Di Ming

Chapter 508 "To succeed, Ning Caiwei must be killed!"

An old monk coughed twice, and everyone immediately fell silent.

The old monk leisurely took a sip of tea before speaking slowly and deliberately:
"If the eunuch of the temple hadn't committed a capital offense, and his wife hadn't leaked it to his lover in the temple, giving us leverage over his death sentence, would he have been willing to work for us?"

Upon hearing the phrase "eunuch's wife," the monks burst into laughter with frivolous expressions, completely lacking the composure and dignity expected of monks.

They didn't even consider that if it was laughable for eunuchs to marry, then it was even more ridiculous for them, as monks, to chant Amitabha Buddha's name and appear virtuous while secretly drinking alcohol, eating meat, keeping mistresses, having children, and treating the rules and regulations as bullshit.
Even if their ordination certificates are revoked and they are ordered to return to secular life, and they are no longer monks according to the law, they were still monks before they returned to secular life.

Seeing everyone laughing, the old monk's expression darkened with displeasure. "But is this person truly reliable? Even if he is reliable, can such a major matter be handled by his five hundred eunuch guards from the Xiaoling Palace? Five hundred eunuch guards can at most control the Taichang Emperor and his ministers; what else can they do?"

It turns out that the only weapon these coup monks relied on was the 500-strong Jingjun Shengong Guard of Xiaolingwei.

The Xiaoling Mausoleum's "clean army" numbered one or two thousand, all of whom were eunuchs. Although called "clean army," most of them did odd jobs and grew vegetables. The only truly armed eunuchs were five hundred, who were the guards protecting the temples and shrines of the Xiaoling Mausoleum.

As for the Xiaoling Guards, they only guarded the outer perimeter of the Xiaoling Mausoleum and were not allowed to enter the inner sanctum of the temple at will. In other words, the palace guards, composed of eunuchs, were the closest guards to the sacrificial hall.

These several hundred palace guards were naturally under the jurisdiction of the Grand Eunuch Ma Huaiyu. Among them, more than a hundred were his cronies.

The monks, by controlling Ma Huaiyu, launched a coup d'état while Emperor Taichang and his ministers were offering sacrifices on the anniversary of Emperor Taizu's death. The plan was actually quite reliable.

A few hundred armed men suddenly launched an attack in the sacrificial hall, which was enough to control Emperor Taichang and his ministers, and kill Xu Wei, Shang Yang and others.

The officials, gentry, and powerful clans of the Southern Dynasty were mostly hostile to Zhu Yin, making them natural allies. As long as the emperor and ministers were controlled, they would immediately join in overthrowing Zhu. Once the momentum was established, everything would go smoothly, and even if Zhu Yin returned, he would be all alone.

However, the old monk felt that the plan was very unreliable.

"Even if we subdue Emperor Taichang and a group of ministers, can we really control the situation?" The old monk's voice was as cold as if he had been drenched in icy rain. "You probably don't know that besides treacherous officials like Xu Wei, Shang Yang, Ding Huogen, and Xu Xiaobai, there is actually someone hiding in the shadows. This person is the one who truly replaces Zhu Yin and secretly controls the government!"

"Who?" they all asked in unison.

In their view, Xu Wei was now the one who had taken over the reins of the government from Zhu Yin. Before Zhu Yin returned, Xu Wei was the one who called the shots in the Nanjing court.

However, Zen Master Dawu said that there was someone else who truly took control of the court in place of Zhu Yin.

But Da Wu replied, "This person is... Princess Consort of Wu, Ning Caiwei!"

At this point, Zen Master Dawu's face turned solemn, and his old eyes turned cold. "If we don't kill this woman, but only kill the two Xus and control Taichang, we still won't be able to turn the tide, and the persecution of Buddhism will be irreversible."

"As far as I know, Ning Caiwei is Zhu Yin's virtuous wife, just as Empress Lü was to Liu Bang, Empress Zhangsun to Li Shimin, and Empress Ma to Emperor Taizu of this dynasty. Ning Caiwei is Zhu Yin's shadow. As long as she is well, we will surely be defeated."

“With a single order from the Ning family, she can mobilize the city's garrison and wipe us out in one fell swoop. She won't care that the Taichang Emperor and his ministers are in our hands. When she mobilizes her troops, will the gentry and powerful families of Jiangnan still support us? They will only avoid us like the plague.”

"Therefore, simply subduing Taichang and killing the two Xus is not enough. To succeed, we must also kill Ning Caiwei!"

Yuan Kong clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect. “Amitabha! Well said! Master Dawu is right. But how can we get rid of the Ning family? I’m sure my master has a plan in mind and has already taught me how.”

