Di Ming

Chapter 32 Bear Feast
"Xu Xiaobai?" Zhu Yin narrowed his eyes slightly. This name was very modern. People in ancient times rarely used such names, except for Young Master Xiaobai.

Judging from the boy's eyes, he clearly didn't seem to be a time traveler.

Xu Xiaobai said, "Young master, may I have a word with you in private?"

Zhu Yin saw that he was a Han Chinese and decided to give him a chance.

He nodded. "Come here."

Xu Xiaobai followed him to the screen wall next to him and whispered:

“Young master, I will get straight to the point. If I want your help, I must be sincere.”

His expression was very serious, as if to say: I'm about to reveal a secret.

Zhu Yin tilted her little face up, looking very serious. "Hmm? You go ahead."

Xu Xiaobai pondered for a moment and said, "Judging from your demeanor, young master, you must be from a prominent family in the Ming Dynasty. Given your status, you must know about the Duke of Wei's mansion."

The Duke of Wei's mansion? Zhu Yin was taken aback, his expression showing some surprise. "You're a descendant of the Prince of Zhongshan?"

He didn't expect that this person would mention Xu Da, a founding hero of the nation.

Xu Xiaobai bowed to the south, saying, "The King of Zhongshan was my ancestor. I am the tenth-generation descendant of the King of Zhongshan. The current Duke of Wei is my grandfather."

"Oh?" Zhu Yin smiled faintly, speaking in an air of superiority, "So you are the grandson of Duke Wei. No wonder you have such an extraordinary appearance."

Hearing Zhu Yin's tone, Xu Xiaobai dared not underestimate him because of his youth.

He glanced at the Jurchen people nearby and said:

"I originally had a jade pendant on me that could prove my identity; it came from the palace."

"However, after I ended up outside the Great Wall, I was taken away by the Jurchens. If you wish to prove my identity, young master, you can ask them for the jade pendant..."

Zhu Yin waved her hand dismissively. "No need. I'll believe your identity for now. How did you end up here, and why don't you want to go back?"

"Furthermore, since you are the grandson of the Duke, why is your name... not in accordance with the proper format?"

Xu Xiaobai said, "I hope you will know, young master. I was studying at Nan Yong (Nanjing Imperial Academy)."

"Namyong has overseas students. I know students from Korea and Japan."

“Last spring, some Japanese students suggested going to Tongzhou to see the sea view. A dozen or so of us left Nanyong without telling our teachers. After boarding the boat, we had only gone a few miles out to sea when we encountered a red-seal boat and were taken aboard.”

"The Japanese pirates on the Zhuyin ship tortured and interrogated us, demanding information about the officials and generals of Southern Zhili, the number of troops stationed there, and secrets such as the defense of Nanjing."

Zhu Yin frowned upon hearing this.

It's not that I don't believe Xu Xiaobai; the other party doesn't seem to be lying.

To his surprise, even in the fifteenth year of the Wanli Emperor's reign, the Japanese pirates along the coast had not been completely eradicated.

They dare to spy on us from the waters near Tongzhou. What are the Tongzhou navy doing?
However, it's hard to say. Just thirty years ago, seventy Japanese pirates attacked Nanjing, killing and wounding thousands, but ultimately escaped unscathed.

Or rather, these were not pure Japanese pirates, but Japanese spies who specialized in gathering intelligence on the mainland.

To prepare intelligence for the invasion of Korea and the conquest of Ming Dynasty?

Was it sent by the daimyo of Kyushu, or by that "King of the World"?

Xu Xiaobai continued, "We classmates who were tricked onto the ship are all sons of nobles and high-ranking officials, and we know quite a few secrets."

"The Japanese pirates extracted many secrets from us, laughed heartily, and said that the Ming Dynasty was nothing special. Then they started killing people to silence us."

"I was slashed and kicked into the sea, but I didn't die."

He tore open his clothes and sure enough, there was a long, shallow scar on his chest.

