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The medicine pot suddenly boiled, and the lid made a slight sound when it was pushed up by the steam. Shi Xing took the opportunity to pour the thunder and fire into the stove and quickly retreated to the door. Three breaths later, a violent explosion overturned the entire kitchen. Shi Xing rushed into the warm room against the flying rubble and saw Concubine Zheng being knocked to the ground by the air wave.

"Protect the emperor!" Shi Xing chopped down the guards who rushed over with his sword. Emperor Wanli took the opportunity to roll off the throne, and the jade ring shattered on the floor tiles, revealing the black pill hidden inside.

Concubine Zheng screamed and rushed over, but Shi Xing kicked her away. When he turned around, he saw Zhu Changxun holding a dagger and stabbing the back of Emperor Wanli. Shi Xing had no time to swing the knife, so he could only block it with his arm. The dagger penetrated the forearm muscle and stopped three inches away from the emperor's back.

"Rebellious son!" Emperor Wanli suddenly jumped up and stuffed the black pill into Zhu Changxun's mouth. The child immediately grabbed his throat and the dagger fell to the ground. Concubine Zheng let out a shrill howl, grabbed the broken porcelain pieces on the ground and rushed towards the emperor.

Shi Xing's goose-feather knife pierced her chest first. Concubine Zheng stumbled to grab the blade, her nails scraping against the blood grooves, making a harsh sound. She opened her mouth to speak, but her throat was blocked by the gushing blood.

There were dense footsteps outside the palace. Shi Xing pulled Emperor Wanli up and said, "Your Majesty, let's take the secret passage!"

Emperor Wanli stared at Zhu Changxun, who was foaming at the mouth, with a hollow look in his eyes: "That is arsenic... Mr. Zhang left it for me..."

"Your Majesty, I am sorry!"

Shi Xing carried the emperor on his back without saying anything and pushed open the secret door behind the screen. The musty smell in the secret passage was pungent, and the chain mail of Emperor Wanli scraped sparks in the narrow passage. The torchlight of the pursuers behind him was getting closer and closer, and Shi Xing suddenly stopped. There was a figure holding a crossbow standing at the fork in the road ahead.

"I am late in coming to your rescue."

Luo Siyuan put down the crossbow, followed by more than twenty injured Jinyiwei, the embroidered spring swords in their hands flashing cold light.

Emperor Wanli coughed violently on Shi Xing's back, blood foam splashing on his Feiyu suit: "I...I want to see the prince..."

Shi Xing and Luo Siyuan looked at each other, not knowing how to respond.

At this moment, the roar of the Tiger Crouching Cannon came from the direction of Qianqing Gate. It was the arrival of the reinforcements from the Beijing Camp. Luo Siyuan showed a relieved expression:
"Minister Yang succeeded."

On the blue bricks in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, blood clotted and broken armor was mixed. Shi Xing stumbled into the secret passage carrying Emperor Wanli on his back. The blood seeping from the emperor's chain mail flowed down his clothes and dripped onto the cold stone steps of the secret passage.

Outside the secret passage, the roar of muskets was deafening. The 3,000 infantrymen of the Beijing camp advanced steadily in a square formation of five men in a horizontal position and ten men in a vertical position. The front row of shields were staggered like a wall, and the musketeers in the back row fired alternately. With each volley, sparks flew from the ignition cord to the powder pool, and the wailing of the rebels rose and fell amid the whistling of lead bullets breaking through the air. The smoke of gunpowder, wrapped in the smell of blood, rolled over the square, shrouding half of the Hall of Supreme Harmony in gray mist.

Yang Junmin stood under the central army flag, his face grim. Every time he waved the flag, new troops were sent into the battlefield. On the left wing, the Embroidered Spring Swords of the Jinyiwei glowed coldly in the smoke; on the right wing, the artillery of the Shenjiying had been set up, with the black muzzles pointed at the rebels.

Shi Xing handed the emperor to the imperial physician, turned around and grabbed a spear from the ground, veins popping out of his hand as he held the spear. At this time, the rebels had been compressed near the Meridian Gate. Zheng Guotai's brown-clad warriors leaned against the palace wall, their weapons stained with blood, but they still fought stubbornly.

Duke of England Zhang Weixian led 20 family soldiers to guard the western passage. The old man's left arm hung limply, obviously seriously injured, but the spear in his right hand was as steady as a rock. Whenever the rebels tried to break through, the spear would pierce out like a venomous snake and nail the person to death on the spot.

“Zheng Guotai is there!”