Da Wu nodded, his withered right hand fiddled with the prayer beads, and said in a cold tone:

“Every month, usually in the first ten days of the month, Ning Caiwei would go out of the city to return to her old house in Qingqiaoli to inspect her sugar factory.”

"Each time she goes out, she has no more than a hundred guards, which is not considered a big fuss. On the contrary, it is our opportunity. As long as we ambush a thousand brave monks in the mountains, we can suddenly come out of the mountains to attack her after she returns to the village and kill or capture her."

"Therefore, we must now select trustworthy and capable monks to form a monk army and ambush them on Baohua Mountain in advance..."

"Once we kill Ning Caiwei and Xu Wei, seize control of Emperor Taichang, and then take control of the families of generals like Qi Jiguang, we can invite those respected old ministers from Jiangnan to take charge and establish a new emperor."

Upon hearing this, all the monks nodded in agreement.

A thousand brave monks are easy for them to gather. Not to mention a thousand monks, even ten thousand wouldn't be impossible, it's just that a larger target would be more easily exposed.

Yuan Kong suddenly asked, "Who should be chosen as the new ruler? Although we need to ask those ministers to take charge, we have risked our lives to start this uprising and made outstanding contributions. Surely we should have the right to suggest a candidate for the new ruler?"

The shrewd and calculating Da Wu was indeed very perceptive; he clearly already had someone in mind. He smiled slightly and said:

“I know a member of the royal family who reveres the Three Jewels and is devoted to Buddhism. He is Zhu Yiju, the Prince of Huai! If this prince were to become emperor, it would be a great blessing for Buddhism.”

While it's true that the Prince of Huai was a devout Buddhist, he was extremely tyrannical towards the people, far from being a wise ruler. However, the monk Dawu subconsciously overlooked this point, completely disregarding it.

Yuan Kong also argued: "What about Prince Yi, Zhu Yiyi? He was also a descendant of Emperor Chengzu."

Da Wu shook his head with disdain: "Don't you know that Prince Yi is a devout follower of Taoism? He pays homage to Longhu Mountain, sponsors the printing of Taoist scriptures, builds the Magu Taoist Temple, and claims to be a disciple of the Celestial Master. He is absolutely unacceptable!"

"Amitabha!" A monk hidden in the shadows suddenly chanted the Buddha's name. "Masters, have you forgotten the calamity of the Shaolin Temple in Jiangbei?"

"On the fifth day of the second month, the Shaolin Temple rebelled against Zheng Guowang's persecution of Buddhism. 1,200 armored warrior monks rose up in Dengfeng. However, they were suppressed by Zheng Guowang just three days later, and the entire temple was massacred. On the fourteenth day of the second month, the Wutai Mountain Buddhist uprising took place. The five major temples joined forces to rise up, but they were also suppressed by Zheng Guowang within a few days."

"Could it be that our monks from Jiangnan, who are formed to protect the Dharma, are more valiant and skilled in battle than the martial monks of Shaolin Temple or the Tantric lamas of Wutai Mountain? They were suppressed in an instant, let alone us? Although our hearts are as firm as gold in protecting the Dharma and the Buddha, how can they withstand the swords and spears of the government troops?"

Yuan Kong coldly said, "In your opinion, Junior Brother Hudeng, are we just going to let the Demon King run rampant and wreak havoc on the world, ignoring the persecution of Buddhism?"

"No!" Hu Deng shook his head and smiled. "Of course we must do it! However, five hundred guards from the Xiaoling Mausoleum and a thousand monk soldiers are far from enough. We should also have a real government army to serve us!"

"Amitabha!" Zen Master Dawu exclaimed with delight. "So, Brother Hudeng was actually able to persuade a government army to come to our aid? Which army was it?"

With a profound expression, Hu Deng made a flourish of his fingers and said, "Longjiang Guard, two thousand naval troops!"

Everyone immediately understood. The old navy of Longjiangwei had actually been wiped out by Japanese pirates back then, and the current Longjiangwei was actually a group of bandits from Taihu Lake who had been recruited and reorganized. Although they had been recruited for several years, their treacherous intentions remained unchanged.

Moreover, this lake lantern was once the strategist of the lake pirates.

Hu Deng continued, "The brothers of Longjiangwei say that Xu Wei is preparing to reorganize the navy, to weed out the inferior and keep the good. The two thousand sailors of Longjiangwei may be laid off and sent home to farm!"

"Going home to farm and pay taxes, what can they do? They plan to take advantage of Zhu Yin's absence, take warships and military supplies, leave Nanjing, and go to sea to become pirates! If that doesn't work, they can go to Japan and join the Japanese pirates."

