[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor":3,"chapter-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-314":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Wanli, the Enlightened Emperor",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2322136,4542,"Chapter 314: Water Flows, Clouds Depart; Chaotic Points on Camel Butter","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-314",314,"\u003Cp>In Chengguang Hall, two cups of tea steamed on the tea table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of the tea-drinking host and guest, only one remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor stared blankly at the spot where He Xinyin had sat, lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Hong, standing at a distance, was about to step forward when he saw the Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat approach the Emperor, then silently halt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yingxuan closed the pristine white record of the Emperor’s daily activities and hurried to stand behind him: “Your Majesty, during the audience just now, Your servant’s ears buzzed and his mind grew dizzy—he heard little clearly…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun finally snapped out of his reverie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned his head and saw Wang Yingxuan wearing an expression of confusion—clearly unsure how to record the events.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun couldn’t help laughing: “You heard clearly enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if his exact words were recorded, it would matter little—merely a case of He Xinyin having long harbored disloyal intentions, met with the Emperor’s sharp retort. His words were, of course, sarcasm—what else could they be? Could court ministers possibly interpret them as the Emperor instructing rebellion?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Wang Yingxuan did not immediately withdraw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment’s hesitation, he could not help speaking: “Your servant does not understand why Your Majesty spoke those words to Liang Ruyuan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this audience, Wang Yingxuan had too many things he did not understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat and the Emperor’s trusted recorder of daily affairs, he was expressly permitted to ask when confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun slowly rose, his expression inscrutable: “I wished to speak, so I spoke.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew perfectly well what Wang Yingxuan meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was merely the old trick of using He Xinyin—offering empty words, the carrot-and-stick routine, still easily manipulated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no need to say those words at all—so much so that even this Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat could not tell truth from falsehood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But, like Zhu Yijun’s reply, he wished to speak, so he spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yingxuan pressed further: “Your Majesty’s strategic vision is supreme, yet I still do not understand—Liang Ruyuan is already past sixty…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unspoken implication: He Xinyin was nearly dead, neither likely to escape prison and rally rebellion, nor to be suddenly moved by the Emperor’s words into sworn loyalty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was all this pointless effort merely to vent sarcasm against He Xinyin?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun, upon hearing this, suddenly sighed, his tone hollow: “Of course you do not understand—you see neither He Xinyin nor me clearly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These words were not spoken merely for He Xinyin. His disciples, his associates, his societies…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun paused, turning to Wang Yingxuan: “Of course, that includes you too, Wang Qing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yingxuan was startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He assumed the Emperor was reprimanding him and hurried to beg pardon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun waved his hand to cut him off: “I cannot explain it all now. Today’s audience—you need only know this: for reform, I must hold absolute power; for governance, I must hear all opinions; for steering the state… I must look further ahead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yingxuan seemed to grasp something, his brow furrowed, silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun looked at the thoughtful Wang Yingxuan: “When Deng Yizan served in Wanshou Palace, he went through the same. Listen more, watch more—I trust you more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Young Wang, after all, was a Jinshi of the second year of Wanli; less seasoned than Deng Yizan, but sharper in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun finished speaking, patted Wang Yingxuan’s shoulder, then turned back to the imperial seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Hong, seeing this, hurried forward to bow: “Your servant will go fetch the Mei Advisor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the Emperor nod, he slowly withdrew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin returned to the familiar prison of Shuntian Prefecture, sitting listlessly in the corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After his audience with the Emperor, most of his crimes had been pardoned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The case of this year’s insult to the imperial carriage, and the case from the second month of Wanli Three accusing the Chief Grand Secretary of monopolizing power, were both dismissed—by the Emperor’s own declaration, and by the Chief Grand Secretary’s magnanimity—effectively a private settlement between accuser and accused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The case of his escape from exile was re-sentenced: he was reassigned as a tax soldier under Shen Li’s command—just like his teacher Yan Jun, who, after seven days of exile to Guizhou as a soldier, was summoned by Yu Dayou to serve as military advisor, entirely legal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the case from Jiajing Forty involving divination, and the false case of the sorcerer Jin Yunfeng inciting a native chieftain to rebellion, remained pending judgment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The latter was a wrongful case with no connection to He Xinyin; as for the former… he was merely an accomplice of Xu Jie, and given his advanced age, the state’s leniency toward the elderly meant only the loss of