Di Ming

Chapter 83 The Mystery
Zhu Yin drove around the streets for a while, then changed carriages, removed his disguise, changed clothes, and returned to Flower Market Street.

Ning Caiwei had finished purchasing and waited for Zhu Yin for most of the hour.

After getting on the bus, she asked slowly and deliberately:

"How did it go? Did you find anything out? Is he really a Western spy, a traitor?"

Zhu Yin nodded: "If there are no surprises, he should be a traitor and spy. I've set a trap for him..."

Ning Caiwei laughed and said, "You're really ruthless, no wonder you have the personality of a secret agent. Hmm, I also think that Hao Zheng will most likely try to win over Zheng Yuankui. Based on what you know, Zheng Yuankui will definitely join the ship?"

Zhu Yin sneered: "This kind of person cannot resist the temptation of profit and has no integrity or morality whatsoever. He will not refuse to join the Jesuits, even if it is just a superficial alliance."

"The Spanish have always been envious of the silk craftsmanship of the Ming Dynasty. This has been a pillar industry of China since ancient times, with its craftsmanship and technology far ahead of the world. Chinese silk has always been a major export product."

"However, all dynasties have required the secrecy of textile techniques, as they are related to the court's purse."

“Zheng Yuankui is useful. He is a bigwig in the silk industry and has business dealings with the four major weaving bureaus, Shenbotang, and the Weaving and Dyeing Bureau. This makes it easier for him to steal technological secrets and get rid of key weavers.”

"And porcelain craftsmanship, I guess Hao Zheng and others are also racking their brains about that."

Ning Caiwei asked, "What do you think will happen once we close the net?"

"How is it?" Zhu Yin chuckled. "Old Man Hai oversees the Admiral Cao Jiang. When necessary, he not only has the power to investigate, but also military power."

"Given his personality, there will definitely be bloodshed and countless deaths."

"The strength of the Jesuits in Jiangnan will likely be severely weakened, or even completely eradicated."

"The Jesuits gather intelligence, collude with Japanese pirates, bribe officials, steal cultural relics and books, and support anti-Ming forces. Any one of these actions will be investigated by Hai Gangfeng as a major case that will shake the court and the public!"

Ning Caiwei frowned and said, "There must be many officials in Southern Zhili who have already been bribed. Things aren't that optimistic, are they?"

Zhu Yin nodded: "The Jesuits used their immense financial resources to bribe a large number of high-ranking Ming officials. As a result, when Matteo Ricci was in Beijing, he was treated as an honored guest by high-ranking officials and his home was always bustling with visitors."

"A large number of court officials, including Ye Xianggao, Xu Guangqi, and Li Zhizao, had close ties with the Jesuits. It's hard to say whether this was due to the power of money or genuine religious belief."

"Xu Guangqi may have passed the imperial examination with the support of the Jesuits. Many officials were likely selected through the imperial examinations with the support of the Jesuits. They were talents cultivated by the Jesuits."

"But that's many years from now. At least for now, the Jesuits haven't bribed that many officials yet, and they're not that difficult to deal with."

"Given Hai Rui's official position and prestige, he was capable of accomplishing this."

Ning Caiwei thought for a moment, "The Jesuits are spending so much money and going to such lengths, surely it's not just for classified information? They're not the slaves of the King of Spain."

"Are they doing this for the greater good of the Christian world?"

Zhu Yin patted Ning Caiwei's small hand, "Although you are bad at history, you can always see the essence of the problem."

"The Jesuits wanted to overthrow not only the Ming Dynasty. In fact, it was Japan that was first targeted."

"They hoped to first change the color of Japan, and then use Japan as a base to change the color of the Ming Dynasty."

"The ultimate goal is to turn the entire Eastern world into Christian countries. Gathering intelligence for the colonizers is merely a means to an end."

"Initially, they bribed Japanese daimyo to support the daimyo who had converted to Christianity in their struggle for supremacy against the Confucian daimyo who were forbidden from practicing Christianity. Oda Nobunaga was one of the people they supported."

"Oda Nobunaga was a Japanese daimyo who cooperated with them. Otherwise, why do you think he almost unified Japan?"

"They traveled thousands of miles to the East, are they doing charity work?"

Ning Caiwei shook her head: "These missionaries are really fanciful. But the Jesuits tried everything, and in the end, they didn't succeed."

Zhu Yin's expression was somewhat strange. "Actually, it's not as optimistic as you think."

"The famous Nanjing Massacre in the late Ming Dynasty was a major contest between local forces and converts."

"The converts, bought off by money, launched a movement to ban the worship of Heaven, ancestors, and Confucius at the behest of the Jesuits, which provoked a backlash from traditional forces."

Ning Caiwei said confidently, "The Nanjing Incident? Needless to say, the traditional forces will definitely win."

Zhu Yin shook his head: "They won? Shen Que, the Vice Minister of Rites who represented the traditional forces, was dismissed, and many officials strangely remained neutral! The arrogance of the converting forces has soared, and the number of believers in various places has begun to surge."

"Do you know how many believers there were by the time of the Apocalypse? It had surpassed the million mark."

"Later on, even the emperor, empresses, members of the imperial family, and women in their private quarters converted to the religion. Isn't that amazing?"

Ning Caiwei never imagined that the situation had been so dire in history.

Zhu Yin continued, "In many parts of Japan, shrines began to be demolished and churches built. In the Ming Dynasty, some places also began to demolish ancestral halls and build new ones."

"At the beginning of the seventeenth century, Confucianism declined, while Christianity ushered in a real period of strategic development in both the Ming Dynasty and Japan."

