In late April, news of the suppression of the Maoping uprising arrived, and the Emperor’s laughter once again filled the palace.
“People often mock royal offspring for being raised in the inner quarters among women, losing the ability to conquer and fight on horseback like our ancestors. But look at our Wei-lang – who would dare say such things from now on?” he said with a laugh.
“Indeed, indeed. They say Duke Jin’an possesses the courage of the legendary Swift Cavalry General, daring to lead his troops deep into enemy territory,” a eunuch chimed in flatteringly.
Nearby, the Imperial Consort sneered inwardly. Swift Cavalry General? A bunch of mountain bandits hardly compare to the fierce western rebels.
The Emperor laughed again.
“Not comparable, not comparable,” he said, shaking his head.
But the Imperial Consort saw no hint in his expression that he truly believed they were not comparable.
“I don’t care what others say, nor do I concern myself with displays of bravery,” the Empress Dowager said tearfully from where she sat. “Has anyone considered the dangers? Wasn’t he only supposed to oversee the situation? How did he end up leading troops into battle himself?”
Although Duke Jin’an had downplayed the events in his letters, every move in Maoping was naturally under the Emperor’s close watch. Through multiple intelligence reports, the court was fully aware of all that had transpired during the suppression and relief efforts.
The Shi Tang Fortress served as the last major stronghold of the rebels. Duke Jin’an had entered the fortress alone and ultimately succeeded in persuading them to surrender. While this sounded perilous enough, the reality was even more dangerous.
At that time, Duke Jin’an wasn’t the only visitor to Shi Tang Fortress. Envoys from other defeated rebel factions had also arrived. While the two fortress leaders were hesitating, envoys from another rebel group secretly attempted to assassinate Duke Jin’an. Their plan was to leave Shi Tang Fortress with no choice but to continue the rebellion.
Their scheme was well calculated and nearly succeeded. However, Duke Jin’an ultimately killed their leader. This commotion alerted the people of Shi Tang Fortress, and the two leaders finally decided to pledge allegiance to the imperial court. They joined forces to eliminate the remaining rebels, then opened the fortress gates to welcome the government troops up the mountain.
“…using fireworks he lit to kill the bandits – just listen to this! How is this not sheer recklessness?” the Empress Dowager said.
Indeed, even the Emperor’s expression turned somewhat peculiar upon hearing this.
With four attendants already killed and the bandits fully committed with no way back, Duke Jin’an, while surrounded, managed to kill the bandit leader. When asked how he accomplished this, the answer was: fireworks.
Fireworks from Li Family Shop.
“When I left the capital, I brought fireworks with me, originally intended for sending signals at night. Back when Li Mao saw how high Lady Cheng’s fireworks could shoot straight up, he wondered what would happen if they were launched horizontally. That’s what led to the later development of stone projectiles. Thanks to the improved gunpowder, the fireworks from Li Family Shop could fly even higher and farther. At that critical moment, I had no weapons at hand. As a last resort, I threw the fireworks at them, never expecting they would actually hit anyone.”
This was what Duke Jin’an said after the government troops rushed up to the stronghold.
It was truly unbelievable to hear, yet the three dead men on the scene indeed had charred faces, clearly injured by a gunpowder explosion.
The assailants had swiftly killed the guards, leaving only an unarmed prince. Thinking success was assured, they were caught off guard by the sudden firework attack. The loud noise and terrifying effect, coupled with their own guilty consciences, caused them to panic momentarily. This gave Duke Jin’an the chance to escape. As their plot came to light, instead of forcing the Shi Tang Fortress leaders into compliance, they provoked them into turning against the assassins.
What a… lucky fellow.
The Emperor shook his head with a wry smile and a sigh.
But such luck could only be attained when built upon a foundation of courage.
“Word has it that Duke Jin’an was enveloped in a divine light at that moment, as if a celestial being had descended to earth. Everyone in the stronghold fell to their knees in awe. That’s why the leaders of Shi Tang Fortress believed it was the will of Heaven and dared not oppose it, firmly deciding to pledge allegiance to the court without further hesitation,” the Imperial Consort said with a light laugh.
