Wanli twenty-five, the eighteenth day of the sixth month, the Forbidden City, the second quarter of the rat hour.
The Wanli Emperor’s eyes were open, he was not asleep.
The daily routine of the Ming Dynasty emperor was such that at eight o’clock in the evening, selected concubines were sent to the emperor’s residence. After the act, the concubines could not sleep with the emperor, nor could they return to their own quarters, but could only temporarily reside in the surrounding buildings outside the imperial bedchamber.
And when the emperor slept, only the attending eunuchs could stay by his side.
But today, the Wanli Emperor had not slept.
Consort Zheng had already gone to the surrounding buildings at the first quarter of the戌 hour. The Wanli Emperor sat on the bed in the Qianqing Palace, restless, always feeling that something bad was about to happen.
“Tian Yi, did anything happen outside tonight?”
The source of the Wanli Emperor’s restlessness was the talisman he wore. This talisman was given to him by Zhang Xianyong of Longhu Mountain. This child was intelligent and full of spiritual energy. From the moment the True Master Zhang brought this child before him, the Wanli Emperor had taken a liking to him.
Although he did not treat him as his own son, he did consider him half a godson.
The Wanli Emperor had absolute faith in the magical powers of the Heavenly Master lineage of Longhu Mountain. Even though there had been some problems in the previous dynasty, those were at most instances where the Longhu Mountain sorcerers had misjudged people.
Who had never made a mistake in judgment?
The person the Wanli Emperor was calling over now arrived. His name was Tian Yi. Last year, after the previous Director of Ceremonial Office, Zhang Cheng, was dismissed, Tian Yi replaced Zhang Cheng, temporarily taking charge of the Directorate of Ceremonial Office, and also becoming the new attendant by the Emperor’s side.
The Wanli Emperor trusted him very much.
Last year, as soon as Tian Yi took charge as the Director of Ceremonial Office, he submitted two memorial petitions to him, informing him of some situations outside and requesting him to correct them in a timely manner. After those events, even the usually garrulous ministers praised him incessantly.
Tian Yi, this person, wore a python robe and a jade belt.
This was bestowed upon him by the Wanli Emperor himself, permitting him to wear it.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, at the time of the first watch, everything was as usual. At the second watch, except for the Southern Commandery Guard entering the Longde Palace for inspection, there was still nothing else.”
“It is now the second quarter of the rat hour, approaching the third watch. Before the first quarter, this servant ordered people to go out and patrol, and there were no problems.”
Tian Yi also frowned. He was very old, sixty-four years old this year, and was afraid that he might not remember some things clearly, which could lead to a major mistake for the Emperor, for which he would deserve a thousand deaths.
The Wanli Emperor ordered someone to help him change his clothes. He was idle at the moment, so he was not wearing the imperial yellow casual attire, but the Yan Bian robes.
The crown frame was like a Pi Bian, adorned with five-colored jade clouds in the front, crimson silk cords and tassels, double jade hairpins, a black upper garment with blue trim, embroidered sun and moon on both shoulders, embroidered dragons on the chest and back, lined with yellow, a deep robe for the lower garment, a plain belt with crimson and blue edges and a nine-dragon jade belt at the waist, white socks and black shoes.
“I feel uneasy, and I fear something bad will happen tonight.”
The Wanli Emperor carried the talisman from Longhu Mountain with him. This talisman had helped him avoid some dangers.
“Before the great fire that occurred in the Qianqing Palace and the Kunning Palace on the eighth day of the third month last year, I also felt uneasy. This talisman served as a warning. I suddenly had an inspiration and went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Not long after I left, the Qiankun Palaces caught fire out of nowhere, burning down both palaces.”
Tian Yi’s expression was also very solemn. The incident last year was indeed very strange. The fire came inexplicably, and the palace investigation found nothing. Many palace maids and attendants died in the fire, and it was classified as an accidental ignition.
Perhaps someone knocked over a candle, and by chance, an evil wind fanned the flames.
The Wanli Emperor frowned: “Later, True Master Zhang was summoned by me, and he said that if the statues of Zhenwu the Great and Ruizong were all moved back to the Longde Palace, the fire could be avoided. I did not listen at the time and even joked with him… Wood carvings and clay statues are not true deities, how can they suppress water and fire?”
“Later, I prepared more water tanks in the palace. From last year until now, there have been no more fires… But with the sudden absence of fires, both big and small, I feel something is not right in my heart.”
