Chapter 1411: Shunzhi, Come Out — Kangxi Is a Filial Son

"Then why are you going to the Western Regions?" The old lady was so anxious she was glaring at her grandson.

"To lure my Ama out, of course!" Jin Xuanye gritted his teeth and began spinning lies to fool the old lady. Well, not all lies — rather, high-grade lies mixed with truth and falsehood.

The true part was that he had also guessed Zhu Cilang wanted to use him to bait out the Shunzhi Emperor, who had faked his death — what kind of man was Kangxi? In history, he was a ruthless figure who hunted the Third Prince Zhu his entire life. Judging others by himself, he knew Zhu Cilang would never let Shunzhi, who had faked his death and escaped, get away.

Moreover, through deductive reasoning, he had made a very reasonable analysis of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's search operations and Shunzhi's hiding situation.

All these years, the Embroidered Uniform Guard must have been investigating openly and secretly. But Kangxi's Ama was also quite good at hiding, so the Embroidered Uniform Guard's investigations had always been fruitless. Otherwise Shunzhi would long ago have been hauled to Yingtian Prefecture for public execution!

And the Embroidered Uniform Guard's main direction of investigation, needless to say, must have been the two garrison commands of Heilongjiang and Andong. But Shunzhi was also quite clever, and did not hide in the northeast, which on the surface looked safest. So the Embroidered Uniform Guard searched for over ten years and found nothing.

No, they must have found something — otherwise they would not have shifted their direction to the northwest!

And lately the situation in the northwest had been somewhat chaotic. The three garrisons of the Snowy Region and the two garrisons left by Wu Sangui, along with the Prince of Dai, Galdan, the Grand Lama, and other powers, were in a standoff, and war looked about to break out. Behind this chaos, perhaps Shunzhi's faction was fanning the flames!

Even if not, Shunzhi's faction would not let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity pass — Xuanye had also heard the story of the Eight Banners Mongols and the Khorchin Mongols migrating west. There was no need to think to know that back then, many loyalists of the Great Qing must have gone to the Western Regions and taken service under the two Ming vassal states of the Dzungars and the Khoshuts. These people might even still be in secret contact with Shunzhi.

After this round of mental elaboration, Xuanye had already vaguely guessed the Zhu Emperor's intent: to use him as bait to fish out his own Ama!

At the same time, he also realized his Ama would not pass up the chance to stir up trouble in the northwest!

Bumbutai looked at her scholar-grandson, waiting for him to continue.

Xuanye said, "Grandma, the Emperor now wants your grandson to go move about in the Western Regions. Can your grandson refuse? If your grandson refuses, can the Emperor not find a way to deal with our family? If the Emperor holds evidence that my Ama is alive, then my status as a surrendered king vanishes in an instant! Without the status of a surrendered king, the title of Marquis of Extended Grace is gone too!

If your grandson goes and really lures Ama out, will the Emperor execute our whole family? Is luring Ama out a merit or a fault? Is the Emperor such an unreasonable man?"

Hearing her grandson's words, old Bumbutai was somewhat swayed.

Zhu Cilang did indeed act with reason in all things. Even when he wanted to punish or kill someone, he had to produce a proper and upright justification, and moreover explain right from wrong clearly, so that people were convinced. For example, Kong Sizhen had been "sliced" with complete conviction — three thousand cuts (all on her hair) and not a word of complaint, and she had obediently served Zhu Cilang as a slave.

Another example: the handling of Shunzhi's relatives was also convincing. He did not kill Bumbutai and Fuquan because Shunzhi had rebelled, but merely stripped Fuquan of his status as heir to Prince Gong, and later transferred the title of Prince Gong to Jin Boguo, who had abandoned darkness for the light.

And Xuanye had surrendered in the name of the Great Qing sovereign after Shunzhi's "death," and was an infant at the time, so he enjoyed the treatment of a surrendered king and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Extended Grace.

As for whether Shunzhi faked his death or truly died, neither would drag the Marquis of Extended Grace, Xuanye, into prison. But it would affect Xuanye's status as a "surrendered king." Once the "surrendered king" status was gone, the Marquis of Extended Grace title would be gone too, and the marquis's residence and title lands would all be gone — that was a great deal of money!

Under Zhu Cilang's governance, the nobility of the Great Ming now valued education over ostentation. Except for reigning monarchs or the especially wealthy, they generally traveled light with few attendants. When needed, they could simply "rent" ceremonial regalia from the Great Banner Guard of the Guards Army.

