CH 1

As the morning sun slips through the sky and falls lazily outside the palace, the lofty palace welcomes the three-day morning court as usual.   

For decades since the establishment of the Great Jing, Emperor Jianing has accumulated great power, but he has always accepted the advice of his ministers. The court often argued and held its own views, but today's situation was a bit special, as all the ministers looked at the dusty deputy general in the centre of the hall, and closed their mouths tightly, all becoming clay bodhisattvas.  

"Zhao ài qīng [1], repeat what you have just said."

[1] 爱卿 (ài qīnɡ) Aiqing is a Chinese word, pronounced ài qīnɡ, which means the monarch's pet name for his subjects, and it also refers to the name of the brothel woman in the Song Dynasty.  

The emperor on the imperial throne had a majestic face, his hand fell on the dragon's head of the imperial throne, and his always stern expression was somewhat absurd. 　　

Zhao Zhongshi, the fù jiàng [2] who had travelled thousands of miles in his armour, was half-kneeling in the courtroom. As he looked to the left of the hall, he was dumbfounded. The man who had come from the wind and gone through hundreds of battles was dumbfounded, choking and whispering. 

[2] fù jiàng - Deputy General

"Your Majesty..."

"Zhao qīng [3], answer properly!" Emperor Jia Ning sank his voice into a light drink, his dragon eyes slightly glaring.

[3]  卿(qīng) high ranking official (old); (from the Tang Dynasty onwards) term used by the emperor for his subjects; honorific 　　

"Your Majesty, the Anle Village has sent a letter of surrender, willing to be pacified by the imperial court and submit to Great Jing. The Lord of the village, Anle, heard that the Prince of Great Jing is the best in Central Plains and said that the entire Anle Village does not need to be pacified by Great Jing, but only needs a concubine position in the Eastern Palace in exchange for her 30,000 troops to pledge their loyalty."

As soon as he was shouted at by Emperor Jia Ning, Zhao Zhongshi flinched and his thick voice buzzed in the hall, reverberating in a whirlwind.　　

At the sound of this voice, all the ministers looked to their left, their faces puzzled, and they tried to hold back their eccentric feelings.  

The second-in-command, Zhao is an honest man, 'the Prince of Dajing is the crowning glory of the Central Plains' must have been said by Ren Anle, such words are understood in his heart. How can he blurt them out in the courtroom?

The young man at the head of the court on his left has his eyes downcast, his crimson red cháo fú [4] on his body, and his silent posture prevents the prying eyes of the ministers.

[4] 朝服  (cháo fú) court dress in ancient China; was usually worn by the emperor and ministers at court meetings, and sometimes also included specific dresses for concubines, imperial concubines, and female officials.　　

In the quiet hall of Chong'an, only the emperor at the top of the imperial throne knocked lightly on the dragon chair, and his slightly changed expression returned to normal very quickly after the deputy general reported back in a loud voice.　　

"Oh? Thirty thousand soldiers pledged their loyalty? Is Ren Anle's statement true?"　　

The Emperor Jia Ning's words were not without rarity, and one sentence was so stone-cold shocking that the ministers could not think of anything else and considered the Emperor's words with rapt attention.    

"In reply to Your Majesty, this is what the surrender letter sent to us says. General Ji asked me to return to the capital to present it to Your Majesty, saying that it is a rare opportunity and this subject hope Your Majesty and...Your Highness will think twice." 

Zhao Zhongshi had been in the army for several years, and was an old man, so his words were incoherent, as if he was reciting a book.　　

If it wasn't for the ridiculous conditions put forward by the owner of the fortress, he wouldn't have had the chance to return to the capital to take credit for his work. The ministers shook their heads, their eyes clearing up.

The Great Jing Army is strong and powerful, with a vast territory. The Northern Qin and Eastern Qian, are located in the desolate northern part of the country and are not a major problem. The only problem is that bandits are rampant in the South China Sea and invading the coastal cities. However, the Great Jing shuǐ jūn [5] is weak and no solution has been found for decades.

[5] 水师 (shuǐ shī) or 水军 (shuǐ jūn)- navy; It is the name given to the ancient maritime military forces in the Chinese character cultural circle; the traditional navy is equal to the modern navy in terms of governmental establishment and military role.  

