Di Ming

Chapter 419 "July is the month of change!"

What a momentous event it was for Prince Xin to take up his fiefdom! It was certainly not as simple as the imperial edict and official gazette described. The intelligence Zhu Yin received was far more detailed and intricate.

Many of these were secrets kept within the palace and unknown to outsiders.

In February, a fire suddenly broke out in Jingyang Palace, and the blaze quickly spread. Fortunately, firefighters arrived immediately and extinguished the blaze in no time, and Consort Wang and her son were safe and sound.

This year, on the Shangsi Festival in March, the emperor made an exception and lifted the confinement of Jingyang Palace, generously allowing the mother and son to go to Taiye Pond in Xiyuan to participate in the purification ritual. However, Prince Xin accidentally fell into the water, but fortunately he was quickly rescued.

After being rescued, Prince Xin caught a cold and had a persistent high fever, and the imperial physician was slow to arrive. However, a few days later, Prince Xin suddenly recovered.

On April 17th, the day before Prince Fu was made crown prince, Emperor Baijin was still hesitating about the fiefdom of Prince Xin.

The cabinet, the Ministry of Rites, and the Imperial Clan Court proposed several options. One suggestion was for Prince Xin to go to Xi'an and replace Prince Qin's residence in Guanzhong, directly handing over Prince Xin the estate and properties of Prince Qin's residence. Prince Xin's residence could then be rebuilt on the ruins of Prince Qin's residence, saving half the construction costs.

Consort Zheng immediately objected. Prince Xin should have been the crown prince, and many people in the land felt indignant on his behalf. He posed a great threat to Chang Xun; how could he be enfeoffed in Xi'an? Chang'an was an ancient capital with a thousand-year history. Even as a woman, she knew that Guanzhong was a land of powerful rulers.

We absolutely cannot allow Zhu Changluo to replace the Prince of Qin and govern Chang'an; it's too dangerous!
The second option was to seal the city off in Luoyang. This was also rejected by the emperor and Consort Zheng.

What kind of place is Luoyang? It's the heart of the Central Plains. How could Zhu Changluo be allowed to take up a fiefdom there?
Absolutely not!

The third option was to fill the vacancy of the Ning Prince, who had been abolished for many years, and to enfeoff him in Nanchang.

The fourth option is to replace Prince Qing, who was deposed for rebelling, and enfeoff him in Ningxia.

Both options were rejected by Emperor Wanli. This was because the Prince of Ning in Jiangxi and the Prince of Qing in Ningxia had both rebelled. It was considered unlucky. Was enfeoffing his eldest son in those two places an invitation for him to rebel?
Therefore, only the fifth option remains: Jiujiang!
Jiujiang is in Jiangxi, but it is not as prominent as Nanchang. It is neither an ancient capital nor a major military town, and it is also far from Beijing.

Then let's seal it off in Jiujiang.

And so, Jiujiang was ultimately chosen as the place of enfeoffment for Prince Xin.

What the Emperor and Consort Zheng were unaware of was the immense effort Zhu Yin had secretly expended to secure their choice of Jiujiang. The selection of Jiujiang was by no means accidental.

Consort Zheng was actually dissatisfied with even Jiujiang, finding it not bad enough and hoping for a more remote location. However, Prince Xin was, after all, the esteemed eldest son of the emperor. If he couldn't become the crown prince and even his fiefdom was poor, the officials would certainly disagree even more.

Therefore, Consort Zheng had no choice but to agree and give Jiujiang, which was not too bad.

Thus, the fiefdom of Prince Xin was decided.

Normally, a prince would be enfeoffed after his residence was completed or after his marriage. However, the Emperor and Consort Zheng did not want Prince Xin to stay in the capital for long, so they decided to have him enfeoffed directly.

So where did Prince Xin stay when he went to Jiujiang? Didn't he need to build a palace for him?

Zong Qin, the very sensible chief eunuch of the Imperial Horse Administration, thoughtfully offered a suggestion.

Zong Qin reported that Wanfu Palace on Mount Lu in Jiujiang was a Taoist palace built by order of Emperor Jiajing, and its scale was not much different from that of a prince's mansion. Now that the emperor, empress dowager, and empress dowager all favor Buddhism and suppress Taoism, it would be better to take back Wanfu Palace, expel the Taoist priests, and bestow it upon Prince Xin as his mansion.