“I told them that they didn’t have to leave for now. As long as they listened to me, they would not only avoid being laid off, but would also be promoted and become rich. They listened to me.”

"Excellent!" Zen Master Dawu couldn't help but slam his hand on the table. "Junior Brother Hudeng, you have made a great contribution! Even if the uprising fails, we have Longjiang Guard, so we can escape to Japan and live a carefree life."

When the monks learned that the Longjiang Guard had sent two thousand naval troops to their aid, they were all eager to celebrate. The reason they didn't celebrate was simply because bald men don't wear crowns.

The lamp holder already had the air of a strategist, and then said:
“Master Dawu, Master Yuankong, you only know that you must kill Ning Caiwei to succeed, but do you not know that if you kill Ning Caiwei, will there still be Ning Qingchen?”

"Although this girl is young, she is probably even more monstrous than Ning Caiwei. There are at least a hundred shrines and temples dedicated to her. There are three such shrines outside Nanjing City. The people call her the Holy Mother of Pure Dust and worship her."

"The ignorant masses praise her as the reincarnation of the Medicine King. She herself pretends to be a Taoist in the North Sea and has a very high reputation among the people. She is comparable to Zhu Zhihu, the so-called reincarnation of the Star Lord."

Yuan Kong frowned and said, "Junior Brother Hu Deng, aren't you exaggerating? Even if Ning Qingchen is incredibly powerful, she's just a ten-year-old girl. What can she possibly achieve? Does she think she can turn the tide after Ning Caiwei and Xu Wei die?" "Not at all!" Hu Deng's expression was serious. "The so-called Holy Mother Qingchen should not be underestimated! She was born able to speak, could heal at three, practiced medicine at five, and became a renowned physician at seven. Although she is only a little over ten years old now, she has already saved countless lives! Her disciples are all over the world!"

"Even in our Buddhist community, didn't we say she was a Bodhisattva before? Don't underestimate her because of her young age; she has extremely high prestige. With just one word from her, she can command millions of people! Even the soldiers in the army, because they have received her favors, also hold her in high esteem."

“If she were here, even if Ning Caiwei and Xu Wei and the others were dead, she could easily wipe us out.”

"Then kill her too!" Yuan Kong said coldly. "Once we eliminate both sisters and Xu Wei is dead, they will be leaderless, and our great cause will surely succeed!"

The monk with the lamp in his hand said, "This Holy Mother Qingchen has planted several precious medicinal herbs on Lion Mountain. We will send people to Lion Mountain at night to kill her precious medicinal herbs with medicine. Once she receives the news, she will definitely go and investigate the cause of the herbs withering herself."

“We will ambush her in the mountains beforehand, and when she comes up the mountain to investigate, we will ambush and kill her with crossbows.”

Da Wu pondered for a moment, "What if she doesn't personally investigate the cause of the herbs' death?"

“She will definitely go,” Monk Hudeng said with certainty. “This Holy Mother Qingchen has saved countless lives and saved millions of lives, so her temperament is no secret. This woman acts like a tailor—meticulous (needle). The precious herbs she cares about have withered in large numbers. If she doesn’t go to find out the reason herself, then she is not Ning Qingchen.”

"She never imagined that the withering of the herbs was man-made. Going up into the mountains and forests, she certainly wouldn't have brought many guards, which was our opportunity to attack. If she went, she would surely die!"

"Alright!" Da Wu nodded. "Then select a few dozen skilled men, prepare crossbows and blowpipes, and ambush them in Lion Mountain. Junior Brother Hu Deng, I'll leave the task of causing the herbs to wither to you. Excellent, excellent!"

"Amitabha!" Hu Deng clasped his hands together. "If I don't go to hell, who will?"

"Throughout history, countless people have risen up in rebellion to save themselves from persecution of the Dharma! The Northern Wei Dynasty was nearly overthrown by monks, and Tibet perished because of a rebellion by monks. I, the humble monk Hudeng, have already dedicated myself to the Three Jewels and fear no great terror in the world! I will surely inflict excruciating pain on the Demon King Zhu Yin! I will make him regret it to the core! Know that the Buddhist family cannot be humiliated!"

The crowd raised their arms in unison, their expressions ferocious. "Kill the two Nings! Slay the two Xus! Capture Taichang! Eliminate the persecution of the law! Restore the Three Jewels!"

……

The capital city, Dagongfang, the Prince of Wu's residence.

As dusk settled, a guest who wasn't actually a guest arrived at Hanzhang Pavilion.

Xu Wei.

Xu Wei, as a high-ranking cabinet minister and prime minister, was extremely busy with state affairs and had a firm grasp on the government. Although he was over seventy years old, he was still vigorous and spirited, riding high on his success.

