Volume 1, Chapter 56: The Late Emperor

All of these serve as evidence.

"Check them over," the lead secret agent commanded. "How many in total were captured?"

"Reporting to Your Honor, not a single one is alive. They all took poison."

The agent sneered. "These people certainly were eager for a swift death."

Just as he was about to speak, he noticed one of the operatives still struggling.

"Quickly!" The agents rushed forward.

But the man had already bitten into the capsule concealed within his teeth.

"Search his body!" the agent ordered.

Soon, they found a letter on him.

Inscribed on the letter were the words: "Who under heaven can compare? I alone reign supreme."

"Take him back!" the agent ordered.

The corpses and the evidence were carried away one by one.

The bloodstains at the city gates appeared stark and glaring under the morning light.

"Your Honor," an agent approached, "take a look at this."

He handed over a piece of jade pendant.

The chief agent took it and examined it, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

Carved upon the jade were four characters: "Who under heaven?"

"These people..." The chief agent sneered, "are all cut from the same cloth."

He stowed the jade pendant away. "Return to base for orders!"

Escorting the corpses and bearing the evidence, the agents returned triumphantly to the city.

Leaving behind a scene of utter devastation, made all the more desolate by the dawn.

"Your Honor!" someone suddenly shouted. "There's one more!"

The agents gave chase.

It was the final operative, running desperately for his life.

"Don't let him escape!"

The operative reached the base of the city wall and suddenly stopped.

He glanced back at the pursuing agents, a cold smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.

"You will never know the truth," he said, and swallowed his poison.

Zhu Youjian stood in the main hall of the Eastern Depot, toying with the jade pendant in his palm. The jade was warm and lustrous, its color a pristine white, engraved with the four characters "Who under heaven?" The strokes were powerful and vigorous, evidently the work of a master craftsman.

"Wang Chengen," he suddenly spoke.

"This humble servant is here."

"Go summon Minister Han of the Ministry of Works," Zhu Youjian instructed. "He is well-versed in jade artifacts; have him inspect the origins of this pendant."

Before long, Minister Han hurried over. He received the jade pendant and scrutinized it closely.

"Your Majesty," Minister Han said, "this is Khotan jade, and of the finest mutton-fat white jade variety."

"Go on."

"The workmanship of this pendant is exquisitely meticulous; it should be the work of an imperial jade artisan. Furthermore..." Minister Han abruptly stopped.

"Furthermore, what?"

"Furthermore, this handwriting..." Minister Han hesitated, "seems to be the personal handwriting of the late Emperor."

A sharp glint flashed in Zhu Youjian's eyes. "Are you certain?"

"I dare not say with absolute certainty, but it is very likely."

Zhu Youjian fell silent in contemplation for a moment. "Then this jade pendant..."

"Reporting to Your Majesty," Minister Han said, "this ought to be a token bestowed by the late Emperor upon high-ranking ministers."

Just at that moment, Wei Zhiren strode in quickly. "Your Majesty, we have found out!"

"Speak."

"This jade pendant was indeed crafted by an imperial jade artisan. Twenty pieces were made twenty years ago."

"To whom were they bestowed?"

"This..." Wei Zhiren hesitated. "The records have been burned."

Zhu Youjian sneered. "Burned? Who did it?"

Wei Zhiren lowered his head and remained silent.

"Investigate!" Zhu Youjian commanded sternly. "I want to know who holds these twelve jade pendants!"

"Understood!" Wei Zhiren acknowledged and hurried away.

Zhu Youjian turned his gaze back to Minister Han. "What else do you remember?"

Minister Han swallowed hard. "This old subject remembers... back then, twelve high-ranking ministers indeed received jade bestowed by the late Emperor."

"Who were those twelve individuals?"

"This..." Minister Han's face showed difficulty.

"Speak!"

"Among them was Wen Tiren, and also..." Just as Minister Han was about to speak, he suddenly clutched his throat.

"Stop him!" Zhu Youjian shouted.

But it was already too late. Minister Han had ingested poison and collapsed to the floor.

"Search his body!" Zhu Youjian ordered.

The agents stepped forward to search him and found a small paper packet tucked inside Minister Han's sleeve.

"Arsenic trioxide," Zhu Youjian sneered. "These people truly carry poison wherever they go."

He crouched down to examine Minister Han's corpse closely.

Tucked inside Minister Han's boot, a slip of paper was discovered.

Zhu Youjian unfolded it, a piercing light flashing in his eyes.

The note read: "Who under heaven can compare? I alone reign supreme."

At that moment, Wang Chengen approached. "Your Majesty, the imperial jade artisan..."

"Speak."

"We found the jade artisan from those days," Wang Chengen said, "but..."

"But what?"

"He is already dead. Just moments ago."

Zhu Youjian narrowed his eyes. "Poisoned as well?"

