In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 1070 The Black Sword Soars into the Sky

The next morning, before dawn, the area outside the Imperial City of Yingtian was already brightly lit.

The moon still hung in the sky, growing fainter and fainter.

The palace roads surrounding the Temple of Heaven were already lined with Imperial Guards, their black armor gleaming coldly in the morning light.

A forest of spears stood silently in solemn silence!
The air was filled with the faint scent of incense and candles, exuding a solemn and dignified atmosphere.

Nobles and officials of all ranks, both civil and military, dressed in court robes, lined up in order of their rank.

From Chengtianmen all the way to the Temple of Heaven, amidst the fluttering of robes, the crisp sound of jade pendants clattering rose and fell, yet no one dared to make a loud noise.

Li Jinglong, dressed in a scarlet duke's court robe, stood at the forefront of the nobles.
The fatigue from days of travel had not yet subsided, and his face showed a more serious expression.

His gaze swept over Xu Huizu beside him.
The other party still maintained that resolute and composed demeanor.

But a barely perceptible wariness lurked deep in his eyes.

At the stroke of dawn, three deep, resonant chimes echoed from the depths of the imperial city, reverberating through the heavens.

Immediately, ceremonial music began, and solemn and melodious horns echoed throughout the Temple of Heaven.

Zhu Yuanzhang, dressed in a dragon robe with twelve imperial symbols, walked slowly out of the Fengtian Hall, surrounded by several princes and guards.

The figure of this founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty was much more hunched than before, his hair already as white as snow, neatly combed but unable to hide its thinning.
The wrinkles on his face were deep as ravines, extending down to his neck.

Only those eyes occasionally flashed with a sharp light, but most of the time they were shrouded in weariness.

His steps were slow, each one heavy.

The eunuchs beside him carefully supported him, afraid that he might make the slightest mistake.

All the officials bowed in unison, their voices perfectly synchronized.

"Long live my emperor! Long live!"

Zhu Yuanzhang did not raise his hand to signal for people to rise as he usually did.
Instead, he remained silent for a moment before slowly saying in a hoarse voice:

"Be flat."

Everyone stood up, their gazes unconsciously falling on the side of Zhu Yuanzhang, where the Crown Prince Zhu Biao should have been sitting.

In the past, when offering sacrifices to Heaven, the Crown Prince would always stay close to the Emperor, assisting with the rituals.
Sometimes, the crown prince would even preside over the proceedings himself, acting as the emperor.

But today, that spot is completely empty!

Many people who witnessed this scene exchanged glances and furtive glances, their expressions varied.

Worry, doubt, scheming, unease—all sorts of thoughts spread among the court officials.
The oppressive atmosphere in the air grew even heavier.

Seeing this, Li Jinglong's heart sank. The fact that the Crown Prince had not appeared for such an important event as the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven was enough to show that his condition had become extremely serious.

The sacrificial ceremony to Heaven proceeded in an orderly manner.

First came the welcoming of the gods, with the master of ceremonies loudly proclaiming "Greetings!"
The wisps of smoke from the burning incense and candles rose gently into the sky.

Zhu Yuanzhang stood before the main altar in the Temple of Heaven, bowed in worship, his movements slightly slow, yet still meticulous.

The officials behind him, arranged according to rank, offered incense and knelt in worship in turn.
The music and rituals never ceased, yet they could not quell the turmoil in people's hearts.

Next came the offering of jade and silk, and the presentation of sacrificial offerings, which had already been prepared.

The three sacrificial animals—cattle, sheep, and oxen—were neatly arranged, and the jade and silk were crystal clear, all of which were of the highest standard.

The master of ceremonies spoke loudly and clearly, strictly adhering to ancestral rules in every step, allowing no room for error.

However, many people present were no longer focused on the ceremony; their minds were preoccupied with the power struggles to come.
A country cannot be without a ruler for a day, and a ruler cannot be without a crown prince for a day.

When the crown prince falls ill, it is often the most turbulent time for the dynasty.

It is both a danger and an opportunity!

Some will face confiscation of their property and extermination of their entire clan, while others will gain merit for their service in supporting the emperor.

Throughout history, there has never been an exception.

Just as the sacrificial ceremony to heaven was about to begin,

Zhu Yuanzhang was holding a wine cup, preparing to offer a sacrifice to Heaven.
A sudden burst of hurried footsteps broke the solemnity of the Temple of Heaven.

A dark-skinned imperial guard rushed over, dismounted outside the Temple of Heaven, and looked anxious.