The Wanli Emperor also felt he was being peculiar. Previously, when small fires occurred every few days, and major disasters occurred every few months, he was not afraid. Now, with no fires, he felt it was abnormal.
Tian Yi pondered for a moment and said to the Wanli Emperor, “Does Your Majesty have any signs of inspiration now?”
The Wanli Emperor did not respond, but closed his eyes. After a while, he said to Tian Yi, “The source of my restlessness tonight must be the Longde Palace. After Consort Zheng finished telling me about the inspection of this palace, I have had no sleep at all since then, and my heart is increasingly alarmed!”
“It must be this palace. Last year, True Master Zhang was also looking at this palace! Could it be that Zhenwu and Ruizong are angry that their statues are not in the main hall and are punishing me?”
“This palace has big problems!”
The Wanli Emperor was also somewhat superstitious. He thought that even if there was to be punishment, it should not befall him. It was Emperor Longqing who moved your two statues, what does it have to do with him?
“I am going to the Longde Palace! Without ceremony!”
As soon as the Wanli Emperor finished speaking, he set off immediately. Tian Yi also called the eunuchs and attendants to follow him.
The Wanli Emperor left the Qianqing Palace and sent someone to inform Empress Wang, asking her not to stay in the Kunning Palace but to come out with him. He also sent someone to the surrounding buildings to call Consort Zheng.
“Your Majesty, this is…?”
Consort Zheng did not know what was happening. After the Emperor had been intimate with her, it was already the hour of the rat, and not only had he not gone to bed, but he was getting up to go to the Longde Palace, which no one dared to go to usually?
“Don’t ask too much, come with me.”
The Wanli Emperor did not say much. At this moment, he had an inspiration and felt that he must go to the Longde Palace!
From the Qianqing Palace to the Longde Palace, one had to pass through the Jiaotai Palace, pass through the Longfu Gate, traverse the entire Western Six Palaces, turn out from the corner corridor, pass through a very long corridor, cross three consecutive corridors, and arrive at the northwest corner, three neglected palaces that were not part of the inner palace, where there was a Tai’an Gate, which was the courtyard gate of the Longde Palace.
Just as the Wanli Emperor stepped out, Luo Sigong, leading the Imperial Guards of the Southern Commandery Guard, arrived in a hurry. When the Wanli Emperor saw the filth on their bodies and their disheveled appearance, his shock intensified.
“Luo Sigong, Commander of the Southern Commandery Guard, pays his respects to Your Majesty!”
The Wanli Emperor immediately inquired, “I ordered you to go to the Longde Palace, did you find anything during the inspection?”
Luo Sigong quickly replied, “Reporting to Your Majesty, inside the Longde Palace, just now…”
Before he could finish speaking, the outside suddenly lit up. The Wanli Emperor turned his head. He had just exited the back door of the Qianqing Palace, and at this moment, inside the Qianqing Palace, there was suddenly a blaze of fire!
At this moment, at this time.
Wanli twenty-five, the nineteenth day of the sixth month, the first quarter of the rat hour.
There were still palace maids in the palace, and they were all in the fire. The Wanli Emperor and others saw that at the entrance of the Qianqing Palace, there was a pile of palace maids’ corpses standing in the raging fire. At this moment, all of them had fire spewing from their seven orifices, and their bodies were scorched and rotten. Consort Zheng, in particular, screamed in fright, and from the raging fire of the Qianqing Palace, three figures emerged!
One wore a wide red robe, with a majestic beard and eyebrows.
A page boy, with a jade-like appearance, holding a red banner.
An old man with a white beard had a hole the size of a bowl on his back, from which flames spewed.
The Wanli Emperor was instantly furious:
“Who are you people!”
His house was burned down as soon as he stepped out!
This house burned down on the eighth day of the third month last year, construction began on April 1st, and it was just repaired at the beginning of this year! Now it was gone again!
Do you know how important a house is to an emperor who is a shut-in! How can he be a shut-in without a house!
The three figures in the fire stared fixedly at the Wanli Emperor. Luo Sigong had no time to explain and quickly blocked in front of the Wanli Emperor, urgently saying:
“These three are divine beings in the fire! They are here to assassinate Your Majesty!”
“I implore Your Majesty to quickly follow this humble minister to the Longde Palace to seek refuge!”