Volume One, Chapter One: Traveling Through Zhu Xiongying?

“The imperial eldest grandson has awakened!”
“Hurry and summon His Highness the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess! Quickly!”

Listening to the hurried footsteps and shouts of the servants nearby, Zhu Xiongying lay dazed on the bed. After fully grasping the reality of his transmigration, he struggled to process the overwhelming flood of information in his mind.

As a top scholar in the humanities, he was naturally able to quickly analyze his current situation.

Zhu Xiongying—eldest legitimate grandson of Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang, maternal grandson of the loyal and martial King Chang Yuchun of Kaiping, and eldest legitimate son of Crown Prince Yiwen Zhu Biao...

This litany of identities momentarily stunned Zhu Xiongying. If he recalled correctly, historically, Zhu Xiongying contracted smallpox at the tender age of nine and subsequently died from it.

And the time of death... was right now.

Zhu Xiongying sighed deeply. It seemed the original occupant of this body died from smallpox, allowing him to transmigrate and take over.

He couldn’t help but lament the abysmal medical standards of ancient times—such a prestigious figure could not even be saved...

Just as Zhu Xiongying was about to complain inwardly, a mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

[Beep—Host detected awake. Binding entry explanation system...]

The brief tone made Zhu Xiongying freeze, a flicker of excitement and hesitation appearing in his eyes.

Could it be? The fabled “golden finger” had finally come to him?

But... what exactly was an entry explanation system?

[Beep—Current system level: Lv1. Capable of automatically probing the health status of surrounding individuals. (Completing character upgrade tasks unlocks new functions.)]

Probe illnesses?

Before Zhu Xiongying could fully understand, his gaze swept to the bronze mirror beside the bed, causing his pupils to constrict sharply.

In the mirror, a frail child about eight or nine years old lay weakly on the bed, with a clear line of entries hovering above his head.

[Zhu Xiongying, eldest legitimate grandson of Zhu Yuanzhang, maliciously infected with smallpox.]

[Beep—Mission activated: Find evidence and expose the culprit responsible for infecting the host with smallpox.]

Those few words alone plunged Zhu Xiongying into a frigid abyss.

The original occupant’s death was no accident—it was deliberate.

But the original occupant was the legitimate eldest son of Crown Prince Zhu Biao, the emperor’s eldest legitimate grandson. Who would dare to assassinate him?

At this thought, Zhu Xiongying’s expression darkened further.

Historically, the death of Zhu Xiongying had always been shrouded in suspicion, with the most widely accepted theory blaming Lady Lü for the murder.

Looking across the entire Eastern Palace, it seemed that only Lady Lü had the motive and opportunity to act.

After all, succession favored the eldest legitimate son, not the most capable. If Zhu Xiongying did not die, her own son Zhu Yunwen would never ascend.

Lady Chang had died early, and Lady Lü had yet to be officially recognized as consort, no doubt leaving her anxious and desperate.

Once Zhu Xiongying was gone, Zhu Yunwen, being older than Zhu Yunxu, could be maneuvered into favor, tipping the scales toward him in Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang’s eyes.

Historically, this was indeed the case: Zhu Yunxu was neglected and Zhu Yunwen was favored and made heir apparent.

And it all began with Lady Lü poisoning the original occupant...

Whether to complete the system’s mission or to protect himself, Zhu Xiongying knew he had to quickly find evidence to prove Lady Lü’s treachery!

Just as Zhu Xiongying pondered this, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door.

“Xiongying, how is your body?”

“Quick, summon the imperial physicians again!”

Zhu Biao walked in briskly, his face etched with anxiety and fatigue.

It must be known that Zhu Xiongying was the first child of himself and his beloved wife; their bond was not something to be taken lightly.

Since Zhu Xiongying contracted smallpox, Zhu Biao had sought every possible remedy, even folk cures, leaving no stone unturned.

Now seeing Zhu Xiongying awake, a great weight was lifted from his heart.

Behind Zhu Biao, Lady Lü lowered her gaze with a complicated expression. Though her voice was gentle and caring, a subtle chill lurked beneath.

“Father, Mother, I... feel much better.”

“I’m sorry to have troubled everyone these past few days.”

Perceiving the faint hostility from Lady Lü, Zhu Xiongying forced a weak cough and bowed his head, speaking slowly.

“You’ve finally awakened, child.”

“These past days have been terrifying; we feared something might happen to you.”

Perhaps having adjusted her mindset, Lady Lü stepped forward with the demeanor of a tender mother and reached out to touch Zhu Xiongying’s forehead.

The next moment, Zhu Xiongying instinctively dodged, causing her hand to freeze mid-air.

“It’s alright. The child just woke from a nightmare, it’s normal to be frightened.”

“Yesterday, your grandmother was also asking if you had awakened. She has been visiting White Horse Temple daily, burning incense and praying for your recovery.”

“Now that you’re better, we must inform her at once.”

Zhu Biao waved off her concern with a smile, recounting the events of the past two days.

As Zhu Biao’s words fell, Zhu Xiongying suddenly brightened as if recalling something.

Ah, Empress Ma!

Originally, Zhu Xiongying had worried that as a mere nine-year-old child in the Eastern Palace, if Lady Lü truly wished him harm, he might be utterly defenseless.

But with Empress Ma watching over him as a protector, everything would be different.

“There’s no need to summon anyone else,” Zhu Xiongying said with a hopeful tone as he sat up.

“My body is much better now, and I miss Grandmother. I’d like to go surprise her in person.”

Before he could finish, Lady Lü interrupted.

“You have just recovered from a serious illness. It’s not advisable to move about.”

“If you fall ill again, wouldn’t that cause your grandmother more worry?”

“Rest for a few more days before visiting.”

Rest for a few more days before visiting?

At this rate, Zhu Xiongying doubted he’d even survive that long.

“Though I was unconscious these past days, I often dreamed of Grandmother... Surely it is her daily prayers that brought me back so soon.”

“Mother, I am much better now. If I delay any longer, I fear I won’t be able to repay Grandmother’s kindness.”

Seeing Zhu Xiongying’s resolute attitude, Zhu Biao was momentarily stunned but then nodded with a hint of relief.

“If Xiongying insists, then so be it.”

“The palace has plenty of imperial physicians; surely nothing will go wrong.”

Lady Lü opened her mouth as though to protest, but Zhu Biao’s decision cut her off. She bit her lip and said no more.

The Eastern Palace was not far from Empress Ma’s residence. After a short carriage ride, Zhu Xiongying soon saw the familiar palace.

Though Empress Ma held the esteemed title of Mother of the Nation, she doted excessively on her grandchildren and imposed few strict rules.

As a result, the moment Zhu Xiongying stepped down from the carriage, he ran directly toward the palace without waiting for any announcement.

“Grandmother!”

Zhu Xiongying greeted her with exuberance.