No one could save someone determined to die, not even an emperor.
The Hongwu Emperor was distressed by Empress Ma’s illness and repeatedly wanted her to move to Qianqing Palace for joint consultations by all the imperial physicians, ordering court ministers to pray and offer sacrifices. But Empress Ma refused, to avoid implicating the Imperial Medical Academy and ministers in the future.
Empress Ma even conversed with the Hongwu Emperor: “Life and death are fate. What use are prayers? Doctors can treat illness but not destiny. If medicine and prayers prove ineffective, I fear they’ll be held accountable for it. Your Majesty, this is not the outcome I wish to see.”
Empress Ma regarded life and death lightly, prepared to welcome death, refusing medical treatment. She didn’t cherish her own life but treasured others’ lives. Both female physicians in the palace and imperial doctors outside were protected by her, feeling deeply grateful.
Empress Ma’s health deteriorated daily. After Hu Shanwei returned, when she reached the point of being unable to manage affairs, Empress Ma petitioned the Hongwu Emperor to have the Six Bureaus and One Office assist Consort Li Shu in managing palace affairs.
Based on clues Hu Shanwei had obtained, the real culprit’s natal family was powerful with significant ambitions. Consort Li Shu was the only consort among the four concubines without sons. Her father Li Jie had died in battle and received posthumous honors – General Protector of the State and Regional Military Commissioner – but the Li family had no successors, making their family power the weakest.
Empress Ma excluded Consort Li Shu from suspicion and intentionally supported her, entrusting the rear palace to Consort Li Shu, who had no conflicts of interest, hoping she could suppress the restless rear palace.
The Hongwu Emperor always trusted Empress Ma and approved her request.
Consort Li Shu had a gentle temperament and usually took care of young princesses. With this great responsibility falling from heaven, Consort Li Shu couldn’t decline and had to rise to the challenge. For all matters reported by the Six Bureaus and One Office, she followed precedents, and when there were no precedents, she convened the seven highest-ranking female officials for consultation, not daring to act independently.
Empress Ma’s birthday was the eighth day of the eighth month, requiring preparation for the Thousand Autumn Festival birthday celebration. But with Empress Ma refusing medicine and peacefully awaiting death, while Consort Li Shu prepared grand birthday gifts, she simultaneously had to prepare funeral arrangements!
Preparing joyous and funeral events simultaneously, while keeping them separate to avoid conflicts – whether Consort Li Shu or the Six Bureaus and One Office, all faced unprecedented pressure, working until midnight every night before resting.
However, the Ministry of Rites suffered most. With the previous Yuan’s ritual and music system collapsed, they couldn’t reference empress funeral procedures. How to arrange the Great Ming’s first empress funeral process required complete revision. When the Ministry of Rites presented overnight-compiled procedures to the Hongwu Emperor for approval, they received a harsh scolding: “My empress is blessed and won’t die. Are you trying to curse the empress?”
The Hongwu Emperor seemed to have amnesia – clearly he had ordered the Ministry of Rites to prepare the empress’s state funeral procedures, otherwise how would they dare handle such matters themselves?
Ministry of Rites officials were dragged out by the Embroidered Uniform Guard for beatings, crying bitterly. With medicinal salve applied to their buttocks, they couldn’t sit down and continued revising while standing.
Therefore, with Empress Ma critically ill, both the rear palace and front court were shrouded in dark clouds, like approaching storms, filled with anxiety and tension.
The Hongwu Emperor’s anxiety and irritability, pushing innocent Ministry of Rites officials out for beatings, wasn’t due to Empress Ma’s illness but because the southern expedition army in distant Yunnan had encountered setbacks. Crisis reports continuously reached the capital day and night, making the Hongwu Emperor extremely worried.
After the southern expedition army successfully captured Qujing, Supreme Commander Marquis Yingchuan Fu Youde divided forces into two routes. He personally led troops to attack Wusha directly, while Marquis Yongchang Lan Yu and Marquis Xiping Mu Ying attacked Kunming, where Northern Yuan Prince Liang was located. Prince Liang Bazharawarmich retreated continuously in defeat, finally committing suicide in Dianchi Lake. Lan Yu and Mu Ying entered and occupied Kunming.
Just after capturing Kunming, Lan Yu and Mu Ying handed the city over to Duke Yingguo Feng Cheng, who came as reinforcement to garrison it, while the two generals deployed troops to suppress Dali local official Duan Shi, who refused to submit to the Great Ming.
The two famous generals Lan Yu and Mu Ying joined forces, unstoppable in suppressing rebellions, capturing Dali with devastating momentum. Many local officials along the route submitted to the Great Ming, but the rear faced crisis: local Yunnan officials from Wusha, Wumeng, Mangbu, Dongchuan and other areas took advantage of Lan Yu and Mu Ying’s armies campaigning everywhere and Kunming’s weak defenses, actually assembling two hundred thousand troops to attack Kunming city!
