Ming Dynasty: At the beginning, the house was ransacked and the ancestral temple was burned down.

Chapter 202 Mission Impossible! The Emperor's Birthday Gift!
"I knew the prince didn't have the guts! Haha!"

Zhu Yijun was very happy that his cowardly son had done such a filial thing.

However, what made him happy was not his son's filial piety, but his absolute authority as a patriarch!

He knew it! His son wouldn't dare!

"Give this letter from the Crown Prince to Zhang Chonghui and let him read it carefully. He has no other choice but to work for me!"

Zhu Yijun spoke with pride as he threw the letter to Chen Ju who was standing beside him.

Chen Ju hurriedly took it with both hands, and after a quick inspection, he said:
"Your Majesty, Zhang Chonghui is such a despicable fellow that he actually wanted to use today's incident with Concubine Gong to sow discord between you and the Crown Prince!

Little did you know that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has always been kind, filial and courteous, and is extremely filial to you. This time, Zhang Chonghui's cleverness backfired!

But... now that the truth has been exposed, how should His Royal Highness... respond?"

Chen Ju was also in a dilemma. He knew very well that the Emperor still wanted to continue using Zhang Chonghui, so he had to ensure that Zhang Chonghui continued to stay in the Eastern Palace.

But now, the spy sent by His Majesty the Emperor was "exposed" by the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince even took the initiative to ask the Emperor to deal with Zhang Chonghui quickly!
Under such circumstances...how can we save Zhang Chonghui?!

As it turned out, Wanli was still Wanli. After just a brief moment of thought, he quickly came up with a solution.

"Just tell the prince that I'm busy and don't have time to read the letter he wrote."

Yes, Zhu Yijun once again used the old trick of "playing dead". He wanted to pretend that he had not read the letter.

In this case, the self-exposure of Crown Prince Zhu Changluo would be meaningless and meaningless.

Chen Ju had to admire the Emperor and hurriedly took the letter and went downstairs to tell people to do the job.

The first thing to do is to give this letter to Zhang Chonghui so that he can recognize his true situation.

however……

"Wait!" Zhu Yijun stopped Chen Ju who was about to leave. He seemed to realize that something was wrong and quickly changed his words:

"Don't give the letter to Zhang Chonghui, and don't let him know about this, so as not to alert the enemy."

Zhu Yijun also wanted to see what tricks Zhang Chonghui was going to play and what tricks he could play!
……

At the same time, Ciqing Palace.

Zhang Chonghui, who had left with Chen Ju, returned to the Eastern Palace at some point in time.

At this moment, Zhang Chonghui was even sitting at the same table with Crown Prince Zhu Changluo, discussing something in private under the dim candlelight.

"Are you sure... that the emperor will not kick you out after reading my letter?" Zhu Changluo asked with a frown.

Zhang Chonghui nodded calmly and said, "Your Highness, don't worry. The Emperor won't do that. He will even ensure that I continue to stay in the East Palace."

"But I have already exposed the truth. How can the emperor protect you?"

Zhu Changluo was a little anxious. After all, he really couldn't understand why Zhang Chonghui asked him to write the letter and hand it to his father, the emperor.

Zhu Changluo knew very well that if he wanted to rescue his biological mother, Concubine Wang Gong, from the cold palace, the only person he could rely on seemed to be Zhang Chonghui.

What if his emperor father drives away the only possible helper because of this matter, who can he count on?
Guo Zhengyu? It's useless...

The helpless little prince actually didn't want to deceive his Mr. Guo, but he was helpless.

After all, Guo Zhengyu couldn't even help him meet his biological mother, but Zhang Chonghui did it...

"Don't worry, Your Highness. The Emperor can protect me." Zhang Chonghui gently patted the little prince's shoulder, and said while comforting him softly:
"Based on my understanding of the emperor, he will definitely pretend that he has not read the letter you wrote in order to get away with it."

"Ah? This... isn't likely?" Zhu Changluo didn't quite believe that his emperor father would be so perfunctory.

But just when he was about to raise questions again, someone came.

The person who came was the eunuch sent by the emperor!

And the content conveyed by the eunuch was almost identical to what Zhang Chonghui had previously guessed!

"Your Highness, the Emperor has been very busy with official duties lately and has retired early. I think the Emperor will read your letter when he has time."

