Chapter 261: National Grudges, Family Hatreds, and Private Vendettas

After bowing to Lin Qian.

The man presented the military dispatch with both hands: "Helmsman, Nanning has fallen—a great victory. In addition, Siming Prefecture has also been breached, with over fifty surrounding mountains and villages burned. The entire Huang clan—one thousand three hundred and twenty-three people in all—has been executed to the last one, not a single survivor."

Zheng Hongkui felt a chill seep into his very bones. No wonder the man reeked of blood—had he just come straight out of a slaughterhouse? This kind of wholesale extermination of a family truly did not match the Nan'ao forces' usual policy of winning over the locals with kindness.

Lin Qian took the dispatch, read it over, and said: "Well done. Has it been sent to the General Staff Department?"

The messenger said: "It has. Director Zheng said that after this battle, Cen, the largest chieftain in Guangxi, took the lead in surrendering, and the entire southwest has quieted considerably." Lin Qian dismissed the messenger to rest.

Zheng Hongkui asked: "Helmsman, wasn't my brother in Water Chenla? How did he end up in Guangxi? And who is this Huang chieftain clan?"

Lin Qian blew on the steam rising from his tea. So Zheng Zhilong hadn't even told his own younger brother, who served in the same military, about Nan'ao's troop movements—that level of discipline was truly rare.

He took a sip of tea and explained: "The Guangxi chieftains fear power but do not cherish virtue. When the Central Plains dynasty is strong, they bow low and play small; when it weakens, they raid and rebel. So it has always been since ancient times.

The Huang clan of Siming Prefecture is the most arrogant of them all.

Since the thirty-third year of Wanli, the Huang clan has fought among themselves over succession, raising troops in internal strife, repeatedly slaughtering villages and plundering the people. The authorities have banned it time and again to no avail, and it continues to this day.

Moreover, their power keeps expanding outward—they encroach on other chieftains' territories, seize Han civilians as slaves, and sideline the court-appointed officials.

They also deal privately with Annamite merchants, set up illegal border posts, and intercept goods in transit.

So the General Staff Department ordered their extermination. Siming Prefecture sits on the border between Guangxi and Jiaozhi, and it's convenient to send troops from Ha Long Bay, which is why Zheng Zhilong commanded this campaign."

The Huang chieftain clan had ruled the Siming Prefecture area along the Zuo River for over six hundred years, and the local people trusted them deeply. Even a single surviving descendant of the Huang chieftains could become the root of future chaos.

Therefore, "extermination" meant wiping out the entire clan—not one left alive, pulling up the weeds by the roots.

This kind of ruthless yet meticulous work was best suited to Zheng Zhilong.

Lin Qian handed the dispatch to Zheng Hongkui—he could read the operational details himself.

The dispatch read that Zheng Zhilong had taken two thousand men, borrowed passage through the Zheng lord's territory, advanced from Lang Son Prefecture within Jiaozhi, and struck into Siming Prefecture from south to north.

The Huang clan, guarding against the Nan'ao forces and the other chieftains, had deployed all their troops on the northern and western fronts.

As a result, Zheng Zhilong struck them from behind, and under the might of the cannons, the watchtowers and fortresses the Huang clan had built on the high ground became a joke.

In just one day, the chieftain's wolf soldiers were blasted into a routed mess.

Two days later, the city walls of Siming Prefecture lay in ruins. The surviving Huang clan members fled outward, and Zheng Zhilong set fire to the mountains.

The surrounding chieftains, seeing the situation turn dire, sent out their own troops to help capture the Huang remnants, terrified of being caught in the blaze of anger.

Within half a month, the corpses of the entire Huang clan lay before Zheng Zhilong's eyes.

Zheng Zhilong personally took the clan genealogy and checked each one off before writing the dispatch.

In the past, the southwestern chieftains of the Great Ming dared to threaten the court and repeatedly dance back and forth across the dynasty's bottom line.