Luo Siyuan suddenly shouted, pointing to the southeast corner. Zheng Guotai's dragon robe was already tattered, with blood seeping from several places where it was cut by the sword. He was commanding his personal soldiers to push two tiger squat cannons, aiming the muzzles at the palace gate.

Shi Xing took a shortcut through the side hall, kicked open the window, and jumped directly into the enemy camp. The moment he landed, he swept the goose-feather knife across, and the three gunners fell down with their throats covered before they could react. Blood splattered on the copper wall of the Tiger Crouching Cannon and slowly flowed down the cannon.

Seeing this, Zheng Guotai drew his sword to fight. His swordsmanship was unexpectedly superb, and every strike was aimed at the vital points. The two steel blades kept colliding, sparks flew, and fell on the blood-stained armor of both sides, burning small holes. Shi Xing suddenly changed his moves, and the blade slid down along the opponent's sword. Zheng Guotai was unable to dodge and three of his fingers were cut off.

"what--"

Zheng Guotai knelt on the ground with a scream, and the gold buckle on the jade belt flew out and rolled far away on the ground. Shi Xing raised his knife and was about to cut him down, but he heard the sound of hurried horse hooves behind him and was startled.

Turning around, he found that it was Li Rusong who led the Liaodong cavalry to rush into the palace gate like a black torrent, and with the swing of their horse lances, they lifted the last stubborn resistance soldiers into the air.

"You traitors, surrender immediately!"

Li Rusong's roar echoed between the palace walls.

"kill--"

"kill--!!"

The Ming army's shouts of killing shook the earth. The rebels completely collapsed. Some dropped their weapons and knelt down to beg for mercy, while more turned and fled towards the palace gate that had not yet been closed. Zheng Guotai dragged his severed hand and struggled to climb the steps of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, leaving a long trail of blood on the dragon-patterned imperial road.

Shi Xing was about to chase him when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind him. The imperial physician came running over, his face pale: "Master Shi! His Majesty... His Majesty has passed away!"

Shi Xing was struck by lightning, and the goose-feather knife in his hand fell to the ground with a clang. He turned and rushed to the direction of the emperor, only to see Emperor Wanli lying on the blue bricks, his face as pale as gold paper, and black blood oozing from the corners of his mouth. The imperial physician had already closed the emperor's eyes, and the commander of the Jinyiwei beside him took off his hat in silence.

The entire Taihe Hall Square fell into a dead silence, with only the smoke still slowly dissipating. Li Rusong dismounted and walked to Yang Junmin's side. The two looked at each other, and saw fatigue and shock in each other's eyes.

"The rebel leader Zheng Guotai is still alive." Li Rusong said in a deep voice.

Yang Junmin nodded and looked at Zheng Guotai who was climbing the steps of the Hall of Supreme Harmony: "Send people to surround him. If he is alive, we must find him. If he is dead, we must find his body."

Several Jinyiwei immediately chased after him. At this time, Zheng Guotai had already climbed to the threshold of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, supporting his body and looking up at the empty dragon throne. Blood continued to drip from the severed finger and spread on the white marble steps.

"Why..." Zheng Guotai murmured to himself, his voice weak and desperate.

"Whoosh!"

Suddenly, a feather arrow flew through the air and hit him in the back. Zheng Guotai fell forward, his face pressed against the dragon-patterned imperial road, and he could not move anymore. The one who shot the arrow was Qiu Chengyun, who had hurried over with a team of eunuchs.

As night fell, the lanterns in the Forbidden City lit up one after another. In the square, soldiers began to clear the bodies and carry the wounded.

Shi Xing stood in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, looking at the mess on the ground, and did not move for a long time. Although this sudden rebellion was quelled, the news of the emperor's death would surely cause a storm in the Ming Dynasty.

"Master Shi," Yang Junmin came over and asked, "What should we do next?"

Shi Xing took a deep breath and said, "Immediately seal the city gates and investigate the remaining members."

"Yes!"

Yang Junmin took the order and left. Shi Xing looked at Li Rusong again and said, "General Li, please lead your troops to garrison the capital to prevent any accidents."

Li Rusong clasped his fists and said, "I obey your orders!"

As orders were issued one after another, order gradually returned to the Forbidden City.

Under the moonlight, Shi Xing looked at the towering Hall of Supreme Harmony. The figure who once commanded the country was no longer on the dragon throne. The wind swept across the square with smoke and a strong smell of blood. He bent down to pick up the goose-feather knife on the ground and slowly wiped the blood off the blade.

Inside the Qianqing Palace, the corpse of Emperor Wanli was covered with yellow silk. The imperial physician knelt beside him and explained in a low voice: "The sword was tempered with a poison that attacked the heart..."

