Chapter 51 Chapter 51: Meanwhile, in Beijing
A month had passed since the Turmoil in Beijing erupted.
During that time, the Imperial Court and government offices had been ceaselessly busy. The Eastern Depot, for instance, had failed to even notice rebel forces setting up an Altar on Longevity Hill, the Imperial Mountain of the Imperial Family. Furthermore, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which had defended Beijing and the Forbidden City, was left half-destroyed, with nearly half its members killed or wounded, including its Director, Guo Dan, who died in battle. It was the worst situation the Great Ming Imperial Court had faced since the Tumu Crisis, its greatest humiliation.
Meanwhile, the Martial World continued to expand its influence as Ghost Gates opened. The Oirat, once the most formidable enemy who had instigated the Coup of Tumen Gate, had collapsed due to internal strife. Yet, powerful forces, including the Mongols, still lurked in the north. Had the Oirat not been consumed by internal conflict, the Ming Dynasty might have suffered the same fate as the Southern Song, forced to abandon Hebei and flee. And one couldn’t forget the Waegu, who persistently plagued the southern coast. Although tens of thousands had been suppressed in the Shandong region, and a major sweep on the Liaodong Peninsula fifty years ago seemed to have ended the threat, they now targeted the south instead of the north, where the powerful navy stood guard. This, too, was a constant headache.
Given such circumstances, with a Ghost Gate plunging the capital, Beijing, into utter chaos, one could only imagine the shock and terror that gripped the Ming Dynasty Imperial Court.
