Dreams of Jianghu

Chapter 96 – Qing Transmigration (5)

Lin Yu Tong leaned back on the bed, and watched Hong Hui who was already in his blankets but still so excited he could not go to sleep because of his a-ma‘s praise. She said with a smile, “So happy. If you cannot sleep, then let’s have a story?”

“Yes!” Hong Hui’s eyes were smiling and bright. A child of this age was taught to be a little adult, without any entertainment. Hearing that there was going to be a story, how could he not be happy? He turned and laid in the blankets to listen to Lin Yu Tong tell a story.

But what to tell? Snow White or Little Red Riding Hood? This was not suited to Hong Hui who was being raised as an emperor.

Lin Yu Tong frowned and thought for a bit. She said, “Let’s tell stories about the Ming Dynasty. Do you know the Ming Dynasty?”

“I do. The emperors of the Ming were useless and unwise so our Qing entered through the forts, and the world became Aisin-Gioro,” Hong Hui said, very proud!

Lin Yu Tong stilled, pressed her lips together and then said, “Son, remember, the world is always the world of the people, not of one family. The son of heaven is the son of the heavenly path, or rather said to be the son of the people of the world.”

Hong Hui nodded. He had a thoughtful expression. After a moment he said, “They all say that one with the hearts of the people will have the world. They all say that the people of the world are the people of the emperor. Eniang says that the emperor should be the son of the people of the world. This reverses the position of the emperor and the people. But this feels even more meaningful.”

A hint of surprise flashed through Lin Yu Tong’s eyes. This child had good comprehension. She did not worry that he would not understand. He would know what he could say and could not. She changed the topic, “Okay, let’s first talk about…… First talk about the Ming founder, Taizu Zhu Yuan Zhang.”

Hong Hui’s eyes lit up. “Zhu Yuan Zhang?”

“Yes, starting from him. Zhu Yuan Zhang, his name was not given by his father. His father was call Zhu Wu Si, meaning five four, just a farmer, and was illiterate. His mother Chen-shi also did not know how to read. She may have birthed a great son, but in the history books, her name is not recorded, just a surname. Just like your Eniang. After I pass away, my name will just hang next to your a-ma as Ulanara-shi. Like right now, when your a-ma is angry, he will shout Ulanara-shi. Even if your eniang birthed you, with your a-ma, I only have a surname left,” Lin Yu Tong complained and seeing that Hong Hui was suppressing laughter, she moved to the main topic. “Let’s continue with Zhu Yuan Zhang. This farmer couple, after getting a son, was not very happy. Because at the time, Zhu Wu Si and Chen-shi had three sons and two daughters. With another, they have another mouth to feed.”

“It was so difficult that people could not raise their children. No wonder the Yuan Dynasty ended,” Hong Hui sighed.

“Yes! Zhu Wu Si encountered this problem back then. He worked even harder so that his children survive. So, Zhu Wu Si did not give this future emperor special treatment, giving him the name Zhu Chong Ba, double eight, we can also call him Zhu Ba Ba, eight eight.” Before Lin Yu Tong finished, Hong Hui broke into laughter.

“What are you laughing about? Illiterate people will name their children like this. Zhu Yuan Zhang’s great great grandfather was called Zhu Bai Liu (hundred six), his great grandfather Zhu Si Jiu (four nine), his grandfather Zhu Chu Yi (first). His father was Zhu Si Wu. Maybe the name is the addition or subtraction of his parents’ birthdays, or that this was the day of naming. The names came like this. Zhu Yuan Zhang was born in a family like this. When he was your age, he herd the cows for the landlord Liu De’s family. Back then, Zhu Yuan Zhang definitely did not think that one day he would become the emperor. Back then, his greatest wish was to grown up to fifteen or so, get the matchmaker to find a hard working girl to become his wife, and then have a son called Zhu Liu Jiu (six nine) or Zhu Jiu Ling (nine zero), and then have his son herd cows for the landlord Liu De again.”

Hong Hui nodded and said, “So some things will not remain unchanged. Maybe the opportunity will come, right, Eniang?”

Lin Yu Tong smiled and touched her son’s head, saying, “Yes! At some unknown time, the god of luck will favor the people who can withstand the test.”

Mother and son murmured. Very late, Hong Hui fell asleep.

The lamp in the room went out. Si Ye then had Su Pei Sheng release the servant girls who had been going to report, and then he led Su Pei Sheng back to the front courtyard.

He had not stopped Princess Consort from teaching Hong Hui. It was the opposite. He had heard something different from it.

Just like Zhu Chong Ba’s simple wish back when herding cows, his own wishes were simple.

But from what time did he discover his wishes could be bigger?

Yes! The god of luck would only favor those who would withstand the test.

Would he be a person who would withstand the test?

Yes! He would be able to.

Hong Hui’s life slowly got on track. Each day, the first thing he did in the morning was to practice martial arts. Then, breakfast. He then went to the front yard and went to class. Before dinner, he would come back to do his home work and eat dinner.

His life was busy and full.

In the daytime, Lin Yu Tong would stay in the room and practice her martial arts. It was peaceful.

