Chapter 831: Ignorance

In the first month, the lands north of the Great Wall were still filled with swirling snow. The winters here were extremely cold, at their worst reaching more than twenty degrees below zero, and even during the first month it was still over ten degrees below zero.

Yet despite the cold weather, Guihua City was brimming with a rich New Year atmosphere. During the Lantern Festival days, every main street and alley was decked with lanterns and colored banners. Lantern viewing, riddle guessing, eating yuanxiao — one activity followed another, filling the city inside and out with an air like that of a carnival.

It had been over a year since the Protectorate was established. In that year and more, Guihua City’s development had changed with each passing day. The city’s outer shell had originally been decent, but the interior had been completely unplanned. Dugout shelters, tents, and shanties piled up haphazardly east and west; vegetable plots and fields were everywhere; cattle pens and sheep pens dotted the landscape; and the streets were full of potholes and hollows…

Now everything had changed. The streets and houses were uniformly laid out, the roads were level and broad, and there were uniformly planned drainage ditches, sewers, and refuse bins. Sanitation Bureau sweepers could be seen everywhere, transforming Guihua City in an instant — clean, bright, and bursting with vitality.

Every day, the pedestrians here walked with hurried steps, yet brimmed with confidence. On the streets, carts and horses flowed in an endless stream, following the rules of keeping to the proper side, busy but not chaotic. In a short time, Guihua City had flourished, like a city at the break of dawn.

Because the population grew, especially the number of wealthy households, just as it had been on the Eastern Route and in Xuanfu Garrison City, a great number of teahouses and wine shops sprang up like bamboo shoots after rain. All kinds of opera troupes and storytellers flocked in. From north of the great river to south, from inside the Great Wall to outside, every sort of entertainment could be found, giving Guihua City a singular charm.

Stability, prosperity, cleanliness, and thriving order — this was the first impression outsiders had of Guihua City. Everyone who came here was left with a deep impression, especially those barbarians from beyond the frontier.

Therefore, they all hoped to settle in Guihua City.

They also had to follow the Protectorate’s regulations, climbing step by step from temporary residency status, to barbarian status, to naturalized status, and finally to Han status.

Of course, for the common people of the Central Plains, they skipped the barbarian status tier, so their climb was slightly less arduous.

The same treatment they received was that all their children of school age had to enroll in school — compulsory education. They had unified uniforms, unified textbooks, unified instruction, and unified examinations, and after passing those examinations, they directly obtained Han status.

Unlike their parents’ generation, who had to endure bitter toil, this was the most orthodox form of knowledge changing destiny.

This was also the second New Year festival since the Protectorate’s establishment, and this festival carried even greater significance. Therefore, the Civil Affairs Ministry’s grain shops supplied every household in the territory with a certain quantity of high-quality rice, flour, cloth, meat, eggs, salt, and tea that could be purchased at relatively low prices.

This ensured that every household in the territory could at least eat white flour, could eat meat and eggs, and that all children could wear new clothes and celebrate a joyous and happy New Year festival.

For many immigrants, just a few months earlier they had been enduring bitter days of eating one full meal followed by one of hunger, often surviving on tree bark and wild vegetables, surrounded by bandits and robbers, never knowing if they would live to see the next day. To suddenly arrive in a place of peace and stability, to experience a prosperous and warm New Year festival for the first time — the sense of belonging in their hearts was truly indescribable.

After the New Year’s Eve came the Lantern Festival, and they cast aside all their worries, throwing themselves wholeheartedly into those jubilant crowds.

Wang Dou also passed this lively and joyous New Year. In the past, whenever the New Year festival arrived, he was always busy paying New Year calls to others, delivering greeting cards everywhere. Now, not to mention visiting in person, there were hardly even a few worth sending a congratulatory note to. On the contrary, throughout the first month, a tide of officials paying New Year calls nearly broke down his doorstep.

His own subordinate officers went without saying. From nearby Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia, and Gansu, a great number of officials and officers sent greeting cards and New Year gifts. Even from the capital, many people sent festive gifts.

There were also the various tribes of Mobei, the Hetao region, Qinghai, Turpan, and other places — a great many foreign peoples dispatched envoys to offer congratulations. So from New Year’s Day to the Lantern Festival, Wang Dou passed the time in busyness.

Still, he did not forget to pay attention to external affairs. On the seventeenth day of the first month, he sat in his study leafing through several intelligence reports.

…

Incense burned in an animal-shaped brazier, red felt covered the floor, the armchair was draped with a black fox-fur coverlet and cushioned beneath with a large white fox-fur seat mat. Coupled with the heated hollow walls and underfloor heating, the study was warm and cozy. Outside, snow swirled across the sky, but here it was like another world.

At Wang Dou’s current status and position, indulging in luxury would have been all too easy, but he did not care much for such things — comfort was enough.