At this time, Mu Chun’s uncle Feng Cheng was defending Kunming. With fewer than twenty thousand garrison troops in Kunming city, how could they resist two hundred thousand rebel troops? Fortunately, Feng Cheng was descended from famous generals and didn’t panic during crisis. He urgently sent people out of the city seeking rescue while organizing military and civilian defense of the city.
Feng Cheng’s defense was appropriate. When two hundred thousand rebel troops couldn’t capture the city after prolonged assault, they simply surrounded Kunming completely. The city faced food crisis and lacked medical supplies.
Fu Tianxi, youngest son of southern expedition Supreme Commander Marquis Yingchuan Fu Youde, was following Feng Cheng defending Kunming and died in battle while leading troops to break through the siege – even his body wasn’t recovered.
Hu Bin, legitimate eldest son of Marquis Dongchuan Hu Hai, died in battle.
Speaking of Hu Bin, readers might find him unfamiliar, but you should remember the talented young man whose wig was knocked off by Prince Consort Wang Ning’s polo ball, crushing the prince consort’s dreams – one a fairy flower from paradise, the other bald and hairless. Hu Bin was eliminated because of this. Forget hair – now he didn’t even have his life.
Promising young generals continuously fell in the southern expedition.
The Hongwu Emperor closed the battle report and sighed deeply: “Generously reward the Marquis Yingchuan and Marquis Dongchuan mansions, provide Hu Bin with generous burial. Fu Tianxi’s remains are lost – erect a cenotaph for him.”
The Kunming siege was mainly because local officials immediately reneged after submitting to the Great Ming, taking advantage of Kunming’s empty defenses, with officials conspiring together in rebellion to counterattack Kunming city. Unrest erupted throughout Yunnan, with the two great generals Lan Yu and Mu Ying firefighting everywhere.
In the Yunnan-Guizhou region, only Guizhou remained relatively stable. After Northern Yuan spy Cheng Pengju assassinated Ma Ye, the main contradiction in Guizhou immediately shifted from local indigenous people versus Great Ming garrison troops to Guizhou versus Northern Yuan. With Madam She Xiang and Lady Mingde Liu Shuzhen, two local officials loyal to the Great Ming, cooperating with Mu Chun, Guizhou enjoyed brief temporary peace without crises similar to Kunming’s.
The completely different situations in Yunnan and Guizhou, especially the fact that Madam She Xiang’s allegiance was worth more than a hundred thousand elite troops, made the Hongwu Emperor deeply realize that force alone couldn’t solve southern frontier territorial problems. The genuine allegiance of indigenous people and officials, plus communication and integration between local indigenous people and Central Plains civilization, was the long-term solution.
The Hongwu Emperor received Mu Ying’s latest battle report: under Lion Mountain in Lijiang, Yunnan, Naxi tribe leader A’Jia A’De wanted to submit to the Great Ming.
Naxi people had no fixed surnames, using fathers’ names as sons’ surnames, constantly changing. For example, current A’Jia A’De – his father was called A’Jia, so he surnamed A’Jia, and his son would surname A’De.
A’Jia A’De’s ancestors had been Naxi tribe leaders since the Tang Dynasty. Their family territory spanned Yunnan, Tibet, and parts of Sichuan – a powerful family that frequently fought Tibetans over silver and salt mines.
Besides strength, this family was far-sighted. During the Song Dynasty, when Kublai Khan led Mongol armies to conquer Dali, this family helped Kublai Khan destroy the Dali Duan family and was enfeoffed by Emperor Shizu as second-rank Pacification Commissioner, continuing actual rule over this territory.
Now Northern Yuan Prince Liang was forced by Lan Yu and Mu Ying to commit suicide in Dianchi Lake, with the Yuan Dynasty’s fate sealed. Leader A’Jia A’De realized the Great Ming era’s arrival and immediately surrendered to Mu Ying, leading Naxi people to serve the Great Ming loyally.
This was the southern expedition army’s greatest good news.
With Madam She Xiang as a model, the Hongwu Emperor decided to use conciliatory methods, generously rewarding A’Jia A’De. “Zhu” was the Great Ming’s imperial surname – removing one stroke and one horizontal line made the character “Mu” (wood). He bestowed the surname “Mu” on A’Jia A’De, who should be called Mu De. The Mu family would hereditary serve as Lijiang Prefecture’s local officials, establishing “Mu Mansion,” submitting to Great Ming rule and, as before, paying tribute, providing troops, and performing corvée labor.
Using Mu Mansion to stabilize Yunnan’s Lijiang and other regions, Mu Ying finally got breathing space to lead troops rescuing brother-in-law Feng Cheng, besieged in Kunming city by two hundred thousand troops.
The Hongwu Emperor strategized from the distant capital, working day and night, controlling the entire southern expedition situation. Only when immersed in work could he set aside anxiety and grief about Empress Ma’s critical illness.
