Chapter Seventeen: Zhu Hao Endures Humiliation-Saving the Ming Dynasty with a System(The sounds of summer unfold like a painting.)

Just as Zhu Hao expected, the moment Gongsun Ce left the courtyard of the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, Empress Guo, with a smile that barely concealed her malicious intent, strode toward him from the main hall. Though her lips were curved in a gentle arc, Zhu Hao felt a chill run down his spine—nothing about her expression was truly warm. He knew all too well that misfortune was about to befall him.

Empress Guo knelt gracefully before him, her smile unwavering, and pinched Zhu Hao’s soft, cherubic cheek. “You little rascal,” she said, “after taking advantage of me, you now pretend to be mad? Do you think the world is so generous that you can get away with anything?”

Zhu Hao endured the pain, cursing her silently: “Take advantage of you? Did I lift your skirt or spy on you bathing? With your looks, even if you stripped naked, I wouldn’t be interested! Take advantage, you say! I have no idea how my father puts up with you. He must blow out the candle, grit his teeth in total darkness, and just get it over with!”

Of course, these were but the bitter musings of his heart. Outwardly, he continued his act, shouting, “Brazen witch! How dare you try to destroy my immortal body! I will have you torn to pieces and your soul scattered to the winds!” Pinned to the ground, he could only curse with all his might.

Empress Guo snorted coldly. “Even in madness, your tongue remains sharp! Since you fear so little, today I will destroy your so-called immortal body and see how you make good on those threats!” Her grip tightened, twisting the flesh she held a full ninety degrees.

This was more than Zhu Hao could bear. No matter how much pain he could endure, cold sweat broke out on his brow. He knew he wouldn’t last much longer, so he broke into a loud, wailing cry, mumbling, “Mother, where are you? Where am I? What is this place? Who am I?”

As expected, Empress Guo released his face at once. Had he tried to resist, she would have had reason to continue her torment, but now that he was sobbing in front of all these servants, she lost interest. After all, with so many eyes watching, to bully a fool so mercilessly would be unbecoming of a model empress.

With her mood soured, she stood up and ordered the palace maids and eunuchs to drag Zhu Hao into the bedchamber and let one of the maids “teach him a lesson.”

The maid chosen for the task was over thirty, with sharp features and a pinched mouth—her cruelty was evident. Still, Zhu Hao had to endure and play along, for only by convincing Empress Guo of his madness could he survive, then seize a chance for revenge.

The old maid forced him to crawl like a dog, and if he failed, she would hang him upside down, then force him to try again. She fashioned a ring of fire for him to jump through, and when he hesitated, she lashed him with a whip, training him as if he were a circus animal.

At last, unable to withstand the pain any longer, Zhu Hao leapt through the fire ring. Seated on her throne, Empress Guo doubled over in laughter, while inside, Zhu Hao vowed, “You old witch, the humiliation you’ve inflicted on me today, I will return a hundredfold! I’ll make you wish jumping through fire rings was a luxury!” On this day, a seed of hatred took root in his heart.

What happened that day would become a scar upon his soul, a forbidden topic throughout his life. Anyone who dared mention it would face dire consequences.

In the end, the cruel palace maid wrote the words “Tortoise Shell” on Zhu Hao’s face, then forced him to crawl on the ground like a turtle. Zhu Hao, well-versed in Ming history, knew that “Tortoise Shell” was a derogatory term for a bastard in that era. His lungs nearly burst with rage. The humiliation reminded him of Han Xin, who endured crawling between a bully’s legs before achieving greatness. Gritting his teeth, Zhu Hao endured, for he had no choice. He couldn’t resist here in the Empress’s domain, nor could he even handle the old maid with the whip.

Fortunately, Empress Guo had a habit of napping after lunch. The torment finally ceased once she retreated to her inner chamber. Zhu Hao, now chained by the waist to a red lacquered pillar as if he were a dog, was left alone.

He prayed silently, “Gongsun Ce, please hurry and finish your investigation! Father, come save me! If you don’t, this old witch will shame me to death!”

Exhausted, Zhu Hao sat gasping on the floor, his body aching from the lashes. Looking up at the sky, he felt utterly despondent. But then, beside the pillar, he noticed a porcelain vase as tall as a man. His eyes widened: “That must be cloisonné! If I’d seen a vase this size before I traveled through time, it’d fetch hundreds of millions at auction. Even now, it’s a priceless treasure from the Jingtai era, over 170 years old.”

He stared at the vase for a long moment, then thought, “I can’t best the old witch today, but I’ll take a bit of interest for myself.” Quietly, he stood up and saw no one was watching. The iron chain at his waist was long enough, so he wrapped it around his hands, swung with all his might, and smashed it against the magnificent cloisonné vase.

With a resounding crash, the vase split in half and shattered into countless fragments on the floor. The invaluable, exquisite vessel now stood only as a broken base, a testament to its former glory.

The sharp crack and the following cascade of shattering porcelain jolted Empress Guo from her slumber. A sense of dread gripped her heart. Without even fixing her makeup, she rushed out from her chamber. When she saw the once-glorious vase reduced to dust, she collapsed onto the floor, wailing, “My cloisonné! That vase was worth four million taels of silver!”

After a time, her tears ceased, but her eyes burned with the fury of a wild beast. She glared at Zhu Hao, who still feigned confusion, muttering, “Where am I? Who am I?” Her voice was ice cold: “I’ll kill this little beast! Someone, hang him up for me!”

Zhu Hao panicked, regretting his rashness. He was still in the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, and who knew when Gongsun Ce would return? With the Empress in a frenzy, even Gongsun Ce might not be able to save him. Only his father might intercede, but Zhu Hao hadn’t even given Gongsun Ce a sign to fetch him. Was it possible that, having just arrived in the Ming dynasty, his new life would end today? What a worthless fate!

Empress Guo’s wrath terrified every servant; they wasted no time stringing Zhu Hao up from a beam. Her eyes red, she snarled, “I didn’t intend to stoop to a madman’s level, but since you’ve smashed my most precious vase, today you’ll pay, even if His Majesty punishes me for it! Beat him without mercy! No one stops until I say so!”

The old maid brandished her whip and struck.

Crack!

...

Zhu Hao lost count of the lashes. His consciousness faded. Just as he felt his soul slipping away, a shrill voice rang out from outside the Palace of Earthly Tranquility: “His Majesty arrives!”

The crazed look in Empress Guo’s eyes vanished instantly, replaced by terror. She knew she could not explain this to the Emperor. In the past, she had disposed of princes in secret, always through others, and though the Emperor was furious, he had no evidence—and her family’s power in court forced him to swallow his anger. But this time was different. The evidence was undeniable: the Fifth Prince, battered and suspended from the rafters, was right before their eyes.

Before Empress Guo could even compose herself and greet the Emperor, Zhu Changluo stormed in, rage written all over his face. He started to scold her for such impropriety but then noticed the atmosphere in the hall—everyone was trembling, and Empress Guo’s vacant stare was fixed on the rafters above.

Following her gaze, Zhu Changluo saw Zhu Hao, battered and barely clinging to life.

Fury swept over Zhu Changluo; his vision swam and he nearly collapsed, saved only by Gongsun Ce, who rushed to steady him. Otherwise, he might have fallen as gracelessly as the Empress herself.

Steeling himself, Zhu Changluo’s eyes blazed like a demon from the underworld as he swept his gaze over the assembled crowd, his body trembling, chest heaving. His voice cut through the silence, shrill and chilling: “Who can tell me what has happened here? I demand an explanation!”