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Zheng Guotai launched a mutiny, Emperor Wanli died, the crown prince passed away, the East Factory Governor Zhang Jing was shot to death by arrows at Donghua Gate, and the West Factory Chief of Punishments Wang Tijian escaped with injuries, but was "mistakenly identified" as a rebel by the Jinyiwei and shot dead by the Yongding River.

Qiu Chengyun, the former Junior Supervisor of the Imperial Stables, was temporarily appointed as the head of the East Factory because of his "meritorious service in guarding", while the West Factory was abolished and merged into the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The third day of Zheng Guotai’s mutiny.

At midnight, the archives in the northwest corner of the Forbidden City was shrouded in an eerie atmosphere.

The copper exhaust pipe glowed coldly in the moonlight, continuously spewing out billowing smoke, bringing the pungent smell of burning into the night sky. Twelve young eunuchs held torches and shuttled busily among the piles of documents, the flames illuminating their pale faces and the cold sweat oozing from their foreheads.

"Hurry up!"

Qiu Chengyun was wearing a dark official uniform of the East Factory, with the jade belt buckle on his waist flickering in the flickering firelight. Wearing a wet face towel, he slowly patrolled the blazing braziers. His black soap boots stepped heavily on the blue brick floor, and every step seemed to knock on the hearts of the young eunuchs.

"Superintendent, the first category of documents has been counted."

An elderly eunuch came forward to report, holding a thick stack of documents in his hands.

Qiu Chengyun stopped and looked over the reports of "auspicious signs" from various places. The handwriting on the paper was neat and beautiful, recording anecdotes such as "Double ears of wheat grew in Henan" and "Sweet dew fell on the court in Shanxi". He sneered: "These things that deceive the superiors and the subordinates will only taint the archives if they are kept."

With a wave of his hand, he indicated that everything should be burned.

The flames instantly engulfed the documents, and ashes rose with the heat, swirling in the archive.

Qiu Chengyun continued to pace, and suddenly bent down to pick up a file from the ground. The yellowed paper recorded the activities of the martial arts sects, and various symbols were interspersed between the dense handwriting.

"Since the West Factory no longer exists..."

Qiu Chengyun narrowed his eyes slightly and threw the file into the fire: "It's time to put this information to good use."

As he was speaking, a centurion in charge of punishment came running over with a secret letter in his hand: "Sir, I found this in the pile of old papers. It is a secret memorial from the governor of Shaanxi in the 23rd year of the Wanli reign."

Qiu Chengyun took the secret letter and read it carefully by candlelight. The secret report pointed out that the Huashan Sect had bought a lot of land and suspected that they had rebellious intentions. The corners of his mouth slightly raised, and a cold light flashed in his eyes: "Tell the Shaanxi Provincial Surveillance Commissioner to increase the salt permit by 10% this year."

The tone was calm, but it was chilling: "Let him know what he should and shouldn't be in charge of."

At this time, the eunuch in charge came forward holding a blood-stained list of casualties and said, "Master, this is the casualties at each station."

Qiu Chengyun took the list and quickly glanced through it in the flickering candlelight. His red pen rustled on the paper as he circled twenty-seven names in a row.

"These are the old people who worked in the intelligence center of the two factories. Their families will be given generous compensation and a grand funeral."

After a pause, he picked up the blue pen again, the tip of the pen hovering over the paper, and after a moment's hesitation, he ticked off forty-three names: "These deserters will be exiled to Nanhaizi to serve as the clean army."

"Yes!"

The eunuch in charge took the list and was about to leave when Qiu Chengyun suddenly said, "Wait a minute."

He stood up, walked to the door of the archive, and looked at the ashes floating in the night sky: "Within three days, the system for supervising all officials will be rebuilt. The new king will ascend the throne soon, and we must keep a close watch on His Majesty."

"Yes, sir!" The eunuch in charge bowed.

Qiu Chengyun turned around and glanced at the eunuchs who were still busy. "Remember, the duty of the East Factory is to be the eyes and ears of your majesty and the henchmen of the court. Anyone who dares to disobey in secret..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the threat in his tone was clear.

As the night deepened, the fire in the archives was still bright. Qiu Chengyun stood in the shadows, watching the last document in his hand turn into ashes. The turmoil brought about by this power change seemed to be slowly subsiding among these burning papers.

