Chapter 4 Believe (2)

  Just then, a pleasant voice sounded from beside them: "What are you doing?" Everyone turned their heads to look and found it was a twenty-year-old palace maid carrying a food box.

  Zhu Guozhong smiled and said: "Aqi sister, you've worked hard, I'll help you carry it." Then he walked over to help.

  "Aqi directly refused: 'No need, this gentleman, your dinner.' She didn't know what to call Zhong Jinwei, and had no choice but to gloss over it."

  When Archie said this, everyone forgot what they were going to do just now. Those on duty stood guard, and those waiting for dinner hastened to take their places.

  Zhong Jinwei's stomach was really hungry, and this was the food of the ancient imperial palace, so he was very expectant. He stood there foolishly, not helping at all, just watching as Aqi skillfully set the table and served the dishes. One meat dish, three vegetable dishes, a bowl of rice, and a box of pastries.

  After finishing the arrangement, he looked around and didn't see Zhong Jinwei. Where was he? He turned around and found that Zhong Jinwei was standing behind him stupidly. Hurriedly using a gentle voice to say: "Please have your meal."

  "Oh, okay, alright." Zhong Jinwei came back to his senses and said with embarrassment. Archie thought this person was quite interesting, covered her mouth with her hand and smiled, saying: "Alright, please take your time."

  Zhong Jinwei sat down in his seat, picked up his chopsticks and looked at Aqi who was still standing beside him, feeling a bit embarrassed: "Why don't we eat together?"

  "Aiya, don't mind me," she explained softly. "I'm just here to replace Cui Jie after you've finished eating. You just eat yours, and when you're done, I'll clean up."

  Zhong Jinwei's predecessor spent more time interacting with computers than with girls, letting a beautiful MM stand by and watch him eat, then clean up afterwards, seemingly receiving better service than a five-star hotel.

  Then, Zhong Jinwei quickly ate, three or five minutes later, almost choking in the middle, and finished eating in a minute.

  After finishing the meal, Zhong Jinwei himself started to clean up the bowls and chopsticks. Archie, who was sitting next to him, had been watching Zhong Jinwei eat with great curiosity, thinking that this person seemed like he hadn't eaten in a long time, gobbling down his food like a wolf, probably starving for several days.

  He finished eating and started cleaning up the bowls and chopsticks. Hurriedly, he went forward to take over from Zhong Wei and clean up himself.

  Zhong Jinwei stood aside and watched Aqi with an embarrassed expression, feeling that the atmosphere was a bit dull, so he said: "Delicious, delicious."

  A Qi couldn't help it and burst out laughing with a "heh" sound. Then he immediately felt embarrassed, stopped making noise, but had already made Zhong Jinwei's face turn bright red.

  However, after spending some time together, Archie found that Zhong Jinwei was a very interesting person and easy to get along with. He couldn't help but ask curiously: "Didn't you have rice to eat in the past?"

  Zhong Jinwei was a bit nervous, and he stammered: "Yes, ah, no, every day." Archie was speechless, just finished collecting the remaining ones, stood up straight and looked at Zhong Jinwei.

  Zhong Jinwei hastily explained: "Rice is really eaten every day, occasionally eating noodles. Just now was too nervous, no, it was too hungry, so I ate quickly."

  "Aqi asked: "This, that..." Found that Zhong Jinwei was also staring at himself, and he became nervous too. Finally, he said: "Is the place you came from Tian Ting or Xian Jing?"

  Zhong Jinwei understood that the word "crossing over" was a very common term for future generations. Time and space shuttling had been performed on TV long ago, and it was nothing unusual (but whether he would be surprised if he really encountered it was unknown).

  But for this era, talking about gods and monsters is actually more understandable than time travel. Realizing this point also left Zhong Jinwei speechless.

  Suddenly, he thought that if he thought so, wouldn't Emperor Chongzhen also be half-believing and half-doubting himself? It seems that he still needs to make him truly understand, but it's hard to explain. Forget it, being able to confuse him is enough.

  Zhong Jinwei couldn't help but want to tease the ancient little beauty in front of him, whose eyes still held a hint of reverence. "Honestly, I can scare you too," he said with a smile, pointing upwards and then downwards. "I've been to both heaven and earth." After speaking, Zhong Jinwei felt secretly pleased with himself: having taken planes and ridden subways, he hadn't lied, had he?

  "A Qi heard this, his hands clasped to his chest, hastily retreating a step, trembling with fear said: "Then, then are you a god or a demon?" At this time, also heard at the door that "thud" sound, as if the eavesdropper was also scared."

  Zhong Jinwei felt embarrassed by the effect, and explained: "It's not as exaggerated as you think, it's just taking planes and subways, flying in the sky and running underground."

  Zhong Jinwei's explanation is even more implausible, how would they know about airplanes and subways? They'd directly imagine it as a flying immortal rooster, with an earth-avoiding mount like the one Tuhai Sun has.

  Zhong Jinwei looked at Aqi's expression and knew he had explained in vain again: "I am human, not a god or a monster. Look, I can feel pain too." After saying that, he pinched his own face hard, ouch, it really hurt.

  A Qi looked at the red mark on Zhong Jinwei's face and nodded slightly, as if he understood. Zhong Jinwei knew that it would take a while to explain things clearly. So he simply said: "Anyway, you'll understand later. Can you help me get some paper and pen? It's getting dark, can you also light the candles?"

  "Okay, I'll get it right away," Archie said hastily, nodding his head. He then picked up the lunchbox and quickly walked out the door.

  Zhong Jinwei now somewhat understands why he didn't mention the reason for his transmigration in all those novels about reincarnation that he read in his past life. Explaining it clearly and making people believe it is really difficult.

  At the door, Archie and two guards exchanged a glance hastily and then left.