In this way, not only would the effort of building the palace be saved, but a large sum of money would also be saved.

The emperor, who was already reluctant to spend money, immediately agreed and even praised Zong Qin.

Finally, the only treatment given to Prince Xin upon his enfeoffment was 30,000 taels of silver for converting Wanfu Palace into a princely residence, plus 150,000 taels of silver for his future wedding.

They settled it for a total of 180,000 taels.

He was far inferior to the emperor's younger brother, the Prince of Lu. When the Prince of Lu was enfeoffed and married, the emperor spent more than two million taels of silver to please the empress dowager.

Prince Xin, as the emperor's own son and eldest son, was only given 180,000 taels of silver.

Eighteen thousand taels of silver is certainly a lot, but for a prince, it is still too meager.

Emperor Bai Jin did this not only because he disliked his eldest son, but also because he was unwilling to spend money. He hated Consort Wang and her son and didn't want to give them a single tael of silver. The fact that he gave 180,000 taels was only for the sake of his own face.

Moreover, the more he felt he had wronged his eldest son, the less he could give him more. Otherwise, wouldn't he feel guilty and ashamed?

If the silver is given less, the farmland will naturally be given less as well.

The emperor granted Prince Xin only three thousand hectares of land.

Three thousand qing, or three hundred thousand mu. That sounds like a lot. But it depends on who you're comparing it to. The Prince of Lu gave forty thousand qing. Historically, the Prince of Fu gave twenty thousand qing, and the Prince of Gui gave fifteen thousand qing.

The difference is too great.

The emperor's harshness towards Prince Xin was utterly undisguised. He wanted to use this method to show his ministers how dissatisfied he was with Prince Xin, thus exonerating his decision to depose the eldest son and install a younger one in favor of the younger. He aimed to suppress the eldest son's prestige and diminish his status in this way.

Because public opinion supporting the eldest son of the emperor and opposing the establishment of Prince Fu as the crown prince was still strong, in order to prevent any unforeseen complications, the emperor ordered Prince Xin to take his leave of the capital by the end of May at the latest!
The emperor was willing to break with the officials who supported the rites and ordered the abolition of the eldest son in favor of the younger one. In addition to the fact that the eunuch group led by Zhang Jing and the henchmen of the secret police had gradually taken control of the government over the years, the emperor's smoking of high-purity opium and his increasingly irritable temperament were also reasons.

Of course, another important reason is that the Zheng family group is more powerful than in history, and there are more officials supporting the Zheng family than in history.

Zhu Yin recalled that in the historical succession struggle during the Wanli Emperor's reign, the Zheng family was an absolute minority and had no influence in the court. The very few court officials who supported the Zheng family were also ostracized and suppressed by the other officials.

Therefore, the struggle over the succession of the Ming Dynasty, which lasted for more than a decade and exhausted the political vitality of the dynasty, ultimately ended in victory for the officials.

But it's different now.

After Wanli Emperor's temperament changed drastically, under the instigation of Consort Zheng, he unusually promoted Zhang Jing, indulged the secret police, and used unconventional methods to suppress officials, purge opposing forces, and support Zheng's faction.

Over the years, the Zheng family gradually rose to prominence in the court, becoming a force that could rival the ministers of the ritual faction.

This was also the key to Wanli's victory in the struggle over the succession.

The current court, which supports the eldest son's adherence to ritual principles, is no longer as powerful as it once was. Many of its key figures have either been imprisoned, exiled, retired, or dismissed.

Those who remained in the court were no longer able to compete with the emperor, the Zheng family, and the eunuch faction.

However, in recent years, Zhu Yin has also secretly made many preparations. On the surface, he is just the magistrate of Pengshui County, but in secret, he has been stirring up trouble and wielding power like a shadow emperor.

Every year, Ning Caiwei spends a huge amount of gold and silver, money flowing like water. The silver allocated by Ning Caiwei each year exceeds 30% of the Ministry of Revenue's budget!

A vast secret organization involving the imperial palace, the imperial court, officialdom, scholars, business circles, the military, the common people, and bandits suddenly emerged.

No one in the imperial court knew how many orders that could affect the overall situation were issued from the remote Pengshui County.

After several years of preparation, the Prince of Xin has finally taken up his fief.

