Chapter 879: What? The Great Qing Is Gone! — Chapter Twenty (Please Subscribe)

"Your servant Bumbutai respectfully inquires after the sacred health of the Son of Heaven of the Great Ming. Long live His Majesty, ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!"

Within the traveling palace on Yunlong Mountain, Bumbutai, now dressed in the court robes of a Ming titled lady, at last met Fulin's new Ama, Zhu Cilang.

Zhu Cilang looked at the older woman kowtowing before him, then glanced at Zu Dashou, Guang Shiheng, and Luo Yangxing standing to one side.

All three nodded repeatedly — this was indeed the woman herself, the genuine article beyond all doubt, and they could vouch for it!

"Raise your head!" Zhu Cilang said with a smile.

Over the years the woman had studied Chinese and could now understand a little and speak some as well. She hastily lifted her head and straightened her back, gazing at the Son of Heaven of the Great Ming upon the throne. Suddenly she noticed beside the throne a girl who looked somewhat familiar — she resembled Princess Dong'e!

"Dongzhu, is she Bumbutai?" Zhu Cilang asked Jin Dongzhu with a smile.

Jin Dongzhu nodded lightly. "That is correct. She is Fulin's birth mother, and also my stepmother."

"Hahaha, then she is one of our own!" Zhu Cilang laughed. "Grant her a seat!"

Bumbutai also recognized Jin Dongzhu as Princess Dong'e and blurted out, "Dong'e, is that you? Weren't you already—"

She spoke in Mongolian, and Jin Dongzhu answered in Mongolian as well: "Yes! His Majesty knew that the two dynasties were bound to be mortal enemies, and feared I would be caught in an impossible position, so he ordered me to live under the name Jin Dongzhu."

Is that so? Bumbutai thought to herself: It was clearly to trick that wretched girl Ajige into his hands, wasn't it?

Jin Dongzhu continued, "Now that His Majesty favors me and Ajige, Mother can rest assured. Even if Brother Fulin rebels in Beijing, you may live out your years in peace in Nanjing, and will never meet the same end as Fan Wencheng."

Zhu Cilang was a man of reason and also rather devoted to the rule of law. Although Bumbutai was no good person, her crimes did not rise to the level of losing her head — her offense was nothing more than bearing Hong Taiji a foolish son.

"What happened to Fan Wencheng?" the woman pressed.

Jin Dongzhu said, "He was convicted of six great crimes — treason, aiding the barbarians, serving the enemy, breaking covenants, plundering, and massacre. The Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review, Ji Kun, sentenced him to six death-by-a-thousand-cuts executions, to be carved with six thousand strokes!"

"Six thousand cuts? How does one even make that many cuts?" Bumbutai drew a sharp breath. This man surnamed Ji is far too cruel, she thought. A living King of Hell!

Jin Dongzhu said, "Fortunately His Majesty is merciful and spared him three thousand cuts, so now he will only suffer three thousand."

Is three thousand cuts supposed to be few? Bumbutai thought. If he were truly merciful, he would have commuted it to being hacked into eight pieces!

Jin Dongzhu's words of comfort to Bumbutai were translated for the Zhu Emperor by interpreters who understood Mongolian. When the Zhu Emperor heard Jin Dongzhu say he was merciful, he felt a twinge of shame. In truth it was not his mercy, but rather that Fan Wencheng had landed himself a fine wife. When Kong Sizhen heard that Fan Wencheng was to suffer six thousand cuts, she came again to plead with the Zhu Emperor, offering to take three thousand cuts on her husband's behalf. Seeing the depth of their conjugal devotion, the Zhu Emperor naturally agreed.

So those three thousand cuts would be carved upon Kong Sizhen's person! The cutting had to be done — the law of the Great Ming stood firm as a mountain! But where to cut was for Zhu Cilang to decide. Kong Sizhen had already been confiscated into the palace as a slave, belonging to Zhu Cilang, so Zhu Cilang planned to cut Kong Sizhen's hair, strand by strand, ever so gently. With a wife like this, Fan Wencheng could die without regret!

"Bumbutai," Zhu Cilang said, seeing her face had turned rather pale, and interjected with a smile, "do not be afraid. You and We are family, and We will always look after you. Even if Our imperial son Fulin rebels, you will not be implicated. And once We capture Fulin, We will not have his flesh carved, nor even have him killed — he will be allowed to live out his days as a wealthy commoner."

Truly the imperial grace was boundless!

Bumbutai could scarcely believe her own ears. The Zhu Emperor was far too easy to talk to! Fulin rebels, gets caught, and won't even lose his head? This didn't sound right at all! Surely he must be deceiving me?

Zhu Cilang merely smiled. "Bumbutai, by all means write Our words in a letter to Fulin. We have always done exactly as We say!"