That was because the court was weak and unable to mount punitive expeditions, malaria was rampant causing heavy non-combat losses, and Liaodong's Jianzhou barbarians and the southwest's She-An rebellion both relied on the chieftains to supply troops.

None of these were problems for the Nan'ao regime.

What Lin Qian needed was obedience and order, so the Huang chieftain clan became the chicken killed to frighten the monkeys.

Judging from the dispatch alone, the effect was immediate.

After seeing Zheng Hongkui off, Lin Qian hurried to the General Staff Department for a meeting.

With the Guangxi campaign now essentially settled, the General Staff Department's agenda had expanded from local battles to the southwest, Jiangnan, the South Seas, and beyond. In the Government Affairs Hall, there were also tax reform issues, Guangxi official appointments, and the distribution of the Prince of Jingjiang's estates—all awaiting Lin Qian's final decision.

He worked nonstop for two days straight.

Finishing work late at night, Lin Qian went home. The moment he pushed open the door, he heard Baikou say: "The master is back!"

Ye Zhen rose to greet him, helping Lin Qian out of his outer robe, and said gently: "Today I made sea cucumber slowly simmered in chicken broth. Eat quickly."

Lin Qian lifted the lid of the food box, and a fragrant aroma immediately hit his nose. He smiled: "This midnight snack is quite the tonic."

Ye Zhen said: "It's simmered slowly over water in clear chicken broth, with shiitake mushrooms, spring bamboo shoots, and ham to bring out the flavor. I asked Doctor Xiao Su, and she said this dish nourishes the kidneys and essence, enriches the blood and moistens dryness, and can relieve the strain of prolonged sitting—just right for you, my lord."

Lin Qian took a bite. The chicken broth was smooth and mellow, not at all greasy—simple in seasoning yet far from bland, with a lingering aftertaste.

The moment he bit through the sea cucumber, the flesh seemed to burst in his mouth—smooth, springy, and chewy, complementing the broth perfectly.

Lin Qian said: "Your cooking skills grow more refined by the day."

"It's only because I saw how hard you've been working lately that I made it specially." Ye Zhen probed: "Is there anything I can help share your burden with?"

Lin Qian didn't hide anything from her and said casually: "There has indeed been a lot lately. Guangxi needs mopping up, the capital needs watching—if the Great Ming counterattacks, Jiangxi will be the main battlefield, so that needs advance planning too.

On the South Seas, Aceh is restless as well. Word has it Aceh is preparing to launch a naval battle to pull out the nail that is the city of Malacca. I hope that sultan of theirs waits a bit longer, holds out until Nan'ao's new ships are launched...

Oh, right—tomorrow André, the president of the Macao council, is coming to discuss cooperation with the Portuguese. Last time Zhong Aqi suffered a loss at sea; this time we'll get some of it back.

Baikou, prepare the latest milk tea we've developed."

"Yes." Baikou replied softly.

Ye Zhen looked at Lin Qian with a beaming smile.

"What? Did I say something wrong?"

Ye Zhen shook her head: "My lord seems to have forgotten one person."

Lin Qian swallowed a piece of sea cucumber: "Qin Liangyu, you mean? I heard from Geng Wu that she's been sitting in a daze these past two days, waiting to die.

People like her—to put it nicely, they're loyal and steadfast; to put it bluntly, they're single-minded to the point of stubbornness.

Without absolute certainty, rushing to persuade her to surrender could easily make her think you're insulting her.

I've had too much on my plate these past two days to think of the right words. Let her edge wear off a bit first—the day after tomorrow I'll go early to talk with her."

Ye Zhen said: "How about I go instead?"

Lin Qian smiled.

Ye Zhen feigned anger: "I'm being serious!"

Lin Qian: "No."

"Why not?"

"What if she goes mad and takes you hostage?"

Ye Zhen burst out laughing: "My lord isn't afraid of being taken hostage when persuading her himself—why worry on my account?"

