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gilthairpins · 4 months ago

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Book 2 Chapter 10: I’m Afraid Our Meeting is Just a Dream

On April 15th, the 61st year of Kangxi’s reign, Fourteenth returned to the army on orders from the emperor.

I sighed when the news came, not knowing whether to be happy or sad. Should I be happy that the day when Fourth’s wish to lead the country will come true soon, or should I be sad that the ending that I don’t want to witness is gradually approaching?

I don’t remember the exact date of Kangxi’s death. The only thing I knew for sure is that he would leave this year. Having been with him for ten years, I have had respect, admiration, fear, hatred, and sympathy for him, but now all of these have turned into reluctance to let him go. I am waiting for the arrival of the last day between knowing and not knowing.

On November 7th, the 61st year of Kangxi’s reign, Kangxi went hunting at the royal hunting ground, Nanyuan. He returned to Changchun Garden due to illness. After being treated by imperial physicians his condition began to improve. Countless people inside and outside the palace were relieved. But I was sad. It was already November, and everything should not be far away.

On the 11th, I was washing clothes in the laundry room when Wangxi quickly came with two palace maids and said to Zhang Qianying, “Eunuch Li wants to see Ruoxi!”

I followed Wangxi to the laundry room under the surprised and curious gazes of the girls. As soon as we exited, Wangxi bowed and said, “Sister, go wash up with them. I’ll be waiting in the carriage.”

Seeing his anxious expression I felt a bit panicked and nodded quickly.

The carriage drove go Changchun Garden and I asked, “What’s going on?”

Wangxi said, “The Emperor has been craving for soft foods these days and the imperial kitchens have tried every possible way, but couldn’t satisfy his wishes. Li Dequan thinks that the Emperor is probably thinking of the pastries that my sister had made many years ago, which were crystal clear and melt in the mouth. It’s too late to ask someone to learn how to make them, so I would just pick up my sister!”

“How is his Majesty?” I asked in a low voice.

Wangxi said, “Much better. He has no problems reviewing memorials and receiving ministers, but gets tired easily.” I nodded without saying anything.

As soon as I got out of the carriage, Yutan, who had been waiting for me, came to meet me. I looked around the garden that would be here seven years in the future and was stunned for a moment. Yutan took my hand smiling and led me into the house saying, “Everything is ready, just waiting for my sister’s return.”

I nodded and the two palace maids I didn’t know helped me roll my sleeves up and washed my hands. They were surprised when they saw my hands. Yutan’s eyes turned red, she sent them away and took over, coming to help wipe my hands.

I did every step very carefully and strictly. This should be the last thing I make Kangxi. I hope everything is perfect. Transparent glass bowls and plates, emerald green mint lotus root pudding, embedded with small yellow chrysanthemums. Yutan carefully picked it up and left, asking someone to take me to her room to rest first, and then to send me back after asking Li Dequan.

I sat quietly in the room, seeming to think a lot and not at all. A strange young eunuch knocked on the door and entered saying, “His Majesty wants to see Aunt!” I was stunned for a moment when he called “Aunt” again. I quickly cheered myself up and followed him out.

When we reached the front of the room, he didn’t dare take a step. Although we were in the Forbidden City together I had not seen Kangxi in seven years. Now I felt a little afraid.

Wangxi came out in a hurry and seeing my expression he quickly said, “It’s okay! After the Emperor finished eating what my sister made, he didn’t speak for a long time. He finally said ‘This was not made by Yutan. Bring her to see me!’ I had guessed that he wasn’t angry as the Master’s expression was normal.”

I nodded and followed him in. After entering I didn’t dare raise my head, and I quickly knelt down in greeting. After kneeling quietly for a long time, I heard a tired voice saying, “Get up.” I got up quickly but kept my head down. “Come here, let me see you.”

I lowered my head and walked to the head of the kang and stood there. Kangxi, who was sitting on a cushion, looked me up and down for a while.

“Why do you look so pale? Have you been sick?” He asked.

I quickly bowed and answered, “I am fine.”

Kangxi pointed to the footrest under the pit and said, “Sit down and answer.”

I bowed and half knelt on the footrest. Kangxi asked me a few questions about my daily life and then ordered me to leave.

I stood outside the room feeling lost and not knowing what to do. No one offered to take me back and most of the people around me were strangers. Where should I go? The garden was unfamiliar to me.

Wangxi and Yutan came out in a hurry and seeing me stand in an open space in a daze, they hurried forward to greet me.

“Master said to let sister stay first.” Wangxi said.

“This house was hastily cleaned and not comfortable to live in, so my sister and I will stay together.” Yutan said. “The Lord didn’t let me go back?” I asked.

“His Majesty hasn’t said anything. This is my master’s own opinion. But sister, didn’t you know my master’s opinion is the same as his Majesty’s? Wangxi said.

“Li Dequan has finished singing for his Majesty, I will return with my sister first.” Yutan said.

Wangxi said, “I can’t leave now, I will visit my sister later. We haven’t had a good time together in so many years. Well, I have a lot to say!”

I smiled and took Yutan away. Yutan and I talked for most of the night and slept together. I have been short sighted in recent years and I missed some free time, so I had no sleep at all.

“Didn’t the Emperor mention letting you leave the palace?” I asked.

“The Emperor probably doesn’t know how old I am. There has been a recent war in the northwest too. The treasury is light and there are constant disasters, either early in the north or slippery in the south. The Emperor’s heart is on all these things and he doesn’t pay attention to us.” Yutan said.

“How could Li Dequan not pay attention? All the people in Qianqing Palace are under his control.”

Yutan smiled and replied, “Li Dequan is old and not as energetic as before. He cannot pay attention to everything, but the Emperor needs us to pay attention more. Li Dequan is eager for me to stay and has asked me twice what I think. I did not invite him to leave the palace myself so he didn’t mention it again. Eunuch Wang and I have served the Emperor since young. We are familiar with his habits and were both presentable. It will take three to five years to train another person obedient to his will. Li Dequan now lets eunuch Wang and I do everything that can be done by us.”

I wanted to ask her, did this girl really not plan on getting married? But then I thought, why should I make her sad? How could a woman in ancient times not want to find a good man to spend her life with? It’s just that the world is helpless and god doesn’t allow people to do what they are willing to do.

Yutan said, “The Emperor seemed to be very sympathetic to my sister. I guess my sister can come back and continue to serve the Emperor. You are pale and thin, you must take good care of yourself after you come back.”

I thought that she, a personal servant, thought that Kangxi’s illness was not serious, which meant that everyone in court was taking the illness lightly. Kangxi’s illness… Shocked, I suddenly sat up abruptly from the bed.

“What’s wrong, Sister?” Yutan quickly sat up.

No! No! But… what if it were true?! Some people in later generations did suspect that Kangxi’s sudden death was the result of a joint conspiracy between Yongzheng and Longkodo.