Guo Zhen, who was on guard duty on the outer perimeter, suddenly changed his expression. The imperial guards beside him immediately stepped forward, blocking him with long swords and spears, and shouted at him:
"This is the Temple of Heaven, a place of solemn importance. How dare you make such a loud noise! ​​This is outrageous!"

The imperial guard, with a solemn expression, shouted to Guo Zhen, who was clad in armor:
"General, the Central Military Command is on fire, and the fire is spreading rapidly!"

Guo Zhen's expression changed drastically, and some officials at the end of the line turned around abruptly, their faces filled with astonishment.

On the day of offering sacrifices to Heaven, the imperial city caught fire. This was no small matter!
After listening to the Imperial Guards' account, Guo Zhen waved his hand:
"understood!"

He summoned three imperial guards and gave them his orders:
"Quietly enter the ranks and inform the commanders of this matter."

"Yes!"

Guo Zhen personally rushed from the outer perimeter to the front, entered the Temple of Heaven from one side, and soon arrived in front of Zhu Yuanzhang:
"Your Majesty, the Central Military Command has caught fire."

Zhu Yuanzhang paused slightly in his grip on the wine cup, his cloudy eyes suddenly sharpening as he said in a deep voice:
"What caused the fire? How bad is the fire?"

"Return to your majesty!"

Guo Zhen bowed and reported:
"The fire started first in the storeroom on the west side of the Central Military Governor's Mansion."
The wind fanned the flames, and the fire had spread to the main hall, sending thick smoke billowing into the sky.

The guards inside the manor are fighting the fire, but it's too intense and may be difficult to control!

Zhu Yuanzhang's face instantly darkened.

A fire during a sacrificial ceremony to Heaven is truly an ominous sign.

He turned to look at Xu Huizu, who was standing at the front of the nobles. He was the one who was now in charge of the Central Military Commission.

Xu Huizu, having also learned of the fire, looked grave and stepped forward slightly, whispering:
"Your Majesty, I will lead men back to put out the fire."

Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent for a moment. The sacrificial ceremony to Heaven was at a crucial moment, and it would be improper for a commander to leave at this time.

He said in a deep voice:

"The sacrificial ceremony to Heaven must not be interrupted, and as the governor, you cannot leave."

He ordered each prefecture to send its capable subordinates back to fight the fire, to bring it under control, and to investigate the cause of the fire!

"Yes! Your Majesty!"

Xu Huizu quickly agreed, feeling slightly relieved, and then turned to give instructions.

Zhu Shou, from the Left Army Commander-in-Chief's Office, also learned of this matter. He turned to look at Yue Zhongda at the end of the ranks:

"Advisor Yue!"

Yue Zhongda had been secretly keeping an eye on things. When he heard the summons, he breathed a sigh of relief. He had made the right bet!

Today is the day of the Heaven-worshiping ceremony. Among the officials of the Left Army Commandery, he has the lowest rank, only a third-rank official. He is most likely to be sent to handle such urgent and miscellaneous tasks.

He immediately stepped forward, bowed, and said:
"The general is here!"

"You must immediately take men to put out the fire and rush to the Central Military Commander's Mansion!"

Zhu Shou's voice was urgent:

"Do everything in your power to extinguish the fire, protect the documents and archives within the government compound, thoroughly investigate the cause of the fire, and report any developments immediately!"

"I will obey your orders!"

Yue Zhongda responded in a deep voice, his expression calm and composed.

The other commanders also issued orders, sending their capable subordinates to lead men to assist in the firefighting efforts.

In an instant, more than a dozen people left the large procession at the Temple of Heaven, and the atmosphere instantly became tense!

Yue Zhongda quickly stepped out of the line.
His position was originally at the very bottom of the Governor's Office officials.

There was no need to hide it at this moment; he hurried towards the Governor's Mansion!
A cold wind blew in my face, stinging my cheeks.
Yue Zhongda didn't care at all; he only felt his heart pounding so hard he could hardly control it!

The next fifteen minutes will determine his life, fortune, and wealth for the rest of his life!
Before long, he could see thick smoke rising into the sky from the Central Military Governor's Mansion from a great distance.
The black column of smoke was particularly glaring in the early morning sky, and you could even see the flickering flames.

The area around the Central Military Command is in complete chaos.
Many soldiers carried buckets of water and wooden ladders and ran towards the fire. Palace eunuchs and servants also rushed to provide support!

"Quick! Get the bucket!"

"The roof beams over there are about to collapse! Get out of the way!"

The chaotic shouts and coughs mingled together, creating a scene of utter chaos.

Yue Zhongda strode to the gate of the Left Army Commander's Mansion and gave instructions to the soldiers on duty:
"Everyone, listen up! Immediately grab buckets and basins and follow me to the Central Military Commander's Mansion to put out the fire!"

