Chapter 2: Manchurian Musing

There was something about that unusually warm spring day that made Ai Ji Xiang (吉祥) restless. The sun was shining outside, beckoning her to join it. On the tree outside, the first magnolias of the season seemed to fill the whole world in a haze of fluffy white and dusty pink petals. It wasn't a day to be stuck inside with a book, Ji Xiang decided and snapped the tome in front of her closed with impatience.

Ji Xiang's father was a physician; more often than not, he was away from the house most of the day visiting patients. Still, her family still kept a small apothecary in the front room of their house, selling common herbs and medicine. Dali was a small town and their house lay on the outskirts of it, near to the green tea farm that her family and her uncle's family jointly owned. Despite their more remote location from the centre of the town, where there were one or two other apothecaries, her father's expertise and skills in the art of medicine made people find trekking their way out of town to this small apothecary worth the trouble.

Her uncle owned a literary store, close to Ji Xiang's family home, and people relied on his beautiful handwriting and expertise in poetry to provide them with the words they themselves could not compose. When he was not working on commissions, he worked on copying books, after which he would sell.

Ji Xiang still could not understand how an active man like her uncle could choose such a mundane occupation of sitting at home and doing paper work, but he seemed pretty happy with the job. It was calming, he once told her, though she couldn't really understand what he needed calming from. He also said it was a reminder of the strength of words, the magic they could create but also the damage they could cause. Ji Xiang had a feeling there was a deeper significance to these words than first appeared, especially when her uncle had looked unusually sad when he said this. There was something about that sadness that stopped her from pressing him for more details on what he really meant.

Ji Xiang's mother and her aunt spend most of their day tending to the tea bushes, and when Ji Xiang, her siblings and cousins were old enough, they took turns helping Xiao Yan Zi and Qing Er in the tea fields. The tea fields looked from afar like a vast blanket of green and it was an overwhelming sight to those who looked on it for the first time. To Ji Xiang, the sight always filled her with awe at the beauty of what nature could offer when tended to by loving hands. She would rather run around in the tea fields any day, smelling the fresh scent of the tea leaves, feeling the fresh air, rather than be stuffed up in the apothecary. Tending to the apothecary and waiting on customers was one the most boring chores in her home; she and her siblings had managed to work out a compromise to rotate the work so that none of them would be on apothecary duty two days in a row.

If Ji Xiang had to be fair, she loved her father's work. He had saved so many lives and her heart swelled with pride every time she thought of it. But he, at least, was actually out doing something. On apothecary duty was only ever a comfort when it rained, snowed or haled. In more cheery weather, it meant sitting behind the counter for a whole day, trying to amuse yourself while others went out to enjoy the sun and nature. It wasn't the constant, overwhelming aroma of herbs and medicine that bothered Ji Xiang either. She grew up with the scent and it was a reminder of home; it always comforted her. Still, one couldn't live on that scent alone. She didn't dislike apothecary duty for a lack of customers, because they came regularly enough throughout the day. It was the sitting and waiting in between that bored Ji Xiang. Of course, when there was outbreak of some disease in town, they suddenly would get more customers than they could handle, which was supposed to make up for the slow time of everyday.

Ji Xiang knew she was more fortunate than most her age, anyway. Her parents, her aunt and uncle all agreed on one fact (which Ji Xiang found incredible, seeing as her parents can disagree on most subjects): all their children, boys and girls, would get a thorough education. Ji Xiang was brought up to never be surprised at this approach to education, despite the fact that most other families would never bother teaching girls. Her father, uncle and aunt's knowledge of the classics obviously meant they had a lot to pass along to their children. Ji Xiang also knew her mother wanted a good education for her and her siblings because she only wanted them to have what she couldn't have herself as a child (or, as her father often teased her, what she was offered but too stubborn, lazy and headstrong to take).

So Ji Xiang and her siblings and cousins didn't just spend all day helping their parents at work. Her uncle, having more free time than her father, set down a time every morning for them to have their lessons, which they would review throughout the day as they work. Formal lessons for Ji Xiang, and her twin brother, Jian Jun (建君) had pretty much stopped by now but their parents expected them to still learn on their own. Ji Xiang had to admit there was some good to the apothecary. She loved getting herself lost in a book and apothecary duty was the only time that would give her the chance to do that, provided, of course, that she could concentrate on the book.

Today, she couldn't.

She looked at the front cover of the book in front of her. She really shouldn't be reading this book out here on the counter where any customer who came in could see it, but she had picked it up that morning before she came out to the apothecary to sit without really looking at the title. Now here it was, in her hands. The Manchurian characters in her father's familiar, neat, firm brush strokes stared up at her from the cover, reminding her that she needn't advertise the fact that she was fluent in the language.