"Their decades of spending money on in-game purchases have not been in vain."

"The Jesuit plan is being realized step by step. If this continues for a few more decades, the very foundations of Eastern culture may be uprooted."

Even knowing the history that would follow, Ning Caiwei was still a little nervous.

This little tiger really knows how to whet people's appetites.

"And then what happened...?"

Zhu Yin laughed and said, "Later? Unfortunately, man proposes, God disposes."

"Just as Japan was rapidly Christianizing, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who had banned the church, became the ruler of Japan. Confucianism in Japan flourished again."

"Similarly, China saw the emergence of the Qing Dynasty, which completely closed itself off from the world. The Qing Dynasty's extremely conservative and oppressive rule led to the resurgence of Neo-Confucianism, which had already declined by the end of the Ming Dynasty." "The revival of Neo-Confucianism and Confucianism strangled the nascent church."

"That's the irony of history."

Ning Caiwei paused for a moment before saying, "Let's leave Japan aside for now. Is it really because of the Manchus that China is like this? Is this your own understanding, or the consensus of historians?"

Zhu Yin really admired Ning Caiwei's keen insight.

This woman has an amazing eye for identifying crucial issues.

He touched his nose. "Let me put it this way. It's not just my personal understanding, but represents the opinions of many scholars, though it's not a definitive conclusion either."

"The late Ming Dynasty was a period of decline for Neo-Confucianism and Neo-Confucianism, which can be considered another form of moral decay. This intellectual chaos facilitated the spread of Christianity."

"In addition, the Jesuits were willing to spend money to buy the support of high-ranking officials and nobles, which made it very dangerous at the time. The emperor, empress, and princes all converted to the religion. The fact that many believers demolished their ancestral halls and stopped worshipping their ancestors is clear evidence of this."

"But the Qing dynasty needed Neo-Confucianism to control thought. It wanted to revive Neo-Confucianism and exert high-pressure rule. This objectively worsened the conditions for Christianity."

Ning Caiwei said, "Then can I understand it this way: even without the Qing Dynasty, if a new dynasty were established, such as the Great Shun or the Great Xi, it would still revive Neo-Confucianism and suppress Christianity?"

Zhu Yin nodded: "You are so smart. That's exactly what I mean. At that time, as long as it was a new regime, no matter who it was, they would definitely revitalize Neo-Confucianism. As long as Neo-Confucianism was revitalized, it would curb the momentum of Christianity."

"This is true for China, and it is also true for Japan."

Ning Caiwei nodded, "You're right. So Confucianism needs to be reformed, but it cannot be abandoned. Once abandoned, China will no longer be China, and it will be mutated under cultural invasion."

Ning Caiwei suddenly slapped her forehead as she finished speaking.

"Oh dear! You spent three hundred taels of silver today on a brush washer!"

Zhu Yin said, "What's wrong? I'm giving this to Magistrate Zhuang. A local official is more powerful than a county magistrate. We'll need his help with many things going forward. You have to be willing to spend money to maintain relationships in officialdom."

"Okay. I know more about this than you do, but it hurts," Ning Caiwei said pitifully. "Another three hundred taels are gone. Money really flies by."

The two discussed various issues while traveling in a carriage.

More than half an hour later, they arrived at the rented Zhou family villa again.

After showing the lease agreement to Elder Li, Elder Li was relieved and handed over the house to Zhu Yin and the others.

Freed.

After tidying up, everyone quickly settled in.

Ning Caiwei immediately sent Jin Yunniang to find a wet nurse in the village, paying her two taels of silver a month.

Then, two sailors were sent to the market town three miles away to buy firewood, rice, oil, salt, and other necessities.

Cen Xiubing, a young girl from the Zhuang ethnic group, loved the village very much and was reluctant to leave Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei, so she decided to stay for a while before leaving.

That afternoon, neighbors and villagers came to inquire about the new residents.

Seeing that Zhu Yin and the others were friendly, everyone came over to exchange pleasantries and get to know them. Many people also brought eggs, chicken, duck, fish, and meat.

Very friendly and welcoming.

Ning Caiwei was meticulous and had prepared high-end pastries and candied fruits from the city long ago, giving a box to every villager who came to visit.

Everyone was happy.

As dusk fell, all the firewood, rice, oil, salt, and other necessities were brought back. Finally, a fire was lit in the courtyard, and wisps of smoke rose from the chimney.

The wet nurse hired for Ning Qingchen also arrived.

She was a fair-skinned, plump, and gentle young woman, around twenty years old. Her eyes were bright and clear, and her beautiful hair was only adorned with a single copper hairpin, yet she looked very spirited.

It's a pity that her feet were so small; when she walked, she was as delicate as a willow swaying in the wind, her waist twisting, giving her a unique charm.

This is the wet nurse chosen for two taels of silver per month.

She was a daughter-in-law of the Gu family, named Zhao Chan. Her husband was a scholar who studied at the county school in the city, leaving early and returning late.

Upon seeing her, Ning Qingchen was reminded of Jilan Amo from the Jurchen tribe.

She also had a good impression of the wet nurse.

Finally, we can get milk!

Three days have passed in the blink of an eye in our new home.

At noon that day, Emperor Kangxi, who was inquiring about news in the city, finally reported some information.

Lord Hai Rui of the Censorate has returned.

He was carried back to the city.

Many important figures in Nanjing personally went to visit him.

Many people in the city spontaneously went to temples, city god temples, and Confucian temples to bless Lord Hai and pray for his long life.

Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei were immediately excited upon hearing the news.

Hai Rui is back!
"Let's go! Get into the city immediately!"

(End of this chapter)