Di Ming

Chapter 68 Destiny
The young girl from the servant family was furious and overwhelmed with shame.

She bit her lip, her brows furrowed, her body twisting and turning, her expression growing increasingly pained, her toes clenched tightly.

I'm about to give up.

Damn Japanese pirates! I'll have my father kill you all!
He was filled with resentment, yet he was powerless to break free.

What should I do? I can't just pee on myself, can I? I'm not a child.

She had always been strong and resilient, but now she was on the verge of tears, her big eyes brimming with tears and her nostrils flaring.

Omnipotent Ancestral God Buluotu (Fuxi), why has the God of War Bubo, whom He sent to the mortal realm to relieve disasters, slay demons and monsters, not appeared yet?

Could it be that I, a mere woman, have done something wrong that the Ancestral God Buluotu will not protect me, and the God of War will not appear?
Woo woo woo...

The young woman from the Cen family could no longer hold back her tears; she was about to collapse.

Damn Japanese pirates!

However, at that moment, suddenly the panicked screams of the Japanese pirates came from outside, followed by shouts of killing. Many people approached like a tide, and the screams of the Japanese pirates became even clearer.

God of War, Buber!

It must be the protection of the ancestral god Buluotu, and the God of War has come to save me!

Overjoyed, the young woman's patience suddenly increased significantly.

……

At this moment, on the water fortress, Zhu Yin, surrounded by Lan Cha and others, was wearing an ill-fitting cotton armor and coldly watching the last few Japanese pirates who were resisting.

These remaining Japanese samurai fought desperately, brandishing their katanas and resisting hysterically. They were undeniably brave, but they were outnumbered and were surrounded and killed one by one.

Five or six Japanese women were also found by the armored officers on Daishan Island.

Their faces turned pale with fright, and they cried out in panic like a flock of quails.

The Jurchens are known for their fierce and assertive nature, both men and women. The Japanese, on the other hand, are typically characterized by strong men and weak women.

These Japanese women, as weak as lambs, knelt on the ground and bowed to Zhu Yin and Cao Xin as if they were being submissive.

It's nothing more than begging for mercy.

Cao Xin said coldly, "These Japanese women are shameless and have no sense of honor. Kill them all to avoid wasting food."

After saying that, he was about to order the killings.

"Don't kill them, I still have a use for them," Zhu Yin said. "Brother Cao, please spare their lives, I have a use for them."

“Brother Tiger.” Cao Xin’s expression was strange, and he couldn’t help but kindly remind him, “Although you are intelligent and precocious, and mature beyond your years, your body is still not fully grown.”

"At this age, women are truly like knives; once one's virginity is lost, the body is severely damaged..."

He was speechless. Could it be that this Tiger Brother, at such a young age, already had a fondness for women? This was not a good thing.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Zhu Yin shook his head, his face turning green. “Brother Cao, you’re overthinking it. That’s not what I meant. They’re useful to me.”

"Useful?" Cao Xin looked at me with disbelief, a mischievous smile on his face. "As personal maids? They're Japanese women, aren't you afraid they'll stab you in the night if you keep them around?"

Zhu Yin could only whisper, "Brother Cao, what are you thinking? I'm still so young, I haven't even grown any hair yet, how could I be improper?"

"If you keep laughing like that, I'll get angry."

Cao Xin's smile froze. "Brother, stop smiling. If Brother Hu says it's useful, then it's useful. Cough cough... You're a magnanimous child, don't be angry."

Zhu Yin ignored him and led his men directly into Matsuura Tadanobu's private room.

There must be some of Matsuura Tadanobu's belongings there.

Although Matsuura Tadanobu would ship his valuables back to Japan every so often, the amount he left behind here wouldn't be much, but it would certainly be a considerable gain.

After entering two doors without finding anything, Zhu Yin led his men to open the third door.

A large, completely Japanese-style attic room appeared before Zhu Yin's eyes.

The first thing that catches the eye is a girl with her hands and feet bound on the tatami mat!
The girl's attire clearly indicated that she belonged to a minority ethnic group in Southwest China. She appeared to be about fourteen or fifteen years old, with snow-white skin and a pretty face, yet she possessed a wildness about her.

"God of War, Bubo! Come save me!" The girl's Chinese was a little broken, but her expression was full of joy and surprise.

"Ancestral God Buluotuo bless you!"

The young woman, surnamed Cen, never expected that the person who came in to save her would be a Han Chinese boy who was less than ten years old.

