Chapter 1: Encounter
Zhong Jinwei looked at these fools, not even knowing about Shenzhen: "It's in Guangdong Province, the Special Economic Zone, and you don't know this? Let go of me, let's talk properly"
In the past, I was worried and anxious about my life, not knowing when I might offend Wei Zhongxian or when disaster would strike; now my concerns revolve around the ancestral legacy, as the current state affairs are fraught with troubles. Today, the usually diligent Emperor Chongzhen has followed my advice and directly come from the Wenhua Hall to the Imperial Garden to relax. It seems that the pressure has truly become overwhelming. Today, the usually diligent Emperor Chongzhen has followed my advice and directly come from the Wenhua Hall to the Imperial Garden to relax. It seems that the pressure has truly become overwhelming
Zhong Jinwei was taken aback upon hearing this: What, the second year of Chongzhen? The Ming Dynasty? Have I traveled through time? A chaotic world?
Zhong Jinwei's gaze passed over the shoulder of the guard preparing to strike him, and he saw a young man standing on the pavilion behind, dressed in a dragon robe. Indeed, it was a dragon robe. This is something everyone knows; a dragon robe is yellow and adorned with dragons. They all call him 'Your Majesty, Your Majesty,' so there should be no mistake.
For now, let's not worry about it; we will discuss it after reaching the shore. At this moment, Zhong Jinwei's choice of direction, like anyone else's, is to choose a path where there are people.
He was very curious about the origin of this person, who had suddenly appeared from the sky, carrying some peculiar and strange items, dressed in odd clothing, and with very short hair. Emperor Chongzhen said: "This is my imperial garden, and the current date is the 1st of June in the second year of Chongzhen."
Suddenly, Emperor Chongzhen saw a person appear out of thin air at a height of more than one zhang above the water pool. Yes, that's right, a person appeared out of thin air. Then he heard a scream: "Ah," followed immediately by a splash as the person fell into the pool.
In June, the city of Beijing, during the evening, the temperature remains quite high, and the leaves in the Imperial Garden are wilted. There is not a breath of wind, creating a stifling dry heat.
Startled by a car behind me while walking, I suddenly swerved to the side and felt my feet give way. Then, with a "splash," I fell into the water. My mind immediately registered: "I can't swim!" So, I struggled desperately, and while shouting "Help!" to *Tu* *Shu*, I inadvertently swallowed a few mouthfuls of water
The conversation was not finished, yet it paused again, unsure of how to ask. By the way, if one can understand the speech, it should still be within the country: "Where is this place, and what year is it now?"
Although he was sitting in the pavilion by the pond in the Imperial Garden, surrounded by ice blocks and attended by palace maids fanning him, Emperor Chongzhen still felt suffocated. He simply stood up and began to walk back and forth in the pavilion. After a short while, he started to stand in a daze, staring blankly at the water in the pond.
Emperor Chongzhen turned to look at the fiery red sun in the west, which was still blazing even as it was about to set, and couldn't help but let out a sigh. He knew that he wouldn't be able to ask anything meaningful; he merely spoke to relieve some of the pressure. He truly hoped that heaven could create a miracle to help him catch his breath. This was what Chongzhen was thinking.
Upon seeing that Zhong Jinwei not only did not respond but also countered with a question, Wang Cheng'en was about to reprimand him when Emperor Chongzhen raised his hand to stop Wang Cheng'en
Zhong Jinwei walked over while saying to the two people approaching with knives: "Are you so engrossed in your filming that you can't even come to help when someone falls into the water? I'm not some old lady or old man who can rely on you. The moral standards of society are declining!"
The mobile phone has gone black due to water damage, and Emperor Chongzhen sees his reflection on the front screen of the phone. Oh, it turns out to be a mirror, a peculiar mirror
"Still performing, huh? I'm about to lose my temper! If you keep messing with me, no amount of compensation will suffice; I will definitely sue you all." Zhong Jinwei was furious
At that moment, a young voice sounded from above, carrying a hint of authority and confidence. It was quite impressive, yet Zhong Jinwei felt a sense of unease, questioning, "Who are you, and why have you suddenly appeared?"
The eunuch Wang Cheng'en, who was attending nearby, slightly raised his head to glance at Chongzhen and keenly noticed a hint of worry in the emperor's gaze. In fact, he was well aware that ever since Chongzhen was still the Prince of Xin, there had often been a look of concern in his eyes.