An Le Zhai was a strange and unique place for Great Jing. Thirty years ago, when the Central Plains was in turmoil, and the Han family was ruling the world, Anle Village was a small place on the southeast coast. However, after decades of growth, the few hundred bandits who were the kings of the mountains have now become a powerful army of 30,000 sailors and called themselves the Anle Village more than ten years ago.　　

The imperial court was unable to defeat its naval forces in several sieges, and it became a problem for the court.  Although An Le Zhai did not belong to the court, it did not harass the people and only occupied the mountain as its king.　　

But Emperor Jia Ning is not a vegetarian emperor, how can he allow others to snore in his bedroom?[6] If he could surrender this time, he would be able to show off his imperial authority and use his 30,000-strong navy to keep the South China Sea bandits in check, so he could kill two birds with one stone! [7] 

[6] The same as "How can one snore on the side of a couch?" It is a metaphor for being close to or within one's jurisdiction;  often saying that one's own sphere of influence or interests cannot be invaded by others.  [7]  Doing one thing and getting two benefits at the same time.     

The officials felt that the surrender of An Le Zhai was in all likelihood a success, and they all looked towards the prince, who was as gentle as a pine, and shed a tear of sympathy.　　

Anle Village was not such a name more than ten years ago, so he called the bandit’s nest. Back then, the old owner of the fortress was so happy to have a daughter that he changed the name of the village to Anle.  A few years ago, the old village owner died and his daughter took over the village owner.    She is now more than eighteen years old, and is said to be extremely rude, violent and arrogant, and a true female bandit.    

The 30,000 sailors for a concubine, looking at the young and green prince of the imperial court, the crowd really could not figure out whether the court had taken advantage of the matter or whether the notorious female bandit had gotten a good deal.　　

"Zhao Qing, this is a very important matter, An Le Zhai has the intention to surrender, and I see that his orphaned daughter is quite loyal, which is a good thing. But the matter still needs the crown prince's ideas, my son, what do you think...?"

Emperor Jia Ning lowered his eyes and looked down, his face was smiling, but there was something deep under his eyes.

The ministers sighed in their hearts. Your Majesty, if you want the 30,000 navy soldiers who are brave and capable of fighting, just say it. The Crown Prince's approval was also given in a dignified manner. If you don't want to be accused by the world of being fatherless, a happy event at the Prince's East Palace will be inevitable.

In addition to the ministers who had different ideas, several of the princes also had the intention of looking at the joke.　　The Prince was asked to propose a marriage by a female bandit for her beauty in front of the entire court. The prince had lost a lot of face this time.　　

"Father, if the Anle Village is faithful to my Great Jing, the 30,000 sailors will be integrated into the general battalion of Sounan.  The Anle Village will be disbanded from now on, and this son would like to take a position in the Eastern Palace to welcome Ren Anle to the capital."　　

Prince Han Ye took a step forward and bowed to Emperor Jia Ning in reply, with a calm demeanour.　　

Several old ministers glanced at Emperor Jia Ning, whose face instantly eased, and secretly praised the Crown Prince for his beautiful words, not only pointing out the condition that An Le Zhai would only marry him if they were loyal to the Emperor, but also incorporating the 30,000 naval troops into the Sounan General Battalion, which was under His Majesty's control, to show that he had no desire to covet the An Le Zhai naval troops. In this way, the sacrifice of the prince, who willingly lowered himself to marry a female bandit in the person of the crown prince, would have won the hearts of the emperor and the people.   

Several of the princes also thought of this and grunted a few times and looked a little sarcastic.　　

"The son is kind and generous, he loves the people. He has won my heart!" As expected, Emperor Jia Ning smiled broadly, and the stern look between his eyebrows was swept away as he looked at the Minister of Rites: " Gong ài qīng , what ranking do you think would be best for the Anle Village Lord, who has travelled thousands of miles to be there?

For the first time in the courtroom of Dajing, a mere position in the Eastern Palace was discussed. The old Minister of Rites, Gong Jizhe, who was named, hurriedly stepped forward and said in a respectful voice, "Your Majesty, I think the position of a rú rén [8] is sufficient."

[8]孺人(rú rén) - In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the title was given to the mother or wife of a seventh-rank official; Also used as a title of respect for women.    

Although Ren Anle had recruited 30,000 sailors, she was after all a bandit leader and was marrying the crown prince, the future emperor, and in her position, even if she was a rú rén, that was an exaggeration. If not for the fact that the emperor was in a good mood, Gong Jizhe would not have opened his mouth, and as it turned out, some officials who were concerned about the status of their families were already frowning and ready to advise.　　