Of course, since the god of war Buber descended to earth to save the world, he could have many incarnations.

Therefore, the God of War could also be a handsome young Han Chinese brother in the human world.

Upon hearing the names Buluotuo and Bubo, Zhu Yin immediately deduced that she was a Zhuang person, which is the Zhuang ethnic group of later generations.

These are female servants bought by Japanese pirates, but judging from their clothing, they should still be noblewomen.

Zhu Yin stepped forward and used his dagger to cut her ropes.

Before the girl could even thank him, her face flushed red as she moved her hands and feet.
"Little brother, could you please leave for a moment? I need to use the restroom..."

Before she could finish speaking, the young man turned and left, with Lancha and the others following behind.

Once Zhu Yin and the others left, the girl immediately rushed to a wooden barrel in the corner.

That wooden barrel wasn't a toilet; it was a wine barrel that Matsuura Tadanobu had bought from a Portuguese merchant.

It's full of wine.

Tadanobu Matsuura enjoys drinking a few glasses of wine regularly and admires the winemaking skills of Westerners.

If Matsuura Tadanobu knew that someone had urinated into his sake barrel, I wonder what he would think. He would probably be so angry that he would come back to life.

...

Soon after, the young girl from the Zhuang family came out looking relaxed.

"Little brother from the Han family!" She waved generously, her smile warm and cheerful. "Thank you for saving my life! Are you the incarnation of the God of War?"

"I pray for the appearance of the God of War at all times. You are my benefactor, Cen Xiubing. May I ask your honorable name, my little benefactor?"

Zhu Yin said in Zhuang language: "Others call me the Tiger of Wisdom, but I don't know why. When I was very young, I heard the ancestral god Buluotu calling me in my dream."

“I have never been to a Zhuang village, but I can speak their language, remember their mountains and rivers, and remember their piety in worshipping the gods.”

“Someone told me that the future peace and well-being of the Zhuang people depend on me. I always have a mission hidden in my heart, just like your clan elders have the teachings of the poet that your shaman has hidden.”

Zhu Yin studied five minority languages: Mongolian, Manchu, Tibetan, Uyghur, and Zhuang.

These five languages ​​are the most influential and spoken minority languages.

Zhuang (僮语) began to stabilize during the Tang Dynasty. Because there was no classical Chinese, spoken and written language were closer, so the Zhuang language of the Ming Dynasty and later Zhuang languages ​​were largely similar. The main differences lay in dialectal variations and the introduction of new vocabulary.

Cen Xiubing was stunned when she heard the young Han boy speaking in Tong language.

In Cen's official residence and city, there were quite a few Zhuang people who could speak Chinese. In particular, most of the Zhuang people of high status could speak Chinese, otherwise they would be ridiculed for being ignorant.

But she had never seen a Han Chinese who could speak Tong language!

Let alone ordinary Han people, even important Han figures who had visited her home, such as the governor, inspector, and provincial treasurer of Guangxi, could not speak the Tong language.

The Jingjiang Prince's Mansion has been in Guangxi for over two hundred years, but they still don't speak the Zhuang language.

But this little Han boy can actually speak Tong language!

Cen Xiubing couldn't help but say in Tong language, "Honorable God of War, Tiger of Wisdom, you are not only my benefactor, Cen Xiubing, but you will also bring blessings to the Cen family, because we worship you so devoutly, and every year during the four seasons and eight festivals, the sacrifices never stop, and the incense never goes out."

"Although you have transformed into a young Han Chinese brother, I still felt your courage, kindness, majesty, and wisdom. You are a wise tiger who descended to earth by order of the ancestral god Buluotu."

"I, daughter of the Cen family of Sizhou, can sing the story of your rescue today, so that it may be sung and revered by your master and the poets..."

"If you go to Sizhou, my father, the ruler of Sizhou, will surely thank you and treat you as his most honored guest..."

Her childish speech flowed like a mountain spring, melodious and pleasant to the ear.

Her hand was pressed against her heart, her expression was very devout, and her face was filled with a joyful and singing expression.

Unfortunately, only Zhu Yin could understand her Tong language.

The ancestors of the Cen family were actually Han Chinese. Their progenitor was a deputy general under Di Qing during the southern expedition. Because of his military achievements, he was recommended by Di Qing and enfeoffed as the hereditary chieftain of the Dongliao tribe in Si'en.

However, after five hundred years, the Cen clan has become assimilated into the local culture, and their customs and language are no different from those of the Zhuang people.

