Chapter 1

Memory is unreliable, and forgetting can be a beautiful thing.

Hu Xiaotian had no attachment to his past; he was even too lazy to recall it. His previous life was not pleasant, so in this life, he preferred to choose to forget. He finally understood that the true meaning of life lies in enjoying it. He no longer had any lofty ideals or ambitions; he only wanted to be a carefree rich man in this world, living a life free from worries about food and clothing. He wanted to spend a little money every day, find a beautiful and gentle woman to marry and have children with, preferably two, a girl and a boy. After his daughter got married and his son started a family, he would begin to enjoy his golden years. On a warm afternoon, he would sit in a fragrant courtyard with a loyal old yellow dog, basking in the sunlight, brewing a pot of good tea, and playing a few rounds of chess, surrounded by his grandchildren, living a peaceful and contented life.

He should have been able to easily achieve this wish, as his father, Hu Buwei, was the Minister of Revenue in the Dakan Dynasty, a position equivalent to the Minister of Finance. In Dakan, this was a third-rank official, holding significant financial power and enjoying the trust of the royal family, serving through two emperors with a stable and unshakable position.

As the only son of this important minister, and the third-generation single heir, Hu Xiaotian was naturally regarded as a precious gem by the Hu family. Unfortunately, there were also regrets in this world. Hu Xiaotian's consciousness only began to awaken half a year ago. On October 15th of last year, a strange phenomenon occurred, with a red moon in the sky. The century-old iron tree in the back garden of the Minister's residence bloomed that night. Almost at the same time, this second-generation official, who had been mute and mentally disabled for sixteen years, suddenly regained his senses.

The first thing Hu Xiaotian remembered after waking up was that he still had two surgeries to perform. Prior to this, he had worked continuously for 32 hours on the operating table and died from exhaustion. His consciousness, after crossing the river of time and wandering through 3,000 worlds, finally settled in the body of this mentally disabled second-generation official in the Dakan Minister of Revenue's residence.

His age magically became 16, and his name gained an additional "Xiao" (小). From that day on, Hu Tian became Hu Xiaotian, and his 28-year-old consciousness was integrated into this empty body. Fortunately, his appearance did not change much, just becoming younger and more tender. From that day on, he decided to start enjoying life and live a comfortable and pleasant life. However, life is full of disappointments, and if one cannot forget, one cannot escape烦恼. Soon, Hu Xiaotian discovered that being smart might not necessarily make one happier or more content than being foolish.

In the eighth year of Longqi in the Dakan Dynasty, it was late April. Hu Xiaotian lazily sat in a beautifully decorated room. The room was intricately carved and lavishly furnished. Outside was a long corridor, with eight vermilion pillars dividing the sunlight. Beyond the corridor was a square courtyard of about one mu, where spring flowers bloomed in clusters, their vibrant colors competing for attention amidst the tender yellow leaves. A gentle breeze caused the vine-like branches to sway, and a subtle fragrance quietly wafted through, making one feel refreshed and at ease.

Sunlight filtered through the branches and window frames, casting dappled shadows. Hu Xiaotian deeply inhaled the floral scent, clasped his hands behind his back, and slowly walked into the shadows. The plants and trees were so familiar and intimate, just as they were in his memories. However, he had never paid much attention to the beauty of life in the past, let alone enjoyed it. His memories were dry and dull, and apart from his single-minded dedication to medical technology, he found no joy in anything. Without family, friends, or love, such a life was not worth lingering over.

Liang Dazhuang, a chubby servant in the Minister's residence, had been assigned to serve this young master for the past half year. He tiptoed over, and upon seeing Hu Xiaotian, his face lit up with a broad smile, his small eyes narrowing into slits, his mustache curling slightly, and the wrinkles around his eyes making his face look like a large meat bun. "Your servant congratulates the young master, congratulates the young master!"

"Your servant" referred to himself, and "young master" naturally referred to Hu Xiaotian.

Hu Xiaotian spent half a year understanding and adapting to all the changes around him. Now, he could face them calmly and handle them skillfully, fully entering his role.

He lazily squinted his eyes, and the same expression on different faces could produce completely different effects. On Liang Dazhuang, it was flattery, but on Hu Xiaotian, it was refined and dignified. A fool's body would not have any noble aura, but when this body was suddenly endowed with the consciousness of a medical doctor, his every move became vivid and wise. "What is there to be happy about?" Language was not an obstacle for Hu Xiaotian. At the age of 20, he had already mastered the six most representative languages of the world at that time. The language and script of Dakan were not much different from the past, like a variant of Chinese, with only slight differences in pronunciation and a mix of classical and modern vocabulary. For someone who had easily obtained a master's degree in Sinology, this was no problem at all.

Liang Dazhuang bowed and said, "Young master, I heard that the master and madam have arranged a marriage for you!"

