Chapter 6

Not long after, the soul of the clone that had been remotely viewing returned to Zhu Zilong's main body. Because the main body had been physically enhanced by the dragon egg energy, his physical condition was extraordinary, and he felt more refreshed after just three to four hours of sleep than an average person would after ten hours.

Zhu Zilong's main body woke up early in the Zhang family's room, but he did not go out immediately.

Instead, he waited until around nine or even ten in the morning before pretending to have just woken up.

There were several reasons for this. First, he had been drunk the previous day, and it wouldn't make sense if he woke up early. Second, he intentionally planned to wake up a bit later each morning so that the people around him would gradually get used to it.

The greatest benefit of this approach was that he could let the emperor clone attend the morning court session before the main soul returned to the main body.

The "morning court session" is recorded in the "Rites of Zhou: Spring Official: Grand Master of Ceremonies" as follows: "Spring meetings are called 'morning meetings,' summer meetings are called 'clan meetings,' autumn meetings are called 'audiences,' winter meetings are called 'encounters,' seasonal meetings are called 'gatherings,' and grand meetings are called 'unifications.'"

According to the "Great Ming Code," during the morning court session, ministers must wake up at midnight and travel across half of the capital to reach the Meridian Gate. At 3 a.m., the ministers arrive at the Meridian Gate and wait outside.

At around 5 a.m., when the bell rings, the palace gates open.

Then, the officials enter in sequence, cross the Golden Water Bridge, and form up in the square. If any official coughs, spits, or walks unsteadily, the censor responsible for discipline will record it for later criticism or punishment. (Being a capital official is indeed tough, sigh!)

Usually, the emperor arrives at the Taihe Gate or the Taihe Hall for the morning court session, and the officials perform the three-kowtow salute. Only officials of the fourth rank and above have the opportunity to converse with the emperor. Ministers report on state affairs, and the emperor asks questions or responds.

The morning court session generally ends before 8 a.m., but it can also end earlier depending on the situation.

If Zhu Zilong's main body wakes up a bit later each day, the emperor clone can attend the morning court session and then return to the main body. This way, neither side is delayed!

Of course, it doesn't have to be like this every day. Think about Emperor Wanli, who didn't attend court for decades. Hehe, hehe, hehe!

After all, in the later part of the Ming Dynasty, with the establishment of the cabinet and the eunuchs' red批 (red批 means "red批," which refers to the eunuchs' approval of documents), if the emperor wasn't very responsible, he could naturally be much more relaxed. It was somewhat like a pseudo-constitutional monarchy!

At this moment!

Seeing that the sun had been up for quite some time, the seemingly drunk He Zilong had just come out of the Zhang family's room when he ran into Zhang Jing, who was coming over.

Naturally, they exchanged a round of pleasantries!

While Zhu Zilong and Zhang Jing were being polite to each other, the news of Zhu Zilong's miraculous medical skills had already spread rapidly. This was thanks to the Zhang family's servants spreading the news when they went out, as well as the doctor's promotion. Especially when the news spread that the old master of the Zhang family had recovered completely in just one day under Zhu Zilong's treatment, it seemed even more miraculous.

Zhang Jing was instructing the servants to prepare breakfast and turned around. Seeing Zhu Zilong brushing his teeth with a modern toothbrush, he immediately became curious!

In fact, ancient people also brushed their teeth. The "Book of Rites" records: "At the first crow of the rooster, everyone rinses their mouths."

Generally, the mouthwashes used by ancient people included wine, vinegar, salt water, and tea water. Wine, vinegar, and salt water have detoxifying and antibacterial effects, while tea contains fluoride and vitamins, which can prevent cavities and maintain oral hygiene.

The toothbrushes were made from willow branches, which were soaked in water before use. When it was time to brush, the user would bite the willow branch, and the willow fibers would come out. Of course, if one wasn't careful, the lips could be punctured, so it required skill!

Now, seeing Zhu Zilong use a modern toothbrush, Zhang Jing naturally found it novel and interesting.

Zhu Zilong didn't shy away. If he were to learn to use a willow branch, his lips would end up looking like a pig's snout. Since he had a large pack of modern toothbrushes in his travel bag (bought for ten yuan in a tourist area), teaching others to use them would be a good thing.

So, in the next minute,

Zhu Zilong took a new toothbrush out of the bag, squeezed toothpaste onto it in front of Zhang Jing, and handed it over, smiling and saying, "Brush your teeth like this, and don't swallow the foam."

Zhang Jing, being a smart person, quickly got the hang of it and completed his first experience of brushing his teeth with modern toothpaste. He immediately felt a refreshing sensation in his mouth, which was very comfortable!

"Truly a miraculous item! This thing must be very expensive in the distant Americas, right?" Zhang Jing praised.

"Hey, what miraculous item? Uncle Zhang, this is just an industrial product made through chemical processes. Uh, I know you might not understand, but in short, it's not too expensive," Zhu Zilong quickly replied with a smile.

(Of course, it's not expensive. A large pack of toothbrushes costs ten yuan, and each one costs just a few cents. They are cheap goods from street vendors.)

"What is a chemical process?" Zhang Jing asked, still curious.

"Chemical products are..." Zhu Zilong's eyebrows twitched. How could he explain so much to a Ming Dynasty person? Just bluffing would do, as they wouldn't even know what physics is. Explaining seriously would just be troublesome!

Fortunately, Zhang Jing didn't ask any more questions. He just casually asked for a couple more toothbrushes for his father and his wives and daughters as backups.

After breakfast, Zhu Zilong went to check on the old master of the Zhang family again and confirmed that he would be fully recovered in a few days.

After all, modern antibiotics were incredibly effective in this era, far surpassing the drug-resistant bacteria of modern times. It was almost like a magic potion!

With no more trouble on this side, Zhu Zilong wanted to go out and see various aspects of the Ming Dynasty.

It just so happened that Zhang Jing had a shop in Yantai, so he took Zhu Zilong along.

Upon arriving, Zhu Zilong looked out the car window.

He saw two soldiers holding long spears with rusty tips standing at the city gate, checking people and vehicles entering the city. They looked malnourished, with yellowish skin and patched battle robes, clearly suffering from long-term malnutrition. It was truly hard for these soldiers. He heard that their salaries were never paid on time or in full, sigh!

When they saw the Zhang family's carriage approaching, these two soldiers didn't even come forward to check it. Instead, they bowed and helped clear the way for the carriage.

Zhu Zilong nodded inwardly, realizing that the Zhang family had some influence in this area.

Blocking the glaring sunlight, he looked at the city wall, which was about ten meters high and three to four meters thick, similar to the ancient city walls in modern county-level scenic areas.

Compared to the tall city walls, the streets inside the city were narrow, barely wide enough for two small carts to pass. If modern cars were to drive on them, two cars wouldn't even fit side by side.

The streets were filled with sewage, and the pedestrians were ragged, most of them wearing patched clothes. From a modern perspective, they all looked severely malnourished, like people in modern Western refugee camps!

The curiosity of modern people instantly vanished.

Zhu Zilong felt as if he had returned to the early days of the People's Republic of China. No, it was even worse!

No electricity, no internet, no beautiful women in stockings walking on the streets, not even a public toilet. This place was truly a torment for modern people!

It was like being sent to the countryside as a young intellectual. How could one live happily in such a place?

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