  Zhu Guozhong originally wanted to proactively ask for a few of Qi's carvings to sell and make some extra spending money, but he forgot about it. (Palace poem: The fragrance of the carved screen is sent in quiet times, heaven-born skills don't need a teacher. Palace maid Qi begged for the cleverness of the previous emperor, the number one plum basket person is like this, referring to palace maid Qi.)

  Chongzhen's dinner was similar to Zhong Xian's, without any flavor. He ate only three or two mouthfuls and then stopped, hastily retreating to the imperial study. Today's events would make anyone dizzy, no matter who encountered them.

  The Chongzhen Emperor held a heavy mobile phone in his hand, looking at the map of China on the imperial desk, and the words of Zhong Xue kept echoing in his mind, saying that he was the emperor of the fallen country, and the bandits would kill their way into the Forbidden City.

  The bandits are now only causing trouble in Shaanxi, and it is just one of the thirteen provinces under the two capitals of the Ming Dynasty. In addition to the capital, there are also Shanxi and Hebei, can the bandits kill my great army in these provinces? Even if they succeed, can they defeat my elite troops, the Guanning Iron Cavalry, which I have spent a lot of money to build? Moreover, since I took over the throne, I have always prioritized the ancestral temple and the country's prosperity, avoiding excessive indulgence in women and luxury, diligently handling government affairs, working day and night. No matter how you think about it, I just can't understand why I would become a ruler who loses his country.

  That clock suddenly appeared in the air, and the objects it carried were so different. Its attitude was sincere, and its words were convincing. I didn't offend the goddess Nuwa, nor did I send a demon to harm my great Ming dynasty; or is it an ancestor's spirit who can't bear to see the dynasty being destroyed by me, sending this person to help me? In Chongzhen Emperor's mind, there are two selves, one representing faith and the other doubt, debating with each other in delight.

  Suddenly, Wang Cheng'en came in to report, interrupting Chongzhen Emperor's mental breakdown: "Your Majesty, that Zhong Jingwei wants the Four Treasures of the Study, should we give them or not?"

  The Chongzhen Emperor asked: "What does he want to do?" Without waiting for Wang Chengen's reply, he said again: "Forget it, I'll go and take a look myself. Prepare the imperial carriage."

  Zhong Jinwei waited for the paper and pen while thinking, next time he saw Emperor Chongzhen, how to further persuade him, make him believe in himself, afraid that if this time and space and his own history had some deviations, deceiving the emperor was a crime punishable by beheading.

  He thought of his own determination again, isn't it just treating every day as the last one! What's there to be afraid of, must not leave any regrets.

  Zhong Jinwei was thinking, when he suddenly heard the voices outside shouting: "Your Majesty has arrived!" and "Pay respects to Your Majesty!", knowing that Emperor Chongzhen had come, he hastily stood up from his stool, and before he could even reach the gate, the temple door was pushed open.

  Wang Chengen first pushed open the gate, came in and saw Zhong Jinwei standing inside the hall, then bowed his head and shouted: "Your Majesty has arrived!" Zhong Jinwei took a look and thought to himself if he should kneel or not. But this lifetime, except for his ancestors, he had never knelt before anyone else, feeling embarrassed. At this time, Emperor Chongzhen entered, Wang Chengen saw that Zhong Jinwei was still standing there foolishly, and in a low voice shouted: "Your Majesty has arrived, why haven't you knelt down to greet him?"

  The Chongzhen Emperor waved his hand and said, "Forget it, you can withdraw for now." Wang Chengen had no choice but to obediently retreat.

  Chongzhen Emperor did not beat around the bush and directly asked Zhong Xian: "Can what you said during the day be trusted?"

  Zhong Jinwei knew that the time of trial had arrived, and he learned from the ancients, made a bow, and said: "Your Majesty, I indeed come from the year 2013 AD, this is absolutely true. But whether Your Majesty's era is the history I am familiar with, it still needs time to prove. Your Majesty may listen to me talk about the later historical evolution, true or false, all depends on your wise judgment."

  The Chongzhen Emperor said: "Good, I have enough time to listen to you in detail."

  Zhong Jinwei looked around, no blackboard, no feeling. In the future, I have to make a blackboard. Had to give up the habit of speaking and writing at the same time, directly said: "Your Majesty, can you bring me those things, especially the map, according to them, it will be more clear."

  The Chongzhen Emperor nodded and then turned his head to shout in a louder voice: "Wang Daibin, quickly go to my imperial study and bring over those few things from today."

  Wang Chengen knew that Emperor Chongzhen did not want others to know about those things. So he quickly went over and took them himself.

  After Wang Cheng'en arranged the things and added more candles, he was about to retreat when Zhong Jiwei spoke up: "Your Majesty, this is Wang Cheng'en, right? He's the only eunuch in my history books who has been proven to be loyal to you from start to finish. He's quite reliable. You can let him listen too, and have a reference."

  The Chongzhen Emperor looked at Wang Chengen, then at Zhong Jingwei, and nodded: "Wang Daiben, come with me to listen to the history that Zhong Jingwei is about to tell."

  Wang Chengen was both shocked and delighted. He was shocked to hear such a tremendous secret, but he was also delighted that Zhong Jinwei's words had earned him another measure of trust from the Emperor. So, without hesitation, he bowed his head and said: "Yes!"

  Zhong Jinwei stood in front of the map, launching into a lengthy and uninterrupted speech. He began with Yuan Chonghuan's killing of Mao Wenyong, and then went on to explain how the Manchu army had bypassed Shanhai Pass without worrying about their rear, one major event at a time. As he spoke, Zhong Jinwei became more and more fluent, slowly immersing himself in the scene of explaining historical events to future generations. He forgot that his current audience was actually an emperor who could decide his life or death.