I felt a chill all over and Yutan asked again, “Sister, what is wrong?”

I took her hands and asked, “When does Fourth come these days?”

“He comes every morning and evening, sometimes three or four times. The Emperor sometimes isn’t in good spirits. When other princes are unwilling to see him, he would see Fourth. The day before yesterday, he sent Fourth to the Temple of Heaven to fast on his behalf, so he could perform the Heavenly Sacrifice ceremony on the fifteenth day of the lunar month on behalf of the Emperor.” Yutan said.

“Where is Longkodo?”

Yutan said, “Now he is favored by the Emperor. The Emperor trusts him very much and often summons him.”

“What?” I held my head and sighed, lying back down.

Yutan also laid back. “Sister, why are you asking these questions?”

“You’ve been serving the Emperor all along. Which prince do you think the Emperor favors the most?”

Yutan was silent for a while before saying softly, “It should be Fourteenth. The Emperor has been hesitating these days whether to summon Fourteenth back to the capital. I’m afraid Fourteenth will be back soon.”

My heart chilled and I murmured, “But the Emperor has also been good to Fourth.”

“Yes! The most favored princes are now Fourteenth and Fourth! Therefore, the Emperor often turns over the name of Concubine De, which is very rare among concubines of a similar age. It can be seen that the favor is extraordinary.” Yutan said.

I tossed and turned, tossed and turned, and didn’t sleep all night. I thought about it over and over and over again. Then I suddenly asked myself, don’t be influenced by the historical knowledge- it may not be correct. Just look at Fourth. From my own perception and understanding, will he be like that? The answer that came to mind was that he wouldn’t! I thought about it carefully and still wouldn’t! My heart gradually settled down. He wouldn’t!

The next morning, Yutan left for duty and I sat quietly in the room. A eunuch called from outside, “Is Aunt Ruoxi in the room?”

I opened the door and he said, “Eunuch Li asked Aunt to come.”

I followed him and as soon as we entered the house, Yutan half hugged me, pouting and said, “I was thrown aside when my sister came back! Li Dequan said my sister would be in charge of the tea and snacks, so I will help her!”

I smiled and pushed her away. “Why do you complain when you have the time to be lazy?”

While she helped boil the water she said, “Li Dequan asked me to tell you that the Emperor was fasting and hasn’t fully recovered from his illness, so you must pay attention to the tea and snacks.”

I nodded to indicate I understood.

When I went in with the tray, Fourth was standing beside the kang and talking to Kangxi. I lowered my head to look at the ground when I saw him. My eyes were filled with sadness. How long had it been since we had last seen each other?

Li Dequan put the things in order, and served Kangxi. Kangxi said to Fourth, “You should sit down and eat too. You came here to pay your respects so early and have been standing outside for a long time. You must be hungry.”

Fourth quickly bowed and sat on the kang. He casually picked up a piece of cake to eat. Kangxi at two pieces in a row and didn’t stop. Li Dequan’s eyes were full of joy. He picked up another piece and placed it in front of Kangxi.

Fourth smiled and said, “Your appetite seems better than usual today, your Majesty.”

Kangxi glanced at me and sighed softly. “I don’t know if it is because I am old, but I am nostalgic for everything.”

Li Dequan smiled and said, “Why don’t we let Ruoxi order the dinner tonight?” Li Dequan winked at me. Kangxi had almost died. I bowed and tried to leave.

“You don’t look well. Let the imperial physicians take a look later.” Kangxi said.

“Thank you, your Majesty.” I knelt down and kowtowed.

On the 13th day of the 61st year of Kangxi’s reign, Fourth came to say goodnight just after evening nap. Kangxi summoned Fourth privately, dismissing his servants, leaving only Li Dequan to serve. Yutan and the others looked as if they were used to this, but I was restless.

When Fourth came out he was tight lipped, and the moment our eyes met I saw they were full of sorrow and despair. My heart was pounding, but when I looked again he had returned to normal and lowered his gaze. He left quietly but his steps were slightly unsteady. What exactly had Kangxi said to him?

Not long after he had left concubine De came to visit Kangxi. The two of them were lying down laughing and talking quietly. We could only hear the faint laughter from outside and nothing else. I was anxious and kept looking into the room which made Li Dequan glance at me several times. Finally, he simply lowered his voice and scolded, “Ruoxi!”

I suppressed my anxiety and bowed my head, standing still. Li Dequan sent Wangxi to wait outside and listen carefully to instructions. He then called me to a secluded place and scolded me.

“Have you become stupid from doing laundry in the laundry department? Now is your chance. If you don’t seize it, I can’t help you no matter how much I want to!” He said.

I quickly knelt down and kowtowed to him. “I know Dequan’s kindness to me, and I dare not do it again.”

He softened his voice and said, “You are a rare person in this palace. Although it was my idea to take it privately, this time it was the grace of his Majesty. Don’t make the same mistake again.”

I kowtowed in response.

As soon as concubine De left, Longkodo came to see the emperor again. Longkodo came to the palace every day, for the past few a days in fact. I just had a feeling that something would happen today.

When I served tea to Longkodo, Kangxi said, “I am old and haven’t been in good health recently. I plan to let Fourteenth, Yinti, return to Beijing. When he returns, I do not intend for him to return to the army this time. So this matter cannot be taken lightly. We need to think about who to appoint to take over. I plan to summon all ministers tomorrow to discuss this matter. Do you have a suitable candidate in mind?”

I held the teacup tightly and put it down patiently, but my hand had no strength left and I quickly retreated.

My heart was in agony and the ground spinning. Emotionally, I had hoped it wouldn’t be like this. I didn’t want Fourth to be sad, disappointed, and in pain; intellectually, I felt that this would be the best solution: Fourteenth Prince ascends the throne, maybe everyone ends up alive. If Fourteenth, who attacked Eighth ascended, would he really not eliminate his brothers?

As I was struggling in agony, I heard a shout from outside and suddenly the place became chaotic. I covered my mouth and suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. History finally went on as planned. I didn’t know whether I should be happy or sad. After a moment, I woke from a dream and hurried out.

Kangxi lay on the bed, his face purple and breathing rapidly, his face covered in sweat. After the imperial physician came in, Longkodo and Li Dequan exchanged glances. He left the room and immediately ordered heavy troops to surround Changchun Garden. No one was allowed to leave or enter without his permission. He also sent his servants with tokens to spread the word that the Nine Gates were under martial law and the princes and ministers prohibited from entering or leaving without permission.

Li Dequan felt that what Longkodo did was fair and reasonable after listening to all of this.

He nodded slightly and ordered Wangxi, “Take people to watch the surroundings, and don’t allow anyone to leave without permission. Anyone who approaches and disobeys will be beaten to death on the spot!”

