Daming Yinghua

Chapter 475 Extra: Ma Chichi on Chang'an Ancient Road

In the fourth year of Taichang, October of winter.

The wind is cold and bleak in Beijing.

Outside the Imperial College in Chongjiaofang in the northeast corner, a sedan chair was parked at the foot of the wall.

Yue Tuo walked out of the sedan chair, followed by two servants. Surrounding him were five or six Jinyiwei, who stared at Yue Tuo and his servant with cold eyes.

The doorman saw the color of Yue Tuo's clothes and the rat-tail braid behind his bald head, then came up to ask the leader of the Jinyiwei a few questions and then turned back to summon the message inside.

Soon, a young man in a long gown appeared at the threshold.

It was Dorgon, who would be twelve years old next month.

Dorgon was stunned for a moment, then ran quickly to Yuetuo like a puppy seeing its master.

Yuetuo held onto this "uncle" who was a whole generation younger than him and looked at him carefully. The first thing he realized was that a layer of dense black hair had grown on Dorgon's head, which was covered with a black net scarf.

His eyes moved down again and stopped on the boy's round-necked shirt.

Change hair and clothes. This was Zheng Haizhu's request to Dorgon, who was serving as a hostage, to come to Beijing four months ago in Sarhu.

At that time, among the eight banner leaders, Nurhaci, the leader of the two yellow banners and the Khan of the Later Jin Dynasty, had just died in the old city of the Yehe tribe due to serious injuries caused by iron fragments from a cannonball.

When this great hero was dying, he was unable to return to his homeland of Jianzhou, but died in the territory of his old enemy, the Yehe people.

The leaders of the Plain White Banner, Plain Blue Banner, Plain Red Banner and Bordered White Banner were all killed by the swords and guns of the Ming army's brave generals. The only surviving banner leaders of the Later Jin Dynasty were Amin, the leader of the Bordered Blue Banner, and Yuetuo, the leader of the Bordered Red Banner.

Amin was the son of Shuerhaci who had passed away many years ago. He had always held a grudge against Nurhaci for killing his father. On the tenth day of guarding Hetuala alone, Amin accepted the offer of amnesty from the Ming officials and sent Dusong's troops from the Sarhu Valley to Hetuala.

Yuetuo was the son of the deposed Crown Prince Daishan. He was captured by the Ming army on the Kaiyuan battlefield. After being taken back to Hetuala by the commander of the Sichuan Army, he also surrendered to the Ming Dynasty and was willing to respect Amin as the new leader of the Jurchens.

The above-mentioned statements were spread into the interior by various merchant caravans shortly after the Ming army opened up the battlefield and the Battle of Sarhu ended.

It was not until early autumn that the imperial court announced that the Jianzhou Jurchens would become a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. Amin, like Yan Siqi of Taiwan, became the first Xuanfusi, and the chaotic discussions finally settled.

"Yue Tuo, is my mother okay? Is Duoduo okay?"

Dorgon's expectant question pulled Yuetuo out of his melancholy memories.

"They, mother and son, live in my house. Fu Jin and I will take good care of them."

"Well, Yuetuo, you should also take a letter to them. I am not suffering here. I have everything I need, just like the children of high-ranking officials in the Ming Dynasty."

"Okay, then I'm relieved. Uncle Dorgon, I still have to discuss matters with the chief civil officials of the Ming Dynasty. I would like to ask if the Ming Dynasty will allow your mother and Duoduo to come and see you next spring when the roads thaw."

"That's great, go ahead."

Yue Tuo returned to the sedan chair, feeling indescribable.

Before he came, he imagined various situations of Dorgon: haggard, terrified, depressed, and irritable.

What no one expected was that, both mentally and physically, Dorgon did not look too pitiful as if he had suffered a great disaster.

  Will this youngest son, who was once the most favored by the Khan, eventually become a Ming citizen?

"Yuetuo, I told you that Dorgon would be happier in Beijing than in Hetuala."

Two sticks of incense later, in the government office of the Daming State Affairs Temple, Zheng Haizhu asked Yue Tuo about his schedule for the day, and then spoke to him in a friendly manner.

Yue Tuo felt ridiculous for a moment.

The woman in front of him had conspired with the civil and military officials of the Ming Dynasty to start a war to destroy the Jin Dynasty. Yet, only half a year later, he was sitting opposite her and discussing matters with her calmly.

Zheng Haizhu seemed to see the awkwardness that Yuetuo was hiding. He stared at him and continued, "Yuetuo, I hope you understand that there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests. Before this summer, you were still a prince of the Jin Kingdom, and I was an important official of the Ming Dynasty. You sneaked into Chongming, stole my firearms technology, and killed my left and right arms. I retaliated by planting secret agents in your Hetuala and tricked you around. Yuetuo, we used to be irreconcilable, but not now. The Jin Kingdom is gone, and your Manchuria is now like Taiwan in the south, like Shiqu in Sichuan, which is also considered the territory of my Ming Dynasty. In fact, you are already my colleague. You don't have to and shouldn't feel awkward."