General Qin's character, you know better than I do, sir. Even if my words anger her, she would never do anything improper.

Besides, we are both women—some things are easier said between women."

Lin Qian said half-jokingly, "Persuading someone to surrender isn't pillow talk—why should it matter whether it's a man or woman speaking?"

Ye Zhen: "See, you don't understand, do you?"

Lin Qian was about to argue when Ye Zhen suddenly raised a finger to his lips.

"Shh. Tomorrow I'll secure a great general for you, sir—just watch."

The place where Qin Liangyu and the other two were held was a large mansion, with a spacious front hall, and even servants, a cook, and a gatekeeper provided.

The three of them stayed there not like prisoners, but like masters of the house.

Qin Liangyu, bent solely on death, cared little for worldly matters. She ate plainly and spurned the fine food and wine prepared by the mansion's cook, spending each day sitting in silent meditation in her room, never once stepping out the door.

Ma Xianglin and Zhang Fengyi watched this, anxiety gnawing at their hearts.

The two of them were not afraid of death—they simply did not want to wait for it. The mansion was so large, and the three of them were not bound hand and foot; they could certainly try to fight their way out and preserve their lives for better use. Even if they no longer served the court, they could at least guard the peace of Shizhu.

Ma Xianglin was clumsy of tongue and did not know how to broach the subject.

Zhang Fengyi had probed her mother-in-law indirectly several times, only to be met with resolute refusal each time.

Just as Lin Qian had calculated, Qin Liangyu, considering honor, gratitude, and righteousness, would not consent.

The three-day deadline was nearly up—tomorrow would be the day of execution.

Zhang Fengyi could not hold back and came once more to the main hall to plead.

Qin Liangyu sat upright on the bed, eyes closed in repose, and said calmly, "Though Lin Qian is a rebel, he has shown great kindness to our Ma family. The three of us are condemned prisoners, yet we wear no prison garb and bear no shackles. He treats us with such openness—we must repay him with equal openness. How could we betray faith and righteousness to do something so base?" Zhang Fengyi grew frantic, thought for a long while, then said, "Mencius said, 'A great man need not keep every word he speaks, nor carry out every action he...' uh... that is... in any case, Mencius said that promises made against righteousness need not be upheld—and Mother never promised Lin Qian anything at all!"

Zhang Fengyi was descended from civil officials, but had loved swords and spears since childhood and never studied her books well—hence forgetting her words at the critical moment.

Qin Liangyu smiled with affection and said no more.

Just then, a maidservant's voice suddenly sounded from outside the room: "Madam, someone outside the mansion has sent in a visiting card."

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law exchanged a glance, each seeing bewilderment in the other's eyes.

To be a prisoner so honored that visitors must present a visiting card—that must be a first in all the world.

Qin Liangyu had the maidservant bring the card in. After reading it, Zhang Fengyi said, "Mother, it is Lin Qian's wife, née Ye."

"The granddaughter of Grand Secretary Ye?" Qin Liangyu pondered for a long while but could find no reason to refuse. "Invite her in."

Zhang Fengyi was quick-witted and vaguely guessed Ye Zhen's purpose. She stopped the maidservant, then said, "Mother, the Grand Secretary's granddaughter is of noble status, and she even sent a visiting card—so formal. We must not fail in propriety. Let your daughter-in-law go out to the gate to receive her."

"Very well." Qin Liangyu rose from the bed, thought a moment, and said to the maidservant, "Young miss, might I trouble you to brew a pot of tea and serve it in the main hall for our guest?" The maidservant, flattered, hurriedly replied, "Madam, you need only give your orders—no need for such words as 'trouble.'"

Seeing her mother-in-law leave her room for the first time in three days, Zhang Fengyi was overjoyed and hurried to the mansion gate.

Outside the gate stood four people—three women and one man: Geng Wu, Yue Yi, Su Qingmei, and Ye Zhen.

