In a certain spacetime.
The fourth day of the first lunar month (January 23, 1368, by the Western calendar).
Yingtian Prefecture, at the southern foot of Zhong Mountain.
Forty-year-old Zhu Yuanzhang held the sacrificial address in his hands and climbed the steps of the Altar of Heaven.
He gazed up at Blue Heaven.
The sky was bright and clear, without a cloud for ten thousand miles.
Then he began reading the address in a strong, resonant voice.
"As for the sovereign of our people of China, when the fortunes of the Song came to an end, the Mandate of Heaven ordained a true ruler in the desert, who entered China to rule all beneath Heaven. His descendants inherited his throne for more than a hundred years. Now their fortunes, too, have ended, and heroes contend over the lands within the seas!"
"As for your servant, the Heavenly Emperor bestowed able and worthy men to assist me. Thus I subdued the rival heroes, laid down arms, and let the people rest in their fields and villages. Now my territory extends more than twenty thousand li."
"My ministers all said, 'The people have no sovereign. We must acclaim you with the imperial title.' Your servant dared not refuse. Therefore, on this fourth day of the first month of the present year, I have erected an altar and prepared the rites on the southern slope of Zhong Mountain to proclaim before the Supreme Emperor and the august spirits of Earth:"
The next passage was the crucial part of the address. By rights, Zhu Yuanzhang should have delivered it in one unbroken breath, yet he paused.
For at that moment, a strange voice suddenly sounded inside his head.
Welcome to the Rebel Army Group chat!
Then a bizarre, semitransparent display appeared before him...
Zhu Yuanzhang knew that countless eyes below the Altar of Heaven were fixed on him. This ceremony was also of the utmost importance to the Great Ming, and not the slightest mistake could be tolerated.
So he forced himself to remain calm and continued reading the address without a change in expression-
"I hereby establish the name of the realm as 'Great Ming,' and inaugurate the reign era of 'Hongwu'!"
"I shall sweep clean the Central Plains and purge the lands of China, bringing Heaven and Earth under one rule and peace to all the people."
"I shall establish principles and laws, succor these people, and govern the world through rites and propriety, ever receiving Heaven's boundless blessing."
"May you look upon us and accept these offerings!"
From the sacrifice to Heaven and Earth through the remaining proceedings in the enthronement hall, Zhu Yuanzhang's expression remained perfectly normal. He was solemn when solemnity was called for and smiled when it was time to smile, as though the strange, semitransparent display before him did not exist.
Only that afternoon, after leaving the outer court and returning to the inner palace, did his face darken.
Noticing Zhu Yuanzhang's poor expression, Empress Ma brought him a bowl of tea and asked, "Chongba, why do you look so awful? Did all those enthronement ceremonies wear you out today?"
Although a series of observations had already left Zhu Yuanzhang fairly certain that no one else could see the semitransparent display before him, he still asked, "My dear, can you see anything in front of me?"
"Anything?" Empress Ma asked in confusion. "What would be there?"
Her reaction confirmed to Zhu Yuanzhang that no one else could see the semitransparent display before him.
Yet even after blinking and rubbing his eyes for he knew not how many times, he could still see it-
Prospective group member Zhu Yuanzhang has formally established a feudal dynasty and is rapidly transitioning into a feudal ruler. He does not meet the Rebel Army Group's invitation requirements. Invitation should be terminated...
Although most of these characters were simplified forms and arranged horizontally, Zhu Yuanzhang had no trouble reading them.
However, while he recognized nearly all the characters and understood the general meaning, much remained puzzling.
What does "prospective group member" mean?
"Formally established a feudal dynasty"... does that mean I've founded the Great Ming?
"Transitioning into a feudal ruler"-does that mean I've become emperor?
The Rebel Army Group... could it be some mysterious place that only rebel leaders are allowed to enter?
For a moment, Zhu Yuanzhang's brows knotted together.
No!
I mustn't let the contents of this strange display lead me astray. Perhaps some sorcerer among the remnants of the Mongol Yuan, Zhang Shicheng, or Chen Youliang has cast an evil spell on me!