To speak of a duke as being chosen by the Mandate of Heaven was a statement that sent shivers down one’s spine.
Yet the Emperor seemed unaffected and nodded in agreement.
“In such a situation – pitch darkness suddenly broken by explosive light, the bandits falling to the ground – it was only natural for them to be awestruck, as if witnessing a divine presence,” he remarked with a faint smile. “Moreover, as my commissioner, he was acting on my behalf. Indeed, it was the Mandate of Heaven at work.”
…
“I’m absolutely furious!”
With a sharp cry, the Imperial Consort overturned the table before her. Still seething, she lifted her foot and delivered a fierce kick.
“Just which one is his real son?! He praises and protects that boy at every turn, while finding fault with my son all day long – even scolding him three times a day doesn’t seem to satisfy him!”
“The Mandate of Heaven! Chosen by the Mandate of Heaven! Let’s see who’ll be laughing when that usurper takes the throne and claims the Mandate of Heaven for himself!”
The palace eunuchs hurriedly rushed to shield her from all sides, fearful that the shattered plates and bowls scattered across the floor might injure her feet.
“Your Highness, it’s only natural for His Majesty to react this way. He has admired martial prowess since childhood and sees the Duke as a reflection of himself – that’s why he’s so pleased. It’s not genuine admiration for the Duke,” a eunuch explained cautiously. “Your Highness, please don’t overthink it.”
“I’m not overthinking – I’m furious!” the Imperial Consort shouted angrily, tearing down the hanging curtain with a furious yank. “Useless! Completely useless! All those men died! With such a perfect opportunity, not only did they fail to kill him, but they got blown up by a few fireworks instead!”
“What kind of incompetents did you hire? Street performers?!”
The eunuch frantically waved his hands, his face pale with fear.
“Your Highness, Your Highness, you mustn’t say such things, you mustn’t,” he whispered urgently, over and over.
The Imperial Consort viciously tore down the curtain once more, then turned and kicked a small table aside, only to cry out in pain as she stubbed her toe. She collapsed into a seated position with a gasp.
“Your Highness! Your Highness, something terrible has happened!”
A palace maid rushed in through the door, her voice trembling with panic. But at the sight of the Imperial Consort’s state and the disarray of the room, she froze in fear.
“What else could possibly go wrong? Speak! Let’s hear it all at once – better that than having these annoyances trickle in one by one to disgust me,” the Imperial Consort snapped, her eyebrows arched sharply.
The maid hesitated for a moment, then timidly approached and knelt beside the Imperial Consort.
“Your Highness, do you remember the rumor that circulated some time ago, about Consort An dreaming that the Taibai Star descended into her embrace?” she whispered.
The Imperial Consort let out a derisive laugh.
“What? Has some other celestial body found its way into her embrace now?” she said scornfully.
“Your Highness, that rumor… it wasn’t unfounded,” the maid murmured softly.
The Imperial Consort turned to glare at her, then spat in contempt.
“Your Highness, whether Consort An truly had that dream or not cannot be confirmed, but the Taibai Star truly did appear,” the palace maid whispered urgently. “Just before the lunar eclipse – the Taibai Star traversed the heavens.”
The Taibai Star traversing the heavens!
The Imperial Consort abruptly straightened up.
“What did you say?” she demanded, her face suddenly paling.
Lunar eclipse, converging with the Taibai Star – the Crown Prince is in danger.
…
Naturally, news of the suppression of the Maoping rebellion spread to the capital along with the victory report.
However, compared to victories against the fierce Western foes, quelling a civilian uprising would typically not cause much of a stir. But this time was different from the past.
The main reason was a remarkable episode within the events – the story of Duke Jin’an, representing the Son of Heaven, entering the Shi Tang Fotress alone.
“…He took only four men with him…”
“No, I heard it was just Duke Jin’an alone, calmly entering the mountains and the fotress…”
Amid the buzz of conversation, the rhythmic beat of a drum could be heard.