Wangxi immediately took the order and left. The surroundings suddenly became quiet.

I wiped the sweat from Kangxi’s face feeling sad. This great emperor finally came to the end of his life. I can roughly determine the cause of Kangxi’s sudden death, which should be heart disease or something like that. The situation is similar.

On the 13th day [of November] of the 61st year of Kangxi’s reign, Emperor Kangxi passed away in the Qingxi Study in Changchun Garden at the age of 69.

Kangxi left so suddenly that everyone knelt down in shock. Even Li Dequan, who was always the most opinionated, was at a loss.

Longkodo cried and said to Li Dequan, “The emperor had just finished telling me that he had drafted an edict to pass the throne to Fourth when he suddenly fainted.”

He was already sobbing. Li Dequan’s face turned pale and blue and he looked more panicked than ever before. The people kneeling on the ground could only hear Longkodo’s crying.

Not long after, Fourth led his attendants into the room. Li Dequan’s body trembled instantly. The Nine Gates were under martial law, and Changchun Garden was heavily guarded. The news could not have been leaked at all, but Fourth came easily.

Li Dequan should have understood that with the support of Longkodo, who had a large number of troops, Fourth had completely taken the lead. At this time, the other princes might still be stopped by the soldiers and wander outside the door, or even still wonder what happened to Kangxi, while Fourth had already controlled the entire capital.

I watched him walk slowly and firmly from dark night, into the brightly lit study, not knowing whether to be sad or happy. The dream he had endured for more than ten years had finally came to light, while the fate of others would also slide slowly into darkness along the trajectory of history.

He walked to Kangxi’s bed and knelt down. He held Kangxi’s hands with both his hands and placed his head on his palms. He was silent but for the shaking of his shoulders.

Longkodo wiped his tears and stood up. “Before the Emperor passed away, he told me in person ‘Fourth Prince, Yinzhen is a man of noble character, very similar to me, and will surely inherit the throne and ascend as emperor.” He bowed to Fourth after saying this.

Everyone kneeling in the room glanced at Li Dequan. His face was pale and he was in a daze. I took a deep breath and kowtowed to Fourth and said, “Good morning, my Lord!”

Wangxi followed me and kowtowed. Someone had taken the lead and the terrified people immediately followed. The room was filled with kowtows and greetings. Li Dequan’s eyes slowly swept across everyone’s face, finally landing on mine and Wangxi’s. He stared straight at us, his expression sad and painful, and disbelief. He finally closed his eyes and kowtowed.

Fourth stood up and looked around at the people kneeling. He paused a moment and then ordered, “Detain everyone separately. No one is allowed to approach or pass on any information.”

I was taken to a small room and locked up. I sat on the floor with my head buried between my knees, curled up. It was good that way. I didn’t have to witness the last scene of tit-for-tat before he ascended the throne. Eighth and Ninth would certainly not accept it, but they had no military power in the capital and Longkodo was enough to deal with them. The most important thing was that Longkodo had Kangxi’s oral decree, plus the proof of Li Dequan and Wangxi. Once the edict was issued, unless they wanted to rebel, they would be powerless to turn the tide. Although Fourteenth held the military power, he was thousands of miles away. It would be more than ten days later when he learns of Kangxi’s death. The situation in the capital was already determined. Fourth had the plan, but Fourteenth couldn’t respond quickly.

I stayed in the small room for seven days. I was in a state of turmoil and discomfort. Thinking of Thirteenth’s life in prison, I truly experienced the pain of losing my freedom. I felt like I was ready to collapse after seven days, but he was imprisoned for ten years! I admired Lu Wu at the same time, more and more. Thinking that Thirteenth must have been released and I could see him again, I was truly happy in my heart. I must get drunk with him again!

The door was thrown open with a clang and a eunuch came in with a smile. He greeted, “Aunt, please follow me back to the palace.”

I stood up and walked out the door. The warm sunshine spread all over my body. Only then did I realize how precious the sunshine was.

After a long silence from my carriage, I opened the curtain and said, “Come in, I have something I want to ask you.”

The eunuch squatted beside my seat, bowing his head, waiting.

“Has the Emperor ascended the throne?”

“The coronation ceremony was just today and it was announced that next year will be the first year of Yongzheng’s reign.” He said.

I hesitated and asked, “Eighth and the others…?”

He raised his head grinning. “Congratulations auntie! The Emperor conferred the title of Prince on Fourteenth and ordered the eight princes, Thirteenth, Lord Ma Qi, and Lord Longkodo to be in charge of the affairs of the court. He relies heavily on the eight princes.”

I didn’t dare think too deeply so I just asked, “How is the Thirteenth master?”

He smiled and said, “Everything is fine. Aunt will see him later. Eighth Prince and Thirteenth Prince have been discussing matters with the Emperor in Yangxin Palace these days. The Emperor treats Thirteenth Prince very differently. In order to avoid the Emperor’s name all of the princes have changed their names, but the Emperor has ordered that Thirteenth Prince not be allowed to change his name, but Thirteenth Prince himself knelt down and begged to refuse.”

My heart felt strange and I sat in silence. From now on Eighth will go by Yunshi instead of Yinsi. Thirteenth will become Yunxiang, and Fourteenth will chance his name from Yinti to Yunti because his name is exactly the same as Yinzhen.

The normal red and yellow of the Forbidden City were submerged in white and black, clearly showing the world that the world had changed. The sedan stopped in front of Yangxin Palace. I stood in front of the palace, but I couldn’t take a step. I still stood there after a while. The eunuch next to me looked anxious, but he didn’t dare say much, just waiting quietly.

I felt my knees start hurting again and I couldn’t straighten up. I didn’t want to go in so I walked a few steps away and found a clean table to sit at. The eunuch couldn’t help but yell “Auntie!” I put my head on my knees and ignored him.

A pair of black boots stopped in front of me. My heart skipped a beat. Taking a deep breath, I looked up and was stunned for a moment.

Thirteenth stared at me with a faint smile. He was thin and his hair slightly gray. And there was a hint of melancholy in the corners of his eyes and brow. The unruly look of the past was gone. His eyes were no longer bright as an autumn water, but rather dim and haggard. The only thing that remained the same from so many years ago, was the warmth in them.

I slowly stood up, studying him carefully. He watched me carefully. He was younger than Fourth, yet now he looked much older than him. Where was the tall and handsome man standing in the sun with a healthy body and charming demeanor?

We stared at each other for a long while and then he smiled and said, “My brother asked me to bring you in.”

I nodded with tears in my eyes. He walked in front and I followed him.

As soon as we entered the palace I stopped and said, “I haven’t properly washed myself in seven days. It would be disgraceful to be so disheveled. I want to wash first.”

He hesitated a moment and then nodded.

The eunuch led me into a room and said, “Stay here first, Aunt. I’ll ask someone to prepare the bathwater.”

