The First Prince of the Ming Dynasty

The Zhuque Pavilion on Tingzhou Island in Nanhu Lake in Nanchang, and the Xinghua Tower on the opposite bank where Lou Suzhen stayed, are both good places to enjoy the scenery on Nanhu Lake.

As night fell, the rain did not stop.

At the window on the third floor of the Vermilion Bird Pavilion, Prince Ning was playing chess with an old man dressed in heavy robes. Prince Ning was playing white, and the old man's chessboard was obviously desolate, but he was still able to maneuver.

The old man's name was Liu Yangzheng. He was a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations and was well-versed in astronomy and geography. He was also hired by Prince Ning at great expense.

Compared to these privately recruited advisors, Prince Ning did not trust the officials appointed within the Prince's Palace, such as the Chief Secretary and the Judge.

Gongsun Jin, a staff member of the Prince of Ning's mansion, who was standing to the side, had already truthfully explained to Zhu Chenhao the process of his meeting with Zhu Yi.

"...According to my calculations, the years mentioned by the Third Prince all match up, and he answered without hesitation, showing complete confidence. Moreover, he spoke with such certainty that it seems... he is truly certain that he comes from several hundred years in the future. According to my calculations, the two thousand twenty-six years he mentioned is five hundred and eleven years in the future."

Upon hearing this, Prince Ning's expression turned slightly displeased.

It could also be because, despite having the upper hand on the board, one is unable to completely kill the game.

Prince Ning said in a deep voice, "Are you saying that my son was missing for several days, and when he returned, he was no longer my son, but a monster from five hundred years in the future?"

Gongsun Jin said, "I had someone examine the young master while he was unconscious, and the birthmarks on his body all match. I also consulted the servants who were with him day and night, and they all said it was undoubtedly the young master. Your Highness may summon them here so that you and the Princess can verify it yourself."

Liu Yangzheng, standing to the side, said, "Then why not find some medicine for the young master to recuperate?"

"This..." Gongsun Jin hesitated slightly. "Young Master seems quite resistant to medicine, and keeps saying strange things, as if someone wants to rip out his heart, lungs, liver and spleen."

Prince Ning said, "What use would I have for his heart, lungs, liver, and spleen?"

"I don't know either, but it seems to be some kind of strange ritual. It's related to his situation hundreds of years later, as he mentioned. He also said that he had an accident in Huangshan, and even his accent was mixed with a northern official tone," Gongsun Jin said.

Prince Ning frowned and asked, "Why is this happening?"

Liu Yangzheng casually took a step forward and reminded him, "Could it be that someone is secretly investigating the matter of Prince Ning, and then kidnapped the Third Young Master, using him to test the waters of Prince Ning's household? Perhaps even affecting Your Highness's future plans?"

Upon hearing this, Prince Ning's expression turned even more unpleasant.

Gongsun Jin then said, "I have a different opinion."

"Speak," said Prince Ning.

"I think it's possible that Heaven, in its compassion for Your Highness's great undertaking, used divine magic to reveal the future to you, so that you may assist Your Highness? In fact, there are ways to verify the truth of what he said. Even if someone is plotting something wicked, it can be exposed."

Gongsun Jin appeared both obsequious and confident.

Liu Yangzheng said, "Since you were able to expose him, why didn't you ask more questions? Even if someone did it intentionally, the prince is still young and inexperienced; can he withstand your questioning?"

Gongsun Jin said, "Mr. Liu, please calm down. This is my plan. If I want to test you, I need to ask more questions. But if I say too much, it will definitely arouse your suspicion. Moreover, some questions are too sharp. Once they are asked, it will be difficult to take them back. At that time, whether I tell the prince the truth or not, others will take the opportunity to sow discord."

"Um?"

Prince Ning pondered for a moment.

He immediately understood what Gongsun Jin meant.

Gongsun Jin only asked his son a few trivial questions as a slight probing.

The reason for not asking further questions was that I was afraid of uncovering some earth-shattering secret.

It's like if Prince Ning wanted to rebel. Whether this would succeed or not, a person from the future would know perfectly well. If what his son said didn't match his expectations, would Gongsun Jin report it truthfully or not? And how much would he report?

No matter how much he reports, people will say that Gongsun Jin has ulterior motives.

Therefore, you must report in advance what questions you want to ask and how you want to gauge the appropriate level of discretion, and you also need someone to witness and corroborate your statement.

Gongsun Jin's actions can be described as "prudent self-preservation."

Prince Ning had gained a decisive advantage on the chessboard and finally made a brilliant move, seemingly sealing the victory. He smiled at Liu Yangzheng and said, "Then I'll trouble Mr. Liu to accompany Mr. Gongsun to my son's residence tomorrow to conduct a preliminary investigation?"

Liu Yangzheng asked, puzzled, "Your Highness, do you really believe...?"

Prince Ning raised his hand to interrupt Liu Yangzheng, saying, "My son was raised among commoners in his early years, and I rarely saw him, all so that he could grow up comfortably and achieve great things in the future, after which I would bestow a name upon him and report to the ancestral temple. Who would have thought that his life would be so turbulent? If what he said is true, I will take it as a reference beforehand. If it is just empty talk, I must find out who is stirring up trouble behind the scenes, and once I find that person, I will not let them off the hook."

Liu Yangzheng stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "I accept the order."

