It was a peaceful autumn.
Hu Shanwei went to visit old friends. With Prince Zhou’s mansion establishing its domain in Kunming, Ru Siyao and Imperial Physician Tan and his wife also moved here, continuing to assist in compiling the “Famine Relief Materia Medica” at the mansion. Yunnan was rich in natural resources with many plants not found in the Central Plains. This book grew volume by volume, seemingly never to be completed—a massive undertaking.
Ru Siyao and Imperial Physician Tan had two sons named Tan Jing and Tan Gang. To fulfill their medical aspirations, they stopped having children.
The old friends brewed tea in the garden, enjoying autumn scenery. Warm sunlight filtered through layers of leaves, casting mottled spots on their bodies—neither cold nor hot, just perfect. The two closed their eyes in reclining chairs, listening to the wind as if intoxicated by the autumn breeze, their bones growing soft and lazy.
Ru Siyao heard the kettle on the small clay stove stop whistling—the water was ready—so she opened her eyes to brew tea for her guest.
Ru Siyao joked, “It’s ready. Get up and drink tea. Do you want me to feed it to your mouth? This is Kunming, not the imperial palace in the capital. Don’t put on Palace Lady airs with me.”
Hu Shanwei opened her eyes, which were bright and sparkling like washed gems. At forty-six this year, with love, career, and family all flourishing, plus four years of peaceful retired mountain life, time had been especially kind to her—she looked only in her early thirties.
Hu Shanwei changed position to taste the tea. “How did you raise your two boys? They seem so well-behaved and obedient, not giving you and Imperial Physician Tan any trouble.”
Ru Siyao nearly spit out her tea. “You only see thieves eating meat, not thieves getting beaten. I still envy your A’Lei for being sensible and obedient—your little cotton-padded jacket. I wish my second son were a daughter. For families like ours, children are all good outside, maintaining face, but at home each little devil has their own mischief.”
“We two dedicate our lives to medicine. The deeper we delve into study, the more we feel learning is boundless—we can only grasp the tip of the iceberg in this lifetime. So we pin hopes on our two boys, hoping they can inherit the Tan and Ru families’ scholarly medical traditions. But these two boys insist on doing the opposite of us.”
“We two cannot spend a day without medicinal fragrance, considering it the finest scent in the world. But our two boys say the medicinal smell is pungent and frown whenever they smell it. When we compile medical texts, the two boys immediately get drowsy seeing medical books. But when they see the Four Books and Five Classics, they instantly perk up, swearing to take imperial examinations in the future, determined to pass the jinshi degree and pursue official careers—completely contrary to our ideals.”
Hearing this, Hu Shanwei felt like the Red First, Second, and Fourth Front Armies successfully meeting at Taibao. She put down her teacup and grasped Ru Siyao’s hand. “My family is the same! What our child strives for runs completely contrary to the path we’ve paved thinking it’s good for her. It’s like a besieged city—those inside want to break out, those outside want to break in.”
Ru Siyao also sighed, “What can parents do? After several confrontations with our two boys, we retreated in defeat. Now we’ve given up and let them be. If they want to study and take examinations, we no longer hope they’ll inherit the family scholarship. These things can’t be forced. When we have grandchildren in the future, if any have talent in medicine and are willing to revive the ancestral profession, we’ll teach them then.”
Ru Siyao and Imperial Physician Tan met through medicine with shared aspirations, but encountered problems in inheritance, only able to place hopes on the second generation of grandchildren. Heaven has eyes—by the grandchildren’s generation, the Tan family truly produced a great medical figure who influenced medical history, leaving eternal fame. This shows dreams must be maintained—what if they come true?
The world’s best comfort isn’t “I understand you” but “we’re all the same.”
Seeing Ru Siyao face the same problem, Hu Shanwei felt inexplicably refreshed. The two poured out their troubles: “A’Lei is only nine but already has so many schemes I can’t see through them. Whenever she goes to school and isn’t home, she takes two locks to lock both her bedroom and study, forbidding us to enter and look.”
Ru Siyao chuckled, “Can one lock stop you and Mu Chun? Purely symbolic, right?”
This was the bad thing about old friends—they knew each other too well, exposing lies on the spot.
Hu Shanwei, after all a two-term Palace Lady, could lie without blinking: “How could that be? We must respect our daughter’s privacy. Since she locked the door, it means refusing everyone—even parents can’t force it.”
Mu Chun had been forced by his daughter to become an expert at picking locks.
Ru Siyao smiled knowingly, too lazy to expose this. “A dignified fifth-rank Palace Lady battling wits with her daughter—what a waste of talent. You’re still so young—truly retiring permanently, ignoring worldly affairs? If it were me, never touching medical books again would be worse than death.”
Hu Shanwei said, “That’s different. You practice medicine to save people. During my years as Palace Lady, 360 days a year were filled with knives, frost, swords, scheming, and plotting. At any moment there’d be bloody storms killing masses of people—absolutely inhuman work. Having finally escaped, I don’t want to think about the past. Except for my daughter being a worry, it’s truly a divine life…”
Speaking of the devil—just as Hu Shanwei and Ru Siyao chatted leisurely under autumn scenery, discussing parenting experiences and pouring out troubles, their tea party not yet ended, a group of riders arrived at the Tan residence. Leading them was surprisingly Eunuch Sanbao, who looked hurried and demanded Ru Siyao and Imperial Physician Tan immediately return to the capital with them.