I looked around the room. The boxes and cabinets from the laundry department had been moved in. Two young palace maids pushed open the door and entered.

“Your maidservants, Meixiang and Juyun, come to pay their respects to Auntie! May Auntie be blessed!”

I stared at them for a while and then suddenly realized I had been in a daze and forgotten Yutan.

“Is Yutan in the palace?”

Both responded respectfully, “I don’t know.”

“Where is Wangxi?” I asked.

They looked at each other. “Eunuch Wang is here.”

“Please help me find him.” I said quickly.

The two of them trampled for a while and then the older, Meixiang, bowed to me and turned to leave. Juyun smiled and said, “Auntie, please wash up first.”

I hesitated and nodded.

While bathing, I heard Wangxi ask from outside, “What did you want to talk to me about?”

“Were you on duty now?” I asked.

“I was assigned the Empress’s Palace, but because we were short on manpower, I am serving in Yangxin Palace these days.” He replied.

“Where is Yutan?”

“Yutan is of the age of leaving the palace. The emperor has granted her grace and she will be released in the next few days.” He said.

“Let her come see me.”

Wangxi said, “I can’t make the decision on this.”

“Okay, you leave first!” I said.

After bathing I sat on the bed with my knees hugged. Meixiang knocked softly on the door. “Aunt?” I quickly pulled the quilt over my head and lay down, pretending to sleep. Meixiang pushed open the door and looked in, calling softly “Aunt”. Seeing that I was fast asleep she gently closed the door.

I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling in a daze. How long could I delay? What was I afraid of? When I couldn’t see him, I wanted to see him; when I could see him, I wanted to escape. I was just lying on the bed, pretending to sleep. But I hadn’t slept well since I had returned to Changchun Garden. After taking a hot bath, I gradually felt tired and fell asleep.

I was half awake when I felt someone staring at me. I woke up immediately. Fourth, no the future emperor Yinzhen, stroke my brow and said, “You are already awake. Why are you pretending to sleep? Until when are you trying to hide?”

I slowly opened my eyes in the dark room. I saw him sitting sideways on the bed and couldn’t see his face clearly. It seemed that the darkness blocked a lot of things which made me feel relieved.

“Would you like a light?” I quickly said, “No, I like it this way.”

Yinzhen chuckled a bit and leaned over to whisper in my ear, “Do you like being alone in a dark room as a man and woman?”

I turned my head away from him and asked, “What time is it?”

“Past dinner time. If you’re hungry, serve the meal now.” He said.

“I’m not hungry. Since I’ve missed it, there is no need to rush.” I said.

Yinzhen bent down to take his boots off. I was shocked and pressed down on the quilt. My whole body was stiff.

He was angry and laughed. “Don’t worry! I suddenly feel very tired and just want to lay down a while.”

I hesitated and loosened the quilt. He pulled the quilt together and gently pulled me into his arms, hugging me tightly. I was silent for a while and then turned to look at him. His eyes were warm in the darkness and my heart was filled with heat. I couldn’t help but reach out and hug him.

I felt thin and sad. “Is it hard to live here?”

“It’s okay.” He said, smiling.

We lay in each other’s arms quietly. After a while he said in a daze, “I’ll sleep for a while. Call me when you’re hungry.” He fell asleep as soon as he finished speaking.

I lay in his arms feeling happier than ever before. Deep down in my heart, perhaps, I had been looking forward to this for a long time. Just the two of us, belonging to each other. The past has long gone and the future still far away from me at this moment. We only live in this moment and there is no need to worry about the future.

Less than an hour later Yinzhen woke up suddenly and shouted, “Ruoxi!”

“Here!” I quickly said.

“I thought I was hugging you in my dream. But I was dreaming.” He sighed heavily. He suddenly tightened his arms around me, hugging me so hard I could hardly breathe. “Everything is over. You and Thirteenth are by my side!”

I hugged him lightly. “We are by your side!”

“How long have I slept?” He asked.

“About an hour.” I replied.

He quickly turned over and sat up. “You must be very hungry.”

“I’m just a bit hungry.” I said getting up.

While he was pulling on his boots he called, “Gao Wuyong.”

A voice outside immediately answered, “This servant is here!”

It was only then that I realized there was someone guarding outside the room.

“Send some light side-dishes and porridge.”

“Yes!”

“I… I still have things to do, so you can eat by yourself!”

I nodded. He held my hand quietly for a while before letting go. He stood up to leave.

“Fourth” I called and then quickly changed my words, “Your Majesty!”

He turned to look at me.

“I want to see Yutan. We have been dependent on each other for all these years in the palace, like sisters. Even after I had gone into the laundry department, she has always tried her best to take care of me.”

He hesitated for a moment and said softly, “Okay.”

“I still want to see my sister.” I said after hesitating.

“It’s not convenient now. Everything in the palace is being reorganized. When everything is settled, after a while, I will let her come and see you.” He said.

I was overjoyed. “Thank you very much!”

He leaned over and stroked my face. “I want to see you smile like this every day from now on.”

My heart warmed. I held his hand and moved it to my lips, kissing it gently. He was instantly very moved. I leaned forward and pushed him. “Don’t you have something to do?”

He was stunned a moment and then stood up, scolding me with a smile, “You are such a pain in the ass!”

He then turned and left. Meixiang came in as he left and lit a light. She served until the end of the meal and the night was already deep.

Juyun called from outside, “Yutan is here, Aunt.”

I hurried out to greet her. Yutan, who looked haggard, greeted me. I propped her up and pulled her into the room. Meixiang bowed to me and retreated.

I pulled Yutan to sit on a chair and asked, “Are you okay?”

She was stunned for a long time before her expression changed and she suddenly was kneeling down and hugging my legs, crying softly.

I quickly knelt down and hugged her whispering in her ear, “Tell me if you have any grievances.”

She wiped her tears and said, “I don’t want to leave the palace!”

I wiped her tears with a handkerchief. “I begged the Emperor to give you a generous gift. You will not suffer after you leave the palace.”

“Although the rewards I have received in these years are far from what sister has received, it is enough for my retirement.” She said.

I was silent a moment before asking, “Do you have someone in your heart? I could ask the Emperor to find a good marriage for you, okay? Although you are not old enough to be the principal wife now, if the Emperor personally grants your marriage, no one would dare look down on you.”

Yutan’s tears fell like pearls from a broken string. She shook her head and cried, “Sister, I don’t want to get married! I had given up the idea since I had entered the palace. All I want is for my family to be safe. My brothers have already started their own families and careers. I haven’t met my brothers and sisters. What’s the point of going back now? It’s better to stay in the palace. When they mention you are serving in front of the Emperor, others will give you some face. If they have a smooth career, it will be my wish to enter the palace. Besides, I’m willing to accompany you.”

