"Your subject, Minister of Works Yan Shifan, greets Your Majesty!"
"Ten thousand ye–"
"Enough! You may dispense with the formalities."
Within the Renshou Palace, Emperor Jiajing was seated upon his throne with a smile on his face.
"My dear Yan, you mentioned an auspicious omen has appeared?"
Yan Shifan wanted to weep! How many Great Ming officials had never been addressed as "My dear" by Emperor Jiajing in their entire lives?
He had achieved it today. But at a steep price!
"Yes, Your Majesty! Before the Emperor, your subject dares not utter a single lie. An auspicious omen has indeed appeared."
Throughout history, emperors had always revered auspicious omens, using them as proof of their divine right to rule, a testament to their virtue and wisdom.
The Great Ming Dynasty, especially during the Jiajing era, had taken this obsession with omens to new heights. During his reign, Emperor Jiajing had received no fewer than a hundred omens. Compared to his "Rule by Inaction," the hundreds of omens were something he truly reveled in!
"Imperial Astrologer Lan Daoxing, after comprehending the Heavenly Dao, wrote the 'Treatise on Auspicious Signs,' categorizing all known omens into five grades: Auspicious, Grand, Superior, Middling, and Inferior."
"Since my ascension to the throne, I have received seventy-two Inferior omens, thirty-six Middling omens, and nine Superior omens. However, I have yet to encounter a Grand or Auspicious omen."
The Emperor spoke with enthusiasm.
The Inferior omens referred to various rare flowers and herbs. For example, the lingzhi mushroom, also known as "Three Blooms," typically bloomed three times a year. A lingzhi that bloomed four times in a single year was considered an Inferior omen.
Emperor Jiajing had acquired seventy-two such rare plants, all of which had been transplanted to the imperial gardens and meticulously cared for by the Great Ming's most skilled spirit farmers.
The Middling omens referred to rare birds and spirit fowl, such as the bluebird, the red goose, the white pheasant, the white swallow, and the white dove.
Emperor Jiajing had thirty-six of these birds, all carefully raised by dedicated attendants.
As for the Superior omens, they referred to albino spirit beasts. Beasts not naturally white, whose color had mutated to white, were considered auspicious.
Emperor Jiajing only had nine albino spirit beasts. And each beast, being a Superior omen, had a dedicated garden built for its residence.
Yan Shifan had been in charge of the construction project for these nine gardens, earning a substantial profit.
"In ancient times, Fuxi, meditating beside the Yellow River, seeking to understand the Heavenly Dao, witnessed a dragon horse emerge from the water, carrying a scroll known as the 'River Chart.' With the dragon horse as his guide and the River Chart as his inspiration, Fuxi created the 'Pre-Heaven Eight Trigrams,' his merit immeasurable."
"Later, Yu the Great, tasked with controlling the floods, encountered a divine turtle that carried a scroll known as the 'Luo Writing.' Guided by the Luo Writing, Yu divided the land into nine provinces, establishing a system of governance, and finally brought the floods under control.
It is said that Yu, through his division of the land, founded the Huaxia civilization, paving the way for the rise of countless dynasties."
"The River Chart and the Luo Writing are the most revered of all omens. I dare not compare myself to these ancient sages and emperors.
But I have reigned for many years, practicing frugality, governing through inaction, and refraining from competing with the people for profit, allowing them to live in peace and prosperity…"
Yan Shifan was nearly asleep, but the Emperor showed no sign of ending his monologue.
"If I were not a virtuous ruler, how could over a hundred omens have appeared during my reign? And if I still possess some virtue… Hehehe… perhaps it's only fitting that I should receive a Grand omen. Wouldn't you agree, My dear Yan?"
Finally, it was his turn to speak! Yan Shifan hastily dropped to his knees and kowtowed.
"Your Majesty is a sage ruler, surpassing the Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns in virtue and merit!
A single Grand omen isn't enough! Your subject believes that before Your Majesty ascends with the entire nation, aside from this Grand omen, an Auspicious omen will also appear!"
Emperor Jiajing couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Hahahahahaha!"
"An Auspicious omen?"
"History only records a single Auspicious omen. It appeared during the reign of the First Emperor Qin, when he performed a sacrifice beside the Wei River, summoning a blue dragon that bowed before him."
