After eating his final meal, he drank his final wine.
The next day, before going to the execution ground, Jiang Quan, a female official serving Princess Nankang’s mansion, unexpectedly arrived at the Ministry of Justice death cell carrying a wine jug.
Mao Qiang never expected a female official would come to see him. He hastily pulled weeds from his disheveled hair, tried to straighten his prison clothes that were wrinkled like dried vegetables aged five years, and used overnight tea to wash his face, barely making himself presentable.
Jiang Quan passed the wine jug through the cell bars. “Palace Manager Fan asked me to bring this to you. It contains a secret formula prepared by Imperial Physician Liu from the palace. After drinking it, you’ll become sluggish and gradually lose sensation. When they cut you knife by knife, it won’t hurt as much. Everyone is in danger now, so even Palace Manager Fan can’t leave the palace freely to visit you. Only I, being in the princess’s mansion, have somewhat more freedom to move about.”
Palace Manager Fan was formerly Palace Supervisor Fan, who succeeded Hu Shanwei as Palace Manager.
“Palace Manager Fan said you’ve been colleagues for many years, both doing dark deeds, serving as the imperial family’s blade and the Emperor’s doormat, to be discarded after use. Now she has the opportunity to move from shadow to light because of Hu Shanwei’s departure, taking over the Palace Manager position. You left yourself no escape route, and she’s powerless to change this outcome. Drink this jug of wine, walk quickly on the road to the underworld without looking back, drink Granny Meng’s soup and hurry to reincarnate, forgetting all of this.”
Mao Qiang drained the entire jug and laughed, “I already guessed the outcome long ago, but I never guessed the ones to see me off would be you female officials.”
Jiang Quan smiled self-mockingly, “Women in official positions are always mocked for being indecisive and overly sentimental. But if we showed no sentiment at all, how boring life would be. Palace Manager Fan has always been cautious—sending this jug of wine is already remarkable for her. If Palace Manager Hu were still here, she definitely wouldn’t stand by watching you be executed by slow slicing and Ji Gang hunted citywide. However, I’m also glad she left the palace, so she won’t throw herself into another cause with passionate blood, leading to mutual destruction.”
Mao Qiang thought to himself that all this was arranged by the Emperor. The Emperor was like a shrewd chess player, positioning every piece. Hu Shanwei was deliberately sent away by the Emperor. Yunnan was far away with poor communication—by the time she learned of his execution, grass would already be growing on his grave.
However, these secrets couldn’t be shared with Jiang Quan lest he drag her into trouble. Mao Qiang said, “This is my fate, and I accept it. I killed many innocent people—this is an unchangeable fact. Death by slow slicing is deserved, and I accept this verdict.”
Jiang Quan showed a trace of regret. “This matter started with Commandant Hu Guan. I never imagined Hu Guan and the Emperor had already made arrangements, or perhaps leading the impeachment against you was one of the conditions for becoming Princess Nankang’s consort. At the time, Palace Manager Hu had doubts about Hu Guan as a candidate, thinking it strange to choose a fallen young master who had been stripped of his title and nearly exterminated when there were so many excellent candidates. But I was only focused on being happy for Princess Nankang and didn’t think deeply about it. If I had known earlier… I would have found a way to eliminate Hu Guan. Princess Nankang’s marriage shouldn’t have become a transaction.”
Jiang Quan treasured her granddaughter, personally watching her grow up, feeling she deserved the most perfect man in the Ming Dynasty and the happiest marriage. But her father Emperor Hongwu didn’t think so, always putting imperial power first.
Mao Qiang smiled, “Palace Manager Hu is a warm-hearted person—she even had Ji Gang investigate whether Hu Guan was bald like his older brother. Actually, without Hu Guan, there would be others. Don’t blame yourself. Marquis Dongchuan Hu Yu’s entire family indeed died by my hand and were indeed innocently implicated. He wants revenge, and court ministers have relatives and friends—how many died by my hand? When the drum breaks, everyone beats it; when the wall falls, everyone pushes it. I… die as I should.”
By now the nerve-paralyzing medicine in the wine was taking effect. Mao Qiang’s pupils gradually dilated and his tongue became somewhat uncooperative. Having been mighty all his life, he didn’t want to appear tongue-tied and embarrassed before Jiang Quan, so he waved at her, “Go, don’t… implicate… yourself…”
“I’m over sixty and have seen life and death—I’m not afraid of dying.” Jiang Quan took a comb from her hair ornament, reached through the gaps in the bars, opened Mao Qiang’s hair knot, and patiently combed through his tangled hair bit by bit, finally re-tying it into a proper knot so he could die with dignity.