Zhang Fengyi froze at a single glance, staring at Ye Zhen in a daze, thinking that the Grand Secretary's granddaughter truly possessed heavenly beauty.

After a moment, she clasped her hands in salute and said, "Forgive the wait, madam. Please follow me inside."

Ye Zhen returned the greeting and, supported by Su Qingmei on one side and Yue Yi on the other, slowly descended the steps.

Zhang Fengyi was a married woman herself; seeing how carefully the three attended to her, her heart stirred, and she asked, "Madam... could you be with child?"

Ye Zhen smiled. "Less than a month along—I haven't yet told my husband."

With that single sentence, Zhang Fengyi felt the distance between them close. She hurried to offer congratulations and shared advice on matters to mind during pregnancy.

Ye Zhen said, "I hear General Zhang has two sons?"

Zhang Fengyi smiled. "My worthless boys are hardly worth your concern, madam—both are in Shizhu now."

Ye Zhen said, "I too have a son, just three years old. Every day he runs, jumps, and climbs about the mansion, turning everything upside down—a terrible handful. Two days ago, in a moment of inattention, he climbed up onto the curio shelf and nearly fell. It truly gives one chills to think of it."

Zhang Fengyi laughed heartily. "Your son is strong of body and gifted by heaven—he is sure to become a great talent in the future."

Being pregnant, Ye Zhen walked very slowly, and Zhang Fengyi chatted with her about their children along the way.

But the more brightly her face smiled, the hollower she felt inside. She and her husband did not fear death—but she thought of how, after they died, her two sons, not yet of capping age, would lose both parents and have to support Shizhu alone. Her heart ached as if pierced by knives.

Zhang Fengyi's father, Zhang Quan, had served as Regional Inspector of Liaodong, stationed at Liaoyang. In the first year of Tianqi, the Later Jin breached the city; Zhang Quan refused to surrender and fell on his own sword. Zhang Fengyi, past thirty when the dreadful news arrived, still wept as if her heart would break. Her two sons were so young—how would they fare upon learning their parents were both dead? At this thought, her spirits sank.

Ye Zhen noticed this and shifted the conversation, speaking of Qin Liangyu's achievements—until the topic reached the bloody battle at the Hun River in the first year of Tianqi.

In the first year of Tianqi, Liaoyang and Shenyang fell, shocking the entire nation. In those panicked times, Qin Liangyu ordered her elder brother to urgently dispatch four thousand White Pole Soldiers through the pass to reinforce. On the Hun River battlefield, the White Pole Soldiers were the first to engage, facing head-on the several tens of thousands of elite Eight Banner troops at the height of their momentum. They successively repelled wave after wave of charges by the elite Plain White Banner and Plain Yellow Banner, cutting down nine fierce Eight Banner generals in succession and killing over two thousand Jianzhou barbarian soldiers—creating a legendary feat of infantry defeating cavalry on the Liaodong battlefield. When Nurhaci first engaged the White Pole Soldiers, he held them in utter contempt, thinking they were just another batch of useless Ming troops. But when he failed to take them in the first battle and lost again in the second, the Eight Banners' fighting spirit was spent, and signs of fatigue began to show.

In shock and fury, Nurhaci urgently summoned the Ming troops who had surrendered at Shenyang and used the city's defensive cannon to bombard the White Pole Soldiers' formation, finally breaking it. Even under appalling casualties, the White Pole Soldiers fought to the death without retreating. Of the four thousand, nearly all died for their country. Qin Liangyu's brother, struck by dozens of wounds, fought until he fell. Only a hundred or so wounded survivors broke through the encirclement.

Whether in achievement, fighting will, or spirit of sacrifice, it was rarely seen in the world.

Before this battle, Ming troops in Liaodong universally feared the enemy like tigers, and relief forces from all regions watched the Jianzhou barbarians take cities and territory in Liaodong, cowering without advancing.