"Yes," Wang Chengen replied. "Before he died, he said that all these jade pendants were carved from the same mold. And..."

"And what?"

"And on the back of each, a secret mark is carved."

Zhu Youjian immediately flipped the pendant over. Sure enough, tucked in a corner on the reverse side was a minuscule seal.

"This is..." He looked closer.

At that very moment, Wei Zhiren returned. "Your Majesty, we've found out!"

"Speak."

"This mark," Wei Zhiren said, "is the insignia of the Donglin Party."

Zhu Youjian sneered. "So that's how it is. These twelve jade pendants..."

"Were bestowed by the late Emperor upon high-ranking officials of the Donglin Party," Wei Zhiren said.

"Then where are they now?"

"Seven are dead, five have fled," Wei Zhiren said.

Just as Zhu Youjian was about to speak, he suddenly noticed something unusual about Wei Zhiren's expression.

"You..." He narrowed his eyes.

Wei Zhiren burst into loud laughter. "Your Majesty, you will never know the truth!"

With that, he pulled out a small paper packet and shoved it into his mouth.

"Stop him!" Zhu Youjian shouted.

But it was too late. Wei Zhiren collapsed to the ground, blood streaming from his seven orifices.

The agents stepped forward to search him and found a jade pendant hidden inside Wei Zhiren's tunic.

Clearly and unmistakably engraved upon the pendant were the four characters: "Who under heaven?"

Wang Chengen gazed down at the corpse on the floor, then suddenly pulled an object from his own bosom.

It was an identical jade pendant.

"Your Majesty," he sneered, "care to guess where this came from?"

Wang Chengen rode a swift horse, galloping furiously through the night. He knew the men of the Eastern Depot would soon discover his flight.

"Halt!" shouted the guards at the city gates.

Ignoring them, Wang Chengen urged his horse forward.

"Fire arrows!" the guards commanded.

Arrows tore through the air, and Wang Chengen ducked to evade them. One arrow grazed his shoulder, leaving a trail of blood.

"Pursue them!" The guards mounted their horses and gave chase.

Wang Chengen glanced back and sneered.

He pulled the jade pendant from his tunic, held it high, and shouted, "Look closely at what this is!"

As soon as the guards saw the jade pendant, they pulled hard on their reins. "This..."

"Step aside!" Wang Chengen commanded harshly.

The guards exchanged uncertain glances, not daring to step forward.

Just then, a squad of Eastern Depot agents arrived from within the city.

"Eunuch Wang!" the lead agent cried out. "His Majesty has an imperial decree; please return with us!"

Wang Chengen sneered. "Return? Return to wait for death?"

He hoisted the jade pendant aloft. "Do you know what this is? This is a token bestowed by the late Emperor himself!"

For a moment, the agents did not dare to move.

"Tell His Majesty," Wang Chengen said, "these twelve jade pendants are not such simple things."

"You mean..." the agents hesitated.

"Twenty years ago," Wang Chengen suddenly began, "why did the late Emperor bestow these twelve jade pendants?"

"Because..." He swept his gaze across the crowd, "this was a pact."

"What pact?" the agents asked.

Wang Chengen sneered. "A pact concerning the realm of Great Ming."

Just as he was about to continue, he suddenly caught sight of a distant fire flickering in the distance.

"There's no time," he muttered to himself. "It seems I must hurry."

Wang Chengen urged his horse forward, then abruptly stopped.

"Tell His Majesty," he called back over his shoulder, "the person behind this jade pendant is far more than just Wen Tiren."

"Then who is it?" the agents pressed.

Wang Chengen did not answer; he merely raised the jade pendant. "Take a close look—what do these four characters mean?"

"'Who under heaven?'" the agents recited.

"Right!" Wang Chengen laughed wildly. "Who under heaven!"

He abruptly pulled his horse around, facing the agents head-on. "Tell His Majesty, these twelve jade pendants represent twelve great noble clans."

"Twenty years ago, the late Emperor already..."

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly clutched his chest.

"Not good!" The agents rushed forward. "He's going to take poison!"

But it was too late. Wang Chengen pulled a small paper packet from his robe and shoved it into his mouth.

With a heavy thud, he tumbled from his horse.

The agents hurried forward to inspect him.

Wang Chengen lay upon the ground, fresh blood spilling from the corners of his mouth.

With immense difficulty, he raised a hand and pointed toward the jade pendant.

"This is..." he wheezed intermittently, "the late Emperor's... dying wish..."

"What dying wish?" the agents pressed urgently.

Wang Chengen did not reply, merely offering a faint smile.

His hand slowly relaxed, and the jade pendant slipped from his grasp, falling to the earth.

Under the moonlight, the four characters carved upon the jade stood out with chilling clarity.

"Who under heaven?"

"I alone reign supreme!"