Note 1: Premier Zhou Enlai ordered in 1956 that all national institutions prohibit the use of the term "Manchu" as a term of ethnic discrimination. Premier Zhou stated that "Manchu" is a term used by the Republic of China to justify the persecution of the Manchu people
At this moment, Zhong Jinwei truly sensed that something was amiss: it certainly wasn't filming, as the terrain here was open and there were no cameras in sight; nor was it a robbery, as one wouldn't dress like this for a heist
Because it was time to slap him, I loosened the grip on Zhong Jinwei's hands, allowing him to lift his head. Then I raised my hand, preparing to strike.
Wang Cheng'en added to the guards, "Search him." One guard held Zhong Jinwei's hands, while another guard sheathed his knife and began the search.
Suddenly, Zhong Jinwei felt his feet touch the bottom of the water, so he stood up. It turned out that the water was not as deep as he had imagined, just reaching up to his neck
Emperor Chongzhen was taking a stroll in his garden, accompanied only by four guards positioned around him. At that moment, they were all gathered closely around Emperor Chongzhen. In a state of urgency, feeling suffocated by their presence, he said: "Disperse, I want to see what the situation is."
Zhong Jinwei, upon seeing that the other party was truly about to slap him, thought that a wise man does not suffer immediate losses, and quickly said: "Wait, wait, don't hit, don't hit"
Emperor Chongzhen suddenly stopped walking, turned to Wang Cheng'en, and said: "Daban, do you think it will rain in Shaanxi?"
Wang Cheng'en did not hear Zhong Jinwei's words. Seeing the two guards turn to look at him, he glared at them and said, "Why aren't you taking him down quickly?"
Put down the phone and opened the wallet again. Well, it's quite pitiful; having just bought a house, there is no money on hand. The wallet contains only a little loose change, and it is an old one. There is also a card (a bank card) inside, which has some writing on it, but the characters seem to be incomplete and are not very clear.
Zhong Jinwei has just purchased a house. Although it is a second-hand property, he no longer has to worry about rising housing prices. Today, while passing through the town, he saw some paintings at a roadside stall and chose one Chinese map and one world map, specifically the series of educational maps on China's land and resources. The vendor mentioned that they are from the 2013 edition, and he plans to hang them on the wall of his study.
At this moment, Wang Cheng'en realized what was happening, and immediately rushed to Emperor Chongzhen's side, spreading his arms to shield the emperor while shouting, "Protect Your Majesty!"
Zhong Jinwei wanted to look up at the person speaking, but his hands were tightly restrained behind his back, preventing him from raising his head. He could only speak with his head lowered: "Hurry up and let me go, or I will report you for robbery."
As Zhong Jinwei's gaze fell upon the steps of the pavilion, he was suddenly kicked in the calf, causing him to kneel down involuntarily
In fact, Chongzhen's patience was always commendable; for instance, he was able to tolerate Wei Zhongxian's arrogance and tyranny until the day he felt confident enough to take action. It is worth noting that at that time, he was not yet twenty years old, yet he exhibited such patience
Moreover, their arrival was peculiar; their speech and demeanor did not seem feigned. The steel knife resting on their necks was quite heavy, and its sharpness was palpable. Thus, he inquired: "May I ask, who are you... ?"
Zhong Jinwei wiped the water off his face and began to survey his surroundings: "What the hell, where is there a pool by the roadside? There’s a crowd over there, staring at me as if I’m a fool. Wait a minute, what kind of clothes are they wearing? Are they filming a movie? There are no cameras!"
Zhong Jinwei felt that the knife was real, not a prop, and was so frightened that he dared not shout anymore, so he had to keep his mouth shut. He couldn't help but think: "Could it be that some television station is imitating foreign prank shows? If that is the case, I will definitely demand compensation from them later"
Wang Cheng'en quickly commanded two guards to protect Emperor Chongzhen in front of him, and said to the other two guards: "Hurry and subdue the assassin!"
Emperor Chongzhen, upon hearing the words of Zhong Jinwei, held up the banknote and asked, "Is this money?"
Zhong Jinwei was left speechless.
My name is Zhong Jinwei, I am from Shenzhen. How I ended up here, I really don't know. Before I could figure it out, I was already in this situation. Taking advantage of the moment I could lift my head, Zhong Jinwei quickly looked around, trying to see where the director and the camera were hidden, and what exactly was going on.
Wang Cheng'en, seeing that this person was spouting nonsense, said to one of the guards: "Slap him."
Wang Cheng'en saw that the two guards effortlessly captured the assassin, and then turned to Emperor Chongzhen, saying: "Your Majesty, we have captured the assassin." Emperor Chongzhen thought to himself: This is unnecessary to say; I have already seen it. However, despite his thoughts, he did not respond to Wang Cheng'en and directly instructed the two guards: "Bring him over."
