Chapter 56: The Story
It's late at night.
The sound of the second watch drum came from afar.
As the candles went out, Zhu Hao and Jing Hong each went to bed.
No matter how good Jinghong's mental state was, he still showed loneliness and sadness after leaving home. If Zhu Hao hadn't been beside him, he would probably have cried out loud.
The unfamiliar environment made him extremely uneasy. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He would get up and check at the slightest sign of movement outside.
Zhu Hao didn't sleep either.
But unlike Jinghong, Zhu Hao did not have the habit of going to bed early when he was healthy in his previous life. If he still lived alone, he could find something to do to kill his boredom, but it would always be inconvenient with Jinghong around.
"Don't worry, no one will come at night, just cover your head and go to sleep."
Zhu Hao mentioned this when Jing Hong stood up again to check the situation.
Jing Hong's eyes fell on Zhu Hao, who was a little blurry on the other side of the room.
At this time, Zhu Hao was resting his head on his arms, staring at the ceiling in a daze. He looked much calmer than Jing Hong. Jing Hong naturally did not want to show his cowardly side... He had already lost in terms of knowledge, and he could not lose in a competition of psychological quality.
"You came a few days earlier than me. It seems you have gotten used to it."
Jing Hong said something.
Zhu Hao ignored him. At such a young age, he had learned to make all kinds of excuses and it was not shameful to admit that he was not as skilled as others.
Boy, why do we have to decide the winner?
Seeing that Zhu Hao ignored him, Jing Hong asked, "You can't sleep either?"
Zhu Hao said: "Your stomach is rumbling, it's too noisy, it keeps me awake."
Jinghong glanced at his shriveled belly.
Maybe he didn't eat enough at night, or maybe the food in the palace was not suitable for his pampered stomach, so he got an upset stomach, and his stomach kept making rumbling sounds after he lay down.
"Don't be so stubborn! If you miss home, just say it directly. Why are you blaming me for having a stomachache and can't sleep?" After saying that, Jinghong imitated Zhu Hao, put his arms under his head and looked at the ceiling.
It's totally uninteresting!
He really couldn't understand why Zhu Hao stared at the ceiling for so long?
Zhu Hao said: "I don't want to go home, after all, it's useless to think about it."
homesick?
In the next life, which home should I miss?
Wherever my heart is at peace is my hometown. What is my hometown?
The two were silent for a long time.
Jing Hong broke the silence again: "You said you have been in the palace for some time, what did you learn before? Mr. Sui didn't seem to mention you today."
Zhu Hao said casually: "Oh, I had some experience in the palace before."
"Experience!? What is that?"
"Experience is to go through the affairs of the world. As the poem says: A sharp sword is sharpened by grinding, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold... Life needs experience. If you don't understand, you are destined not to become a master... I mean a master who studies and takes the path of the imperial examination, gets a place on the gold list, and is the best writer in the world."
It was nonsense, but Jing Hong took it very seriously and asked hurriedly, "Then how did you learn it? What counts as experience?"
Jinghong found another excuse for his failure in the selection exam. It turned out that it was not that he was not good enough, but that he had too little experience. The kid next to him had some unorthodox ways to learn profound knowledge.
Zhu Hao curled his lips: "If I could tell you, how can it be called a unique secret skill?"
The conversation between the two reached a deadlock again.
Zhu Hao actually wanted to tell him that the secret skill was to die once and be reborn as a human being, and bring the knowledge of this life to the next life. As for whether it would be successful, he didn't know, as ordinary people could not copy it.
…
…
After a long time , there was no movement from Jinghong. Zhu Hao couldn't sleep. Looking at the bright moon outside the window, he suddenly wanted to go out for a walk.
But Jinghong on the couch next to him was very troublesome.
This guy is both his roommate and his spy. Whatever he does, there is a possibility that he will leak the secrets, especially since many of the things he does are detrimental to the palace.
"have you slept?"
At this time Jinghong suddenly asked again.
Zhu Hao turned his head away: "No! What for?"
