Chapter 1

The weather in June was the hottest time of the year, and Yinzhou Prefecture was no exception. The scorching sun had been relentless for two months, and the fields began to crack. The water level of the Sanggan River, which flowed through Yinzhou, had dropped significantly, and some people estimated that if it didn't rain for a few more months, the riverbed might be visible.

About twenty miles from Yinzhou Prefecture, there was a village called Wulizhai. Wulizhai was situated by the Sanggan River, upstream from Yinzhou Prefecture. At the center of Wulizhai was a depression formed by a tributary of the Sanggan River, creating a small lake of about fifteen to sixteen acres. Around the lake, many willows and mulberry trees were planted, and lotus flowers bloomed in the lake, providing a rare cool spot in the scorching summer.

In previous years, many adults and children from Wulizhai enjoyed cooling off near the lake. However, these days, a major event had occurred in Wulizhai, making the atmosphere tense. This affected the surrounding area, and fewer people came to cool off.

Next to the lake stood a small estate called Yuejia Manor. From its name, one could tell that its owner was surnamed Yue. The Yue family was well-known in Wulizhai, as nearly eighty percent of the land belonged to them. This meant that most of the farmers in Wulizhai had to rely on the Yue family for their livelihood. Therefore, it was not an exaggeration to say that the owner of Yuejia Manor was the local lord for miles around.

However, these days, Yuejia Manor had lost its usual calm. A sense of panic, anxiety, and fear enveloped all the servants, attendants, and maids.

Yueyang slowly regained consciousness from his coma. He tried to open his eyes but found them incredibly heavy, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't open them. He also felt as if his body was restrained, unable to move. This realization made Yueyang struggle, and he began to thrash about, making a series of "huhuhu" sounds.

Soon, Yueyang's efforts paid off, and a clear voice rang in his ear, "Young Master... Young Master, are you awake? Sister, come quickly, Young Master is awake!"

"Clang!"

The sound of porcelain clashing was followed by the sound of quick footsteps. A soft, slightly cool hand touched Yueyang's forehead, and a gentle voice said, "That's great, Young Master's fever has broken. Long'er, go and inform the Old Lady immediately, please."

"Okay, I'll go right away!"

Hearing the two soft voices, Yueyang finally opened his eyes. At first, he saw blurry shapes, but after a moment, his vision cleared, and a beautiful face, tear-streaked and expressive, slowly came into view.

Seeing Yueyang open his eyes, the woman before him, without waiting for him to speak, leaned over and began to sob.

"Who is this beautiful girl? Do I know her? Why is she crying so sadly on me?"

As this thought crossed Yueyang's mind, a dense and chaotic sound came from a distance. Before anyone entered, an elderly voice called out from the doorway.

"Is my dear grandson awake? Quickly, take me to my dear grandson!"

The door was pushed open, and a group of people appeared before Yueyang. Leading them was an old lady, holding the hand of a twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl who looked like a porcelain doll. Yueyang estimated the old lady to be around sixty years old, dressed in a style of clothing he had only seen in period dramas. She walked to the bed, grabbed Yueyang's hand, and began to cry, patting her thighs as she spoke.

"My dear grandson, you're finally awake. If anything had happened to you, how could I face your deceased parents? Who would take over the vast estate of Yuejia Manor?"

The old lady cried and wiped her tears, and Yueyang, looking at her with tears streaming down her face, felt a big question mark rise in his mind. He moved his dry throat and said with difficulty, "Old Lady, who are you?"

Upon hearing this, the room fell silent. The old lady, seeing Yueyang's serious expression, her face, which was still relatively well-maintained, turned pale. Her body trembled, and she pointed at Yueyang, incredulous, "Dear grandson, you... don't you recognize your grandmother? I am your grandmother!"

"My grandmother? Why don't I know you?" Yueyang shook his head and said bluntly.

"What? You don't recognize me? Hic..." The old lady, upon hearing this, swayed and almost fell, but fortunately, two maids quickly supported her. After pinching her nose and giving her a strong cup of tea, she didn't faint, but as soon as she regained consciousness, she began to cry and pat her thighs again.

Yueyang rolled his eyes. His grandmother had died decades ago, and his parents had been dead for a long time. Where did this old lady come from, and why were these people dressed in period costumes? Were they filming a movie? No... wait... Yueyang suddenly remembered something.

"That's not right. Wasn't I struck by that purple lightning? Did I survive?"

As Yueyang's mind began to clear, he recalled some things. He turned his head and immediately saw the furnishings in the room and the people by the bed.

Although Yueyang wasn't an expert in ancient furniture, he immediately recognized the simple, rigorous, and elegant style of the furniture and decorations, which exuded a strong classical charm that modern high-quality imitations couldn't replicate. Based on his years of experience, the old lady's genuine concern and the respectful demeanor of the maids and servants didn't seem like they were acting. What was going on?

While Yueyang was lost in thought, a middle-aged man with a goatee, wearing a gray robe and carrying a wooden box, stepped out from behind the old lady. He walked to her side and whispered, "Old Lady, Young Master's head was severely injured. I estimate that he has lost his soul and can't remember past events."

"Lost his soul?" The old lady and the others gasped. This condition was known in modern times as amnesia, a common plot device in many melodramatic TV shows.

Although Yueyang wasn't a doctor, he understood what the middle-aged man was saying. He rolled his eyes, propped himself up with his right hand, and was about to struggle to sit up when he suddenly stared at his left hand, his whole body freezing. After a moment, he raised his trembling hand to his eyes and examined it closely, his body beginning to tremble.

Yueyang could swear to the heavens that this was not his hand. The original Yueyang was in his thirties, had worked as a laborer, a delivery man, and a white-collar worker, and years of hard work had left his hands calloused. But now, these hands were long and smooth, clearly those of a young person who had never done heavy labor.

In a panic, Yueyang tore open his shirt and saw a young, slightly thin body. Seeing this, Yueyang was stunned. He could only confirm one thing: his body had been replaced!

When Yueyang tore open his shirt, the people around him were also stunned and began to stir. The old lady was the first to react, grabbing Yueyang's hand and shouting, "Grandson, what are you doing? Exposing your body in broad daylight is improper. Linglong, quickly hold your Young Master down!"

As the old lady spoke, Yueyang felt a faint fragrance, and two maids who had been standing beside him quickly held him down, preventing him from moving.

"Who are you people, and where am I?" Yueyang stopped struggling and let the two maids hold him.

Seeing Yueyang restrained, the old lady sighed and turned to the middle-aged man with the goatee, "Doctor Sun, can my grandson's condition be treated?"

Doctor Sun stroked his beard, thought for a moment, and then asked Yueyang, "Young Master Yue, do you remember your name?"

"Of course, I'm called Yang." Yueyang, still dazed by the sudden events, answered without hesitation.

"Um!" Doctor Sun nodded and then pointed to the people around him, "What about them? Do you remember who they are?"

"I don't know!" Yueyang answered bluntly.

Hearing this, Doctor Sun pondered for a moment and then said to the old lady, "Old Lady, it seems that Young Master Yue has forgotten many things due to the severe injury to his head. This condition is unpredictable. He might remember everything in a few days, or he might never remember. I can only prescribe some calming medicine, but I cannot guarantee that he will recall his past."

With that, Doctor Sun walked to the table, sat down, and took out his writing materials from the medicine box. He wrote a prescription and handed it to the old lady.