Chapter 578: Three Joys at the Door (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

On the second day of the second month in the fourth year of Shunzhi of the Great Qing, the dragon raised its head and the shaven pate was shorn — an auspicious day for remarriage, for acknowledging a father, for betrothal. Great fortune and great luck.

The crackling of firecrackers resounded throughout Beijing, and the area around the Forbidden City was thronged with people. Plenty of men and women of the Plain White Banner and the Two Yellow Banners crowded outside the East Prosperity Gate, beaming with joy as they peered inside to watch the Empress Dowager get married. This was a great happy occasion for both the Plain White Banner and the Plain Yellow Banner!

Although in later history books the matter of Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang marrying Dorgon was thoroughly covered up, at the time all of Beijing knew it was being celebrated as a great joyous event.

It was only the fourth year of Shunzhi — how long had the Great Qing even been inside the Pass? Why would they care so much about Han rites and propriety? Although after the change of the reign title to Chongde, Hong Taiji had decreed that no one might marry a father's secondary wife, an uncle's wife, an aunt by marriage, a sister-in-law, or a daughter-in-law within the clan. But how many able-bodied men did the Manchus even have? And these past few years had seen campaign after campaign, so those who had died in battle or of illness at the front, all added together, were no small number. If the levirate marriage system truly ceased to exist, and the bannerwomen who had lost their men were made to remain widows, then the next generation of Manchu lords would be very hard to sustain.

So for now Dorgon could only encourage levirate marriage among the bannermen, and his personally taking the elder lady Bumbutai as his wife was leading by example — truly admirable, and certain to leave a bold and brilliant stroke in the annals of the nation!

Zu Dashou, still with the Plain Yellow Banner, had also arrived outside the East Prosperity Gate. But he had not come to watch the excitement — he had come to drink at the wedding feast. With his eldest son Zu Zerun and a cartload of silks, lacquerware, and porcelain brought from the trade market at Dagu, he stood cheerfully among a group of high officials of the Plain Yellow Banner. Beside him stood Oboi, the foremost warrior of the Manchus, just back from the Tianjin garrison, equally beaming, likewise bearing a great cartload of congratulatory gifts.

Oboi had truly prospered now — he was the Angbang Zhangjing garrisoning Tianjin! All nine great imperial merchants had to send silver to his household. This was all by the grace of the Prince Regent!

The two of them were chatting away with great relish, one remark after another.

"This is a great joy indeed! For an empress dowager to marry — that has been rare since ancient times, has it not?"

"Isn't it just! And His Majesty has gained himself a father — now that makes it double happiness at the door!"

"Not double happiness — triple happiness!"

"Ah! Triple happiness. Then the Empress Dowager is with child?"

"No, no. How could the Empress Dowager — ah, no, the Empress Dowager will be with child sooner or later! But hasn't she yet performed the wedding bows?"

"Right, right. Then what is this third happiness you speak of?"

"It's that the Gege is to be married off!"

"A Gege? Which Gege?"

"It's the Imperial Ama's (meaning Dorgon's) Gege — the Heshuo Princess!"

"Ah, so... the marriage negotiations have succeeded?"

"Nearly! Kefa went into the palace with gifts early this morning — he should be discussing the matter with the Imperial Ama right about now, shouldn't he?"

"Wahaha! This is wonderful. If the marriage alliance succeeds, the realm will be at peace!"

"Isn't it just."

And indeed, though Zu Dashou had now been shelved and left idle, his information was still remarkably well-connected. His adopted son Zu Kefa was at this very moment in the Hall of Martial Valor, speaking with Dorgon, who was about to become a bridegroom.

Dorgon's new son, the little Shunzhi Emperor, and his own young daughter, the Gege Donggo, were also present. The Shunzhi Emperor was the same as ever, sitting there listlessly like a clay bodhisattva. The Gege Donggo, however, had grown into a clear and lovely girl. She did not take after Dorgon, but rather resembled her Joseon mother — fair-skinned and beautiful, a living little beauty. Though only ten years old, she already understood a thing or two. Knowing that her own marriage was being discussed today, she was so shy her small face was bright red, and she simply lowered her head to study the floor tiles.

"Why is it still only Noble Consort? I am already the Imperial Ama, and Donggo is already a Heshuo Princess — why can she still not be made Empress?"

Dorgon wore a thoroughly displeased expression as he sharply questioned Zu Kefa, whose face was wreathed in smiles.

Zu Kefa was now a seasoned diplomat, and he saw through Dorgon's mind at a glance — the Gege Donggo had appeared in person, so this marriage could not possibly fall through.

