Chapter 1424: It Is Time to Reduce the Feudatories!

More than a hundred li west of Yining City, where the unbroken Tianshan Mountains meet the Ili River valley, near a strategic stronghold called Demon Mountain City, two large bodies of troops were resting and eating. One of these two forces was evidently bound for a long journey, for its ranks contained great numbers of camels laden with baggage, all now kneeling along the main road leading to a pass through the Tianshan. The soldiers escorting the camels had gathered in groups of a dozen or so beside the animals and were noisily devouring food sent down from Demon Mountain City.

The other force was clearly there to see them off — all mounted, every man of them — and at the foot of Demon Mountain City they had formed circles of a hundred-odd riders each and were likewise dining together.

Between the two groups stood three horse-drawn prison carts!

Embroidered Uniform Guard officers in flying-fish robes with Xiuchun sabers at their waists had divided into two details around the prison carts — one guarding the carts, the other circled up eating and drinking. Two men dressed in the everyday robes of princes, surrounded by a crowd of subordinate officials and several lamas, were standing before one of the prison carts, apparently trying to talk sense into the person inside.

"Prince Gong, stop crying. You are only a suspect for now — you will not necessarily be convicted. And my imperial brother is a reasonable man. Even if you are convicted, he will not take your head!"

"Right, right — it will be fine. And there is your sister, Consort Ajige — she is His Majesty's Consort Ning. And then there is Consort Xian, Lady Dong'e. The two of them can surely keep you safe!"

"Stop crying. Look at Shunzhi over there — he is the one truly doomed to die, yet he still eats and drinks as usual!"

"Exactly. And your nephew, the Marquis of Yan'en, is doing fine too — not afraid in the least. A real man of character! You should learn from him…"

So it was that Zhu San Crown Prince and Zhu Ci'en — the two scoundrel princes who had fabricated this wrongful case — were consoling the Great Ming's Prince Gong of the Jin, Jin Boguo, whom they had wronged.

Just days earlier, an express courier riding six hundred li from Yingtian Prefecture had delivered an edict from the Zhu Emperor. Zhu Cilang commanded Zhu San Crown Prince to load the captured rebel Shunzhi, along with the suspects Jin Boguo and Jin Xuanye — suspected of conspiring with Shunzhi in treason — into prison carts, and hand them over to Zhu Ci'en and the Embroidered Uniform Guard accompanying him westward, to be escorted to Yingtian Prefecture for judgment.

Faced with this sudden calamity of imprisonment, Jin Boguo and Jin Xuanye could not have reacted more differently. Jin Xuanye was a stout-hearted fellow, utterly unafraid. He ate and drank as usual — in truth, once he knew he was being taken to Yingtian Prefecture, his mind settled.

For he knew that Zhu Cilang was a reasonable man, and that Zhu San Crown Prince was the unreasonable tyrant! If he had to remain long in the northwest, who knew when he would be done away with.

Jin Boguo, however, did not understand this. The moment he was put in the prison cart he wept like a man drowned in tears, and Zhu San Crown Prince and Zhu Ci'en, at a loss, had no choice but to come console him in person.

But Jin Boguo could not take it in. Still sobbing, he said: "That Shunzhi… ah, how can I compare with him? He has already kowtowed before the spirit tablets of three founding emperors!"

Having paid homage to three founding emperors, what was there left to fear?

As he spoke, Jin Boguo kept glancing over toward Lama Ford — this real Shunzhi had also come, to see Jin Boguo and Jin Xuanye off.

Jin Boguo thought to himself: If I betray my own brother now, can I buy back my life? My brother must have stumbled into some incredible luck, to have gotten so close to His Highness the Prince of Dai… If I expose my brother, will the Prince of Dai feel he has lost face, and in his fury kill both my brother and me?

After wrestling with himself for a while, Jin Boguo sighed again: "My nephew is still young — he does not understand, he does not know how serious this is! And my poor sister is even more hopeless. She is not particularly favored; all these years in the palace she has risen and fallen, demoted every few days — I hear she has even been beaten. Truly, no one has it worse. This time she has not escaped either; she may well be reduced to a slave. How could she protect me! Dong'e is favored, true, and her son has even become King of Joseon — but she will not speak for our branch of the family!"

Seeing Jin Boguo rambling on, the very picture of collapse, Zhu San Crown Prince shook his head. No longer inclined to persuade him, he drew Zhu Ci'en aside and waved off the attending officials, telling them to keep their distance.

Once the two brothers were alone, they could finally speak in private.