I will watch it when I have time, which means I basically won’t have time.

The eunuch left after delivering his message, and Zhu Changluo was also stunned...

The young prince quickly found Zhang Chonghui who had just hidden himself, and asked in surprise:
"Zhang Chonghui, why do you know my father so well?"

Zhu Changluo couldn't believe it. As the saying goes, father and son are connected by heart. He, as a son, couldn't even guess his old father's thoughts, but Zhang Chonghui, a teenager who was only three years older than him, could actually do it!

The key is that the guess is so accurate!
At the same time, Zhu Changluo was even more convinced that Zhang Chonghui could really find a way to rescue his biological mother, Concubine Gong, from the cold palace!
"Your Highness, I don't actually know the Emperor. I'm just... guessing," Zhang Chonghui replied.

"Guessed?" Zhu Changluo was a little surprised. Could a guess be so accurate? He asked again:
"Then guess what my father will do next?"

Zhang Chonghui thought about it, stretched out his fingers and pinched them, then said:
“Now that it is the end of the year, I predict that the coming days, especially the beginning of next year, may be extremely turbulent.

In such a troubled time, the emperor may be too busy to take care of himself, so he has no time to think about what to do with the East Palace."

"Ah? Not peaceful?" Zhu Changluo didn't quite understand what he was saying, and Zhang Chonghui's gesture of pinching his fingers just now made him a little dumbfounded, so he couldn't help but ask another question:
"Can you tell fortunes?"

"Your Highness, I know a little bit." Zhang Chonghui replied truthfully. He did know a little bit.

Of course, this fortune-telling is not the same as that fortune-telling.

It was almost human nature, so Zhu Changluo immediately asked curiously: "Then you can count as one for me."

Zhang Chonghui shook his head solemnly: "Your Highness, you are the son of the dragon, the crown prince, and the future emperor. The fate of the emperor is a matter of heaven, and it is not something that a mere mortal like me can predict."

"Ah... so that's it..." Zhu Changluo felt a little regretful, but also a little secretly happy, then he turned around and said with some worry:
"What about my third brother? Can you predict his fate?"

Obviously, what Zhu Changluo wanted to know was not the fate of his third brother Zhu Changxun, but whether his third brother had the possibility of becoming the emperor.

At this time, Zhang Chonghui looked embarrassed. After hesitating for a while, he refused vaguely:
"Your Highness, I can only calculate a little bit of fate. This... I'm really powerless to help you."

Zhu Changluo understood the meaning of the answer in an instant after seeing the helpless and ambiguous answer.

Zhu Changluo inevitably thought and was afraid that his third brother, Prince of Fu Zhu Changxun, might also become the emperor...

……

It was already late at night, and Zhu Changluo naturally asked Zhang Chonghui to stay and spend the night in Ciqing Palace.

However, Zhang Chonghui refused, saying that his wife had been feeling unwell recently and would not be able to sleep without him there to accompany her.

"But it's curfew outside at this time. What if you are caught by patrolling officers on your way back?" Zhu Changluo asked.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince has rarely gone out." Zhang Chonghui said jokingly, "The curfew is not that strict nowadays, and many shops are doing business behind closed doors."

"Is that so..." Zhu Changluo murmured. He indeed seldom went out, and had never gone out at night.

People's curiosity is always easily aroused. Zhu Changluo, who has always been honest and timid, can't help but become curious about the outside world.

Just as Zhu Changluo was becoming curious about the outside world, he heard Zhang Chonghui's enthusiastic invitation.

"Your Highness has never gone out at night? Do you want me to take you out for a walk?"

Before Zhu Changluo had time to think about the invitation, the eunuch Wang An who was serving him spoke up first and rejected the invitation on behalf of the young prince:
"It's getting late. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has to get up early to study tomorrow. In addition, Master Guo will also be here tomorrow. Zhang Bantu, you should also go back early."

Wang An's meaning was very clear: Don't even think about corrupting my prince! And Guo Zhengyu will come to deal with you tomorrow, so you better take care of yourself!

Zhang Chonghui just smiled gently and said nothing more. He bowed and left.

"Wang An, why don't you send someone to see Zhang off quickly?"

Zhu Changluo did not forget to say this polite remark. After all, he still had to rely on Zhang Chonghui to rescue his old mother from the cold palace.