Back then, I never dreamed that a scholar who failed the provincial examination eight times would one day be appointed prime minister!

It's like the east wind has awakened the heroes' dreams.

This east wind is none other than our lord, Zhu Yin!

The saying goes that officialdom cultivates character. The Xu Wei of today possesses a dignified and noble bearing, a far cry from the dejected and miserable figure of yesteryear. He is clearly a high-ranking official who has long held a position of power.

Although Xu Wei was arrogant and conceited, he was a shrewd and perceptive person. Despite holding the high-ranking official position, he would visit the Prince of Wu's residence every few days to see the Princess of Wu.

As a member of the royal family, the princess was not someone that outsiders could easily meet, but Xu Wei was not an outsider, so he could easily meet her.

"Mr. Xu has arrived!" Ning Caiwei, dressed in casual home clothes, smiled and put down the book "Summer Chronicles" in her hand. "I was just about to invite you here when you arrived. It's like we're on the same wavelength."

Xu Wei bowed and said, "Your subject Xu Wei greets the Princess..."

"Alright, alright!" Ning Caiwei waved her hand. "We're not outsiders, sir, please don't stand on ceremony. Let's sit down and talk."

"Yunniang, pour a cup of plum juice for the master."

Xu Wei thanked him, sat down on the jade-inlaid, bulging stool, glanced at the exquisitely bound and beautifully printed "Chronicles of the Xia Dynasty," stroked his beard, and smiled:

"Your Highness, do you also read my humble work?"

Ning Caiwei smiled gracefully, her eyes crinkling, "Sir, you are truly a genius. This 'Chronicles of the Summer Gods' is indeed a masterpiece that deserves to be called the foremost work of Chinese divine history. Even I, who don't usually like reading novels, can't put it down once I pick it up. You should give sir a Golden Alliance as a reward."

"A golden gate?" Xu Wei laughed heartily. "That's outrageous! This old man can't bear the weight of a golden gate."

Ning Caiwei chuckled inwardly and said, "Sir, you possess the talent of Ban Gu and Ma Chao, and you should be able to compile a masterpiece for this prosperous era. Wouldn't this masterpiece be completed in no time? With just this one book, 'The Chronicles of the Summer Gods,' you would have done immeasurable good."

Xu Wei said with embarrassment, "How dare I accept such praise? If it weren't for your guidance and participation in the planning and composition, I would never have been able to complete this book on my own. Even if I had written it, it wouldn't be the 'Chronicles of Xia Shen' we know today."

That's the truth. "The Chronicles of Summer Gods" is actually a modern online fantasy novel with high readability and entertainment value. Of course, it incorporates Zhu Yin's ideas and methods, and Xu Wei would not dare to claim it all for himself.

Just then, the beaded curtain moved, and a maid's voice rang out from outside: "Greetings, Second Mistress!"

Then a clear, melodious voice rang out: "Sister, I'm back! Did Little Tiger send any messages today?"

Before the words were even finished, a girl with delicate features, who could be both happy and angry, swaggered in.

The parrot at the door immediately flapped its colorful wings and cried out ingratiatingly, "Holy Mother Qingchen! Holy Mother Qingchen!"

"No!" Ning Caiwei didn't even look up. "I remember the little tiger's letters every day. How could there be so many letters? Anyway, I know we won a great victory and made a fortune. Don't worry, you'll definitely get the rhinoceros horn you want."

"The Holy Mother of Pure Dust has arrived," Xu Wei said with a smile.

Ning Qingchen, who had initially maintained a stern and unapproachable expression, immediately brightened up upon seeing Xu Wei, and said with a charming smile:
"So Mr. Xu is here too, discussing important military and national affairs with my sister again?"

Xu Wei nodded and stroked his beard. "It is indeed a major event. Someone is planning a rebellion."

"Rebellion?" Ning Qingchen's eyebrows, as sharp as spring mountains, twitched. "Who's tired of living and dares to rebel?"

Ning Caiwei asked, "Are you referring to a bunch of delusional, disgraced monks?"

Xu Wei nodded and said, "That's exactly why I came."

Ning Caiwei's smile was meaningful. "Sir, you've come at the right time. I also wanted to discuss this matter with you."

Xu Wei stroked his beard. "So, Madam and I have the same idea?"

“That’s right.” Ning Caiwei’s starry eyes turned slightly cold. “Every rebellion is an opportunity for us to carry out a major purge. It would be a great pity to miss it.”

Xu Wei couldn't help but chuckle, "What the Princess Consort said resonates deeply with me!"

...

P.S.: That's all for today, thank you, goodnight!
(End of this chapter)