Di Ming

Chapter 43 Night Talk
After delivering the gifts, Qi Baoguo left with a smile.

The way he looked at Zhu Yin before leaving was as if he were looking at a little god of wealth.

Ning Caiwei placed her younger sister in Zhu Yin's arms and then busied herself with preparing oil and candles, and setting up the bed and curtains.

Then, in each room, they lit the newly bought mugwort incense.

Each person was also given everyday items such as pig bristle toothbrushes, hand towels, scented soap, sachets, tooth powder, and aromatherapy products.

Ning Caiwei was never stingy with those who followed her.

For example, Zhu Yin used to be her personal bodyguard, and his salary was higher than that of a department-level official.

That's why they say you can't do anything without money. Once they started spending money on shopping, the entire Xieyi Studio became brightly lit and full of life.

The abandoned Biyun Courtyard finally regained its human warmth and became a place where people could live.

Even in ancient times, money could make the devil turn the millstone.

In the hall, where red candles were already lit and lanterns were hung high, everyone gathered around an eight-immortal table and opened several food boxes delivered by the restaurant.

According to Qi Baoguo, it was the food and drink from Eryuelou, a large restaurant on Gulou Street. The price wasn't cheap, but the craftsmanship was truly excellent.

Upon opening it, the first thing you see is a pale pink Xue Tao paper, with a delicate fragrance, and a few printed characters on it:

"Distinguished guests have arrived in succession, let us drink together at Eryue Tower. The dishes are as beautiful as spring, shall we drink a few cups?"

Below that are handwritten small regular script characters, all of which are dish names.

The class immediately became apparent; it truly lives up to its reputation as a grand restaurant.

Zhu Yin laughed and said, "This is an advertisement for the restaurant."

Ning Caiwei smiled slightly, gaining a new understanding of the business acumen of the ancients.

The dishes were taken out of the food boxes, and the corresponding names of the dishes were:
Braised carp in sugar, stewed whole duck, jujube cake, braised goose in fermented rice wine, braised pork knuckle in chili oil, roasted donkey meat, soft and fragrant glutinous rice, loquat fruit...

Meat, vegetables, and fresh fruit—a variety of dishes, totaling eighteen items—filled a large table.

There is also a pot of autumn dew and a pot of Dengzhou morning glow.

The group disregarded the distinction between master and servant, and gathered around the table like family, eating heartily and exchanging toasts.

As for Ning Qingchen, he ate dried cheese brought from the Jurchen people, which he soaked in water and drank as a substitute.

Although it was the first time Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei had tasted food from the Central Plains of the Ming Dynasty, it didn't matter, since it wasn't much different from later generations.

However, the Jurchens such as Lancha and Mehe were so hungry that they wished they had an extra mouth to feed them.

Even the little girl Galo was devouring a piece of pork knuckle like a mother wolf.

It was their first time eating Han Chinese cuisine from the Central Plains, and they were surprised to find it both beautiful and delicious.

The Central Plains is truly wonderful; everything about it is wonderful.

It's just a bit hot.

Lancha drank three cups of Qiulu Bai wine in a row, and the Jurchen boy from the deep mountains and forests suddenly burst into tears.

"Lancha, why are you crying like a child? Is the wine and liquor of the Central Plains not to your liking?"

Zhu Yin asked in Jurchen.

These Jurchen people had not yet reached the point of learning Chinese.

Lancha stopped drinking and wiped away his tears, saying, "Really, my father would dance and worship the Goddess of Wine with joy if he could drink a pot of wild fruit wine."

"If only he could drink such delicious Central Plains wine and eat such delicious food, how wonderful that would be."

Upon hearing this, both Mech and Niman's eyes welled up with tears.

Zhu Yin stretched out his little hand and patted Lan Cha's shoulder like a little adult, "One day, your father will also be able to drink the fine wine of the Central Plains."

"Fine wine will be available, fine clothes will be available, tall houses and spacious mansions, wealth and glory are all attainable."

"Perhaps in the future, you will live even more comfortably than the city lords and princes!"

"Come!" Zhu Yin raised his glass. "Welcome to the Central Plains!"

"Thank you, Ezhen!" Lancha and the others cheered again.