"Your Majesty..." the long-neglected deputy general Zhao heard that something was wrong and suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to report it, so he stepped forward to stop the officer's words. The emperor was suddenly frightened by him and said unhappily, "What is the matter with Zhao Qing?"　　

"Your Majesty, that Ren Anle said in her surrender letter that the position she was seeking..." Deputy General Zhao looked at the handsome prince who was looking at him with raised eyebrows, and replied stiffly, "is the position of tàizǐ fēi [9]  ."

[9]太子妃 tàizǐ fēi - the title of the Crown Prince's spouse, both the wife of the Crown Prince and also known as the Crown Prince's Consort and the Consort of the Eastern Palace.

Silence, total silence. A silence that was too loud to breathe.　　

The entire Chong'an Hall was miraculously silent because of the words 'crown prince consort', even the officials who had always been fond of arguing over the rules of propriety had kept their mouths shut, with some trepidation under their eyes.　　

Ridiculous, ridiculous, simply... ridiculous. The officials thought for half a second, but did not know what other words they could use to describe the bold female bandit of Anle Village.　　

The prince is the crown prince of the country, and she is asking for the position of crown princess. Does she want to be the mother of Great Jing Dynasty? There are countless noble daughters from noble families and lords and marquises in the imperial capital of Great Jing, but none of them have the audacity to enter the Eastern Palace and ask for the crown prince's consortship!　　

The prince took a step back and lowered his eyes, his face light and breezy, but there was a faint fluctuation under his eyes.　　

It is interesting that the Lord of Anlezhai dared to put forward this condition.

Sure enough, Emperor Jianing on the throne also withdrew his voice, and his expression darkened.  

"What a good one, Ren Anle. What does she regard my Great Jing Dynasty as ......"　　

"Your Majesty, Ren Anle has said that if Your Majesty does not want to grant the crown prince the position of concubine, she may not enter the Eastern Palace, but would only like Your Majesty to prepare a military position for her in the army, so that she can use her military achievements... in exchange for the chance to enter the Eastern Palace in the future."　

Although the emperor's power on the imperial throne was horrifying, and the prince's inattentive eyes were a bit dazzling, Deputy General Zhao still took out the spirit of  the battlefield, breathed a long breath, and completed the report.　

In fact, to put it bluntly, Ren Anle just means one thing, you can not give me the position of crown princess now, but you have to show some sincerity in exchange for my 30,000 sailors' allegiance, right? She Ren An Le will be what, embroidery, guqin, calligraphy and painting that is nonsense. The only thing she knows is how to fight with a sword, and joining the army for promotion is the most direct way.   

But what is the difference between this and open robbery? It's true that women who are used to being bandits are so used to being bandits that they can't even change their habits when they marry a husband.　

The status of women in Dajing is quite high, and although the number of women who have led the army in the court is small, it is not rare. However, it is not uncommon to find a woman who is a member of the army. The ministers have contempt for the arrogant and brutal Lord Anle, but they do not dare to say anything for fear of disobeying their superior's wishes.　　

"Oh? You will not enter the Eastern Palace until you are crown prince consort? What a big mouth she has! Gong Qing, draw up a decree for me and make it known to the world." Instead of reprimanding Ren Anle for such a treacherous request, Emperor Jianning, uncharacteristically, laughed out loud as he stroked his palm.   

"The Lord of the Anle Village is strong and compassionate, and is willing to lead 30,000 sailors to serve Dajing. She has been appointed deputy general in the south, and all the people of the Anle Village will be treated favourably."　　

The Minister of Rites received the decree and retreated to one side, his heart slightly moved. If Ren Anle is summoned to the imperial capital, the 30,000 sailors who have lost their backbone will sooner or later be tamed by General Ji, and within a few years, Anle's influence on the southeast coast will disappear. At that time, Ren Anle, a woman, would be at the mercy of the court.    

Once the emperor said this, no one dared to mention Ren Anle's proposal to marry the crown prince, only to assume that the emperor was willing to exchange a third-ranking position for 30,000 sailors from Anle's fortress.　　

After the emperor waved his hand, the eunuch shouted at the top of his voice, 'Retreat', and the ministers exited the hall only to find that the crown prince had been led by Zhao Fu, the eunuch in charge of His Majesty's side, towards the upper study.　　