Despite the fact that her uncle was their chief teacher, Ji Xiang's father insisted that all the children learnt Manchurian. Ji Xiang had a feeling that her uncle was far from happy with this insistence, especially when applied to his own children, but still he agreed. As a child, Ji Xiang never understood why they had to learn Manchurian of all languages, considering there weren't any Manchurian living this far south of the country. The Fang and Ai children were all fluent in the Bai Yi language, the language spoken by the native ethnic group of Yunnan. As for Manchurian? In nearly sixteen years, Ji Xiang had never had a chance to speak Manchurian to anyone besides her family.

Her father, consequently, was their Manchurian teacher. His and her aunt's command of the language was excellent; Ji Xiang suspected that they grew up speaking the language. As they grew older, she, her siblings and cousins came to understand without ever really asking their parents that Ji Xiang's father and her aunt, Qing Er, were of Manchurian descent. Her mother and her uncle, who was her mother's brother, obviously were of Han ethnicity. Her mother's Manchurian was shaky at its best; her father often cringed to hear her speak it and consequently she refused to speak it very often. Her uncle spoke Manchurian not at all.

Their family history was not something that none of the children were ever really clear on. The story was, of course, that Ji Xiang's father and her aunt were cousins, originated from Beijing and her mother and uncle were siblings from Hangzhou, though they had grown up apart, her mother in Beijing and her uncle in Dali. Somehow life had swept them together in Beijing, where they all met and married. Then as young married couples, they had moved to Dali to raise their families.

After all this time, the Beijing accent still showed in her parents' and her aunt's speech, especially when contrasted against her uncle's and their neighbours' distinct southern accent. Even then, Ji Xiang could still tell there was a slight difference between the way her father and aunt spoke and the way her mother spoke. Her mother's speech was more of a Beijing dialect that contained more slang, whereas her father and her aunt always spoke in perfect Mandarin. Growing up with such variety of speech in their own family meant that Ji Xiang, her siblings and cousins had managed to adapt their accent to whomever they spoke to. It also made the study of languages for them that much less difficult, as they had all had trained ears for languages. .

It was obvious that they learnt Manchurian more for the sake of knowing the language than for the need to communicate with it. It was not wise, anyhow, to parade your Manchurian connections to the world, when there were many people, especially in the south, who were supporters of the Ming dynasty and hated the country being under Manchurian rule.

The few times that her father ever gave his views on politics, he showed an intense loyalty to the Manchurian throne that only confirmed to Ji Xiang and her siblings how he, and consequently, they, had some Manchurian blood in them. Her uncle was more neutral on the subject; he seemed to neither approve nor disapprove of the Manchurian court.

Ji Xiang only wondered why neither her father nor her aunt, or even her mother or uncle, never acknowledged nor denied their Manchurian connections. Something had always kept the children from inquiring of it and their elder relatives seemed determined not to volunteer the reason why it was so important to them to learn Manchurian and confirm that they indeed, had Manchurian blood in them. Ji Xiang knew that Manchurian clans tend to intermarry, especially when many of them set high hopes of affiancing with the Imperial clan, Ai Xin Jue Luo. So there were three things that she never really understood. First, why did her father had a Han family name when so many factors pointed to the fact that he was of Manchurian blood, even if partly? Second, was that even their real family name? And third, why were they in Dali in the first place?

Ji Xiang and Jian Jun were the eldest of the Ai and Fang children. The children of the two families grew up in a tight knit group, amidst the obvious love and devotion between their two sets of parents. They all realised there was more to their family's story than what their parents were telling them, but they never pressed for details. Their parents probably would not lie to them if they ever asked, so it was not that fear that stopped them asking. Somehow, however, all of them had a silent agreement that they were happy was they were, and perhaps some things were better left unknown.

"Ji Xiang, take care of what book you take out to the apothecary," her father said to her as they sat down to lunch a few days later.

Ji Xiang had found herself on apothecary duty that day again, and that morning, had again picked up the book on Manchurian writing that she had been trying to read the other day.

"I'm sorry," Ji Xiang said. Of course, the whole time she was in the apothecary, the book was sitting on the extension behind the serving counter, so no harm was done. "But it's not as if it was on the counter for the world to see. People would have to lean over the counter to see it."

Her father shook his head slightly and gave her a small smile. "Just be careful, sweetheart."

Ji Xiang understood; it was the principle that mattered. One of the first lessons the Ai and Fang children learnt was that despite the fact that they must learn Manchurian, they would not tell the whole world about it. There was too much hostility towards the rulers of the country this far south.

"Can I ask something?" Ji Xiang asked as they had all started eating.

Her mother chuckled. "You just did. But you don't usually ask to ask questions, Ji Xiang. What is it?"

