Daming: Internship also counts as work experience

Chapter 145 Cricket Reincarnation?

It was still that secluded little courtyard. A young eunuch entered the room to report, and Zhu Zhanji's voice came from inside: "Come in, it's cold outside."

Zhu Zhanji was painting a landscape painting at his desk.

Jia Chuan bowed as he entered the house. A warm, woody scent wafted towards him. He took a deep breath and, feigning concern, began to kowtow, wishing His Majesty a Happy New Year and abundant wealth…

"Okay, get up."

Jia Chuan didn't stand on ceremony; he bowed and stood before the table, but he didn't actually kneel down.

"You are truly my lucky general," Zhu Zhanji said with a smile, putting down his paintbrush.

Jia Chuan nodded seriously and said, "I think so too."

"You're welcome."

"There's no need to be modest about some things," Jia Chuan said earnestly.

"Bring a pot of hot wine, and set out dinner here," Zhu Zhanji said to the young eunuch before walking into the inner room.

Jia Chuan quickly got up and followed.

"I was hoping to have lunch with you, but I didn't expect you to arrive at this hour." Zhu Zhanji sat down at the round table in the inner room.

Jia Chuan quickly explained, "I had my family with me, and the road wasn't easy to travel, so I didn't delay..."

"With your whole family? The Gao family girl has agreed to marry you?"

Jia Chuan scratched his head and grinned foolishly, "It's only a matter of time."

"Sit down. A beauty loves a hero. I will treat you with respect."

Jia Chuan sat down on the embroidered stool next to the round table, and the little eunuch began to serve dishes and wine.

"Xu Gong said you risked your life to protect that temple?"

Jia Chuan paused for a moment, then quickly replied:

"I was also scared at the time. There was no other way. Gao Yuntian needed to come back to report the news, and that county magistrate was a blockhead. I also had to be wary of him. I didn't know if all the villagers were honest. I could only trust the people around me. I also knew that those people had many accomplices. I just hoped that the torches down the mountain could scare them away and hold out until Gao Yuntian brought his men back. Speaking of which, Your Majesty should think of the people around me for this achievement. Without them, it would be a small matter if I lost my life, but I don't know who would benefit from those good things."

Zhu Zhanji laughed and said, "My reward is not as good as yours. When I have the reward, you can give some to them. That archer will still follow you, right?"

"Shunzi? She's with you."

Zhu Zhanji nodded and said, "After this mission is completed, some things will be settled. He has gained experience following you. We'll find a prosperous county for him to try out."

When the young eunuch was about to pour wine, Zhu Zhanji waved his hand and said, "Let him do it, you can all leave."

Jia Chuan quickly got up to pour wine for the Emperor, saying, "Then I must thank the Emperor on behalf of Shunzi! Shunzi is capable. He is quick-witted and honest. He can't be greedy for wine when he is on duty. It's so cold in that dilapidated temple. I thought I would drink a sip to warm up, but I was afraid that if I drank a sip, I would be thinking about the next sip. If I drank a few more sips, I was afraid that my mind would not be able to work. So Shunzi stayed with me and didn't drink a drop. He endured it."

"I'm about to doze off, and you've brought me a pillow. Drink up, drink as much as you want today."

Jia Chuan was startled. Zhu Zhanji didn't use "朕" (zhen, the imperial "I"), but "我" (wo, the "I"). What was he trying to do? Was he trying to confide in him?
Zhu Zhanji took a sip first, and Jia Chuan followed suit.

“My grandfather fought for more than 20 years, and my father managed the national treasury for more than 10 years. The north was restless, and we had to fight. There wasn’t much silver in the national treasury. We had to feed the people and horses. Even a skilled cook can’t cook without rice. But my grandfather and father actually handed me a peaceful world.”

Jia Chuan dared not utter a sound, and could only listen attentively. He drank whatever Zhu Zhanji drank, and he also took a bite of whatever Zhu Zhanji picked up with his chopsticks.

"Do you think my grandfather ever considered passing the throne to my second uncle? I think he definitely did. When I was young, I always thought my father was a coward. My second uncle tried to harm my father many times, but my father never said a word. Finally, my grandfather discovered my second uncle's behavior and wanted to send him to Yunnan. My second uncle refused, and my father even pleaded for him. Later, an official impeached my second uncle for privately establishing guards, forging weapons, and usurping imperial weapons. My grandfather was really anxious, and it was my father who came out to kneel and beg again... But my second uncle said that my father was just putting on an act."

Zhu Zhanji took a sip of wine and said:
"It was only later that I slowly realized how difficult it was for my father... If my grandfather hadn't really had such thoughts, why would my father have bothered to pretend to be such a nice old man? But my grandfather also knew how competent my father had been as the crown prince for so many years. If it were someone else, they would be intolerant, wouldn't know how to compromise, and wouldn't have someone like my father to support them. The country would be doomed! Now I'm in this position too, but no one helps me deal with foreign enemies, and no one helps me enrich the national treasury. Thinking about it now, the two of them have actually helped each other."