All is ready except for the opportunity!
……

On the third day of the fifth month of the twenty-fourth year of the Wanli reign (1681), in Pengshui County.

Inside the county magistrate's residence, mugwort and calamus were everywhere. Jin Yunniang and others were wrapping zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) in preparation for the Dragon Boat Festival.

On the platform by the pond, nineteen-year-old Ning Caiwei was practicing calligraphy in the pavilion. She wore a loose and breathable silk robe, her belly was protruding, her beautiful hair was tied up in a lazy bun, and there was a "Dragon Boat Festival Tears Makeup" mark between her eyebrows. A small tiger made of mugwort hung on her clothes.

The delicate calligraphy on the Xuan paper, adorned with delicate flowers, is elegant and dignified, each character like a painting. The slender hand holding the brush seems even whiter than the jade brush handle.

The woman's beautiful face was reflected in the water, her elegance and beauty were unparalleled, like a blooming peony.

Compared to three years ago, Ning Caiwei's temperament is more elegant and dignified. She has lost her girlish innocence and gained more charm and maternal glow.

Last Mid-Autumn Festival, after she and Zhu Yin turned eighteen, they finally consummated their marriage. Ning Yixian had no reason to stop them anymore, so she could only keep her promise and sleep in separate rooms, giving the master bedroom to the young couple.

There was no shyness like "bowing down to the dark wall, not responding even after a thousand calls," nor was there any boldness or passion; it was simply a natural progression, like water flowing into a channel.

After consummating their marriage, Ning Caiwei, who had been a virgin for two lifetimes, finally experienced firsthand what a blissful, intimate honeymoon truly meant.

It was truly a case of "once you've tasted the marrow, you're hooked," perfectly embodying the "true fragrance" principle. Indeed, a stubborn and powerful physiological liking is the ultimate key. The pleasures of the bedchamber and the joys of intimacy are truly beyond words. Such a secret tale of the inner chambers is indeed not to be told to outsiders.

They lived in perfect harmony, and before long, she became pregnant, proving that all her hard training in horsemanship and archery had not been in vain.

She's been pregnant for almost nine months now, and the baby is due at the end of the month.

These past few months, I've been most concerned about my younger sister, Ning Qingchen. I check her pulse, examine her body, and listen to the fetal sounds almost every day. I personally prepare her pregnancy-supporting medication and inquire about her diet.

She was both happy and nervous about becoming a mother this month.

When it comes to pulse diagnosis, the masters of traditional Chinese medicine are undoubtedly the best. Li Shizhen took her pulse and said she was a girl worth a thousand pieces of gold.

Qingchen also said it was a girl.

The little tiger has already started thinking about names for his babies. All the baby supplies are ready.

But now she was somewhat restless. The struggle for the throne had finally ended; Prince Xin had failed to ascend the throne and was banished from the capital. The opportunity she had waited for for several years had finally arrived, and now it was time to make a big splash. How could she possibly be indifferent? Pregnancy was really not the right time. Her current calligraphy practice was also to calm her mind. Little Tiger had also told her not to worry and to just focus on her pregnancy and childbirth.

He's there for important matters.

The sound of wooden clogs reached Ning Caiwei's ears, and without even looking up, she knew it was her younger sister again.

The little girl is already ten years old, and she has become even more radiant, pure, and lovely.

She was clearly a ten-year-old girl, yet there was an air of authority about her... no, more accurately, solemnity.

Ning Yixian is quite remarkable now. In just three years, she has saved countless lives, her name is known throughout the country, and her shrines are located all over the southwest, Hubei and Hunan provinces, and the Jiangnan region.

Especially in the southwest and Hubei and Hunan regions, she is revered as the "Holy Mother of Qingchen" by many among the Yi people. The Qingchen Medical College in Pengshui has attracted tens of thousands of people who come from far and wide.

The number of women who survived difficult childbirths alone is countless.

A little girl being called "Mother" shows just how famous she was.

In terms of reputation, the Holy Mother Qingchen is now no less than Mr. Zhihu. In the hearts of many ordinary people, the Holy Mother Qingchen is even more renowned than Mr. Zhihu.

Many people who didn't know Pengshui County learned about it because of Qingchen Medical College.

Many large cities built temples dedicated to the Holy Mother, to worship Ning Yixian (the Immortal Physician).

