Chapter 1438: We Have High Hopes for Galdan

Mutton soup is food, and getting poisoned from drinking mutton soup is, of course, food poisoning!

Fortunately, the two Eastern Depot experts guarding the fake Shunzhi were both well-versed in medicine, and at this moment they were doing their utmost to rescue the fake Shunzhi from his food poisoning.

How does one treat mutton-soup poisoning? By cutting him open, of course! If the fake Shunzhi were immune to all poisons, then they would have had to bring out flintlock guns to treat him. But now that he was poisoned and rolling on the ground, he had clearly lost the ability to resist, so there was no need to fire a gun — opening him up would do the trick. After all, gunfire treatment made too much noise, while the knife made far less.

The two men who had come with Eunuch Pan were both surgeons — experts at putting a hand on a man and ending his life. Seeing the fake Shunzhi clutching his stomach, foaming at the mouth, howling, and rolling on the ground in agony, they both thought this fake Shunzhi might actually pull through. So they drew their Embroidered Spring sabers and pounced on him to save him — the white blade went in, the red blade came out.

While the fake Shunzhi was suffering food poisoning at the Marquis of Yan'en's residence and receiving treatment from the Eastern Depot experts, Zhu Cilang, who knew nothing of the matter, was in the Yan Mountain Palace speaking with his newly adopted goddaughter, the Snow Mountain Commandery Princess Zhu A'nu, who was soon to be married far away.

"A'nu, We recently received secret reports from the Western Regions. Galdan's fifth brother, the Junggar King Sengge, seems to have eaten something unclean this summer and fallen ill. His condition is worsening by the day, and he may never rise from his sickbed."

If Zhu Cilang's prediction was correct, Sengge's life had already reached its end. Because too many people wanted this mighty ruler of the Junggar Kingdom dead!

For rulers of the seventeenth century, food safety was absolutely a matter of the highest importance! That was why Zhu Cilang, as the "King of Kings," had settled the title of the Lucky Crown Prince so early, and why he personally selected and trained the Crown Princess. As for the servants closest to his person, he went over them again and again with the utmost care. He had to choose someone who was both attentive and could not be won over or controlled by the military-political great houses — the Wu, Zheng, Shen, and Luo families.

That was truly no easy task!

Looking at A'nu, who had grown up at his side since childhood, Zhu Cilang felt a certain reluctance to part with her. Still, considering her prospects after marrying far away, he forced out a small smile: "Do you know who will become the ruler of the Junggar once Sengge dies?"

"Is it Galdan?" A'nu's heart pounded, and she felt a little thrill of excitement.

She was going to be Galdan's principal wife. The moment Galdan took the throne, she would be queen of the Junggar Kingdom — and a queen with backing, at that. That was far better than being one of Zhu Cilang's selected attendants!

Moreover, in the years she had served at Zhu Cilang's side, although she had never received a single copper in wages (servants, of course, received no wages), she had nonetheless saved up a great fortune — she had no idea how it had happened, but the masters in the palace, and those wealthy and powerful imperial relatives, all liked to stuff banknotes into her hands!

This was not corruption; it was called a gratuity. When a master rewarded a servant, the servant could not refuse. If she truly refused, it would frighten those "masters"!

And so, over the years, A'nu had actually saved up a dowry of more than a hundred thousand taels!

In addition, Zhu Cilang had supplemented it with a large sum of silver as her marriage portion. Once she reached Galdan's side, she would be a rich woman indeed.

Zhu Cilang nodded and said with a smile: "Although Galdan is not Sengge's son, he has the firm support of the Great Lama of the Snowy Regions and the Acting King. Moreover, he is the youngest son by the principal wife of the previous Junggar Taiji, Batur Khong Tayiji. The Mongols have a tradition of the youngest son guarding the hearth, and the youngest son by the principal wife of a tribal chief is often regarded as the first heir. In earlier years, because Galdan became a lama, it fell to Sengge to occupy the position of youngest son by the principal wife. Now Galdan has, at the Great Lama's request, returned to lay life to protect the Dharma, and so he naturally has the possibility of succeeding after Sengge's death.

But to turn that possibility into reality, we cannot do without you, A'nu — the next queen of the Junggar Kingdom. You are Our goddaughter and Our trusted confidante. Only by marrying you can Galdan become king of the Junggar!"

Another story of settling the queen first, and the king second.

"Your daughter will certainly keep a close watch on Galdan for Imperial Father!" A'nu nodded firmly.

"We know your filial devotion!" Zhu Cilang said with a smile. "But do you know how to keep Galdan tethered to you?"