Upon seeing the advisor return, everyone in the manor immediately felt reassured.
They immediately responded and ran to get firefighting tools.

Yue Zhongda's gaze swept across the mansion, noticing that everyone was busy preparing to put out the fire and no one was paying attention to him.

With a sudden thought, he took advantage of the chaos and quickly headed towards the archives on the west side of the mansion. The archives of the Left Army Commander's Mansion was an independent courtyard surrounded by walls and was usually heavily guarded.

At this moment, the guards all went to find fire-fighting equipment, and the courtyard was empty.

Yue Zhongda moved swiftly, quickly pushing open the slightly ajar door and slipping inside.

He slammed the door shut behind him, completely shutting out the chaos outside.

Inside the archives, rows of bookshelves are neatly arranged, filled with densely packed documents and archives, and the air is filled with the musty smell of paper.

Without the slightest hesitation, Yue Zhongda pulled out an oil paper package from his pocket.

Upon opening it, I found it was filled with dark gunpowder powder!
Following the numbered list, he quickly located the bookshelf containing the archives of the Northern Expedition in the 21st year of the Hongwu reign and the Yunnan War in the 22nd year.

With these files categorized and clearly labeled, he quickly identified his target.

Yue Zhongda evenly sprinkled gunpowder powder on the top and middle shelves of the bookshelf, and then sprinkled some on the sides of the bookshelf. He then took out a tinderbox and blew on it.

The faint firelight flickered in the dimly lit archives, casting an unpredictable shadow on his face.

Yue Zhongda took a deep breath, his eyes hardening.
Bring the tinderbox close to the paper sprinkled with gunpowder.

"call!"

Gunpowder powder ignites instantly upon contact with fire, and flames leap up and spread rapidly along the paper.

The dry documents burned extremely quickly, billowing thick smoke in the blink of an eye, the crackling sound particularly clear in the silent archives.

Thick smoke began to fill the warehouse, choking Yue Zhongda and causing him to cough uncontrollably.

Without lingering, he confirmed that the fire was out of control, turned around, strode out of the archives, closed the door behind him, and left quickly!

Instead of rushing to the Central Military Governor's Mansion immediately, he first scaled the wall to the backyard, picked up the large fish tank next to the pavilion, and hurriedly ran towards the mansion gate.

Then, they mingled with a group of officials and guards and rushed towards the Central Military Command!
He mingled among the firefighters, his face contorted with anxiety.

"Quickly, quickly, send someone to the Six Ministries and order the clerks and guards left behind to come and put out the fire!"

As soon as Yue Zhongda rushed to the gate of the Central Military Governor's Mansion, a scorching heat wave hit him in the face, causing him to cough a few more times.

The scene before him was even more horrific than when he had seen it from afar.
The storage shed on the west side had long since been burned down, leaving only the charred wooden frame, with sparks flying everywhere and the crackling sound of burning deafeningly loud.

The adjacent side room was also not spared.

The roof had mostly collapsed, and the red flames licked at the ruins.

Thick smoke billowed into the sky.

The morning sky was tinged with darkness.

"Flush it! Fill the tub with water and aim it at the base of the roof beams!"

"Sand! Bring all the spare dry sand over here to smother the remaining fire!"

Chaotic shouts rose and fell.

Soldiers clad in black armor, carrying buckets of water and wooden ladders, roared as they charged towards the fire.

The eunuchs and maids from the palace also carried prepared sandbags.
He ran quickly over and threw handfuls of sand at the spreading flames.

The sand grains landed on the crimson flames, instantly turning into wisps of smoke, but they barely managed to stop the fire from spreading.

Everyone's face was covered in soot, and sweat mixed with soot dripped down, leaving black streaks. Their once neat robes were also burned with holes by the sparks.

But no one cared about these things. A fire broke out at the foot of the imperial city on the day of the sacrificial ceremony. The severity of the situation was obvious, and the imperial city must have been extremely tense!

If you slack off, you could lose your life at any moment.

"Protect the archives! Guard the offices of all the officials!"

A sharp roar came from the fire.
Mei Jin, the Vice Commander of the Central Military Commission, rushed over and stood in front of a relatively intact building, holding a long sword and directing the people to divert and fight the fire.

He was in his fifties, with a tense face and bulging veins on his forehead.

The long robe he wore for the sacrificial ceremony was blackened by smoke, yet his eyes remained sharp, fixed intently on the direction in which the fire was spreading.
"The fire is shooting northeast!"

That's the side storeroom where the documents are kept; guard it! Don't let the fire get even a step closer!