The bodies of Zhu Changluo and Zhu Changxun were placed side by side in a side hall, one with a broken larynx and the other with a purple face.

"A country cannot live without a king for a day."

Yang Junmin's voice broke the silence. The old minister's robe was torn, but the ivory tablet on his waist was still straight.

Luo Siyuan counted the casualties: "Four of the nine ministers of the cabinet survived, and only Yang Gong and the Minister of Works are left among the six ministers..."

"According to our ancestral system..." Duke of Ying, Zhang Weixian, suddenly coughed and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva: "It should be from among the vassal kings..."

"No!"

Zhao Zhigao was carried in at some point.

The arrow wound on the old prime minister's chest was still bleeding, and he spoke with a breath: "The Fu Wang family is married to the Zheng family, and the Rui Wang is greedy and violent... ahem... I propose to select talents from the side branches of the royal family."

As soon as these words came out, the hall was full of discussions. Yang Junmin frowned: "Side branch? Which branch?"

Zhao Zhigao took a breath and said slowly, "Do you remember the son of King Zheng?"

Seeing that everyone looked confused, he continued, "The child was abducted by bandits when he was born, and his life or death is unknown. But I recently received news that the child is not only alive, but also became a disciple of the Huashan Sect and changed his surname to Yue."

Luo Siyuan frowned and asked in confusion: "How did the Prime Minister know?"

"Cough cough~"

After coughing a few times, Zhao Zhigao smiled bitterly and said, "It's a long story. Twenty years ago, I once met a Huashan Sect disciple in Songshan. During the conversation, I learned that the Huashan Sect leader had accepted a disciple whose background was unknown. I didn't pay much attention to it at the time, until half a month ago, when someone sent a secret letter saying that the disciple might be the son of King Zheng."

Yang Junmin still had some doubts: "How can we be sure based on just one letter?"

"Of course I won't just rely on one side of the story."

Zhao Zhigao signaled the guards to bring a wooden box. After opening it, he found half a jade pendant and a scroll of letters inside: "This half of the jade pendant was something that Princess Zheng kept close to her. When the child was abducted, she broke the jade pendant into two halves, one half she carried with her and the other half tied to the child. As for this scroll of letters, it was written by Princess Zheng to the old minister before her death, and it explains the matter in detail."

Duke Yingguo Zhang Weixian took the jade pendant and examined it carefully, then flipped through the letter and nodded, saying, "This jade pendant is indeed from the palace back then, and the handwriting of the letter is no different from that of Princess Zheng when she was alive."

Luo Siyuan still has doubts: "Even so, more than 20 years have passed. How can we guarantee that this person can be trusted?"

Zhao Zhigao looked at everyone with a firm gaze: "I am willing to guarantee it with my life! Although Yue Huawei was born in the royal family, he grew up in the martial arts world and is not influenced by the power of the court. More importantly, he is known as a chivalrous man in the martial arts world. He has done many chivalrous deeds and saved the people from danger. Such a character is exactly what the court needs today."

Yang Junmin pondered for a long time, and finally nodded: "What the Prime Minister said makes sense. The court is in turmoil now, and we really need a new ruler who is not influenced by the old forces. It's just..."

He turned to look at the Duke of England: "This matter is of great importance, and it still needs the Duke's decision."

Duke of England Zhang Weixian sighed:
"The country is in crisis, so we can't worry about much. Let's follow the Prime Minister's advice and send someone to invite Yue Huawei. However, just in case, we must carefully verify his identity and observe his character before sending him."

After the discussion, everyone immediately started to make arrangements. Yang Junmin personally drafted the imperial edict, Luo Siyuan selected capable people, and they immediately set off for Huashan.

The Duke of Ying was responsible for stabilizing the situation in the capital. Although Zhao Zhigao was seriously injured, he still insisted on handling government affairs to ensure that the court operated normally.

Three days later, a large group of people left the capital and headed straight for Mount Hua. In the Qianqing Palace, the ministers were still making intensive preparations. On the one hand, they were dealing with the aftermath of the rebellion, counting the losses, and comforting the people; on the other hand, they were preparing for the coronation ceremony of the new emperor.

...............

On the third day of the first lunar month, at the hour of Mao, the execution ground was located at Wumen.

The biting north wind carried the fine snow, beating against the mottled walls of the Meridian Gate. Thirty-two rebel leaders had their hands tied behind their backs, kneeling on the snow covered with thin ice. Their prison uniforms had long been soaked with blood and frozen stiff in the severe cold.

