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The one hundred and twelfth year of Zhaowu.

Forbidden City in Nanjing, Hall of Supreme Harmony.

A hundred years is enough for the world to change. The broad stone steps opened by Yi Huawei when he was enthroned at Mount Huashan have long been replaced by the more magnificent "Sky Track" - a steam-powered cable car track built on a huge steel support. The huge steam locomotive pulls the steel carriages, roaring and sending people and materials to the top of Mount Huashan, becoming one of the symbols of the empire's control over the western frontier.

A hundred years later, the Ming Dynasty has undergone tremendous changes. Steam locomotives run day and night on the empire's vast railway network, telegraph lines connect thousands of miles of territory, textile workshops are a hundred times larger than before, and the population has exceeded 1.5 billion thanks to advances in efficient agriculture and medical care.

The heart of the empire, Jinling City, has long surpassed the size of old Peking. The towering chimneys are like a steel forest, spewing gray-white steam clouds day and night. The huge gears mesh and turn in the factories, making a deafening roar.

On the streets, steam-driven public carriages and the wealthy's private "iron horses" (early cars) shuttled back and forth, parallel to traditional sedan chairs and horses. Buildings with steel frames and huge glass curtain walls rose from the ground, reflecting dazzling light in the sun. Over the city, you can occasionally see huge "iron kites" - the latest experimental steam airships developed by the Imperial Ministry of Industry. The ferocious dragon pattern was painted on its airbag, symbolizing the empire's exploration and control of the sky.

However, the atmosphere in the Forbidden City today is exceptionally solemn and dignified, even with a hint of historical confusion.

In front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, on the square.

The air seemed frozen, with only the low hum of the steam factory in the distance. The crowd watching the ceremony was more complex and grand than a hundred years ago.

Nobles, royal family members, representatives of the martial arts academy, cabinet ministers, six ministers, provincial governors, naval marshals (the empire already had a powerful ocean-going fleet equipped with steam ironclad ships and advanced firearms), army commanders, and heads or elders of major sects, all dressed in the most solemn dresses or uniforms, stood in silence with bated breath.

A hundred years later, Yi Huawei's descendants have multiplied and there are many members of the royal family. Among them, the six princesses born to Ren Yingying and their descendants are particularly prominent.

These six princesses all inherited their mothers’ intelligence and their fathers’ martial arts skills. Although they did not enter the imperial court, they each had their own branches and branches, and their family power was intertwined. They had great influence in martial arts, business, and even the emerging field of steam machinery. They were considered the top noble families in the empire. Among their descendants, there were also many outstanding people in the new generation of the martial arts academy.

The Martial Arts Academy, once a supervisory institution, has now become the true martial arts sanctuary and one of the core power pillars of the empire. The dean is a royal master with outstanding achievements (Zhu Youze's confidant), and it has set up the Nine Ranks Assessment Department, the School Management Department, the Martial Arts Research Institute (combining modern human body science and mechanics to study martial arts), and the Special Operations Department (handling extraordinary events).

After a century of operation, the "martial arts" system has been deeply rooted in people's hearts, and the grades of the nine masters have become an important basis for social status and resource allocation. High-level warriors enjoy privileges, but they also bear heavier responsibilities and supervision. The martial arts academy itself has a strong armed force, equipped with special steam mechas and energy weapons (prototypes) combined with internal force amplification devices, which is an important trump card for the royal family to intimidate the world.

Traditional sects such as Shaolin and Wudang have long been integrated into the imperial system and have become important partners of the Martial Arts Academy, responsible for training talents and maintaining local order. Huashan Sect has a transcendent status. As the "emperor's hometown" and the home of the emperor and empress's mother, it has a huge hidden influence. Although it no longer participates in specific government affairs, each generation of the sect leader is a nominal elder of the Martial Arts Academy. Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze have long passed away, but their portraits are enshrined in the most conspicuous place in the Huashan Hall.

