Empress Ma and Hu Shanwei continued burning with high fever. Imperial Physician Tan, Court Physician Ru, and Haitang went sleepless through the night. Besides them, Imperial Guard Commander Mao Qiang was also busy all night.
The assassin silkworm mother was thoroughly dead.
That night, the Yingtian Prefecture Magistrate was stripped of his official hat and thrown into imperial prison, his entire family placed under house arrest. Imperial Guard personnel rushed overnight to Jiangning County where the silkworm mother was selected, turning her small silkworm workshop upside down and arresting all clerks and workers for questioning.
As the silkworm mother had said, she was from Jiangxi. In her youth, she and her husband came to Jiangning to escape warfare. When her husband died of illness, she vowed never to remarry and made her living raising silkworms. With her silkworm-raising skills and shrewd mind, she opened a small workshop. Since Jiangning textiles were famous nationwide, the small workshop’s business flourished, making the silkworm mother a well-known silkworm raiser locally.
The silkworm mother was physically robust with a fierce personality. It was said that when ruffians came to force her to remarry during her young widowhood, she protected herself with a kitchen knife, and over ten thugs gained no advantage from her.
The widow was generous and kind—in winter she gave porridge to homeless poor people. Her porridge was the thickest, and she provided it throughout the entire winter, spending most of her earnings to help the poor.
Therefore, the silkworm mother was quite famous locally. The county magistrate even wrote her into the “Jiangning County Records” to request a chastity memorial arch. With official backing and folk reputation for virtue, when the silkworm mother opened her workshop, no one dared bully her anymore.
However, from the first Sericulture Ceremony in the third year of Hongwu reign, when Yingtian Prefecture selected silkworm mothers from the eight suburban counties, she had never registered to participate, even refusing an invitation from Jiangning County’s magistrate once. This year, for unknown reasons, the silkworm mother voluntarily registered. The Jiangning County magistrate was overjoyed and didn’t even consider other candidates, directly recommending the silkworm mother to Yingtian Prefecture.
With the silkworm mother’s deeds recorded in county annals and a chastity memorial arch as guarantee, her credentials stood out among candidates recommended from the eight suburban counties. The Yingtian Prefecture Magistrate thought the silkworm mother was most suitable and made the final decision to select her.
Who would have thought such a reliable person was actually an assassin!
The Jiangning County magistrate along with his secretary were thrown into Imperial Guard prison. The workshop’s workers and even regular visiting merchants were invited for “tea,” while beggars who came to drink porridge at the workshop in winter were also caught in the dragnet, going to jail for meals.
The imperial prison was like a morning market, bustling with activity as everyone interrogated cried for their parents. The tranquil rear palace also stirred with waves.
Palace Administrator Fan and Imperial Guard Commander Mao Qiang together “invited” Consort Ding Da Shi to the Palace Administration Office for questioning.
For Empress Ma’s Sericulture Ceremony, the rear palace consorts weren’t qualified to attend. Therefore, Consort Ding initially didn’t know what had happened.
Consort Ding Da Shi—the only remarried woman in the rear palace, a legendary figure like “red beauty bringing disaster.”
In those days, Han King Chen Youliang, Wu King Zhang Shicheng, and another self-proclaimed Wu King Zhu Yuanzhang divided the Jiangnan region three ways.
Chen Youliang was a fish merchant from Xiantao, Hubei.
Zhang Shicheng was a private salt merchant from Suyang.
Zhu Yuanzhang was a mud-legged farmer from Fengyang.
Though Zhu Yuanzhang’s forces were weakest, he was most capable of challenging the impossible. He first went to war with Chen Youliang. These two were evenly matched—Chen Youliang had powerful military strength while Zhu Yuanzhang had numerous famous generals.
The war lasted many years. One of Zhu Yuanzhang’s famous generals, Mu Chun’s maternal grandfather Feng Guoyong, fell in the Chen-Zhu conflict—heaven envied this talent.
