Chapter 1: The Residence of the Duke of Jiannan

However, the world is unaware that the Emperor has shown great favor to the family of the Duke. The Duke's eldest son—Zhao Jiong, who inherited the title of Marquis of Jiannan after the death of his father—feels quite anxious in his heart

Zhang brought a maidservant with him, while Zhao Zhuozhi's wife, Mi, comforted her husband and then went to the neighboring room to look after their five-year-old son. Zhao Zhuozhi sat alone in the outer room, sulking, leaving the wet nurse to take care of their daughter in the inner room. The wet nurse, feeling bored, yawned and did not notice that the one-year-old girl on the kang had opened her eyes, revealing a complex expression.

When Niu informed the stepmother-in-law, Zhang, about the couple's decision to separate the next day, Zhao Zhuo and his wife were just relieved that their daughter's high fever had finally subsided, but upon hearing the news, they were once again filled with anger

Emperor Taizu was a person who was commanded by Heaven to rescue the common people of the world. He received the thirty-three volumes of divine military scriptures from the Queen Mother of the West in a dream. Even during his tenure as a garrison officer, he had already trained a highly praised iron army. Utilizing the secret methods recorded in the scriptures, he created divine weapons and heavenly fire, causing those who attacked to be bombarded into a rain of blood. The commanding generals, regardless of their rank or location, even amidst thousands of people, would be silently assassinated, each with a blood hole between their brows, while the assassins vanished without a trace, leading to great chaos among the Qing army. After Taizu's forces drove the Qing army out of Shandong, he received an edict from the Southern Ming Emperor Hongguang, conferring upon him the title of Grand General of the North, with the mission to march north and reclaim the city of Beijing. In order to allow the Grand General of the North to focus on the war, the court officials even sent people to bring his family to Nanjing for resettlement, along with the families of dozens of military officials from Shandong, including the parents, wife, and eldest daughter of Zhao Zhu.

In the past, when the Qing army entered the pass and attacked Beijing, defeating Li Chuang, Emperor Taizu Gao Rong was serving as a fifth-rank garrison officer in Shandong. At that time, the Marquis of Jiannan, Zhao Zhu, was a subordinate of his, merely a lowly seventh-rank military officer. Since Emperor Taizu hailed from Jiading and Zhao Zhu was from Fengxian, the two places were only a little over a hundred miles apart, making them fellow townsmen. Both were in a foreign land, which made their bond particularly close. Seeing the Qing army advancing aggressively, Emperor Taizu could not bear to witness the devastation of the land and the suffering of the people. He thus united with the local military forces in Shandong to rise up in resistance. From the very first battle against the Qing army, Zhao Zhu had been by his side, truly a trusted confidant.

"Father has not yet been buried, and he is already being watched over in the ancestral temple outside the city!" Zhao Zhuo said resentfully, "How can they be so heartless?!"

Zhao Jiong's expression suddenly changed: "Do not speak nonsense! How could she possibly know?"

Zhao Zhushen's favor with the royal family is not solely due to his family's life-saving contributions to the late Emperor's wife and children. After the restoration of Beijing, he fought alongside Emperor Taizu against the Qing soldiers, achieving remarkable military accomplishments. After the establishment of the Great Chu, Emperor Taizu once wavered in the matter of succession, and it was the advice of Duke Jian Nan, Zhao Zhushen, that led him to retain the position of the crown prince, his legitimate eldest son, instead of appointing his favored younger son, Prince Ying. Last year, after the passing of Emperor Taizu, the crown prince ascended the throne smoothly, and his respect for Duke Jian Nan was boundless. Unfortunately, although the old duke appeared healthy, able to ride swiftly and draw a two-stone bow, showing no signs of being an elderly man, his age ultimately proved too great; when illness struck, he departed without warning. Some say that this was because the old duke had a close bond with the late emperor, and after the emperor's passing, he missed his old friend so much that he followed him shortly thereafter.

Whenever Niu thought of this matter, she felt an overwhelming sense of frustration. She had married into the Zhao family as the eldest daughter-in-law, and just a month after entering the household, her mother-in-law passed away, requiring her to observe a period of mourning. After much effort, she finally grasped the authority of the housekeeper and gave birth to a son, believing that no one would be able to overshadow her in the Duke of Nannan's residence. Yet, unexpectedly, another mother-in-law of similar age appeared, seizing the control of the household affairs from her. Not only did she have to lower herself beneath that woman, but she also had to maintain utmost respect in front of outsiders, all the while privately worrying about the stability of her husband's and son's positions. This resentment was something she could no longer endure. Having endured until now, she was finally able to hold her head high; why should she continue to tolerate it?