On the Danbi, the presence of a figure made time seem to lose its meaning.

Yi Huawei, the legendary emperor who created the Zhaowu prosperity and pushed the Ming Empire to an unprecedented peak, was standing there. He still looked like a man in his thirties, with a handsome face, sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. Time had not left any traces on him. Only his deep eyes, which had accumulated too much weight of time, were so calm that it made people's heart palpitate.

He was dressed in a plain white suit with the twelve chapter patterns removed, his long hair casually draped, and his aura was harmonious and restrained. He was out of place in this magnificent palace, yet he seemed like the center of the entire world.

One hundred and forty years of his career as an emperor had already tempered his temperament into a mountain that had existed since ancient times. In the eyes of masters with keen spiritual perception, the invisible brilliance of "three flowers gathering at the top of the head and five qi returning to the origin" on his head was more profound and vast than a hundred years ago.

Next to him was Ren Yingying, who also looked young, but had a calmer temperament. She was dressed in a simple moonlit palace dress, with a simple bun and only an ancient jade hairpin. A hundred years of palace life had washed away the last bit of her sharpness, leaving only the tranquility and wisdom after experiencing all the vicissitudes of life. Her eyes swept calmly below, lingering on a few familiar yet unfamiliar faces.

Yue Lingshan passed away peacefully ten years ago. Her mausoleum is at the foot of the Jade Maiden Peak of Mount Huashan, where she practiced swordplay when she was a girl. Her death may be one of the reasons that prompted Yi Huawei to finally let go of the worldly ties.

Yi Huawei's voice rang out. It was not loud, but it clearly penetrated the silence of the square and reached everyone's heart. It was like a clear mountain stream, without a trace of fireworks:

"I, by the will of Heaven, have ruled the country for 112 years. Thanks to the spirits of my ancestors, the loyalty of the civil and military officials, and the efforts of the people, the world has become peaceful, the territory is vast, the crafts are flourishing, and the martial arts are flourishing. Now, the divine weapon has a master, and the country's prosperity should be extended. I feel the will of Heaven and follow the great principles, and I have decided to abdicate."

As soon as these words came out, even though there had been some noise below, there was still a slight commotion that was difficult to suppress. One hundred and twelve years! This god-like emperor was finally leaving?
Yi Huawei's gaze was cast towards the figure wearing the bright yellow crown prince's robe, standing solemnly with his hands hanging down - Zhu Youze.

This prince, who was made the crown prince right after birth and served as the crown prince for a full 110 years, looks like a man in his 50s, with a calm demeanor like a mountain. His eyebrows vaguely show the gentle features of his mother Yue Lingshan, but the determination and majesty in the depths of his eyes are inherited from his father Yi Huawei. He also practices Zixia Hunyuan Gong and Beiming Shengong, and although he has not reached the perfect and immortal realm of his father, his skills are deep enough to look down on any master in the world.

At this moment, Zhu Youze was wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, his expression solemn with a hint of subtle complexity - after a hundred years of waiting and tempering, he finally reached the pinnacle of power.

"I have held the sacred artifact for 112 years. I have pacified the Japanese islands in the east, connected to Kunlun in the west, and reached Xingzhou in the south. Steamships broke through the waves, railroads connected the thoroughfares, and the people found their homes, and the martial arts flourished. Now, the sacred artifact is entrusted to us, and the foundation of the country is solid. Prince Youze, who is benevolent, filial, and intelligent, can carry on my will and should inherit the throne and rule the world!"

Yi Huawei's voice remained calm, his eyes fixed on Zhu Youze's face:

"I hope you will inherit the throne, respect the heavens and follow the ancestors, work diligently and love the people, and uphold the foundation and rules that I and my ministers have established for a hundred years."

Zhu Youze took a deep breath, took a few steps forward, lifted his robe and knelt down, his voice trembling with an imperceptible tremor: "Your son... Zhu Youze, I will obey the imperial edict! I will work hard to live up to my father's trust and live up to the country!"