Empress Xu’s illness had relapsed again.
This couple had cured her last time, so summoning them from thousands of miles away indicated Empress Xu’s condition wasn’t optimistic.
Ru Siyao hurriedly packed her medicine chest. Eunuch Sanbao also went to Prince Zhou’s mansion—this time he wanted to take Prince Han’s heir Zhu Zhanhe along.
Seeing this situation, Hu Shanwei thought Empress Xu’s illness was probably more serious than anticipated. Urgently bringing second grandson Zhu Zhanhe to the capital meant preparing for final farewells if treatment failed.
Eunuch Sanbao came up empty-handed—Zhu Zhanhe had disappeared somewhere. Both Prince Zhou’s mansion and Duke Qianguo’s mansion sent people to search for him.
Where was Zhu Zhanhe?
Escorting A’Lei home from school. Two years ago, Zhu Zhanhe bravely entered the “haunted house” and they met. Later, A’Lei attended Prince Zhou’s affiliated school while Zhu Zhanhe lived at the mansion. Coming and going, they grew familiar. When A’Lei was followed by her disguised parents, it was Zhu Zhanhe who tipped her off.
Guard against fire, theft, and parents—the two children formed a tacit alliance, often covering for each other, developing deep revolutionary friendship.
With crisp autumn air, various animals were at their plumpest. Seeing wild rabbits scurrying roadside, they spurred their horses to chase, pursuing them all the way into the mountains to hunt.
Zhu Zhanhe looked older than his age—this seven-year-old boy grew taller and bigger than nine-year-old A’Lei, increasingly resembling his grandfather Emperor Yongle.
Two horses charged into the forest, driving wild rabbits and startling pheasants. Zhu Zhanhe’s archery had improved rapidly over two years, quickly shooting down two panicked pheasants.
A’Lei dismounted to collect the game. “That’s enough for tonight’s dinner. We should stop—draining ponds to catch fish isn’t sustainable. Today’s meal, tomorrow’s hunger.”
Zhu Zhanhe found it insufficient. “The pheasants are too thin. I alone could finish these two. What will you and your sister and brother-in-law eat? Let me search the forest for more game to add dishes to the table.”
“Ah?” A’Lei was somewhat reluctant. “You want to freeload at my house again today?”
Unlike his complex eldest cousin Zhu Zhanji, Zhu Zhanhe was straightforward: “What? You don’t welcome me?”
Being too familiar, A’Lei spoke frankly: “My sister says your appetite is like Marshal Tianpeng reincarnated, eating more than my brother-in-law. To invite you for dinner, the kitchen must prepare extra ingredients and cook an extra pot of rice.”
“Journey to the West” stories were popular throughout the Ming. Pig Spirit Bajie was the most eye-catching character besides protagonist Monkey King—everyone knew him, famous for eating and being charmingly foolish.
Zhu Zhanhe was thick-skinned, unashamed, and could joke, bowing like Pig Bajie on stage: “Miss, are you Miss Haitang, daughter of Lord Fei?”
Later everyone knew Wu Cheng’en’s novel of the same name where Pig Bajie was son-in-law at Gao Village, but this was the fourth year of Yongle—Wu Cheng’en’s great-grandfather had probably just been born.
Currently the most popular “Journey to the West” version was the play script written by dramatist Yang Jingxian, formerly supported by Prince Yan’s mansion, where Pig Bajie forced marriage with Fei Haitang.
Hearing this, A’Lei didn’t get embarrassed like ordinary girls but excitedly entered Erlang Shen’s role, speaking in theatrical voice: “You pig spirit! I carry Guanyin’s decree, specially come to capture you. If you truly convert to Buddha, worship Guanyin, she’ll let you achieve positive fruition. If you don’t convert, you’ll die under my fine hounds.”
In Yang Jingxian’s script, the scene capturing Pig Bajie featured Erlang Shen and his fine hounds, while Monkey King was entirely a side character.
Both loved “Journey to the West” and knew the lines by heart. Zhu Zhanhe spurred his horse to flee: “Others fear you, but I don’t.”
“Left and right divine generals, quickly release fine hounds to bite that pig demon!” A’Lei spurred her horse in pursuit. With childish nature, they were easily distracted, focusing on play and forgetting their proper business of hunting for extra food.
The two chased through the forest when suddenly sounds of weapons and various screams came from ahead. Running in front, Zhu Zhanhe heard trouble—people seemed to be fighting ahead. He immediately turned his horse: “Sister A’Lei, run quickly.”
Not understanding, A’Lei saw Zhu Zhanhe’s serious expression and immediately followed toward the main road they’d come from.
Fighting sounds behind grew closer, even beginning to use firearms and other loud weapons. Zhu Zhanhe and A’Lei lay flat on their horses, trying to hide their forms, barely avoiding injury through the forest’s concealment.
