Chapter 22: Snow on the Lakeside Pavilion (End)
Although Zhu Yijing hoped that she could continue to contribute to the Ming Dynasty after arriving in Hangzhou, the reality was not as optimistic as she had imagined.
In the autumn of the 17th year of Zhengshou's life, the family finally arrived in Hangzhou. They were received by Zhu Changzhou, who had been working there for a year. The family officially settled down in Hangzhou. It was easy for Zhu Changtian to find a job, and Li Suyu quickly integrated into the lives of ordinary local women. Occasionally, she would take on some embroidery work. Because her embroidery method was different from that of the local women, many people bought her embroidery work to try it out, and her business was pretty good.
Only Zhu Yijing's plan did not go smoothly.
Just as Li Suyu guessed, even in Hangzhou, after learning of Zhu Yijing's identity, almost no one was willing to hand their children over to Zhu Yijing.
There are quite a few scholars and literati in Hangzhou. A conservative like Zhu Yijing has long been unwelcome in an area with active thoughts. It is a blessing that no one has taken the initiative to cause trouble. Zhu Changtian and Zhu Changzhou, brother and sister, have no other hopes. They only hope that their mother can put aside the past and live an ordinary life.
Perhaps he was too busy in the past, and now he suddenly has some free time. Zhu Yijing has nothing to do and just stays at home every day.
Zhu Changzhou really didn't want his mother to remain silent like this, so he simply suggested that Zhu Yijing write a book, not only to record all the big and small things that happened over the years, but also to hope that his mother could analyze her inner thoughts.
Since going south alone, Zhu Changzhou has also gained some understanding of the situation. She naturally realizes that the Ming Dynasty has run out of luck, and when the reckoning comes in the future, her mother may not be able to escape. In this case, it is better to write a book as soon as possible to explain herself. Even if something happens in the future, the people of the new dynasty will let her mother save her life because of this book.
She knew that those who survived would be despised by everyone in the future, but her mother's life was more important. At worst, she could take her mother away from home.
With her daughter's suggestion, Zhu Yijing did not remain depressed for long. She seemed to have some ideas. From time to time, she asked her servants to go to the street to buy various newspapers. She was probably collecting some simple materials and thinking about what people are reading nowadays.
When he was in the court, Zhu Yijing often read newspapers, but he mostly read some serious tabloids. Now he has started to read other "miscellaneous newspapers". Instead, he has a better understanding of the lives of ordinary people and has seen many rebellions in other places.
Because of this, Zhu Yijing understood even more clearly that no matter how hard the emperor and she tried, the Ming Dynasty today could never be restored to the "politically stable and orderly" Ming Dynasty it once was.
Or perhaps, the Ming Dynasty they once thought of never really existed, and everything was just their fantasy about a past that they never truly understood and a peaceful historical record.
The more he understood this, the slower Zhu Yijing wrote the book.
She flipped through the words she had written and wanted to throw the manuscripts into the brazier countless times, but in the end she didn't do it and just sealed them all inside the box.
After two years of procrastination, Zhu Yijing still hasn't completed this book which can be called an "autobiography".
"Where are you going, ma'am?"
Zhu Yijing wore a snow-blue cloak with a circle of black fox fur on the collar. He looked elegant and wealthy, but he only had a jade hairpin on his head, which was completely different from the luxurious style of Jiangnan.
Zhu Yijing answered the old servant who asked him, "I just went out for a walk."
"This old servant will harness the carriage for Madam right away."
"No need, just a stroll by the lake. It's not too far from home, so there's no need for a carriage." Zhu Yijing sighed helplessly and said, "I traveled a lot in my youth, and I have a lot of ailments. The weather has been so bad these past few days, and I've been stuck at home recuperating, with no time for anything else. I feel better today, so I should go out for a walk."
The old servant looked up at the sky and said worriedly, "The weather looks bad. It looks like it's going to snow. Madam, please take an umbrella."
This time Zhu Yijing did not refuse. He reached out to take the umbrella and said, "I will be back late. Tell the kitchen not to prepare food for me."
"yes."
The Zhu family's home was not far from the lake, so Zhu Yijing, a fifty-four-year-old man, could still stroll there.
Due to the bad weather, the lakeside was not as lively as usual. There were no vendors, no hawking sounds, and no young people playing by the lake.
Zhu Yijing was walking by the lake, his mood as gloomy as the weather.
She had only walked half a circle when scattered snowflakes began to float in the sky. Zhu Yijing held up her umbrella and was about to find a place to rest when a voice suddenly came from behind her:
"Is the lady coming aboard?"
Zhu Yijing turned around and saw an old man in a straw raincoat, rowing a boat. Seeing him rowing in such weather, Zhu Yijing couldn't help but feel pity and said, "Come on, take me for a ride on the lake."