Finally, Chen Youliang’s fellow townsman from Xiantao Hubei, Great Han Chancellor Hu Mei, secretly communicated with Zhu Yuanzhang, leading his troops to surrender and offering his stunningly beautiful daughter Hu Shi to Zhu Yuanzhang as a gesture of sincerity.
With Hu Mei’s betrayal, Chen Youliang faced enemies on both sides. The Battle of Poyang Lake determined the outcome—Chen Youliang suffered devastating defeat.
Zhu Yuanzhang won the war at extremely heavy cost and hated Chen Youliang to the bone, even breaking his own principles—not plundering other men’s wives and daughters—by taking Chen Youliang’s most beautiful and favored concubine Da Shi as his own, bringing her into the rear palace.
When Da Shi entered the palace, she was merely a minor beauty. Hu Mei’s daughter Hu Shi had just given birth to the sixth prince, Prince Chu Zhu Zhen. Due to her beauty, Da Shi consecutively bore the seventh prince, Prince Qi Zhu Bo, and eighth prince, Prince Tan Zhu Zi, contributing greatly to the imperial family’s expansion. Emperor Hongwu granted Da Shi the rank of Consort Ding, and Empress Ma arranged her in Xianfu Palace in the Western Six Palaces—a main palace position with generous treatment.
Da Shi was silent and reticent, the rear palace’s famous “wooden beauty.” Whatever Empress Ma said, she would do, never speaking an extra word or taking an extra step. Usually when nothing was happening, she would join the Eastern and Western Six Palaces’ consorts every morning to visit Kunning Palace, bow once through curtains to symbolically pay respects to Empress Ma, then return to Xianfu Palace to stay indoors all day without emerging.
Both her sons moved out of Xianfu Palace when they began studying at age five, living in the Eastern Five Residences of Qianqing Palace, attending classes at the Great Academy daily, learning archery in afternoons, and occasionally being taken by Emperor Hongwu to fields to learn farming—”not forgetting one’s roots”—receiving the most orthodox early Ming princely education.
Consort Ding was also indifferent toward her two sons, unlike other imperial consorts who daily sent people to the Eastern and Western Five Residences to inquire about their sons’ studies and health.
Even during festival meetings between mother and sons, or when the two princes regularly visited Xianfu Palace to pay respects to their imperial mother, Consort Ding would perfunctorily offer routine advice:
“Listen to the Empress and Emperor…”
“Listen to your tutors and archery instructors…”
“Get along well with other princes in the Eastern and Western Five Residences. You two are now the eldest princes there—as elder brothers, be more accommodating to your younger brothers. Be broad-minded and don’t fuss over temporary gains and losses…”
“I’m doing well, not even coughing once all year—you needn’t worry about me…”
This wooden beauty Consort Ding seemed truly carved from wood with exquisite craftsmanship, her face and figure extremely refined. Though over thirty, she still vaguely resembled her seventeen or eighteen-year-old self when Emperor Hongwu captured her. Time had left no traces on her face—secluded in the deep palace, carefully maintaining her body and appearance. Even when Noble Consort Hu dominated the six palaces, Emperor Hongwu hadn’t forgotten Consort Ding. Palace records showed Consort Ding attended the emperor’s bed at least once monthly.
By rights, Noble Consort Hu and Consort Ding should have been mortal enemies—it was Hu Mei’s betrayal that caused Consort Ding to fall into Emperor Hongwu’s hands. However, these two women always rationally maintained distance. No matter how others provoked them, they never fought.
When Noble Consort Hu was powerful, Consort Ding was the wooden beauty who never left her quarters.
When Noble Consort Hu’s tree fell and the monkeys scattered, when her father Hu Mei caused palace chaos and three clans were exterminated, Consort Ding remained that wooden beauty, showing no reaction, acting as if it didn’t concern her, without any sense of great revenge being achieved.
Consort Ding kept a low profile. If not for the assassin silkworm mother’s appearance, Consort Ding’s past would almost be forgotten.
When the silkworm mother assassinated Empress Ma, she shouted: “Demon woman! Destroy my Great Han! Kill my Han King! Seize my nation’s mother! Such crimes deserve death!”