I sighed and murmured, “Those who want to leave, can’t, and those who can leave, don’t want to.”

Yutan begged in a low voice, “Please let me stay, good sister! I will keep you company.”

“I secretly wished you could accompany me. Who else can I talk to in this palace? But I can’t make the decision on this matter. I can only ask the Emperor for help.” I said nodding.

Yutan burst into tears smiling. “Since you’ve agreed, the Emperor will definitely not reject your request.”

l pulled her up and said, “You are so confident about something that I’m not even sure about myself.” She smiled and said nothing.

“Where are you staying now?” I asked

“Still living in the same courtyard as before.”

“Where is Li Dequan?”

“I haven’t seen him, but I had heard he would be released from the palace to retire.”

We chatted away for a while and it was midnight before we knew it. Yutan stood and said goodbye and I saw her out of the room. Seeing the bedroom still dark, I looked at the brightly lit East Warm Pavilion. “Have you been staying up so late these days, your Majesty?” I asked.

Meixiang replied, “He is always handling official business in the East Warm Pavilion. When exhausted, he would rest there. He hasn’t slept in the bedroom.”

After taking a nap in the afternoon, I was still thinking about him and listened carefully to the noise outside. But I hadn’t slept all night, until the fifth drum had sounded. Morning court had come and no one had returned yet.

As soon as I had put on my clothes, Meixiang came in with a basin of water and toiletries.

“Has the Emperor gone to court?” I asked.

Meixiang was helping me roll up my sleeves and replied, “He has already gone.”

By the time he had left court, I had read roughly half of the Tang poetry book in my hand. I stood in the Western Warm Room and looked out of the window. Eighth, Thirteenth, and Zhang Tingyu followed Yinzhen into the hall. I hadn’t seen Eighth in seven years. When I saw him for the first time, I felt a deep feeling in my heart.

As time goes by, everyone looks a little haggard, but he is a miracle, like a maple leaf in autumn. The frost of the years has only made him more perfect. He had lost the clarity of youth but had gained the solemnity of middle age. His demeanor was impeccable and his bearing is graceful and transcendent. But why is everyone so thin and skinny?

It wasn’t until dinner time that Meixiang had come to say, “The Emperor has summoned Aunt to serve dinner.”

I put down my book and followed her, asking casually, “Has the Emperor finished his discussion?”

“I don’t know. Eighth and Lord Zhang have left, but Thirteenth is still here.” Meixiang replied.

When I went to pay my respects, Yinzhen and Thirteenth were washing their hands. Juyun was holding the basin and Gao Wuyong was helping Yinzhen roll his sleeves up. He motioned for Gao Wuyong to leave and looked at me with a slight smile. I pursed my lips and went to help him roll his sleeves, and then helped him wipe his face and hands. When I was done here, Thirteenth had also washed.

The eunuchs had already prepared the meal and Yinzhen sat down and said, “Thirteenth, please sit down!”

Thirteenth bowed and thanked the emperor before sitting down.

“Leave Gao Wuyong to serve, everyone else may leave.” Yinzhen ordered. After everyone left, he ordered Gao Wuyong to add another stool. Gao Wuyong quickly moved a stool over and placed it next to him. Yinzhen saw me standing to the side behind him and he motioned me to sit.

He smiled at me and Thirteenth and sighed, “Finally, we can have a meal together.”

Thirteenth smiled slightly and said, “Thank you for your grace, my brother.”

I frowned and stared at Thirteenth, but he seemed not to notice. He lowered his head and sat respectfully after finishing speaking.

Yinzhen gently squeezed my hand under the table and said, “These are all your favorite dishes. Feel free to order.”

As he spoke, he picked up a dish for Thirteenth and placed it on the small plate in front of him. Thirteenth stood up to express his gratitude. I felt depressed, so I picked up my favorite dish with my chopsticks and started eating. Ten years apart, wasn’t it?

Imagine the voice of Du Jian who meets Xiao after a long separation. He is deliberately close to Thirteenth. Thirteenth is very polite and the atmosphere is actually getting smaller and smaller.

After asking for the time limit, Thirteenth took his leave. I was still sitting there without moving. He pulled my hand and dragged me away to sit in another spot. Gao Wuyong brought in tea and served Yinzhen so he could rinse his mouth. After he had finished, he handed me the cup with the remaining half of the tea. I finished sipping and Gao Wuyong bowed his head and retreated.

“Are you still not happy?” Yinzhen asked smiling.

“How could this happen?” I asked curiously.

“It’s always been like that since we met. Full of respect, no courtesy at all.” He sighed. I felt uncomfortable in my heart. He bothers me. Will the playful, uninhibited Thirteenth ever come back?

He said over his shoulder, “I want the others to respect me. Respect me and even fear me, but not him. I only want to be fourth brother to him, not the Emperor, me.”

I was silent for a while and then sighed. “Take your time! Thirteenth has been imprisoned for ten years and suffered so much. He has to face so many changes now that he is out. I’m afraid he won’t be able to recover for a while.”

“I think so too. No matter how he looks on the surface, he is still the only person I can trust in court.” He said.

We sat quietly, leaning against each other. Gao Wuyong called from beyond the curtain, “Your majesty, the imperial physician has arrived and waiting in the West Warming Pavilion.”

“Are you feeling unwell?” I quickly stood, startled.

“He’s here for you.” He said as he stood.

“I’m fine. What is there to see?” I followed him out.

We had already walked out from the curtain as we were talking. I said nothing more as I followed him to my room. Yinzhen walked behind a screen saying, “Go and ask him to come in. I’ll listen here.” Gao Wuyong had moved the chair first to help him sit before turning and hurrying out.

Yinzhen smiled from behind the screen. “This man is an extremely skilled doctor. When I went to Jiangnan, he was already a well known among the people, but he has a bad temper and is a bit stupid. He has been in the imperial medical bureau for three or four years but has never been valued.”

“Only a fool can endure loneliness and study them for certain things. If he were stupid, his medical skills wouldn’t be so good. Fortunately he has met his mentor now.” I said.

Yinzhen lightly tapped the screen without saying anything. Gao Wuyong led Doctor He in. Because Yinzhen was sitting behind the screen, he hesitated and didn’t dare take a stool.

I stood up and bowed. “Please sit down, doctor.”

Gao Wuyong then took a stool and placed it beside the couch. The imperial physician concentrated on taking my pulse, switching from left hand to right hand, and from right to left. He asked if I felt any discomfort in my daily life. After a while, before he could speak, I quickly said, “Don’t tell me anything about yin and yang essence, just tell me what I can understand.”

He groaned for a moment and said, “Judging from the pulse, it’s an old illness and has become increasingly serious and difficult to recover from.” There was a slight noise from behind the screen.

“What do you mean?” Gao Wuyong asked quickly.