An hour later, at the Meridian Gate execution ground, crowds filled the area—people coming to watch the execution, including commoners and high officials. The executioner made over a thousand cuts, each cutting only a fingernail-sized piece of flesh. With each cut, spectators cheered, weeping with joy and shouting, “Heaven has opened its eyes, great revenge is taken!”
The medicine had numbed Mao Qiang’s nerves, so he didn’t feel much pain—like mosquito bites. The sea of people before him became double images he couldn’t see clearly. His ears were filled with noise, as if underwater hearing sounds from above. Though he was still breathing, his soul had already separated, coldly crouching aside watching himself being tortured.
The executioner was highly skilled. Even after being carved into a human skeleton with no intact skin remaining anywhere on his body, Mao Qiang was still breathing. Spectators could clearly see his chest, without a patch of good flesh, weakly rising and falling.
All hatred was released cut by cut.
From morning until noon, the hour of execution finally arrived. The executioner precisely inserted his knife into the chest and extracted a flame-like heart.
Mao Qiang finally expired, lowering his head. The executioner raised his blade and chopped, the head fell and rolled down the execution platform. Thus the slow slicing execution was completed.
Spectators immediately swarmed forward to compete for the head, countless people wanting to seize it to comfort deceased relatives.
Princess Nankang’s consort Hu Guan had already positioned men nearby. As soon as the head fell, his subordinates wrapped it in white cloth and placed it in a prepared box containing lime.
Over ten men guarded the box, passing the head to Hu Guan. Just as Hu Guan was about to receive it, another group suddenly rushed over and snatched the box away.
In broad daylight, someone dared rob the consort’s property!
“Get the head back! Take these street thugs to the Yingtian Prefecture office! I’m a Commandant of Imperial Sons-in-law—why aren’t you kneeling!” Hu Guan flew into rage, leading men to seize it back. But the other party showed no retreat, even sending men onto the execution platform to collect the heart and flesh scraps.
The head-snatcher turned around—extremely handsome, his appearance second only to the citywide fugitive Ji Gang, but this person’s bearing was noble and elegant, far surpassing Ji Gang.
No wonder he dared compete with Hu Guan for the head—this person was also a consort, Earl Yongchun Wang Ning. They were all relatives; Hu Guan had to call Wang Ning sixth brother-in-law.
Hu Guan differed from Wang Ning. Hu Guan’s father and brothers all had military achievements, but Hu Guan didn’t—a typical pretty boy. Wang Ning had talent, earning his Earl Yongchun title through outstanding intelligence work, a key figure in the Ming’s third and fourth northern expedition victories. Emperor Hongwu greatly favored this sixth son-in-law.
Therefore, seeing it was Wang Ning, Hu Guan’s towering rage instantly vanished. He stopped his subordinates from fighting, “All of you stand down. I need to speak with sixth brother-in-law.”
Hu Guan performed family courtesy to Wang Ning, saying, “Mao Qiang and I have blood vengeance—he killed my brother and destroyed my family. Today I want to use his head to sacrifice to my second brother’s entire family. Please return the head, sixth brother-in-law.”
Wang Ning said, “Why Mao Qiang died, we both know clearly. He’s already suffered extreme torture and death—why must you further humiliate his corpse?”
Hu Guan said, “This man nearly destroyed my entire Hu family. Only I remain alive. I long ago vowed to take Mao Qiang’s head to sacrifice to my family.”
Wang Ning stood firm, saying, “Mao Qiang showed me recognition and kindness. Today he died to atone for his crimes—all grudges are settled. I will collect his body.”
During the second northern expedition’s failure, Mao Qiang selected Wang Ning, who had fought desperately against eagles feeding on his comrades’ corpses, faked his death, gave him a new identity, and placed him as a spy in the Northern Yuan to gather intelligence.
Wang Ning lost his mother and fiancée because of this but also achieved lifelong fame. In Wang Ning’s view, Mao Qiang was a loyal, patriotic general who shouldn’t suffer corpse desecration after death.
Hu Guan pointed at the pile of flesh scraps on the execution platform, “Look at this state—how can you collect it?”