"Why are some people so against the Imperial family?" She almost surprised herself with the question and she certainly didn't know what made her ask it. It was not as if she was ever remotely interested in politics. Somehow, Ji Xiang had a feeling that she wanted to hear what the grown-ups said on this subject nonetheless.

Her question didn't get an immediate answer. Ji Xiang watched as her father exchanged a surprised look, not with her mother, but with her aunt, who looked somewhat uncomfortable. Her uncle gave a rather flippant role of his eyes and seemed to avoid everyone's gaze while her mother sat back in her chair with an expression that was almost upset while really trying to look nonchalant.

"China is a very diverse country, ethnically," her father answered slowly, as if weighing his words. "But the majority had always been the Han people. The current Imperial family is Manchurian, who used to be nomads with no set residence and they only gave up their nomadic habits when the dynasty was founded. Some Han people resent the fact that they are a majority and they have to be ruled over by a minority group. They think the Manchurian emperors don't understand the need of Han people."

"But right now, the country can't be more prosperous, things are so peaceful!" Jian Jun broke into the conversation. "Why should it matter what ethnicity the ruler is if he's a good one?"

It was Qing Er who answered him. "You've been brought up in a province of mixed ethnicity, all of you. You've got more tolerance for ethnic diversity than most people. People will always fear and resent people who are different from them. The resentment and hostility trace back for hundreds of years. People inherit anti-Qing views from their elders, they do not develop them over night, unless something drastic happens to suddenly make them hate the throne."

Ji Xiang was sure she could see both her father and aunt throw her uncle a significant look, which he obviously avoided by occupying himself with eating. The look only made Ji Xiang even more curious to find out exactly what her family's ties to the Manchurian race was. However, her father and aunt's answers only seemed to raise more questions than to clear up any confusion.

"What do you think of the Manchurian emperor then?" she asked her father.

Her father gave her a decidedly surprised look, though Ji Xiang wasn't sure whether it was because of the content of her question or because she asked it at all. "Is there actually a reason for your sudden interest in politics today?"

Ji Xiang shrugged. "I don't know. I just felt like asking."

"What do you think?" Her father wore a look of intense curiosity and Ji Xiang had to take a moment to ponder before answering. After all, it wasn't a subject that she ever thought about herself and she had to decide for an answer.

"Obviously the Emperor is an effective ruler, otherwise we wouldn't have this peace, especially here, so close to the border with Burma, and everyone always say that he's very accomplished in Chinese literature and everything. So if he's so accomplished in Chinese way, does it matter that he's Manchurian? I mean, if the Manchurians really wanted to turn the country into a completely Manchurian country, would they have adopted and adapted to so many Chinese customs? Wouldn't they enforce their whole way of life to the country?"

"Somehow I don't think the dynasty would have survived this far if w - they had tried to enforce the Manchurian ways to every detail of life in the country," her father answered. "As hard as this might be for the Imperial family to grasp, it wasn't that people welcomed Manchurian rule over them. People who do accept the Qing dynasty in the end, they do it because they were appeased by only having to change their hairstyle and clothing. If you could even call it appeased, with the prosecution that went on in the early years of the dynasty over the queue order. But still, they got to speak Chinese and worship the religions and philosophies they held. There are still passionate anti-Manchu revolutionaries out there. But you are right, I do not think this dynasty will ever get a more brilliant Emperor than the current one."

Very suspiciously, her uncle gave a cough and gave her father a look that Ji Xiang was sure was meant to be sardonic, which her father returned with one that was almost hostile. Ji Xiang startled to see this exchange, especially when her uncle and father got on very well most of the time. Neither her mother nor her aunt showed any sign of disagreeing with her father, but they both seemed to carry rather tense, worried expression at the turn of the conversation. Ji Xiang would have dropped it then, because she was sure there was something about it that made the grown-ups uncomfortable, but her cousin, Jiang Fan (江帆) spoke up.

"You don't think the Emperor is a good one, Father?"

Ji Xiang noted that Qing Er immediately gave her son a sharp look, as if he had said something indecent. Her uncle also took a long time in answer. Finally he said in a rather weary voice, "Let's just say I have issues with him that your mother, your aunt and uncle can overlook but I cannot." It took a moment for Ji Xiang to realise it somehow bore the same tone as when he once spoke to her about the strength and danger of words.

"What does that mean?" Die Er (蜨儿), Jiang Fan's sister, asked.

"It means," Ji Xiang's mother finally spoke, "that while your mother, uncle and I are perfectly happy with the current ruler of the country, your father could do without him."

"But the view of the Emperor is so unrealistic," Ji Xiang protested, unable to help herself from continuing the subject. "I mean, there's evidence that he's a good leader, still the two views of him that anyone gets are that either he's perfect or that he's a perfect scoundrel who has no right to his office. But then the second one is from people who actually want him dead so I don't think they're worth much."