Yue Tuo listened in silence. After a long while, he spoke calmly, "Madam Zheng, tell me, where will the Ming Kingdom, no, the Great Ming, relocate half of our Manchuria's Niulu next?"

"Go and invite Hong Shaoqing to come and discuss the matter together." Zheng Haizhu instructed the clerk waiting at the door.

After Hong Chengchou entered the duty room, Zheng Haizhu ordered someone to bring a map of Northeast Asia and spread it on the table.

Zheng Haizhu pointed to the future Siberian Yakutsk to the Greater Khingan Range, and then to the North Sea around Sakhalin Island, and said to Yuetuo in a serious tone: "Yuetuo, in the next hundred years, people will obtain countless gold and silver from the vast ocean. You in Manzhou must guard this area well because there is an outlet to the sea. And just last year, the Russians, with their beast-like cavalry, found the Shiwei. As long as their troops survive this severe winter and continue to move east, they will see the vast ocean. Once that day comes, they will gather more soldiers and slaves from their own country and come over like locusts."

Yue Tuo stared at the map and said, "So, the court means that we Manchus should manage this area well to defend against the Russians, and then use the seaport to do business with various foreign countries?"

"That's right. Yuetuo, the Ming Dynasty's taxes on the vassal states are much lighter than those on provinces like Zhejiang and Huguang. But if you become slaves of the Russians, how will your life be? You can send people to the north of Outer Khalkha Mongolia to inquire."

Hong Chengchou added: "Moreover, if you go to war with the Russians, the Ming army outside the Great Wall can provide you with support."

Zheng Haizhu nodded, his face relaxed a little, looked at Hong Chengchou, and said to Yue Tuo: "After the Chinese New Year, I will be the governor of Shaanxi, and Hong Shaoqing will temporarily take over the position of the official of the State Affairs Temple. You should report directly to Hong Shaoqing about your Manchuria's migration to the north."

After the meeting was over, Zheng Haizhu personally escorted Yue Tuo out and walked calmly through the corridor of the six ministries.

As they saw Qipan Street in sight, Yue Tuo could no longer hold back and asked, "Mu Zaohua, now..."

Zheng Haizhu said: "She is fine, but she is not in Daming."

……

At noon, after Zheng Haizhu got off work, he came to the familiar courtyard.

Before bodyguard Cai Feng knocked on the door, Zhu Yuewen had already opened it.

After entering the room, Zheng Haizhu sat down, while Zhu Yuewen stood far away beside the piano.

Zheng Haizhu didn't intend to waste time, and said calmly: "It's been two months, has Mr. Zhu thought it through?"

Zhu Yuewen did not answer directly, but said coldly: "It has been two months. Many times, when I took out the butterfly-shaped zither, I would think of Morigen. It seems that I heard the excited Mongolian words when he played his first song."

"Mr. Zhu, my people are capable, but they are not beasts. I told them not to hurt Zana's son when they arrested him. He was just a child and he was innocent. Zana was afraid that his son would reveal more secrets, so he suffocated him to death. You still don't believe it?"

Zhu Yuewen's gaze began to focus and met Zheng Haizhu.

"Madam, may I ask you a question?" "Go ahead."

"What were you thinking about while you were in this house, listening to Morigen and I playing the music for you with all our heart and soul?"

Zheng Haizhu stood up and walked towards Zhu Yuewen.

"I was thinking that I hope Morigen will be safe when Zana is arrested."

Zhu Yuewen's breath quickened: "But what's the result?"

"As a result, the child died because his father was a loyal dog of Nurhaci. His father was so stupid that he even sacrificed his own flesh and blood to the Mongols for his so-called loyalty to the Jurchens."

"You, you speak so coldly, it's really you. Just like you treat me not only to satisfy your desires, but also to use me to lure the Mongolian spies of the Tartars."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Haizhu grabbed Zhu Yuewen's collar and said, "Mr. Zhu, you and I are two different types of people. If I had to consider whether I would make the people around me feel wronged for everything I did, and if I had to feel grief for the sacrifice of innocent people that I could not control, then right now, at this moment, in Liaodong, those foreign wolves would harm more innocent people."

Zhu Yuewen was stunned, then turned his head and said in a low voice, but mustered up the courage: "Madam, please don't touch me again."

Zheng Haizhu let him go immediately.

The silence between the two did not last long, Zheng Haizhu spoke again: "I already know the answer I want, let's part ways in peace. Don't worry, I will never let my people embarrass you in the future. Mr. Zhu, you are a good person. I am so lucky that I have never fallen in love with you, otherwise, I would be sad for a long time."

……

In the third month of Yangchun in the fifth year of Taichang, the fifth son Zhu Youjian, who was renamed Prince of Ning, went to the fiefdom of Daning.

The married Crown Prince Zhu Youxiao sent Prince Ning out of the capital to Xifengkou, where they reluctantly said goodbye. The deep brotherly love between them became a legend.

Half a month later, Zheng Haizhu, who was sent by the emperor to inspect Shaanxi, first turned to Daning Town in the north to pay a visit to his former students.