Emperor Chongzhen looked at the object before him; the key was discernible, but its purpose was unclear. He did not open the wallet but first picked up the mobile phone, flipping it back and forth, unable to comprehend it.
Your Majesty, extremes will inevitably lead to opposites. After such a prolonged drought, it is possible that the hot weather has now concentrated in the capital, while it has already started to rain in Shaanxi. What else could Wang Cheng'en say but to offer some consolation
Emperor Chongzhen looked at this person with a face full of confusion, and he did not appear to harbor any malicious intent. In order to clarify the identity of the visitor, he signaled to the guards to let go.
"Take it easy, take it easy. What are you doing, kidnapping me!" Zhong Jinwei felt a sharp pain in his arms, and his head involuntarily lowered as he hurriedly shouted
Approximately twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with a somewhat haggard complexion, furrowed brows, gazing at oneself
The guards and palace maids quickly realized the situation and immediately ran to the emperor, forming a circle around him. Everyone was aware that capturing the assassin was clearly less important than protecting the emperor. Not only did this reduce the danger, but it also provided an opportunity to showcase their abilities
"Be bold, but do not be disrespectful." Wang Cheng'en looked at this peculiar person who had begun to speak indiscreetly again, and had no choice but to admonish him once more
The emperor, the eunuchs, the palace maids, and the guards were all astonished, their jaws dropping to the ground. The object that the person had been holding slipped from their grasp as it fell, drifting and floating down to the ground at the steps of the pavilion.
Strange, where is the pocket? The jacket clearly has nothing, as Zhong Jinwei is wearing a short-sleeved shirt, one without pockets. He pulled out a wallet, a set of keys, and a mobile phone from his pants pocket. Quite peculiar! However, it was not his place to be surprised; he hurriedly handed over the items he had found to Wang Cheng'en.
"Be bold, but do not be disrespectful. This is His Majesty." Wang Cheng'en reprimanded from the side
At this moment, Emperor Chongzhen spoke again: "I ask you once more, who are you, and why have you suddenly appeared in the Imperial Garden"
At this moment, Zhong Jinwei had already walked to the edge of the pool, climbed up the bank, and just as he stood up, one of the guards punched him in the stomach. Taking advantage of Zhong Jinwei bending over in pain, another guard stepped forward and twisted Zhong Jinwei's hands behind his back, placing a steel knife against his neck
At this moment, Zhong Jinwei spoke: "I told you I have no money, you have the wrong person for kidnapping and robbery. If you are just trying to scare me for the show, please let me go quickly, and I won't pursue the matter further"
Your Majesty, I do not believe this resembles a silver note, nor have I heard of such silver notes being issued in Guangdong. Furthermore, Guangdong does not have a city named Shenzhen." Wang Cheng'en respectfully expressed his views to Emperor Chongzhen, then turned to Zhong Jinwei and shouted, "You speak utter nonsense; confess the truth, otherwise you will face the consequences.
Emperor Chongzhen turned and sat back down on the stone bench in the middle of the pavilion, while Wang Cheng'en cooperatively placed the items on the stone table in front of Emperor Chongzhen, casually moving aside a plate of pastries.
"What are you doing? Is this a robbery! It hurts, it hurts!" The guard, with a knife pressed against Zhong Jinwei's neck, exerted a slight force on his wrist, pressing down on Zhong Jinwei, and then shouted, "Silence, no noise allowed!"
Emperor Chongzhen had some doubts and turned to Wang Cheng'en. Wang Cheng'en understood the meaning and quickly replied: "Your Majesty, please forgive me; I do not know what place Shenzhen is." The other guards and palace maids also shook their heads in indication of their ignorance.
Wait a moment, perhaps this Ming Dynasty is not the same as that Ming Dynasty, and this Chongzhen is not the same as that Chongzhen. He quickly asked, "Wasn't Tianqi before Chongzhen, and Wanli? Wasn't the Ming Dynasty preceded by the Yuan and Song dynasties? Is the Manchu Qing currently rebelling in the Northeast?"
Everything felt eerie, and the guards were at a loss, so they turned to look at Wang Cheng'en
At this moment, the two guards had already reached the edge of the pool. Just as they were about to confront the person, they were rendered speechless by this remark. They exchanged glances and then turned back to seek guidance from Wang Cheng'en with their eyes.
Two guards exerted force, pushing Zhong Jinwei towards Emperor Chongzhen.
Yes, but what do you mean by the Manchu? (Note 1) There was a rebellion by the Jurchen Tartars in the Northeast. Chongzhen displayed great patience.