“…Suddenly, a golden light flashed – it was the Supreme Elder Lord manifesting his divine presence. Chanting ‘By the urgent decree!’, he swung his Divine Light Sword, and the bandits fell to the ground in rows. Duke Jin’an strode out calmly, flicked his sleeve, and shouted, ‘You bandits, why do you not surrender? What are you waiting for?!'”
With a sharp clap of the storytelling block, the storyteller rose to his feet, sweeping his gown. The entire hall erupted in roaring applause.
In the private booth overlooking the main hall on the second floor, the young man couldn’t help but slap the table and burst into laughter.
“Liu-lang, what’s so amusing?” Qin Hu asked with a frown.
“It’s just hilarious,” Zhou Fu replied with a grin. He grabbed a handful of dried nuts from the table, tossed them into his mouth, and leaned against the railing to continue listening.
“…Speaking of which, Duke Jin’an is no ordinary man. Back then, Princess Consort Xiu dreamed of a bodhisattva smiling and pushing a golden melon into her embrace. She woke up pregnant and gave birth to Duke Jin’an. It’s said he’s a child from the bodhisattva’s side, which is why he can attract sons and wealth…”
Hearing this, Zhou Fu grinned and was about to laugh again, but Qin Hu stood up and tossed a handful of coins onto the table.
“Let’s go, let’s go. This kind of nonsense – who knows what grudge the storyteller holds against Duke Jin’an,” he said, frowning.
Zhou Fu followed him, still laughing.
“I think it’s quite entertaining,” he remarked. “Speaking of which, His Highness the Duke does seem blessed. Even fireworks could scare off his enemies – probably unprecedented and never to be repeated.”
“Do you really believe fireworks scared off the enemy?” Qin Hu said.
Zhou Fu glanced at him.
“So many people witnessed it with their own eyes. What are you overthinking now?” he replied with a laugh.
“Witnessing something with your own eyes doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the truth,” Qin Hu said. “We trust what we see, yet even our eyes can be deceiving.”
“Then why bother with what’s true or false? The matter is resolved anyway,” Zhou Fu said.
Qin Hu fell silent, turning to glance back at the teahouse.
Inside, the crowd was packed tightly around the storyteller, who was growing more animated, spraying saliva as he spoke.
“If the Duke is so blessed by fortune, then what does that make the Crown Prince?” he said coldly.
Zhou Fu reached out and patted his shoulder.
“If the Duke is blessed by heaven’s favor, perhaps his tablet will one day be placed on the highest tier in the side hall of the Imperial Ancestral Temple,” he said. “But even if the Crown Prince lacks such divine blessings, securing the lowest position in the main hall is his by right. ‘Duke’ and ‘Crown Prince’ – the difference – is itself the decree of heaven’s favor.”
“Since the will of heaven is clear, one should abide by their proper place,” Qin Hu said. “Yet now, the Duke has overstepped his bounds.”
“Where has he overstepped? The Emperor originally ordered all officials to welcome their return and even wanted Prince Ping to offer a toast on behalf of the Son of Heaven. But weren’t these gestures declined by the envoys and officers? That’s knowing one’s place,” Zhou Fu replied with a laugh, a hint of pride in his tone. “It seems they understand their position well.”
He leaned closer to Qin Hu and lowered his voice.
“Suppressing a rebellion – just dealing with some commoners and a few mountain bandits – if that’s considered a great achievement worthy of a welcome by the Son of Heaven, then how should the merits of our Northwestern Army be measured?”
Qin Hu let out a scoffing laugh and nudged him away with his elbow.
“What are you so proud of? They’ve gained the merits they deserved from this move, earned a reputation, and yet maintained humility before the Emperor by knowing when to advance and retreat. That’s what true shrewdness is,” he said with a laugh.
Zhou Fu snorted dismissively.
“Aren’t you tired, thinking so much every day? If your cleverness has nowhere else to go, why not hurry up and figure out what to do about her situation?” he said irritably.
Her situation…
Qin Hu smiled faintly but said nothing, tucking his hands into his sleeves as he walked on.
She is the one I think of most – yet she is precisely the one who never needs my thoughts.