Jia Chuan felt that he had to say something fair at this point.

"There are still good officials in the court, but none of them have the ability to conjure up silver. This matter cannot be rushed. It's not that Heaven knew the Emperor was in trouble and didn't know what to give him for the New Year, so it gave him some lucky money."

Zhu Zhanji laughed and asked, "Do you know how much this New Year's money is?"

"I don't know. To be honest, my first thought when I saw the cellar was to send Gao Yuntian back to the capital immediately. But then I realized that we should have dug out one or two more boxes before sending him back. Otherwise, if there really was only one box inside, wouldn't that have given the Emperor false hope?"

Zhu Zhanji frowned and asked, "You mean you saw it and then sent Gao Yuntian back to the capital, and at that time you didn't know if there were still any left in the cellar?"

Jia Chuan nodded and said, "At first glance, I realize I was indeed hasty. But upon closer reflection, especially after Xu Qianshi and the others arrived, I realized that it was fortunate I immediately sent Gao Yuntian back to the capital. Otherwise, with just the few of us, it would have taken three to five days to dig out the second box. The later boxes were close together, but we couldn't find the ones after that. But we couldn't just empty it out; it would collapse. I think Xu Qianshi was also extremely worried. Besides, if we dug out a few boxes and then let Gao Yuntian go, wouldn't that just be waiting for those people to come and rob us?" Zhu Zhanji breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's why I say you are my lucky general. Some things need to be decided decisively; thinking about it too much is useless."

Jia Chuan immediately said seriously, "It is because His Majesty is blessed with boundless good fortune."

"Stop spouting such nonsense! There are no disaster reports from various places yet, and we don't know how the summer rains will be... Now you probably understand why I hesitated to act against my second uncle, forcing him to make the first move in a hurry?"

Jia Chuan nodded without hesitation and said, "I understand not only the Emperor, but also the late Emperor."

"Let alone fighting my second uncle, even the war with the Tatars, my father wanted to postpone it as much as possible, so as to give the people time to recuperate. My second uncle only has the throne in his heart, nothing else. I know that he hasn't even figured out the Shandong territory yet. If he dares to make a move, the court may not have to lose a single soldier."

"It should be... soon, right?"

"Let him have a happy reunion for the New Year. Go to Kaifeng this time. If you can find something else and he doesn't move, then I will! It won't cost a single soldier. In short, we must deal with him this year. We can't give him any more time. There are too many things to do."

"Inspector Zhang only said he was going to Kaifeng to investigate King Ding of Zhou, but what was he investigating?"

"My fifth grandfather was fond of tinkering with herbs. He was once exiled to Yunnan, where he acquired many of the local Dai doctors' prescriptions. Later, after returning to Kaifeng, he devoted himself to the study of herbs, opened a herb-gathering bureau, and I heard he even wrote a book. I originally thought this was my fifth grandfather's way of showing weakness, but even pharmacists like Liu Chun and Teng Shuo were attracted to it, which shows that this herb-gathering bureau was not just for the court to see. If that's the case, my second uncle's frequent contact with the Prince of Zhou made me feel that something was unusual. My father... only went from feeling unwell to passing away in two days. Otherwise, why would I have rushed back in such a sorry state?"

Jia Chuan took a deep breath. Such things cannot be written in history books, and even if they are true, they cannot be written. But can he just listen to them? He thought of what Gao Yunduo said: "Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger." It was absolutely true. Right now, Zhu Zhanji seemed to treat him as a confidant. Who knew when he might harbor resentment towards him?
Seeing Jia Chuan's furrowed brows, Zhu Zhanji laughed and said, "What are you afraid of? Even if I don't say anything, there will be plenty of rumors."

Jia Chuan thought about it and agreed; otherwise, why would Zhang Zheng have made such a deduction? So, he coughed lightly, pretending to be deep in thought, and analyzed with a highly engaged tone: "The late emperor's death was initially kept secret, but someone knew when he passed away and timed it to intercept the emperor halfway, hoping to take advantage of the distance between Nanjing and Beijing. If they succeeded, they would step forward..."

"It's no use him stepping forward. Several of my younger brothers have already been enfeoffed as kings: the King of Jing, the King of Xiang, the King of Yue, the King of Zheng... When I rushed back from Nanjing, the King of Xiang and the King of Zheng were the regents. Whatever my second uncle wants to do, he has to get past my two brothers first. So unless he has a will, but that jade craftsman has been imprisoned until you arrived, which shows that my second uncle has not yet done what he wants. So I can only guess... Did my second uncle get something from my fifth grandfather? Did my father discover something? Is my second uncle impatient? After I returned to the capital, all those in the harem who could serve my father closely... are dead. My mother said that someone among them will definitely spread the word, so she dares not keep them."