"Okay!"
Zhu Yijing sat in the narrow cabin, looking up at the snowflakes floating down from the sky, lost in thought.
The snow has been getting heavier in recent years, even in the south. If it were in the capital, I'm afraid the snow would have collapsed many houses by now, and the military would have to rush around to carry out disaster relief.
Although the cabin was well ventilated, there was a tea stove inside and mats were laid out, so I could take a moment to drink some hot tea and it wouldn't be too cold.
"From the lady's accent, she doesn't sound like a local."
Zhu Yijing came back to his senses and said, "In a world like this, who isn't a rootless duckweed? I've been out there for so many years, how could I still have an accent?"
The boatman smiled and said, "That's right."
Zhu Yijing asked naturally, "Old man, are you still rowing a boat in this weather?"
"Alas, I've been rowing on this lake for years, just to make a living." The old man sighed and said, "Madam, you don't know, but my eldest son was young and impulsive. He didn't do his job properly in the factory and joined those thorns in causing trouble. The government demoted him to guard the northwest border. There has been no news of him in all these years, and I don't know whether he is dead or alive... The family has lost a pillar, and my youngest son is just an ordinary clerk. As an old man, I can only find ways to earn more money in case I need money urgently..."
"After all, this is a big city like Hangzhou, with many industries. I believe the court and officials will not make things too difficult for you."
"It's no big deal. It's still going to be a problem. Why would the officials care about our lives? As for the court..." The old man waved his hand nonchalantly and said, "Madam, I'm afraid you don't go out much on weekdays, right? You might not know. A few days ago, news came that the capital had long been captured by the rebels. Our prefect said that the top priority now is to protect the safety of our homeland. As for the capital... let's wait and see what happens!"
Zhu Yijing was stunned when she heard this, but she did not feel surprised, shocked or confused. It was better to say that Zhu Yijing had already anticipated this day when the emperor dismissed her from her post.
Her voice was surprisingly calm:
"I wonder how the Emperor and the eldest prince are doing?"
The old man sighed and said, "I heard that when the rebels entered, His Majesty had already committed suicide, and his imperial robes and jewelry had been completely stripped away. The leading rebel general saw this and ordered a proper burial of His Majesty's body, thinking that His Majesty had sent his eldest son to escape. Unexpectedly, not long after, the eldest son's body floated out of the moat, and I heard there were signs of beatings on his body. I'm afraid the palace servants discovered the eldest son's escape and beat him to death, then threw him into the moat. It was truly atrocious, and many palace servants were executed because of this."
Zhu Yijing remained silent upon hearing this. Firstly, he did not believe that the emperor would allow his eldest son to escape. Secondly, he felt that the palace maids might not have the courage to do so, and it was very likely that the rebels had deliberately released the news.
On the surface, they said they wanted to keep the emperor as a "wise ruler", but their real intention was to eliminate the emperor completely, and the palace people were just an excuse for these bandits.
The old man didn't know what Zhu Yijing was thinking, so he just continued, "No matter how noble your majesty is, or how lowly the palace maids are, they are still living people. I heard that your majesty often beats and kills palace maids, and the number of people implicated is countless. How could I know if there are any relatives of yours? It's no wonder these palace maids took the opportunity to take revenge."
Zhu Yijing was originally secretly annoyed and quite disgusted with these so-called "rebels", but when he heard what the old man said, he couldn't help but stand there in a daze.
The emperor's life is life, the palace maid's life is life too. Between life and death, what difference is there between their lives? Karma is the natural cycle, how can it be changed by the status of the emperor and the palace maid?
The old man sighed and said, "It's all retribution, it's all retribution."
She was originally discouraged by the changing situation, but after listening to the old man's words today, she seemed to have some understanding.
Zhu Yijing almost forgot that before she became a court official, a cabinet official, and a famous official, she was just a human being, an ordinary living person, no different from other people.
People need dignity and desire equality.
It turns out that most people in this world hate the distinction between high and low and are unwilling to submit.
When she entered Beijing for the Spring Examination, she silently swore in front of the plaque of Nanyang Academy - to establish a mind for heaven and earth, a mission for the people, to carry on the lost knowledge of the ancient sages, and to bring peace to the world for all time.
However, all this was just her wishful thinking. Times are different now. The people will naturally fight for what they want. Why do they need to "do anything"?
The world no longer needs people like them to continue to exist.
"It's funny, actually. When the reign title Zhengshou was chosen, it was said that 'zheng' means politics, and 'shou' means longevity,' meaning the Ming Dynasty would last for ten thousand years. But people jokingly said that if the word 'zhengshou' was reversed, it would mean 'dying in old age,' which sounded quite prophetic... But looking at your Majesty's fate now, it seems to have fulfilled that prophecy."