"That..." A'nu was taken aback and shook her head. "Your daughter does not know."

Zhu Cilang smiled: "Then let your father tell you. The Mongol khanates have a tradition of wives leading troops. In former days, Ligdan Khan divided his subject troops and people into eight ten-thousand-household units and gave them to his eight consorts to command. Now Sengge's khatun, Anu, also holds a powerful army in her hands. So after you marry Galdan, you must secure military power! As long as you have soldiers in your hands, Galdan will not dare fail to favor you!"

"Wives leading troops" was a method used by the khans of the late Northern Yuan to strengthen central authority — the Mongols had always practiced enfeoffment, with brothers, sons, and nephews all holding troops and ruling over people, ready to fight at the slightest disagreement. So some khans divided their followers among their wives to command. Wives were more reliable than brothers, after all, weren't they?

"How should your daughter go about obtaining military power?" A'nu was simply Zhu Cilang's personal attendant, utterly ignorant of military and state affairs!

"Your father will help you obtain it!" Zhu Cilang said with a smile. "Just keep it in mind. But after you marry Galdan, the first thing is to bear him sons. Once you have a son, it will be easier to take military power. And once you have military power, when Galdan is gone in the future, you will be the Empress Dowager of the Junggar!"

"Your daughter understands. Your daughter will obey Imperial Father in everything!" A'nu nodded firmly once more.

Though this father and daughter were not related by blood, they had spent so many years together day and night, and now that they were about to part, there was naturally no end to what they had to say.

No one knew how long their conversation had lasted when suddenly the voice of the Emperor's female official, Auntie Cao, came from outside the door: "Your Majesty, Consort Ning seeks an audience. She says she has come to beg forgiveness for her crime..."

"Beg forgiveness?" Zhu Cilang asked. "Did she say what the crime was?"

"She did. The mutton soup prepared for Shunzhi was unclean. After Shunzhi ate it, he cried out with stomach pain."

"Stomach pain? Has a doctor been called to see him?"

"Yes. The Eastern Depot agents who accompanied him know medicine. They made every effort to treat him, but still could not save him!"

"What?" Zhu Cilang shot to his feet and said furiously, "Could not save him? Shunzhi is dead? Summon Consort Ning in to speak at once!"

The fake Shunzhi was truly dead! Dead from a bowl of spoiled, rotten mutton soup and the excessive medical treatment of Eastern Depot quacks. Purely an accident, not murder.

Afterwards, the Ming Emperor Zhu Cilang severely criticized the Eastern Depot medical personnel responsible for the treatment and forbade them from ever practicing medicine again! He also imposed severe punishment on the person bearing primary responsibility for bringing the spoiled, rotten mutton soup to the fake Shunzhi — Consort Ning, Ajige!

This fake Shunzhi had originally been a person of no consequence, but his death had a somewhat sensational quality to it, and the consequences were rather serious.

It not only turned Ajige from Consort Ning into a servant, but also sounded the horn for the punitive expedition against Oboi and Yolo — because before the fake Shunzhi died, he had already honestly confessed to the crime of drinking blood wine and swearing brotherhood with Oboi and Yolo!

Though the man was dead, the testimony he had given remained valid and could be used to incriminate Oboi and Yolo.

In addition to testimony, the fake Shunzhi had also provided a large quantity of physical evidence, chiefly letters exchanged, which had been authenticated by experts from the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot as all being genuine!

And so the two villains Oboi and Yolo, faced with mountain-solid ironclad proof, had no choice but to fight to the death.

The Chongzhen Retired Emperor, who lived in the Palace of Longevity, upon hearing the news that the fake Shunzhi had died from drinking mutton soup, summoned twenty or thirty of his older sons who were Commandery Princes into the palace, preparing to speak with them about going to the Northeast to make their fortunes.

This matter was truly hard to know how to broach!

The sons whom Chongzhen had previously sent off to make their fortunes in Luzon had all been given capital when they left. The Prince of Jiaqing, who had gone to make his fortune in the New Continent, had also taken Chongzhen's 250,000 taels of retirement money. When the Ninth Prince Zhu Cixuan left home, although he had not taken capital, everyone knew the Ninth Prince had money!

Chongzhen had even bestowed the West Garden Villa on the Ninth Prince, and Consort Hu had never been stingy about slipping the Ninth Prince money, so the Ninth Prince had no fear of lacking funds while away from home.

But the Commandery Princes who were about to travel far to the Northeast had no money. Going off to make their fortunes empty-handed? They might as well go begging!

(End of Chapter)