Who killed the Ming Dynasty?

Purple aura arrives from the east, and the virtue of earth descends.

The young emperor shook the four directions.

Swords are wielded to drive out the barbarians in the north.

The sun and moon shine brightly again, restoring the Han territory.

At that time, Zhu Cilang ascended the throne as emperor.

In Nanjing, a children's rhyme has quietly resurfaced. This rhyme, which has been circulating for a long time, has now become a hot topic of discussion among the people.

Inside a teahouse on the banks of the Qinhuai River.

The lame old tea master, his body hunched over, steadily carried the copper kettle with both hands, nimbly moving among the tea drinkers to refill their cups.

Steam rose in the air, carrying the scent of sweat from everyone, while laughter and chatter filled the air, and teacups tapped on the table with a crisp sound.

Seven or eight people sat around a Taoist priest with a mole on his face that resembled the Big Dipper.

The Taoist priest tilted his head slightly, his gaze seemingly piercing through the roof and looking towards the sky.

With a gentle flick of his ebony whisk in the air, he recited the first two lines of a nursery rhyme aloud:

"Auspicious purple clouds rise from the east, the virtue of earth descends, and a young emperor shakes the four directions."

Having finished speaking, he put away his whisk and explained,

"This 'purple aura coming from the east' was originally an image of Lao Tzu passing through Hangu Pass, but as the stars have shifted, it now corresponds to the royal aura of Jinling."

"But how much of the profound meaning within this 'Earth Virtue Descending' can you all truly comprehend?"

As the Taoist priest with the mole on his forehead spoke, he gently shook his head, his eyes sweeping over the crowd.

Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the Taoist priest, unconsciously leaning forward, afraid of missing a single word.

The Taoist priest's lips curled into a meaningful, subtle smile, leaving much to the imagination.

Then, he cleared his throat and continued:

"The current emperor ascended the throne at a young age of 28. The founding emperor appeared to him in a dream and bestowed upon him the name 'Kunyao'."

After speaking, he dipped his finger in tea and wrote the two characters "Kunyao" on the table.

"What you may not know is that the Five Elements theory in China originated from the Hetu and Luoshu, which correspond to the Three Enclosures and Twenty-Eight Mansions, and is closely related to the fate of the nation."

The Taoist priest straightened his back slightly, his expression solemn.

"The name 'Kunyao' bestowed upon him by Emperor Taizu contains profound meaning."

"Kun represents the earth, and Yao represents three layers of earth forming a mountain; this symbolizes the earth's virtue receiving heaven's favor and bringing peace to the four seas!"

"The Jianlu people rose from the shores of the Black River; their power belongs to the water element. This time, a sage ruler of the earth element has been born..."

The Taoist priest suddenly pointed his whisk northward.

"This is a sign that our Great Ming Dynasty is suppressing the wicked dragon of Liaodong!"

His eyes shone brightly, and he raised his voice:

"The profound mysteries of the *Lianshan* and *Guicang* are beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. These ancient secret texts conceal heavenly secrets—"

"This is precisely the Heavenly Decree that Emperor Taizu laid out!"

"Heavenly Killing Trap!"

Someone couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

Upon hearing this, everyone looked surprised, exchanged glances, and then nodded in agreement, as if they had understood something.

The Taoist priest recited again:

"With swords drawn, we drive out the barbarians in the north; with the sun and moon shining brightly again, we restore the Han territory."

After reading it, he smiled and said:

"These two sentences, I presume, need no further explanation from this humble Taoist!"

"Where this three-foot-long sword points, the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun will surely return to the Han dynasty!"

"Have you all grasped the meaning of this nursery rhyme?"

One of the men, a burly man with a face full of scars who looked like a butcher, said in a deep, gruff voice:

"Can we really take these kinds of superstitious prophecies seriously? I don't really believe in them."

"How can we refuse?"

An old man stroked his beard and chimed in, his cuffs frayed with loose threads, his eyes revealing a hint of the aloofness of a down-on-his-luck scholar.

"In the second year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, a children's rhyme sang in Shaanxi: 'Eighteen sons, master of the divine weapon.'"

"Later, Li Zicheng's rebellion indeed occurred... The will of Heaven is unpredictable and must be carefully observed!"

The burly butcher slammed his fist on the table, making the teacups rattle.

"I'm just a rough, unsophisticated butcher; how would I know anything about those mystical concepts of earth and water virtues!"

"But as long as we can cut off the heads of those Tartars, I wouldn't hesitate to donate half a year's worth of meat-selling earnings to pay the army's pay!"

For a time, the teahouse was abuzz with discussion, and the atmosphere was lively.