Perhaps I should summon Celestial Master Zhang from Dragon-Tiger Mountain and ask him... but then others would inevitably learn of this. If he couldn't cure it, wouldn't people think I was suffering from hysteria?
While Zhu Yuanzhang hesitated, he suddenly heard the strange voice again, and the display before him changed.
Invitation has already been sent and cannot be terminated. Group chat rules are being adjusted automatically. This adjustment will take considerable time. Please wait patiently...
Reading the new semitransparent text, Zhu Yuanzhang could not help pondering it again.
What does this mean? Is it saying that although I don't meet the requirements to enter the Rebel Army Group, the invitation has already been sent, so it will adjust the rules to let me in?
If so, I'll see just what the Rebel Army Group is, and who's behind this charade of gods and ghosts!
Just as Zhu Yuanzhang prepared to wait patiently to enter the "Rebel Army Group," he discovered that the semitransparent display vanished after only a few breaths.
He blinked and rubbed his eyes again, but could no longer see it.
Beside him, Empress Ma asked worriedly, "Chongba, what exactly is wrong? Have you developed an eye ailment?"
Zhu Yuanzhang hurriedly asked, "My dear, did you hear someone speaking just now?"
Empress Ma said, "All I saw was you staring straight ahead, blinking and rubbing your eyes. Who was speaking? I think you're probably worn out from today. Why not eat something and get some sleep? Perhaps you'll be better when you wake up."
Zhu Yuanzhang rubbed his eyes again and looked around, but the semitransparent display still did not reappear.
Could I really have been so tired today that I developed a mild bout of hysteria?
Or was Heaven warning me not to forget why I first joined the Red Turban Army's uprising, even now that I've become emperor?
With wild thoughts tumbling through his mind, Zhu Yuanzhang decided to try Empress Ma's suggestion: eat something and get some sleep.
Over the next few days, Zhu Yuanzhang ate, drank, slept, and handled affairs of state as usual. He never heard that strange voice again, nor did the semitransparent display reappear before him.
He therefore concluded that Empress Ma was right: he had simply been too tired on the day of his enthronement.
So he buried the matter in his heart and told no one.
As time passed, year after year went by. Although Zhu Yuanzhang never completely forgot the incident, he gradually stopped dwelling on it.
Everything in the Great Ming developed as usual...
In the blink of an eye, it was the fourth day of the first month of Hongwu's tenth year.
Although this was one of the Great Ming's few holidays, and the vast majority of government offices were closed, Zhu Yuanzhang still maintained his habit of "rising at cockcrow and resting only at midnight."
He had spent the second and third days relaxing with his consorts and children, but the government offices would reopen on the sixth, so preparations naturally had to be made for the many affairs of court.
After leafing through memorials for a while, he suddenly frowned.
This Hu Weiyong is growing more and more outrageous. He even dares decide executions, dismissals, and pardons on his own!
And to think I believed he was better suited to be chancellor than Li Shanchang. Now it seems he lacks even the most basic sense of his limits!
This man is no longer fit to serve as chancellor. But after all his years in the Central Secretariat, his partisans have probably spread everywhere and seized control of many affairs. Dismissing him in haste would be difficult.
Besides, if I dismiss him, I'll have to find another chancellor. Yet among all the ministers at court, not one is suitable... surely I can't invite that old rascal Li Shanchang back?
Biao'er is already twenty-three. Perhaps I should let him shoulder some state affairs for me, and familiarize himself with governing sooner.
As he was thinking, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly heard a strange voice.
Rebel Army Group rule adjustments complete! Zhu Yuanzhang, representative of the rebels of the late Yuan, welcome to the Rebel Army Group chat!
After a brief moment of surprise, goosebumps erupted all over Zhu Yuanzhang's body!
For this was unmistakably the voice he had heard nine years earlier, while offering sacrifices to Heaven and Earth at his enthronement ceremony!
Not only that, a semitransparent display about the size of a half-unrolled imperial edict appeared before him again, just as it had back then!
Once the initial fright passed, Zhu Yuanzhang gritted his teeth.
A sorcerer really did cast an evil spell on me back then!
That was what he thought.
Otherwise, how could he hear a similar voice and see a similar display nine years later?
After all, he was not the slightest bit tired today!
