Zhu Yuanzhang, who commanded the wind and rain, lived a long and arduous life.

"Oh?"

Zhu Changye raised his eyes, showing interest.

My son, Chongba, is so thoughtful?

Empress Ma, seeing this, thought the old man was confused and quickly explained, "It's like this, Xiong Ying has been coming to see you a lot lately, and we're entrusting this child to your care."

"So Chongba is also grateful, which is why he specially prepared some things for you, sir. Please don't overthink it."

His own reputation as Emperor Chongzhen was not good. Although his reputation has improved recently, not long ago some people still called him a tyrant.

When the old man first entered the city, it was the time when the tyrant's reputation was at its peak. She was afraid that the old man would think that Chongba's gifts were ill-intentioned.

"What's the gift?"

Zhu Changye chuckled and asked.

Empress Ma laughed and said, "I don't know that, sir, you can open it yourself."

After saying that, Empress Ma went into the house and brought out a large black box.

This big black box looks quite old, with a sense of antiquity, and there's even a faint odor coming from it.

"Grandma, why did Grandpa bring this! It stinks!"

Zhu Xiong Ying frowned as he looked at it.

Is this a gift?

Who gives a gift that stinks?

Empress Ma rolled her eyes: "Xiong Ying, you brat, how can you talk like that? This is your great-grandmother... cough cough, anyway, this thing is of great significance."

"Right, old man?"

When Zhu Yuanzhang first gave her this item, she was confused. It wasn't until Zhu Yuanzhang explained that she realized it was a relic of Empress Chun.

Empress Chun, Empress Chun...

She was a stranger to her, but to the old man, she was the woman who had been with him all his life.

Empress Ma looked at Zhu Changye.

Zhu Changye's eyes held a strange light, a mixture of melancholy and longing.

She had never seen Zhu Changye like this before. Zhu Changye had always given her a very down-to-earth and unhurried feeling.

But now, he doesn't seem like an immortal anymore; he's more like a real mortal, with the flavor of everyday life.

really.

My father has not forgotten Empress Chun.

If I hadn't survived my illness back then, would Chongba have ended up like that?

Empress Ma seemed to be deep in thought.

And this moment.

Zhu Changye took the large black box from Empress Ma's hands and murmured, "How thoughtful, how thoughtful..."

Seeing that the old man was happy, Empress Ma was relieved and said with a smile, "Alright, then, old man, I'll go to the kitchen and cook for you."

"Oh, right, there are mooncakes on the table. I made them early this morning. You can eat them if you're hungry."

After Empress Ma finished speaking, she went inside.

Seeing that Empress Ma had disappeared, Zhu Yao, who had just been seemingly immobilized by a magic spell, regained her freedom and quickly ran to the table to grab a mooncake to eat.

And Zhu Changye,

He then walked to a corner and gently stroked the large black box.

This big black box has quite a history.

Back then, he always left early and returned late. During the time he was away from home, Chang Le always said she was very bored, so Zhu Changye made this big black box for her.

He said he would write notes and grumble when he was bored, and then put them in the program.

It was a very unreliable way to relieve boredom, even nonsensical, but Madam Chang Le listened to it.

yes~

She listened to what she heard.

She always trusted him so much, believing he was omnipotent, and never questioned the solutions he proposed, but instead put them into practice.

Even if they can't do it, they won't think it's because Zhu Changye's method is wrong, but because they themselves are incompetent.

"Creak..."

Zhu Changye opened it gently.

There are several books inside.

The topmost book is clearly labeled "Chang Le Diary".

Zhu Changye chuckled: "Changle, you've written way too many diaries."

"Well, that's great. You always wanted to see my diary, but you didn't. Now I've seen yours."

“Zhongba, I’ve taken him around to play since he was a child. Sure enough, when there are problems between you and me, he always sides with me. He didn’t help you hide the diary, but gave it to me instead.”

After Zhu Changye finished speaking, he slowly opened the diary.

He looked at it very carefully.

Not missing a single word.

It felt like returning to my childhood, and meeting her again under that peach tree.

Half an hour had passed by the time I finished reading it.

After reading the entire diary, Zhu Changye was filled with emotion and became even more certain that he had to go to the underworld to find her.

Empress Ma once said,

Chang Le appeared in a dream to Chongba, and also in a dream to her eldest and second sons. If the soul is reincarnated, it is not possible to appear in a dream.

It's only possible if you're still in the underworld.

Gently.

Zhu Changye carefully put away the diaries and then walked out of Tianyun Temple.

He sensed a familiar presence and decided to go see it.

……

today.

It's the Mid-Autumn Festival.

This was also the last day that Zhu Di spent in Yingtian Prefecture.

Today is over, and he will be returning to Beiping tomorrow.

I wonder when I'll visit Yingtian Prefecture again.

Before leaving, Zhu Di thought he should offer one last stick of incense to pray for future victories in his conquests.

"Child, you're burning incense."

Just then, an old man's voice rang out from the side.

Zhu Di looked over and laughed, "Old man, are you burning incense too?"