After this battle, the Jianzhou barbarians' edge was blunted. The Great Ming's streak of defeats since Sarhu was swept away at a stroke; the situation was stabilized by sheer force, and the blood and courage of the Ming army were proven, keeping the Jianzhou barbarians from daring to set a single step past Shanhai Pass.

In times of crisis, they rode a thousand li to the rescue, holding up a collapsing hall, stemming a raging tide. The entire family was loyal unto death, single-minded in serving their country.

This was the origin of Qin Liangyu being called a hero—not to mention her great deeds in pacifying the Bozhou Rebellion and the She-An Rebellion, protecting the border and the people. Such illustrious achievements earned her Ye Zhen's profound respect.

By contrast, the short-sighted princes and officials of the Ming court, their minds full of petty scheming, calculating fame and profit, their hearts stuffed with private grudges and old enmities, looked upon Qin Liangyu as a mere petty chieftain, despising her at will and sidelining her in every way—which was precisely what led this great general to be captured at Nan'ao, and what brought the fall of Guilin upon their own heads.

Ye Zhen knew nothing of marching and fighting; her words all fell upon the court's commendations of Qin Liangyu.

"I hear that in the second year of Tianqi, the Emperor bestowed upon General Qin a plaque reading 'Loyalty and Righteousness Commendable,' and elevated her to First-Rank Lady of Honor. General Qin's loyalty and chastity make her a model for women of this age. I admire her immensely."

"You flatter me, you flatter me." Zhang Fengyi's tone was highly unnatural.

That Qin Liangyu had rendered great service and received the court's praise was a good thing—but what had her family truly wanted at the time?

A plaque?

Her father-in-law, Ma Qiancheng, had been dead for nearly ten years, yet his name had still not been cleared of the treason charge. Qiu Chengyun, sheltered by Wei Zhongxian, remained free and unpunished.

They had thought that rendering great service would move the court to re-examine the case, or at least give some accounting for Ma Qiancheng's death.

But all they got was a plaque reading "Loyalty and Righteousness Commendable." The injustice passed, and passed away—how ironic.

As a family member, Zhang Fengyi knew well the pain buried in her mother-in-law's heart.

Such matters were buried deep in the family's hearts, rarely revealed in ordinary times—they had almost numbed themselves to it.

If not for Ye Zhen starting the conversation from family matters, Zhang Fengyi probably wouldn't have thought in that direction at all.

Seeing Ye Zhen's warmth and candor, and knowing she herself was already a woman marked for death, Zhang Fengyi could not hold back and told the whole story of the court's plaque of honor. This was also why, when Zhang Fengyi feigned surrender, she had cursed to Lei Sanxiang's face that the Ming court was controlled by powerful eunuchs.

In truth, she had simply used the feigned surrender to speak her true feelings.

These words had been bottled up inside her for a long time. Her mother-in-law would not let her speak them, and serving the Ming court meant she could not speak them all the more. Now, facing Ye Zhen, she set aside the great cause of state and family, and traded it for plain household talk, venting it all in one breath. She felt as though a great stone had been lifted from her chest, and even her breathing came easier.

After hearing this, Ye Zhen was moved as well. Her expression turned sorrowful, and she fell silent for a moment before letting out a sigh.

Zhang Fengyi hurriedly smiled and said: "Fortunately, it's all in the past now. Lin... General Lin killed that traitor Qiu Chengyun, and my father-in-law's great vengeance has been exacted. His spirit in heaven can rest in peace."

But Ye Zhen said: "Has it truly been avenged? General Ma still bears the crime of treason upon his head. The martyred hero has yet to be exonerated, and in the palace, only an old eunuch has died."