Just as Zhu Yuanzhang reached this conclusion, the semitransparent display changed. The simplified characters vanished, replaced by a strange layout.
The whole layout was a rectangular frame. At the top, the words "Rebel Army Group" appeared horizontally beside the strange symbols "(4)," with three black dots in the upper-right corner. Along the bottom were several more symbols he could not understand.
When the frame first appeared, it was blank.
But as he studied it, two lines of simplified characters appeared in succession.
[Administrator: Welcome Zhu Yuanzhang, representative of the rebels of the late Yuan, to the group!] [Administrator: Welcome Zhang Jiao, representative of the rebels of the late Eastern Han, to the group!]
Zhang Jiao? Could that be the Zhang Jiao who called himself the Great Teacher of Goodness at the end of the Later Han and raised the Yellow Turban Rebels against the Han?
As Zhu Yuanzhang thought this, new content appeared in the frame, making his pupils contract.
[Liu Bang: Your old man waited nine whole years, and this damned thing finally stirred! Zhang Jiao of the late Eastern Han? Come out and answer me! Is the Great Han I founded about to fall?]
Reading this text, Zhu Yuanzhang thought, Liu Bang? Han Gaozu, Liu Bang? He's been dead for more than a thousand years. How could he send words through this thing?
And he said he waited nine years. Could that also be because the Rebel Army Group was adjusting its rules?
According to the histories, Liu Bang took only seven years from the White Snake Uprising to founding the Han dynasty. After that, he ruled for just seven years before dying of illness.
By that reckoning, he probably received the Rebel Army Group's invitation while he was still a rebel leader in the late Qin. Unlike me, who received it at my enthronement ceremony... does that mean he waited nine years because of me?
In the Rebel Army Group chat, no further activity followed for a while after Liu Bang's message calling for Zhang Jiao appeared.
Then Liu Bang sent another message.
[Liu Bang: Zhang Jiao? Are you afraid of your old man?] [Zhang Jiao: What sorcerer are you? How dare you use this demonic thing to impersonate Emperor Gaozu?]
Zhang Jiao actually answered?
But how do I write words into this thing? Do I need a brush?
As Zhu Yuanzhang thought this, a strange symbol at the bottom of the frame began flashing.
Somehow, he understood instinctively: if he spoke now and ended by saying "enter," his words would turn into text and be sent into the Rebel Army Group. Alternatively, he could silently recite what he wanted to say, then think "enter," and that would work as well.
Zhu Yuanzhang did not rush to try it.
Because it was still the New Year holiday, he was not in the outer court, but reviewing memorials in the warm chamber of the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
The warm chamber was not particularly large, and only one eunuch was attending him. He waved a hand and said, "Leave for now. Without my command, no one is to come within ten paces of this chamber!"
Although the eunuch found this strange, he obeyed and withdrew, tactfully leaving the hall doors nearly closed.
When Zhu Yuanzhang turned his attention back to the semitransparent frame, he found several new passages inside.
[Liu Bang: Emperor Gaozu? Could that be my temple name? If so, I am Emperor Gaozu of the Great Han. Why would I need to impersonate anyone?!] [Zhang Jiao: Still refusing to admit it? Emperor Gaozu departed for Heaven more than three hundred and eighty years ago... unless you're an immortal from the heavenly realm, or a ghost from the netherworld!] [Liu Bang: More than three hundred and eighty years? Then the Great Han I founded endured for at least three hundred and eighty years? Good! Though that reign cannot compare with Ji Zhou, it's hardly short.] [Liu Bang: Besides, I'm neither an immortal from the heavenly realm nor a ghost from Fengdu. I'm a living, breathing man, and it's been only two years since I founded the Great Han. Zhang Jiao, you must be living in the Great Han more than three hundred years in the future, yes? If so, do you know how old I was when I departed for Heaven?]
The text stopped there.
Knowing his lifespan is quite important to Liu Bang. Zhang Jiao probably won't reveal it so readily, Zhu Yuanzhang mused as he read.
Sure enough, only after about two breaths did Zhang Jiao reply.
[Zhang Jiao: If you are Emperor Gaozu, then of course I know your lifespan. But why should I tell you?]