A young scholar, clutching the "Luxuriant Dew of the Spring and Autumn Annals," looked around, then suddenly leaned forward and whispered:

"Gentlemen, be careful what you say! Haven't you heard that walls have ears? It's best to avoid speaking your mind!"

The young scholar's words had not yet faded.

"Waaah—"

Suddenly, the copper kettle in the teahouse emitted a long, drawn-out sound, and the white steam spouting from its spout resembled the breath of a dragon.

While everyone was still stunned, the Taoist priest slammed his hand on the table and stood up, shouting sternly:

"The sound of the pot resonates like metal! The metallic sound echoes the virtue of earth, a sign of harmony between heaven and earth!"

The tea drinkers immediately stirred.

The old tea master, however, hunched over and slowly opened the teapot lid:

"Master, please don't be offended. This broken pot is causing the earth's veins to burp at three quarters past Shen time. The water vapor is pressing down on the Lianshan hexagram position, which naturally causes coughing."

Amidst the uproar of laughter, the butcher laughed so hard that he knocked over a teacup with his elbow.

He hurriedly reached out to steady the teacup, ignoring the tea foam clinging to his rough cloth sleeves.

Amidst the laughter of the crowd, the Taoist priest remained as slender and elegant as ever, unmoved.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, his left hand forming a hand seal:

"When Heaven unleashes its killing intent, it moves the stars; when Earth unleashes its killing intent, it sends dragons and snakes flying."

The Taoist priest's voice suddenly deepened.

"In the fourth year of the Jianwen reign, a white rainbow pierced the sun, foreshadowing the Prince of Yan's conquest of Yingtian. This is clear and unmistakable evidence in history!"

He suddenly opened his eyes and prophesied:

"Last night, this humble Taoist observed the heavens and saw a faint blood-red light appear in the Purple Palace Enclosure—"

"Sir, let's see if good news arrives from Texas in a month?"

......

Before the morning court session, the high walls of the Forbidden City were not yet illuminated by the morning light.

The room was dimly lit, with only a few lanterns casting a dim yellow light.

The officials, dressed in court robes, gathered in twos and threes, their expressions varied, and they were talking in hushed tones.

An official in a scarlet robe, looking anxious, asked the two people beside him:

"The new emperor has only been on the throne for a few days. Have you heard any news about the results of the six court recommendations?"

The other person looked puzzled and quickly asked:

"What exactly is the procedure for this 'Court Selection Meeting'? Although I hold a position in the court, I know very little about its intricacies."

The official in the scarlet robe slightly raised his chin, cleared his throat, and explained:

"This 'court recommendation' is an ancestral system of our dynasty. Whenever there is a vacancy for a position of the third rank or above, His Majesty will summon the Nine Ministers and the Censorate to discuss it."

Suddenly, he lowered his voice and leaned closer.

"Although it has existed in name only since the Chongzhen reign, the current emperor wants to restore the old ways."

"The other day, during a meeting in the court, the Southern Zhili faction and the Zhejiang faction argued fiercely over a vice minister's post, even breaking two of their ivory tablets in the process."

"The wind has gotten through."

The person who answered leaned against a pillar, covering his mouth with the sleeve of his official robe, and replied in a low voice,

"In this 'court recommendation,' Shi Daolin (Shi Kefa) not only continued to head the Ministry of War, but was also promoted to Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall and Dongge Xing, which is equivalent to the position of prime minister."

The other person nodded slightly, while glancing at the reactions of those around them out of the corner of their eye, and added:

"Ma Yaocao (Ma Shiying) was not to be outdone. He was the Minister of Rites with the title of Wenyuan Pavilion, and he also served as the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief."

His eyes swept lightly over the half-open door of the guardhouse, which was about two zhang away.

"This 'court recommendation' appears to be a collective decision by high-ranking officials, but behind the scenes, there's a lot of collusion! This water is unfathomably deep!"

Having said that, he seemed to be burned by his own words, abruptly stopping himself, subconsciously wiping his forehead with his sleeve, and quickly adding:

"Cough... The sky looks like it's going to rain today."

They were afraid that others would overhear them.

After the discussions in the court room subsided, a long, drawn-out bell rang out, and the officials straightened their court robes and filed towards the Wuying Hall.

Zhu Cilang issued an edict ordering the court officials to jointly recommend key ministers from the six ministries, appointing the virtuous and capable to stabilize the court.

He promoted Shi Kefa to Minister of War, Ma Shiying to Minister of Rites, Gao Hongtu to Minister of Revenue, Zhang Shenyan to Minister of Personnel, Cheng Zhu to Minister of Works, and Xie Xuelong to Minister of Justice.

The six ministers each performed their duties and worked together to advance the affairs of the state.