his scholarly title was worth mentioning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, He Xinyin settled into prison, awaiting Shen Li’s holiday after the New Year, when they would journey together to Shandong to meet the Duke Yansheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This suited He Xinyin perfectly—it gave him time to organize the insights he had gained today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, voices rose outside the prison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin lifted his head at the sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The jailer bowed deeply as he led two men forward: Wang Xiangjin, the Prefect’s son, and Deputy Censor-in-Chief and Acting Head of the Censorate, Geng Xiangding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please, sirs, keep it brief—if my father finds out, he’ll break my legs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xiangjin bowed to He Xinyin inside the cell, then nervously added his warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned and left immediately, clearly having to deal with his father, Wang Zhiyuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin watched Wang Xiangjin’s back, then asked Geng Xiangding curiously: “Has the court troubled these scholars?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geng Xiangding gestured for the jailer to open the prison gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped inside, pinching his nose, and muttered: “It’s generous, if you call it that; it’s harsh, if you call it that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Emperor ordered the scholars who dared to remonstrate to till the fields and haul manure—and no further punishment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Wang boy spends his days happily in manure pits—he was lightly let off, even granted gifts as imperial favor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Zhao boy refused to submit, claiming the Emperor’s humiliation too great—he was stripped of his degree and sent back to Nanjing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court had no room to plead for mercy—after all, scholars tilling fields and hauling manure? Who wouldn’t call it proper moral instruction?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hauling manure was a respectable task.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Noble Imperial Consort can do it, why can’t a scholar?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin found this unsurprising. If anyone knew how to wave the banner of righteousness, the Emperor was unquestionably the towering beacon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time was short; no need to dwell on this topic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin sat cross-legged on the ground, cutting straight to the point: “The Duke Yansheng’s family has seized farmland and oppressed the common people—the Emperor wants me to lead the charge.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geng Xiangding took the mat offered by the jailer, about to sit cross-legged on the bench, but froze at these words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at He Xinyin in disbelief: “Mount Fushan has agreed!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin nodded calmly: “I read the case files—drenched in blood. I could not refuse.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geng Xiangding cried out in anguish: “Foolish!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed a trembling finger back and forth at He Xinyin: “This is not your task!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From Hai Rui and Chen Wude down to Shen Li and Yu Youding—so many high officials in the court—who could not handle one aristocratic family!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Emperor merely doesn’t want them disgraced! Yet he’s pushing you right into it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin fell silent for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He understood the logic perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To strike too hard at the Sage’s lineage is to betray one’s teachers and ancestors, inviting ruin; to handle it lightly is to deceive the Emperor and betray the people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor wants this commoner to lead the charge, so the court can appear helplessly virtuous, preserving the reputations of Shen Li, Yu Youding, and others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even knowing this, he accepted without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin did not look at Geng Xiangding; his eyes went vacant as he murmured: “There is a natural scale in heaven and earth—both the Emperor and the Sage’s lineage must step onto it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geng Xiangding rose and paced back and forth in the cramped cell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How can they be the same!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geng Xiangding faced the wall, his voice tense: “The Emperor is the Emperor—remonstrating is a scholar’s duty; no one can fault him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But what is the Kong family? The ancestral shrine of the Sage! If you dare overturn the Sage’s shrine, you’ll be branded a pariah in scholarly circles!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin shook his head: “I speak for the common people—justice lies in the hearts of men.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geng Xiangding whirled around, glaring at He Xinyin: “Justice lasts only a moment!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes—with the Emperor’s backing and the Kong family’s land seizures, you’ll crush them into vermin, swept away by public outrage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When the Emperor dies, everyone will rush to rehabilitate the Kong family!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even then, the Emperor may still find defenders—but you? You’ll be remembered as a sycophant who betrayed his teachers, destroyed national traditions, and ruined scholarly virtue!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone who ever struck at the Kong family—no matter how popular at first—soon faced a storm of backlash, no mastermind needed. The scholars, reading of the Kong family’s suffering, would weep on their own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charges of destroying classics, corrupting morals, dismantling ancient institutions, erasing tradition—there were too many to count.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for this, why didn’t the Emperor send Hai Rui?