Upon hearing this, Hu Xiaotian's expression instantly turned gloomy and troubled. In Dakan, free love was not yet advocated, and the words of parents and matchmakers still held absolute authority. Although there was no freedom in love and marriage, there was one benefit: polygamy was legal. As long as one had the money and power, one could marry as many wives as one wanted. This was an era where the strong ruled, and as long as one had enough strength, one could occupy as many resources as possible, including money, land, property, and beautiful women.

In Dakan, it was also common to arrange marriages for children at a young age, emphasizing equal social status. As a second-generation official like Hu Xiaotian, he was a highly sought-after match. His mother had arranged a marriage for him when she was three months pregnant. His in-laws, Zhou Ruiyuan, had once been a first-rank official, serving as the Right Chancellor, Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, Imperial Scholar, and Chancellor. He was a prominent figure in Dakan. For the Hu family, this was a significant alliance. Although Hu Buwei held significant financial power, he was only a third-rank official. However, when Hu Xiaotian was two years old, it was discovered that he was mentally disabled, and the Zhou family immediately broke off the engagement.

An official of a higher rank could crush a lower one, and Hu Buwei naturally did not dare to say anything to a first-rank official. He could only humbly break off the engagement, apologize, and bear a deep grudge against Zhou Ruiyuan. Three years ago, the Crown Prince Long Yelin was deposed due to losing favor, and Zhou Ruiyuan, as the Grand Tutor, inevitably suffered. Hu Buwei did not miss this opportunity to join other officials in impeaching him, leading to Zhou Ruiyuan's demotion to a commoner, thus venting his pent-up anger.

Although Hu Xiaotian's mental disability was widely known in the capital, there were still many officials who came to propose marriage, all of them lower-ranking officials. No one genuinely wanted to marry their daughter to a fool; they were only interested in the power and influence of the Minister of Revenue, Hu Buwei.

Hu Buwei, having served as an official for many years, was well aware of their true intentions. Although he was skilled at opportunism, he deeply despised these sycophants. He rejected all of them, believing that even though his son was a fool, he should not be used by others. As a result, Hu Xiaotian's marriage remained unresolved even at the age of 16.

Hu Buwei had originally planned to support his mentally disabled son for life. Given his son's condition, he could not achieve great things or bring glory to the family, but under his protection, he could live a peaceful and happy life. Hu Buwei was not without ambition, but in the face of reality, he had to lower his head.

Hu Xiaotian's sudden awakening brought both joy and rekindled Hu Buwei's ambitions. He quickly arranged a marriage for Hu Xiaotian. The in-laws were Li Tianheng, the Governor of Jiannan, a Grand Master of the Palace, an Inspector General of the Ministry of War, a Chancellor, the Governor of Xizhou, and the Duke of Xichuan, with a fief of 3,000 households. Although he was also a third-rank official in Dakan, he was a true frontier governor and enjoyed the trust of the current Crown Prince, Long Yeqing. When the Crown Prince ascended the throne, it would be Li Tianheng's time to flourish. In the court, one must know history, understand the present, and look to the future. Hu Buwei's proposal to ally with the Li family was a political move.

In fact, Hu Buwei had hinted at this before. The marriage was a facade; the alliance was the real goal. Li Tianheng had a daughter who was paralyzed and reportedly very ugly. Even so, Li Tianheng would not have willingly married his daughter to a fool. However, after confirming that the Hu family's young master had suddenly regained his senses and speech, Li Tianheng finally agreed. The two families exchanged birth dates and set the wedding date. The wedding was on October 6th, less than half a year away.

The marriage contract made Hu Xiaotian realize that his dream of a leisurely life was now a luxury. Marrying a woman he had never met, who was paralyzed and reportedly extremely ugly, left no room for happiness.

Thus, when Liang Dazhuang mentioned this, it caused Hu Xiaotian to feel uneasy. He sighed and said, "Let's not talk about it."

Although Liang Dazhuang looked clumsy, he was not stupid. He was especially skilled at reading people's moods. Otherwise, he would not have been entrusted with the important task of being Hu Xiaotian's personal servant. Seeing that Hu Xiaotian was in a bad mood, Liang Dazhuang carefully suggested, "Young master, the weather is nice today. Why don't I accompany you to go out and relax?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said, "That's a good idea!"

As the son of the Minister of Revenue, when Hu Xiaotian went out, although he did not need a grand procession, he was still accompanied by a large entourage. Besides Liang Dazhuang, three other servants followed, all wearing blue clothes and small hats, walking behind Hu Xiaotian with their heads held high and chests puffed out, looking arrogant and domineering. The servants of a third-rank official, the Minister of Revenue of Dakan, were at least equivalent to ninth-rank county magistrates, and they felt very important.