Ming Dynasty: I risked my life to teach the prince, the emperor begged me not to die

Chapter 1 The Young Man with Tuberculosis

In the eleventh year of the Hongzhi reign, early October.

In Peking, on the banks of the Tongji River, in a simple courtyard by the river, a young man with red lips, white teeth and a rosy face was sitting on a low stool.

Perhaps these two words are not appropriate to describe the man, but the young man sitting on the stool, as quiet as a virgin, is really too handsome.

Judging from his age, he seems to be no more than seventeen or eighteen years old.

Chen Ce stared blankly at the light snow outside in early winter, coughed slightly twice, and with a painful expression on his face, he picked up the brown-yellow medicine and drank it all.

This is the second year that Chen Ce has traveled through the Ming Dynasty. Unfortunately, the original owner was not in good health and suffered from non-infectious tuberculosis.

The Chen family was a well-known merchant in Hangzhou, but Chen Ce got this disease when he was five years old. His parents were extremely anxious. They traveled to various provincial governments in the Ming Dynasty for more than ten years to find famous doctors for treatment, and even spent money to seek help from immortals.

Eventually all his money was spent, his business in Hangzhou was taken away by family relatives, and he died of depression.

Chen Ce was poor and helpless in Hangzhou Prefecture. All his relatives, who used to be as close as him, now became wolves in vain. They gave Chen Ce two taels of silver and let him fend for himself.

Two years ago, Chen Ce traveled from Hangzhou to Beijing, where he had his last hope.

When Chen Ce was young, his parents helped a scholar and paid for his studies for the imperial examinations. Both parties agreed to arrange a marriage for their child. Chen Ce came to Peiping two years ago to find his father-in-law and fiancée.

It’s a pity that the disease didn’t kill him. Instead, he died of poverty and starvation in a dilapidated temple ten miles away from the capital.

After Chen Ce inherited the original owner's memory, he found the Tongji River according to the address. Unfortunately, he did not find the other party and his money was all spent. Although he was a time traveler, he had no special skills. It was almost impossible for him to survive that winter night two years ago.

Fortunately, a young man in brocade clothes who passed by casually threw five taels of silver to Chen Ce, which allowed him to spend the winter two years ago safely. Chen Ce spent two taels of silver to rent this simple little courtyard.

This amount of money is definitely not enough for him to spend in the future. Due to tuberculosis, he can't carry anything on his shoulders or hands, and it is a luxury for him to have a job. As for land... he is now an exile and has no land.

For the time being, he has no way to take back the family business in Hangzhou.

But life has to go on, and in the past two years, Chen Ce has barely maintained his survival and expenses by writing novels.

His father-in-law and fiancée have not been found yet. If they had been found, he wouldn't be in such an embarrassing situation.

The other party might already be an official now. After so many years of imperial examinations, he must have passed the examination and become an official. However, there are so many government offices in the capital that it is not easy to find someone.

We can only take it step by step.

However, there is always a way out. At the end of the year a year ago, Chen Ce started the farming and harvesting system.

He opened up a small field in the yard and planted some fruits and vegetables, which could be harvested as soon as they were ripe.

After the first batch of fruits and vegetables matured, he gained a lot of Ming history, imperial examination papers, eight-legged essays, etc. The most precious harvest should be the ability to understand ten lines at a glance.

During this year's midterm exams, Chen Ce predicted some exam questions and sold them, earning an extra ten taels of silver.

In this way, life is somewhat secured.

Life is full of hardships, but even though I am sick, I still strive to be stronger.

Chen Ce took out the book next to the desk, put on a soapy cotton coat, and began to read diligently in the first light snow of winter.

Although this sick body cannot serve as an official, it does not mean that he is without knowledge reserves. Over the past year, Chen Ce has accumulated powerful knowledge theories in his mind.

Bang bang bang!
There was a rough knock on the door. Chen Ce had just put down his book and was about to open the door when the broken door was kicked open. Then a group of people wearing green cotton armor and carrying curved swords on their waists rushed in. Not every Jinyiwei was qualified to wear Feiyu uniforms.

But Chen Ce didn't understand. He was just an ordinary citizen in Shuntian Prefecture. He didn't steal or rob, and he wasn't involved in any major crimes. Was he worthy of the Jinyiwei to break into his house personally?
Even if something happened, it should be the Shuntian County Court that came to arrest the person. How could the Jinyiwei be alerted?
Chen Ce looked at the group of stern-looking Jinyiwei with a confused look on his face, and said neither servilely nor arrogantly: "Everyone, did you find the wrong person?"

How can a dying person be afraid?

I don’t know if tuberculosis can be cured. Anyway, my parents have spent so much time and still can’t cure it. It’s just a matter of dying sooner or later. Not to mention that the other party is the Jinyiwei, what can happen even if the emperor of the Ming Dynasty comes?

A young man in a flying fish suit walked out slowly from behind the Jinyiwei with his hands behind his back. He should be a senior official of the Jinyiwei, at least of the third rank or above.

Chen Ce had read the history of Ming Dynasty, and there were records in it. So he was a little surprised about such a young high-ranking official in the Jinyi Uniform Guards.

The young man was very arrogant. He held his head high, his hand on the embroidered spring sword, his eyes looking up at the sky, looking down on everyone. He said arrogantly, "You are the one who leaked the questions of the Shuntianfu College Entrance Examination?"

"Hey! You are such a bold and rebellious person. The country is looking for talents based on the subject. This year, the first college entrance examination in Shuntian Prefecture did not pass the first round, but the Analects questions have already been circulated outside. After asking carefully, I found out that it was you who leaked the questions!"

"Can you plead guilty?"

From beginning to end, his eyes were looking up to the sky, and it was unclear what his expression was. Chen Ce couldn't help but ask: "Sir, are you sick?"

"Be bold!"

Chen Ce asked, "Can't you lower your neck?"

"of course can!"

"Bah! Stop telling me these things. I'm asking you, do you plead guilty?"

Chen Ce shook his head and said, "Of course I don't admit my guilt. If you think about it carefully, you will know that I am such a poor person, not an official or a noble, how could I know the questions of the college examination, let alone leak the questions?"

"That does make some sense." The young official in flying fish uniform said, and then snorted, "You are such a sinister and cunning person. Don't try to deceive me!"

"I know! Although you are not an official or a noble, you must have some interests with the chief examiners of the Shuntianfu Academy Examination! Come out quickly, who are those civil servants?"

Why do I feel like he is not coming for me, but rather for that group of civil servants taking the imperial examination?
Chen Ce was helpless and said, "Sir, could you please lower your head and look at the environment around me?"

"You can't see anything when you look at the sky like this. You might as well look at how poor I am. If I had the ability, would I still be able to live in this simple courtyard and lead a poor life?"

The young Jinyiwei finally lowered his head, and when he saw Chen Ce, he immediately asked in astonishment: "Huh?"

"why you?"

Zhu Houzhao never thought of himself as a good person. The only time he showed kindness was when he saved a tuberculosis patient two years ago. The memory of the patient was particularly deep because he was reminded of his only brother who died young.

Of course he recognized that the Chen Ce in front of him was the tuberculosis patient he saved two years ago.

When I see Chen Ce now, I still feel that he is very similar to my younger brother who passed away young.

In this case, he is a good person and will definitely not do anything illegal.

Zhu Houzhao waved his hand in a casual manner and said to the Jinyiwei behind him: "Okay, you guys go away. I have determined that this person did not do it. He looks like an honest man!"

(End of this chapter)