Chapter 1034: Dorgon's Son, Behave Yourself! (Please Subscribe)

Laoshan Palace, the Hall of Imperial Supremacy.

Mulima, the Andong Army's envoy to the Court of Audience, had just finished kowtowing to Zhu Cilang, the Son of Heaven of the Great Ming, when he heard the man seated on the imperial throne sigh, and then speak in a low, mournful tone.

"Rise. Grant him a seat."

What was going on? What was wrong with the Emperor?

Mulima scrambled to his feet at once, but instead of taking his seat, he stole a glance at Zhu Cilang and discovered that Zhu Cilang was wiping tears with a yellow handkerchief.

What could be grieving him so? Mulima thought to himself: Has he contracted an incurable illness? They say this emperor has grown more and more dissolute of late — not content with that little enchantress Ajige, he has taken up with some Western girl as well, and even made her some sort of "royal Yinfu." The man is galloping full tilt down the road to utter debauchery! If he should die young, the Great Qing could return!

Zhu Cilang sighed: "We have received a report from the Embroidered Uniform Guard — the Grand Protector of Andong, Jin Dodo, has truly died. Our heart is heavy with grief!"

You treacherous, cunning false sovereign!

Mulima cursed inwardly.

Dodo had died long ago! More than a year now, and you, the false sovereign, stubbornly refused to acknowledge it, and against all conscience claimed Dodo was feigning death, refusing to let Dodo be laid to rest in peace.

And you are kinsmen! How can you behave so?

"Your Majesty, please restrain your grief," Mulima said through gritted teeth.

Zhu Cilang nodded and put away the handkerchief: "Indeed, the dead cannot be brought back to life. When you return, tell Jin Duoni to restrain his grief and take care of himself as well. We will still look after him."

Look after him?

How?

Mulima thought: By seizing him and locking him in a cage in Yingtian Prefecture, feeding him chicken, duck, fish and meat every day?

Zhu Cilang said: "Duoni is young and of shallow ability. A territory as vast as Andong cannot be governed by him alone! We have been thinking that his burden ought to be lightened."

"Lightened? Your Majesty means—" Mulima already sensed something was wrong, and his heart seized up at once.

"We intend to divide Andong Garrison into Andong Garrison, Heilongjiang Garrison, and Liaoyang Province." Zhu Cilang said, "Duoni shall serve as Grand Protector of Anding, and Zhulan shall serve as Grand Protector of Heilongjiang.

Furthermore, the affairs of Joseon need no longer trouble Duoni. Dorgon's son is the younger brother of Dongzhu, and is the imperial brother-in-law of the Great Ming. We will not treat him shabbily."

How ruthless!

Mulima thought: With this single stroke, he first slices away the richest parts of Anding Garrison — Liaodong and Liaoxi — and then he will stir Duoni, Zhulan, and Dorgon's son into fighting among themselves.

"Your Majesty," Mulima had already put on an anguished expression as he looked at Zhu Cilang, "the Anding Protectorate has always been one body, and the Andong Army is an army of fathers and sons, of brothers. How can it be rashly split into three? This would sever the bonds of father and son, and cut off the limbs of brothers! Even if the heir were willing to carry it out, the fathers, sons, and brothers among the troops below would never willingly be separated!"

At this point, Mulima no longer took his seat, but dropped to his knees with a thud before the Zhu Emperor, kowtowing repeatedly: "This subject begs Your Majesty to retract your command, so that the fathers, sons, and brothers of Andong Garrison may remain together for long years to come!"

Zhu Cilang snorted: "Do the arrogant soldiers and fierce generals of Andong Garrison wish to imitate the garrison troops of the late Tang provincial commands? We will never permit such arrogant and fierce soldiers to ruin the great prospects of our Ming restoration, still less will We allow them to break every rule!

The division of Andong is already decided, and We will never alter it! If anyone seeks to use this to stir up rebellion, We shall send troops to subdue them!"

"Your Majesty..." Mulima continued kowtowing, pleading, "Even if this matter must be done, it must not be rushed. I beg Your Majesty to give the heir a little more time, so that he may pacify his men and make proper arrangements, lest mutiny and military chaos be provoked."

Zhu Cilang nodded lightly: "We shall give him one year. In the spring of the twelfth year of Hongxing, the edict of division will be formally issued.

Furthermore, between Andong Garrison and the kingdom of Joseon — is there a bond of brotherhood?"

"The King of Joseon is the heir's own brother..."

Zhu Cilang snorted: "We did not make Dorgon's son King of Joseon for Dodo's sake. We made Dorgon's son King of Joseon for Dongzhu's sake!"

"Your Majesty..."