Jing Hong asked, "I want to go to the toilet. Will there be thieves sneaking in here at night?"
Zhu Hao couldn't help but smile: "If thieves can come in easily in the palace, those guards outside will have no use... Is it possible that your county government office is often visited by thieves?"
Jinghong thought about it, and hesitated to speak. He wanted to ask Zhu Hao to go to the toilet with him, but he felt embarrassed. In the end, he stood up stubbornly and went to the toilet alone.
When he came back, he was out of breath. It was obvious that he had been in a hurry and finished the job in a perfunctory manner.
"Is there a thief outside?" Zhu Hao asked deliberately.
Jinghong didn't answer.
After Jing Hong lay down, Zhu Hao said, "I have a story here called Alibaba and the Forty Thieves. Do you want to listen to it?"
Jing Hong said: "Is it the story of the bandit leader?"
Zhu Hao didn't expect Jing Hong to have such a complicated brain. Since he had nothing to do, he started talking to Jing Hong.
"A long time ago, in a city in a country west of the Ming Dynasty, there lived two brothers. The elder one was called Gosimu and the younger one was called Alibaba. After their father passed away, they each got a limited amount of property, separated and made their own living..."
This story obviously did not conform to the conditions of the Ming Dynasty, and many parts of it did not make sense. Jing Hong would interrupt him from time to time.
"...Cosimus collected gold coins and moved them to the door in bags, ready to carry them out of the cave and take them home. When everything was ready, he came to the closed cave door, but because he was too excited before, he forgot the codeword for opening the door that his brother Alibaba told him, and shouted: 'Barley, open the door!' But the cave door was closed..."
"Oh, this brother is so stupid, isn't it Open Sesame?" Jing Hong commented again.
"Gosim was panicked, shouting out the names of beans, wheat and grains, but she couldn't remember the name 'sesame'... Oh, it's late at night, let's go to sleep!"
Zhu Hao yawned and then kept silent.
This was exactly his purpose, to make Jing Hong interested in the story, then whet his appetite and make him his fan step by step. For example, the way he seduced Zhu San and Zhu Si was rabbits, revolving lanterns and ice cream. For a nobleman like Jing Hong who was so proud and arrogant, he had to use some tricks.
As Zhu Hao expected, Jing Hong was deeply attracted by this exotic story.
"What happened next? Tell me more !"
Jinghong had long forgotten about missing home and begged.
Zhu Hao sighed. Speaking of Alibaba and the Forty Thieves, he naturally recalled his past life. Since a certain giant rose rapidly, this story seemed to have been extended to a different meaning...
"I've been talking for so long that my throat is about to smoke. I don't want to talk anymore... How about I tell you a story about Krikrikribaba's transformation?"
Jing Hong: “…”
The two of them chatted back and forth, and then Jinghong fell into a deep sleep at some point, and a light snoring sound was heard in the room.
Zhu Hao found that he was quite good at coaxing children. He actually coaxed Jinghong to sleep when he was feeling lost and helpless on the first day away from home. This kid always wanted to show off his arrogance, but in Zhu Hao's eyes, he was just a little brat who liked to act like an adult and act mature.
…
…
The next morning.
When Zhu Hao opened his eyes, Jing Hong was sleeping soundly, still snoring.
There was a commotion in the yard. It was the guards who had been on night duty returning. After a simple breakfast, they went home to catch up on their sleep.
Zhu Hao came out dressed and washed up, just in time to meet Lu Song coming in from outside, followed by Lu Bing holding a bamboo stick.
From this point of view, Lu Bing's family education is indeed good. At least he doesn't have the bad habit of sleeping late.
"You stay here first, don't run around. I'll take you to the dormitory after breakfast..."
Lu Song said something to his son, glanced at Zhu Hao with a slightly warning look, and then took a few guards to check everywhere.
After his father left, Lu Bing rode his bamboo horse and came to Zhu Hao, smiling and saying, "I'm here."
Zhu Hao spit out the mouthwash, looked at the excited boy in front of him, and asked, "Why are you so happy? Do you like coming to the palace to study?"