“The Cen family of Sien!” Zhu Yin’s heart stirred upon hearing this.

Si Botian Yang, Liang Guang Cen Huang.

These four families were top-tier chieftain families during the Ming Dynasty.

Unexpectedly, the girl he saved was the daughter of Lord Sien.

After the "Great Expedition to Gutian" in the fifth year of the Longqing reign, the chieftains in the southwest temporarily regained their awe of the Ming court and became much more obedient.

But new turmoil was brewing. Following this were rebellions by local chieftains against the Ming dynasty, such as the Bozhou Rebellion and the She'an Rebellion.

Solving the Tusi problem, implementing the policy of replacing Tusi with centrally appointed officials, and eliminating the long-standing remnants of slavery in the southwest region is a historical task that should be addressed sooner rather than later.

If one befriends Cen Xiubing, one might become a key figure in the future.

Zhu Yin immediately said, "Sister, you're too kind. When I, Zhihu, grow up, I will definitely visit Si'en. No, not just as a guest, but like a wanderer returning home, I will come back to my hometown."

Cen Xiubing took out a jade pendant from her underwear and said:

“My wise tiger brother, the incarnation of the God of War, this is my natal jade pendant, which has been with me since I was born.”

“I gave it to Zhihu Adi as a token of gratitude for saving my life. Adi is now my family. When Zhihu Adi comes to Sien in the future, he will be my most honored guest.”

Giving a personal keepsake to one's benefactor is an ancient custom of the Tong people, meaning "to be bound by fate".

The Zhuang people believe that if someone saves your life, the fates and karma of the two people will be intertwined.

Your benefactor will bear the consequences of saving you. And you will be connected with your benefactor's life, death, honor, and disgrace.

This is called "shared destiny".

Zhu Yin took it and saw that the jade pendant was very exquisite, with a golden pheasant carved on it.

This indicates that Cen Xiubing was born in the Year of the Rooster.

The jade pendant bears her birth date, name, and birth information, and still retains the warmth of her body.

Zhu Yin looked somewhat melancholy upon seeing the jade pendant that was meant to mark his destiny.

The characters on this jade plaque are Zhuang script, also known as Lao Zhuang script!
Old Zhuang script is a square script, which evolved from Chinese characters. In fact, it is a descendant of Chinese characters and belongs to the Chinese character system.

Many Zhuang scripts are either the same as or very similar to Chinese characters; they are simply a variant of Chinese characters.

Han Chinese who do not understand the Zhuang language can usually understand the meaning of the characters. Conversely, Zhuang people who do not understand Chinese may also understand the meaning of the characters.

From the Tang Dynasty to the Republic of China, the Zhuang language was used for more than a thousand years!
However, in later generations, a group of self-righteous idiot scholars forcibly created a new Zhuang language, abolishing the old Zhuang script, the son of the long-standing Chinese characters, and turning it into an alphabetic script.

If you didn't know better, you'd think it was written in a foreign language.

From then on, the Chinese characters, which had been used for over a thousand years, disappeared.

Even now, Zhu Yin still believes that those idiotic scholars are the sinners of history.

"Brother Zhihu, what's wrong?" Cen Xiubing couldn't help but ask, "Do you not want to accept my natal jade pendant?"

She noticed that Zhu Yin's face was somewhat aloof.

“No.” Zhu Yin smiled brightly. “I am willing to accept my elder sister’s natal jade pendant. Since we are destined to be together, I am willing to protect my elder sister’s destiny.”

No one who doesn't understand the customs of the Zhuang people could say such a thing.

Upon hearing this, Cen Xiubing was even happier.

Zhihu Adi must have a deep connection with the Zhuang people. He not only speaks the Zhuang language, but also knows a lot about their customs.

He must be the reincarnation of the God of War!

...

Having found Matsuura Tadanobu's silver chest and some letters, Zhu Yin took Cen Xiubing with him.

Upon seeing him, Cao Xin immediately blurted out, "Brother Hu, this one... are you going to keep him here too?"

Zhu Yin couldn't help but roll his eyes. What nonsense are you talking about? Cen Xiubing can understand Mandarin.

"Brother Cao, I'm angry!"

"I'm so angry!"

Zhu Yin's face darkened.

Cao Xin was also speechless.

I just said it casually, why are you getting angry?

"Ahem, Brother Tiger, your child has a lot of... oh, how much silver?"

P.S.: There will be another chapter tonight, before 9 PM. It will be available for purchase and released to the public on September 1st.

(End of this chapter)