Zhu Cilang waved a hand. "Say no more! The matter is settled. Andong officers and men who are willing to remain in Joseon and assist Dorgon's son may all be naturalized as Joseon subjects, and shall be granted the surname Jin, becoming members of the Joseon royal clan. Henceforth, Andong Garrison shall have nothing to do with them!"

Although the Great Ming's strength far exceeded that of the Andong Army, the Zhu Emperor still would not pass up any opportunity to divide the Andong Army.

Moreover, removing Jin Erbo's kingdom of Joseon from the Andong Army's camp also gave the upper ranks of the Andong Army the most convenient escape route — if things truly became hopeless, they could flee to Joseon! The Ming Emperor had spoken: Andong Garrison and Joseon had no further ties, and neither did he have any ties with Andong officers and men who slipped off to Joseon and changed their surname to Jin!

"This subject will certainly convey Your Majesty's words back to the Andong Army." Mulima knew he could gain nothing more, so he kowtowed once to the Zhu Emperor, then took his leave, went out, and prepared his baggage to return to the Andong Army and report to Duoni — his father Dodo could finally, openly and honorably, be a dead man!

After Mulima was sent away, the Zhu Emperor's official duties for the day came to an end. At that moment, Huang Xiaobao came over bearing a tray of white jade tablets inscribed with the titles of the consorts, and asked with a smile: "Your Majesty, which lady would you like to attend you tonight?"

Zhu Cilang swept his eyes over the tablets. "Where is Dongzhu?"

"In reply to Your Majesty, Worthy Consort is indisposed," Huang Xiaobao said.

"No matter," Zhu Cilang waved a hand. "Just have Ajige called as well. Also, for tonight's evening meal, let Dongzhu and Ajige dine with Us."

"This slave obeys the decree." Huang Xiaobao asked nothing further, turned, and went to make arrangements for the Zhu Emperor.

Zhu Cilang had turned over the tablet of the indisposed Jin Dongzhu not, of course, to hold hands, but because he wanted her to pay a visit to her maiden family.

"My maiden family?"

At dinner, while the eunuchs and palace maids were busy serving the dishes, the Zhu Emperor brought the matter up with Dongzhu. Dongzhu knitted her delicate brows slightly and asked tentatively: "Does Your Majesty wish me to return to my maiden family in the kingdom of Joseon?"

Dorgon's son was Dorgon's heir, and after he became King of Joseon, Dorgon's group of wives and concubines had followed Dorgon's son to live in Hanyang.

"Of course you are going to Hanyang," Zhu Cilang took a sip of tea and looked at Jin Dongzhu, now a mother. "Dorgon's son is young, and he is not Dorgon's own son, so it is inevitable that men's hearts do not cleave to him. You are his sister, and Dorgon's own daughter. Those men of the Plain White Banner will heed your counsel."

After the Great Qing was no more, Dong'e had of course stopped playing dead, so the former Plain White Banner officials who had fled to Joseon all knew that Dorgon's sole bloodline still lived.

"Your Majesty, whether those men will heed my words depends on what I say to them!" Jin Dongzhu did not agree at once, but instead reminded the Zhu Emperor of one point.

Zhu Cilang smiled and said: "Since We are sending you out, We naturally mean to give them a way to live. Joseon must always have a king; We do not care who holds the post, so long as all is peaceful and stable. We and Duoni are about to come to blows, but We do not wish the fighting to spill into Joseon. So long as those people keep quiet and orderly, We will not interfere, nor will We depose Dorgon's son from the throne."

"Then..." Jin Dongzhu mused, "if Dorgon's son will not heed my words, what should I do?"

"Then depose Dorgon's son!" Zhu Cilang said lightly. "You shall become Queen of Joseon! You are Dorgon's own daughter, and a granddaughter of the Yi dynasty on your mother's side — far more qualified to be monarch than Dorgon's son!"

Jin Dongzhu smiled bitterly at this. "Your Majesty, I left my Ama at the age of nine to follow at your side. My Ama's old associates may not even recognize me. On what grounds could I depose Dorgon's son and set myself up?"

"On the grounds that you are Our woman!" Zhu Cilang laughed. "If Dorgon's son behaves himself, well and good. If he does not... those people can preserve their wealth and rank only by following you. Otherwise, they will lose even their lives!"

Jin Dongzhu sighed: "Dorgon's son is said to be my Ama's son, but he has always followed Dodo. I fear he will not heed my words. And I am empty-handed — how am I to act?"

Zhu Cilang smiled: "How could you be empty-handed? The navy will dispatch a fleet, and marines will land at Incheon. Furthermore, the Jiale Market Bank in Joseon will also be placed under your management! Do you know what the Jiale Market Bank does?"

(End of Chapter)