Chapter 51

Watching a movie, whether in 3D or IMAX, offers a variety of audio-visual experiences, but the kind of experience Zhao Zhu had definitely surpassed the limits of any cinema in the real world.

In terms of auditory, visual, and tactile experiences, it was absolutely immersive, something no external device could simulate.

However, the only regret was that from the moment he entered the Taiji Hall until the court session began, Zhao Zhu’s gaze remained fixed, standing straight with his eyes focused on his toes, toes, toes—nothing but toes.

He only listened, did not speak, and did not act, like a clay sculpture, completely lacking any presence. This made Zhao Zhu, the inhabitant of this body, feel somewhat bored and uncomfortable. Even an amateur director wouldn’t be foolish enough to shoot a half-hour scene with just such a shot, but Zhao Zhu could only watch and had no right to make any changes. He had tried, but he was like a true passerby, unable to alter this body in any way.

The court proceedings seemed unrelated to Zhao Zhu. He listened patiently for a while but still found it boring. On one hand, the officials’ accents were too heavy, making it hard to understand what they were saying. On the other hand, Zhao Zhu stood at the edge of the court, closer to the Taiji Hall’s entrance, so the sounds were not very clear. Listening carefully only left him confused.

However, Zhao Zhu couldn’t help but admire the owner of this body, who maintained this posture from start to finish. Most impressively, he didn’t move a single muscle, surpassing the capabilities of ordinary people. Who could stand in one position for so long? Even the angle of his gaze didn’t change, showing that both his character and body were refined to perfection.

Finally, with a voice like a drake’s, “Court dismissed,” the session ended, and the officials exited in order.

Zhao Zhu’s gaze remained fixed on the ground as he followed the crowd out. However, as he walked, he noticed something was off. This person began to deviate from the crowd, even deliberately avoiding other officials and heading to less crowded areas.

After many turns, two young eunuchs appeared in Zhao Zhu’s line of sight. At this moment, his gaze lifted slightly, from always staring at his toes to being able to see the eunuchs’ clothes, though he still didn’t dare to look at their faces, as if afraid of offending them. The owner of this body was truly cautious to the extreme.

“Lord Lei, His Majesty has asked me to wait for you here,” one eunuch said softly.

“Thank you, Sir, for leading the way,” the person replied, pulling out a stack of silver bills from his sleeve and handing them to the eunuch.

The eunuch accepted them without a word, smiling, “Lord Lei, you’re making me feel like an outsider.”

“A small token of respect, nothing more.”

“Alright, let’s not keep His Majesty waiting. Come, Lord Lei.”

“Lead the way, Sir.”

The two eunuchs led the way, and this so-called Lord Lei followed closely behind, still not looking around, maintaining the utmost propriety.

At this point, Zhao Zhu began to ponder, “Lord Lei,” which famous official in the Qing Dynasty had the surname Lei? He thought for a long time but couldn’t come up with an answer. After all, only a few people left a clear impression in history, while most were just minor figures. Trying to guess who this person was based on a surname alone was clearly too much to ask.

After many turns and checks, they finally entered a study. The two eunuchs didn’t follow inside but waited outside.

Before Zhao Zhu could see what was inside, his gaze dropped again, and this time it dropped completely as the owner of this body performed the kneeling salute.

“Your humble servant, Lei Fada, pays respects to His Majesty. Long live the Emperor, long live, long live for ten thousand years!”

Hmm? Lei Fada?

At this moment, Zhao Zhu had a vague recollection and finally understood who this person was. It was a coincidence, but Zhao Zhu had seen a wall display at a famous ancient building in Beijing, listing the details of a family surnamed Lei, with Lei Fada at the top.

In the late 17th century, a southern craftsman named Lei Fada came to Beijing to participate in the construction of the palace. Due to his exceptional skills, he was soon promoted to a design position. From him, seven generations of the Lei family, until the end of the Qing Dynasty, were responsible for major royal buildings such as palaces, imperial tombs, the Summer Palace, and the Old Summer Palace. This hereditary family of architects was known as the “Lei Family of Design.”

The Lei family’s ancestral home was in Yongxiu, Jiangxi. From the first generation, Lei Fada, who came to Beijing from Jiangning (now Nanjing, Jiangsu) during the Kangxi period, to the seventh generation, Lei Tingchang, who died at the end of the Guangxu period, the Lei family served as the chief architects for the Qing imperial court, responsible for the design and construction of palaces, gardens, tombs, and other official buildings. They were respectfully called “Lei Family of Design” or colloquially “Lei Family of Models.”

This all made sense now. Zhao Zhu finally understood why he had been possessed by this person and entered this strange memory. This underground tomb, or at least the part modified by Kangxi, was definitely the work of Lei Fada. Many of the mechanisms inside were also his creation, truly ingenious and unparalleled.

“Rise, and tell Me how the work on that side is progressing.”

This should be the voice of Emperor Kangxi, deep and authoritative, a commanding presence born of his status and position.

“Your humble servant has not failed Your Majesty. The work is almost complete, awaiting the final inspection.”

Although Lei Fada stood up, he still kept his head bowed and his back bent. Zhao Zhu had hoped to see what Emperor Kangxi looked like but had no chance.

“You handle things well, and I trust you. By the way, I have already spoken to Mingzhu about Rongruo. It’s rare for our Manchu people to produce a scholar, and it’s fitting to show him to our ancestors. We have already proven our martial skills are superior to the Han, and in time, our skills in poetry, chess, calligraphy, and painting will also surpass theirs.”

“All this is due to Your Majesty’s wise governance. Your humble servant congratulates Your Majesty!”

“Ha ha, there are many who flatter Me, and I don’t lack you. Do the job well and thoroughly, and I will grant your family the status of hereditary master craftsmen, to be honored alongside the nation.”

“Your humble servant will do everything in his power to serve Your Majesty!”

As Emperor Kangxi’s voice echoed in his ears, Zhao Zhu felt it growing more distant, almost unreal. Then, he suddenly found himself back in reality, having just pushed open the door of the Taiji Hall. However, due to the momentary daze from his “soul wandering,” he tripped over the high threshold and fell inside.

“Damn.”

Since the fall was so unexpected, Zhao Zhu had no time to prepare, and it hurt a lot. However, when he rubbed his wrist and got up from the ground, the pain was quickly forgotten. Zhao Zhu was shocked to see a person in a bright yellow dragon robe sitting on the dragon throne in the Golden Hall, and around him, a crowd of officials in Qing dynasty attire stood densely.

What made Zhao Zhu even more hysterical was that this was not the memory he had just experienced; this was reality, truly reality!

Moreover, Zhao Zhu clearly saw that the arms of the nearest Qing officials, under their official robes, were covered with a layer of white fur, they were actually hairy!

...分割线...

Mingzhu is Nalan Xingde’s father, a prominent figure in the Kangxi court.

The “Lei Family of Design” appeared in Uncle San’s “The Tomb Raider”... but Xiao Long is not plagiarizing Uncle San, as this person and this family are real and historically documented.

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