Xia Qiwu showed little interest in the capital. "You and Mother should go ahead. I'll stay home to manage the shop and accounts. A round trip to the capital would take at least three months—how could we leave the shop unattended?"
Like father, like daughter. Xia Qiwu shared Wang Daxia's passion for cosmetics and wealth, while across the street, Wei Caiwei's clinic barely broke even by providing free medical care and medicine to impoverished women, sometimes even dipping into her own funds.
But as the saying goes, happiness is priceless. Wei Caiwei might have been a killer and poisoner, but she was a good person at heart. Besides, money was never her concern.
Wei Caiwei had hoped to pass her medical skills to her daughter, but Xia Qiwu showed no aptitude for medicine. Instead, she delighted in concocting cosmetics and devising money-making schemes with her father.
Remembering their decade-old promise, Wei Caiwei said, "We trust you to manage the house alone, but as we grow older, we'd feel more at ease having our daughter by our side in case of illness. Consider this trip as accompanying us."
Wang Daxia chimed in, "We're not old—"
A glance from Wei Caiwei made him change tack. "Right, your mother and I never feel old, but after forty, one must acknowledge limitations. We can't stay up late anymore—one sleepless night leaves us drained for days. Especially your mother—the long journey might be too taxing. Come with us, dear daughter."
True to her father's temperament, Xia Qiwu responded better to soft words than demands. With Wei Caiwei's subtle flattery and Wang Daxia's coaxing, the filial daughter readily agreed to accompany them.
A month later, the trio arrived in the capital, but Ding Wu and Lu Ying's family of three had yet to appear. It turned out they had set out but were forced to turn back when conflict erupted at the border, asking the others to wait in the capital until peace was restored.
War had broken out on the Mongolian steppe. Two tribes had launched an attack on Xuanhua City along the Ming dynasty's frontier.
The family split up: Lu Ying and her son Ding Weiguo rushed to Xuanhua to defend the border, while Ding Wu went to Hohhot to seek San Niangzi's help in dealing with the rebellious elements.
Having long held power and vowed to maintain border peace, San Niangzi immediately summoned tribal leaders and led troops to suppress the attacking tribes. Through ruthless coordination with Lu Ying's forces, they crushed the rebellion and quelled the crisis.
Just as border calm returned and Lu Ying prepared to take her husband and son to fulfill their decade-old promise in the capital, San Niangzi's son Butashili arrived in haste. "Mother, trouble! Cheliq has taken advantage of your absence to support Huoluochi's attack on Yaohe!"
Lu Ying's face darkened. "San Niangzi, Cheliq is the Ming-appointed third-generation Shunyi Prince. For him to collude with Huoluochi is treason. From today, all eleven border markets will close until you resolve this internal matter before we discuss reopening."
The hard-won peace faced new challenges. Peace, it seemed, was always more fragile than war.Lu Ying also longed for peace, but achieving peace required resolute struggle. Peace is preserved through struggle and lost through compromise (Note: This is a quote from Chairman Mao). Che Lik was no ordinary tribal leader—he was the Shunyi King. Though a puppet ruler, his actions represented the entire tribal alliance. The Great Ming had to close the border markets in retaliation.
San Niangzi said, "Lord Lu, rest assured. I will go immediately to stop Che Lik from acting foolishly and give you a proper resolution."
No sooner had San Niangzi quelled the conflict here than she mounted a swift horse to intercept Che Lik halfway.
When other tribes heard the border markets were closed, cutting off their financial lifeline—which felt like killing their parents—they joined San Niangzi in a frantic rush and finally forced Che Lik to halt.
San Niangzi was so furious she wanted to whip Che Lik. "Shunyi King, come back with me. It's still not too late to withdraw your troops."
"Otherwise—" San Niangzi ordered her subordinates to fire a whistling arrow into the sky. The tribal alliance's army surrounded Che Lik's forces, arrows nocked and ready to release at her command.
Che Lik had grown tired of being San Niangzi's puppet his whole life, hence this move. But San Niangzi had pursued him too swiftly, enjoyed popular support, and commanded strong troops—he stood no chance against her.
Che Lik blustered with false bravery, "Would you harm your own husband?"
Looking coldly at her husband who had broken the peace agreement, San Niangzi said, "If you don't want to be Shunyi King, your brothers, sons, and grandsons are all eager to replace you. Think carefully—return with me, and I'll remain your wife. If you insist on attacking the Great Ming, I'll become a widow again—a wealthy, powerful widow. Do you think I'd have trouble finding a man to become the fourth Shunyi King?"
