I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 163 Return to the Forbidden City
December of the 45th year of the Jiajing reign.

Snowflakes fell from the sky one after another, landing silently in the city of Beijing.

A thin layer of snow quickly gathered on the yellow tiles and red walls, on the black roofs of the courtyards, on the treetops and pavilions, and on the streets and alleys.

A layer of snow soon covered the shoulders of Li Shizhen and Wan Mizhai's outer coats and fur hats, just like their mood at the moment, solemn and silent.

The two walked out of Xi'an Gate and turned to Feng Bao who was seeing them off, and said with a long bow: "Eunuch Feng, please stay. I'm leaving now."

Feng Bao looked carefree and said, "Thank you for your hard work, gentlemen. The snow is getting stronger and stronger. Please be careful on the road."

Li Shizhen and Wan Mizhai's hearts skipped a beat, and they immediately replied, "Don't worry, Eunuch Feng. We will be careful."

"Goodbye, our family won't see you off."

Li Shizhen and Wan Mizhai turned around and left, walked along the straight road for dozens of steps, and came to an open space where two sedan chairs were parked. The two looked at each other and got into their respective sedan chairs.

Feng Bao stood at the door, looking at the two of them through the falling snow.

After the two people's sedan chair was lifted up and moved away, he turned his head to glance at the Dongchang official beside him and pursed his lips.

The eunuch bowed silently, turned and left.

Li Shizhen and Wan Mizhai's sedan chair traveled in the wind and snow for two quarters of an hour and stopped in front of the Huiyou Building near the medical clinic and pharmacy.

Wan Mizhai and Li Shizhen got out of the sedan chair and looked up at the flags on the Huiyou Building.

"Brother Dongbi, it's freezing cold and you've been busy all night. Why don't you go in and have some hot mutton soup?"

"Yes, please."

The two sat down in a private room on the second floor and ordered a large bowl of mutton soup, four flatbreads, and two plates of pickles.

They seemed to be hungry. As soon as the soup and noodles were served, they began to eat them voraciously. After eating for a while, they could not help but take off the fur hats on their heads, and wisps of white steam came through their hair.

"Knock knock" someone is knocking on the door outside.

Before Li Shizhen and Wan Mizhai could say anything, someone pushed the door open and rushed in, wearing a fur hat and a coat. He smiled and bowed, saying, "Excuse me, both of you. But you just came out of the West Garden?"

"Get out!" Li Shizhen shouted without even raising his head.

The visitor's expression changed slightly, and his tone was threatening: "You two, don't refuse a toast and drink a forfeit!"

"Get out!" Wan Mizhai added after taking a sip of soup.

The visitor's expression changed completely. He looked at the two men's faces twice and left angrily.

As he walked downstairs, he glanced at the people sitting at a table in the lobby on the second floor and nodded to the man in the lead who was wearing a cotton-wrapped hat.

The man was none other than the head of the Eastern Depot who had received instructions from Feng Bao and was in disguise.

Li Shizhen and Wan Mizhai quickly finished a large bowl of mutton soup, and they also devoured four buns with the mutton soup and pickles.

After a burp, Li Shizhen touched his stomach and complained, "Brother Mi Zhai, Beijing is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. I regret coming here."

Wan Mi Zhai smiled bitterly and said, "Brother Dongbi, there is no point in regretting. Now that we are here and have entered this vortex, it will be difficult to leave."

Li Shizhen let out a long sigh.

Knock, knock! Someone is knocking on the door again.

Li Shizhen and Wan Mizhai looked at each other, looking helpless.

The person outside knocked a few times, but when the person inside didn't respond, he simply pushed the door open.

The man was about forty years old, wearing a brocade-embroidered coat, a jade hanging from his belt, and a fox fur hat. He was elegant and refined, like a well-educated scholar. He bowed and smiled and said, "Gentlemen, I am sorry to bother you."

Li Shizhen and Wan Mizhai said nothing, but just looked at him quietly.

"Here is a draft from Huijin Bank for 4,000 taels. It's for tea for the two gentlemen. Just answer one of my questions and I'll give you another 2,000 taels."

Li Shizhen shook his head, sighed, stood up and walked straight away from the learned scholar.

Wan Mi Zhai also stood up and walked past the learned scholar. He said with regret, "You are also a scholar. Why do you have to do such a dangerous thing?"

The learned scholar didn't understand what was going on, so he followed them downstairs, only to see Li Shizhen and Wan Mizhai getting into sedan chairs and heading straight to their respective pharmacies and clinics.

The learned scholar suddenly panicked and quickly got into his sedan chair, stamping his feet on the floor, "Hurry up, go back home!"

As soon as the sedan chair turned into an alley, it was stopped from the front and back.

The learned scholar was startled, lifted the curtain of the sedan chair and asked, "Who are you?"