The two horses quickly carried their young masters from the forest. The pursuers seemed intent on silencing witnesses, relentlessly chasing. Just as they were about to be exposed to unknown assailants’ gunfire, guards from Prince Zhou’s mansion and Duke Qianguo’s mansion arrived with hounds, following scents to find them. Originally coming to find Zhu Zhanhe for the capital journey, they arrived just in time for rescue.
The two forces clashed. But the assailants had excellent weapons, fighting while retreating, leaving corpses everywhere. Finally, several escaped under cover of darkness.
The guards cleaned the battlefield, carrying out corpses one by one. Prince Zhou, Eunuch Sanbao, and Mu Chun and Mu Sheng who came upon hearing news examined the scene.
Eunuch Sanbao recognized one corpse: “This is Minister of Justice Xue Yan. His Majesty sent him as envoy to Annan Kingdom last month, taking former ruler’s descendant Chen Tianping to inherit the throne.”
Mu Sheng also immediately recognized another corpse: “This is Chen Tianping, grandson of Annan’s former ruler.”
The two exchanged glances and said in unison: “Annan Kingdom plans rebellion!”
A’Lei and Zhu Zhanhe had accidentally witnessed a coup—no wonder the assailants wanted to eliminate witnesses.
Annan was Ming’s neighboring country, originally ruled by the Chen clan. After Ming’s successful southern campaign, with the Mu family permanently guarding Yunnan, the Chen clan sent envoys to Ming with credentials, paying tribute and acknowledging Ming as suzerain, submitting as vassals.
Annan being so sensible, Emperor Hongwu gave the Chen king an investiture edict, establishing diplomatic relations and listing Annan among “unconquerable nations.”
After Annan’s Chen king died, Prime Minister Li Jili monopolized power, massacred Chen royal family members, changed his surname to Hu, calling himself Hu Jili, and ascended the throne, beginning the Hu dynasty.
As Ming’s vassal state, dynastic changes or father-son succession required the suzerain’s agreement and investiture edict for legitimacy and Ming recognition.
Hu Jili sent credentials to Ming claiming the Chen royal line was extinct, he was the old king’s nephew, and the dying king had appointed him successor.
Ming had just ended the Jingnan campaign, with civil war ceased. Emperor Yongle focused entirely on consolidating imperial power, having no time for other matters. Seeing Annan’s credentials, he didn’t think deeply or investigate, simply investing Hu Jili as new king.
Hu Jili thought his deception succeeded, but the Chen dynasty had a grandson named Chen Tianping who luckily escaped massacre and arduously fled to Ming. He first sought help from Mu Sheng, Duke Qianguo who permanently guarded Yunnan. Hearing this, Mu Sheng realized this was clearly deceiving the emperor!
So Mu Sheng sent people to escort Chen Tianping to the capital to appeal to Emperor Yongle while mobilizing troops against Annan to punish Hu Jili’s crime of deceiving the emperor. This happened last November.
Early in Yongle’s fourth year, Chen Tianping reached the capital, crying himself hoarse accusing Hu Jili of massacring the Chen royal family. Emperor Yongle was naturally furious, but he was a calm ruler. Currently preparing northern campaigns against Mongolia, how could a newly stabilized empire sustain both northern and southern wars?
So Emperor Yongle issued an edict severely scolding Mu Sheng, ordering immediate troop withdrawal: “You guard Yunnan with heavy trust—how can you act rashly? I ordered you to station troops near Laos, but you personally went, against my will. Return immediately upon receiving this edict. You also said you want to send troops to Annan. I’m currently focused on spreading benevolence and embracing distant peoples. Though Hu Jili disturbs our borders, I’ve sent people to question him. If he can show sincerity and submit, we should maintain magnanimous tolerance.”
Meaning: I know Hu Jili fooled me, but currently Ming is recovering strength. If negotiation achieves our goal, don’t easily deploy troops. War burns too much damn money—not worth it for my face.
Emperor Yongle sent envoys to Annan saying if Hu Jili admitted error, abdicated, and returned the throne to Chen Tianping, Ming would let bygones be bygones and grant Hu Jili ducal title, guaranteeing the Hu clan’s generational wealth.
Hu Jili immediately agreed to Ming’s conditions. So Emperor Yongle sent Minister of Justice Xue Yan as envoy with Chen Tianping to Annan to inherit the throne, with Guangxi Left Vice-General Huang Zhong and Right Vice-General Lü Yi leading five thousand troops as escort.
However, upon entering Annan territory, the Ming delegation immediately encountered over ten thousand ambush troops sent by Hu Jili. Vice-Generals Huang Zhong and Lü Yi died in battle. Ming soldiers fought desperately to help Xue Yan and Chen Tianping escape. Annan troops disguised as Ming people pursued from behind. Just as Ming forces faced total annihilation, A’Lei and Zhu Zhanhe witnessed it.
Mu Chun looked at the corpse-strewn ground, flying into rage: “Dare try to silence my daughter—I’ll destroy his country! Bring my Portuguese cannons! The tiger hasn’t shown power for years—they think I’m a sick cat!”