………………

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, at 7:15 pm, outside Desheng Gate.

The night had not yet completely faded, and the thick, inky darkness gradually dissipated under the erosion of the gray-white fog. The reception pavilion was shrouded in this thick fog.

The north wind howled in with a biting chill, making a sharp whistling sound. Eighteen dragon flags fluttered in the gale. The flagpoles were shaking violently. The flags had long been frozen stiff. The condensed ice crystals collided with each other in the wind, making tiny crackling sounds, and then fell to the ground like snowflakes.

Officials from the Ministry of Rites, who had not slept all night, were hiding in the pavilion to avoid the wind. The construction of the Huangmantai was not going smoothly. The wooden wedges were stuck in the frozen soil. No matter how hard the craftsmen tried, they could not drive them in. The white breath exhaled by the craftsmen instantly condensed into frost in the air. They had to boil hot water and continuously pour it on the hard frozen soil to try to loosen the tenon smoothly. The hot water was poured on the ground, and a large piece of white mist rose instantly, blending with the surrounding mist, and soon froze into ice again.

"coming!"

The Jinyiwei on the watchtower suddenly shouted loudly, and the sound was particularly abrupt in the quiet morning.

In the distance, the sound of horse hooves came closer and closer. As the sound of horse hooves became clearer and clearer, a green figure appeared on the horizon, gradually becoming clearer.

Yang Junmin stood at the head of the group, looking at the figure, his fingers trembling unconsciously. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but his heart was beating violently uncontrollably. Over the past fifty years, he had lived through the reigns of Jiajing, Longqing, and Wanli, and had seen countless storms, but he had never been as upset as he was at this moment.

The white horse came stepping on the frost and suddenly stopped a hundred steps away.

Yi Huawei raised his hand and pressed lightly. The horse seemed to be driven by some invisible force. Its front hooves flew high into the air. The whole process was smooth and flowing, without any dust being raised on the ground.

Seeing this, the guards of the Duke of Ying instinctively retreated. They had followed the Duke of Ying in his battles and had seen many people with special skills, but this was the first time they had seen such a superb "Treading Snow Without Leaking" internal skill. This level of skill had obviously reached the highest level.

Yi Huawei was wearing a black cloak, the hem of which swayed gently in the north wind. The blue brocade arrow jacket he wore underneath had delicate textures and fine stitching, and it was obvious at a glance that it was made by a skilled craftsman. He wore a rhinoceros horn belt with a coiled dragon pattern around his waist, and the coiled dragon was carved so lifelike that it seemed like it would take off into the air in the next second.

He is tall and slender, with broad shoulders but not too burly, giving people a feeling of being just right. He is estimated to be more than half a head taller than the officials around him, with a well-proportioned figure, neither thin nor overly muscular. His legs are straight and slender, and when he stands, he is like a tall pine tree, calm and firm. His face is angular and his jawline is firm, giving people an unquestionable sense of majesty. His brow bones are prominent, and his eyebrows are as dark as ink, slightly raised, revealing a heroic spirit. His eyes are as deep as a deep pool, and his gaze is calm, but it seems that he can see through people's hearts, making people dare not look at him for too long. His nose is tall and straight, his lips are thin and tightly closed, and the corners of his mouth are slightly downward, as if he always has a hint of coldness. His skin is a healthy wheat color, without a trace of excess fat, and looks very tight.

There were no unnecessary movements in his gestures, and his sharpness was restrained yet people dared not look at him closely. His innate temperament was different from the noble and gorgeous royal family members, and also different from the rough and bold gangsters. It seemed to be a perfect combination of the two, but it was also unique and unpredictable.

Coming back to his senses, Yang Junmin stepped forward and bowed respectfully, saying, "Your Highness, you have come a long way and have worked hard. Please enter the pavilion to receive the greetings."

Although his voice was steady, the slightly trembling ending still exposed his inner nervousness.

"Thank you all for waiting here!"

Yi Huawei nodded slightly, turned over and dismounted with quick and decisive movements. He landed as lightly as a feather, and the soles of his boots did not leave any trace on the frosty ground. He then walked slowly towards the reception pavilion.