"Imperial Ama, Great King," he replied to Dorgon with a smile, "His Majesty our sovereign has done this entirely for the Gege's own good. Empress and Noble Consort differ by only one rank, but one is the target of every arrow, while the other enjoys favor from all sides! To speak plainly with you, the Ming court is now jointly assisted by the Northern and Southern parties — the Wu family heads the Northern party, and the Zheng family leads the Southern party. If the Gege were placed above Noble Consort Wu and Noble Consort Zheng, would she not become the common enemy of both parties? Better to take a step back and stand equal with Noble Consort Wu and Noble Consort Zheng."

Dorgon did not believe a single word of Zu Kefa's speech — what sort of man was Zhu Cilang? Would he be unable to control the Northern and Southern parties? Refusing to let Donggo be made Empress was plainly treating the Great Qing as an enemy!

But the little girl Donggo, sitting on an embroidered stool to one side, was secretly delighted. The Crown Prince brother — oh, now the Emperor brother — was so good, he had thought of everything.

And the little Shunzhi Emperor, sitting upright on the imperial throne like a puppet, felt the same as Donggo — he thought Zhu Cilang's decision was correct. Dorgon's title of Imperial Ama was fake! And Donggo's Heshuo Princess title was also fake, so of course she could not be Empress. But Emperor Zhu, you need not worry — Our fourteenth sister (Princess Jianning) is quite good-looking, and her Heshuo Princess title is real! Once she grows a little older, We shall marry her to you as your Empress!

"Donggo, what do you think of this matter?" Dorgon's voice rang out. He knew his daughter's mind — that scoundrel Zhu Cilang might harbor no good intentions, but the gifts he had sent the Gege Donggo had not ceased for the past two or three years! And he even sent his own portrait along with the gifts. The boy also had a fine appearance, and had already charmed the little Donggo into a daze — was there any chance she would refuse?

"Ama, your daughter... your daughter... thinks it is acceptable." The little girl's voice was as thin as a mosquito's, yet every word was clearly enunciated, and all in the hall could hear it plainly.

Dorgon wore a helpless expression. Zhu Cilang was no good thing, and bore no good intentions toward the Great Qing or toward the Gege Donggo. But this marriage had to be granted, because both publicly and privately, the matter had its benefits.

Publicly, the marriage alliance could delay the outbreak of war — the sons of the Nine Banners (not counting Wu Sangui's Bordered Green Banner) needed to rest and recuperate!

If there was war every day, where would the next generation of the Nine Banners come from? Ought they not take advantage of this moment of eased tensions to produce a few more?

Moreover, the land distribution by headcount in Henan, Northern Zhili, Shanxi, and other provinces had left behind certain aftereffects that likewise required time to repair. The aftereffects of the headcount land distribution on Great Qing territory were mainly two. First, the "disappearance" of industry and commerce — part of it vanished along with the disappearance of the landlord-gentry class, and part of it was converted into land-granted peasants. Thus the scale of industry and commerce on Qing territory had shrunk drastically over the past few years, and the only industry and commerce of any scale that remained was the "banner-run" enterprises and those operated by the nine great imperial merchants.

Second, the resistance of the Shanxi gentry! Although the nine great imperial merchants were all Shanxi merchants, there were far more Shanxi merchants than that — they could not all become imperial merchants of the Great Qing. And those Shanxi merchants who did not become imperial merchants, along with the Shanxi landlords, all became victims of the headcount land distribution!

They not only lost their land, but also lost their markets, their sources of goods, their cheap labor, and their capital. The Great Qing of today did not expect the support of the scholar-officials, and so did not serve as the backer of usurious scholar-officials. The yamen below paid no attention at all to unpaid debts — as long as taxes were not owed, that was enough!

Therefore most of the gentry and unscrupulous merchants of Shanxi had sided with the Third Prince of Mount Lüliang. So Dorgon would still have to expend some effort before he could pacify the unrest in Shanxi.

Once Shanxi was pacified, the mess over in Shaanxi would inevitably still require time and effort to clean up. Who knew when he would ever be able to free his hands to deal with Zhu Cilang!

Besides the Great Qing's "public" need for the Gege Donggo to marry as a peace alliance, Dorgon's "private" side also had its needs. This time he had failed to become Emperor and had only gotten the title of Imperial Ama, which left him somewhat disheartened. While he lived, he naturally feared nothing, but his health was poor — he was always sickly and frail. If anything should happen to him, whom could Donggo rely on? Relying on anyone was not as good as relying on her own man!

At this thought, Dorgon sighed: "Since the Gege finds it acceptable, then the matter is approved!" He thought for a moment, then added, "However, the Gege is still young — only ten — and cannot yet be married off. Moreover, the Gege was born beyond the Pass and may not adapt to the climate of the southeast. You must build her a detached palace in Dengzhou, Shandong, and let her live there for two years — on the one hand to acclimate to the climate, and on the other to study Ming rites and writing. Once the Dengzhou detached palace is completed, this Prince will send the Gege there, and after she comes of age she shall enter the palace of the Zhu Emperor."

(End of Chapter)