He was a husband, but more importantly an emperor expanding territory. He had no time for grief and couldn’t accompany his wife through final moments like other husbands.
He couldn’t save his wife’s life, but every moment Great Ming southern expedition soldiers died in foreign lands. The Hongwu Emperor devoted himself fully to official duties, feeling this would help the Great Ming army lose one less person and save one more life.
Heartless? Caring?
The Hongwu Emperor, such a controversial heroic ruler, didn’t care what others said.
Imperial edicts streamed from Qianqing Palace to Yunnan, none containing news of Empress Ma’s critical condition. Mu Ying and Empress Ma shared a mother-son relationship – the Hongwu Emperor didn’t want this to affect Mu Ying’s morale.
Empress Ma also wanted to see the father and son Mu Ying and Mu Chun before dying, but she tactfully reached consensus with the Hongwu Emperor, absolutely not mentioning the father-son pair. By virtuous empress standards, she would never let private desires affect the southern expedition army.
Fifteenth year of Hongwu, eighth day of eighth month, Thousand Autumn Festival – Empress Ma’s fifty-first birthday. She lived to see this day.
The Thousand Autumn Festival proceeded as scheduled with nations coming to court in great excitement. Most eye-catching was a pair of green “phoenixes” presented by Lady Mingde of Guizhou’s Shuidong family.
When the pair of green peacocks spread wings and soared, their naturally radiant beautiful plumage captivated everyone’s gaze, stunning the entire assembly.
Phoenix in flight, with brilliant feathers. Luxuriant and verdant, harmonious and melodious.
Even Empress Ma rose from her sickbed like a final radiance, sitting outside on a reclining chair. With “phoenixes” circling overhead in the clouds, Empress Ma smiled: “Flying freely – how wonderful.”
Watching Empress Ma’s smile, Hu Shanwei felt like two hands had reached into her heart, twisting it into braids. The conflict was severe – Empress Ma wanted her to give up, she was unwilling, but couldn’t disobey imperial orders. She simply maintained silence, not discussing this topic with Empress Ma anymore. After all, her brain and hands belonged to herself – Empress Ma wouldn’t control her forever.
The accompanying Hongwu Emperor said: “Since the Empress likes them, have Lady Mingde tribute green phoenixes annually.”
“Lady Mingde and Madam She Xiang are busy cutting through mountains and building roads – don’t trouble those two. But her—” Empress Ma pointed to Hu Shanwei serving nearby, “This child quite suits my heart, but she entered the palace too late, only accompanying me for over a year.”
The Hongwu Emperor said: “That’s easy – have her buried with you to accompany Zi Tong in the underworld.”
Hu Shanwei: “…”
Now the Hongwu Emperor didn’t want her eyes but directly wanted her life!
Having her buried alive was as easy as stepping on an ant.
Empress Ma shook her head: “Noble Consort Chengmu Sun is still waiting for me underground. Bringing her along might displease the consort. I hope she lives. Have her guard the mausoleum for three years, burning incense and tending candles for me, feeding the green phoenixes and deer raised at the mausoleum. After three years when I reincarnate, she won’t need to accompany me anymore – release her then.”
Ginger gets spicier with age. Empress Ma arranged Hu Shanwei’s fate clearly in just a few words. She didn’t dare say a single “no” – saying it would be useless anyway. Under the Hongwu Emperor’s thunderous wrath, he might really have her buried alive.
Two days later, fifteenth year of Hongwu, tenth day of eighth month, princes and their consorts, princesses and prince consorts all came to Kunning Palace. Eastern and Western Six Palace consorts knelt outside praying for the empress’s blessing. Empress Ma had reached her final moments.
The Hongwu Emperor accompanied Empress Ma, holding his wife’s hand.
Empress Ma opened her eyes and said to the kneeling, weeping princes and princesses: “You are all children of the imperial family, born into wealth, not knowing hardship, blessed with good births. Know that this wealth comes from the common people. Having eaten their offerings, you must fulfill imperial family responsibilities. They say the imperial family is heartless – this isn’t entirely wrong. You may lack small emotions but cannot lack great love.”
Everyone wept and said they remembered, even confused young princesses cried loudly.
Empress Ma said to Crown Prince Zhu Biao: “You’re the eldest brother – love your siblings, be filial to His Majesty, care for the realm. Accomplish these three points and you’ll be a qualified heir apparent.”
Zhu Biao wept: “Your son respectfully remembers Mother Empress’s teachings.”
Using her final strength, Empress Ma said to the Hongwu Emperor: “May Your Majesty seek worthy advisors, accept counsel, be as careful at the end as at the beginning. If descendants are all virtuous, the realm’s subjects and people will have someone to depend upon.”
The Hongwu Emperor didn’t shed tears. He gripped Empress Ma’s hand tightly: “In the next life, I will still be husband and wife with Zi Tong.”
Empress Ma was already too weak to speak. Her pupils gradually dilated, and no matter how the Hongwu Emperor covered her hands, they would never warm again.