Volume One, Chapter 12: Visiting Jiang Lin—What Gift Should I Bring?
The next morning, just outside the palace gates, Zhu Yuanzhang, Empress Ma, and Zhu Biao gathered together. After the morning court session concluded, the family of three prepared to visit Jiang Lin.
“Biao’er, what do you think we should bring as a gift when we visit Jiang Lin?” Zhu Yuanzhang asked Zhu Biao before they set off.
Hearing this, Zhu Biao hesitated and shook his head slightly.
“Father, from what I know, Brother Jiang’s household doesn’t seem to be lacking anything…”
“In fact, I feel that Brother Jiang’s possessions are even better than those in the palace.”
“But you, as the sovereign of the great Ming, how can you visit this rumored prodigy Jiang Lin without a gift? That wouldn’t be proper etiquette,” Empress Ma said with a slight frown.
Zhu Biao nodded in agreement, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
“Mother is right. Just considering that Brother Jiang saved my wife, it’s only right and proper to reciprocate with a gift. The question is, what should we give?”
At that moment, a clear, light voice and hurried footsteps sounded from afar.
“Father, Mother, Brother!” Zhu Yourong hurried over, followed by two attendant palace maids.
Her face was lightly powdered, making her already beautiful features even more enchanting, like a beauty stepping out of a painting.
“Are you all going to visit that prodigy, Master Jiang?”
“Could I come along too?” Zhu Yourong stammered, then quickly added, “I… I mean no offense. I’m just curious about this prodigy.”
“Last night, Xiao Xiongying told me a lot about Jiang Lin, saying he’s incredibly powerful. I’m a bit skeptical; it must be exaggerated. I want to see for myself.”
After finishing, a delicate blush spread across Zhu Yourong’s fair face.
Empress Ma smiled. “Chongba, Biao’er, why don’t we take Yourong along?”
“Biao’er, what do you think?” Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and looked to Zhu Biao.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Zhu Biao’s lips as if he had just thought of something missing in Brother Jiang’s household.
Soon, the family of four boarded a prepared carriage and headed straight to Jiang Lin’s residence.
---
Jiang Lin had just woken up and was making his way toward the bathroom. His face was weary, his body felt weak, especially his lower back, which was a bit sore. But being young, the discomfort was mild and only slight.
Coming out of the bathroom, he suddenly remembered he hadn’t opened today’s delivery.
With a thought, he summoned the delivery blind box system.
Three delivery boxes of identical shape and size appeared before him.
Each contained random items; what he would get was entirely a matter of luck—or perhaps the whim of this fickle system.
After some consideration, Jiang Lin chose the middle box.
Bang!
With a loud noise, the system shut down.
Looking closely, he saw several boxes of instant cup noodles in various flavors, a colorful assortment.
“Oh, instant noodles! I haven’t had these in a long time—I actually miss them,” Jiang Lin muttered.
Back in university, whenever he ran out of living expenses at the end of the month, he survived on packet noodles because cup noodles were much pricier.
He made up his mind to eat instant noodles for breakfast today.
Last night’s exhaustion left him with no energy to cook.
Being single, he just needed to eat enough without worrying about details.
“Alright... you it is—braised beef noodles!”
After some selection, Jiang Lin settled on this classic flavor and boiled water with his electric kettle.
Once the noodles were soaked, he took a sausage from the fridge and added it in, then covered the cup.
“Done! Noodles with sausage—double the deliciousness!”
“Even a salt fish has its own attitude—balanced nutrition is important, even with instant noodles!”
“Hehe... perfect!”
Once everything was ready, the noodles were well soaked.
He lifted the lid, steam mixed with the aroma of noodles wafted out, and Jiang Lin took a deep breath.
“Delightful~”
---
At that moment, Jiang Lin stopped dawdling and picked up his fork.
He gently blew on the noodles and slurped them into his mouth.
Just after the first bite, there was a knock on the door.
Knock, knock, knock...
“Brother Jiang? Is Brother Jiang at home?” came the voice of Zhu Biao outside.
Ugh!
Not again?
Sigh… just as expected!
Yesterday’s prediction was right—his leisurely good days were over.
Though reluctant, Jiang Lin got up and went to the door.
When he opened it, four people stood there, scanning him from left to right.
The affectionate elderly couple on the far left were unmistakably the powerful overlord of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, and the legendary Empress Ma Xiuying.
“Greetings to the Hongwu Emperor!” Jiang Lin saluted Zhu Yuanzhang.
Hearing this title, Zhu Yuanzhang was immensely pleased. He hadn’t realized his fame in later eras was so illustrious; it made all his struggles in this life feel worthwhile.
What a magnificent title—Hongwu Emperor!
This title proved he was comparable to Qin Shi Huang, Han Wu Di, Tang Taizong, and Song Taizu.
In life, isn’t the pursuit to be remembered in history?
Jiang Lin’s passionate voice rang out again.
“Though born in poverty, he ascended to the highest rank; with no roof over his home and no whole garment on his body, he reached the throne, embraced the springtime of all directions, subdued the barbarians, and stirred the heavens and earth.”
“Though he acted like a monk, he slew the most; using killing to stop killing in a chaotic era. From the depths of hell’s eighteen levels, stepping on fifteen thousand corpses, he fought his way to the thirty-three heavens.”
“He built high walls, amassed grain, proclaimed kingship slowly, rising from a Red Turban rebel in Jiangnan, warring across the north and south!”
“In the end, he expelled the barbarians, restored the Han dynasty, and generations hence honor him with the title: Hongwu Emperor!”
…