This was practically encouraging Jin Fulin to rebel!

Because Zhu Cilang already knew that Fulin was an excellent opponent for racking up battle achievements! And just the day before, Zhu Cilang had received a report from Li Chengdong, Regional Commander of Liaodong, stating that Dodo had sent envoys to Jinzhou to propose peace with the Great Ming, and had even expressed willingness to declare himself a subject of the Great Ming.

It seemed that before long, Aisin Gioro Dodo would become "Jin Dodo."

Since even "Jin Dodo" had knelt, the rebellious Jin Fulin would be the perfect opponent for the Zhu Emperor to build up his prestige! Not only could he assert his authority in the north, but he could also assert it across the Mongolian steppe.

Even "Jin Dodo" has knelt — how dare you Mongol khans not kneel at once? If you dare refuse, with Jin Dodo to the east, the Dzungars to the west, and a Great Ming Prince of Dai to the south, you will be squeezed from three sides and all end up jumping into Lake Baikal!

Therefore, once Jin Fulin rebelled, Zhu Cilang would order the Mongol tribes to send troops to assist in the campaign!

The woman did not know the Zhu Emperor's thoughts, but she still had to express gratitude for his grace! After all, he had spared Jin Fulin's life no matter what — that made him a good Ama!

Zhu Cilang looked at "the child's mother" and said with a smile, "The time is about right. Let us go together to watch Fan Wencheng's flesh being carved. This is a public execution — quite a few people have come from Shandong and the north bank of the Yangtze to watch. It will be lively!"

The woman shuddered at these words. Carving flesh! How painful that must be!

The execution ground for Fan Wencheng was set up south of Xuzhou city, on a large stretch of open land now packed with a sea of people — tens of thousands had come upon hearing the news to watch.

So that everyone could see more clearly, the Embroidered Uniform Guard in charge of the execution had specially had a high platform erected, upon which Fan Wencheng would be carved — of course, this platform had not been prepared for Fan Wencheng alone; behind him a whole line of others were waiting to mount it and take their turns under the knife!

Those about to face the blade and those queued up waiting for it had already mounted the platform, kneeling in a row, every one of them bound tightly with ropes. The most pitiful was of course Fan Wencheng — the others were bound over their clothes, but he had been stripped naked before being bound, his pale flesh exposed, just waiting for the knife. By this point the man was of course paralyzed with terror, unable even to kneel, and had to be held up by two Embroidered Uniform Guardsmen.

His good wife Kong Sizhen was there too, far braver than he, feeding him his last meal while comforting him.

"My lord, what is there to fear? You are a man among men, a true husband — what are three thousand cuts?"

Three thousand cuts! Fan Wencheng glared at Kong Sizhen. The most poisonous thing under heaven is a woman's heart! he thought. You are even more venomous than your father Kong Youde. When I go below, I will surely find Kong Youde and ask him just how he raised his daughter!

Kong Sizhen said, "I, a weak woman, have taken three thousand cuts on your behalf, and when they were done I did not so much as furrow my brow! You must not be afraid either — just grit your teeth and it will pass!"

She had already suffered her three thousand cuts — her long hair had been cut down to a short bob at the ears!

Fan Wencheng looked at Kong Sizhen's hair and thought: Yours was just a haircut! Mine is the carving of flesh — how can the two be the same? Everything that has happened to me is your doing!

At that thought Fan Wencheng was about to burst out cursing, but the moment he opened his mouth, Kong Sizhen stuffed a steamed bun into it. The Embroidered Uniform Guard strongman beside them seized the chance and shoved in the gag cloth as well, then tied it fast with a cord. Now Fan Wencheng could not even curse, and could only wait dryly for the knife. A pitiful sight indeed!

Seeing Fan Wencheng's wretched state, the traitors queued up for the knife all began to wail and plead. Their crimes were no lesser than Fan Wencheng's — not one of them could escape the thousand cuts!

At that moment the Zhu Emperor and Bumbutai stood side by side on the gate tower opposite the execution ground, watching through telescopes. Seeing the executioner approach with a small knife, ready to begin cutting, Zhu Cilang lowered his telescope and said to Bumbutai with a smile, "Lady of Submission, We know that Fulin has no way to keep the Mongols in check. If Fulin is willing to withdraw his feudatory forces and come south, it would be best for you and best for Fulin himself. Then he would be an iron-cap prince with hereditary succession in perpetuity, and We will never go back on Our word. Convey Our meaning to him!"

Just as the Zhu Emperor was speaking, Fan Wencheng began to take the knife! Bumbutai watched with her own eyes as the gleaming blade cut down, and her heart seized, her hand trembled, and she failed to keep hold of the telescope, which dropped straight down below the gate tower.

(End of Chapter)