“You have been worried for many years and the qi is stuck in your heart. This has blocked the five internal organs. As a result, the five internal organs are affected. There is also a cold and poisonous qi inside your body.” Doctor He said.

“Doctor Li said this many years ago. It is indeed as you said, an old illness. But what about the latter part?” I said.

“Looking at your hands, you must have soaked them in cold water for many years and the place where you lived was also too humid. You are weak inside, and your qi and blood are insufficient. Your five internal organs have been damaged. Over the years, the cold poison has naturally invaded your body.” The doctor said.

I smiled and replied, “It’s not that weak. I don’t feel any discomfort.”

“Have you had irregular periods over the last two or three years? Either you don’t have periods for many months, or when you do, they are not often clean.” He asked.

Because Yinzhen was here, I felt a bit embarrassed and nodded slightly. He sighed. “Why didn’t you ask someone to treat you earlier?”

I smiled faintly and didn’t answer. In the laundry department, if you were not seriously ill and bedridden, how could you hire a doctor?

“How should we treat her now?” Gao Wuyong asked.

Imperial Doctor He pondered this for a long while. “In those days, Doctor Li was the best in the imperial medical bureau. I came here late and never had the chance to learn from him. Since doctor Li had taken your pulse, didn’t he leave a prescription? Let me look for it so I can understand the cause and prescribe better medicine.”

I stood up and took out the long list that Doctor Li had made from a box. He felt like he had been handed a treasure. He took it carefully, nodding as he read.

Finally he sighed and said, “If you had followed the doctor’s advice over the years, you would have recovered long ago. No matter how good a doctor is, he cannot prescribe medicine for a patient who refuses to listen to his advice.” He seemed to want to pack up and leave as he said this.

Gao Wuyong quickly stopped him and said, “How can you treat a patient without writing a prescription?”

“Opening it is the same as not opening it. Why bother?” Doctor He said.

One wanted to leave and the other wanted to stay. The two were in a stalemate. I sighed. He really is a bit stupid. With Gao Wuyong’s current status, there are people who confront him in person.

Yinzhen came out from behind the screen. “I promise she will follow the doctor’s orders this time.”

Doctor He was so frightened that his face turned pale and he knelt down in a panic to pay his respects. In front of Yinzhen, doctor He took my pulse again and wrote a prescription saying, “It’s the same as what doctor Li had prescribed back then. I’ll just give you a bit more. You are weak and cannot take heavy medicine. The cold poison in your body can only be slowly channeled out. Mix the pills later and take them every day.”

“If everything is done as instructed, will the disease be completely cured?” Yinzhen asked.

Doctor He hesitated and said nothing.

Yinzhen said, “Just like you were when I was behind the screen just now. Tell the truth.”

Doctor He bowed his head and said, “It is just as I said before. The disease is already too serious to be reversed. Now we can only carefully treat it so it doesn’t get worse. If everything is done as I said, I can guarantee that you will be safe for another ten years.”

“What about the future?” Yinzhen asked coldly.

Doctor He lowered his head and said nothing. After a while he said, “It’s too early to speculate what will happen in ten years. It depends on how the treatment goes in the next ten years.”

Yinzhen’s face as grim in his silence. Doctor He and Gao Wuyong didn’t dare breathe. They just stood there with their heads down. I reached out and held his hand. His face relaxed slightly, but the pain in his eyes grew more severe. He held my hand tightly and dismissed them. “You can go down.”

The two of them left in a hurry.

He stood up and held me in his arms, hugging me tightly and tightly. After a long time, he whispered, “It’s all my fault.”

I shook my head. “You can’t take all the blame on yourself. Everything is fine now, yet you are worrying about how you will live in ten years time?”

After we hugged for a while, he let me go and asked, “Are you tired? Do you want to rest first?”

“What about you? When do you take a break?” I asked.

“I still have official business to attend to.” He said.

“I don’t want to sleep. I just want to be with you.” I said.

He nodded and held my hand. We walked to the East Warm Room. When we left the room, he didn’t let go of my hand to avoid suspicion, but held it tighter. It was already dark. Gao Wuyong saw us coming out and quickly walked in front with a lantern.

Yinzhen sat at the table looking through documents. I casually picked up a book and leaned back in my seat to read it. There was only the sound of him and I flipping through papers in the silent room. The smoke from the incense burner rose up. I couldn’t help but smile with the faint fragrance. This was happiness. We kept each other company, staying together.

I turned my head to look at him. He was leaning his head, staring at a document and frowning. I stared at him for a long time, but he stayed in that position. I was puzzled so I stood up and walked to his side to look over.

Yinzhen moved aside and I squeezed in next to him. He rubbed his eyes and said, “My eyes are blurry, but it’s still a mess.”

I flipped through it and said, “You want to take a closer look at this detailed account book?”

He leaned back in his chair and sighed, “I can’t help it. We are too poor. If I don’t look carefully, how can I know where to save money? How can I get back what has been taken away? There are few clean people in court. If I don’t have a clear mind, I can only be fooled by them.”

“What about Thirteenth? Why not give it to him?” I asked.

Yinzhen shook his head. “He has just as much to see as I do. He must be having a headache under the lamp now!” He lowered his head again to look.

I took a book from the side and looked at it carefully. There was no double-entry book keeping method at this time, only single-entry. It took me a long time to roughly understand the ins and outs of the income and expenditure. Moreover, there wasn’t a good report format. It was impossible to effectively summarize, classify, and analyze. It made me dizzy and I couldn’t grasp the key points. “What a mess!” I couldn’t help but sigh.

“Not everyone can read account books. I also spent some time learning it.” He said.

I stared at the desk full of ledgers. “Can I look through these?” I asked.

“What are you looking for?” He asked in surprise.

“Let me take a look and see if I can understand.” I said with a smile.

“You can look at it if you want. But you must not lose it, as some of them cannot be copied.” He said shaking his head slightly.

“Is that all?” I asked nodding.

“There are many more. I just moved these out.” He said.

I heard the third watch bell outside. “Let’s take a break first. You have court in the morning at fifth watch!”

“How come it’s so late all of a sudden? You go to bed first. I’ll watch for a while and then go to bed.” As he said this, he lowered his head to read.

I put my hand on the account book and said, “Since moving into Yangxin Palace, have you ever had a good night’s sleep? You’re not allowed to see me today.” He frowned and looked at me. I continued softly, “I am also worried about your health! The imperial physician just said today I don’t need to worry.” He relaxed his brow, taking me up and closed the account book. Gao Wuyong, who was guarding outside the curtain, quickly lifted it. The maid in the West Warm Pavilion heard the sound and hurriedly began to prepare toiletries.

He tilted his head and said, “You don’t have to wait on me, go wash up by yourself!” I nodded and turned to leave when he grabbed me and whispered, “Come quietly when you are done.” My face suddenly felt hot and I glanced at the dragon bed behind him, feeling a sudden pang of sadness. I shook my head and pulled my hand away, walking out quickly.