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin met Geng Xiangding’s gaze, paused, then said, almost against his will: “I claim to speak for the common people…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If my posthumous reputation is ruined for offending the Confucian masters, then I am simply too weak—I have failed the common people, leaving them voiceless and powerless, unable even to vindicate me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The more this is true, the more I must press forward without hesitation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geng Xiangding’s expression of frustrated disappointment froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at He Xinyin in shock. This was not the kind of thing He Xinyin would say—had the Emperor offered some irresistible condition?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Geng Xiangding speechless, He Xinyin did not press the matter, continuing: “I summoned you here for another reason—I intend to dissolve the Four Gates Society.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin’s expression was calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geng Xiangding was stunned again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cell was dry and bright—one of the few “premium cells” in Shuntian Prefecture. The two men stood and sat, staring at each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geng Xiangding, baffled, frowned deeply: “Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin shook his head: “A society should gather those who share the same path. But I have suddenly awakened—I realize my own path is unclear.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If so, why gather a thousand people just to amuse myself?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, earnestly: “I must re-cultivate—return from the scholar class to the countryside, until I find a true path for my classical studies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Four Gates Society had drawn over a thousand members from all corners—though far smaller than the historical Fusha Society, which once attracted tens of thousands, it was still a significant organization.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Between a few words, He Xinyin simply abandoned it all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It left Geng Dingxiang feeling estranged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared fixedly at He Xinyin: “Has Fushan made up his mind?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin nodded: “When I have clarified my Dao path, I will discuss it with Ziheng.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geng Dingxiang opened his mouth to speak, intending to persuade him further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then he recalled that He Xinyin had taken on the task of confronting the Kong family—his reputation would likely be in grave danger from now on…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geng Dingxiang’s expression flickered between anger and hesitation; after a long silence, he finally forced out: “Since Fushan has made his decision, I will not press further.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I will write soon to Luo Rufang, Cheng Xuebo, and the others to explain this matter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geng Dingxiang had served under four Grand Secretaries—Xu Jie, Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, and Shen Shixing—without ever clashing, relying on eight words: broad social ties, impartiality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whenever a storm arose, he always watched from the opposite shore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that he had decided, Geng Dingxiang bowed farewell to He Xinyin with crisp finality—as he had done countless times before: when He Xinyin was imprisoned, he remained passive, watching him die without intervention, provoking Li Zhi to denounce him on the spot as a “hypocritical Confucian.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin rose and returned the bow, silently watching Geng Dingxiang depart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at this longtime friend, recalling his stance on the Kong family’s land encroachment, and suddenly a clear insight rose within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A friend is not necessarily a fellow traveler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If so, what then should be the standard for gatherings?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin pulled another cushion over, retreated into the corner of his cell, and sank into deep thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xinyin pulled the cushion over again and shrank back into the corner of the cell, lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wanli Seventh Year, Twelfth Day of the Twelfth Month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With less than two weeks until the New Year, everywhere Han people lived, the air buzzed with renewal—old things cast off, new joys welcomed. In the frontier city of Guihuacheng, lanterns hung everywhere, festivity thick in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The name Guihuacheng itself revealed its origin: a gift name bestowed for the barbarians of the northern frontier submitting to the Celestial Court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And indeed, that was the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Altan Khan’s submission in Longqing Fifth Year, he had obediently served as a loyal subject of the Celestial Court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Wanli Third Year, Altan Khan, eager to please the superior realm, personally built the first city in southern Mongolia—Kuku Khoto—and the court bestowed upon it the name Guihuacheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This city had become a symbol of eternal peace between the two sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, “eternal peace” often had its dark moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today was one such moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An imperial edict from the Ming court had cast a heavy silence over the grand hall of Hongci Temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the hall, nobles from various departments passed the emperor’s edict among themselves, reading it in turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>San Niangzi sat regally on the main seat, her hair adorned with pearl pins and earrings, her robe woven with gold thread—more splendid even than the Khan’s own attire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bingtu had split his household; though present today, he sat independently, near San Niangzi’s side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bu Yan Huang Taiji, Qiejin Huang Taiji, and others took their seats in turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Altan Khan was absent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Altan