……

……

Prince Ning then left the Vermilion Bird Pavilion and went to the nearby Apricot Blossom Pavilion to see Lou Suzhen.

Inside the pavilion, Lou Suzhen stepped forward, gracefully curtsied, but asked with a hint of anxiety, "Your Highness, how is my situation now?"

Prince Ning said, "Yi'er has woken up and is fine, but he is still weak and needs a few more days of recuperation. Once his condition improves, he will come to pay his respects to you."

Prince Ning clearly did not want to tell his wife the details of Zhu Yi's situation, because he knew very well that his wife still disagreed with him on some matters. Perhaps Zhu Yi's sudden loss of mind was related to the person behind Lou Suzhen?

"It's good that nothing's wrong, it's good that nothing's wrong."

Lou Suzhen finally breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

Lou Suzhen then thought of something and said, "Your Highness, Mr. Tang Yin's condition is serious. We have consulted many doctors to treat him, but none of them have helped. Perhaps... we should let him return to Suzhou?"

Prince Ning asked, "Will his condition improve if he returns to Suzhou?"

"It is always the case..." Lou Suzhen said, "The fallen leaves return to their roots. He can't help the prince much if he stays in Nanchang. Moreover, he has done a favor for the prince's mansion. If he dies in Nanchang, people may say that the prince is not respectful to the virtuous and talented, which will not be conducive to the prince recruiting virtuous and talented people in the future."

Prince Ning thought for a moment, then nodded slightly and said, "Let me think about this matter more carefully. Even if we let him go, we will help him get better, or we will make him settle down and give him gold and silk so that he can live a life free from worries about food and clothing."

Lou Suzhen said, "Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness."

……

……

After dinner, Zhu Yi spent the night in fear and trepidation.

I didn't dare close my eyes even when I slept. Several times I got up to go to the window to listen to what was happening outside, only to find that the yard had already been guarded and there was no way to escape.

Finally, the rooster crowed, but he was still in poor spirits. At this time, the hunchbacked old man had already brought him his breakfast.

"I told you you guys were unprofessional. This place is so run-down, practically bare, and the food is so meager, yet you're using such old-fashioned bowls and chopsticks? Hmm, this thing does seem... exquisitely crafted... Could poor families in ancient times afford such things? When buying things online, do your research on the historical context first."

No matter what Zhu Yi said, no one paid any attention to him.

Zhu Yi was indeed very hungry at the moment, so he just ate a few mouthfuls of congee and didn't even dare to pick up any vegetables.

In his view, perhaps these people still wanted to spare his life, and as for how he would be treated in the future, he could only wait and see.

It hadn't been long since I had breakfast.

The courtyard gate was then opened.

Zhu Yi immediately became alert, only to see the person who had carried the umbrella yesterday bring in a middle-aged or elderly man dressed in ancient costume. As soon as they entered, the man looked around the room.

"Brother Zhu, how did you rest last night?" the man holding the umbrella asked Zhu Yi with a smile.

Zhu Yi walked to the doorway, but didn't approach. He said coldly, "Why are you in a costume instead of a white coat? Do you need a blood test? Where's the first-aid kit?"

The man holding the umbrella was completely bewildered, but still smiled, and said to the person next to him, "Sir, why don't we go inside and sit down with him, and chat for a bit?"

Zhu Yi said, "What exactly do you lunatics want? Kill me or torture me as you please, or just let me go... or let me contact my family, and I'll pay the ransom, okay?"

The man holding the umbrella looked at the old servant beside him and said, "He's never been out of the house before, has he?"

"No," the old servant replied.

Zhu Yi asked, "What exactly is this place?"

The man holding the umbrella said, "Brother Zhu, how about this? I've brought this gentleman with me today. He's an expert in the I Ching and has extensive knowledge of Feng Shui and Xuan Kong Feng Shui. If you answer a few questions truthfully, and as long as what you say is true, we'll let you leave this courtyard and go out to have a look around. What do you think?"

"What did you say? You really want me to go out?" Zhu Yi looked incredulous.

Are you here to ask a question again?

Is this part of some game?

After asking all the questions, are you letting me out?

You can't really make me believe this is the Ming Dynasty, can you?

"Yes, but you can't run away on your own. Someone will take you away," said the person holding the umbrella.

Zhu Yi said, "So you want me to follow your predetermined route and watch you put on a monkey show? Fine, but I have a condition. If you don't agree, I'm afraid I can't comply."

"Please speak," said the man holding the umbrella.

"I won't stop you from having people watch over me, but I need someone to serve me," Zhu Yi said. "Didn't you say this is ancient times? You seem to have quite a background. I need women, that is, maids, to serve me. They can't be too old, the younger the better. You can't not do that, can you?"

Zhu Yi proposed these conditions primarily to escape.

These adult men are all seasoned veterans, and I can't handle them. But if a woman comes along, wouldn't I have a chance to figure out my situation?

The best way to break the deadlock is to take the initiative.

In their minds, this group of people certainly hadn't considered preparing a maidservant... Zhu Yi felt that the more initiative he had, the easier it would be to expose their conspiracy.

The person holding the umbrella didn't answer directly, but first looked at the elderly man beside him: "Sir, what do you think?"

"Agree to his request and see what tricks he can pull." The old man next to him seemed to have Zhu Yi completely under his thumb.

Zhu Yi felt very uncomfortable with that tone and expression.

Sure enough, there are no good people in a den of thieves.