Zhang Fengyi stood frozen on the spot, stammering: "By... by all rights, when a chieftain rebels, the hereditary Pacification Commissioner post should be stripped and replaced with a rotating official. But the court allowed my mother-in-law to inherit the position... Even amid the mining tax injustice cases of the Wanli reign, this was a rare exception. This, this is already the Emperor's boundless grace..." Ye Zhen stopped in her steps, looking into Zhang Fengyi's eyes: "I wish to speak my heart, and hope General Zhang will not take offense."

"How dare I."

"This is nothing but self-deception." Ye Zhen said calmly.

Zhang Fengyi's psychological defenses were shattered by a single sentence. She stood there dumbstruck, hands and feet ice-cold, mouth agape. After a long while, she slumped and clasped her hands in salute: "The lady speaks truly. But the mining supervisor acted in the Emperor's name, and the Wanli Emperor has already passed. This is already the best possible outcome...

I only beg the lady not to repeat these words to my mother-in-law. Her heart is already bitter beyond measure — let her depart without regrets."

Ye Zhen said: "I only feel somewhat apologetic. My husband's abilities are limited; this is all he could do."

Zhang Fengyi hurriedly said: "General Lin killed our enemy — he is the benefactor of our entire family. We cannot thank him enough. How could the lady speak of owing us anything? In the end, this was our family's grievance, and it must ultimately be avenged by our own hands."

Having said this, she thought of her own situation, and let out a self-deprecating laugh.

By now, the group had reached the inner courtyard, with the main hall not far ahead.

Ye Zhen said in a low voice: "In truth, I can see my husband has intentions of recruiting General Qin, but he worries General Qin might misunderstand, and so dares not raise the matter."

Zhang Fengyi's heart gave a sudden leap.

Had Ye Zhen said this the moment she entered the door, Zhang Fengyi would surely have been on guard and dismissed it with contempt. But now, thinking of her young son who still needed both parents, their family's great vengeance yet unavenged, and the Ming court's harsh treatment of her family, her resolve was already wavering.

Ye Zhen continued: "I saw my husband with his brows knit in worry, so I took it upon myself to come and speak. If I say something amiss later, I hope General Zhang will help me." Zhang Fengyi had originally thought Ye Zhen wanted her to beat the drum on the side and persuade Qin Liangyu to surrender, and was preparing to refuse.

Who would have thought Ye Zhen was afraid of misspeaking and wanted her help to smooth things over.

Her mother-in-law had a fiery temper — one wrong word and she would fly into a rage. Zhang Fengyi knew this well.

In the short walk, she had found Ye Zhen utterly warm and kind. Even if Ye Zhen hadn't asked, she would have helped anyway, so she agreed without any psychological burden. Upon entering, Qin Liangyu was seated in the guest's seat, and invited Ye Zhen to take the host's seat.

This gesture made the attitude clear: Qin Liangyu was residing here as a prisoner, while Ye Zhen was the true master of this place.

In other words, Qin Liangyu would not surrender — she was only waiting for the executioner's blade tomorrow.

Ye Zhen smiled slightly, understanding Qin Liangyu's meaning, and exchanged a few words of polite refusal with her.

Qin Liangyu steadfastly refused to take the host's seat.

Zhang Fengyi saw the situation turning bad and was about to mediate, when unexpectedly Ye Zhen also sat down in a guest's seat — and moreover right beside Qin Liangyu, leaving the host's seat empty. This surprised both Qin Liangyu and Zhang Fengyi.

As this was a visit by female relatives, Ma Xianglin did not appear, and Geng Wu also stood guard outside the courtyard.

Ye Zhen first tentatively broached the topic of family, but saw that Qin Liangyu was not much inclined to respond.

Ye Zhen then spoke of the situation in the realm. She had Yue Yi bring out the recent issues of the Nan'ao Times.

"The residence is cramped, and General Qin has been confined here for some time — I imagine you must be feeling rather bored. I've brought a few issues of Nan'ao's gazette for the general's amusement." "Thank you." Qin Liangyu received them with studied indifference.