Of course, when conditions allowed, he would not deliberately feign austerity to mistreat himself; he simply paid attention to moderation.

The incense smoke curled lazily. After reading the intelligence, Wang Dou lit a Yun-brand cigarette, leaned back in his rocking chair, and sank into deep thought.

He had received word that the roving bandits, after breaking through Guide and capturing Xuzhou, had crossed the Yellow River to besiege Yanzhou. The Prince of Lu had his fief in Yanzhou, so presumably the roving bandits intended to use the same tactic again — besieging a point to strike the reinforcements, destroying Ming relief forces from various regions outside the city.

They had grown increasingly adept at this tactic. Truly, one brilliant move could conquer the world, and now that the Ming army’s field combat capability had grown ever weaker, this move could be tried a hundred times without fail.

As he had expected, Guide and Xuzhou could not be held. Sun Kewang and Li Dingguo, the two men he had paid special attention to, had also failed to play a role in turning the tide.

Wang Dou considered this inevitable. The era was different; this was not yet their era.

Historically, while Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong were alive, Sun Kewang and Li Dingguo had not displayed any outstanding performance. The two had only distinguished themselves by the first year of the Yongli reign, when Zhang Xianzhong had just died and the Great Western Army was pursued to utter desperation.

Facing the powerful Qing army, they felt there was no way out, neither in heaven nor on earth, and the shadow of annihilation loomed over their hearts.

As a former roving bandit army, they were also the Qing army’s primary target for destruction. Even if they surrendered, they often could not escape the fate of being purged. Men like Tian Jianxiu, Zhang Nai, and Wu Ruyi were all ordered beheaded by Dorgon after surrendering, and even their subordinates were slaughtered to the last man.

So change was truly inevitable. Led by Sun Kewang, they thoroughly abandoned Zhang Xianzhong’s old policy of indiscriminate slaughter, arresting the Empress and Chancellor Wang Zhaoling, who still stubbornly clung to the old policies. They also took the initiative to ally with the Ming and resist the Qing, playing a pivotal role and radiating a brilliant light — their era had arrived.

The same was true of Zheng Chenggong.

But now was not their era.

Every era has its own context and actions. The Manchu iron cavalry was formidable in the late Ming, but had they encountered the armies of Xu Da or Chang Yuchun from the early Ming, they would naturally have been utterly crushed.

The times produce heroes, but the birth of a hero must fit the era.

Wang Dou had of course also noted Sun Kewang’s farming and management operations in Shouzhou. He held an appreciative attitude toward this, and when the time came, he would also be very happy to take over his property.

…

Intelligence operatives lurking in Shandong, Xuzhou, and other places had also discovered the Qing state’s contact with Li Chuang’s army. Judging by the intelligence they had gathered, Li Chuang and his men paid this matter extremely little regard.

It seemed that the envoy dispatched by Dorgon had met with a figure of the Guoyi General rank in Li Chuang’s camp. That Guoyi General then reported the matter to Li Chuang, but Li Chuang did not take it seriously and did not even wish to meet Dorgon’s envoy. None of the high or low officers, civil officials, or grandees under his command paid it any heed either.

This was, in essence, a form of ignorance.

Judging by the various deployments and actions Li Zicheng took after occupying Beijing in history, he had absolutely no conception of the Manchu Qing issue, even regarding it as a matter of the previous dynasty that had nothing to do with his Great Shun state.

It seemed that all parties in the Shun state believed that the Qing state’s conflict with the Ming dynasty was the Ming’s affair. The Great Shun had never fought a battle with the Qing soldiers, so there was neither grievance nor enmity between them, and they could coexist peacefully. Once the Ming was destroyed, the grudges between both sides would also be settled, and the two states could keep to their own territory without interfering with each other.

Thus, out of all manner of ignorant notions and considerations, the Shun state’s defensive arrangements at Shanhai Pass and its handling of Wu Sangui’s forces were utterly stupefying.

And when the Qing state bared its fangs, the result was that they could not withstand a single blow. They were also regarded by the Qing state as their greatest enemy, and their surrender was basically not accepted. Li Zicheng had toiled bitterly to conquer the realm, only to end up making a wedding dress for someone else — the title of “Wedding Dress King” was not earned for nothing.

This congenital deficiency in understanding was also the reason why, over thousands of years of history, roving bandits had great difficulty succeeding.

Just like a nouveau riche who, after winning the lottery, quickly becomes even poorer.

…

Picking up this intelligence report again, Wang Dou studied it for a long time. Historically, after Li Chuang had occupied Xi’an, Dorgon had immediately dispatched an envoy to northern Shaanxi to contact the Great Shun army, but that too had come to nothing. However, the Manchu Qing’s desire to seize a share of the spoils by exploiting the Ming dynasty’s collapse would not die, and presumably men like Dorgon would certainly not give up.

