Chapter 809
Surrender, Su Yunjin and Ma Xiuying
The Wu King's mansion was brightly lit throughout the long night. In the main hall of the Wu King's palace, Ma Xiuying held two-year-old Zhu Biao in her arms. Zhu Biao was so sleepy that he fell asleep peacefully in Ma Xiuying's arms.
At this moment, a red light shot into the sky outside, and faint shouts of battle could be heard reaching the main hall.
Cui'er looked outside with some concern, then returned to Ma Xiuying and said, "Madam, it seems that things are in chaos in the south of the city."
Ma Xiuying said, "Mm."
Cui'er said, "Madam, should we gather some men to protect the mansion? I'll go and call Erhu."
Ma Xiuying said, "This is the Jinling Palace of the King of Wu. I don't need to guard against my soldiers and civilians, and I don't need to care about them. No one will come to harass the King of Wu's residence."
Just then, a voice came from outside: "Madam, Marshal Xu and Marshal Feng request an audience."
Upon hearing this, Ma Xiuying handed Zhu Biao, whom she was holding, to Cui'er and said, "Take Biao and go down to rest."
Cui'er nodded, and immediately carried Zhu Biao down to rest. At this moment, Ma Xiuying straightened her clothes and said, "Erhu, let the two generals in."
Soon, Xu Da and Feng Sheng entered, and upon seeing Ma Xiuying, they immediately knelt down and said, "Your subject greets Your Highness."
Ma Xiuying raised her hand and said, "You two don't need to do this, please rise quickly."
Xu Da and Feng Sheng stood up, and Xu Da spoke first: "Your Highness, the Han King's delegation will arrive in Jinling early tomorrow morning. What do you think about our welcoming arrangements?"
Ma Xiuying said, "I will personally go to the dock to greet you according to the highest standards."
Xu Da was taken aback and said, "Your Highness, you are now the highest leader in Jinling. Wouldn't it make us seem too humble for you to personally greet us?"
Ma Xiuying said, "Since you're going to surrender, don't put on airs. It'll only make people feel disgusted. Besides, the chief envoy of this mission is Su Yunjin, and the Prince of Han is sending his consort as an envoy. I can't not show up, whether for official or personal reasons."
"You can make the arrangements as you see fit."
Xu Da replied, "Yes, then we will do as the Princess wishes. We have already finalized all the relevant matters. The Princess and we can head to the dock together at dawn."
Ma Xiuying nodded, then immediately asked, "By the way, the south?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Da clasped his hands and said, "Your Highness, it is my incompetence. The Commander of the Grand General's Office, General Lan Yu, and the Deputy Commander of the Grand General's Office, Mu Ying, led 20,000 troops, impersonated the Tiger Tally, and massacred aristocratic families. They are now sailing towards Fusang!"
Hearing this, Ma Xiuying looked at Xu Da in shock and asked, "At this moment, does Commander Xu know?"
Xu Da said, "I know."
"Then why didn't Xu Shuai stop it?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Da immediately bowed and said, "I have no reason to stop you. We want to surrender to the King of Han. Others have their own ideas, and I can't stop them. Moreover, although the road to Fusang is dangerous, it may not be a bad way out. If the King of Han has no intention of attacking Fusang in the east, perhaps they can establish a stable country in Fusang."
Having achieved hegemony in this region, I have no intention of continuing to resist, nor can I extinguish the ambition of future generations, can I?
Upon hearing this, Ma Xiuying sighed, looked at Xu Da, and said, "But the road to Japan is not always smooth sailing, alas~"
Ma Xiuying's political acumen was no less than Xu Da's. Xu Da could see that Chen Jie might be using a strategy of using one enemy to devour another; how could she not see the danger involved?
Lan Yu, this is a road of no return.
But now she can't protect Lan Yu anymore; all she wants now is to protect her own Biao'er.
Thinking this, Ma Xiuying said, "Okay, I know about it. Let's do everything according to Marshal Xu's plan."
Xu Da bowed, then slightly raised himself to look at Ma Xiuying and said, "Sister-in-law~"
Ma Xiuying looked at Xu Da: "Hmm?"
Xu Da then sighed and said, "Take care of yourself."
Ma Xiuying smiled and said, "I'm fine."
Xu Da nodded and left with Feng Sheng. Watching Xu Da leave, Ma Xiuying touched the throne she was sitting on and murmured, "Chongba, I will never be able to protect your legacy!"
"Don't blame me..."
No one answered her in the empty hall; only the hooting of an owl outside.
The night was long and cold...
March 7th, the sixteenth year of the Zhizheng era, Jinling.
The morning fog over the Yangtze River was so thick it seemed to suffocate, enveloping the entire city in a gray, deathly silence.
