Ming East India Company

In the twenty-third year of the Wanli reign, on the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, as the year drew to a close, a biting north wind swept across the layers of glazed tile roofs of the Forbidden City, carrying with it the remaining snow.

The bronze beasts on the eaves were chilled by the cold wind, and the bronze bells under the eaves rang muffledly. The entire imperial city was immersed in the busyness of the year-end.

Only in the West Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace, candles burned all night long.

The underground heating was burning brightly, completely shutting out the icy snow outside the window. The floor was covered with a thick scarlet velvet carpet. Emperor Wanli, Zhu Yijun, leaned against the imperial couch by the window, wrapped in a dark blue silk robe with twelve dragon patterns, the collar and cuffs of which were trimmed with dense snow-white fox fur.

"Weichuan! Has there been any news from the Korean battlefield lately?"

"Your Majesty, since the Japanese pirates retreated to the south of Korea last year, there has been no further activity, and the situation has been peaceful for over a year."

Tian Yi, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, gave a proper and respectful reply.

"Alas! It seems there's no hope for a victory at the Imperial Ancestral Temple this year." Emperor Wanli's eyes were filled with disappointment.

"Your Majesty, the fact that there are no military achievements to report proves that the world is at peace, and the rivers are calm and the water is clear. Skilled warriors have no illustrious achievements; this is Your Majesty's achievement!" Tian Yi flattered Wanli obsequiously.

"Well, since there's nothing important, you can proceed with processing the ministers' memorials as they come."

As the war eased, Emperor Wanli, Zhu Yijun, returned to his usual laziness, and resumed his state of not attending court or reviewing memorials.

"Your Majesty, there is another matter. The dragon bones sent by Ryukyu will arrive in the capital the day after tomorrow. We request that Your Majesty go and inspect them at that time."

"Oh!" Emperor Wanli became interested. In June of this year, Luo Sigong, the military supervisor on Ryukyu Island, reported to the court that he had killed more than 2,000 Japanese pirates and had also "assisted" Fujian in defeating Japanese pirates in many places along the coast.

The number of heads collected from various regions reached over four thousand, which delighted Emperor Wanli.

Along with this, Luo Sigong also submitted a memorial praising auspicious omens, claiming that he had discovered "dragon bones" on the Ryukyu Islands, with a snake's body and deer antlers, and a length of over three zhang (approximately 10 meters).

Luo Sigong also claimed that when the dragon fell to the ground, it was covered in golden light, its roar never ceased, and its sound lingered for miles... This vivid description completely stunned his superiors Zhang Cheng and Tian Yi.

Out of curiosity, Wanli immediately ordered Luo Sigong and Fujian officials to send the dragon bones to Beijing for the ministers to inspect.

This caused a huge uproar, with countless people in the court rushing to voice their opposition. Many ministers advised Wanli that this was "indulging in frivolous pursuits and neglecting to cultivate good fortune," and some even compared it to the "Flower and Stone Tribute" of Emperors Huizong and Qinzong, calling it "an omen of the Jingkang Incident."

Enraged, Wanli refused to attend court for a month and ordered Zhang Cheng to send the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard to personally escort him to Beijing.

This made Zhang Cheng and Tian Yi nervous for a long time, because Luo Sigong was recommended by them, and it was entirely their plan to appoint him as the military supervisor in Ryukyu. If anything went wrong, the two of them would not be able to escape the blame for negligence.

Fortunately, a few days earlier, a trusted confidant had examined the so-called "dragon bones" and confirmed that they were absolutely genuine, which put their minds at ease.

"Tomorrow, I will place the dragon bone in the main hall and let those ministers who are always trying to undermine me see for themselves. I will show them that I am indeed the emperor who is restoring the dynasty, and that is why Heaven has sent down this auspicious omen."

"Wei Chuan, go and take care of it. Tomorrow I will be holding court; all ministers must be present, and there must be no mistakes."

"Yes, ma'am."

The next morning, in the Fengtian Hall, Emperor Zhu Yijun, the Shenzong Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, sat on the Nine-Dragon Throne, the twelve imperial symbols shining brightly.

Civil officials and military officers stood in two rows on either side of the platform, according to their rank.

At noon, three clear, resonant bell tolled from the direction of the Meridian Gate. Then, twenty sturdy Imperial Guards, dressed in scarlet flying fish robes, slowly approached carrying a massive vermilion wooden box. The box was covered with yellow silk and secured at its four corners with gilded bronze clasps. Upon reaching the foot of the steps, the Imperial Guards knelt on one knee and loudly announced, "Your Majesty, the dragon bones sent from heaven by the Ryukyu Domain have been respectfully delivered to the palace!"

Upon hearing this, the Wanli Emperor on his throne brightened slightly, immediately raised his hand to stroke his beard, and spoke in a steady voice with an undisguised hint of anticipation: "Summon them!"

Two officials from the Court of State Ceremonial stepped forward, holding the master of ceremonies' bow, and led the procession carrying the box slowly up the steps. Inside the Golden Palace, all the officials leaned forward slightly, their eyes fixed on the vermilion wooden box. The hall was silent for a moment, except for the clear dripping of the water clock from the bronze crane on the ceiling.

Once the wooden box was securely placed on the steps of the hall, the chief eunuch stepped forward, unlocked it with a gilded key, and slowly lifted the yellow silk ribbon to open the box lid. In an instant, a low gasp of surprise echoed through the hall.

The box contained not scattered bones, but a complete skeleton—from the skull to the coccyx, without any missing parts.

Its body was like a snake, its head like a pig, but it had two bright horns. Inside the box were some broken bones, from which one could vaguely discern sharp claws and teeth as sharp as an eagle's.

The spine consists of thirty-six interlocking vertebrae, each weighing over a hundred pounds.

The ribs spread out like a giant fan, totaling twenty-four pairs, layer upon layer, encircling the whole body; the coccyx unfolds in a fan shape.

Its overall shape subtly resembles the "dragon shape" described in ancient books, and is a hundred times better than the bones of ordinary beasts.

"This, how is this possible?" The ministers in the court were stunned by the scene before them and began to whisper among themselves.

"This bone is exceptionally large and unparalleled, incomparable to any ordinary creature in this world!"

From the ranks below, Zhang Cheng led the way, holding an ivory tablet, his gaze fixed on the skeleton. His voice boomed, "When I was young, I read the Classic of Mountains and Seas, which states, 'In the South Sea there is a giant beast with bones like dragon scales, a divine creature transformed from heaven.' Today, seeing this skeleton, it perfectly matches the description in the book!"

As he spoke, he reached out and gently touched the vertebrae of the spine. A faint bluish luster appeared between the bones where his fingertips touched.

"Your Majesty, please look. The texture of this bone is like brocade, and the pores contain deep-sea pearls. It is definitely not an ordinary fish bone."

Moreover, no fish bone in the world is this long, nor is it of such dense texture; this must undoubtedly be a dragon bone fallen from the heavens!

Grand Secretary Wang Xijue couldn't help but step forward:

"Your Majesty, although this creature is exceptionally large and rare, dragons have always been a symbol of the emperor, and its current predicament of being trapped in shallow waters is truly an ominous sign. As for Ryukyu presenting this creature to Your Majesty, what is their intention?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Cheng inwardly cried out in alarm. He never dreamed that Wang Xijue, instead of questioning the authenticity, would go against the grain and directly question the meaning. This caught him completely off guard.

Sitting on the platform, Wanli also began to have doubts. During this time, he had only been busy arguing with his ministers about the authenticity of the dragon bone. He really hadn't considered the meaning of the dragon bone. Could it really be an ominous sign?