The Great Dao Palace in Fengdu even created a statue of Ning Qingchen, claiming that she was a reincarnation of a Taoist deity, and that her Taoist name was Holy Mother Qingchen.

Not to be outdone, the largest temple in Chengdu, Dashengci Temple, claims that Ning Qingchen is actually the reincarnation of the Buddha Cundi, and that a portrait of her was created and displayed in the temple.

Both the Taoist canon and Buddhist scriptures record her deeds, saying that she was a deity of her religion.

Currently, in Chongqing, where her influence is greatest, Ning Qingchen's orders are even revered as "divine decrees" by her followers, and people often bow down to her when they see her. Her prestige in Pengshui County is second only to that of the county magistrate, Zhu Yin.

Even Ning Caiwei felt a little envious of these things.

"Holy Mother or Buddha Mother, you've come again," Ning Caiwei said in a serene tone. "Everyone says you're a celestial being, but can you discern the origin of the child in this woman's womb?"

Ning Qingchen opened the medicine box, took out the original stethoscope, placed it on her sister's stomach and listened for a while, then said with a grin:
“I can tell, congratulations, female benefactor, the child in your womb is of great nobility.”

Ning Caiwei put down her brush, speechless, and rubbed her wrist, asking, "How prestigious?"

Ning Qingchen pretended to calculate with her fingers, "This is more than just a daughter; this is a princess, a princess at that! Isn't that noble?"

Ning Caiwei frowned and said, "You can't just say things like that. What would be the consequences if it got out?"

Ning Qingchen touched Ning Caiwei's belly, feeling a slight movement inside, and said nonchalantly:

“I’m only saying this in front of you, what’s there to be afraid of? Didn’t you say that Prince Xin is about to be enfeoffed? He’s about to reveal his true colors, why are you still so worried?”

“It’s not that easy.” Ning Caiwei shook her head slightly and picked up her pen again. “Our whole family is rebelling, so of course we have to be absolutely sure of everything.”

Suddenly, Ning Qingchen pointed and said, "The county magistrate is here."

A young man in a light robe and loose belt strolled out of the East Flower Hall. He was handsome and elegant, tall and graceful, and came in as if he were a free and unfettered cloud or a wild crane.

It was none other than Mr. Zhihu, the master of Pengshui.

The magistrate, Zhu, wore a headdress and carried a paintbrush, followed closely by three children like a tail.

The three children, adorned with tiger-shaped ornaments, were dressed in luxurious clothes and appeared to have lived a life of ease and comfort. One was Zhu Weiming, the son of Lancha; another was Zhao Jingzhong (Huang Taiji), the son of Nurhaci; and the third was Feng Yaoli, the daughter of Feng Menglong.

"Father! Wait for us!" shouted Zhu Weiming, the oldest of the group, who ran the fastest. Zhao Jingzhong and Feng Yaoli followed closely behind.

When Feng Yaoli saw Ning Qingchen, she waved her little hand happily and called out in a cute, childlike voice, "Aunt Qingchen! Aunt Qingchen!"

She adored Aunt Qingchen, especially the herbal scent she wore. Of course, she also loved her godfather. But she was somewhat afraid of her godmother.

When Ning Qingchen saw the little girl, he couldn't help but stomp his foot and say, "You're bothering me again! Honestly, you're not a three-year-old anymore, yet you're still so clingy. Tomorrow I'll have your mother bind your feet, and see if you run away again."

Zhu Weiming and Zhao Jingzhong ran up to Ning Caiwei, quickly bowed like mischievous monkeys, and said in their childish voices, "Your children greet you, Mother. Happy Dragon Boat Festival."

They called their own parents "father and mother," and Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei "father" and "mother."

Ning Caiwei laughed and said, "Why are you all sweaty again? Quiet down for a bit."

In history, Emperor Taizong of Qing and Zhu Weiming obediently agreed and stood beside Ning Caiwei, watching their adoptive mother write.

Feng Yaoli looked timidly at Ning Caiwei, whose face, which resembled her mother Zhuang Shu's, was soft, cute, and very pretty.

"Li'er, come here." Ning Caiwei put down her pen and gently hugged Feng Yaoli. "Oh, Li'er smells so good, much better than your two older brothers."

Feng Yaoli suddenly felt that her adoptive mother was just as dear to her own mother. She couldn't help but reach out her little hand to touch her adoptive mother's belly and asked in a childish voice, "Mother, your belly is so swollen, does it hurt?"