She set them aside casually, having no mind to read them — but then a single headline made it impossible for her to look away.

"SHOCKING! An Bangyan joins with forty-eight chieftains of Shuixi, sixty thousand troops stage a comeback!"

Astonishment surged through Qin Liangyu's heart like crashing waves. After hesitating again and again, she still picked up the Nan'ao Times.

According to the report, after Zhang Woxu succeeded as Governor-General of the five southwestern provinces, his first act was to install his own confidants, then he continued Zhu Xieyuan's strategy, attacking Shuixi without pause.

The result was that the various commanders did not know their soldiers, and the soldiers did not know their commanders. Each harbored his own schemes, none were familiar with the terrain, and they gave chaotic orders while fighting each on his own.

After the great battle of Yongning, the main force of the rebels had been utterly annihilated and She Chongming was killed. An Bangyan was like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bowstring — hearing that a great army was closing in, he was so frightened he nearly hanged himself. But then he saw the Ming army behaving strangely, tried a few counterattacks, and actually succeeded in driving back the besieging forces.

An Bangyan seized the opportunity to ally with the surrounding chieftains, gathered up his scattered remnants, and pulled together another great army.

Having failed in one battle, Zhang Woxu fell back into his cowardly habit of fearing the enemy like a tiger. He ordered the entire army to pull back and besiege without attacking, sitting idly by as the rebels rose from the dead and recovered to a force of sixty thousand.

"Utter nonsense!" Qin Liangyu angrily slapped the newspaper onto the table, shaking the furniture.

Zhang Fengyi hurriedly urged her mother-in-law not to lose her temper, and quietly reminded her: "The lady is with child. Mother, please keep your movements gentle — don't disturb the pregnancy." Though Qin Liangyu was in a rage, upon hearing this she glanced at Ye Zhen's belly, and also clasped her hands in salute: "Congratulations. This old woman was rash — I hope the lady will forgive me." Ye Zhen repeatedly said it was nothing.

Then she selected another newspaper and said: "General Qin, please look at this one as well."

Qin Liangyu swept her eyes over it and saw the headline: "Emperor Has Not Held Court for Fifteen Days, Rumors Spread Throughout the Capital Region."

Qin Liangyu picked up the newspaper. According to the article, since the ninth year of Tianqi began, the Emperor's health had deteriorated steadily, and he often took to his bed — this was already an open secret in the capital.

Fifteen days ago, the Emperor held court for the last time and appeared in public. Since then he had remained inside Qianqing Palace, never once emerging.

Wei Zhongxian personally led men to guard the palace, permitting only imperial physicians to enter. Even Empress Zhang wishing to enter and pay her respects was denied — let alone Prince Xin. "Outrageous!" Qin Liangyu exclaimed in anger.

Out of consideration for Ye Zhen's pregnancy, she did not slap the table this time.

"These are secret matters of the palace. How could you rebels come to know of them?"

Ye Zhen said calmly: "When Qiu Chengyun's head was delivered to Nan'ao, was that not also just a word from my husband?"

Qin Liangyu had no reply.

Ye Zhen continued: "Within the eunuch faction, those who covet wealth and embezzle are beyond counting. These matters are tightly concealed beyond the palace walls, but within the palace itself, everyone has long known of them — the information sells very cheaply.

At this extraordinary time, Zhang Woxu seeks only stability. He dares not claim great merit, and dares not commit great error — does that not prove the point perfectly?"

Qin Liangyu raised her eyes to the sky and fell into a long silence.

She knew exactly what sort of man Zhang Woxu was. This person had previously served as Governor-General of Sichuan and Guizhou, and had dealt with Qin Liangyu before.

To think that Governor Zhu, who had devoted heart and soul for ten years, wearing himself out in service to build the excellent situation in the southwest — to think it had all been thrown away by Zhang Woxu.

Qin Liangyu felt only a piercing pain in her heart, and truly could not bear to believe it.