Khan lay gravely ill, bedridden, and no one knew if he would survive the winter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Ming emperor is angry with us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>San Niangzi, the only woman in the hall, spoke first without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bingtu, seated below her, immediately picked up the thread: “Shi Mao had come to Guihuacheng seeking an audience with the Khan. The Ming emperor knows, and believes we have insulted him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, he kept glancing at this nominal mother, frequently scratching his inner thigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We can find Shi Mao and hand him over to the Ming, to beg them not to force us to kneel in Beijing.” Bu Yan Huang Taiji voiced his idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, the hall’s atmosphere grew thick with gloom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bingtu snorted coldly: “He’s already gone! We should have cut his head off and sent it back to the Ming emperor from the start.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiejin Huang Taiji cast him a cold glance: “You could have drawn your blade then—you didn’t need to stand behind a horse and fire cannons.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bingtu could not bear mockery; at these words, his face flushed with rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slammed his fist on the table and rose abruptly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cough. Cough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, San Niangzi’s cough echoed through the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both men instantly fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>San Niangzi, not yet thirty, moved with the quiet authority of decades in power: “What is done cannot be undone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Moreover, the Ming emperor may not be angry solely because Shi Mao came to Guihuacheng.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Tumed tribe has lost its alpha wolf—it is at its weakest. I suspect the Ming emperor’s intentions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words left the hall in stunned silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When San Niangzi spoke of “losing the alpha wolf,” she did not mean Altan Khan was dead—only that he had lost the authority to lead, which was as good as death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three years ago, Altan Khan launched a campaign against the Oirats and returned in defeat, bearing hidden wounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last March, he undertook a long journey to Qinghai to seek Buddhist blessings, fasting and praying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been absent from the tribe for over a year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Altan Khan returned to Guihuacheng last month, all expected him to reassert his dominance with force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, the moment he dismounted, he collapsed onto his sickbed—gravely ill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, the tribe’s members began to challenge his authority—in Mongolia, a wolf who loses strength loses prestige.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiejin Huang Taiji was the first to test the waters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Altan Khan’s sickbed, he declared to all that the monks Altan Khan had brought back were frauds, their Buddhist rites useless, incapable of saving the Khan’s golden life, and must be purged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Altan Khan, upon hearing this, could only lie on his bed and weakly plead for the monks’ lives—unable to punish Qiejin Huang Taiji.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, everyone in the tribe realized the Khan was truly dying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Altan Khan’s eldest son, Xin’ai Huang Taiji, immediately split his household, taking a large portion of the Tumed forces with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even boldly petitioned the Ming court, hoping that after Altan Khan’s death, he might marry his mother San Niangzi—invoking filial piety to legitimize his claim to the title of Prince Shunyi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the left wing tribes seemed to sense the shift; they gathered elite cavalry and began conquering smaller right-wing tribes, seizing herds of cattle and sheep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the Han settlers in Bansheng began daringly reducing grain shipments to Guihuacheng and delaying construction of the Buddhist temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Altan Khan could not respond to any of this—he was already as good as dead within the tribe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it was under these conditions that the Ming emperor’s wrath descended upon them…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, all present grasped the dire possibilities, their expressions darkening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, everyone also thought of certain unpleasant possibilities, and their expressions grew grave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, San Niangzi spoke again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All eyes turned to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>San Niangzi rose: “The Khan remains in the tribe—he will not go to Beijing. I will go alone to meet the Ming emperor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>San Niang stood up: “The Khan must stay in the tribe and not go to Beijing—I will go alone to meet the Ming Emperor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bingtu leapt to his feet and shouted in protest: “Mother commands ten thousand elite cavalry—you are the soul of the tribe; you cannot leave lightly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>San Niangzi shook her head: “The Khan is bedridden, the eldest son Xin’ai Huang Taiji refuses obedience—only I can speak for the Tumed tribe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No more persuasion. Tomorrow, I will meet Chen Dong, the Viceroy of Xuan-Da.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No more persuasion—tomorrow I will go to see Chen Dong, the Viceroy of Xuan and Da.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3144,"2026-06-20T16:31:35.124Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","7d1725827480948587ccf548fb03f9e9d65a743bac07463947adb1bd83e8a197","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-315","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-313",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwanli-the-enlightened-emperor-cover.jpg"]