The soldiers of the Beijing camp held red-hot iron tongs and, in accordance with ancestral rules, broke the collarbones of each prisoner in turn. The tongs made a teeth-grinding "sizzling" sound when it came into contact with the bones, and the suppressed screams of the prisoners echoed in the empty execution ground.

Wang Ji, the head of the Ministry of Justice, was wearing a plain official uniform and holding the Ming Code. He began to read out the crimes one by one. His voice was cold and steady, and every word was like a heavy hammer hitting everyone's heart:

"Zheng Guotai, in the winter of the 29th year of Wanli, privately cast 1,200 sets of armor; in the spring of the 30th year of Wanli, he colluded with Japanese pirates and plotted against the law..." After each item was read, a clerk came forward and recorded the crime in a book.

When the sentence "Zheng Guotai privately forged 1,200 sets of armor" was read, Luo Sixian, who was supervising the execution, suddenly raised his hand to signal. The executioner who had been waiting for orders immediately stepped forward and changed the punishment of the five leaders from lingchi to hanging.

Luo Sixian walked up to the five people and said in a low voice: "Leave the whole body to the nine sides for public display."

His eyes inadvertently swept over the Korean envoys who were watching from a distance, and he secretly thought in his heart: These bodies will be transported to Liaodong, which is not only a punishment for the rebels, but also a deterrent to Li Chengliang's old subordinates.

On the execution ground, the gallows slowly rose. Five condemned prisoners were tied with ropes around their necks, and the wooden planks beneath their feet suddenly pulled away. Their bodies twitched violently, their legs kicked wildly in the air, and they whimpered intermittently. After a while, there was no movement. The other 27 condemned prisoners looked pale, and their bodies trembled uncontrollably.

"continue."

Luo Sixian said coldly.

Wang Ji continued to read out the crimes, and after each person was finished, an executioner stepped forward and took the prisoner to the lingchi rack. The sound of the blade cutting through the skin, accompanied by the prisoner's shrill screams, echoed in the snow for a long time.

Around the execution ground, the onlookers were silent. Some bowed their heads and sighed, some showed fear, and many watched it all numbly. This rebellion plunged the entire capital into anxiety and panic.

Three quarters of a hour.

Yang Junmin led thirty clerks into the cellar of Zheng's mansion. At the entrance of the cellar, two Jinyiwei were checking the door lock. After confirming that no one was hiding, everyone filed in. The torches illuminated the dark and damp cellar, and the scene in front of them made everyone gasp.

The piles of wooden boxes were neatly arranged in the cellar, and the air was filled with a rotten smell. Yang Junmin signaled the clerks to start counting, and he walked to the front and carefully checked each wooden box. Seven boxes of Liaodong Lieutenant General's request for military pay, twelve boxes of accounts of officials accepting bribes, these evidences were enough to shake the entire court.

When they opened the iron box at the deepest part, they found a map of Fujian's coastal defense locked inside. The map was covered with a layer of camouflage ink, which was obviously specially processed. The craftsmen of the Ministry of Industry immediately stepped forward and carefully cleaned the ink with acid. As the ink gradually faded, the landing point marked by the Japanese pirates was clearly revealed.

"Make three copies."

Yang Junmin pulled down the hem of his official robe and wrapped it around his bleeding knuckles. “It was originally sent to Wuying Palace, and the copies were stored in the Tongzhengsi and Bingbu Jiageku.”

At the command, the clerks acted quickly, took out their pens, ink, paper and inkstones, and began to copy carefully.

In the cellar, besides the rustling of pens and ink, there was the heavy breathing of the crowd. These evidences not only concerned Zheng Guotai, but also the safety of the entire Ming Dynasty.

"My Lord, I found this."

A clerk handed over a sealed envelope. Yang Junmin took it and opened it. Inside was a secret letter from Toyotomi Hideyoshi of Japan. The letter detailed the plan of collusion between the two sides, including creating chaos in the coastal areas and seizing cities with internal and external cooperation.

Yang Junmin's expression became more serious. He put away the secret letter and said to everyone, "Speed ​​up and make sure to complete the inventory before dark."

The clerks did not dare to delay and worked even faster.

As the inventory work progressed, more evidence was discovered: correspondence with Mongolian tribes, records of privately selling military rations, and a large amount of gold and silver treasures. These discoveries made Yang Junmin realize that there might be a bigger force behind this rebellion.

Outside the cellar, it was getting dark.

Yang Junmin stood at the entrance of the cellar, looking at the Forbidden City in the distance, with a myriad of thoughts in his mind.

The emperor passed away and the rebellion was put down, but the real crisis had just begun.

(End of this chapter)