Chapter 1369: A New Beginning (Begging for Monthly Tickets, Begging for Subscriptions)

"Your Majesty, the ship has already moored at the Dangtu Wharf in Taiping Prefecture. The military household host led by His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Prince of Shen is setting up camp ten li away. The Crown Princess and the Princess of Shen have already arrived at the wharf and are awaiting summons."

The speaker was none other than Big Sister Cao. On the journey back to Yingtian along the Yangtze, Zhu Cilang had shared a boat with Princess Nisha the entire way, so Big Sister Cao had replaced Huang Dabao as the chief steward beside Emperor Zhu. Except when Emperor Zhu was sleeping with a beauty in his arms, she followed him every step of the way, clinging almost like a dog-skin plaster.

And Zhu Cilang's doting on Princess Nisha had reached the point where the women of the rear palace were on the verge of a jealous outburst. Even with Princess Nisha carrying a big belly, he had not let any other woman attend his bed.

A little over half a month ago, Princess Nisha had borne Emperor Zhu a mixed-blood son, named Hexing, and had also given him a rather affectionate childhood name: Asan!

The moment this formal name and childhood name came out, they gave Crown Prince Zhu Hexing a terrible fright. Wasn't this "Xing" just the "Xing" in his own name with the earth radical moved to a different spot?

As for the childhood name "Asan," hearing it also made Zhu Hexing's heart pound with alarm! He was the third son! Zhu Hexing ranked fifteenth — what right did he have to be called Zhu Asan?

Had Emperor Zhu given his youngest son such a name and childhood name because he was dissatisfied with the Crown Prince's performance and wanted to replace him?

Crown Prince Zhu's heart was in turmoil, and he dared not speak of it to anyone else, so he could only tell his wife, Ding Yuying. But Ding Yuying did not take it seriously at all. Although she too knew that Zhu Cilang was not entirely satisfied with the Crown Prince, at the same time he was especially satisfied with her, the Crown Princess!

Zhu Asan was still a little brat — there was no way he could enter a levirate marriage with Ding Yuying, was there?

If they had to find a new Crown Princess for Zhu Asan who could teach him, how many years would that take? So the Crown Prince's position was secure. As long as Ding Yuying was there, there would be no problem!

"Summon them aboard!" Zhu Cilang said with a smile. "Prepare the evening meal. We wish to dine with Yuying and Ahuan."

Big Sister Cao answered and turned to disembark. In a short while she led Ding Yuying and Wu Ahuan aboard.

The two women performed the blessing curtsey, and Zhu Cilang granted them seats.

Emperor Zhu smiled at the two of them and said: "Yuying, Ahuan, this journey has been hard on you both. In one more day we shall reach Yingtian Prefecture, and tomorrow night we shall arrive at Old Mountain Palace. Then you two can rest properly for a few days."

"Imperial Father," Ding Yuying said with a smile, "your daughter-in-law is not weary. It is the Crown Prince and the Prince of Shen who have worked hard. One or two hundred thousand people followed them, needing food and drink and billeting along the way — they are truly exhausted."

Zhu Cilang smiled and shook his head. "You — always shielding that boy the Crown Prince. Do you think We do not know? With that many people truly left for him to lead, it would surely fall into chaos. Along the way, you and the eldest have both been helping him quite a bit, haven't you?"

Ding Yuying laughed. "Eldest Brother has indeed looked after the Crown Prince. But your daughter-in-law is a mere woman — what could I possibly do?"

Wu Ahuan, who was beside them, interjected: "Sister Yuying is truly a worthy helpmate to His Highness the Crown Prince. She has helped no small amount along the way, and now she does not even claim credit. She is truly a model for this concubine."

"Sister Ahuan, what are you saying? What model am I? I merely did a few things according to Imperial Father's instructions."

Watching Ding Yuying's modest and prudent manner, Zhu Cilang liked her even more from the bottom of his heart — he had eyes and ears beside the Crown Prince, and of course he knew that this foolish boy was somewhat uneasy in spirit. Fortunately Ding Yuying was there to help; otherwise the local tyrant king would have stolen all the limelight.

At that moment Big Sister Cao came into the cabin where Emperor Zhu was, carrying a stack of memorials. "Your Majesty, the Grand Secretariat and the Grand Marshal's Office have sent memorials."

"Take them to Yuying to read," Zhu Cilang instructed.

Since ancient times, there had been empress dowagers ruling from behind a curtain, and empresses meddling in politics, but for a Crown Princess to read memorials — Ding Yuying was the first of her kind.

But Big Sister Cao had long since ceased to find this strange. She immediately carried the stack of memorials over to Ding Yuying and set them on a tea table.