All the officials held their breath and watched Yi Huawei's every move. As he approached, the pressure in their hearts grew, as if an invisible mountain was pressing on their chests, making it hard to breathe. When they arrived in front of the reception pavilion, the air around them seemed to freeze.

Stepping into the reception pavilion, Yi Huawei smiled slightly, his eyes swept over everyone in the pavilion one by one, taking in everyone's reactions.

Zhou Daodeng, the Minister of Rites, held the imperial edict in his hand and was about to step forward. The imperial edict was wrapped in bright yellow silk with golden auspicious clouds embroidered on the corners, but it felt particularly heavy in his hands.

Zhou Daodeng's Adam's apple moved and he tried to swallow his saliva, but found his throat was so dry and painful.

When Yi Huawei's eyes swept over him, his feet seemed to be nailed to the ground, and the contents of the imperial edict that he had memorized suddenly disappeared from his mind. Those eyes looked at him calmly, without urging or joy or anger, but Zhou Daodeng felt that the blood in his body was about to coagulate, and he subconsciously held his breath until the other party looked away, then he dared to slowly exhale.

Zhang Wenda, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue, stood in the line of civil servants, his left hand hidden in his wide sleeves, tightly grasping the memorial full of tax reform suggestions. The paper was wrinkled by his grip, and there was a slight stinging pain in his fingertips. The prepared words disappeared the moment Yi Huawei stepped into the reception pavilion. He lowered his head and stared at his black boots. He caught a glimpse of the other party's clothes passing over the blue brick floor, but he never dared to look up. He repeatedly pondered in his mind whether he could still say those sharp suggestions in the memorial, and cold sweat kept oozing out of his palms, soaking the edge of the memorial.

Gao Panlong, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Metropolitan Censorate, stood by the column, narrowing his eyes and following Yi Huawei's footsteps. Every time he took a step, there was no sound from the soles of his boots touching the ground, and when he landed, his knees were slightly bent, and his center of gravity shifted smoothly.

Gao Panlong has been immersed in the officialdom for many years and is familiar with the rumors. The Huashan School's light kung fu emphasizes "lifting qi and stepping on snow", and Yi Huawei's steps at this moment are exactly the same as the description in the rumors.

Gao Panlong stroked his beard as the power distribution of various parties in the court flashed quickly through his mind. His thoughts raced. If this person really inherited the throne, the balance between the Donglin Party, Zhejiang Party, and Qi Party would be broken, and a new power struggle would probably be inevitable.

In the military officer formation, Shi Xing placed his right hand on the hilt of the knife, tightening his palms and turning his knuckles pale. Having been on the battlefield for many years and witnessed countless life and death situations, he felt a chill on the back of his neck at this moment.

The hem of Yi Huawei's cloak moved without wind, and traces of internal energy could be vaguely seen between the undulations of the fabric. Shi Xing was quite familiar with martial arts classics, and knew that when the "Purple Cloud Divine Art" was practiced to a high level, a protective Qi would form around the body. The situation before him was clearly a sign of practicing the "Three Flowers Gathering at the Top of the Head". He swallowed his saliva, tightened his grip on the knife, and secretly estimated how many moves he could withstand if the opponent attacked.

Li Rusong, the assistant of the Five Military Commandery, stood beside Shi Xing, staring straight at Yi Huawei. He had fought in Liaodong with his father Li Chengliang for many years, had seen the bravery of the Mongolian cavalry, and had fought with the Jurchen tribes, and thought he had a broad vision. But the inner strength displayed by the man in front of him reminded him of the late General Qi Jiguang. When General Qi demonstrated his inner strength to break the monument in the martial arts arena, his momentum was exactly the same as this man's. A trace of admiration flashed in Li Rusong's eyes, and then he became alert again. If such a person holds military power, the entire military structure of the Ming Dynasty will change.

Jinyiwei Commander Luo Sigong stood in the shadows, his face even gloomier than his Feiyu suit. He had arranged three hundred Tiqi on both sides of the official road in advance, each of them hiding behind the bushes, with crossbows on the string, ready to take action at any time. Looking at Yi Huawei's appearance at this moment, he began to doubt whether his arrangement was too hasty. With the skills shown by the other party, those Tiqi would probably be restrained before they even get close. Touching the embroidered spring knife at his waist, he wondered in his mind whether to change his plan, and beads of sweat oozed from his forehead.

