Chapter 2: Crossing Over

Zhu Ming, a student, grew up under the red flag, thrived in the new society, has eaten at KFC, and fought against little monsters. However, everything before him is telling him with an ironclad reality: you ...! ... have been exposed!

Who can tell me where this place is, and who are you all

In fact, he misread the situation; Consort Wang is now only twenty-four years old, which makes her a few years younger than Consort Zheng. This is the best time in a woman's life, but unfortunately, the hardships of life and the toll they take make her appear much older than Consort Zheng.

However, this is truly the first time in my life that I have resorted to physical violence. It is also the fault of Caihua, who went to the child's mother and said that her child is foolish. Not to mention that she is merely a maid; even if it were the favored Consort Zheng here, the concerned Consort Gong would dare to act in such a manner at this moment.

It is said that the eyes are the windows to the heart; when the eyes are upright, the spirit is upright, and when the eyes are askew, the heart is askew

But Luo'er is on the verge of death, and as her mother, I am powerless to do anything for her. Am I really expected to go to her Shuxiu Palace and watch her bask in glory, allowing her to indulge in her own amusement?

The colorful painting also wants to cry, but now is not the time to cry

He tightly covered his ears with his hands, seeking a moment of tranquility

Good Empress, I beseech you to refrain from calling out any further! I often hear people say that the word 'endure' is like a knife to the heart. In this moment, not for any other reason, but for the sake of the young prince, I implore you to take care of yourself. If you do not think of yourself, you must at least consider the young prince, mustn't you?

Yet it is this clear and unclouded, innocent and pure gaze that makes Caihua's heart tremble, as if the little twists and turns within her own heart have been seen through completely

The painted figure, which had been closely monitoring the life and death of Zhu Changluo, suddenly shouted out.

The Concubine Gong and the painter exchanged glances for a full three seconds, after which the Concubine Gong burst into tears.

Mother... the palace?

Although the Concubine Gong holds a position of authority in the palace, she is quite lenient towards those beneath her. In fact, she has no choice but to be lenient, as no one listens to her.

It is often said that if a person burns for too long, they will become foolish like a book. Could it be that the young prince is... Oh dear!

Suddenly, a look of joy flashed in her eyes, and Caihua let out a breath. Although her pulse was weak, she was still alive, and a weight had finally been lifted from her heart

Zhu Changluo exerted all his strength to struggle desperately, but given his small physique, he had little power, and the Empress Dowager, in a state of frenzy, hardly noticed him.

Where is this place? How did I end up here

Your Highness, please loosen your grip; the young prince has just awakened and is still quite weak.

A single sentence awakened Concubine Gong, who hurriedly released her grip, allowing Zhu Changluo, who was on the verge of losing consciousness, to finally exhale in relief, thankful that he had not just come back to life only to lose it again. At the same time, the fragmented memories in his mind surged forth like a tide that had been unleashed.

The Concubine was laughing and crying at the same time, as if she had lost her mind, murmuring to herself, while the painted figures nearby were horrified to the bone.

To be honest, this can be considered a few heartfelt words expressed after a lifetime of bending my fingers to count, but unfortunately, it is like a flirtatious glance given to a blind person; the Concubine is completely unappreciative.

Suddenly, I feel that today is truly not a good day; everything that has happened carries a hint of strangeness amidst the normalcy.

Upon waking, Zhu Changluo felt a heavy dizziness, his mind was in a state of chaos, and it seemed as if a thousand frogs were croaking in unison by his ears: "Quack! Quack!"

Empress Gong.

At last, the heavens do not forsake humanity; catching a glimpse of the little prince's pale face, the colorful painting hurriedly pulled away the overjoyed and forgetful Concubine Gong.

After a moment of daze, Caihua finally realized what was different there. Yes...! ... It is these eyes!

Once it was, it ultimately was; the past has long since passed. What one can do in front of oneself is merely to survive

At this moment, the painted girl was in an extremely bad mood, but there was nothing she could do; she could only bring in the porridge with a displeased expression to serve.