Ning Caiwei smiled and said, "It doesn't hurt. Li'er is starting to feel sorry for her mother."

Ten-year-old Ning Qingchen shook her head and said, "She's just a child."

Zhu Yin looked at his sister-in-law with a smile, "Aren't you a child too? Qingchen, tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival, it's time to paint your face to ward off evil spirits today. Come here."

"Alright." Ning Qingchen walked over with her small legs, tilted her beautiful face up, and closed her big eyes. "This humble Daoist, the Holy Mother Qingchen, is letting you paint my face. You're doing me a favor."

Then, Zhu Yin picked up a paintbrush dipped in realgar wine mixed with cinnabar and first painted the Five Poisons makeup on her face, then painted the character "王" (king) on ​​her forehead.

Then, he painted the faces of his three adopted sons and daughters.

After finishing drawing the little faces, Zhu Yin said to Zhu Weiming, "Weiguo, take your younger siblings to play in the garden."

After the children left and the surroundings became quiet, Zhu Yin touched Caiwei's belly and said:
"News from the palace indicates that Prince Xin is scheduled to leave the capital on the 28th of this month and take up his fief in Jiujiang at the end of June. Although he will pass through Nanjing, he is not allowed to offer sacrifices at the Xiaoling Mausoleum or linger on the river in Nanjing. He can only offer sacrifices to the Xiaoling Mausoleum from afar at Caishidu, seventy miles west of Nanjing."

"If you calculate it, the date Changluo passed through Nanjing was only one month away from your due date."

"A month?" Ning Caiwei nodded. "A month is enough. I'm in good health, the baby is in the correct position, and it's summer, so I can set off three to five days after giving birth without any problems. We can sail east with the current and reach the sea in about ten days. If we leave the fleet on Daishan Island, we should be able to reach Nanjing in ten days at most."

Zhu Yin frowned slightly, "I'm worried your body won't be able to handle leaving just a few days after giving birth."

Ning Qingchen said, "Little Tiger, you're overthinking it. Given my sister's current condition, she can basically go back to work right after giving birth. A few days of rest will be no problem at all."

Zhu Yin was relieved. "Alright. You can go to sea five days after giving birth. I'll take care of everything else. The most important thing right now is to wait for Zong Qin's news."

"Having spent so much money and planned for so long, whether he can secure the position of the eunuch in charge of Nanjing depends on these next two days."

"The people who can become governors, inspectors, and provincial treasurers have all been arranged. The generals who can be transferred have also been arranged. Now we're just waiting for Zong Qin. Once we get his position as the eunuch garrison commander of Nanjing, we'll have at least an 80% chance of winning!"

As he spoke, he gently patted Ning Caiwei's waist.

Ning Caiwei closed her eyes contentedly and said softly, "Come to think of it, Zong Qin's news should arrive around the Dragon Boat Festival."

"If we still can't secure the position of eunuch garrisoning Nanjing, then Xu Xiaobai's role becomes even more crucial. However, Xu Xiaobai is merely our friend; he might not dare to follow us in supporting Prince Xin..."

"Alright." Ning Qingchen yawned. "The Dragon Boat Festival is coming, let's think about how to organize the dragon boat race. Let's not start talking about rebellion the moment we meet. My medical school's dragon boat team is already itching for a fight, and I ask you, who in Pengshui County can rival us?"

Just then, they saw Emperor Kangxi hurrying over.

Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei exchanged a glance and immediately guessed that it was news from Zong Qin.

"My lord, my lady, news from the palace in Beijing."

Emperor Kangxi presented a wax pellet.

Zhu Yin opened it and immediately felt relieved, laughing heartily:

"Imperial edict appoints Zong Qin as: Imperial Commissioner and Grand Eunuch in Charge of Military Affairs and Defense of Nanjing!"

Ning Caiwei was overjoyed upon hearing this, and the baby in her belly kicked her. She laughed and said, "Alright! Now it's truly... everything is ready, just waiting for the right moment!"

Zhu Yin crushed the wax pellet, looked up at the sky, and his eyes turned leaden gray. "You gold-worshipping emperor! I've been a county magistrate for three years! Three years! Zhu Yijun, I've tolerated you for so long, I don't want to tolerate it anymore."

"July will be the month of great change!"

(End of this chapter)