The First Prince of the Ming Dynasty

As the temperature dropped at night, the sisters Xiaotang and Xiaomei each "cocooned" in their own little worlds in the middle of the night.

They look like two cicada pupae.

One of them wrapped herself up tightly in the box, while the other burrowed her head into the bed, shivering in the corner. In the end, Zhu Yi couldn't bear to look at her like that and gave her half of the old hemp quilt he had been using.

As dawn broke, the two sisters were awakened by the sound of scaffolding collapsing outside, their sleepy eyes filled with confusion.

They agreed to take turns serving Zhu Yi that night, but the two of them slept soundly until dawn, and when they woke up, they didn't even know where they were.

I was still half asleep.

Zhu Yi was about to leave when Xiao Tang hurried over to help him put on his shoes. Finding him fully dressed, she couldn't help but whisper a question to her sister: "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I didn't hear the drum." Xiaomei pouted, looking very aggrieved.

Xiao Tang then asked, "Did you get up in the middle of the night, Master?"

"Let me see. Oh, it seems there are some..."

"Still looking? Go and dump it right now!"

The two sisters were both clueless and seemed to have little practical experience in serving others.

Zhu Yi wondered what circumstances allowed them to act so vividly.

……

……

In the courtyard, a group of burly men were dismantling the scaffolding, as if the performance was over and they were dismantling the stage and parting ways.

No one paid any attention to Zhu Yi; the gate just stood there, as if Zhu Yi were the owner of the courtyard and could come and go as he pleased.

Before he even got close to the door, he heard voices outside.

Then Gongsun Jin, beaming, entered with the old servant from outside: "Brother Zhu, did you rest well?"

Zhu Yi remained highly vigilant.

Gongsun Jin said, "My master has prepared the residence and everything is ready. He sent me here early this morning to greet you. You don't need to bring anything; just come with me."

"Aren't you bringing anyone with you?" Zhu Yi pointed to the two sisters standing at the doorway.

Gongsun Jin smiled and said, "You don't have to bring it, it depends on Brother Zhu's preference."

Zhu Yi said, "If I don't bring them, can you give me two more?"

"Was it a lack of service?" Gongsun Jin waved his hand with a smile. "If we can avoid replacing him, we will. But if Brother Zhu insists, I can consult and discuss it further. Even a young man full of vigor should take care of his health."

Zhu Yi frowned upon hearing this.

So, does that mean that once I send someone here, I can do whatever I want? Or is it that I failed to seize the opportunity?

He turned and looked at the two sisters, who seemed somewhat frightened, before saying, "Take them with you; I have some questions for them."

He should let the words out first, so that Gongsun Jin would feel that he was close to the two sisters, or try to get some information from them to influence their internal unity.

It's a psychological tactic.

However, this move seemed to have no effect on Gongsun Jin at all; Gongsun Jin's gaze towards the two women was filled with regret.

Zhu Yi thought to himself, "This shows that his heart is not upright!"

……

……

This was the first time Zhu Yi had stepped out of the courtyard since he came into this world.

A foul, fishy smell wafted over him, a mixture of wood ash, feces, and rotten vegetable leaves, making Zhu Yi instinctively cover his nose as he walked past the roadside trash cans in the summer.

However, once you reach the street corner and get into the carriage, the stench will lessen considerably, and the cooking smoke will start to irritate your nasal passages again.

It was early morning when wisps of smoke rose from chimneys, filling the city with the aroma of cooking fires.

The carriage creaked and groaned as it moved forward.

Zhu Yi rode with Gongsun Jin, and Zhu Yi looked out at the scenery through the carriage's air vent.

It was an ancient and old city, with no signs of civilization.

In the early morning, the streets and alleys of the ancient city were bustling with people. They were thin and bony, carrying loads on their shoulders and wearing straw sandals. Their steps were firm, as if they were carrying the burden of their family's daily necessities.

The old, winding stone path couldn't hide the potholes and mud; the rain from the previous two days hadn't completely dried up, and you could even see dead rats in the ditches...

It gives people a sense of suffocating decay.

It felt like watching an old version of "Water Margin".

Even a film studio, if it wanted to look old, couldn't achieve this level of antiquity.

What you see and hear can be faked, but what you smell is just as real... Zhu Yi thought that unless there really was a group of people who had lived in an old, ancient city for a long time, it would be impossible to create such a depressing atmosphere of everyday life.

"Brother Zhu, once we arrive, my master may ask you questions concerning major events of the past few generations after the Chenghua era, including court affairs, border affairs, people's livelihood, and changes in the court's power structure. I'm just giving you a heads-up."

Gongsun Jin did not stop Zhu Yi from looking at the scenery outside, as if everything was under his control.

Zhu Yi remained silent.

"Brother Zhu, have you remembered something?" Gongsun Jin asked again.

Zhu Yi then turned around and asked, "What should I remember?"

This time, Gongsun Jin smiled without saying a word.

The carriage soon arrived at a bustling morning market street, lined with vendors hawking their wares, and children munching on steamed buns by the roadside, their faces and hands covered in grime, their hair unwashed for who knows how many years… Beside them was a dog, equally thin and bony, covered in mud, occasionally rubbing against the child. The child shooed the dog away while simultaneously stuffing the steamed bun into his mouth, then quickly ran into the alley, the dog chasing after him…

On the other side, there were people dressed in tattered official uniforms collecting stall fees along the way, and some discordant arguments could be heard.

After finally passing through the alley, Zhu Yi felt as if the tinnitus had suddenly stopped, and his ears could finally be a little quieter.

Further along, there were neatly arranged courtyards, which looked like the residential area of ​​a wealthy family. After passing through a neighborhood and entering the neighborhood gate, everything seemed to be in good order.

The carriage finally stopped outside a house without a plaque. There were three steps leading up to it, and the door was small, a red-lacquered wooden door, with even the couplets hanging on it looking brand new.

Gongsun Jin jumped off the carriage, gave the driver a few instructions, and then went over to knock on the door knocker.

The door opened.

"Brother Zhu, please." Gongsun Jin turned around and greeted him, "You can stay here for now. If you need anything, just tell your men."

"Where is this? Huzhou? Huizhou? Or Anqing?"

Zhu Yi believed he was only in the vicinity of Huangshan, a fact seemingly confirmed by his conversations with Xiao Tang and Xiao Mei.

Gongsun Jin pretended not to hear and led the way.

Zhu Yi patiently followed behind.

There were people bustling around inside, as if they were preparing for a new home. It wasn't the same group that had been watching over him in the courtyard. This showed that the person who had arranged all of this for him was very powerful...

It's all an illusion! Don't fall for their tricks!

Zhu Yi kept trying to remind himself.

"You're here?" Liu Yangzheng came out from the main hall with an impatient look on his face, seemingly not welcoming Zhu Yi.

"Mr. Wen? You've arrived early. From now on, this is Brother Zhu's private residence. We should inform him beforehand before we come to visit," Gongsun Jin said. "Has the host arrived yet?"

"It's inside," Liu Yangzheng said.

Zhu Yi asked, "Who exactly is our master? Can we see his true face?"

Gongsun Jin said with regret, "Brother Zhu, it's not that I'm being disrespectful, but the matter is too important. Not a single word of what we discussed today should be leaked. The less we know, the better."

Zhu Yiyi retorted sternly, "Then what is my value? You should at least tell me, right? If I'm just someone you use for interrogation, does that mean I'm no longer of any use to you if I tell you everything I know? What will become of me then?"

Gongsun Jin shook his head firmly and said, "This is your territory. No one can take away everything you own. Please come to the main hall!"