The Concubine wept until her eyes were blurred, ignoring hetushu.com, and only focused on her tears

The self-indulgent nature of the colorful painting did not yield any effect, and the answer is naturally the same, with the same shaking of heads in ignorance.

Suddenly raising her head, unlike her previous weakness and helplessness, at this moment, Consort Gong gritted her teeth, her eyes shining with a cold light

The peripheral vision captured the window curtains and the tableware, all adorned with intricate patterns, much like the ceiling. The overall arrangement was simple and rough. After surveying the surroundings, Zhu Changluo's attention was drawn to the woman who was leaning against him.

Taking my son's cold little hand, I placed it on my own face: "Luo'er, you need not fear anything. You will be fine; your mother will accompany you through this. No matter the trials, your mother will stand before you! If you were to die, your mother would also accompany you to the underworld, traversing the realm of the dead... In short, I will not allow you to be alone and without companionship."

Regardless of wealth or status, every child is the apple of their parents' eye

After realizing the seriousness of this issue, Zhu, feeling utterly despondent, surveyed the world around him with a desperate gaze. The result was the same; it was nothing but unfamiliarity. Zhu Ming, who almost wished to die once more, opened his mouth several times, weakly managing to utter a single phrase

Before he had the time to understand all of this, his stomach let out a series of rumbling sounds, and the feeling of hunger reminded him that this was not a dream; one does not feel hunger in dreams

The woman before me does not appear to be very old, and her appearance is quite lovely. It is evident that she was a beauty in her youth, but the sorrow etched in the corners of her eyes and brows suggests that she has not lived a comfortable life

The tears that had just subsided in the eyes of the Concubine surged up again, and there was a great wave of emotion, rendering her speechless. "Luo'er, are you feeling unwell? How could you not even recognize your own mother?"

Not long after he felt happy, Classmate Zhu began to feel a bit down. Based on his knowledge from the many television dramas he had watched in his previous life and his literary understanding, he immediately concluded that his future did not look promising. What was the deal with this dilapidated palace and this gloomy atmosphere?

For her, this zombie-like existence has long been lived out, but what about her son? ... However, there is nothing to fear now, because ...? ... Her son is also nearing death, so what else is there to be concerned about?

Color painting

A sudden sound of footsteps interrupted Zhu Changluo, who was lost in sorrowful contemplation

The palace maid from Yonghe Palace rushed in, her colorful attire fluttering, accompanied by a sharp medicinal scent. "Your Highness, is the young prince unwell?"

Everything happening before him made Zhu Ming, who had been reborn, feel as if he were being doused with bucket after bucket of melodrama

In a state of confusion, it seems I have gained some understanding of my current situation. It turns out that heaven has been quite kind to me, not allowing me to come here as a beggar or anything of the sort. Given this, it appears that my starting point in life is rather high

At this moment, his mind was in a state of confusion. Zhu Changluo could not recall when he had seen something similar. He tried tilting his head slightly, but his entire body felt not only heavy and burdened, but it was as if he were pressed down by a thousand pounds. He attempted to move a few times, but all he felt was pain, so he had no choice but to give up.

Suppressing her anxious feelings, the maid cautiously said beside him: "Your Highness, do you still remember this servant?"

The most shocking painted figure knelt upright; if this were to reach the ears of Consort Zheng, given her ruthless nature, it is likely that everyone in this palace, without exception, would end up suffering the consequences.

A chilling sound echoed through the vast Yonghe Palace, hauntingly terrifying.

Concerning her own life, at this moment she could no longer care about any notions of propriety, and she stepped forward a few paces to grasp Zhu Changluo's hand, attempting to feel his pulse

The 6th day of the 3rd month in the 14th year of the Wanli era is destined to be a day worth remembering

Who is this woman, tightly holding herself and crying, and what is the * picture * book?

The Zhu Changluo before me is not that Zhu Changluo, nor is he that Zhu Changluo

On this day, Consort Zheng was officially promoted from Consort to Imperial Consort. It was also on this day that the Crown Prince Zhu Changluo was officially declared to be critically ill, with the imperial physicians having already made their determination, stating that he would not survive the night.