On this day, the old granny hurriedly came in to report, “Princess Consort, Second A-ge is ill.”

Lin Yu Tong frowned and said, “Has the palace physician been requested?”

“Yes,” the old granny said in a low voice, “this old servant sees that it is not very good.”

Lin Yu Tong was shocked. Hong Yun had died early in history. But in Lin Yu Tong’s memories, this was just a shy child. “Has Ye been told?”

The old granny looked at Lin Yu Tong. “This old servant does not dare……Ye, he……”

“Do not hide it, tell Ye first,” Lin Yu Tong then said, “I will go visit Li-shi first.”

The old granny could only respond with a grimace.

Li-shi had several children and her courtyard was no smaller than the main courtyard. Seeing Lin Yu Tong arrive, Li-shi welcomed her. “Greetings, Princess Consort.”

“Where is Second A-ge? Take me to see him,” Lin Yu Tong said.

Li-shi responded and led Lin Yu Tong in. “After entering winter, he became more and more tired.” She started to choke with sobs.

Lin Yu Tong asked, “So many days, why did you not report it?”

Li-shi moved her lips but did not say anything. Lin Yu Tong entered the room first. Even the windows in the room had been sealed off. It was so stuffy inside. No one in here would be alert.

Enduring the suffocation, she walked to the bed. She was not able to see the child’s expression, but his cheekbones were high, and he was very thin.

Lin Yu Tong put a hand on his wrist to check his pulse and her expression immediately changed. This child was starving.

Her anger instantly rose. She turned and asked Li-shi, “Li-shi, tell me the truth, how long since the child has eaten?”

“Second A-ge cannot eat, he will vomit if he eats. This concubine truly has no solution.” Li-shi‘s tears came down as she spoke.

“How come he cannot eat?” Si Ye’s voice came from the door. Then Si Ye hurried in.

“Ye!” Li-shi seemed to have found her spine.

Si Ye went around the two to see Hong Yun. When he saw, his heart felt cold.

Lin Yu Tong glanced at Li-shi. The other looked like she had lost a lot of blood. She grabbed Li-shi‘s hand and pulled up her sleeve. A wound was on her white wrist. “What did you do? Did you have your child drink your blood?”

Li-shi pulled her sleeve down. “Princess Consort, you are an eniang, this concubine is also an eniang. This concubine hopes for Second A-ge to be as healthy as Eldest A-ge.”

“So you have your child drink blood. No wonder the child cannot eat. You have him drink blood everyday. Not just the blood of your mother, even if you are given pig or sheep blood, will you not feel disgusted? How can you be so terrible? Did you do bloodletting in front of the child?” Lin Yu Tong looked at Li-shi and asked.

Li-shi stilled, and then seemed to dodge Lin Yu Tong’s gaze.

“You stupid woman,” Si Ye saw Li-shi like this, and understood. He wrapped Second A-ge up in a blanket, and then left the door.

Lin Yu Tong stilled. Where did this ye want to move the child to? She had a bad feeling, and hurriedly followed. After two steps, she turned and went back to pull Li-shi who was kneeling there. “Are you not going to follow and look after the child?”

Damn this Si Ye. As expected, he carried Hong Yun to the main courtyard.

Now, she could not refrain from acting. If something happened to the child, she could not explain it.

Lin Yu Tong saw Si Ye put the child on the bed in the warm room and walked over. She sighed. “Ye, rise, let me.”

Then, she picked up Hong Yun. She looked at his face and said, “Bring me a cup of water.”

When she turned her head, she saw Si Ye personally handing her the cup of water. Lin Yu Tong paused for a moment and then took it. She moved spring water to the tip of her finger to dilute it into the cup. She slowly fed Hong Yun.

“He is able to drink,” Lin Yu Tong said, “Tell the kitchen to cook chicken soup, get a strong soup, and bring it.”

After she spoke, Su Pei Sheng said outside, “Ye, the palace physician has arrived.”

“Let him enter,” Si Ye frowned and called the palace physician in. “Go see.”

This palace physician saw this was the main courtyard and thought that something was wrong with Eldest A-ge, but when he looked, the princess consort was not holding Eldest A-ge in her arms.

Si Ye saw Lin Yu Tong holding Hong Yun and his voice softened. “Put him down. Hong Yun is not small, it will be tiring to hold him like this.”

“He just drank water, if I put him down, he will likely vomit. I have to hold him,” she said to the palace physician, “Examine him like this, it should be fine.”

The palace physician heard that the child was able to drink and first sighed in relief inside. He hurriedly said, “Princess Consort, it is fine.” Inside, he thought, they all say that Fourth Princess Consort is very virtuous, it does appear so, and she is so good to the shu-sons.

When touching the pulse, his heart jumped. What could people say? The second a-ge of the Fourth Prince’s Establishment was starving to such a degree. His own mother would not do such a thing. He thought, this Fourth Princess Consort was so capable, able to punish people like this, and still look so kind. He felt a bit of fear.

Lin Yu Tong looked and understood what this palace physician was thinking. She had no place to speak of being wronged.

She glared at Li-shi who was hiding on the side and said to the palace physician, “Just say what you need to, do not fear.”

