Sky Curtain: With a vermilion mirror, Jing travels through the modern world, shaking all dynasties.

Zhu Jingjing was physically weak and, being a pampered princess, was clearly incapable of doing rough work.

Furthermore, she is only of marriageable age, and employing child labor is illegal.

Jiang Chuan said, "Alright then, you'll be my assistant!"

Zhu Jingjing tilted her head, looking completely bewildered. "Brother, what kind of job is an assistant? What exactly do they do?"

Jiang Chuan gently lifted her head with one hand, his fingertips lightly stroking the top of her hair. "It's simple. Just like the eunuchs of your Ming Dynasty, they just listen to my orders, run errands, and deliver things!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jingjing pouted slightly and said in a coquettish voice, "Hmph! Wouldn't that make me a servant, sweeping the courtyard and delivering imperial edicts? You actually want me to do such lowly work, how dare you bully me! Be careful, I'll go tell my godmother that you're bullying me!"

Jiang Chuan quickly shook his head, "Don't worry, how could I let you do those chores? You just need to bring me a cup of tea or water when I'm busy, or go out and buy me some small necessities. It's very easy."

"real?"

Zhu Jingjing looked suspicious, but couldn't help tugging at Jiang Chuan's sleeve and shaking it. "Then tell me, how much is your monthly salary? If it's low... I won't serve you tea and water anymore!"

Jiang Chuan's smile deepened as he opened his palm and stopped in front of her nose. "Is this enough?"

Zhu Jingjing tilted her head and counted on her fingers, looking completely bewildered: "Five... how much is that?"

Jiang Chuan chuckled and tapped her forehead: "Five hundred coins! That's enough for you to eat a bag of cotton candy every day for fifty days straight without repeating a single one!"

"It's a promise!" Zhu Jingjing's eyes crinkled into a smile, and she extended her little finger. "Let's pinky swear!"

Jiang Chuan nodded, extended his little finger and hooked it with hers, then gently shook it a few times.

Then he changed the subject, his expression slightly serious, "However, in the Ming Dynasty after Zhu Yuanzhang, eunuchs were no longer just idle officials sweeping the courtyard!"

Jiang Chuan sighed softly, his tone tinged with regret: "After your fourth brother, Zhu Di, seized the throne in the Jingnan Campaign, he heavily relied on trusted eunuchs to consolidate his rule. He not only established the Eastern Depot, granting it the function of a secret police force to monitor all officials, but also gradually delegated power to them. Later, the situation even reached the point where eunuchs like Wang Zhen, Liu Jin, and Wei Zhongxian wielded immense power and wreaked havoc on the court. They were truly 'inner ministers' who could influence the government!"

The Great Ming Dynasty, Fengtian Hall.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat upright on the dragon throne, but his face was even more somber than the black palace walls outside the hall.

Jiang Chuan's words were like a thunderbolt, shattering his painstakingly constructed "ironclad rule against eunuchs."

The three-foot-long iron plaque stood at the palace gate, with eleven characters written in cinnabar: "Eunuchs are not allowed to interfere in political affairs, violators will be beheaded." These were rules he personally established after ascending the throne, and even the crown prince dared not approach them.

"My iron plaque couldn't even stop the ambitions of later eunuchs?" His voice wasn't loud, but it was as cold as ice. "Zhu Di is my son. If he couldn't even protect this iron plaque, wouldn't my 'Hongwu' reign title become a joke?"

Before he could finish speaking, the teacup in his hand fell to the ground. "Summon the fourth prince, Zhu Di, immediately!"

Empress Ma stood to the side, her fingertips trembling slightly.

Looking at Zhu Yuanzhang's tense face, she said softly, "Chongba, what Jiang Chuan said hasn't happened yet. Di'er is currently studying and practicing martial arts at the Prince of Yan's residence every day, and rarely even enters the palace. Are you summoning him now because you don't trust your own authority, or because you don't trust your own son?"

modern.

"Brother, is what you said really true?" Zhu Jingjing's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief. "Isn't there anyone who can control those lackeys?"

Jiang Chuan nodded and patiently explained, "That's true. The Embroidered Uniform Guard established by your father and the later Eastern Depot have always supervised and checked each other. However, in most periods, the Eastern Depot's status and power were higher than that of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard?" Zhu Jingjing tilted her head, looking completely bewildered. "How come I've never heard of Father Emperor ever establishing any Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

Jiang Chuan slapped his forehead and laughed, "Look at my memory! You transmigrated in the ninth year of Hongwu's reign, while Zhu Yuanzhang only established the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the fifteenth year of Hongwu's reign. Of course you haven't heard of it."

Zhu Jingjing asked curiously, "Brother, what exactly is this Imperial Guard?"

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard is a unique military and political intelligence agency of your Great Ming Dynasty, directly under the command of the emperor." Jiang Chuan said, while showing her a still from the movie "Brotherhood of Blades" on his phone. "They wear flying fish robes and carry embroidered spring knives at their waists. They are not only responsible for the emperor's ceremonial guard and personal protection, but also for reconnaissance and arrest. They can even directly conduct secret surveillance, arrest, and interrogate members of the imperial family!"

Zhu Jingjing stared at the still for a long time, then nodded thoughtfully: "I understand. It's like being a personal guard by Father Emperor's side, only with some special duties."

Jiang Chuan nodded approvingly: "That's quite fitting! However, in our later generations, people's impression of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is still mixed, while the Eastern Depot is definitely a major villain, and people hate it to the core just by mentioning it."

The Qin Dynasty, Xianyang Palace.

The flickering candlelight inside the hall cast Ying Zheng's shadow on the ground.

His face was gloomy, his brows were furrowed, and his eyes were fixed on the sky. "The idea of ​​the Embroidered Uniform Guard is indeed a deep understanding of the Legalist principles of 'technique' and 'power'."

After he finished speaking, golden light flowed across the sky, and a line of golden characters slowly emerged, carrying a touch of streetwise brashness and imperial arrogance.

"You cawing crow, you've finally learned to speak human language today." — Hongwu Emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang.

Ying Zheng's face turned cold. He was about to get angry, but after witnessing Zhu Yuanzhang's methods, he suppressed his anger and instead felt a complex emotion of meeting a worthy opponent.

"You, surnamed Zhu, just now you laughed at me for being a beggar, that was my fault!" He slowly rose, stood with his hands behind his back, and addressed the vast sky, saying loudly, "Since you also called me a crow, this score is even! What do you say?"

The Great Ming Dynasty, Fengtian Hall.

Zhu Yuanzhang gazed up at the golden characters in the sky, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. He thought to himself, "Such magnanimity and breadth of vision are truly worthy of the name 'First Emperor'!"

"In that case, let's wipe the slate clean!" Old Zhu changed the subject, a mocking smile playing on his lips, not forgetting to sarcastically remark, "Ying Zheng, I advise you to put more thought into the matter of the crown prince, lest you become a laughingstock for the dynasty that dies after only two generations!"

"I have my own plans, why should you interfere! You should take care of your own affairs after death. If the empire is ultimately usurped by eunuchs, that would be the greatest joke in the world! —Qin Dynasty, First Emperor Ying Zheng."

After reading it, Zhu Yuanzhang's expression darkened slightly, but he quickly understood.

He pondered for a moment, then suddenly rose, his voice booming like a bell, echoing throughout the hall: "Issue my decree: establish the Embroidered Uniform Guard immediately, as Jiang Chuan suggested!"