Zhu Youjian first led Zheng Haizhu to a duty room in the palace, and said proudly: "Master Zheng, this is the new position of the palace instructor that I created in Daning. Just like the treasure officer and good doctor officer that you gave me advice on before, they are both led by women."

As soon as he finished speaking, three or four women dressed in the attire of officials and clerks in the royal palace came out quickly from the duty room and greeted him respectfully.

"Your subordinate, Zhang, the teacher of Prince Ning's Mansion, greets His Highness and Madam."

Zhu Youjian added: "She is also a relative of Duke Yingguo in Kaifeng, and was recommended by my sister-in-law."

Zheng Haizhu nodded, asked Zhang a few questions, and mentioned that Yao, the wife of Huang Zunsu, the governor of Daning, was the principal of his Songjiang School. He instructed Zhu Youjian to help introduce Principal Yao to her when she came to Daning to visit her relatives.

After looking at several official positions headed by women, Zhu Youjian and Zheng Haizhu returned to the Ning Wang Mansion.

While resting and drinking tea, Zhu Youjian dismissed his attendants and finally could not help asking, "Master Zheng, I thought that you had made such great contributions last year that you would be recommended by the Ministry of Personnel to join the cabinet."

"The Ministry of Personnel recommended me, and Your Majesty also has this intention. It's me, your master, who doesn't want to go, and wants to go to Shaanxi."

"Ah? Why?" Zhu Youjian looked surprised.

Although he was young, he knew that entering the cabinet was the biggest dream of every civil official in the Ming Dynasty.

"Your Highness, I also want to be a cabinet minister, but not now. I, your master, am in my prime and should travel more around Ming Dynasty, share the worries of the court, and help the people of Ming Dynasty. The more troublesome a place is, the more I want to go."

"No wonder you went to inspect Shaanxi this time. You don't know that General Man Gui, the lieutenant general under General Ma, got his eyes wide open like the stone lions at the gate of Prince Ning's mansion when he heard about it. He said that there were many civil uprisings there last year, and the magistrates of several counties were almost killed by the rebels."

Zheng Haizhu said with a smile: "I am not afraid of the Tartars in Liaodong, so why should I be afraid of the people of our Ming Dynasty? By the way, Master, I have to say goodbye. I still have to go see General Man and his wife."

……

One month later, Shaanxi, Xi'an Prefecture, southern suburbs.

Zhang Yanke got off the carriage.

When the postman saw the handsome appearance of the young man in brocade clothes, he hurriedly came forward and bowed, "Are you Mr. Zhang who came to see Madam Zheng?"

Zhang Yanke said "yes", and seeing that there were no other officials' carriages around, he relaxed and complained quietly, "Why did they invite me to such a remote place in such a hurry?"

In the simple courtyard of the inn, Zheng Haizhu invited Zhang Yanke to sit down, dismissed his attendants, and even drove out his personal servant.

Zhang Yanke had a fake horrified expression on his face: "Madam Zheng, Miss Zheng, oh no, at your age now, it's really inappropriate to call you Miss. Master Zheng, what are you doing today? Are you asking me to marry you and repay the debt of love I've owed you for so many years?"

Zheng Haizhu did not respond to his clumsy joke with a smile, but looked at him meaningfully: "It's not you who is repaying the debt, but I am repaying the debt. It's not repaying the favor, but repaying the money. Thank you for supporting me to set up the school in the first place. Yanke, do you know what this place is called?"

Zhang Yanke curled his lips and said, "It's in the wilderness, and it still has a name?"

"This place is called Hejia Village. In the overseas notes collected by my brother, there is a person who claims to be a descendant of the Hu people in the Tang Dynasty. During the Jianzhong period of the Tang Dynasty, there was a mutiny in Jingyuan. When the rebels attacked Chang'an, some officials buried a large number of treasures in Xinghuafang, Chang'an in a hurry. After I came to Shaanxi, I confirmed with many local students that this place is the Xinghuafang in Chang'an back then, and there have never been any tomb robbers digging up graves, so the things should still be down there."

Zhang Yanke's flat mouth suddenly opened wide.

  A treasure from the Tang Dynasty!

God, he and his father are both collectors, he knows better than anyone that things from the Tang Dynasty, even a small gold-inlaid agate cup, would start at several thousand taels of silver, and often there would be no demand.

"Master Zheng, Aunt Zheng, oh my, you really are, you really are the biggest winner of my life. You, you really don't need me to pledge my love to you?"

"You should find a way to dig first. I will give you a legitimate reason in the name of the inspector. If you really dig it up, offer some to the court, and from the share you keep, you can decide how much you want to give me. What do I need your body for? I just want money."

"Okay, as you command!"

The two of them quickly finished discussing this important matter and came to the front hall. The postmaster hurriedly asked the kitchen to serve the sauerkraut noodles.

Zheng Haizhu was shocked when he heard the postman's name.

"What's your name?" she asked the young man who came in with the noodles.

The young man replied in panic: "My name is Li Zicheng."

(End of the book)

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