"To have a single Grand omen is already a great fortune. How dare I covet an Auspicious omen?"
The Emperor paused, unable to contain his excitement.
"My dear Yan, tell me! What is this Grand omen you speak of? And when can I see it?"
"Your Majesty, the Grand omen is a shooting star," Yan Shifan replied. "Two nights ago, a shooting star appeared in the northern sky, falling to earth in Yuanzhou Prefecture, my humble hometown.
I received a report from the local officials and personally went to investigate. After confirming its authenticity, I have come to offer my congratulations to Your Majesty!
I have instructed the Yuanzhou magistrate to secure the area where the star landed. We await Your Majesty's arrival."
As he spoke, Yan Shifan carefully observed the Emperor's reaction. His carefully crafted report, although seemingly a simple update, was, in fact, a calculated strategy.
An omen descending from the heavens – it was a sign of Heaven's approval of Emperor Jiajing. It had nothing to do with Yan Shifan.
But the omen falling upon his hometown, that was something worth considering.
An official whose hometown received a Grand omen from Heaven, wasn't he also a gift from the heavens?
An official who deserved trust and a high position?
Moreover, the shooting star originating from the north… There was another subtle hint within those words!
Yunzhou City!
"Two nights ago?" Emperor Jiajing's face turned solemn. He counted on his fingers, performing a divination.
"Imperial Astrologer Lan was refining a batch of Nine Transformations Golden Elixirs for me. We were both in seclusion.
An auspicious omen descended, and I missed this grand spectacle?" The Emperor's face showed regret.
He then asked, "A shooting star, although rare, cannot be directly considered a Grand omen. My dear Yan, how can you be so certain?"
"Because…" Yan Shifan glanced around, as if revealing a heavenly secret.
He raised his head, showcasing an almost holy aura.
"The shooting star… bears an inscription from Heaven."
…
Fan Li yawned as he emerged from his tent, cursing under his breath. An auspicious omen had appeared in the Great Ming – a shooting star.
And it came with a message from Heaven. Emperor Jiajing had issued a decree, summoning all officials of the fifth rank and above, hereditary nobles, and even Fan Li, a foreign merchant, to witness the omen.
It was often said that an Emperor's thoughts were difficult to fathom. But this time, Emperor Jiajing's intentions were clear.
"Damn showoff," Fan Li muttered.
He had no choice.
As the head of the Fan Clan Trading Company's operations in the Great Ming, he held a certain social status. He was, in fact, the most prominent Chu national within the Great Ming Dynasty.
Allowing Fan Li to witness the Grand omen in Yuanzhou Prefecture… It was a subtle way for Emperor Jiajing to use him as a mouthpiece, spreading the word that he was the rightful heir to the Mandate of Heaven.
The shooting star had fallen upon a field. The Ming army had arrived beforehand, harvesting all the crops, leaving behind a bare plain.
The impact crater spanned ten acres – a vast, concave half-circle.
Fan Li was surprised. He knew Yan Shifan was involved. This shooting star was undoubtedly part of his scheme to rescue Hu Zongxian. But to actually conjure a shooting star… Yan Shifan was truly impressive.
The crater was surrounded by the Great Ming nobles who had been summoned. The shooting star within the crater was covered by a massive piece of golden-yellow silk.
Golden-yellow silk, a color reserved for the imperial family.
This was Emperor Jiajing's decree, a way to emphasize the shooting star's significance and rarity.
"Your Majesty," Yan Shifan called out. "The auspicious hour has arrived. Your subject requests permission to reveal the shooting star to the world."
As the Emperor's appointed "Minister of Auspicious Omens," Yan Shifan was in charge of all related matters.
Emperor Jiajing's expression was solemn and majestic. He had even shed his usual Daoist robe, choosing instead to wear imperial attire that radiated the authority of a true Emperor.
"Permission granted," he declared. "My dear Yan, let the omen reveal itself."
Yan Shifan knelt and performed the grand kowtow, three kneels and nine prostrations.
He then approached the crater, extended his hand towards the center, and with a swift, powerful gesture, ripped away the golden-yellow silk.
A massive, crystal-clear stone was revealed!
Fan Li looked closer, along with the others. The upward-facing surface of the stone was as smooth as a mirror. But beneath the "mirror," large words shimmered faintly.
"The Ming Emperor's Mandate is True, Hu Yun Shall Return."