The Empress's cries suddenly ceased, and a smile unexpectedly appeared at the corners of her mouth

In the past, how could Zhu Changluo dare to make eye contact with others? Usually, he would either hide behind Consort Gong, peeking at people stealthily, or he would be timid and hesitant, lacking any of the dignified demeanor expected of a royal heir. Instead, he appeared somewhat pitiful and despicable.

A crisp sound echoed, yet it was already a blow that had landed on the face

What is there to fear?

Your Highness, the young prince is safe... I am bold to ask for a token from you on behalf of the young prince; please do not cry any longer. Today is an auspicious day for the one in the east, and you have not gone to pay your respects, which is already a breach of etiquette. If you continue to weep like this, it may reach that person's ears, and I fear...

Thinking of this, my heart is filled with both bitterness and resentment. The master they serve enjoys a life of luxury, while the master I serve makes it impossible to even dream of wealth and honor. I can hardly hope for a peaceful life, and right now, my very existence hangs in the balance.

Lifting my eyes, I saw that it was the painted servant who had just been beaten, entering with a tray in hand

It is so noisy

Hey, do you really need to hold on this tightly? I can hardly catch my breath

A chance occurrence by the heavens has shaped the future of the great Ming dynasty, from which the rivers and seas have surged, and the winds and clouds have risen once more

The pair of eyes that now meet my own are crystal clear, so clear that they seem capable of reflecting a person's shadow.

The once boisterous hall suddenly fell silent, and in the stillness, Zhu Ming closed his eyes, memories of his parents and friends flooding his mind, causing tears to stream down his face

Student Zhu sighed deeply in resignation, wearily closed his eyes, and said, "I am hungry"

However, strangely, she felt a twinge of guilt for some reason, quickly turning her gaze away, not daring to meet his eyes.

Watching her dying child, Consort Wang wept to the point of fainting several times. In her entire life, she had only this one child. Due to her lowly status and lack of favor with the Emperor, her child was also neglected. The Emperor only cared for his pleasures with Consort Zheng and could not even be bothered to glance at his own son. Reflecting on these matters, how could Consort Wang not feel her heart turn to ice.

The little prince's wrist was as thin as a withered twig, skin stretched over bone, and it felt icy to the touch. Despite several attempts to feel for a pulse, there was none, leaving a chill in my heart.

Upon closer inspection, not only have some areas of the old item turned yellow and even exhibited signs of cracking and peeling, it cannot be said to be merely old; it appears to have some years behind it. However, the patterns are extremely intricate and beautiful, evoking a peculiar sense of familiarity.

The colorful paintings are aware of the palace rules. If anything were to happen to the young prince, then all the servants in this palace, including myself, would undoubtedly face the fate of being buried alive as a sacrifice.

Oh dear, look at me getting all flustered with joy. Luo'er, you should rest well; Mother will go prepare some porridge for you. " After saying this, she hurriedly dragged the colorful painting out.

The intuition of the colorful painting is not wrong; she just does not realize that the five-year-old child before her is no longer the familiar young master Zhu Changluo, no longer the unfortunate man who lived a pitiful thirty-nine years, ... no longer the emperor who reigned for merely one month before being schemed against and poisoned to death in a tragic fate ...

How can a five-year-old child see through the hearts of others? How can this make the colorful painting believe?

When the eyes of the two met, a strange and inexplicable feeling suddenly arose in Caihua's heart

Your Highness, please stop crying, the young prince has awakened

Every word conveys: "To what extent have the Zheng family's lowly people mistreated us, mother and son! For the sake of Luo'er, I have endured in silence, hoping that after enduring countless grievances, there might be a path to survival."

Gradually awakening, Zhu Changluo shook his heavy head. The first thing that caught his eye was the ceiling of the main hall... Hmm, the colorful decorations are quite beautiful, but unfortunately, they are a bit old.