Chapter Seventeen: Unexpected Difficulty
It was as if fate had brought Zhu Yongxing to this world, and forced him to choose a life that was different from others, full of thorns. He could not foresee, nor avoid the pitfalls and hidden reefs lurking in wait, nor did he know that what seemed like a simple journey from Myanmar to Yunnan would end up being earth-shattering and tumultuous!
When I went up to the bamboo building, Da Wu was sitting in a rattan chair, with a pair of thin and bony hands symmetrically placed on the armrests, as if he had just woken up.
"Your Highness, please sit down." The great witch narrowed her eyes and sized up Zhu Yongxing. She stretched out her hand to gesture and said: "I am a humble commoner with physical disabilities, unable to perform the grand ceremony of bowing and paying respects. Please forgive me, Your Highness."
Zhu Yongxing, coming from a later generation, naturally had no requirements for the etiquette of feudal society and didn't think much of it. The image of the great witch only made him slightly stunned, then he smiled and sat down casually, saying: "Great witch, don't mind, I've heard that you are wise as the sea, I'm here to ask for your advice."
The grand witch seemed to smile, the scars on her face and the deformation of one eye made this smile somewhat eerie. She waved at Mengzhu and said: "Mengzhu, you go down and wait."
Mengzhu obviously didn't expect to be driven away, lowered her eyelids somewhat displeased, and her feet didn't move either.
"Azhu, go downstairs and wait for me, I'll be done talking with Dawu soon." Zhu Yongxing didn't think much of it, smiled and nodded at Azhu.
Mengzhu's face slightly cleared up, and she smiled at Zhu Yongxing, as if to comfort him, before turning around and leaving.
As Ah Zhu's footsteps faded away, the bamboo building fell silent. Zhu Yongxing did not speak first, but patiently waited for the great witch to open her mouth. Since he let Ah Zhu leave, there must be some secret things to say, or continue to haggle, just like the Sui tribe leader, wanting him to make some promises.
The sky was gradually darkening, the old shaman sat motionless, only his eyes occasionally blinking, adding a bit of vitality to this withered and lifeless body, like two lonely sparks in a furnace of dead ashes.
Zhu Yongxing felt a bit uneasy and finally spoke up, "I have already discussed the matter of leaving Myanmar with the leader of the Siwei tribe. We don't need many people to escort us, one or two hundred will be enough. Of course, if the great shaman has any doubts, I am willing to explain everything openly and honestly, I won't deceive you."
Dai Wu's eyes flickered and he lightly said "uh-huh", but his words shocked Zhu Yongxing, "One or two hundred people? This is absolutely not feasible."
"Why?" Zhu Yongxing leaned forward, asking unexpectedly: "Are you worried that I'll break my promise or not come back?"
"It's not just a coincidence." Da Wu said in a low voice: "The ones who will follow Your Highness into Yunnan are not one or two hundred people, but nearly 30,000 people from the entire Mengshanke clan."
Zhu Yongxing thought he had misheard, shook his head hard, and the whole family moved away. Was this guy taking the wrong medicine?
"The Mongols are shamelessly corrupt, the Manchu officials are insatiably greedy." The voice of Da Wu's resentment and hatred echoed in the darkness, "The Mangshan Ke clan has endured for too long. Rather than waiting to be slaughtered, it is better to strike back with all one's might. Your Highness, as a member of the imperial family left behind to guard the city, also holds the power to oversee the country. After entering Yunnan, finding a place for our tribe to settle should not be difficult, right?"
Zhu Yongxing finally confirmed that he hadn't misheard, but this sudden change was beyond his expectations, and he couldn't help but frown in contemplation, searching for an excuse.
"The Mangshan Ke clan was also a subject of the great Ming, and returning to its rule is also a matter of course. As long as Your Highness agrees, there will be thousands of warriors who will fight for Your Highness's prosperity and dominance." The great shaman continued speaking, his eyes gleaming like a traveler in the desert at night seeing a light in the distance.
"Yunnan Province is in the midst of war, how can it be easy to find a place for tens of thousands of people to settle down?" Zhu Yongxing argued loudly: "Tens of thousands of people migrating, will the Burmese agree? They will send troops to block us, and it will inevitably lead to a bloody battle."
"Fight and kill, bleed and shed blood, it's better to die than to suffer at the hands of others." The voice of Da Wu grew more agitated. "For decades, the Mangshan Ke clan has been oppressed and exploited by the Burmese, countless people have died, can you understand the pain? Now the Burmese officials are again demanding 'initial rights', a great humiliation, how can the Mangshan Ke clan endure it again?"
"What? Initial authority?" Zhu Yongxing was shocked to hear this, his voice lowered and he stuttered: "But the Patriarch of the Siwei clan never mentioned this matter?"
"Hmm, hmm, Da Wu hummed twice and fell silent without explanation."
Really, fake? Zhu Yongxing found it hard to imagine that such a barbaric system would be implemented. Coming from modern thinking, he not only found it hard to accept but also deeply hated and resented it. He vaguely felt that something was suspicious, but couldn't find the flaw in it. After all, he didn't fully understand the situation of the Mangshan Miao people, nor did he know what had happened before.
Zhu Yongxing is not a historian, but only for the sake of writing, has a certain understanding of the history of the Southern Ming Dynasty. However, this barbaric "initial night right" system was unknown to him, and he thought it was just a foreign custom. In fact, in some ethnic minority areas of China, there are also various forms of "initial night rights", such as those enjoyed by the tusi (local chieftains) in western Hubei, Youyang in Sichuan, Yongshun and Baojing in Hunan, and some areas in Yunnan and Guizhou.
"If I hadn't brought all of you out of Burma and found a place for you to settle, would you have escorted me into Yunnan and passed on messages for me?" Zhu Yongxing fell silent for a moment before asking tentatively.
"It is indeed." Da Wu confirmed without hesitation, paused for a moment, and then softened his tone to add: "This matter will not put Your Highness at risk. We dare not tire your precious body with bloody battles. It's just that after entering Yunnan, I hope Your Highness will keep your promise."
Zhu Yongxing slowly got up and said, "This matter requires careful consideration." His mind was a bit confused, especially when facing this mysterious great witch doctor, he needed to calm his mind first and take time to think.
"Your Highness is wise and brave, with the ambition to revive the king's power. Such trivial matters cannot hinder Your Highness." The words of the great witch seemed to be both flattering and provocative, echoing softly behind Zhu Yongxing.
Yes, can't even accomplish this small thing, how can we revive the king and compete with the Qing dynasty for the world. Zhu Yongxing's footsteps paused for a moment, sighed, and turned away.
……
It was late at night, the lights were flashing, Zhu Yongxing had no sleepiness, sometimes supporting his chin, sometimes gently stroking his forehead, deeply troubled by the sudden difficulties he encountered.
Mengzhu quietly came in, changed his tea again, and sat down beside him.
"Azhu, what's the origin of this great witch? How can she be proficient in Chinese studies?" Zhu Yongxing's doubts lingered in his mind, and he couldn't help but look up and ask Mengzhu.
"The origin of Tai Wu——" Meng Zhu blinked and said: "I don't know much about it either, I only know that he was already in the village before I was born, and his knowledge is vast, wise and far-sighted, and highly respected in the tribe."