Yue Zhongda followed his gaze and saw that the building marked "Wenzang Pianku" was only a few feet away from the fire.

The walls had turned yellow from the smoke, and the wooden rafters under the eaves were getting hot, threatening to ignite at any moment.

He steadied himself, picked up the large vat, and rushed towards the well. The icy well water splashed on his hands, which slightly calmed the burning sensation in his heart.

He carried water back and forth,
While observing the situation discreetly,
Although the fire was fierce, it was mainly concentrated in the storage room and side hall.
As long as the core area is defended, it shouldn't cause too much damage.

Looking at the towering flames, Yue Zhongda felt a strange sense of unease.

On the day of the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, fires broke out one after another in the imperial city, compounded by the Crown Prince's serious illness and the vacancy of the Minister of Personnel.

Various incidents intertwined,
It even conveyed a sense that the Ming Dynasty was on the verge of collapse!

Just like this house in front of us, which is now just a skeleton, it may look sturdy, but it has long harbored hidden dangers.

"Keep pushing! The fire is under control!"

Someone shouted, and Yue Zhongda looked up to see that the spreading flames were gradually being brought under control and were no longer spreading outwards.

Only the two burning buildings remained, still crackling, and the sparks gradually thinned out.

Seeing this, the morale of the crowd soared.
They watered and sprinkled sand even more diligently, trying to completely extinguish the remaining fire.

From the time the fire started to the time it was brought under control, it took no more than fifteen minutes.

Although two buildings were lost, the archives and government offices were at least saved.

Mei Jin breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the soot off her face.
Just as the order to take stock of the losses was about to be given, someone suddenly pointed to the horizon and shouted:

"Look! There's still smoke over there!"

All eyes turned to the direction the man was pointing.

A wisp of thick black smoke was slowly rising from not far away, facing the column of smoke from the Central Military Governor's Mansion, like two black swords piercing the morning sky.

"That's the Left Army Commandery!" someone exclaimed.

"How could there be another fire?"

Panic gripped the crowd instantly; their weariness was replaced by profound shock.
On the day of the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, both governor's mansions caught fire simultaneously.

This is no coincidence; it is clearly a deliberate act of sabotage!

Yue Zhongda glanced around and was the first to react, bursting into a tirade of curses:

"There are traitors causing chaos!"

"All troops under the Left Army Commander-in-Chief, return immediately to put out the fire! Hurry!"

His voice was loud and clear, drowning out the whispers of the crowd.

Yue Zhongda knew that he had to seize the initiative and characterize the incident as a rebellion by traitors.

This aligns with the plan and also clears him of suspicion.
In fact, it was indeed a traitor who caused the chaos, but the traitor was none other than himself.

Yue Zhongda collected his thoughts, immediately turned to Mei Jin, and said with a solemn expression:
"Lord Mei! The two fires are no accident! It must be the work of traitors, whose purpose is to disrupt the sacrificial ceremony!"

Mei Jin's expression also became extremely solemn.

On the day of the sacrificial ceremony, two strategic locations caught fire simultaneously. If you say that no one manipulated it, I would never believe it.

"Mr. Mei, there is no time to lose!"

Yue Zhongda stepped forward, his tone urgent yet clear:
"Please send someone immediately to report to His Majesty and the other commanders, explaining the situation."
At the same time, the Imperial Guards were deployed to block off the surrounding main roads and strictly check all personnel coming and going, ensuring that no suspicious person was allowed to escape!

Mei Jin nodded, then immediately turned to one of her personal guards and gave the following instructions:
"Go and report to His Majesty and the Duke of Wei that there have been traitors setting fires and that we are doing our best to deal with it. We request His Majesty to send the Imperial Guards to provide support and seal off the capital!"

"Yes!"

The guards responded and ran off!

The sacrificial ceremony at the Temple of Heaven is still ongoing.

Zhu Yuanzhang stood before the main seat, his expression solemn. Looking at the incense and candles before him, the sharpness in his eyes grew stronger.

The ceremonial music remained solemn.
But it could no longer conceal the chaos and unease in the air.

The plumes of black smoke rising from the Central Military Command's headquarters had already been seen by everyone.
The officials had different thoughts.
The piety of the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven had already been disrupted by this upheaval.

Was this fire an accident, or was it deliberately set off?

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded again.
This time, no one could resist their curiosity and turned to look. Even Zhu Yuanzhang turned his head sharply!

But the next moment, everyone was stunned, and their expressions changed drastically!
Two plumes of black smoke rose into the sky not far away, not far apart.
Another fire has broken out!

(End of this chapter)