"Father really thinks highly of Third Brother, he has just left the court and has summoned him away again." Han Zhao, the ninth prince, was born with thick eyebrows and large eyes, and had a military bearing. His mother was the daughter of the Minister of the Left, and he liked the battlefield, so he had no conflicts with the Crown Prince. The young prince, at the age of fifteen, had developed such a careless temperament.

"Ninth brother, third brother is the crown prince, so it is only right that he should be valued by the father." First prince Han Rui reprimanded him, his solemn face awe-inspiring.　　

Han Zhao snorted and raised his eyebrows slightly, obviously not hearing him.　　

Han Rui is the eldest son, but he is not the first-born, and his mother's family is not high, so he is not valued by Emperor Jia Ning, and his status is the most awkward among all the princes. However, he was loyal and filial to Emperor Jia Ning, and he was also extremely courteous to Crown Prince Han Ye, and he had served in the imperial court for many years. As a result, he was the most respected prince of the imperial court, apart from the Crown Prince, and was crowned King Mu by the Emperor three years ago.   

The fifth prince, Han Yue, saw that the two were at loggerheads and was busy rounding up the situation, "Ninth brother, the eldest brother is right, third brother is the crown prince and is different from us, but I'm afraid that Father is not only calling Third Brother away for the matter of the An Le Village."   

The fifth prince was the oddest of all the royal sons, obviously born into an imperial family, but he preferred to eat fasting and worship Buddhism. The emperor had a dozen sons in his lifetime, but only four of them are still alive today. The emperor had a dozen sons in his lifetime, but only four of them are still alive today. The emperor was afraid that he would want to shave his head as a monk, so forcibly brought him back to the court. The fifth prince, however, is thought to be the result of his childhood worship of the Bodhisattva, and he has a transparent and pure nature, never telling lies, and never compromising himself in what he thinks.　　

"What else could be going on besides An Le Zhai?" Han Zhao saw that his elder brother looked unhappy and obediently climbed down the fifth prince's ladder.

Han Rui's eyebrows twitched, and his expression as he looked up to the study was somewhat deep.　　

Even if Ren Anle led 30,000 sailors to surrender, it would not be a big deal for the Da Jing dynasty. The reason why the Emperor Jia Ning attached such importance to it was because the dissolution of Anle's fortress meant the end of the era under the rule of the Taizu [10]was completely over.

[10] 太祖( tài zǔ). Taizu, as the temple name of East Asian monarchs, usually refers to the founder of the dynasty or the founder of the regime.

The An Le Zhai was built thirty years ago, almost as long as the Da Jing dynasty, and was buried deep in the southeastern most part of Da Jing, which was what the Jia Ning Emperor could not tolerate.

"Third brother, he's already twenty and two years old." Seeing Han Rui and Han Zhao looking at each other in unison, Han Yue faintly said, "But to this day there is still no first son."

Without a crown prince consort, there was no first son!

The two men listening wanted to retort, but at the same time, Han Rui shouted, "Fifth brother, don't talk nonsense." With these words, he turned and left with a brush of his sleeve and robe.　　

"Hmph. All day long you put on a face of loyalty and integrity, but  you don't have any backbone." Han Zhao brushed aside his mouth, but he was not ambiguous: "Fifth brother, I have an appointment to go out to the palace, if father asks about me, you can say that I went to the western suburbs camp, to cover up for me."　　

As he said this, he ran down the stone steps and disappeared in a flash.　　

Han Yue smiled, as expected of someone who had grown up in the palace, even Ninth Brother, with his jumpy nature, knew that there were some things he could not say.　　

There are many taboos in the royal family, but there is only one taboo for Emperor Jia Ning.　

The Crown Princess? Of course not. What was taboo to the Emperor was the family name that the Crown Princess represented.

The Di Family of the Southern Jin Dynasty. Great Jing is revered by the royal Han family, but when it comes to nobility, it is not necessarily just the royal family.　

The only thing is that all the glory and shame inherited from this family name disappeared ten years ago, and all that remains is an orphan of the Di family, representing the false name of the Crown Princess.　　

The sun was shining brightly overhead, and Han Yue laughed at himself for being so nosy, and turned to leave the palace to go back to his house to silently vest the scriptures.

安乐寨  ān lè zhài

寨( zhài)- village; A fortress with walls made of wood; camp

大靖朝 dà jìng cháo - Great Jing Dynasty

dà jìng - Great Jing