“Though I can’t assemble a complete corpse, I’ll do my best to piece him together for burial.” Wang Ning countered, “In this state, why do you still want to humiliate his corpse?”
Seeing the disagreement was too great for negotiation, Hu Guan’s hatred rose, saying coldly, “You haven’t experienced a noble family being wrongly accused and destroyed overnight like I have. You don’t know the grief and anger in my heart.”
Wang Ning said, “You’re not me—how do you know I don’t understand losing family? From the first cut, you’ve been watching the execution here. Your revenge is complete. Today I will bury Mao Qiang.”
Wang Ning’s men had already collected the skeleton, head, flesh scraps, and heart in a thin wooden coffin and were about to carry it away. Hu Guan signaled his subordinates, and they swarmed forward to fight for it.
Wang Ning was prepared. He whistled, one team blocked and fought Hu Guan’s men while another team carried the coffin toward a waiting horse cart.
No one dared hit a consort, so only consorts could fight consorts.
Fifteen years ago, when Princess Huaiqing was selecting a consort, Mao Qiang casually submitted Wang Ning’s name to fill numbers. He conflicted with Dongchuan Marquis heir Hu Bin, who had fake hair, on the polo field. Wang Ning’s ball scattered Hu Bin’s hair knot, exposing the fake hair package and revealing his premature balding, causing him to lose the consort selection.
Truly enemies on a narrow path—fifteen years later, fighting for Mao Qiang’s remains, Wang Ning battled Hu Bin’s third brother Hu Guan at the execution ground.
Hu Guan was a pretty boy while Wang Ning had real ability, never slacking these years. The superior was immediately apparent. Wang Ning subdued Hu Guan, mounted his horse, and quickly left the execution ground with his men. When Hu Guan pursued, it was too late.
Hu Guan raged, “Go to every graveyard and ask where Earl Yongchun buried that bandit Mao’s corpse, then dig it up for me!”
Hu Guan was determined to desecrate the corpse, but his subordinates returned that night saying they found no news of Wang Ning burying Mao Qiang—likely fearing Mao Qiang had too many enemies, he secretly found a place for burial.
“A bunch of useless fools!” Hu Guan slammed the table, “Earl Yongchun returned to the princess’s mansion that night. In such short time, he couldn’t have buried the corpse outside Nanjing city. Most likely it’s in the imperial-granted estates—those lands are vast, he could bury it anywhere. Go search Earl Yongchun’s several imperial-granted estates.”
The subordinates received orders and left.
Who knew Princess Huaiqing would enter the palace to complain to her father Emperor Hongwu, “…These past days, I don’t know what’s wrong with eleventh brother-in-law Hu Guan. Instead of directly telling Nankang anything, he keeps sending people to lurk around your daughter’s princess mansion and several suburban estates.”
Princess Huaiqing said coquettishly, “Father Emperor, your daughter will soon have a daughter-in-law and greatly values reputation. A perfectly good brother-in-law, instead of serving Nankang at the princess mansion, keeps following me around for what? In such compromising circumstances, where’s my face?”
Princess Huaiqing’s complaint was extremely clever. Because everyone knew why Mao Qiang died, but it couldn’t be spoken, especially before Emperor Hongwu—that would be seeking death.
Princess Huaiqing was daughter of Noble Consort Chengmu Sun Shi, sixth among the princesses, beloved by the Emperor and Empress since childhood. Previously all princesses married into wealthy families, but after Emperor Hongwu’s several great purges, four of the first five princesses became widows. Only the second daughter Princess Ningguo’s consort Mei Yin remained alive and, like Wang Ning, was valued by Emperor Hongwu.
Eldest daughter Princess Lin’an married Li Qi, son of former Prime Minister Li Shanchang. Due to family treason charges, Li Qi was first exiled, then died.
Third daughter Princess Chongning married Niu Cheng, implicated in treason, exiled and died.
Fourth daughter Princess Anqing married Ouyang Lun, executed by Emperor Hongwu for smuggling tea…
Fifth daughter Princess Runing married Lu Xian, killed for treason involvement.
With four brothers-in-law dead before her, sixth-ranked Princess Huaiqing naturally knew Father Emperor was ruthlessly merciless to sons-in-law. So she concealed the conflict between Wang Ning and Hu Guan, singling out only Hu Guan, making it seem like Hu Guan harbored “ill intentions” toward her.