When Lu Bing heard the word "study", he immediately frowned.
Obviously, studying is hard work for him.
The Lu family had high expectations for Lu Bing, but the problem was that he was too , and both the Lu family and the royal palace were a bit too hasty in their education of him.
Zhu Hao poured out the water in the basin for washing his face, carried the empty basin and walked into the house, while Lu Bing followed behind him like a follower.
When I entered the room, I saw Jinghong had already gotten up and put on his clothes.
"Zhu Hao, in the story of 'Alibaba and the Forty Thieves' that you told me yesterday, did Alibaba kill all the thieves in the end?"
As soon as Jinghong woke up, he began to worry about the unfinished story.
Zhu Hao smiled but did not answer.
Lu Bing asked in confusion, "What story?"
Zhu Hao continued to remain silent.
Until breakfast time, Jinghong was still in reverie, wondering how the story would end, while Lu Bing simply took a few bites and put the food into Zhu Hao's bowl - it was clear at a glance what kind of family background they had.
Lu Song's family conditions are obviously better. It is difficult for women in ordinary families to find jobs, but the Lu family is a "strong woman and weak man" family. Lu Song seems to be a guard in the palace and has a certain identity and status, but it is more because of his wife. Who made his wife the prince's wet nurse?
"Lu Bing, where is your father?"
Zhu Hao didn't have much appetite, so he took a bite of the food and asked.
Jing Hong on the opposite side looked over eagerly.
Zhu Hao and Lu Song didn't eat much, but Jing Hong was so hungry that he had been looking forward to breakfast since he got up in the morning, and he tried to eat more so that he wouldn't make it until noon.
Lu Bing said: "My father has something to do. If he doesn't come, I know the way. You can just follow me."
Speaking of this, he was extremely proud.
Although Lu Bing is the youngest among the three, it is obvious that he has not just entered the palace recently. Because of his mother's relationship, he must have come to the palace often to play in the past, just like the other children in the palace.
"Okay, then you can take me in later. If possible, tell me where each place is and how to get there."
Of course, Zhu Hao had to take advantage of Lu Bing's familiarity with the palace and learn more about the surrounding environment.
"Um."
Lu Bing nodded heavily.
Zhu Hao was about to go out with Lu Bing to get some fresh air, so he casually pushed the bowl in front of Jing Hong.
Jinghong didn't care about being reserved. He used his chopsticks and mouth to move at the same time, trying to eat his fill as quickly as possible.
…
…
The sun is shining brightly.
Before the three children entered the study in the inner courtyard of the palace to study, Lu Song rushed back.
If it were only Lu Bing and Jing Hong, Lu Song could just let them go in on their own. The guards in the palace would not have any concerns and would be happy to help.
But with Zhu Hao around, Lu Song was always worried and had to personally send Zhu Hao, the "plague god", to the royal school.
"Dad, Zhu Hao and Jing Hong and I are already friends... Can I play with them from now on?"
In front of the two older children, Lu Bing was like a blank sheet of paper. His words were full of childishness and his innocent nature was completely revealed, which made Lu Song very worried.
Lu Song glanced at Zhu Hao with a worried look on his face, obviously afraid that Zhu Hao would scratch his son's rough diamond and leave some scars on it.
"Lu Dianzhang, when school is over at noon, are we going to come back here to have lunch?" Zhu Hao asked, trying his best to look more like a child.
Lu Song said: "Whenever you leave the inner palace, you must be accompanied by someone and you are not allowed to act alone."
Zhu Hao asked with a smile: "Even if we know the way back here, do we need to find someone to watch over us? What if we can't find anyone?"
Lu Song's face was gloomy and he did not answer.
Lu Bing volunteered: "I know the way, I can take you here when the time comes... Dad, leave everything to me, I can do it!"
"Um."
Lu Song nodded in approval.
Just now he thought his son was too naive, but now he suddenly felt that his son had grown up. He thought that if his son was always keeping an eye on Zhu Hao, he would not hide anything from him if there was any disturbance, right?
There is such a small eyeliner...
Nice one!