“Speak!” Si Ye glared at the palace physician.

This palace physician immediately knelt and said, “…… This…… Second A-ge may not have eaten…… Enough……”

“If he is starving, then he is starving, it is not that he has not eaten enough.” Lin Yu Tong glared at Li-shi again.

Si Ye’s expression grew blacker. He said to the palace physician, “Give a prescription.”

The palace physician wiped the sweat from his head and responded. A servant girl bought a bowl of chicken soup. The palace physician saw this and said, “No need for any prescription, this chicken soup is very good. If he minds the taste, cook with rice until oily, and drink rice soup.”

Li-shi hurriedly said, “This concubine also has ginseng, and will have them cook and bring it.”

The palace physician heard this and paled.

Lin Yu Tong put the spoon down and said, “Settle down. This child is so weak, how can he eat ginseng? If the ginseng is useful, will I not bear to let it be used or Ye not allow it to be used for Hong Yun?”

Si Ye looked at Li-shi and said, “Go back to your own courtyard. Do not stay here.”

Li-shi stilled. This was about to take her son away? She immediately knelt down, about to cry and beg.

Lin Yu Tong saw the palace physician still here and said, “You return first. Come back tomorrow. Will I stop you?”

Li-shi paused and seemed to understand something. Yes, Eldest A-ge was fine. What would the princess consort want her son for? So she kowtowed and left.

Si Ye looked meaningfully at Lin Yu Tong. In the past, she always wanted to raise Li-shi‘s child. Now, he was having her raise him, but she did not want him.

The palace physician listened to the gossip of the Fourth Prince’s Establishment, left contentedly.

Lin Yu Tong fed Hong Yun another half bowl of chicken soup, holding him up and gently bouncing him up and down like he was a baby who was going to burp.

“Give him to Ye, your arms cannot endure it.” Si Ye said from the side, “How about calling a wet nurse in?”

“No need, I am used to holding Hong Hui, I do not feel he is heavy.” Lin Yu Tong thought inside, I have to press on the meridian point to make sure he does not vomit. Are you able to do that?

Si Ye saw that she was not impartial and felt a bit apologetic. He said, “Li-shi is stupid, having her raise him is truly……Ye is worried.”

Lin Yu Tong stopped. What could she say? He clearly wanted her to raise this child.

Based on the rules of the present, a di-mother raising the children was their duty.

“What? You do not want to raise him?” Si Ye looked at Lin Yu Tong’s face and asked.

Lin Yu Tong looked at Si Ye and sent away the people in the room. She whispered, “Zhu Yuan Zhang’s empress Ma-shi always had a virtuous reputation. Zhu Yuan Zhang’s sons were all given to Empress Ma to be raised. Ma-shi‘s eldest Zhu Feng Biao, but he did not live for long. Zhu Yuan Zhang made his son the crown grandson. They all say that Empress Ma birthed five sons and two daughters. Then, why did Zhu Yuan Zhang not directly give the throne to his other di-sons, for example, supposedly his fourth di-son, the Chengzu Zhu Di. This Chengzu Emperor built a Great Temple of Repaying Kindness in Jiangning after he ascended the throne. The people did not know who was worshiped there. It was after us Qing took over Jiangning that the riddle of two hundred years was solved. The person worshiped there was his birth mother Gong-shi.”¹

“He killed the grandson of Empress Ma and took the throne. In order to be legitimate, the fact he had been raised by Empress Ma became his protection.” Lin Yu Tong looked at Si Ye, “Ye, I am afraid. I fear I will work so hard, and have the same ending.”

Si Ye looked at Lin Yu Tong for a long time. He had thought of many answers, but not this one.

He was silent for a long while and then said, “What nonsense is this? Ye is just a commandery prince, is the title of a prince of blood worth that? Ye is so incapable to not be able to arrange my sons?”

Lin Yu Tong looked at Si Ye and slowly looked down.

Si Ye said in a low voice, “Just raise him for now. When he is better, Ye will bring him to the outer courtyard.” In the end, he did not persist in having her raise the child.

Lin Yu Tong sighed in relief. “That is good. Hong Hui will be able to have someone with him after moving there.”

Si Ye thought it was right. The two children were similar in age, and they should not be treated differently.

As the two talked, time passed quickly. When it was night, Hong Yun woke up. Seeing it was Lin Yu Tong holding him, he was a bit anxious.

“Do not be afraid! Hong Yun, do not be afraid,” Lin Yu Tong said, “Your eniang has to take care of your younger brother. How about staying here tonight and sleeping with your big brother?”

“Di–Eniang.” Hong Yun smiled bashfully.

Hong Hui had been sketching on the side. Seeing him wake up, he said, “It is very boring for me to go to class alone. You eat well. After you get better, we will go to class together. A-ma has ordered rooms to be cleaned for us. After a while, we will move to live with A-ma.”

Hong Yun, as expected, looked happy.

Translator Ramblings: Happy holidays.

Table of Contents

• Grafting Life Chapter 95 – Qing Transmigration Tale (4)
• Grafting Life Chapter 97 – Qing Transmigration Tale (6)
• Grafting Life Chapter 98 – Qing Transmigration Tale (7)