Chapter 1311: Wu Sangui Has Arrived!

On the eleventh day of the fourth month in the twentieth year of Hongxing of the Great Ming, the very day after news of the great victory at Niulan Pass was rushed back to Wuhan Prefecture by six-hundred-li express courier, a crowd of figures in black gauze caps and python robes had already gathered at the Hanyang Gate wharf in Wuchang. The black-and-white memorial archways and the mourning pavilion had all been erected according to the regulations for a Commandery Prince. Since Zhu Cilang had taken power, although many high ministers and princes had passed away, none had been sent off with such solemn ceremony. For one thing, those men had all died of illness or old age at home—birth, aging, sickness, and death being natural, their families could simply handle the arrangements themselves. For another, these were still times of austerity—Sichuan and Yunnan had not yet been recovered! So strict economy had to be practiced, and extravagance and waste avoided.

But the dead man arriving this time was no ordinary figure. Since yesterday, all entertainment in the city had ceased. From dawn today, soldiers and officers from the Garrison Commandant's yamen had arrived in force outside Hanyang Gate to keep order, and after a while, several hundred cavalry from the Guards Battalion and the New Army garrison turned up as well, all with white cloth draped over their armor. As the sun gradually rose, four-wheeled carriages kept arriving, and those stepping down from them were all high officials in black gauze caps and python robes.

The Hanyang Gate wharf was originally a bustling place, with many merchants traveling north and south passing in and out through the wharf, and there were also local people who made their living around Hanyang Gate. They all stood with hands tucked in their sleeves, watching from a distance. Wuhan Prefecture was now at the feet of the Son of Heaven, so the local commoners were naturally well-informed. They all knew that the dead man arriving today was Wu Sangui, who had died of illness at the Lueyang front in the second month. Before long, the onlookers began sighing to one another.

"Now this is a truly magnificent funeral—Commander Wu can count it as worth it! Look at this display, far more solemn than the funeral of an ordinary Duke!"

"Duke? He's already been enfeoffed as a prince! It was in the papers—posthumously enfeoffed as Prince Who Pacifies the West! The funeral is being grandly conducted according to the standards for a Prince, and the tomb is being built on Wolong Mountain, right beside the tomb of the present Son of Heaven!"

"There's more! Both of Prince Who Pacifies the West's sons have basked in the glory and been granted noble titles. The eldest was enfeoffed as Duke of Ningguo Who Overcomes Hardship, and the second as Duke of Rongguo Who Overcomes Hardship."

"Wasn't the Wu family already dukes?"

"The old title didn't sound good. 'Duke of Liang'—'Liang' sounds cold and bleak. How could it compare to Duke of Ningguo or Duke of Rongguo? And Commander Wu originally had just one dukedom, but now both his sons are dukes! One family, two dukes! If you count the two dukedoms in Commander Wu San's family, the old Wu clan has one family with four dukes!"

"There's more. Even changing the ducal title counts as an additional enfeoffment. Although the rank is still Duke and the granted lands won't increase, there will be new bestowed residences and bestowed silver. With this enfeoffment, the two Wu brothers can each rake in well over a hundred thousand!"

"That's not all! The two Wu brothers also got posts as frontier commanders. The eldest became Military Governor of the Jin'ou Army, and the second became Grand Protector of Anxi. This kind of imperial favor is the first of its kind since the founding of the Imperial Ming!"

"It seems His Majesty still favors the Wu family. The foremost meritorious noble house of the Great Ming is still the Wu family!"

"Commander Wu's death can count as worth it!"

Wu Sangui had indeed died at a profit! Not only was he posthumously enfeoffed as Prince Who Pacifies the West, but he had also earned his sons an extra dukedom and a frontier command. In particular, the post of Military Governor of the Jin'ou Army that the eldest son Wu Yingxiong received was a lucrative appointment, and it also planted a foot squarely inside the old Zheng family's sphere of influence—the frontier command of the Jin'ou Army had been changing hands constantly. Two of Zheng Zhilong's brothers had successively headed the Jin'ou Army, Shi Lang's father Shi Daxuan had also served as its frontier commander, and the current frontier commander of the Jin'ou Army was Zhang Jiayu, a civil official of Dongguan, Guangdong origin, who was undoubtedly also close to the Zheng family.

Now that Wu Sangui's eldest son was taking charge of the Jin'ou Army, it was undoubtedly a warning to the Southerners' Faction, which was riding high at the moment!

Just as the onlookers at the wharf were buzzing with discussion, a burst of urgent hoofbeats suddenly rang out, and then a troop of gold-armored cavalry riding tall, fold-eared horses came trotting up. When they reached outside Hanyang Gate, the riders began shouting.