When they were happy, they would sing and dance outside the hall.

Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei had been staying in the Jurchen tribe for nearly half a year and had gotten used to it, so they didn't take it to heart.

Ning Caiwei whispered to Zhu Yin, "This huge table of food and wine tonight must cost three or four taels of silver, right?"

Zhu Yin nodded: "Food was expensive in ancient times. This meal... will cost at least three ounces."

Ning Caiwei said, "So we can't eat like this every meal. Otherwise, the monthly food expenses alone would be two hundred taels."

"As we support more and more people in the future, our expenses will also increase, so we need to set a benchmark for cost control from the very beginning."

"I haven't started my business yet, so I need to be careful with my money. Tonight I'll set a dietary standard and start cutting back on expenses."

Zhu Yin said, "You decide this, I will definitely follow your arrangements. But it can't be too hard."

After finishing his meal, Zhu Yin picked up a lantern and left Biyun Courtyard, heading towards Zhizhi Hall in the central courtyard to the east.

The Qi residence was large and quite empty. Ning Caiwei was worried, so she sent Lan Cha to accompany him on his night journey.

A crescent moon rose in summer, looking down on the Qi family mansion with cold indifference.

Under the moonlight, the bamboo groves stand tall and the flowers and trees are serene.

Zhu Yin looked up at the bright moon of the Ming Dynasty, his small face filled with a profound sadness.

Tonight I look up at the moon of tomorrow, but it will not be full tomorrow.

The chirping of cicadas in the trees, the croaking of frogs in the pond, the chirping of insects in the grass, and the meowing of cats in the deserted building... all weave together to create a lonely summer night song in the empty courtyard.

The scent of grass and earth filled the air, giving Zhu Yin the feeling of walking along a country lane.

Fireflies are everywhere, twinkling and drifting, as dreamlike as a dream.

Fireflies, these creatures that only exist in books and stories, were something Zhu Yin had never seen before.

After crossing a small bridge and going north through a covered walkway, you will reach Qi Jiguang's study: Zhizhi Hall.

Qi Jiguang was a man of both literary and military talent, and he had two studies. One was called Zhizhi Hall, and the other was Hengshuo Hall.

At this moment, Zhizhi Hall was deserted, with only a few lanterns hanging. The birdcages hanging under the eaves were empty.

A tall man stood motionless by the window, bathed in the lamplight.

"You stay outside," Zhu Yin said to Lan Cha, and then walked to the entrance of the hermitage.

"Child Tiger has arrived? Come in."

A deep, resonant voice rang out from the study.

"Yes." Zhu Yin pushed open the carved door and went in. After turning around the screen, the first thing that caught his eye was three walls full of books.

A rich aroma of books filled the large study.

The room was truly filled with books.

A long desk stands before the west window, upon which rest the Four Treasures of the Study, a zither, a pipa, and a musical instrument.

Under the dim light of the two lamps, the silver-haired old general's face appeared even more rugged and profound, like a stone sculpture.

Sitting in the grand master's chair, Qi Jiguang exuded a calm demeanor. He wore a light robe and a loose belt, and his gray hair was tied up with only a black wooden hairpin. He was not adorned with any luxury, yet he was dignified and noble without being angry.

Upon seeing Zhu Yin enter, Qi Jiguang's face immediately became much more lively, as if the stone statue had come to life in an instant.

"Father," Zhu Yin bowed with his hands clasped, "Your son greets you. Are you well?"

Qi Jiguang stroked his beard and greeted him, "I am well."

Zhu Yin then asked, "Has Your Excellency had dinner yet?"

Qi Jiguang nodded and smiled, "I've already used it."

Zhu Yin said, "Then you can sleep soundly tonight, sir."

This is the "evening ritual" in the morning and evening greetings.

On his first day as an adopted son, Zhu Yin naturally had to be very polite.

Qi Jiguang was very satisfied with Zhu Yin's "propriety" and pointed to the three-legged, round stool next to him, "Zhihu, sit down and talk."

"Yes." Zhu Yin first picked up the celadon teapot on the desk and poured tea for Qi Jiguang.

Then he sat down.

But he only sat on half of the chair, not daring to sit down fully.