The once bustling dock was deserted, with only the monotonous sound of the river lapping against the shore, one beat after another, like the heartbeat of a dying man.
The dock was already packed with people.
The civil and military officials remaining in the Wu King's Palace, led by Xu Da and Li Wenzhong, were positioned on the left and right respectively.
Xu Da wore a faded old battle robe, the first set of military uniforms issued when the uprising began in Haozhou. The elbows were worn out and patched with pieces of cloth of the same color. Li Wenzhong, on the other hand, was dressed in heavy mourning—a hempen robe and cap, with a straw rope around his waist. He stood barefoot, and a thin layer of frost covered the blue bricks beneath his feet.
On the civil officials' side, Li Shanchang stood at the very front.
He wore a dark blue Taoist robe and a square scarf. His face was haggard, but his back was ramrod straight. He tightly gripped a scroll of bright yellow silk in his hand—the "Proclamation to Punish the Yuan Dynasty" issued by Zhu Chongba when he proclaimed himself King of Wu.
Behind them, three hundred guards stood in a ceremonial formation, their armor gleaming and their spear tips flashing coldly, but none of them had any expression on their faces, or rather, all their expressions were frozen under a thick layer of frost.
Ma Xiuying took three steps in front of the crowd.
She wasn't wearing a princess's gown, but rather a plain white dress with a black cloak over it.
Her hair was simply tied up with a wooden hairpin, she wore no makeup, and her face was pale, except for a very light touch of rouge on her lips—this was her only makeup today, because Chen Jiu Si's delegation was coming, and Jinling could not appear too shabby.
But that touch of rouge, against her complexion, looked more like a smear of dried blood.
"What time is it?" she asked, her voice eerily calm.
Behind her, Cui'er whispered back, "Reporting to Madam, it's 3:45 AM. The Han King's envoy fleet has passed Yanziji and will arrive in about... 4:45 AM."
Ma Xiuying nodded and said nothing more. She gazed into the depths of the river mist, towards Poyang Lake, the place that had swallowed her husband and Wu Jun's last hope, her eyes vacant.
Xu Da stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Madam, the fog is heavy. Why don't you rest in the building to the side for a while? We will stay here..."
“No need,” Ma Xiuying interrupted him, her voice still steady. “Zhu Chongba’s woman is not yet at the point where she needs to hide behind a man.”
Xu Da silently withdrew.
Li Wenzhong suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse like a broken bellows: "Aunt, if that Su Yunjin dares to show the slightest disrespect, I'll risk my life..."
“Wenzhong.” Ma Xiuying turned her head and glanced at him. There was no blame in her eyes, only a bottomless weariness. “When your uncle was alive, you were the one he loved the most. If he were here, he wouldn’t want to see you like this.”
Li Wenzhong's eyes instantly reddened, and he abruptly turned his head away, his shoulders trembling violently.
A river breeze rose, dispersing some of the fog. In the distance, the faint outline of sails appeared on the river.
The fleet slowly sailed into the dock.
Not one, but three. Twenty warships led the way, all of them Han army "ironclad warships," with menacing tiger-head rams at their bows, and countless crossbows protruding from the portholes on both sides, the bolts gleaming coldly in the morning light.
In the middle are five towering ships, as tall as city walls, with banners waving. The largest ship flies the "Han" character royal flag, and below it is Su Yunjin's command flag—white with black characters, embroidered with the character "Chen".
Then another twenty warships followed to reinforce the rear.
A total of forty-five ships filled the entire dock area.
The Han soldiers on the warships stood with spears in hand, their armor gleaming, their expressions arrogant, looking down at the former Wu soldiers on the dock who were dressed in old clothes, some even in mourning.
The ship docked and the gangway was lowered.
First to disembark were two groups of Han military honor guards, all dressed in black armor and red robes, with swords at their waists, marching in neat formation, and lining up on both sides of the gangway.
Then came a group of civil officials, dressed in scarlet robes, holding scrolls, seals, ceremonial objects, and other items, their expressions solemn.
Finally, Su Yunjin appeared.
She wasn't wearing the princess's everyday clothes, but a plain-colored long robe. She wasn't aggressive, but she gave off a sense of nobility. At this moment, she was the most noble woman in the world. Behind her, on the left and right, stood the two great generals, Chen Xiaohu and Ni Wenjun, while not far away, Yuan Sanjia, the third-ranked general in the world, was there to support her.
She walked slowly down the gangway, each step firm and steady. Chen Xiaohu and Ni Wenjun followed behind her, their eyes sharp.
On the dock, everyone from the Wu King's Palace bowed in unison—this was a matter of etiquette. Even though the other party had come to "receive" them, they were still nominally "envoys of the King of Han," and they could not be disrespectful on the surface.