Just as I was about to close the door and turn off the lights, Yinzhen, wearing a middle coat and outer robe, pushed the door open and walked in. My whole body stiffened and I stood there stunned. He came closer and stroked my face.

“Don’t be nervous, I just want to lay down next to you.” I stood still and he pulled me onto the bed saying, “How much time have we wasted? It’s been ten years since I agreed to marry you. Now I just want to spend as much time with you as possible. I’m afraid…” He helped me sit on the bed as he stoked my hair continuing, “How many more decades do we have?”

My eyes filled with tears. He held back his tears and nodded. He pulled off his outer robe and stood up to blow out the light. We lay face to face and he smiled. “What are you afraid of? Don’t worry I have the will but not the strength. I’m so exhausted I can’t do anything.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. He smiled and tapped my forehead and said, “You may enjoy it now, but I’m afraid you will blame me in the future.”

I pinched him angrily and said, “You’re so beautiful.”

He smiled softly without saying anything.

We lay quietly for a while and I begged, “Please don’t sent Yutan out of the palace. Leave her with me as my companion.” He hummed and fell asleep in the blink of an eye. I propped my head up to watch him. He looked relaxed although he was tired. I couldn’t help but sigh and kissed him on the lips and lay down to sleep.

“Your majesty!” Gao Wuyong called softly from outside.

I was a light sleeper and woke immediately. I got up quickly and got dressed, but Yinzhen was still sleeping. After hesitating for a moment, I shoved him and said, “It’s almost five o’clock!”

He frowned and hummed softly. He narrowed his eyes for a while before turning over and sitting up. I stood and lit the lamp, and helped him get his clothes, wanting to help get him dressed. But he just stared at me like he was in a trance. I put his robe on him. “Be careful not to catch cold.”

He suddenly held my hand and pulled me into his arms, hugging me. “Since we parted, I have been looking forward to meeting you. I have been dreaming of you so many times. Tonight I will light the silver candle, but I’m afraid that our meeting is just a dream.”

I felt happy and bitter at the same time. I had also dreamed of him by my side in the middle of the night, but when I opened my eyes I only saw desolate darkness.

I kissed him gently on the cheek and asked tilting my head, “Is this what you dreamed about?”

“Do you really want to know?” He smiled.

My face felt a little hot and I pushed him with a smile, “Gao Wuyong is waiting outside.”

His expression became serious, his brow full of majesty, but the smile in his eyes was still very strong. He pushed me back to the couch and said, “You don’t need to serve me. I slept late last night, you can sleep a little longer.”

I couldn’t bear to make him worry, so although I couldn’t sleep, I had to lay down. He pulled on his outer robe and opened the door. Gao Wuyong was waiting for him to leave.

I lay there for a while, and saw it getting lighter through the window. I got up and washed. After breakfast I hurried to the East Warm Room. Wangxi was on duty. He saw me come in and came over to greet me with a smile.

“Go do your own thing.” I then walked to the table to look through the account book.

Wangxi stopped me with another smile. “Sister, no one is allowed to come in without the Emperor’s permission.”

I looked up at him and said, “Do you think that I am someone who doesn’t know the rules? The Emperor allowed me to do this.”

“But… but the Emperor didn’t…” He started awkwardly.

I smiled and said, “I won’t embarrass you. I’ll come back to see you when the Emperor gives you instructions.”

Wangxi accompanied me to a side room, busy making tea while I sat down. I stared at him for a long time. When I saw no one else around I asked slowly, “When did you follow the Emperor?”

Wangxi placed the tea on a table and replied, “I knew I couldn’t hide it from my sister. It happened in the fifty-second year.”

I sighed softly, “Li Dequan must be very sad.”

His face turned pale.

“Not only you, but also me. We both disappointed him.” I said.

He lowered his head and rubbed his hands without saying a word.

“You have always been protective of me and have been helping me secretly in the laundry bureau. Was this also because of the Emperor’s instructions?” I said.

“The Emperor wasn’t in a position to come forward, and thought that I still had some influence in the palace. So he ordered me to find Zhang Qianying. The money was still paid by the Emperor and I was just the nominal person. But I was willing to do it myself. I have always been good friends with sister and I didn’t want her to suffer.” He said.

“You were personally trained by Li Dequan and I’m afraid that power and money cannot buy you. Why is that?” I said.

He said in a low voice, “I am from the south, my family was originally poor, and there was food when I entered the palace. I was about to starve to death. My parents had no choice but to ask someone they knew to send me to the palace, thinking that this would be a way to survive. There were six brothers in total, but some starved to death, some died of illness. Later my fifth brother and I were left. Fortunately my master promoted me and when I was older, my family no longer had to worry about food and clothing. My fifth brother was hot tempered. Because the magistrate’s son molested my sister in law, he accidentally beat the other person to death in a fit of rage. The other party wanted my fifth brother to pay with his life and sentence him to death. I was so far way that even if I wanted to intervene I couldn’t. My parents relied on my fifth brother in their old age to take good care of them and pass on the incense. Later, Lord Li heard about this and re-examined the case. He said ‘He molested a good woman first and the was accidentally killed. Although he [Wangxi’s brother] had committed mistakes, he doesn’t deserve the death penalty.’ They beat fifth brother with a stick and sentence him to eight years in prison but his life was saved.”

“Is Lord Li, Li Wei?” I asked.

Wangxi nodded. I sighed in my heart. Li Dequan had sent Wangxi to block the news of Changchun Garden. With Longkodo outside and Wangxi inside, Yinzhen had the best timing and location.

#death mention tw #tw sa mention

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nunuisancenewt · 9 months ago

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If you have ever interacted with your state Fish and Wildlife Service, or If you have ever read anything with a large mainstream US based conservation NGO ( like Audubon or the National Wildlife Federation) you have probably come across “ The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation” ( or some variation thereof ) the idea is that conservation, at-least on this continent, is somehow crucially tied to hunters, that hunters provide most of the real support for conservation, either financially as hunting licenses, duck stamps, and taxes on equipment help fund state and federal conservation programs, or in terms of being an interest group, as hunters want wildlife habitat/wildlife so they can hunt, and that this is a great innovation of the US/Canada we should be patriotic about ( in a vaguely rural Red Tribe way)

To get a sense of what makes hunting in the US different from what is before, we have to go back to Europe, throughout most of European history since at-least the Middle Ages, hunting, at-least of large “game” animals like deer, boar, bison, and wild cattle. Was an Aristocratic activity, It was often restricted legally from commoners at all. ( If you ever heard the funny factoid about The Queen owning all the swans in Britain, this is why) . Aristocracy wanted to hunt animals, and this motivated them to conserve There populations, in part by restricting and regulating hunting to avoid the tragedy of the commons . We also see them maintain large areas of non cultivated semi-natural space as “ hunting parks” so The wildlife has habitat to maintain their population in , so they can continue to hunt them.