"It's quite a coincidence that because I'm as thin as a woman, I was afraid of being ridiculed, so I usually wore a thick cotton bra underneath to make myself look stronger."

"It was this thick cotton cover that saved my life."

"The Japanese pirates killed people and dumped their bodies, then the Zhuyin ship left. I only managed to stay afloat by clinging to the floating corpses of two of my classmates."

Zhu Yin nodded. That makes perfect sense.

People killed by a knife will float on the sea because their blood is drained and their body density decreases.

Xu Xiaobai managed to survive temporarily by grabbing the corpses of his two classmates.

As Xu Xiaobai said this, his face turned a little pale. "I was lucky, though. Soon after, I came across a ship that rescued me."

"Who knew this ship was a smuggling vessel? I've boarded it, what good can come of it?"

"That's how I was sold to the area outside the Great Wall and became a slave of the Jurchen nobles."

Zhu Yin was speechless. The Ming Dynasty's maritime ban policy was utterly absurd. But what was the point?

Xie Jie's "Qiantai Wozuan" states: "Not a single plank was allowed to go to sea, yet warships and giant vessels came from the Yangtze River; not a single item was allowed to be taken to the foreign lands, yet women, children, and precious goods were taken away in abundance."

They've only brought trouble upon themselves.

For example, illegal human trafficking vessels along the coast have never been eradicated. Smuggling has become increasingly rampant.

However, coastal fishermen are restricted even when they go out to sea to fish. They can only fish near the shore, and they are not even allowed to build ocean-going vessels. They can only build flat-bottomed boats.

It's commonplace for the powerful and wealthy to engage in smuggling overseas. But ordinary people who go out to fish are not exempt from the law!
Xu Xiaobai continued, "Both Guangning and Liaoyang have sons of noble families serving as officials. Li Chengliang has met me before and should recognize me. Many people know me."

"All my classmates who boarded the ship with me died, but I survived."

"Then how could the imperial court not conduct an investigation? How could those nobles not come to question us?"

"How could I answer that? Would I be accused of colluding with the Japanese pirates?"

“Even if the court believes me, I will not escape the attacks from my brothers. Not only will I have no chance of inheriting the title, but they will also humiliate me.”

"A person who was trafficked and enslaved by Jurchens is still qualified to inherit a title?"

“My name is Xiaobai. It’s because someone once told my fortune and said, ‘Xiaobai is safe abroad, but Duke Huan of Qi is safe abroad but suffers misfortune at home.’ So my mother begged my father to change my name to Xiaobai, just for good luck.”

"Of course I want to go back, but I can't be handed over to Li Chengliang and other Han officials in Liaodong."

"I want to go back with the young master, bypassing Liaoyang Commandery, Liaoyang Town, and Liaodong Governor."

Zhu Yin said, "But even if you come back with me, how will you explain it to your family? Once the news of your return home spreads, the court will come to ask, and those nobles and high-ranking officials will also come to ask. You still can't escape it."

Xu Xiaobai smiled slightly, "When we boarded the ship, we kept it a secret from our families and teachers. No one knew where we went, and it just so happened to be a holiday that day."

“As long as they don’t know that I’ve been to the area beyond the Great Wall, I can make up where I went myself. I can say that I went to Sichuan and traveled in Lingnan.”

"These are all easy places to go. Unlike going to the area outside the Great Wall, which is difficult to explain by common sense and is also very difficult to go to."

Xu Xiaobai said so much, but the core message is actually just one thing: if he wants to inherit the title of Duke of Wei, he cannot have any stains that would allow him to be attacked.

Encountering Japanese pirates revealing secrets, being kidnapped, and being enslaved... these things were enough to completely shatter his hope.

Xu Xiaobai continued, "Young Master has a good relationship with the Jurchen leader. You can take me away with just a word from you, without having to go through the government."

"As long as I return to Nanjing, I will definitely repay the young master handsomely."

