The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the Somersault Cloud, Old Zhu was so envious he cried!

"Where on earth did this guy go?"

Zhu Ming covered his nose with his right hand and placed his index finger on his brow, imitating Detective Conan, as he pondered where Zhang Dekai might be hiding.

Seeing his pose, Xu Miaoyun chuckled and couldn't help but ask curiously, "Sixth Prince, what kind of pose are you striking?"

Zhu Ming remained in the same position and replied seriously, "Stop fooling around, I'm trying to figure out Zhang Dekai's whereabouts!"

Seeing his serious expression and strange posture, Xu Miaoyun mistakenly thought that Zhu Ming was using the supernatural powers and magic taught to him by his master.

She was so frightened that she didn't dare to breathe, and covered her mouth tightly with her hands.

There was a brief moment of silence.

Zhu Ming suddenly lowered his arm, tilted his head back, and let out a long sigh of relief.

Xu Miaoyun quickly stepped forward, her eyes full of anticipation: "How is it, Sixth Prince? Is there a result?"

To everyone's surprise, Zhu Ming shook his head.

"No?" Xu Miaoyun was taken aback. "Then what was that expression you had just made...?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Ming rubbed his stomach and said frankly, "I'm just hungry!"

As soon as this word comes out,

Xu Miaoyun's legs went weak, and she almost fell to the ground.

She thought the Sixth Prince was performing some profound magic by striking that strange pose. So you were just figuring out what to eat later?

Xu Miaoyun raised her hand to her forehead, saying helplessly, "It's almost lunchtime. Since His Highness is hungry, why don't we go into the city and find something to eat?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Ming's eyes lit up instantly, and he nodded repeatedly, replying, "Great! I'd love to try the local cuisine too!"

Speaking of which, Zhu Ming was also carrying a food tablecloth.

Whatever you want to eat, just a thought will bring you a wide variety of delicacies.

But he just wouldn't use it.

When it comes to eating,

It's not just about the taste in your mouth, but also about the lively, bustling atmosphere.

Moreover, this little fellow had been raised by Empress Ma in the deep palace for the first six years of his life.

They have no shortage of fine clothes and delicious food.

He had never even properly observed what color the sky outside the palace was.

Now that we've finally managed to get out of town, wouldn't it be a huge waste not to take the opportunity to see the world?

The two then walked together toward the city gate.

Just now, Zhang Dekai was dressed in rags and covered in dirt, so the city guards refused to let him in no matter what they said.

But when it was Zhu Ming and Xu Miaoyun's turn,

The guards glanced at him sideways, then let him in without even stopping him.

It was as if they hadn't even seen the two people.

One of the younger guards, watching the two figures disappear into the distance, grew increasingly uneasy and nudged his older colleague beside him: "Hey bro, those two... didn't they check our travel permits, did they?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he received a slap on the back of the head.

"Are you blind?!" the old guard hissed. "Don't you even look at what they're wearing? That woman is as beautiful as an angel, and that young master... he's even more handsome than her! Are you suggesting you can stop them?"

The young guard covered the back of his head, shrank back, and dared not say another word.

Once the two entered the city,

The smile on Zhu Ming's face slowly froze.

The street was deserted, with most of the shops on both sides closed.

Occasionally, a few pedestrians would appear, but they were all pale and thin, with unsteady steps.

Compared to the bustling and lively atmosphere of Beijing.

It's like comparing heaven and earth!

Along the way

What's even more alarming is that almost every household had a white banner hanging in front of their door.

A gust of wind blew, and the ashes of paper money swirled across the street.

Faint sobs could be heard coming from inside the courtyard wall, intermittent and like fine threads cutting into one's heart.

This place has been suffering from a severe drought for a long time, and the fields have yielded no harvest, with corpses of the starving everywhere.

Those who could walk had already fled the famine, while those who couldn't walk could only wait to die at home.

Zhu Ming pursed his lips and didn't say anything more the whole way.

Xu Miaoyun also dropped her previous relaxed demeanor and followed him with a serious expression.

When the two reached the city center, the scene before them suddenly changed.

In stark contrast to the deathly silence just moments before, the city center presented a completely different world.

The sun was high in the sky, and the signs of restaurants and teahouses along the street fluttered in the wind.

The sound of a pipa and a woman singing drifted from the brothel, their melodies swirling around the beams.

In front of the red-lacquered door of the brothel, several girls stood leaning against the door, waving round fans. When they saw the young man in brocade, they covered their mouths and giggled, their handkerchiefs waving wildly.

The gate was bustling with activity, and young men and women in fine clothes came and went, waving fans and chatting happily.

Some people, annoyed by the heat, casually tossed a half-eaten peach onto the ground, splashing juice everywhere, but no one gave it a second glance.

The most ironic thing is that

Having walked from streets littered with the remains of starving people to this brightly lit, bustling place...

It's only a hundred steps away.

There was no wall, no door, not even a memorial archway in the middle; they were just standing there nakedly side by side.

Zhu Ming stood at the street corner, looking at the two worlds on this one street, his lips twitched, but he didn't say anything.

Xu Miaoyun stood beside him, her expression relatively calm.

She was a few years older, and had been well-versed in literature since childhood.

There are at least eighty or a hundred sentences in historical records that are similar to "Behind the red gates, meat and wine go to waste, while on the road, the bones of those frozen to death lie."

So while the scene before us was somewhat ironic, it wasn't entirely unexpected.

She glanced at Zhu Ming, a hint of worry in her eyes.

From the moment this little one was born, he was cherished and raised by the Empress.

In the palace, who didn't pamper and indulge him?

Everything they ate, wore, and used was of the highest quality; no one would even dare to say a harsh word to them.

The greatest hardship he had ever experienced in his six years of life was simply that the imperial kitchen's pastries didn't suit his taste.

Standing on this street now, on the left are starving corpses, on the right are revelries, and there isn't even a wall in the middle.

That's quite an impact.

Xu Miaoyun opened her mouth, wanting to say something comforting, but didn't know where to begin.

Zhu Ming spoke first. He clenched his fist and then relaxed it. After a long while, he said in a low voice, "Let's go eat first."

"Yes, yes, let's fill our stomachs first." Xu Miaoyun quickly agreed and subconsciously walked towards the most magnificent restaurant in front of her.

Before he could take two steps, someone grabbed his sleeve.

She turned around in confusion, only to see Zhu Ming shake his head, his little face expressionless: "We're not going to eat there."

"Where to?"

Zhu Ming turned around and pointed in the direction he had come from; that was a desolate, poor area.

"Let's eat there."

Xu Miaoyun opened her mouth, but ultimately didn't dare to try to persuade her.

She knew the Sixth Prince's temperament all too well.

Although she looks young, she has more ideas than anyone else.

Once a decision is made, even the Empress herself might not be able to dissuade them.

So, without saying anything more, he obediently followed behind Zhu Ming and turned to walk down the deserted street.

The two walked along the deserted street for a while and randomly chose a small restaurant that looked relatively clean; at least there were no leftover paper money burnt at the entrance.

So the two lifted the curtain and went inside.

Looking around, I found there wasn't a single customer in the store.

All the tables were empty, and the stove was cold and deserted.

Only after the curtain rustled did a weak, listless voice come from behind the counter, without even lifting their head:

"Gentlemen, are you here for a meal or to stay the night?"