But no one knelt. Su Yunjin stopped three steps in front of Ma Xiuying, his gaze sweeping over her face, then over Xu Da, Li Wenzhong, Li Shanchang and others, before finally returning to Ma Xiuying's face.
My sister Ma looks so haggard, sigh...
Su Yunjin felt reluctant, but as the envoy of the Prince of Han, she could do as she pleased in private, but in official matters, she had to be ruthless and handle official business strictly!
"The Empress Dowager Su, the principal wife of the King of Han, has come to Jinling by order of the King of Han." She spoke in a cool, businesslike tone, "Princess Consort of Wu, how have you been?"
She used the title "Princess Consort of Wu" instead of Sister Ma or Madam Ma—this was a reminder and a declaration: Zhu Chongba's "Prince of Wu" was a thing of the past, and Chen Jiusi's "Prince of Han" was the present.
Ma Xiuying nodded slightly: "Princess Su has come a long way and must be tired. It's windy at the dock, please come into the city to talk."
His tone was neither humble nor arrogant, and his demeanor was composed.
A hint of reluctance flashed in Su Yunjin's eyes. She had expected Ma Xiuying to put on a brave face, but looking at her now, she still felt a pang of pity. She recalled how they had drunk Laba porridge at the Waiting-for-Husband Terrace just a few months ago, and now one of them had lost her husband.
After the heartbreak, there was a sliver of luck: her husband had survived and emerged as the ultimate victor.
"please!"
Su Yunjin gestured for them to proceed.
With the ceremonial guards leading the way, the two groups of people mounted their horses or got into sedan chairs and headed into the city.
Jinling Street has been cleared away. There are no onlookers, all the shops along the street are closed, and even the windows are tightly shut.
Only Wu's soldiers stood in formation along the street, holding their spears, but everyone kept their heads down, and no one dared to look directly at Su Yunjin and his party.
Dead silence.
The whole city resembled a giant tomb.
Su Yunjin rode on her horse, her gaze sweeping across both sides of the street. She noticed that some shops still had faded red paper pasted on their doors, with words like "Congratulations to the King of Wu on his great victory" and "Expel the barbarians" still faintly discernible.
She saw white lanterns hanging under the eaves of some houses, swaying in the wind. She also saw newly repaired marks on the city wall, as if something was being covered up.
Everything reminded her that this city once belonged to Zhu Chongba. Everyone in this city once revered Zhu Chongba as a god.
Now, the gods are dead.
The procession arrived in front of the Wu King's Palace.
The gates of the Prince's Mansion were wide open, but the golden plaque that read "Prince Wu's Mansion" on the lintel had been removed and replaced with a hastily made wooden plaque that read "Jinling Garrison Commander's Mansion".
Su Yunjin dismounted and looked up at the wooden plaque; the words "Leave the Guard" were quite jarring.
Upon entering the mansion, we proceeded to the main hall.
The hall had been set up as a meeting place, but the main seat was empty—that was Zhu Chongba's seat, and no one dared to sit there.
On the left were the people from the Wu King's residence, and on the right were the Han envoys. In the middle was a long table covered with bright yellow brocade, on which tea sets and fruits were placed, but no one touched them.
The guests took their seats according to their status as hosts and guests. Su Yunjin sat at the head of the table on the right, with Ni Wenjun and Chen Xiaohu sitting down beside her, their hands on their swords.
Ma Xiuying sat in the first seat on the left, followed by Xu Da, Li Wenzhong, and Li Shanchang in that order.
A maid served tea, but no one raised their cup.
Silence spread through the hall. The wind whistled outside the window, causing the lanterns under the eaves to sway, casting flickering light on everyone's faces.
Su Yunjin put down her teacup—she hadn't actually drunk any; she was just going through the motions.
"Princess Consort Wu, generals and lords," she began, her voice echoing in the empty hall, "I have come to Jinling on the orders of the Prince of Han, with one matter to inform you and another matter to discuss."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over the crowd.
"In the Battle of Poyang Lake, the Han King's might was evident, the traitor Zhu Chongba was beheaded, and his troops were routed. This was the will of Heaven and the inevitable trend of the times. The Han King is benevolent and considerate of the innocent people of Nanjing, and does not wish to wage war again. Therefore, he sent me here to take over Nanjing and the various prefectures and counties in Jiangnan."
The words fell silent.
Li Wenzhong suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot, his hands gripping the chair arms tightly, his knuckles white, the wooden chair creaking. Xu Da pressed down on his arms and slowly shook his head.
Ma Xiuying quietly watched Su Yunjin, waiting for her to finish speaking.