Emperor Hongwu had many ears in the capital and naturally knew the real reason—two consorts fighting over Mao Qiang’s remains. Wang Ning’s action actually pleased Emperor Hongwu greatly, first because he felt reluctance and guilt toward Mao Qiang, second because he felt his sixth son-in-law was truly loyal and distinguished between gratitude and resentment.
Emperor Hongwu saw through but didn’t speak, saying, “I understand. Summon Princess Nankang and Commandant Hu Guan to the palace. I have words for them.”
The couple entered the palace. Emperor Hongwu summoned Hu Guan privately while Princess Nankang was called by Noble Consort Cui to Yanxi Palace for conversation.
No one knew what was said, but when leaving the palace, Princess Nankang’s eyes were somewhat red with freshly applied makeup, while Hu Guan trembled with fear. He immediately withdrew the surveillance subordinates, and the next day the couple brought generous gifts to Princess Huaiqing’s residence to apologize.
Everything returned to calm.
The Imperial Grandson again memorialized Emperor Hongwu about the former Hu Weiyong and Li Shanchang treason cases and Lan Yu case, saying they implicated too many officials and citizens. Many were forced to sign confessions and implicate others under criminal minister Mao Qiang’s torture. Many died in unjust imprisonment, and even now court officials often used reporting Hu faction and Lan faction methods to eliminate dissidents and frame others. If this unhealthy trend continued spreading, the court would surely become corrupt with increasingly wide implications. Upright officials would be executed while only silver-tongued flatterers remained, harmful to Ming Dynasty’s foundation. He requested the Emperor pardon prisoners jailed for Hu and Lan faction crimes, let bygones be bygones, and forbid officials from using Hu and Lan faction charges to attack others in future.
This was a complete cut—from now on, no Hu or Lan factions existed, the matter was closed.
Additionally, given the Jinyiwei’s many evil deeds and repeated creation of unjust cases, he suggested Emperor Hongwu disband the Jinyiwei.
Emperor Hongwu agreed, immediately announcing the Jinyiwei’s dissolution and issuing the “Edict Pardoning Lan and Hu Factions”:
“Recently, disloyal court ministers like Li Shanchang secretly conspired to create disaster. When discovered, each met their punishment. This year the Lan bandit rebelled. When the plot was exposed and they were captured, over fifteen thousand were executed by clan extermination. Those remaining were already pardoned by proclamation. Still fearing ignorant traitors might doubt and worry daily.”
“Now I especially proclaim to the realm: except for those already convicted and captured by officials who receive no pardon, those already guilty but not captured and those not yet guilty, regardless of Lan or Hu faction, are all pardoned.”
Meaning over fifteen thousand had died in the Lan Yu treason case. Except for already convicted criminals, from today all people implicated in related treason charges were pardoned—you’re free.
When this great pardon was issued, all civil and military officials wept with joy, praising the Emperor’s wisdom and Imperial Grandson’s benevolence.
A thousand li away in Yunnan, Mu Chun received a carrier pigeon message learning of Emperor Hongwu’s great pardon. He immediately went to a new immigrant stone city, to a seemingly ordinary residence with a two-story small building containing a room with walls on four sides and only a small window above for air and light.
Fugitive Ji Gang lay on the bed, numbly watching dust dancing in sunlight through the window.
Mu Chun took out three keys, opened three locks, and opened the door. He showed two papers—one a wanted poster with Ji Gang’s portrait, another the “Edict Pardoning Lan and Hu Factions,” saying:
“The Emperor declared a great pardon, letting bygones be bygones. You’re free. However, I suggest not going to the capital temporarily because the Jinyiwei has been disbanded and other guards won’t accept them. Most former Jinyiwei colleagues have become unemployed vagrants, driven away and ostracized. Going to the capital, you’d face the same fate. Better stay in Yunnan—I’ll create household registration for you to start over.”
“No need. I won’t go to the capital, nor stay here to implicate you and Hu Shanwei. This wanted poster portrait is truly mediocre—I’m obviously a hundred times better looking.” Ji Gang jumped from the bed, speaking lightly but without warmth:
“Good birds choose trees to perch in. I have plenty of ability. I’m leaving.”
Mu Chun asked, “Where will you go?”
Ji Gang looked north, “Large trees provide good shade. Naturally I’ll find the strongest new master. Someday I’ll avenge Lord Mao.”