The last wild European Bison populations ( before reintroduction from captivity) belonged to the Russian Tsars and before that the Polish-Lithuanian Aristocracy, from the 13-17th century the last Aurochs populations could only be hunted by Aristocracy and then Royalty, and a number of British cattle breeds ( Chillinghan, British White Park , Vaynol, British White) are descended from populations of Feral White cattle kept as ornamentation and hunting victims on large semi forested/ semi-meadow parks since the Middle ages

I want to highlight this was not a uniquely European Phenomenon, for example, In China, the last herd of Milu Deer, in the late 1800’s , was maintained in the walls of The Nanyuan Royal Hunting Garden, owned by the Emperor Tonghzi. Eventually the garden was stormed by German Soldiers, and the only reason the species survived is some were exported beforehand from the Garden to European zoos. You can also look at the Establishment of Game Reserves for the white elite in Southern Africa.

As european settlers colonized North America, armed with guns and free from Aristocratic regulations, and eventually coupled with the rise of large industrialized populations in the North East, they engaged mainly in not the subsistence, sport hunting, or even hunting of pests your probably more familiar with, but Market-Hunting , hunting, especially unregulated and at industrial scale , for the sale of the animals body parts as commercial goods, Meat, Leather, Fur and Feathers from wild land animals were sought in large numbers by the general public, including in densely populated areas.

Elk and other deer, Geese, Heath hens, Passenger pigeons, Carolina Parakeets, pronghorn, Wading birds, Bison, Beaver, Fishers, american Martens, sea Otters, sea mink, trumpeter swan, Labrador duck, Great Auk, and many other species had There populations severely impacted, often to the point of extinction, by this commercial scale hunting for their body parts

Meanwhile, we started to see the formation among the settlers, at-least the Upperclass ones, of an American Identity in contrast to that of the English or other Europeans. This identity thought of themselves as tougher, more rugged, less civilized ( but better suited for “civilizing”, this wasn’t seen as in conflict, like how a wild tough man may tame a wild Bronco) than the Europeans, and was tied to the idea of the US as a Wild uncivilized land not yet altered by man ( and of-course the dehumanization of native Americans and the Denial that they have shaped and altered the land severely). Think of Davy Crocket, and Pail Bunyan, and Buffalo Bill. Look at The Hudson River school of landscape painting, and how it diverged from older European styles, the focus on wild landscapes instead of farmland, the sharp jagged rocks and landscape formations , the twisted trees and snapped broken branches, the dramatic storm clouds, and rushing waterfalls. It is nature wild, but particularly nature powerful and rugged, untamed and full of rough “imperfections”, this is how the US Naturalists of the time saw themselves and There country in contrast to Europe.

Now the Environmentalist movement as we know of it was really kicked off by Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring, in 1962. That is when it went mainstream, when we see a greater focus on pollution, and the start of the understanding of different species as playing an important role in supporting a functioning ecosystem rather than being set pieces on the landscape

Before this Modern Environmentalist movement however , we had an older Conservationist movement, that was based in this rugged American Identity I discussed already. These people were “ Naturalists” , mostly outdoorsy upper class white men, who engaged in sport hunting alongside other outdoorsy leisure activities , There focus was on conserving natural resources, like Game Animals or Timber, so they could be exploited in perpetuity, as well as preserving scenic natural areas for themselves to hang out in and maybe shoot something in.

Teddy Roosevelt’s role in the timber industry is a great non-animal example of how these people see the natural world, he brought much needed regulation and reform to the Lumber industry, without which we might have lost all our forests and the US ran out of wood, but he only saw a forest as a source of wood, not as an ecosystem, so today large areas of federal/state land, that are in theory natural areas, are leased out to the timber industry to operate what are essentially monoculture farms, no more a forest than an apple orchard, but labeled as forests by the US government.

So these upperclass sport hunters, who recognized that the demands of the Market economy were unsustainable, put extreme regulations into place. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act, was aimed mainly at protecting birds, especially wading birds, from the feather trade for women’s hats, as was the first National Wildlife Refuge, Pelican Island. hunting and fishing regulations and licenses were introduced, operated by state governments, that restricted how many animals could be taken by how many people, Regulations on the production and sale of meat restricted Market hunting for venison, poultry and other meats for the table out of existence. The International Whaling Commissions Moratorium heavily restricted commercial hunting of large Whales globally, and among other things, the first National Park, Yellowstone, was note worthy for being home to the last wild bison herd in the US, with continued hunting in the park labeled “ poaching” .

Today the fur trade is all that’s left of Market Hunting of warm blooded native animals in the US and Canada, and even then it it only exists still as means of supplemental income and a hobby, not as a large scale industry and means of living.

So while the Conservationist of old were sport hunters motivated by sport hunting, their success largely if not mostly was due to being able to control, restrict, regulate and curb hunting. Including regulating Market Demand related hunting practically out of existence. The focus has been on how to control hunting pressure, giving money from hunting activities to the Fish and Wildlife Services makes extra sense in the light that they mostly exist to keep the hunters in line in the first place. If there was something novel about the North American Model, it wasn’t hunting incentivizing conservation, or even putting the wildlife into government hands, It was the democratization of hunting, while avoiding the tragedy of the commons, and the Near Elimination of trade of terrestrial wild animals based goods.

While it’s true Hunters give a share of funding to “conservation” larger than There share, it’s still a tiny share of the total ( 6% as of 2015 according to one study, likely decreasing, while they were 4.6% of the population in 2020 ( combined with fishers 18% in 2016)), and much of that is due to peaceful wildlife/nature goods, like high end cameras, Kayaks, or camping equipment, not getting the Conservation Taxed, additionally a large share of those funds would not be needed, or could be used for other things, without hunters , as they wouldn’t be needed for hunting regulation/support in the first place. We could also see great support for mushroom or wild plant foraging for income, or better yet, better funding from the general pot of State or Federal governments. But either way , the vast majority of funds, 94%, is already from the General public, not hunters specifically)

( This isn’t even to get into the ways advocate encourage damaging environmental practices or damage the environment themselves even under this system, but I’ll leave that to another post maybe, this is already extremely long)

The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation is based on the democratization of what we do with wildlife, and the regulating out of entire forms of hunting entirely. , as the general public supports conservation and protection of wildlife even if they don’t hunt, As hunters make up a tiny shrinking share of the population ( 7.7% in 1960 and shrinking since) , are not a crucial source of conservation funds, and a minor but large and growing share of the public disapproves of hunting, opposing hunting, and decentralizing hunting interest groups from wildlife and ecosystem management discussions , is not only the morally right choice, but in the spirit of the North American Model hunting advocates praise.

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