Zhu Chongba had been clever since childhood and was something of a leader among the village children.
While Jiang Yang lived in the village, he sometimes told the children stories when the mood struck him.
Among them, Zhu Chongba listened especially attentively.
Unlike the other children, who simply listened and left it at that, Zhu Chongba had thoughts of his own and often came to Jiang Yang with questions about the stories.
Over time, the two became familiar with each other.
Jiang Yang was universally acknowledged as an elder in the village. Even his blazing golden eyes and unchanging youthful face only inspired awe in the villagers.
Almost all the villagers were descendants of soldiers from the previous dynasty. Though their lives were hardly comfortable, they were honest and fierce, and no bandits dared plunder their village.
Jiang Yang lived quite comfortably here as a small landowner.
He planted a jujube tree in his courtyard and handed out its fruit to the children whenever it ripened.
Practically every child who grew up in the village had eaten the jujubes he grew.
When Zhu Chongba was ten years old.
Bai Weiwei emerged from seclusion and found her way to this village.
When she learned that a child in the village was named Zhu Chongba, astonishment filled her face.
"My lord, you really are... incredible."
Many famous figures from various dynasties, from princes and nobles to generals and ministers, had crossed paths with Jiang Yang.
"What is it? Is this little fellow going to be someone famous in history too?"
Jiang Yang asked in amusement.
"Of course. Someone quite extraordinary."
She wanted to say that only the Han and Ming had gained their realms with such legitimacy.
The founding emperor of the Ming dynasty was certainly remarkable. Of course, what was even