lt;The misfortune of

All that happened was his face slowly turned purple, and he became increasingly hazy, though he remained suspended in mid-air, still swinging the little demon on the swing. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier.,All eyes beheld a crowd clad in homespun tunics, their waists cinched with pale cloth belts. Both men and women sported long hair, styled into loose topknots atop their heads. The faces of the elder men bore etchings of hardship deeper than the yellow earth itself.,The status of eunuchs was at a low point during the Ming Dynasty's historical trough. Military generals couldn't regain their footing after the Tumu Crisis, and Emperor Jiajing had been staying away from court for over a decade. Now, it was an era dominated by civil officials, providing the best opportunity for commoners to climb the ranks of government.。