Zhu San Crown Prince said to his younger brother: "Old Nine, when you return to Yingtian Prefecture, you must speak with Eldest Brother about reducing the feudatories and relocating them. Our Great Ming now has rather too many non-imperial feudatories! The Wu family holds two, the Huang family one, the Gao family one, the Jianzhou remnants two, the roving-bandit remnants three. This is beginning to resemble the warlord fragmentation of the late Tang!"

"This cannot go on! As long as we brothers are still here, these feudatories and garrisons naturally dare not act up. But one day, when our generation is gone, who will be able to keep them in check? So we must reduce the feudatories or relocate them, and quickly!"

Zhu Ci'en thought to himself: Non-imperial feudatories are feudatories — but are your Anbei and Beiting not feudatories too? Did not our own Chengmiao grandfather seize the throne from the rightful heir by virtue of his feudatory? Are you planning to wipe out all the non-imperial feudatories, and then find a chance to imitate Chengmiao grandfather?

Zhu San Crown Prince could never have imagined his good brother harboring such thoughts. Seeing Zhu Ci'en staring blankly, he assumed his words had not been understood, and so explained: "The realm is vast now, so the feudatories can be reduced or relocated. Reducing them means, of course, relieving them of military power over a cup of wine — the sort of thing Eldest Brother often does. Relocating them means moving the feudatories far away. Just as Eldest Brother did to me, his own brother — moved from the fine city of Datong all the way to the foot of the Tianshan Mountains!"

Hearing Zhu San Crown Prince's complaints, Zhu Ci'en gave a bitter smile and said: "Third Brother, you have it good — two feudatories and a kingdom in one grand enfeoffment! Look at me? A single shabby Commandery Prince, with only three thousand mu of poor land. The princely mansion I live in is still under our father's name. I am past twenty now and have not even found a wife!"

In raising the subject of a wife, Zhu Ci'en's real aim was to obtain that Hu beauty named "Hani." With her always at his side, he would not mind going without a wife at all.

"You do not even have a wife?" Zhu San Crown Prince looked his brother over and shook his head gently. "With looks like yours — a regular Pan An! Do not worry; leave it to your brother. I will surely arrange a fine match for you."

"Then your younger brother thanks Third Brother." Zhu Ci'en clasped his fists toward Zhu San Crown Prince.

Zhu San Crown Prince smiled. "We are blood brothers — no need for courtesy. Old Nine, do you want to set up some feudatory kingdom of your own? Shall your elder brother lend you a hand?"

"No, no." Zhu Ci'en waved his hands repeatedly. "Spare me, Third Brother. I do not covet such things! A single general's glory is built on ten thousand bleached bones — I know that truth. Old Seven and Old Ten both died on Luzon! I just want to live a quiet life!"

"You still want a quiet life?" Zhu San Crown Prince burst out laughing. "Our father sold you for three hundred fifty thousand taels! And you botched the peacemaking errand besides. Eldest Brother is too shrewd an emperor to let you off — unless you can scrape together three hundred fifty thousand taels to repay him!"

"What? Scrape together three hundred fifty thousand taels to repay him?" Zhu Ci'en was instantly alarmed. "Where am I supposed to find three hundred fifty thousand taels?"

"No three hundred fifty thousand taels?" Zhu San Crown Prince grinned. "Then serve Eldest Brother well. How about this — I will send Eldest Brother a memorial requesting your transfer to the northwest front to assist in military affairs. Rest assured, I am your own brother; I will not treat you shabbily."

Really? Zhu Ci'en was highly doubtful! The Chongzhen Retired Emperor was his own father, and he had still sold him to the Zhu Emperor! And the Zhu Emperor, his own eldest brother, had no good intentions either, sending him all this way to "smooth things over"…

Zhu San Crown Prince clapped his brother on the shoulder. "Enough — it is settled!" As he spoke, he produced a memorial from somewhere and handed it to Zhu Ci'en. "Old Nine, this is the memorial for Eldest Brother — requesting your transfer to serve on the northwest front. Take it to him yourself. And remember — go quickly and return quickly. Do not keep that girl Hani waiting too long."

"Hani, she…" At the sound of the name "Hani," Zhu Ci'en's heart stirred at once. He hastily reached out and took the memorial, opened it, and glanced it over. It was simply a request to transfer him to the northwest front — surely there could be no danger in that?

Zhu San Crown Prince laughed. "It is settled, then. Go quickly and return quickly!"

(End of Chapter)