The Ming Dynasty: I Fabricated Dreams for Zhu Di 22

Chapter 22: The Strange Beggar

Being the Emperor, I can’t leave the palace and court for too long.

I was thinking of moving my office here.

But on second thought, this small tavern is too small to accommodate many people.

Zhuang Mu pondered for a moment, then spoke.

“Old Master, tomorrow won’t work.”

“As the dream duration increases, the intervals between them also need to increase.”

“From now on, you’ll need to wait at least three days between dreams.”

Zhu Di frowned.

“Why so long? Isn’t one day enough?”

Zhuang Mu explained: “Old Master, don’t think it’s too long, it’s for your protection.”

“Don’t you feel even a slight anomaly?”

When the time spent in the dream is too long, as time goes by, gradually…

People in the dream will start to blur the line between reality and the dream.

Therefore, there must be a three-day interval between each dream, otherwise, it’s easy to lose oneself.

You, Old Master, have personally experienced it, and you must know how realistic the dreams you create are.

This is also a protective measure.

Zhu Di paused slightly.

“Hahaha, this old man is muddle-headed, three days is three days.”

“Then I’ll come back in three days.”

“But, Old Master still says the same thing, you are not suited to be a merchant.”

Zhu Zhanji, beside him, listened to their conversation, completely bewildered.

What dreaming? What three-day interval? What are they talking about?

But he knew that his grandfather would come back here in three days.

After bidding farewell to Yao Guangxiao and Zhuang Mu, Zhu Di left.

Watching Zhu Di leave,

Yao Guangxiao put down his wine cup and picked up *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* from the table.

“The wine is finished, then I’ll come again tomorrow.”

Zhuang Mu nodded.

The old monk didn’t have a definite time limit. Since Yao Guangxiao last dreamed,

he hadn’t bought any more dream-inducing wine.

As for the wine with improved taste, the old monk should drink less.

At most one cup a day, otherwise it’s harmful to his health.

“Yeah, be careful, you’re also an old man now.”

Yao Guangxiao smiled, walked towards the door, and picked up his clothes from the rack.

He opened the door, the bell rang, and the room fell silent.

Zhuang Mu suddenly felt lonely.

Because of the long sleep, he had almost no friends, a few hours of waking time.

Eating, sleeping, learning winemaking, little by little, he didn’t have much time to play.

Naturally, he didn’t make any friends.

Zhuang Mu then went to the kitchen in the backyard. The kitchen was small, but it was enough for one person.

Since his father passed away, he had to cook for himself.

Looking at the dark, lumpy food in front of him, Zhuang Mu was used to it.

To make good dishes requires a lot of time, he didn’t have that much time, he could only try to make sure he ate enough.

Just ensure he wouldn’t starve to death in the more than ten hours he slept.

Just as Zhuang Mu was about to finish his meal and go back upstairs to sleep, a voice came from the doorway.

“Hello?”

Following the sound, he saw a girl dressed like a beggar appear in front of him.

Her hair was disheveled, her clothes were dirty, and she looked like she was fleeing a disaster.

The girl’s voice was very soft and she whispered: “Could, could you give me some food?”

A beggar?

Judging by her clothes, she must have come from a relatively well-off family, how could she have fallen to this point?

“Are you fleeing from a disaster?” Zhuang Mu curiously asked.

The girl nodded slightly.

Zhuang Mu looked at the slightly dark rice porridge in his hand, pondering for a moment.

It was fate that this refugee found his tavern.

Zhuang Mu pushed the rice porridge forward.

“Here.”

Seeing the rice porridge, the girl quickly stepped forward and bowed to Zhuang Mu.

“Thank you.”

Looking at her manners, it could be confirmed that she was from a wealthy family.

Ordinary people’s children wouldn’t have such manners.

She held the rice porridge in both hands, didn’t chew, and swallowed it directly, as if she had been hungry for a long time.

“Eat slowly, if it’s not enough, I have more.”

Zhuang Mu then discovered that this beggar was almost as tall as him, he was 1.75 meters tall, not uncommon.

A woman of 1.75 meters was quite uncommon.

After she finished the rice porridge, Zhuang Mu scooped another bowl from the kitchen and handed it to the beggar girl.

“Where did you flee from? The North?”

The girl nodded and continued to gobble it down, without chewing a single mouthful.

Afraid that if she was slow, someone would snatch it from her.

She even licked the bowl clean.

Not wasting a single grain of rice.

After finishing, the girl looked at Zhuang Mu with pleading eyes and whispered.

“Can, can I stay here?”

Zhuang Mu looked hesitant. With his situation, he couldn’t even take care of himself.

How could he take care of a girl from a wealthy family?

Seeing Zhuang Mu’s hesitation, the girl hurriedly said.

“I, I can work! Just a bowl of rice porridge will do.”

Rice porridge is just cooked rice with some vegetables.

The wages for a bowl of rice porridge weren’t expensive.

As long as she could work, considering his frequent sleepiness, he really needed help.

Seeing Zhuang Mu’s hesitation, she quickly lowered the price.

“Half, half a bowl will do.”

She looked at Zhuang Mu cautiously, her emotions clearly visible, very scared and anxious.

Zhuang Mu was stunned.

Unexpectedly, she could haggle for herself. In this era,

being alive was enough, half a bowl of rice porridge was enough to ensure she wouldn’t starve, and it was very luxurious.

Looking at the girl, dressed thinly, probably if she left this tavern, it wouldn’t take long.

Even if she didn’t starve to death, she would freeze to death sooner or later.

“I can take you in, but you must serve tea and water, wash clothes and cook, and clean the house.”

“Are you sure?”

Without any hesitation, she nodded.

“What’s your name?”

“Ximei.”

…

On the way back to the palace.

Zhu Di rode in the imperial palanquin, Zhu Zhanji serving beside him.

“Grandpa, what’s the deal with this tavern? Why did you fall asleep after drinking a cup of wine?”

He curiously asked.

Everything that happened in the tavern just now, he was still a little confused.

Zhu Di glanced at Zhu Zhanji, didn’t hide it, he was in a good mood today.

“This Zhuang Mu has the ability to create dreams. As long as you drink his wine, you can dream of those you want to see.”

“To make amends for some mistakes.”

Zhu Zhanji exclaimed: “So magical?”

He had been half-believing what the Brocade Guard said, but Zhu Di said so.

It was most likely not false, otherwise, with his grandfather’s suspicious nature, how could he casually drink wine that hadn’t been tested.

Looking at Zhu Zhanji, Zhu Di sighed: “Yes, it’s very magical.”

“In the dream, I returned to the Hongwu Dynasty and saw your grandmother and General Xu Da.”

“Then I beat up Xu Yungu in front of him, hahaha, it was very enjoyable.”

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