In the Ming Dynasty 1498, my restaurant connects two worlds.

Chapter 127 Ancient Survival Challenges

Wu Huai led his all-powerful soldiers out for a run and finally confirmed that this was the Ming Dynasty, with the Forbidden City right next door. It was the Spring Festival in the Ming Dynasty, and every household had festive couplets pasted on their doors.

Electronic devices are too much to bring, but paper and pen are. "Eighteen, Note: At 10 PM on January 5, 2019, guided by the cook, we traveled through the time tunnel in the courtyard at No. 73 Beichizi Street outside the Forbidden City and arrived in the capital on the fifth day of the first month of the twelfth year of the Hongzhi reign of the Ming Dynasty. The time was slightly off."

Before Wu Huai could finish speaking, Shi Ba, who was in charge of taking notes, had already stopped writing.

"Brother Huai, you don't need to remember such details, do you?"

"The leadership requires detailed records of every step."

"Fine, whatever you want." Song Xiaoyi turned around and continued, "Make do here for tonight, and I'll help you choose a bedroom and get beds tomorrow."

Song Xiaoyi was speaking to Wu Huai and the others. In the backyard, there were still rooms for his sister Wu Yunqiu, Xiao Qiuying, Zhu'er, and Miaolan.

The noise from so many people woke up Tang Bohu and Xu Zhenqing. "Perfect, Bohu, take Brother Zhishan and Brother Mengjin to your room to rest."

After handing Zhu Zhishan and Zhang Mengjin over to the dazed Tang Bohu, Song Xiaoyi returned to her bedroom.

"Oh, and you three brothers too, you can make do in Mu Bin's room for the night. He's on patrol in the Forbidden City tonight, the first room around the corner over there, see it?"

"I saw it."

"Alright, Brother Huai, let me clear things up for you guys. Any questions, come one at a time."

"Xiao Yi! Was that Tang Bohu who just came out of that room? The real Tang Bohu?"

"Of course. The guy who just came with us, the one who looks like an uncle, is Zhu Zhishan, and the one next to him is his disciple Zhang Mengjin."

"I recognize Zhu Zhishan, it's Six Fingers."

"Brother Xiao Yi, this is Xiao Wu. You just mentioned Mu Bin, is he the benevolent commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who went down in history?"

"Yes, it's the one that's recorded in history."

"Wow, he lives here too? Can I ask him for an autograph?"

"Signatures aren't common here, but once you get to know him, you'll realize he's just like everyone else, and it won't matter whether you get a signature or not."

"No, I want to take Mu Bin's autograph back to show my dad."

Even if you show him your autograph, he won't believe you.

"My dad really likes Mu Bin. Because Mu Bin is from our hometown."

"Haha, why don't you try using your hometown dialect tomorrow?"

"Any more questions?"

"No problem, I'll start assigning tasks."

"Your main task is to disguise yourselves as Western Region people and sell barbecue and Western Region delicacies in the soon-to-open Ming Dynasty Royal Leisure Garden."

"Would naan bread be okay?"

"Of course. Canned mutton, skewered meat, braised pork, anything from the Western Regions is fine."

"But Xiaoyao Garden is still under renovation and will not open for about two months. During these two months, I ask you to carry your meat skewers on shoulder poles and go from street to street, or find a place in the city to set up a stall and sell meat skewers."

"To gather information?"

"Hehe, yes, gather information on all the officials."

"Intelligence gathering, I understand."

Song Xiaoyi took out two trays of silver. "Alright, this is your operating funds, two ingots per person. This is ten-tael snowflake silver, and this is fifty-tael silver. Silver has strong purchasing power in the Ming Dynasty at this time, enough for you to purchase tools and rent houses. In addition, the Embroidered Uniform Guard will secretly assist you."

"Of course, if things get really bad, if there's real danger, or if it's certain that your life is in danger, you can use any force you have."

"However, this survival experience was quite challenging. It had been snowing heavily for two weeks, and it only stopped for two days before it started snowing again."

"Hehe, Brother Yi, this is so exciting! Survival challenges in ancient times seem even more interesting than going to the Americas."

"When you suddenly retired from the military last time, we thought we would never see you again, and Little Seventeen even cried."

"I never imagined you were here in ancient times to pave the way!"

"You've got the wrong idea. It was a genuine discharge from the military..."

""

That night, almost no one in the Song residence slept.

Away from home, people are considered inferior; even heroes lose their spirit. The three Song brothers were filled with melancholy and anxiety, unable to sleep.

In another room, although Zhu'er was six years older than Miaolan, the two chatted like sisters all night. Song Xiaoyi's arrangements hadn't been in vain; Zhu'er finally understood the whole story: it turned out that the kitchen of Xiaoyi's family's small restaurant was connected to the ancient Ming Dynasty! No wonder he was able to obtain those ancient paintings, "The Divine Bird and Phoenix"!

Thinking back, I went to the first floor with Brother Xiao Yi that day, and I didn't even notice it!

The key point is that he also implied, "It's not from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, not from the Western Zhou Dynasty, not from last week, and certainly not from the Ming Dynasty; it's from this week," and he still didn't believe it!

Tang Bohu's room was noisy and bustling as they recounted amusing anecdotes from their separation, chatting until dawn.

Wu Yunqiu leaned against the window, unable to sleep, the snowlight reflecting on her furrowed brows.

Little Qiu Ying curled up in her mother's arms. Wu Yunqiu's fingertips unconsciously stroked the top of the child's head as she murmured, "I wonder if your grandfather... is still alright? Where is he?"

On Song Xiaoyi's side, a dozen soldiers were snoring away, making it impossible for him to sleep. So he got up and went to the kitchen to steam buns and cook instant noodles.

As usual, Grandpa got up early to wash up. Without even speaking to Song Xiaoyi, he grabbed two steamed buns and trudged into the palace. Luckily, he knew the way well, otherwise he might have accidentally fallen into the moat.

As dawn broke, the snow finally stopped again. Mu Bin returned from his shift and was taken aback when he opened the door to find the room full of elite soldiers. Song Xiaoyi explained, "These are the assistants we arranged with the Emperor for future tasks."

After giving their instructions, the 18 soldiers left home in batches and went their separate ways.

Song Xiaoyi, along with Wu Huai, Wu Yunqiu, and others, entered the palace with Tang Bohu and his entourage to meet Zhu Youtang.

According to ancestral law, no grand court assembly should be held during the year. It started snowing heavily at noon on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, and the Imperial Astronomical Bureau predicted that the snow would continue all night.

Considering the difficulty for the Grand Secretaries to enter the palace, Emperor Zhu Youcheng sent someone last night to inform them not to come to the palace to discuss matters. Therefore, the palace is relatively quiet today, which is convenient for Song Xiaoyi.

This was Wu Huai's first time seeing a real, living emperor. He didn't know how to greet him and was a little nervous. But Zhu Youcheng, who was standing inside the palace gate, saw Wu Huai with his military bearing and took the lead in supporting him, then kindly pulled Wu Huai into the palace.

Zhu Youcheng's system notification:

Note: A time traveler has been discovered. The time travel occurred in 2019, specifically the fifth day of the first month of the twelfth year of the Hongzhi reign. The person's name is Wu Huai, and their identity is a secret agent of State A. Their combat strength is Grade A, and their friendliness is Grade A (superior).

Note: A time traveler has been discovered. The time travel occurred in 2019, specifically the fifth day of the first month of the twelfth year of the Hongzhi reign (1498). The person's name is Zhu Zhu'er, and her occupation is a regular staff member at the museum. Her combat strength is rated D, and her friendliness is rated A.