This is also a matter of etiquette.

Qi Jiguang took a sip of tea, stroked his beard, and said calmly:
“I inherited the titles of Commander-in-Chief and General Mingwei in my youth, which means I have been enjoying the bestowal of honors for generations. How can I not repay the country’s kindness?”

"I travel north and south to serve my lord, and laugh at my life amidst the flowers and grasses by the river. I spend most of my 360 days a year on horseback with a spear in hand."

"But it is easy to sacrifice oneself, but difficult to serve one's country. Without connections in the court, it is impossible to move an inch."

"People in the court are calling me Zhang Juzheng's 'lackey,' and saying I'm bribing him with expensive concubines and potent drugs."

"Yes. I call myself a lackey. I also bribed Yan Fenyi, Gao Xinzheng, and Xu Huating. You're not wrong to call me that. You're not accusing me."

"If I want to serve the country, I must be willing to serve the powerful and wealthy. Until I myself become powerful and wealthy, I will do so. To be firm, one must first be yielding. Do you understand?"

Zhu Yin knew what Qi Jiguang wanted to say to him, so he stood up and said:

"I will remember my great teachings, Father. To be firm, one must first be gentle. To serve the country, one must first serve the powerful and wealthy. This is true courage, Father, it is something one has no other choice but to do."

"My adoptive father sacrificed his own reputation for the sake of his mission. He lost his personal integrity for the greater good of the world."

Qi Jiguang sighed and said, "Zhu Yin, you are truly a precocious and exceptionally intelligent person."

"I admire Hai Gangfeng; he's a true man. But he's not as good as me in doing things because he's not generous enough, and he's unwilling to abandon his integrity!"

"So he can't do almost anything he wants to do."

"And me?"

Qi Jiguang smiled, a very calm and open-minded smile.

"I've accomplished most of the things I wanted to do when I was young. I haven't done the things I didn't want to do either. Aside from the lack of successors and the difficulty of carrying on my legacy, I have no regrets."

"Child Tiger, do you know what your father doesn't want to do?"

Zhu Yin nodded. "Godfather, are you saying...treason?"

Qi Jiguang's gaze remained calm and composed. After Zhu Yin's previous advice, he no longer harbored any resentment.

They also won't overreact, become anxious, or get easily angered.

“That’s right. Zhang Xigao impeached me as a remnant of Zhang’s faction. Some people say that I want to collude with Zhang Jiangling to rebel and support him as emperor.”

"The emperor may not believe it, but he doesn't trust me. The elite troops in the capital region are all in my hands, and I don't trust anyone else."

"But if I truly harbored rebellious intentions, would I obediently leave Jizhou with just an imperial edict?"

"Across the Great Wall lies the Mongol army. If I don't leave and follow Li Chengliang's example of nurturing the enemy to enhance my own power, what can those scholars in the court do?"

"Li Chengliang was in Liaodong, where he used the city as his residence. He was so wealthy that he could rival a country. He kept three thousand servants and two thousand prostitutes. He indulged in sensual pleasures and lived a life of extravagance and debauchery. He was even granted the title of Earl."

"I have held the official seal for decades, yet I have no surplus land, no savings, my home is bare, and I am heavily in debt. All I have left are a collection of several thousand volumes of books. In the end, I am old and ill, and I am dismissed from office and stripped of my salary."

"Justice resides in the hearts of the people, and I believe I am better than Li Chengliang. His wealth and fame are not what I desire."

"I can't help but worry about the imperial court. Without me in Jizhou, who can keep Li Chengliang in check in Liaodong?"

"Without the Southern Army to check and balance the Northern Army, what will become of the imperial court if it becomes too powerful? The disaster caused by the regional military governors is a stark reminder of what is to come."

At this point, Qi Jiguang showed a relieved expression.

"Heroes of the world each reign supreme for a few decades. Each generation is responsible for its own affairs. This is true of Zhang Jiangling, and it is also true of me, Qi Jiguang."

"Who will protect the Ming Dynasty from the wind and rain in the future, only heaven knows."

"Whether the younger generation is wise or foolish, good or bad, depends on the fate of the nation."

"Chih-hu, after all I've said, do you understand what I mean?"

(End of this chapter)