Seeing that she hadn't responded for a long time, the old man laughed awkwardly and said, "Well, no matter how chaotic the situation in the north is, what does it have to do with them? It's just a few casual words, madam, don't take it to heart."
Zhu Yijing responded softly, and after a while he said, "Boatman, please take me to the pavilion in the middle of the lake."
"Okay."
The old man saw that Zhu Yijing looked normal throughout the journey and said, "I'm afraid there aren't many people at the Lakeside Pavilion at this time. How long will you stay, Madam? How about I come back to pick you up later?"
Zhu Yijing nodded slightly, took out a purse, took out some silver, and handed it to the old man, saying, "This is the boat fee. I'd like the boatman to come back and pick me up soon. For the extra money, please give me a few jars of wine, preferably sorghum wine from the north, and leave the tea stove and tea utensils in the boat for me."
The old man took the two silver ingots with a smile and said cheerfully, "Madam gave me too much..."
"It's not easy to row a boat in this weather. Thank you for your help."
The boatman made two trips back and forth, and not only did Zhu Yijing prepare wine and drinks, he also brought some side dishes and wine utensils, making it convenient for Zhu Yijing to heat up the wine and eat the dishes.
Zhu Yijing was very generous. He gave a jar of the extra wine to the boatman and asked him to find a warm place to hide and drink, and then come to the lake to pick her up after dark.
After the boatman left, Zhu Yijing opened the wine jar and poured the wine into the lake, saying, "The river flows into the sea, connecting heaven and earth. I believe Your Majesty can also taste this wine."
She didn't heat the wine, but just took a few sips and sighed, "What a strong wine..."
The surroundings were already shrouded in white mist, and only the ink-wash-like low mountains could be vaguely seen. Zhu Yijing sat at the stone table in the pavilion, tapping the surface with his fingertips intermittently, and sang softly: "Like a dream of yellow millet, bidding farewell to the phoenix... I do not ask for a long tassel, but tie it to the proud seed of the heavens, my sword roaring in the west wind..."
After an unknown amount of time, the sky gradually darkened. Zhu Yijing carried the wine jar, stepped over the railing of the pavilion, walked to the lake, and stared at his reflection in the water.
The falling snow had gradually stopped, and the calm lake reflected the dim moonlight. Zhu Yijing knew very well that the boatman had drunk and had probably forgotten her.
"well……"
A few ripples appeared on the lake, shattering the figure in the water. Zhu Yijing raised his hand to wipe away the cold water marks on his face, looked at the fragmented moonlight in the water, and said softly:
"Alas, Ming Dynasty, the great destiny has ended, benevolence and virtue are no longer there, and people's hearts are no longer there. Such obsession is ridiculous... Why do you have to do this?"
Zhu Yijing couldn't help but sneered and said, "Why do you have to do this? Why do you have to do this..."
"Dad! Dad!"
The old man suddenly woke up, looked at his son who had woken him up, and asked, "Did you hear that splash just now?"
The son looked confused and asked, "Dad, did you have a nightmare?" He waved his hand and said, "My eldest brother wrote to me, saying that the capital has been stabilized. He has made great contributions with the rebels and wants to take us to the capital to enjoy a good life together!"
The old man couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Really? Back then, when your eldest brother got into trouble, I was worried about his life..."
The son looked at the wine jar beside him and asked, "Dad...are you celebrating early?"
The old man was slightly stunned, then he raised his hand and slapped his head, saying, "Oh, I forgot! I forgot to pick someone up!"
The father and son talked to each other and rowed to the pavilion in the middle of the lake. There were only leftovers in the pavilion, a purse on the table with silver ingots and Tongbao coins in it, but no one was seen.
If the silver ingot given by the lady was not still in his arms, the old man would almost think that he had seen a ghost today.
The old man was so anxious that he was spinning around in circles. "This... the person is missing. What should I do..."
The son sighed quietly and said, "Kuafu chased the sun, Jingwei filled the sea, all the fools in the world are like this..."
On the ninth day of the ninth month of the twentieth year of Zhengshou, Emperor Zhu Cizhao committed suicide. The Ming Dynasty was overthrown, ending its 302-year rule. The Ming Dynasty finally came to an official end.
Some people were delighted by this, while naturally there were also people heartbroken. There were many people who took advantage of the situation, and there were also many who committed suicide for their country. As for the disputes and conflicts in between, whether it was establishing a new country and a new emperor, or supporting the Zhu family to undermine the imperial power, it was just one person taking the stage after another. At most, it would just expand the stage a little bit, and in the end there would be no big difference.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