Wang An was honest. He pointed at a eunuch who happened to be passing by and said, "Hey, go and see Zhang Bandu off."

Li Jinzhong, who happened to be passing by and wanted to see his godfather, was stunned for a moment, then nodded quickly:
"okay!"

……

Not long after Zhang Chonghui left, Wang An immediately advised his young prince earnestly:

"Your Highness, this tutor Zhang is really something. It's so late and he's still urging you to go out. I think he has some bad intentions."

In response, Zhu Changluo just smiled and said, "Don't worry, I know what's going on."

Zhu Changluo certainly knew what was going on, after all, Zhang Chonghui was sent by the emperor's father.

Who knows, maybe everything that happened today was a collusion between Zhang Chonghui and his father to put on a show for him?
Hearing that the little prince knew what was going on, Wang An felt relieved.

Seeing that it was getting late, Wang An first glanced at Wang Youfu, who had just arrived and was quietly tidying up the prince's desk, and then looked at the little prince who was staring at Wang Youfu. "Your Highness, it's getting late. Mr. Guo will be here tomorrow. Why don't you go to bed early tonight?" Wang An advised very tactfully.

Wang An knew very well that his prince was good in every way except for one shortcoming unknown to outsiders, which was - he was lustful.

Although it is said that all men are lustful, Wang An always feels that the prince is still young, and he is so...

It's really a bit inappropriate...

Upon hearing the words "Mr. Guo", Zhu Changluo, who was originally eager to make a move, suddenly seemed to wilt. While retracting his gaze, he couldn't help but sigh:
"Forget it, let's rest early."

……

the other side.

After looking around and making sure that there was no one around, Li Jinzhong was finally able to talk to his godfather Zhang Chonghui "openly".

"Godfather, how have you been lately? Does godmother still bully you?" Li Jinzhong asked in a low voice.

Zhang Chonghui sighed in a formal manner, looking like a helpless son-in-law, and said, "That's it."

"It's not easy for you, godfather." While Li Jinzhong sighed, he felt a strange feeling that he was spending the money his godfather 'sold himself to earn'.

"What about you?" Zhang Chonghui asked with concern, "Have you been gambling recently?"

"No!" Li Jinzhong raised his hand and swore, "Godfather, I'm serious this time. I really didn't go to gamble!"

Li Jinzhong did not lie this time. He had indeed turned over a new leaf and stopped gambling.

Firstly, I am really afraid of losing, and secondly, I really don’t have time to gamble.

"It's good that you didn't go to gamble." Zhang Chonghui smiled with relief, but in fact he didn't care at all whether the other party went to gamble or not.

At this time, they were still some distance away from the gate of Ciqing Palace, and the sparse patrolling eunuchs on the road were almost nonexistent. The two of them spoke a little more in a low voice and were able to chat without any scruples.

Zhang Chonghui also planned to take this opportunity to ask some questions about the Eastern Palace.

However, he, who had very sharp eyesight, suddenly seemed to have discovered something. He slowed down his pace and took Li Jinzhong to an empty corner.

Li Jinzhong just thought that his godfather wanted to talk to him more, so he took a detour and didn't pay much attention to it.

As they walked, they arrived at a corner of the wall on the west side of Ciqing Palace.

Perhaps because the Imperial Stables is next door, this place can be said to be the most remote and deserted place in the entire Ciqing Palace. It is so remote that even patrollers seldom come here.

I don’t know if the weather was about to change. Apart from the faint light from the lantern in Li Jinzhong’s hand, even the moonlight from the clear and bright days of the past was incredibly weak.

"Go back. No need to see me off." Zhang Chonghui suddenly raised his voice, which was particularly clear in this quiet place.

"Here? It's quite far from the gate, and the Imperial Stables is next door. How are you going to get back?" Li Jinzhong's voice suddenly became louder.

"It's okay. I'm used to climbing over walls and not taking the usual route." Not long after Zhang Chonghui's voice fell, there was a rustling sound of someone climbing over the wall, and then he landed on the other side.

……

Zhang Chonghui climbed over the wall and left. Li Jinzhong, holding a lantern, also went back. The place returned to its former tranquility.

Not long after, another figure came here cautiously.

Looking at the not-so-high wall in the faint moonlight, Wang Youfu sighed slightly.