San Niangzi's threat was simple: return or die.
Che Lik chose the former—he wasn't ready to die yet.
After resolving two crises in quick succession, San Niangzi submitted a memorial to the Great Ming Emperor expressing apologies and requesting the reopening of border markets.
Lu Ying and her family of three brought San Niangzi's memorial back to the capital and presented it to Emperor Wanli.
Emperor Wanli was currently overwhelmed by disputes over the crown prince succession. Preferring to avoid additional troubles, he issued a stern reprimand to the Shunyi King before reopening the border markets.
After completing official duties, the family of three returned to the Ding residence. Due to the border conflicts, Wang Daxia and Wei Caiwei's family had waited a full three months. Unable to stay idle, Xia Qiwu noticed a shop for sale on West Drum Tower Street, acquired it, and opened a Beijing branch of the Rouge Cosmetics Shop. The grand opening was auspicious, and business flourished.
Because of her beauty and public visibility, some people troubled her. Wang Daxia quietly sought help through Embroidered Uniform Guard connections to resolve these issues.
Xia Qiwu remained completely unaware, remarking, "They say the capital is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, but I find the local customs quite simple and honest here. People are willing to spend money too—we're earning more than in Nanjing."
Wang Daxia thought: What simple and honest customs? It's all because your old man's face is shielding you from the storms.
When the two families met again, Lu Ying drank several cups of wine and pulled Wang Daxia aside to discuss state and world affairs. Wang Daxia had no interest, responding with noncommittal murmurs.
Ding Wu and Wei Caiwei chatted about their childhood experiences in Tieling.
The adults had intentionally sent the two children out to interact. In the Ding residence garden, Xia Qiwu said to Ding Weiguo, "I still remember you—you used to push me on the swing when we were children."Xia Qiwu was beautiful, dressed in red, speaking the soft Wu dialect with warm enthusiasm, igniting a spark in the eyes of Ding Weiguo, who had long endured wind and sand beyond the frontier.
Ding Weiguo pointed to the swing set, "Do you still swing? I'll push you."
Xia Qiwu, clad in red, stood on the swing, soaring straight toward the clouds.
A ten-year promise had made the two families as harmonious as one, yet within the Forbidden City, the imperial family was embroiled in fierce conflict over the heir apparent.
The eldest son, Zhu Changluo, born of Consort Wang Gong, was unloved by the emperor but held the natural right of primogeniture.
Emperor Wanli favored his third son, Zhu Changxun, born of Consort Zheng, and sought to depose the elder and establish the younger. The ministers refused, frequently petitioning for the early appointment of the crown prince.
Emperor Wanli resisted. To pave the way for her son, Consort Zheng planned to wait until Empress Wang died, so she could become the successor empress and her son the legitimate heir. She procured a book titled Illustrated Guide to Women's Virtues, which recounted stories of chaste and heroic women, added accounts of twelve women including Empress Ma of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and wrote a preface under her own name. She had it printed and distributed, starting with titled noblewomen and spreading downward, urging all women to study this book to expand her influence.
In short, it was plagiarism for fame—taking another's work, trimming it, and passing it off as her own "masterpiece."
Consort Zheng's actions were as obvious as Sima Zhao's ambition—a clear scheme known to all. Ministers opposed it, calling the book a "seditious text" and accusing Consort Zheng of trying to depose the elder and establish the younger, violating ancestral rules. Thus, the "Seditious Book Case" erupted.
The matter reached Empress Dowager Li, who had long abstained from governance. Li Jiubao handed Illustrated Guide to Women's Virtues to Emperor Wanli, "Your Majesty, ban this book. Though Consort Zheng holds the rank of imperial noble consort, she is still a concubine. What virtue or ability does she possess to serve as a model for all women?"
Emperor Wanli defended his favored consort, "This book serves to educate women in the three obediences and four virtues. Why concern ourselves with the author's background?"
Li Jiubao threw the book to the ground, "Did she write this? If she truly authored it, I would turn a blind eye and say nothing. But she plagiarized another's work, put her name on it, and took without asking—that is theft! How dare a thief presume to educate the women of the realm? Does she think everyone is blind? She may have no shame, but the imperial family must uphold its dignity!"
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