"You are from the East Depot. Mr. Yang, why are you here in the snow instead of staying at home to serve your master?"

The Dongchang thug who took the lead was the one who was sitting in the hall on the second floor just now.

Yang Xiucai cried out in horror, "Dongchang, what are you going to do?"

"Please invite Mr. Yang to come to our East Factory to ask a question. Please come in."

Emperor Jiajing was lying on the bed, extremely thin, his already thin face now covered with skin. His cheekbones were high and protruding like two mountains. His eye sockets were sunken. His lips were gray and black.

Zhu Yijun held a bowl of ginseng soup and said carefully, "Grandpa Emperor, drink some medicine."

Emperor Jiajing exhaled very slowly, taking all his strength to inhale, and it seemed as if his entire chest collapsed when he exhaled. He slowly opened his eyes, looked around feebly, found Zhu Yijun, and then slowly focused his eyes on him. With his right hand trembling and groping, Zhu Yijun quickly handed the bowl to Li Fang and reached out to grab Emperor Jiajing's skinny hand.

"Grandpa Emperor, your grandson is here."

Emperor Jiajing opened his mouth and wanted to speak.

Zhu Yijun quickly put his ear closer.

"Return to the Forbidden City."

Emperor Jiajing used all his strength and spoke tremblingly.

Zhu Yijun's eyes were red, and he tried hard not to cry. He held the cold hand of Emperor Jiajing with his warm hand and said softly, "Grandfather Emperor, your grandson will arrange it right away."

Emperor Jiajing nodded, looking relieved.

Zhu Yijun gently put Emperor Jiajing's hand back into the quilt and quietly left the inner room.

"Li Fang, look at Grandpa Huang."

Li Fang lowered her head and replied hoarsely, "Yes."

Zhu Yijun walked to the outer room, where three eunuchs were standing: Feng Bao, Liu Yi, and Fang Liang.

"Fang Liang!"

"The slave is here!"

"Seal off the Western Garden, the Imperial Household Department and related personnel. During this period, all must eat and live in their own places and are not allowed to leave without permission. Those who disobey this order will be executed!"

"Yes!"

"Liu Yi!"

"The slave is here!"

"Dispatch the Warrior Battalion to seal off all gates of the Forbidden City. Strictly check people entering and leaving the inner court, and prohibit the carrying of private letters.

The Imperial Stables' Jingjun troops were guarding the gates of all the palaces in the Forbidden City and passed down the order that during this extraordinary period, all the elders in the palace should keep an eye on their people and not walk around without permission.

If I have offended you, I will come to apologize in the future."

Liu Yi listened quietly.

"People in each palace are strictly prohibited from visiting each other, and are strictly prohibited from asking about anything in private. Anyone who dares to disobey the order will be beaten to death immediately!"

"Yes!"

"Feng Bao."

"The slave is here!"

"Go and invite Mr. Huang."

"Yes."

After the three men left, Zhu Yijun put his hands in his sleeves and slowly walked out of the back hall of Wanshou Palace. He stood on the steps and corridor, looking at the sky.

The sky was as dark as lead and gray, pressing down on the top of the head, as if it would collapse at any moment.

The Jiajing reign ended in the 45th year.

The Ming Dynasty is about to enter a new era.

Huang Jin followed Feng Bao and ran over in a hurry.

"Your Highness, the Emperor?"

As soon as they met, Huang Jin couldn't wait to ask.

"Grandpa Emperor ordered us to return to the Forbidden City."

Huang Jin couldn't stop her tears from flowing.

Zhu Yijun also shed two lines of tears silently.

After waiting for a while, Zhu Yijun took Huang Jin's arm and said softly but firmly: "Mr. Huang, now is not the time to be sad. I have already issued an order to seal off the Western Garden and the Forbidden City.

"The Imperial Household Department?"

"I have received the order from His Highness, and I have also explained to those little guys that they should not let any grass grow in their hearts at this time, otherwise, both the grass and the head will be cut off."

"Okay. Lord Huang, the Imperial Household Department is the most important. If it issues false orders, some ambitious people in the outer court will seize the opportunity to cause chaos. I am not afraid of their rebellion, but I don't want to be disgusted by these villains when Grandpa Huang passes away."

"Yes, I understand your highness's painstaking efforts."

"Mr. Huang, issue an imperial edict in the name of the Imperial Household Department, ordering Duke Cheng Zhu Xizhong to take charge of the Supervisory Office, Marquis Zhenyuan Gu Huan to take charge of the Beijing Camp, and Zhu Xixiao to take charge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Transfer Qi Jiguang to lead the new army camp to the North City."

"Yes."

"It's done. Let's send Grandpa Emperor back to the Forbidden City."

(End of this chapter)