The Han King was Chen Youliang. The nation’s mother was the current Consort Ding. The silkworm mother was from the former Great Han regime—given any opportunity, she would risk her life for revenge. Unable to approach Emperor Hongwu, assassinating the Great Ming Empress was still worthwhile.
Mao Qiang ordered the silkworm mother’s corpse brought in for Consort Ding to identify.
Consort Ding was an imperial consort, the Emperor’s woman. It was inconvenient for Mao Qiang, a man, to interrogate her directly, so Palace Administrator Fan served as an intermediary.
The silkworm mother’s corpse had been stored in an ice cellar and brought out in ice blocks, not yet decomposed. The porcupine-like arrows had all been removed. When arrows attacked, people instinctively protected their heads, so the silkworm mother’s face wasn’t disfigured.
Palace Administrator Fan ordered the coffin lid opened. A chill rushed forth. Seeing the corpse frozen in ice blocks, Consort Ding instinctively turned her face away, not daring to look.
Consort Ding’s hands trembled. “Palace Administrator Fan, Lord Mao, you should both know my background. Originally a Yangzhou courtesan, because I was somewhat better looking than others, I was raised by a brothel as a money tree from childhood—music, song, dance, poetry, chess, calligraphy, painting—everything I learned wasn’t to please myself but to please men, to be men’s best plaything. Later I was bought for a high price and presented to the then Han King Chen Youliang, becoming a favored concubine—this assassin calling me the nation’s mother is truly laughable. The Han King’s wife then was Lady Yang. I was merely a concubine—what qualification did I have to be called nation’s mother?”
Consort Ding was more wronged than Dou E. “Later… entering the palace, besides moving from Wu King’s residence to Xianfu Palace, I have never stepped outside the rear palace, cutting all outside contacts, wholeheartedly serving His Majesty and bearing children for the imperial family. My loyalty to Great Ming is unwavering—sun and moon can witness this.”
Consort Ding had kept a low profile for half her life, cautious in word and deed, never expecting disaster to fall from heaven. She knew her remarried status would inevitably be criticized, so she always endured, even heartlessly sacrificing maternal love for her two sons. She hoped that when people mentioned Prince Qi and Prince Tan, they would try not to associate them with her as birth mother, but merely see them as Great Ming’s princes.
Besides this, what could a Yangzhou courtesan raised from childhood as men’s plaything do? When she was sent to Zhu Yuanzhang’s camp as war spoils, she clearly knew what would happen—besides acceptance, she could do nothing. Some cursed her as fickle, asking why she didn’t remain chaste and commit suicide like Han King’s wife Lady Yang did for Chen Youliang.
A Yangzhou courtesan, a prostitute—asking her to maintain purity? She felt staying alive was most important.
Palace Administrator Fan held her hand. “Don’t be afraid. The assassin is already dead. Neither His Majesty nor the Empress blame you. Consort Ding, look carefully—do you recognize her? The Empress has just recovered from serious illness and suffered this assassination. If you can identify her and follow the clues to find the mastermind, it would be a great contribution.”
With such comfort from Palace Administrator Fan, Consort Ding finally gathered courage to look at the silkworm mother lying in ice blocks, carefully examining her for a long time before saying, “She resembles Wutong, the personal maid who served former Han King’s wife Lady Yang. However, nearly twenty years have passed and she has aged. I’m not certain—Lord Mao could find former Han King residence people for identification.”
Though Zhu Yuanzhang killed Chen Youliang, to recruit surrender from the Han King regime’s old followers, he spared the lives of Chen Youliang’s father Chen Pucai and Chen Youliang’s young son Chen Li, even granting Chen Li the title Marquis Guide.
While Zhu Yuanzhang showed tolerance on one hand, he guarded against Han King regime revival on the other—in the fifth year of Hongwu reign, Zhu Yuanzhang packaged Marquis Guide Chen Li for express delivery to faraway Korea!