Ye Zhen took out yet another newspaper and showed it to Qin Liangyu.

The headline read: "Thirteen Prefectures and Counties of Northern Zhili Have Been Occupied by the Jianzhou Barbarians for One Hundred and Thirty-Five Days — The People Gaze Southward for the Imperial Army, Shaving Their Hair and Weeping."

Qin Liangyu let out a deep sigh, and the hand holding the newspaper was trembling.

By the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, Hong Taiji's invasion occurred in the jisi year, hence it came to be known as the Jisi Incident.

The Jianzhou barbarians generally campaigned in autumn and winter, withdrawing in spring and summer—but this time they broke through the passes and overran the Ji Garrison, Zunhua, Yongping, Qian'an, Luanzhou, and thirteen prefectures and counties in all.

After they withdrew, garrisons remained in those prefectures and counties, while fierce generals like Yuan Chonghuan and Zu Dashou were thrown into prison, and every loyalist army that had rushed to the emperor's aid was ordered back. With only the incompetent Yan Mingtai in charge, there was simply no strength to recover those thirteen prefectures and counties.

By then, the Later Jin main force had already withdrawn, and the thirteen prefectures and counties posed no threat to the capital. Combined with the turbulent situation in the capital itself, the matter of recovering the lost territory was dragged out again and again.

Objectively speaking, under Hong Taiji's rule, the economy and the judicial system were actually better than those of the Great Ming.

He abolished the Liaodong levy, relieved famine victims, strictly forbade the Eight Banners from looting in occupied territories, governed Han with Han law by continuing the Ming legal code, and granted tax exemptions to gentry and officials who voluntarily submitted.

But on the cultural level, he was utterly deranged—in the prefectures and counties under his control, he enforced universal hair-shaving. Those who refused were imprisoned at the light end and beheaded at the heavy end.

As the policies were layered on ever more harshly, there was no such thing as imprisonment at all—refuse to shave and you were cut down on the spot. For a time, heads rolled and blood flowed in waves. The common people looked south for the imperial army and found none, yet could not flee either, so they could only submit and be shaved into the golden-mouse-tail queue.

Furthermore, the Jianzhou barbarians also pushed for changing attire among officials and gentry. Ming official robes, ceremonial garments, and scholar's blue gowns were all burned, replaced with Manchu clothing. Rumor had it that the clothing change was gradually being extended to the common people.

After Qin Liangyu finished reading, she gently set down the newspaper, her expression quite grave.

Ye Zhen said with deep sympathy: "I heard that General Qin was originally on her way to aid the capital region. Surely, had General Qin been there, she would never have let the Jianzhou barbarians run so rampant.

Unfortunately, halfway there, General Qin was reassigned to Guilin, where she was coerced and slandered by the Prince of Jingjiang, and obstructed at every turn by corrupt officials—that was how she lost the battle. To save the people of Zhili, the White Spear Army set out in haste, but with pay and provisions insufficient, the general scattered her entire family fortune to raise supplies. It is a pity that no one recognized her utter sincerity. Truly, fate plays cruel tricks on people."

These words struck straight at Qin Liangyu's heart, for what occupied her mind was precisely what might have been had this campaign succeeded.

During the bloody battle at the Hun River, Qin Liangyu's eldest brother had been killed in action. She bore a blood-deep enmity against the Jianzhou barbarians, wishing she could eat their flesh and drink their blood.

Had she reached the capital region, she could have settled both the nation's grievance and her family's vengeance in one clean reckoning!

But alas…

Qin Liangyu thought of what she had suffered in Guilin, then of her late husband and late brother, and a wave of sorrow welled up in her heart.

Zhang Fengyi could not hold back and ground her teeth: "What 'cruel tricks of fate'? Someone was clearly sabotaging her from behind! How is it that the Great Ming court has raised so many treacherous villains who bite the hand that feeds them!"

Yahei

Yuan

Pen