Later, the Emperor Taizu led his troops to capture Beijing, killing the regent of the Qing army and several noble ministers, driving them out of the pass. Subsequently, he pacified the realm, and several years had passed. Zhao Zhu's family was also found, but both of his parents had died during their flight, and his wife was afflicted with numerous ailments. The Empress of Taizu specially took their son to visit, and they wept together with Zhao Zhu's first wife. Grateful, Emperor Taizu, when he decided to establish the nation and began to reward his subordinates, first conferred upon Zhao Zhu the title of First Class Marquis of the Founding, elevating the Zhao family to a position of unparalleled honor in the capital.

Mrs. Niu was happily instructing the maids to rearrange the furnishings in the new house. This main courtyard was originally the residence of the master and mistress of the marquis's household, and it had previously been occupied by her mother-in-law, Madam Zhang. After moving in, Mrs. Niu was busy with the funeral arrangements and had no time to manage things. Now that she finally had some leisure, she naturally had to pay attention to it. Listening to her husband's words, she did not take them to heart: "So what if they come? For the past few months, people from the palace have been coming and going frequently, so I am already used to it. You should be more composed; after all, you are now a dignified first-rank marquis!"

In the first year of the Great Chu Chengqing era, the Duke of Jianan, Zhao Zhu, suddenly passed away due to a sudden illness, at the age of sixty-three

Niu spoke to him in a lowered voice: "If the Duke can know, why can't she? The Duke would be furious and distressed; would she let it go so easily? As long as you are guilty, the title of the Duke of Jiannan will belong to her son; only a fool would hide it! Even if we take a step back and say she didn't know, she has suspected the circumstances of the Duke's death! She has mentioned more than once in front of the eldest aunt and the elder of the clan that the Duke left too suddenly, and you handled the arrangements too hastily, not allowing her to see him one last time. Therefore, she has been quite resentful towards you; have you forgotten, my lord?"

"Madam is right," Zhao Jiong said with a peculiar look in his eyes. "It is better to send the old lady and the second brother back to their hometown as soon as possible. The farther they are, the less likely they are to see the people from the palace, and we can then feel at ease."

Zhao Zhuo looked at his little daughter, who was sleeping with her eyes closed, and fell silent. Zhang stood up: "Although the child has had her fever reduced, the medicine she took is merely a prescription passed down from my maternal family. To be on the safe side, we should still invite a doctor to take a look. I will go find my daughter-in-law to discuss this." Zhao Jing is the legitimate eldest son of Zhao Jiong and Niu, married to Jiang, and comes from a prominent family in the capital, known for his courtesy and obedience.

Although Zhao Jiong is recorded under the name of the primary wife of the old Duke Zhao Zhu, making him the legitimate eldest son, he is in fact the offspring of a concubine from the second house. After the death of the primary wife, the Duke remarried Zhang, who is of the same age as the eldest son, and she bore a son, Zhao Zhuo, who is the true legitimate son of the Duke. If it were not for the Duke's unintentional change in the selection of the heir, Zhao Jiong's position would have long been untenable. Even so, there is still considerable controversy regarding his inheritance of the marquisate.

The Emperor holds such deep respect and nostalgia for the Duke, what if he were to show favoritism and promote his offspring beyond the usual standards? Would that not lead to trouble? The court is currently undergoing a transition between the old and the new, and countless individuals are watching the vacancies left by the old ministers of the previous dynasty. How could we allow others to take advantage of this situation?

Zhao Jiong was busy keeping quiet, but after a while, he whispered, "There is one more thing. As you instructed, I moved the old lady out of the main courtyard just after the seventh day. In the past, when the emperor sent someone, they used 'men and women have their differences' as an excuse to prevent anyone from seeing her. Now that the empress's condition has improved, what if she remembers and sends a palace maid to check on the old lady? That would be problematic. Recently, it was reported that their eldest sister is ill and needs to summon the imperial physician. You have not intervened, and yet you insisted that they carry the child out of the city for the funeral. I have heard that their eldest sister's condition has worsened. What if the old lady gets angry and informs the people in the palace?"

"No need to worry!" Niu Shi replied with great certainty, "When the elder in the family passes away, the brothers should divide the family. The old lady is merely a stepmother; as long as we have shown the proper respect on the surface, that is sufficient. Who would really keep her in the house as the old matriarch? When the eldest aunt passes away, take advantage of the fact that the elder brother of the clan is present, and quickly divide the family. Let Zhao Zhuo and the others move out to live separately, so they no longer benefit from the glory of our Hou family!"

When the news of the death of Duke Zhao Zhu of Jiannan was first reported to the palace, the current emperor wept in front of the ministers, repeatedly saying, "I have lost a pillar of support." He personally led the princes to pay their respects at the Duke's residence in Jiannan. After returning to the palace, he issued an edict posthumously granting Zhao Zhu the title of Duke of the Founding State, allowing his eldest son Zhao Jiong to inherit the title of Duke of Jiannan, and bestowing countless riches upon the widow of the Duke. For both the founding elders and the civil and military officials, receiving such favor was already exceedingly rare. Yet the emperor still felt it was insufficient; dressed in simple mourning attire within the palace, he often wept at the memory of the Duke's voice and smile during his lifetime. The court officials could not help but lament the excessive favor shown, and a sense of caution began to grow towards the family of Duke Jiannan.

