The Ming Dynasty 1626 Enlightenment

Chapter 35 Great Khan, it's time to take your medicine!

Dark clouds loom over the city, threatening to crush it!

Outside Shenyang City, Aiji Fort.

The tent was filled with a strong smell of medicine mixed with the stench of blood, making one want to cough.

Nurhaci lay half-reclined on the couch, his face sallow and his eyes sunken. His once sharp eyes, like those of an eagle, were now as murky as two pools of stagnant water.

His breathing was intermittent; with each rise and fall of his chest, a short hissing sound came from his throat.

"Dad, it's time to take your medicine!"

A gentle female voice rang in my ears, tinged with a sob and a touch of melancholy.

Nurhaci could only move with difficulty and saw a face still wet with tears—Abahai, his principal wife, of the Ulanara clan.

This woman was extremely beautiful, but at this moment her eyes were red and filled with tears, making her look pitiful, like a flower ravaged by wind and rain.

"This medicine, freshly prescribed today, is perfect for treating excessive sweating!"

She held a bowl of herbal soup, and in the steaming heat, her face appeared even more tender and charming.

"My...my beloved concubine, you've endured so much hardship!"

Nuerha struggled to sit up, bracing his arms on the couch. After several attempts, he finally fell back down heavily, making the bed creak.

"Great Khan! Don't move, I'll help you." The Grand Consort Abahai hurriedly put down the medicine bowl, reached out to help him up, and placed her soft, boneless hand on Nurhaci's back, gently lifting him up and placing two soft pillows behind him.

"..."

Nuerha leaned against the pillow, panting for a while before his breathing calmed down a little.

"Your Majesty, take your medicine."

Abahai picked up the medicine bowl again, blew on it, and then held it to Nuerha's lips.

Nuerha took only a sip, and the bitter medicine dripped down the corner of his mouth and onto his clothes.

He frowned, trying to push him away, but Abahai wouldn't let him, gently advising, "Great Khan, it will only be effective if you drink it all."

One sip, two sips, three sips. Nuerha only managed to drink a little over half a bowl before he couldn't swallow any more. He turned his head away and gasped for breath.

Abahai put down the medicine bowl, picked up a handkerchief, and gently wiped the medicine stains from the corner of his mouth.

After a long while, Nurhaci's breathing finally stabilized.

He lay half-reclined on the pillow, looking at Abahai's face, which had become much more haggard from attending to her illness for days. A feeling of pity welled up in his heart, and he said in a hoarse voice, "My beloved concubine, you have lost weight."

Abahai's eyes reddened, and tears streamed down her face, but she forced a smile and shook her head: "It's not hard... I just... just..."

"Just what?"

"But..." Abahai opened her mouth, a struggle flashing across her face, as if she wanted to say something but dared not.

Just then, the tent flap was lifted.

A middle-aged man in military uniform with a resolute face strode in, his boots making a dull thud on the muddy ground.

His gaze swept across the tent, lingering on Abahai for a moment before turning to Nurhaci on the couch and bowing respectfully.

"Your subject pays respects to Father Khan!"

"Oh! My good son has arrived!" Nurhaci squinted at the newcomer, who was Daishan, his eldest son.

He had clearly seen the moment that the rebellious son's gaze lingered on Abahai.

He had heard rumors of his unfilial son's affair with his stepmother, but he kept quiet about it because he believed family scandals should not be made public.

Looking at Abahai again, the woman had already lowered her head and shrank back, like a frightened rabbit.

Nurha sneered inwardly, but showed no sign of it on his face, simply saying, "What is it? Speak!"

"Father, please forgive me!"

Daishan noticed Nurhaci's unfriendly gaze and authoritative voice, so he quickly lowered his eyes and said respectfully, "The latest Ming Dynasty Daily has arrived. Your subject dared not delay and dared to bother you."

The Tianqi Daily of the Ming Dynasty.

In just one month, this tabloid had spread throughout Liaodong.

When Nurhaci first saw it, he found it funny!

The document stated that he sent men to bomb Wanggongchang, causing countless deaths and injuries in the Ming capital and the loss of tens of thousands of cannons.

He was smug at the time, and he figured he might as well take the blame and use it to intimidate the Ming border troops: Your Wanggongchang has been destroyed, what do you have to fight against the Jin's iron cavalry? Are you going to fight with your lives?

Moreover, his eighth son, Hong Taiji, also said that to destroy the Ming Dynasty, one must first destroy its Wanggongchang arsenal.

This was a lucky accident.

But each subsequent newspaper issue made him even less able to laugh.

The writer, Fan Shiqi from Liaodong, was like a tapeworm in his stomach, not only exposing his true colors but also making him even more injured.

Unfortunately, he couldn't silence the world's gossip, so he could only watch helplessly.

In a fit of anger, he issued an order: anyone who could obtain the latest Tianqi Daily should send it to him immediately, no matter when.

He wanted to see just how many secrets that brat Tianqi knew about him.

In order to curry favor, Daishan would deliver the newspapers to him as soon as he received them.

Of course, you can also catch a glimpse of the Grand Princess while you're at it.

"Give it to me," Nurhaci said, stretching out his hand, his voice hoarse. "How did that brat Tianqi manage to slander me this time?"

"Your subject... Your subject... dares not say."

Dai Shan knelt on the ground, presented the newspaper with both hands, and crawled forward to hand it over, not daring to raise his head.

Nurhaci simply took the newspaper and unfolded it.

The headline boldly proclaimed, "Nurhaci, driven by jealousy and resentment, poisoned his own brother to seize power through bloodshed! The Jianzhou Jurchen rebellion began with injustice!"

Nuerha was panting heavily, and his vision was going black.

It wasn't because he couldn't stand the criticism.

The victor is king, the loser is villain; which founding emperor didn't have the blood of his relatives on his hands?

What he couldn't stand was that this newspaper was published at this time, clearly indicating that the young Apocalypse was telling his sons:

Want my throne? It's right there; go ahead and fight for it!

Thus began the era of great power struggles!

So this is fanning the flames! This is forcing his sons to kill each other!

Nurhaci trembled at the thought, staring wide-eyed at it three more times, his chest heaving, "Pfft!"

Then, he spat a mouthful of blood onto the newspaper, staining the words crimson.

"Great Khan!" Grand Consort Abahai cried out in surprise and rushed forward to support him.

"Father!" Daishan was also startled. He crawled two steps on his knees, wanting to go forward, but dared not.

Everyone panicked and immediately arranged for a round of emergency treatment...

"Huff...huff..."

After a long while, Nurhaci, who had been rescued, could only helplessly lie back on the bed.

At this moment, he felt the vitality in his body. If he received proper treatment, he could live for at least another two months.

Yes!

It is only June of the sixth year of the Tianqi reign, but in history he actually died in August of the same year.

In two months, he could arrange everything to prevent his sons from killing each other and avoid the tragedy of poisoning his own brothers, just as he had done.

There's still time...

He can still make the final arrangements…

After all, with the people's hearts scattered, the Great Jin Dynasty he had painstakingly built would be finished...