Wang Dou held the intelligence report and pondered for a long time. Just then, a guard’s low voice came from outside: “Grand General, Lady Ji requests your presence.”

Wang Dou said, “Understood.”

In the last month of the previous year, his wife, children, and family had all arrived at Guihua City. Perhaps having learned of Zhong Susu and the others, they had traveled in great haste. After arriving at the Grand General’s residence, his wife and concubines took turns coming to him, leaving Wang Dou stretched thin. On the surface, of course, they said nothing about any matter, and his mother, Lady Zhong, likewise said nothing.

As far as Lady Zhong was concerned, she was utterly satisfied with this son of hers. As early as when Wang Dou was promoted to Platoon Leader, she had been enormously proud, feeling a sense of complete contentment. She had never imagined that her son’s official rank would grow higher and higher, and that now he was the Grand General of Subduing Caitiffs, Marquis of Yongning, a being of the highest rank — this was truly bringing glory to the ancestors.

She herself was also the Lady of the Grand Marquis, with children and grandchildren filling the hall, allowing her to fully enjoy the joys of family. What was there left to be dissatisfied about?

So whatever her son did now, she was willing to trust him unconditionally and support him.

Lady Zhong was also satisfied with the girl Zhong Susu. As early as their time in the garrison city, Zhong Susu had frequently visited the residence, paying her respects morning and evening, and had quite won the old lady’s favor. Her nickname “Runs-Over-Often” had been earned back then. Now that she was with her son, it made Lady Zhong rather delighted.

And it was a case of buy one, get one free — she had also brought a Li Yunluo along with her.

Back in the days at Xinzhuang, the Li family had been an existence far beyond the Wang family’s reach. Now, the once illustrious household was at her son’s complete disposal. Every time she thought of it, she felt as if she were in a dream.

Everything satisfied Lady Zhong. Her only regret was that her husband had died too early and could not witness the Wang family’s present glory.

The Zhong family had once been very careful to safeguard Xie Xiuniang’s position, but now Xie Xiuniang was the Marquis’s wife, held an imperial patent of honor from the court, and had a legitimate son, Wang Zheng — her status was as steady as Mount Tai and no longer needed her protection.

For Xie Xiuniang, everything as it was now also satisfied her. She had nothing more to yearn for; she wished only to raise the children well, serve her husband well, honor her mother-in-law well, and go on like this forever and ever. She also showed a virtuous and yielding side, urging Wang Dou to spend more time with Sister Ji and the others.

Wang Dou’s principle, however, would not change: for every two nights he spent with Ji Junjiao, he would spend three nights with her. This system had been in force for many years now, had proven effective, and Wang Dou would not alter it because of this. Only during the daytime would he make more surprise visits to keep Ji Junjiao and the others company.

And Ji Junjiao was now a First Rank Shude Lady. When she went out, she was no longer referred to as “of the Ji family” but had a name and a title — she was called Lady Ji, the Shude Lady.

She also had her own ceremonial retinue. Even her father, Ji Shiwei, when he saw her, had to salute her in public.

Toward Ji Junjiao, Wang Dou in his heart actually doted on her a little more. She was one of the two beauties he had seen after arriving in the Great Ming, and the impression was inevitably deep. Moreover, she was sumptuously alluring, skilled at reading his thoughts, and well-versed in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, giving Wang Dou the feeling of a soulmate and confidante.

Furthermore, she had disregarded formal status, eloped in secret to follow him, and remained without complaint or regret for many years — this made Wang Dou feel guilt in his heart, and it was unavoidable that he doted on her a little more.

Of course, the principle could not be changed, and Wang Dou would not spend an extra night with her because of it.

And after Ji Junjiao took up residence in Guihua City, not long after, in the first month, her close friend the Young Madam also sought out the Grand General’s mansion and moved into a separate courtyard within the residence that she had arranged.

When the prefectural seat of Guide fell, the intelligence operative Zheng Wenzhi, who had been lying low in Guide, rescued Li Zhenpin. After returning to his hometown in Shanxi, Li Zhenpin seemed to see the affairs of the world with indifference and lived in seclusion from then on, no longer concerning himself with any matters. He merely sent a letter of thanks, and that was all.

The head of the Li clan, however, was extremely enthusiastic. Bringing his entire family, he made a special trip to Guihua City to express his thanks, and he even left the Young Madam at the mansion, telling her to visit Lady Ji often.

In truth, ever since the dispute with the treacherous merchants began, these past two years, gossip and rumors had constantly followed the Young Madam — saying she was Marquis Yongning’s secret mistress, that the two of them had long been having an affair, and so on.

The rumors swirled everywhere. Wherever she went, there were always people sizing her up with strange looks.

Before, she had still felt the need to avoid suspicion, but recently, for some unknown reason, the Young Madam no longer avoided it. She spent all day together with Ji Junjiao, and no one knew what the two of them talked about.