So the two thousand mu of marquis title land allowed Xuanye's family to live very comfortably. And Xuanye was a top student, certain to be admitted to the Imperial Academy. After graduating from the Imperial Academy, even if he stayed on to teach, he would have a very decent income.

"Then what about your Ama?" Bumbutai asked in a barely audible voice. "If you lure your Ama out, that is of course a merit. The Emperor is clear in rewards and punishments, and will surely reward you. But your Ama will lose his head!"

Hearing the old lady ask this, Xuanye knew she had been taken in!

Xuanye was far cleverer than Fulin — not only excellent in his studies, but also silver-tongued. Bumbutai was getting on in years and simply could not withstand his persuasion.

"It won't come to that," Xuanye said. "My Ama can still surrender. And my aunt is in the palace, a favored consort of the Emperor. She can surely plead for Ama."

Bumbutai sighed. "It will be hard on Ajige again. She is not actually all that favored, and gets punished every few days. Fortunately she can endure grievances and always manages to hold out until the Emperor relents. Otherwise she would long ago have been demoted to a slave!"

While Bumbutai was being persuaded by Xuanye and agreeing to let him go west to lure Shunzhi into taking the bait, that much-wronged Ajige was kneeling and washing Zhu Cilang's feet.

The Zhu Emperor had turned over her card tonight, and at dusk had arrived at Ajige's "little cabin in the woods."

The little cabin in the woods was in the mountain forests of the Old Mountain hunting grounds. Called a little cabin, it was in fact a two-story wooden house with a pointed roof, built of logs, with a distinctive charm of its own. Building this cabin had been Ajige's idea — not so that Zhu Cilang could rest there while hunting at Old Mountain, but so that she herself could dress as a mountain woman and receive the "passing" Zhu Emperor in the cabin.

It had to be said, Ajige was quite good at pleasing Zhu Cilang.

Because she was still relatively favored and not afraid of punishment, at this moment she brought up the matter of "Xuanye going west."

"Your Majesty, in sending Xuanye west, do you intend to use him to lure out my brother Fulin?"

Zhu Cilang smiled. "Of course not. Why would a mere Fulin require such elaborate measures?"

"Then..." Ajige thought for a moment. "Who else?"

Zhu Cilang glanced at her and laughed. "This time We want to catch many fish. You are one of them too."

"Do I still need to be caught?" Ajige giggled. "I have already been cooked, plated, and served to the table. Your Majesty may eat me however he pleases."

Zhu Cilang laughed heartily. "This is what they call 'We are the cleaver, you are the meat.' We like this attitude of yours, offering yourself to the slaughter!"

Ajige laughed. "I am happy to let Your Majesty slaughter me!"

Zhu Cilang's tone turned somewhat grim. "But there are still some who do not know how formidable We are, and wish to test Our patience and Our lifespan! They think that by playing the grandson, We will overlook them.

Before, Liaoyang Province had not been developed, the border garrisons of Daning, Anbei, and Beiping were too desolate, and Sichuan still had roving bandits causing chaos. We could not attend to so much!"

Ajige understood now!

The Zhu Emperor was sending Xuanye out to lure Fulin into the open, then use Fulin, the rebel king who had faked his death, to fabricate charges and intimidate the Manchu warriors of the Heilongjiang and Andong garrisons.

"But what if Fulin does not take the bait?" Ajige asked. "He has hidden himself quite well all these years, hasn't he?"

Zhu Cilang smiled. "It is not that there are no traces at all. It is just that the Embroidered Uniform Guard lot have been somewhat slow, and failed to catch him."

In fact, the Embroidered Uniform Guard could not be entirely blamed for this. The techniques for catching people in this era were simply inadequate! Moreover, the Great Ming was now a country where people could roam about freely. Shunzhi had taken a large sum of money with him when he fled — where could he not go? So he was indeed hard to catch.

And Zhu Cilang did not want to make too big a fuss. He had not circulated portraits, nor issued a general arrest warrant, but merely ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate secretly. That was why they had not caught him.

Zhu Cilang continued, "Ajige, this time Fulin cannot escape. A Fulin will appear one way or another, and when the time comes, We will trouble you to come out and identify him."

Ajige nodded. "No trouble, no trouble. Whoever Your Majesty tells me is Xuanye's Ama, I will identify him!"

(End of Chapter)