Jia Chuan subconsciously wiped the sweat from his forehead. He saw Zhu Zhanji down another cup and hesitated whether to advise him to drink less.

Zhu Zhanji did not use Jia Chuan, but poured himself a full cup, and then said:
"I've heard that the 'Herbal Remedies for Famine Relief,' compiled by Prince Zhou Ding during his lifetime, has attracted many physicians and pharmacists who want to borrow it. The book records many herbs and plants that have never been seen before. If it falls into the wrong hands, it could cause trouble. After you go there, firstly, organize the book and decide whether to destroy it or what to do; secondly, secretly investigate whether Second Uncle had close contact with Prince Zhou Ding last year and whether he might have borrowed anything from the book; and thirdly, find out if the herbal collection bureau has any privately produced secret medicines..."

Zhu Zhanji drank another cup of wine.

Jia Chuan felt he was almost soaked through. This was different from investigating the Han Prince. Back then, Jia Chuan could argue that he was eliminating evil forces, but this mission... Jia Chuan wanted to find a suitable reason for himself, even investigating the cause of death of the Zhou Ding Prince would be acceptable. However, how could he mentally prepare himself to state his purpose so bluntly? If this matter went wrong even slightly, how many lives would be lost?
"This job...wouldn't it be safer for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to do it?" Jia Chuan mustered his courage to ask. If he had to go under the name of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he would first seize the power of the conversation and perhaps change Zhu Zhanji's decision. If not, it wouldn't matter. As long as there was another job, he could accept a different title, as long as it didn't weld him to the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Zhanji picked up a piece of venison, put it in his mouth, chewed it, and asked, "Did the person in your dream tell you how the cause of death was deduced?"

Jia Chuan's chopsticks stopped in mid-air.

"How can you know death if you don't know life? The Embroidered Uniform Guard can find out why you have the ability to be a coroner, but they can't find out exactly what that ability is. Since you have the ability to be a coroner, you must know a little about medicine, which is much better than those people in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Besides, I trust you. This matter needs to be investigated secretly. The Embroidered Uniform Guard can do it, but they may not do it well. They have to report and wait for orders. You are different. Once you make a decision, it won't delay your work."

Jia Chuan was speechless. What Zhu Zhanji said earlier made a lot of sense. It was enough for an emperor to think of this level. As for what he said about trust later, just take it with a grain of salt.

Unexpectedly, after Zhu Zhanji finished speaking, he put down his chopsticks, walked to the couch in the inner room, leaned back on the cushions, closed his eyes, and said again:
"In the ninth year of Yongle's reign, I was made the Crown Prince. Do you know how careful I have been to survive until today? Apart from those few eunuchs, I can't find a single person I can trust around me. I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to live any longer."

Jia Chuan felt a chill in his groin.

"I originally thought I wouldn't be able to avoid my second uncle's ambush on the way back to the capital, but I didn't expect you to appear. I guess we've both benefited from this. There are rumors that my grandfather had a dream when I was born. I don't know if it's true or not, but before I met you, I also had a dream. At that time, I was running for my life, and I was in a terrible state. I couldn't sleep soundly. I could only doze off when I was extremely tired. Most of the time, it was a nightmare, but the only time I dreamed of you..."

Jia Chuan's eyes widened, thinking: This works? He's never seen me before, yet he knows it's me?

“I dreamed of a huge cricket. I recognized it; it was the cricket I used to keep. It crawled up to me, I climbed onto its back, and then it flew away.”

Jia Chuan gasped, thinking to himself: So it turns out I'm a cricket reincarnated!

“You are protecting your master.”

'Protect your grandpa!' Jia Chuan cursed inwardly.

“If it were just for your meritorious service in protecting the emperor, I would not continue to use you, and you would only receive some monetary rewards. But you are Sai Zilong, so it is different. Sure enough, you were able to do everything I asked you to do afterward, and this time you even brought me a small fortune... Sai Zilong is invincible.”

Jia Chuan didn't understand what his actions had to do with a cricket.
Zhu Zhanji sat up, while Jia Chuan remained seated on the embroidered stool.

"Since you are Sai Zilong, who was once invincible, you will not disappoint me in this life either."

Jia Chuan cleared his throat and asked, "Um, how did Sai Zilong die?"

Zhu Zhanji looked sorrowful and sighed, saying, "This is my fault. I take it everywhere I go. When I went to Nanjing by boat, it was rocking and its drum-shaped container fell to the ground... Perhaps it didn't want to be confined to this small place. And what about me? I thought that either of us should be able to roam freely, right? But where could it run to? Aren't those mountains and rivers outside also heavy cages?"

Jia Chuan breathed a sigh of relief; at least it wasn't killed.

……

(End of this chapter)