Zhu Yin asked with a playful expression, "How will you repay me? Will you kill me to silence me?"

Xu Xiaobai was startled. "How could that be? Young master, I don't consider myself a gentleman, but I'm not an ungrateful wretch either."

"Without your help, young master, to destroy Bao Shi and his gang, I would still be a slave. You are my benefactor."

"Besides, young master, you're not alone. Even if I were heartless and killed someone to cover it up, wouldn't your family suspect me?"

"Young master's journey to this place beyond the Great Wall must have been extraordinary; perhaps he was even abducted. My only wish in the future is for us to help each other..."

Zhu Yin carefully looked into his eyes, weighing his status and value, and assessing the potential risks.

After a long while, Zhu Yin finally smiled.

"Okay, I promise you, I'll take you back with me."

With a little caution, this venture capital investment can be quite rewarding.

Xu Xiaobai was overjoyed: "Then I thank you, young master. As long as I return to Nanjing, you will be my closest friend, a friend I would risk my life for!"

"If I ever inherit the title of Duke, I will never forget the kindness shown to me today!"

……

The following day, Nurhaci and his brothers finally hunted down a large male bear.

Several Goshkha carried the large male bear, and the wild boar-skinned brothers happily walked into the enclosure.

The wild boar skin spread its arms and made a "crunching" sound.

This is the first ceremony after a bear is hunted, to remind the family that he has successfully hunted a bear.

The word "bear" must not be mentioned during this process.

Afterwards, Nurhaci circled the Suoluo pole and, according to custom, solemnly said:
“Shanyin Mafa loves me; He kissed my face (meaning he hunted a bear).”

His wife, upon hearing this and seeing the dead bear behind them, immediately came out and sang "Guluoyiren":

“Guluo…Guluo…Guluo…Yiren…”

"Oh, God of the Bear, you are going back to heaven. We will bury your bones in the wind and send your soul on a long journey."

"We didn't mean to hurt you; it was an accident. Please don't retaliate, and please forgive us. Grant us our prey..."

While singing, she twisted her waist and danced the bear dance, just like a bear.

After she finished singing, she symbolically wiped away her tears, swept a willow branch over Nurhaci, and said with a smile, "That's enough."

After that, in accordance with Jurchen customs, the "Bear Sacrifice" began.

The bear was beheaded and skinned, and its head was placed on a tree. A group of people surrounded the bear's head and prayed.

That evening, once the bear meat was cooked, Nurhaci held a grand bear feast.

The crowd sat in the open air, as if under the sky, in a very primitive manner.

The Jurchens revered the west. Zhu Yin sat in the most honored guest seat on the west side, with Ning Caiwei holding Ning Qingchen beside him.

Beside Ning Caiwei was the black tiger, whose eyes had already opened but which still looked adorable.

That's right. Dogs are companions of the Manchus and are welcome to be seated.

At least for now.

Besides Nurhaci's family, those accompanying him included Eidu, Anfeiyanggu, and other trusted generals who had followed Nurhaci from the earliest times.

Of course, Mech, Niman, Lancha, Xu Xiaobai, and Galo were also seated.

This bear head feast includes not only bear meat, but also venison, mutton, and other delicacies, as well as all the eight treasures of the mountains and rivers.

The cooking methods are simple and crude, either boiling or baking, and there are hardly any seasonings.

Nurhaci first cut off the fattest part of his right forepaw and put it on Zhu Yin's plate.

“Little Tiger, I know you must have eaten bear paws before. But you probably rarely get to eat bear paws from the old forests outside the Great Wall.”

Zhu Yin stared at the whole, steamed bear paw, its aroma irresistible. He couldn't help but swallow hard, thinking to himself:

"A key protected animal for future generations, what a pity."

P.S.: Can you please help me? Don't let this book sit unread! Just spend a few minutes each day reading it; otherwise, it'll be relegated to the back burner. Could you please not save it up for several days at a time? That way, I won't have any resources to recommend.

(End of this chapter)