The first year of New Ming.
Zhu Youjian was not yet thirty years old when he officially became a labor reform convict, sentenced to ten years.
The prison he entered was not an ordinary one.
It was specifically designated for what they called "intellectual crimes," so there were no murderers, no rapists, no bandits. Compared to other prisons, the environment here could even be described as relatively decent.
He was not alone.
Two loyal subjects followed him in.
Wang Cheng'en.
And Mi Qingli.
There had been a small incident before they got in.
Strictly speaking, neither of them had committed any crime, so they were not eligible to enter prison in the first place. The system was very clear about this. You could not simply decide that you wanted to go to prison and then walk in.
That would be ridiculous.
But these two men were stubborn in a way that bordered on absurd.
Since they could not enter legally, they chose the next best option.
They committed crimes.
Mi Qingli went straight to the office of S.H.I.E.L.D., stole a stack of classified documents, and made absolutely no effort to escape, allowing himself to be caught red handed by Bin Sheng on the spot.
Wang Cheng'en's approach was even more outrageous.
He had neither the skill to steal secrets nor the desire to commit something extreme like arson or murder, so after thinking it through again and again, he came up with a plan that left everyone speechless.
He went to peep into a women's latrine.
And he made sure to get caught.
A group of furious women immediately surrounded him, ready to beat him senseless, but then someone noticed something.
"Wait… he is a eunuch."
The entire situation froze.
So the question became strangely complicated.
Should they beat him or not?
In the end, after several chaotic and ridiculous episodes, both men successfully secured their place in prison.
Together with Zhu Youjian.
…
"This is your room."
The guard pointed casually at a cell.
Zhu Youjian glanced at it.
"Oh."
The guard frowned.
"What do you mean 'oh'? Go in."
Zhu Youjian looked at the closed door, clearly displeased.
"The door is shut."
The guard stared at him for a second.
"…So open it."
Zhu Youjian frowned even deeper.
"Open it?"
What kind of statement was that?
Since when did doors require you to open them yourself?
Before he could react, Wang Cheng'en rushed forward in a blur of motion, pulled the door open, and bowed slightly.
"Your Majesty, please."
Only then did Zhu Youjian step inside.
His gaze swept across the room before landing on the bed, and in the next instant, Wang Cheng'en had already rushed ahead, shaking out the bedding and smoothing it neatly.
The guard watched all of this in silence, his expression slowly turning strange.
Wang Cheng'en leaned closer to him and lowered his voice in a flattering tone.
"Sir, where is my sleeping place? Is it close to His Majesty?"
The guard pointed inside.
"You are in the same room. That bed across from his is yours."
Zhu Youjian felt his mood drop like a falling stone.
"How can a eunuch share a room with me?"
Wang Cheng'en immediately panicked.
"Your Majesty, this servant will sleep on the floor, sleep on the floor, so I can attend to you at any time."
Zhu Youjian paused.
"…Fine."
It was barely acceptable.
Mi Qingli spoke from the doorway.
"I will be in the room next door. If Your Majesty needs anything, I will come immediately."
"Very well. You may leave."
Mi Qingli actually left.
He turned and walked out without hesitation.
Wang Cheng'en, however, could not leave.
He retreated to a corner of the room, crouched down, and did his best to erase his own presence.
…
Early the next morning, a loud bell rang throughout the prison.
"Wake up. Breakfast, then labor."
Zhu Youjian rose from bed and stretched his arms.
Wang Cheng'en appeared instantly, as if he had been waiting for this exact moment, and began helping him dress without a word.
Once ready, the two stepped outside, where Mi Qingli was already waiting.
The three of them followed the other inmates toward the workshop.
On the walls were slogans written in bold characters.
"Labor is honorable."
"Reform yourself and start anew."
A guard approached and dropped a pile of porcelain bottles and labels in front of them.
"Your task today is simple. Stick these labels onto the bottles."
Zhu Youjian picked up one label and glanced at it.
"Beijing Soy Sauce."
So this was nothing more than packaging work.
He leaned back slightly, crossed his legs, and made no move to begin.
The guard's expression darkened.
Just as he was about to lose his temper, Wang Cheng'en and Mi Qingli stepped forward at the same time, placing themselves between him and Zhu Youjian.
"Sir, please do not worry about him," Wang Cheng'en said quickly with a smile. "We will complete his share of the work."
The guard raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? That is fine, but your total output must match expectations. Let me make it clear. If the average worker completes two hundred bottles a day, then the two of you must deliver six hundred together. Can you do that?"
Mi Qingli flexed his arm confidently.
"Not a problem. I have full confidence in my stamina. Six hundred, eight hundred, just say the word."
"And the quality must meet standards."
"Guaranteed."
What followed left the entire workshop in stunned silence.
The two men worked like machines.
Faster.
Faster.
Faster still.
Their hands moved so quickly that it almost became a blur, label after label pressed neatly onto the bottles with astonishing precision.
Other inmates stopped working just to watch.
Even the guards gathered around, drawn by the spectacle.
"That speed…"
Someone muttered under their breath.
"This is not normal."
If thirty years of solitude gave a man fast hands, then what they were seeing here was something beyond that.
Especially Wang Cheng'en.
Freed from worldly distractions, his mind was clear and focused, and his movements reached a level of efficiency that bordered on terrifying.
By evening, when the guards came to tally the results, they found that the three of them had far exceeded the average output.
All three were awarded the title of "Outstanding Reform Inmates" for the day.
After labor came the next step.
Reform.
The inmates sat in rows as a lecturer from Luoyang University stood at the front and began the lesson.
"Today's topic is equality among all people."
…
Zhu Youjian had assumed that this life would continue unchanged for ten years.
But after two months, something began to shift.
With each lesson, Wang Cheng'en and Mi Qingli changed, little by little.
At first, it was subtle.
Barely noticeable.
Then one morning, Zhu Youjian stood as usual, spreading his arms and waiting.
But Wang Cheng'en did not immediately step forward.
Instead, he stood there, murmuring softly to himself.
"Equality… equality…"
He hesitated, then looked up.
"Your Majesty… if I continue to serve you like this every day… does it not feel a little… outdated? Should you not try handling some things yourself?"
Zhu Youjian's eyes widened.
"Impudent! What are you saying?"
Wang Cheng'en immediately panicked.
"Your Majesty, forgive me. I spoke nonsense. Please allow me to assist you at once."
That day, he still dressed him.
But the next day…
And the day after that…
The hesitation grew.
Until one morning, Zhu Youjian woke up and found the room empty.
Wang Cheng'en was already gone.
He had left early on purpose.
It was a statement.
A silent one.
Zhu Youjian stood there for a long moment.
Then he slowly lowered his arms.
"…I see."
From today onward,
he would have to dress himself.