The princes of the royal family gathered in a corner.

Seeing Yi Huawei's calm demeanor, Prince Zhu Changrun hid his left hand in his sleeve and exerted force suddenly, causing the jade pendant in his sleeve to break. The sharp jade piece pierced into his palm, and blood dripped through his fingers, but he was completely unaware.

He stared at the back of Yi Huawei's left ear, where there was a light red birthmark, the shape and size of which were exactly the same as the portrait of Emperor Taizu in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. This discovery made him feel turbulent and his breathing became rapid.

Zhu Changhao, the Prince of Rui, looked at the jade belt buckle on Yi Huawei's waist. It was a piece of green jade, carved with a dragon pattern, and silver threads were embedded between the patterns.

Zhu Changhao was quite knowledgeable about jade, and recognized it at a glance as the token of the leader of the Huashan Sect, the "green jade chi pattern buckle". A sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth, and a calculation flashed in his eyes. As long as this news was leaked, Yi Huawei could be impeached for the crime of "interfering in politics". He lowered his head and approached Lu Wang Zhu Changxun beside him. Just as he was about to speak, he was interrupted by Zhu Changrun's low roar.

"Shut up!"

Zhu Changrun lowered his voice, his eyes full of bloodshot: "The physical examination hasn't started yet, it's still uncertain who will win or lose."

He shook the blood off his hands, quietly kicked the broken jade under his feet, straightened his clothes, and resumed the demeanor of a prince, but in his mind he was thinking about how to make a fuss during the physical examination.

The entire reception pavilion was quiet on the surface, with everyone maintaining proper etiquette, but undercurrents were surging. All parties were observing, calculating, and waiting for the next development of the situation.

Yi Huawei looked at the reactions of the people in the pavilion with a calm expression, as if he had already seen through everyone's thoughts.

Yang Junmin stood in the center of the reception pavilion, clasped his hands together and said loudly, "Your Highness, please accept the examination!"

The voice echoed in the pavilion, breaking the originally oppressive silence. With his order, the atmosphere in the reception pavilion suddenly became tense, and everyone's eyes were focused on Yi Huawei.

The Minister of Works came forward carefully holding a jade bowl. The bowl was emerald green and had a warm texture. There was a dark red blood stain on the bottom of the bowl, which was the blood sample left by Emperor Taizu.

The imperial physician followed closely behind, holding a special silver needle in his hand. The tip of the needle was glowing with a cold light. It was made with a special craft and was specifically used for blood drawing and physical examination.

Yi Huawei sat in the main seat, his expression calm, not showing any nervousness. He raised his right hand slightly, and the imperial physician stepped forward quickly, carefully held his finger, and gently pierced his fingertip with a silver needle. A drop of bright red blood slowly oozed out, and under the breathless gaze of everyone, it dripped into the green jade bowl.

The moment the blood drop fell into the specially prepared medicine soup in the bowl, something strange happened. The originally calm medicine soup suddenly boiled, and a large white mist rose. In the white mist, the long-solidified blood stains of Taizu at the bottom of the bowl began to slowly wriggle, as if they had life. Everyone stared at the green jade bowl with wide eyes, and even subconsciously breathed softly.

The blood of Taizu and the new blood of Yi Huawei were constantly blending in the medicinal soup, gradually forming a clear Tai Chi pattern. The black and white blood were clearly separated, but they blended perfectly together, slowly rotating in the bowl. This magical scene shocked everyone present and made them speechless.

Zhou Daodeng looked at the scene in front of him, his lips trembling slightly, and he murmured in a low voice: "Blood melting into cinnabar is the secret method passed down by Taizu to test paternity. No one has been able to imitate it in the past hundred years!"

He had worked in the Ministry of Rites for many years, so he naturally knew the origin of this "blood melting into cinnabar" body-testing method.

In order to identify the royal bloodline, Emperor Taizu ordered people to develop this unique body test method. The ingredients in the medicine soup are extremely complex, not only containing a variety of precious medicinal materials, but also the blood of Emperor Taizu as an introduction. Only people with royal bloodline can have their blood blended with the blood of Emperor Taizu to form a specific pattern.

This boy is indeed a descendant of Taizu!

(End of this chapter)