Now Chen Pucai was dim-sighted and confused with age. Chen Li was far away in Korea. These two living witnesses could provide no help. Should they summon Chen Li back from Korea to Great Ming?
Palace Administrator Fan said, “I vaguely remember the palace has several old nannies who were former Han King residence people. Personnel rosters are with the Palace Administration Bureau’s registry—we can check and have old palace people identify her.”
Fortunately this was Han King residence with a few living people. If it were Zhang Shicheng’s Suzhou Wu King residence, Chang Yuchun would have long since massacred the city and burned it down.
Mao Qiang went to check rosters at the Palace Administration Bureau registry. Though this matter was unrelated to Consort Ding, with Empress Ma’s assassination and uncertain fate, Consort Ding removed her hairpins outside Kunning Palace to await judgment, kneeling persistently for the outcome.
Consort Ding’s two sons, Prince Qi and Prince Tan, hearing of this, hurried to Emperor Hongwu at Qianqing Palace to plead for their mother.
The two princes found no one—Emperor Hongwu couldn’t wait for imperial physicians’ hourly condition reports and had gone to the temporary palace to accompany the fever-stricken Empress Ma, leaving all official business to the Ministry of Rites and several young Hanlin Academy scholars.
Director Cao, Cui Shangyi, and Director Song knelt outside with all palace personnel who participated in the Sericulture Ceremony, asking for punishment.
Director Cao was the person closest to Empress Ma but failed to protect the Empress. Cui Shangyi presided over the entire Sericulture Ceremony but was unaware of danger. Director Song managed women’s handicrafts—whether mulberry picking or silkworm feeding, she had the most contact with the silkworm mother yet didn’t notice her hiding a knife under mulberry leaves.
Though the silkworm mother was selected by Jiangning County and Yingtian Prefecture, the three senior female officials also bore responsibility for oversight failure. With Empress Ma unconscious, their futures were uncertain. However, they weren’t optimistic—at best losing positions and expulsion from court, at worst immediate beating to death.
Director Song silently wept. Cui Shangyi kept her head down without speaking. Director Cao said, “When His Majesty assigns blame, none of us three can escape. Each person’s guilt, each person bears—don’t think about pushing responsibility onto others. His Majesty most detests those who shirk responsibility—that might mean additional punishment.”
Director Cao was hinting that Cui Shangyi should take responsibility and not push blame onto Hu Shanwei.
Cui Shangyi was ice-smart—how could she not understand Director Cao’s meaning? But no matter how Director Cao probed, Cui Shangyi remained silent, her intentions unfathomable.
Director Song broke down first, wiping tears. “I was wrong. Last year during New Year when the palace released people, I should have requested to leave and return home to retire. Then I wouldn’t have these undeserved disasters. But I coveted power and palace wealth, unwilling to leave, thinking to serve four or five more years as Palace Handicraft Bureau Director to complete ten years—wouldn’t that bring more glory when leaving to retire? Never thought greed would harm me. If I can survive today, I’ll definitely request to leave the palace and retire, yielding position to the worthy. Whoever wants this Director position can have it—I don’t want to do it anymore.”
Director Cao snorted coldly, “Look how worthless you are—it’s not certain yet whether we’ll live or die.”
Facing death, Director Song no longer swallowed anger or constantly yielded to Director Cao. “You’re young, capable, alone with no family, ambitious and fearless. We’re different—I have family, elderly parents, five generations under one roof. Naturally I must consider them, unable to be as bold as you. I want to live—is that wrong? Who becomes an official not seeking wealth and honor? Is it to seek death? Cui Shangyi, at this time, please say something! When blame is assigned, what should we do?”
Director Cao also looked at Cui Shangyi with warning in her eyes. “Don’t forget your promise when borrowing Hu Shanwei from me—you said when Hu Shanwei worked for the Court Ritual Bureau, the Bureau would be her backing and support. Now is the time to test whether you, as backing, can hold steady.”
Cui Shangyi finally spoke. “Hasn’t Director Cao always disliked Hu Shanwei? Repeatedly wanting to drive her out—why speak for her now?”