Su Yunjin continued, "Regarding the takeover, the Prince of Han has given the following orders: First, the garrison of Jinling shall immediately disarm, and the Han army shall take over the city's defenses. Second, any civil or military officials under the Wu Prince's jurisdiction who wish to surrender will be employed by the Prince of Han according to their abilities; those who do not wish to surrender may leave with their families, and the Prince of Han will not pursue the matter. Third, Zhu Chongba's family..."
She looked at Ma Xiuying with a hint of reluctance in her eyes.
"The King of Han has decreed that Zhu Chongba's wife, Lady Ma, may move to Jiangzhou with her children and relatives. The King of Han will grant her a residence and provide her with annual provisions to ensure her peaceful life for the rest of her days."
This is already considered "preferential treatment." They won't kill or imprison him; they'll even give him a way out.
The hall remained silent.
Su Yunjin waited for a moment, and seeing no one respond, she took out a scroll of bright yellow silk from her sleeve and slowly unrolled it.
"This is a personal edict from the King of Han, gentlemen..."
"No need to read it."
Ma Xiuying suddenly spoke up.
The sound wasn't loud, but everyone in the hall could hear it clearly.
Su Yunjin paused, then looked up at Ma Xiuying.
Ma Xiuying slowly stood up. She wasn't tall, and standing there, she even looked somewhat frail. But when she stood up, the atmosphere of the entire hall changed.
"Princess Su." She looked at Su Yunjin and said, word by word, "I have something I would like to ask you."
Su Yunjin put down the imperial edict: "Please speak."
"The King of Han wants to take over Jinling, take over Jiangnan, and take over the legacy left by my husband." Ma Xiuying's voice was calm, but every word was like ice. "Was this achieved through negotiation or through fighting?"
Su Yunjin's expression darkened slightly.
"If it was won through fighting, then the King of Han had already won the Battle of Poyang Lake. Why didn't he take advantage of the victory to cross the river and directly take Jinling? Why did he still send the Queen to 'negotiate'?" Ma Xiuying continued, her voice still steady. "Is it because the Han army also suffered heavy casualties and needed time to rest? Is it because Generals Xu Da and Li Wenzhong were still leading hundreds of thousands of remnants to retreat to Jinling, and this city was not easy to take?"
"Or is it because..." She paused, a sharp glint finally flashing in her eyes, "that the Northern Yuan forces are still stirring, and the Prince of Han is eager to stabilize Jiangnan so that he can free up his resources to deal with the real enemy?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hall changed abruptly.
Xu Da, Li Wenzhong, Li Shanchang, and everyone else looked up at the same time, their eyes gleaming.
Su Yunjin's expression finally changed.
She stared at Ma Xiuying for a long time before slowly saying, "Princess Wu, what do you mean by that?"
“My meaning is very simple.” Ma Xiuying stepped forward, stood in front of the long table, placed her hands on the table, and leaned forward slightly. “Jinling, I can give it to you. Jiangnan, I can give it to you as well. But, it’s not ‘receiving,’ it’s ‘exchanging.’”
Su Yunjin narrowed her eyes: "Exchange what?"
“In exchange for a promise from the King of Han.” Ma Xiuying looked directly into her eyes. “A promise to the people of Jiangnan that they will not suffer from war, a promise to those who submit to civil and military officials that they will not be purged, a promise to my husband’s former subordinates that they will not be hunted down. A promise…” She took a deep breath, “to drive out the barbarians and restore China.”
She spoke the last eight words very softly, but each word struck the heart of everyone in the hall like a heavy hammer.
Su Yunjin fell silent. She was somewhat dazed for a moment. If her husband had lost this time, could she have been as unyielding as Sister Ma?
I wonder if I can be as strong as Sister Ma. Maybe I can, but does it matter now?
“Princess Consort Wu.” Su Yunjin slowly rose and met Ma Xiuying’s gaze. “I can agree to your conditions. But what the Prince of Han wants is for Jinling to be handed over immediately, and for all the prefectures and counties in Jiangnan to submit within three months.”
“Agreed,” Ma Xiuying said without hesitation. “But I require the King of Han to personally write the covenant, announcing it to the world, promising not to harm the people or settle scores, and that those willing to surrender to the King of Han will be employed according to their talents, while those unwilling to surrender will be given compensation and dismissed…”
She rattled off seventeen conditions in one breath.
Each one represents a desperate attempt to secure the greatest possible chance of survival for those behind them.
Su Yunjin listened quietly, remained silent for a long time, and then slowly nodded.
"On behalf of the Prince of Han, I agree."
These were all things Chen Jiu Si had instructed in advance, and I could agree to them. (End of Chapter)