Zhu Changye smiled and nodded: "I suppose so. What wish do you want to make to the City God?"

Zhu Di was slightly taken aback.

Why is this old man asking so many questions?

"May you be healthy and well."

Zhu Di gave a perfunctory reply.

Today he came out in casual clothes, and apart from having a slightly more noble air about him, he was no different from an ordinary person.

Zhu Changye gave him a deep look, then turned to the City God and asked, "Don't you think that City God looks a bit like our Emperor?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di also looked at the statue of the City God and sighed, "Yes, it looks very similar. I feel like I've seen it somewhere before, but I can't quite place it."

This is true.

The City God looked so much like his father that Zhu Di even wondered if Tianyun Temple was trying to curry favor with his father by deliberately making the City God look like that.

"He is the Emperor's biological father."

Zhu Changye spoke again.

boom!

As soon as these words came out.

stunned!

confused!

Shock!

Zhu Di's eyes widened.

These words are like a drop of water falling on a lake, creating ripples.

He always felt that he had seen the City God before, but he couldn't remember him. This feeling of being both strange and familiar was very troubling.

Now, after the old man reminded him, he remembered!

It was Emperor Renzu of Ming, Zhu Shizhen!

He had seen his grandfather Zhu Shizhen's portrait when he visited the grave before, but he only glanced at it once each time, so his memory of it was not deep.

The statue of the City God now bears at least a 50% resemblance to the portrait of my grandfather in my memory!

"How...how could this be!"

"How could the City God be the Emperor Emeritus!"

Zhu Di had little affection for this grandfather he had never met, but hearing about him now still deeply moved him.

Why? Why is the retired emperor here?

"Are you scared?"

Zhu Changye looked at him with a smile.

Zhu Di took a deep breath, his expression growing increasingly solemn. He suddenly realized that the old man before him was no ordinary person.

The portrait of Emperor Renzu of Ming was known almost exclusively to members of the imperial family. How did he find out about it?

"Yes...yes, I was scared."

Zhu Di chuckled and said, "It wasn't just the City God statue that scared me, old man, you scared me too."

"May I ask who you are?"

Zhu Di was always very cautious in his dealings with people. Although his own status might be far superior to that of the old man, he dared not use his status to intimidate him until the other party's identity became clear.

“Me? I am him, and also your grandfather.”

Zhu Changye spoke slowly.

Zhu Di's lips twitched, and his eyelids twitched wildly: "Old man, you must be joking."

Zhu Changye laughed and said, "Really? Then take another look."

After Zhu Changye finished speaking, he waved his right hand.

His concealed face was revealed, and it was exactly the same as the statue of the City God above.

It also bears a more than 50% resemblance to the portrait of Emperor Renzu of Ming.

The figure is said to be 50% because there were no photographs in that era, so Zhu Yuanzhang could only recall his father's face from memory and then have an artist paint it.

This lacks precision.

Add Zhu Yuanzhang to the mix. The last time his father, Zhu Changye, was decades ago, how could a person's appearance not have changed in all these decades?

"This this!"

Zhu Di looked at Zhu Changye, then at the statue of the City God.

I kept looking at it over and over again.

It's finally confirmed that it's the same person.

moment.

Eyes widened.

It was unbelievable.

"How could this be? How could this be?!"

Zhu Di couldn't understand it.

Why is the City God here?

Could it be that this is a performer in the martial arts world, using face-changing to fool himself?

"Still not convinced?"

Zhu Changye seemed to know what Zhu Di was thinking and asked with a smile.

Zhu Di took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Old man, please don't joke around. Are you wearing a disguise?"

He still didn't believe it.

Zhu Changye did not answer, but simply waved his right hand, and Zhu Di was instantly and uncontrollably lifted into the air.

"What?! This?!"

Zhu Di stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

How did I end up floating?

Could it be that this old man is really the City God?

Yes!

Of course it is!

Only the City God has such power, and according to the City God, he is his own grandfather.

Doesn't that mean my grandfather is the City God?

and many more!

Lately, U.A. has been running around a lot, saying that a sage wants to teach him cultivation. Could it be this old man in front of us?

Oh my God!

Zhu Di seemed to have figured everything out, and became even more shocked.

"Now, do you believe me?"

Zhu Changye asked again with a smile.

Zhu Di nodded subconsciously: "I believe you, I believe you, City God, please put me down quickly."

Zhu Changye rolled his eyes: "I'm your grandfather."

Zhu Di's lips twitched.

He opened his mouth, wanting to call out "Grandpa".

But when the words came out, they were incredibly difficult to say.

He had never met Zhu Shizhen since he was a child, and had never called him by that name.

He's already quite old, and suddenly a grandfather appears; it's a bit difficult to say anything.

Hey….

What kind of situation is this? An old man like me came out.

Zhu Di was completely stunned.

After a long period of preparation,

Zhu Di stammered, "Grandpa...Grandpa."

"Yep."

Zhu Changye nodded in satisfaction and slowly put Zhu Di down.

Only after returning to the ground did Zhu Di feel a sense of peace.