After saying this, he knocked his forehead heavily on the cold gold brick.

Yi Huawei nodded slightly and said no more. He took off an ancient token from his waist, which was neither gold nor jade, and was engraved with the Hunyuan Tai Chi diagram. It was the "Hunyuan Order" symbolizing the highest supervisory power of the Martial Arts Academy, and threw it to the current director of the Martial Arts Academy standing beside him. He also took out a scroll of bright yellow silk, which was the edict of succession, and the chief eunuch of the Imperial Household Department took it solemnly. Afterwards, Yi Huawei personally handed the imperial seal to Zhu Youze. At that moment, Zhu Youze's hands trembled slightly, and finally an irrepressible complex light welled up in his eyes. Was it relief? Was it fear? Or a mixture of emotions? No one could really tell.

"Zer,"

Yi Huawei's voice softened, with a hint of emotion that only father and son could have: "The country and the people's well-being are handed over to you. Remember, military power is used to maintain peace, culture is used to govern the country, and science and technology are used to promote benefits. The world will be stable if rules are established. The Martial Arts Institute is the cornerstone of the empire and cannot be neglected."

After a pause, he glanced at several old men with profound auras in the hall—all of them were the only remaining elders of the Martial Arts Academy: "The martial arts world is still under the rules of the empire."

After doing all this, Yi Huawei seemed to have unloaded a heavy burden. He took a last look at this majestic palace, this prosperous empire, and his eyes stayed on Ren Yingying's face for a moment. Ren Yingying smiled at him and nodded gently.

There was no complicated ceremony, no lengthy admonition. Yi Huawei took Ren Yingying's hand, and the two of them swayed slightly like water waves. The next moment, in full view of everyone, they turned into two clear lights that were almost impossible to capture with the naked eye, rising into the sky, and in an instant they disappeared into the gray sky composed of steam and dust above Jinling City.

The entire court, including civil and military officials, royal nobles, and Jianghu giants, as well as the newly appointed, 100-year-old emperor Zhu Youze, were left kneeling on the ground, staring at the empty steps, unable to recover for a long time. A huge sense of loss and deep confusion about the future enveloped the entire Taihe Hall Square.

God has left His kingdom.

With Yi Huawei's departure, the invisible and huge pressure that had shrouded the empire for more than a hundred years seemed to suddenly dissipate.

Yi Huawei, the legendary emperor who used martial arts to create a super empire where technology and martial arts coexisted, and lived for a long time, has passed away. Leaving behind is a huge empire with a prosperous national power, unprecedented territory, explosive population, and rapid technological development, but also facing complex challenges such as the replacement of the old and the new, the solidification of classes, and the collision between scientific and technological ethics and individual power. It was handed over to the new emperor Zhu Youze, who seemed to be in his prime but had been waiting for a hundred years.

The wind on Mount Huashan is still biting.

Under the sea of ​​clouds, the whistle of the steam locomotive blew long and long, and the steel tracks stretched across the vast land of the empire towards the endless future. The era of Yi Huawei ended. The new era of Zhu Youze and this super empire that combined classical martial arts with modern steam and had a population of over 350 million officially began.

The new emperor Zhu Youze slowly sat on the dragon throne, feeling the cold touch. A hundred years of depression finally turned into a heavy sigh.

He knew that the mythical era of "Zhaowu" had ended, and the era of "Youze" that he had to shoulder alone had just begun. The empire's territory was still vast, and the roar of steam engines resounded everywhere, but after a hundred years of silence under the rules, would the waters of the rivers and lakes have new ripples due to the departure of the Dinghai Shenzhen? No one knew.

………………

The century-long encounters of Huashan disciples:

Linghu Chong, the unruly elder brother, had the empty titles of "fellow disciple of the emperor's teacher" and "Marquis of Xiaoyao", but never entered the court. Shortly after Yi Huawei ascended the throne, he refused all official positions and rewards, bid farewell to his master and mistress, and began to wander around the world with his wine gourd and Dugu Nine Swords.