Seeing that everyone had left and there was no more information to convey, Wang Youfu also prepared to leave.

However, before she could turn around, a voice suddenly came from behind her!
"You are so brave, you dare to follow me."

Wang Youfu froze when she heard the voice. In addition to panic, she was also filled with unprecedented surprise!

After all, she had always been despised as a coward since she was a child, and this was the first time she heard someone say that she was brave!

Looking at the graceful back that seemed to be frozen by a spell, Zhang Chonghui was surprised that this little girl was not only brave enough to follow him in the dark, but also why she did not scream instinctively like most people when frightened.

"Scared?"

Zhang Chonghui walked around to in front of Wang Youfu, and when their eyes met in the moonlight, he couldn't help but be stunned for a moment even though he was used to seeing beautiful women.

As it turned out, the beautiful woman in front of him was not as weak as she looked. Instead, she was very brave. Not only was she not scared by his sudden appearance, she even looked at him boldly!
Finally, he raised his hand tremblingly, pointed at the wall, and said, "You...you haven't already..."

At this time, Wang Youfu still did not realize that Zhang Chonghui's eyesight was much better than hers, and she foolishly thought that in such a dark night, the other party should not even be able to see her face clearly.

"Why are you following me?" Zhang Chonghui asked, staring into the other person's eyes.

"I didn't mean to follow you... I just have something to tell you..." Wang Youfu was busy explaining. Although her mind was blank, her answer was surprisingly fluent:

"I'm here to tell you something. Wang An, who is beside the prince, suspects that you have bad intentions. He advised the prince to be wary of you, and the prince seems to believe it..."

Zhang Chonghui frowned slightly when he heard this answer. While carefully observing the person in front of him, he asked again: "Who are you? Why are you telling me this?"

"I..." Wang Youfu's breathing slowed down as she looked at the pair of eyes that were staring at her without discrimination. At the same time, she was even more suspicious...

"Can you...see me clearly?"

Zhang Chonghui wanted to laugh when he heard this stupid question. He was about to say that he could see it clearly, but then he changed his mind and replied:

"It's too dark. I can't see clearly."

“Huh…” Wang Youfu breathed a sigh of relief and thought to herself, “It’s good that I can’t see clearly, it’s good that I can’t see clearly.”

"So what are you..."

Before Zhang Chonghui could finish his words, the little girl in front of him turned around and ran away without saying a word!

Ran……

After a while, Li Jinzhong climbed over the wall and came back.

"Godfather, who is following you?"

"Didn't you hear her voice?"

"I heard it, but I didn't hear it clearly. It sounded a bit like... the voice of the aunt in charge of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"Who?"

"It's the little girl you saved by splashing water that day."

"Oh, it's her. I remember her name was... Youfu? Right?"

"Yes."

"Jinzhong, I just counted on my fingers and found that this girl is a blessed person. You can try to curry favor with her more in the future."

"Um... but godfather, I think she is very timid and doesn't look like a blessed person. Besides... you don't even know her birth date, right? Can you tell fortunes with that?"

"You don't understand. I can read faces."

"As expected of you, godfather!"

……

The next day, Guo Zhengyu returned after being on leave for nearly a month.

Everyone was waiting to watch the fun, especially those who had been hit by Zhang Chonghui before, who were waiting to see Zhang Chonghui being targeted by Guo Zhengyu.

However, things are always unpredictable.

Not only did Guo Zhengyu not punish Zhang Chonghui severely as everyone expected, but he seemed to have lost his memory and did not pursue the matter of Zhang Chonghui's previous absence from class!
Seeing that Guo Zhengyu let Zhang Chonghui go just like that, some people were unhappy and ran to Guo Zhengyu to complain!
However, Guo Zhengyu only said one thing to this: "He is mentally ill. Why do you care about a mental patient?"

Everyone was speechless...

……

Time flies, and a few more days have passed.

It was August 17th.

This day is the birthday of the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

On this day, Emperor Wanli in the Qianqing Palace received so many gifts that he was overwhelmed.

On this day, Zhu Yijun also received a "big box" of gifts from Zhang Chonghui, who asked Zhang Yunxiu to send them together.

A huge box of gifts that made Zhu Yijun's scalp tingle!

(End of this chapter)