"I never said the Emperor was perfect, Ji Xiang." Her mother exchanged a small look with her aunt that Ji Xiang didn't understand. Oh, how she hated it when the grown-ups share private looks that obviously said whatever they were sharing was not something that she could ever be told or given a chance to understand; in other word, it was none of her business. Then, her mother added in a cynical tone, "I never thought it was possible for a man to have so many wives but obviously the Emperor has proved me wrong."

This completely random turn of the subject puzzled Ji Xiang, though for some reason, it seemed to amuse her aunt and father. In fact, her father could not hold back a chuckle even as he said, "No one is perfect, you know, least of all, the Emperor. I should think the Emperor himself would have more flaws than the average person, just because of the position he holds and what responsibilities he has to deal with."

"That's treasonous, Father," Ji Xiang said, raising her eyebrows slightly. Surely he knew they could not just go around saying that the Emperor had flaws. Her comment made both her parents and her aunt look even more amused, though Ji Xiang could not understand what was so funny about treason. Even her uncle gave a genuine upturn of the mouth.

"Treason?" her mother said, chuckling. "Ji Xiang, if your father were to die of treason, you would never have been born."

"What does that mean?" Ji Xiang asked, annoyed.

"Let's just say that's not the first time I've said the Emperor is far from perfect," her father replied, smiling slightly. Her mother merely rolled her eyes. "But you are right, it would not exactly do for someone to hear us talk like that."

"But what do you really think of him?" Ji Xiang persisted again. She didn't know why it was so important to know their views on the Emperor.

"You are determined to have a political discussion today, aren't you?" Her father was appropriately surprised at her persistence. "I think the Emperor is a brilliant ruler, but that does not stop him from making failures in judgement. But perhaps you might want to ask your uncle for a … well, an alternative view."

The children all turned to Xiao Jian, who would always be in dispute with the other three when it came to a political view.

"I officially do not have an opinion on the Emperor," he said, evading their stares. "Though if you really do want to hear what people are saying around town about the throne, just to be amazed at how gossip travels, I do have some news. The town was buzzing with talk that the Emperor might be appointing an official Crown Prince at last."

Ji Xiang saw that her parents and her aunt had visibly tensed at this news and they all watched her uncle closely, though he looked like he was having fun with their anticipation.

"Did they say who?" her mother probed when Xiao Jian didn't go on.

"Well, I was sitting in a teahouse before heading home and heard people behind me going on about Wu Ah Ge…"

There was a noisy clatter as her father's chopsticks uncharacteristically hit against his bowl. Her mother nearly choked on a sip of soup she was drinking but her father didn't seem to notice or react to it like he normally would; he simply stared at her uncle with an inexplicably horrified look.

"…then I realised they were talking about how Wu Ah Ge was once first on the list of successors and the Emperor's hesitations in choosing a Crown Prince officially after all these years was because he didn't know who to choose after Wu Ah Ge died," her uncle continued.

"So did they speculate on who is it?" her father asked, sounding oddly relieved.

Xiao Jian smiled. "Of course there's speculation. Well, I don't know how accurate the speculation would be this far away from the capital. Some people are saying that the Emperor would just take the obvious way and install Da Ah Ge as Crown Prince."

Even her aunt joined her father in a pained look at this suggestion. Ji Xiang had to wonder how they would know anything about imperial princes to appear to have a preference for one who would inherit the throne. Probably it had something to do with why they had to learn Manchurian.

"The other speculation is Shi Wu Ah Ge," Xiao Jian continued.

Surprise met this next speculation, and it wasn't just Ji Xiang who were watching the grown-up's reaction to this list of potential heir-to-the-throne candidates with fascination and curiosity.

Her uncle went on, "Personally I think this method of choosing Crown Prince is so fickle. I don't think the Emperor would ever name a Crown Prince definitely, officially anyway, because if he did, he would have done long before now. It's just spawning all this gossip among the people, and that could be disastrous. I mean, is it really necessary to stir up all the conflict between the princes?"

To this, her father answered with in a rather mocking tone, "We know you don't like the Emperor, Xiao Jian. But this late into his reign, he can't sit there and put the princes in suspense. The suspense would create more conflict and danger than speculation. The suspense makes it seem sure that he had chosen someone and was biding his time to announce it. The speculation tells them that there is still a lot of dilemma on who to choose."

"I'll take your word for that."

It was then that her mother seemed to notice the children's concentrated curiosity with the conversation and said hastily, with an air of shutting the subject down as fast as possible, "All right, all right, enough of this depressing talk! I'd rather think that this country wouldn't need a Crown Prince any time soon."