Just take it as you being modest."

The little darling is so adorable, I wish he were my own child.

Zhu Yin took the water ladle from his hand and said, "Father should laugh more; a good laugh is good for the lungs."

He hoped that Qi Jiguang would not become depressed.

Upon hearing this, Qi Jiguang burst into laughter again.

Then, his smile slowly faded, and he gently tapped the stone railing, reciting:

"In my youth I roamed the world with a sword, in my old age I settled in an empty village to learn gardening. Friends have withered and fallen, I grow old and sick, with whom can I now share my bitter heart?"

Zhu Yin said, "Father is not Lu You. Father has only been retired for two years, and there will always be a time for him to rise again. Perhaps in the future, Father will be able to command thousands of troops and dominate the world."

Qi Jiguang shook his head and said, "At the age of sixty, I am nearing the end of my life, a useless old man, hated by everyone and even dogs. How can I talk about being reinstated?"

Zhu Yin raised his innocent and adorable little face and said like a little adult:
"Lian Po was still vigorous despite his old age. As Cao Cao's poem says, 'An old steed in its stall still aspires to gallop a thousand miles.' Even a scholar like Wang Xizhi said, 'It's not too late to turn back, the moon shines like the wind.'"

"Why should an elder be so dejected? Qiao Xuan is indomitable; is Qi Shaobao inferior to Qiao Xuan?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Jiguang was deeply moved, his expression a mixture of emotion and relief.

I never expected that.

Two years after being dismissed from office, his residence became deserted, and no one dared to visit him.

Unexpectedly, a child offered him such words of encouragement. He was a hundred times better than those opportunistic and treacherous officials.

He had spent decades in the military, his heart as hard as stone, yet at this moment he couldn't help but feel moved.

Qi Jiguang couldn't help but reach out and touch Zhu Yin's head, pinching the newly grown horn-shaped topknot, and sighed:
"Who gave birth to such a precious child? Even a celestial unicorn is not recognized by people."

"A son should be like Zhu Yin."

Zhu Yin was at most nine years old, yet he was so intelligent, precocious, clever, and sensible; he truly liked him.

Zhu Yin immediately looked saddened. "My parents are no longer here, and no one will treat me as their son anymore."

Seeing his pitiful expression, Qi Jiguang was moved and said, "Your life is so miserable. You have lost your mother and father within a year."

"Since you are renting this place temporarily, just consider me your parents."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin immediately bowed with delight and said:

"Your son greets his godfather!"

Qi Jiguang: "..."

(End of this chapter)