"His Majesty the Emperor approaches—subjects and people, come forth to greet him!"

So it turned out that Zhu Cilang had come to the wharf to receive Wu Sangui's coffin! No wonder so many soldiers had been posted at the wharf to keep watch.

When the Emperor arrived, the commoners and officials were of course to greet him respectfully. However, there was no need to kneel and kowtow; when the imperial carriage passed by, a bow with clasped hands was sufficient.

Everyone turned their heads toward Hanyang Gate and saw a large column of gold-armored cavalry riding in formation. Behind the cavalry came one golden four-wheeled carriage after another, nine in all. All the carriages were fitted with transparent glass windows, but the windows were shut and gauze curtains had been drawn, so no one knew who was sitting inside.

Zhu Cilang, who had now been Emperor for twenty years, was growing ever more cautious. Every time he left the palace, nine carriages traveled together, and no one was told in advance which carriage he would be riding in. In addition, a battalion of guards and a battalion of the Imperial Guard would escort him on either side.

Today, Zhu Cilang was riding in the eighth carriage, and beside him sat a young girl dressed all in white mourning, her eyes red and tear-streaks still on her face—a sight that made one's heart ache.

This young girl was Wu Ake, the daughter of Wu Sangui and Chen Yuanyuan. Truly, she was beautiful no matter how one looked at her! If her father had not died, she would certainly have become a princess consort this time—most likely the primary consort of the wealthy prince of the United Provinces.

Now that her father had died, she naturally had to observe mourning. Although Emperor Zhu had, on the grounds of national crisis, suspended the three-year mourning leave for officials, the easier mourning observances still had to be kept—such as eating vegetarian food, such as abstaining from alcohol, and such as halting celebratory events. Thus Wu Ake and the wealthy prince were not fated to be.

But Zhu Cilang would not let Ake and the wealthy prince be shortchanged!

Wu Sangui's posthumous memorial had also stated that he wished for Ake to enter the palace after her mourning period to serve Emperor Zhu. This was the dying wish of a loyal subject, and no wise sovereign could bear to refuse it—let alone a rare wise sovereign like Zhu Cilang.

As for the wealthy prince's marriage, Wu Sangui's posthumous memorial had also made a request: he hoped that Wu Ahuan could become the primary consort of the King of the United Provinces. This was no slight to the King of the United Provinces—in terms of beauty, Wu Ahuan surpassed even Wu Ake! Moreover, Wu Ahuan's constitution was far more robust than Wu Ake's. She was the kind of woman who could withstand storms and the jolting of travel, and in the future she could accompany the King of the United Provinces on campaigns across the New Continent.

Furthermore, Wu Ahuan's father, Wu Guogui, was also a veteran general in the army and a Marquis Who Overcomes Hardship, and he could follow the wealthy prince to the United Provinces to serve as a general.

Therefore, Zhu Cilang was one hundred percent determined to fulfill Wu Sangui's dying wishes!

Having met with such an enlightened lord, Wu Sangui could close his eyes in peace.

"Ake, don't grieve anymore," Zhu Cilang said, glancing at Wu Ake. He noticed that she was also blinking her watery, glistening eyes at him, so he continued to console her gently. "From now on, let Us and the Empress look after you. Are you willing?"

Wu Ake was young, but the first stirrings of love had already awakened in her heart. After Wu Sanfu had spoken to her about entering the palace to serve the Emperor, her heart had been like a fawn, thumping and leaping without cease—a little expectant, a little worried. The reason for her expectation was that Wu Sanfu had told her the purpose of this arrangement.

The Wu family could not contend for the position of Crown Princess, so they had to add another layer of insurance to Wu Sanmei's position as Empress—after all, Emperor Zhu was still in the prime of life and might yet rule for another thirty years!

If that were truly the case, Wu Sanmei might well pass away before Emperor Zhu. Then who would succeed as Empress? If a woman of the Zheng family obtained the position of Empress, the Wu family's glory would be left tottering. Therefore, Wu Ake had to enter the palace to serve as Wu Sanmei's understudy!

With the possibility of becoming Empress, Wu Ake was of course willing—she was, after all, a young lady born into a feudal aristocratic household, and the position of Empress was just about the highest goal in her life!

Her only fear had been that Emperor Zhu would be an old and ugly middle-aged man. But today, upon seeing the man himself, she found him dignified in appearance, imposing and upright, with quite the look of a hero and a gallant man—and so she was naturally wholeheartedly willing.

Seeing Ake nod, Zhu Cilang was also relieved. By this time, the carriage had already come to a stop—the wharf had been reached.

Emperor Zhu gently took Wu Ake's jade-like hand and said in a low voice, "Ake, we've arrived at the wharf. Let us go and receive your father."

(End of Chapter)