Zhao Jiong felt that there was some truth to it: "So, are we not supposed to care at all?"

Zhao Jiong, seeing that his wife did not understand his meaning, irritably drove the maidservants out of the room, then pulled his wife into the bedroom and lowered his voice: "Are you confused? The Emperor keeps sending people here; what if he finds out about that matter..." He did not continue.

One hundred days after the death of the Duke of Jiannan, the funeral had just concluded when more people from the palace arrived. It should be noted that during the funeral, there were already envoys from the palace present throughout the entire process. However, the Emperor still felt it was insufficient and sent more people to comfort the Marquis of Jiannan. After finally seeing them off, Marquis Zhao Jiong returned to the main hall to find his wife, Lady Niu, and said with a face full of trepidation: "People from the palace have just come again."

Hearing her say this, Zhao Jiong hesitated again: "As for the matter of separating the family... let's discuss it after some time. The emperor sends people over from time to time, and if he finds out, it will only cause more trouble. Although the old lady is my stepmother, still..." He glanced at his wife, "My background is likely known in the palace, and I cannot allow others to gossip about it."

Zhang frowned and sighed: "This is bound to happen sooner or later, let it be, parting sooner will bring more peace."

Niu Shidao said: "What is there to be afraid of, my lord? Besides you and me, no one else in the family knows about that matter now. If the Emperor sends someone, it will only bring us honor. Your timidity will only arouse suspicion!"

Zhao Jiong's complexion had turned as pale as paper. He understood in his heart that the current emperor was benevolent and magnanimous, and due to the Duke of the County, he viewed the Zhao family with a different perspective. If it were merely a matter concerning the Prince of Ying, perhaps he could still receive a lighter punishment, but when it involved the death of his father

Speaking of this old Duke of Jiannan, his name is indeed well-known. Not only the people in the capital, but even those throughout the entire country are aware that he is a founding hero and a senior official of two dynasties

He once made a grave mistake, and although he feels immense regret in his heart, at this point, there is no turning back; he can only brace himself and continue forward.

"No!" Niu Shi could no longer care about what her husband might think, and resolutely rejected his idea. "Has the Marquis forgotten? If the old lady truly sees someone from the palace, you won't be able to control what she might say! She might not inform outsiders about trivial matters like Miss Sun's illness, but what if it is not a trivial matter?" She looked at her husband with a gaze full of meaning: "What if she finds out that the Marquis once supported Prince Ying and was involved in the matter of changing the heir..." Miss Sun's illness might not be something she would tell outsiders, but what if it is not a trivial matter?" She looked at her husband with a gaze full of meaning: "What if she finds out that the Marquis once supported Prince Ying and was involved in the matter of changing the heir..."

Niu finally understood his intention, but replied calmly: "What does it matter? You should know the temperament of the old lady by now. She would never disclose the family's disgrace to outsiders. Moreover, you are now the Duke of Jiannan, and she has become the old lady; it is only reasonable for her to move out of the main courtyard. Even if the Empress were to come, we would not be at fault. Furthermore, at that time, the Duke of the County was still at home, so naturally, his matters would take precedence. As for the eldest daughter, she is just a child; if she has a headache or a fever, a couple of missed meals will suffice to alleviate it. She is just over a year old; why would we need to summon a physician? That would only bring her misfortune!"

Who knows, just as Emperor Taizu was leading Zhao Zhu and others northward under imperial orders to fight the Qing army, the cunning Qing forces took a detour and invaded Nanjing, killing Emperor Hongguang and the court officials. Emperor Taizu and Zhao Zhu's families also lost contact amidst the chaos. When Emperor Taizu returned to reclaim Nanjing and drove the Qing forces back north, Empress Taizu, accompanied by their son and family, reunited with Emperor Taizu under the protection of loyalists. However, Zhao Zhu's family became separated from them during their escape, reportedly to help divert the pursuing soldiers. For this reason, Emperor Taizu shed tears in front of Zhao Zhu and promised that he would definitely find his parents, wife, and daughters to repay this life-saving grace. When Emperor Taizu returned to reclaim Nanjing and drove the Qing forces back north, Empress Taizu, accompanied by their son and family, reunited with Emperor Taizu under the protection of loyalists. However, Zhao Zhu's family became separated from them during their escape, reportedly to help divert the pursuing soldiers. For this reason, Emperor Taizu shed tears in front of Zhao Zhu and promised that he would definitely find his parents, wife, and daughters to repay this life-saving grace.