Ding Yuying did not decline either. She at once picked up the topmost one and began reading. When she finished, she said to Emperor Zhu: "Imperial Father, this is a memorial forwarded by the Ministry of Rites from the Western Ocean Army Military Commission. France and Holland have sent a high-ranking delegation to visit the Lower Burma Province controlled by the roving bandits. After landing at Haidu Prefecture, they proceeded toward Kunming!"

The Shun now possessed seven provinces — Sichuan Province (holding only part of the original Sichuan territory), Yunnan Province, Upper Burma Province, Mubang Province, Lower Burma Province, Arakan Province, and Chittagong Province — making it a "seven-province realm."

Ding Yuying glanced at Emperor Zhu. Seeing his expressionless face, she thought for a moment and continued: "Your Majesty... a few days ago the ambassadors stationed in France and Holland memorialized that King Louis of France and Grand Pensionary De Witt of Holland issued a joint declaration in Brussels, proclaiming that they would contain our dynasty in the direction of the Indian Ocean. Now the French and Dutch delegations have gone to visit the roving bandits' territory. It seems they intend to ally with the roving bandits to contain our Great Ming!"

Zhu Cilang smiled. "Summon Princess Nisha."

The widowed palace maid attending nearby answered and left the cabin to invite Princess Nisha.

Princess Nisha was basically a Persian beauty. She had no habit of postpartum confinement. After giving birth she rested only two days, then began doing yoga and belly dancing to lose weight. Before being summoned by Emperor Zhu, she had been exercising in a training room until she was drenched in sweat. With no time to bathe, she wiped herself dry and came wearing a midriff-baring sari.

Emperor Zhu glanced at her, caught a whiff of sweat, and knew at once she had been exercising again. He looked at her waist and belly — indeed they had tightened considerably.

"Nisha, no need for formalities. Sit!" Emperor Zhu said when he saw Nisha about to bow to him, waving his hand to let her take a seat.

"Your Majesty, why have you summoned this concubine?" Princess Nisha had already noticed Ding Yuying holding the memorials, and was rather puzzled.

Zhu Cilang laughed. "We have just received a memorial from the Western Ocean Army, saying that a French and Dutch delegation passed through Lower Burma and went to Kunming, seeking to draw in the roving bandits to contain our Great Ming in the direction of the Indian Ocean. Nisha, what do you make of it?"

"What?" Princess Nisha was somewhat astonished. "Contain the Great Ming in the direction of the Indian Ocean? But the Great Ming has not entered the Indian Ocean in force! And the Indian Ocean is not the Atlantic. The French and the Dutch are themselves outsiders there — what right do they have to contain the Great Ming? My mother country, the Timurid Empire, is the true master of India. The Timurid Empire has no intention of containing the Great Ming, so why have the French and Dutch suddenly jumped out?"

Exactly! Even the Indians had said nothing — what were the French and Dutch making a fuss about?

Zhu Cilang looked at Ding Yuying. "Yuying, what do you think?"

Ding Yuying thought for a moment, then asked: "Imperial Father, could it be that the French and Dutch want to drag the roving bandits into invading India again? No, that doesn't make sense either... What are they blustering about in Brussels?"

The moment Princess Nisha heard that the French and Dutch wanted to ally with the Shun to invade India, she grew somewhat displeased. Gazing eagerly at Emperor Zhu, she said: "Your Majesty, you surely will not permit the roving bandits to collude with the Westerners to go plundering in India, will you?"

Zhu Cilang did not answer Nisha, but instead looked at Ding Yuying.

Ding Yuying weighed her words and said: "Are the French and Dutch making a preemptive accusation? Are they afraid that Imperial Father will send troops to uphold justice for the Timurid Empire in India?"

Zhu Cilang said with a smile: "Yuying, matters of diplomacy are not so easy to understand. You still have much to learn!"

"Your daughter-in-law will certainly study hard." Ding Yuying asked, "Imperial Father, can you tell your daughter-in-law what exactly the French and Dutch are scheming?"

Zhu Cilang laughed. "The French and Dutch do not want to contain our Great Ming; they are afraid of being contained by our Great Ming. The Celestial Dynasty is the wealthiest realm on earth. It has no need to plunder the wealth of India — free trade alone would satisfy it. Therefore We do not wish to see India plundered by Western powers such as France and Holland. And France and Holland — France especially — have strong armies but poor states. Their homelands are narrow, their industry and commerce do not flourish, and only their army dominates the European continent. Yet King Louis of France is fond of grand undertakings and squanders gold like dirt. His army cannot earn him money, so of course he must find ways to go robbing. Earlier he used his strong army to force Holland into a sea-and-land alliance, his aim being to borrow Dutch ships to go out to sea and plunder! All this talk of containing the Great Ming is merely meant to intimidate Us, to make Us meddle less in Indian affairs."

(End of Chapter)