Over the past century, he has traveled across the empire and even to more distant foreign lands. He once killed a bandit king in the desert of the Western Regions, saved a merchant ship in distress in the waves of the South China Sea, discussed Taoism with a shaman in the snowy plains outside the Great Wall, and slept drunkenly under a cherry tree in Kyoto, Fusang. His face gradually aged, his hair turned white, but his eyes were still clear and bright, and his smile was free and unrestrained. He became an immortal legend in the martial arts world - "Drunken Swordsman" Linghu Chong.

It is said that a few years before Yi Huawei abdicated, someone saw him playing chess and drinking with an old man with the same white hair under a pine tree on the top of Mount Hua. The old man had an extraordinary demeanor and was suspected to be an old friend of Yi Huawei in disguise.

At Yi Huawei's abdication ceremony, he still did not show up. He only asked someone to send a jar of century-old "Monkey Wine" and placed it in a corner of the Fengshan Terrace, as a way to congratulate the new emperor on his ascension to the throne and also to bid farewell to old friends.

Lin Pingzhi is the opposite of Linghu Chong. He chose to serve the imperial court. With his amazing comprehension, extraordinary intelligence and outstanding military exploits in suppressing the rebellion of the chieftains in the south, he was promoted all the way to the position of "General Pingnan" and was granted the title of Duke of Zhenguo. He commanded the military affairs of several provinces in the south of the empire and became an important figure in the imperial military. He was strict in military management and was good at combining new firearms with martial arts. His "Jingnan Army" was famous.

His father, Lin Zhennan, was able to hold a high position of the second rank due to his early contributions in intelligence and logistics, as well as his son's prominent status. He eventually died at the age of 100 in his Jinling residence, which was considered a life of good fortune and longevity, and completely washed away the tragic shadow of the Fuwei Escort Agency.

As an early disciple of Yue Buqun, Shi Daizi has a calm personality and is good at general affairs. In the early days of the establishment of the Wudao Academy, he was recommended by Yue Buqun to work there. With his meticulous mind, familiarity with the ways of the martial arts world, and good martial arts (he was able to pass on some Hunyuan Gong), he was gradually promoted and eventually became the head of a branch of the Wudao Academy in an important province (a third-rank official), responsible for supervising and coordinating all the affairs of the sects in the area. Although he did not have a great reputation, he was also in a high position and realized his value within the system.

Lu Dayou (Monkey) is a playful person by nature and is not suitable for the strict officialdom. After Huashan Sect became an important branch of the "Royal Martial Academy", he chose to stay in Huashan to assist his master and his wife (later the new head of the sect) in managing the huge Huashan Sect and training disciples. He became a kind of internal affairs manager of Huashan Sect. Because of his enthusiasm and fairness, he was deeply loved by young disciples. He was an important link between the upper and lower levels of Huashan Sect and died in Huashan.

Other disciples (such as Liang Fa, Gao Genming, etc.) mostly served in low- and middle-level military positions in the martial arts academy system, the imperial army system, or local government offices, or became "academy liaisons" in charge of connecting with the court in major sects. They formed a solid grassroots network in the empire's huge martial arts bureaucracy.

The missing Yi Huawei and Ren Yingying, the wandering Linghu Chong, the old and powerful new emperor Zhu Youze, the successful Lin Pingzhi, and the Huashan School disciples such as Lu Da who have settled down in the system. Their century-long life trajectories are like different projections of the fate of the empire, reflecting the afterglow of the unique Zhaowu era forged by peerless military force and steel steam.

The empire's huge machine is still rumbling and running driven by steam, but the figure who stood at the top, making rules with one hand and promoting change with the other, has already retired between heaven and earth.

A new era belonging to the "mortal" emperor Zhu Youze and the new era behind him that is larger, more complex, and full of unknown challenges slowly begins.

(End of this chapter)