Chapter 2

Hearing it was Ji Ying, the stable boys and shepherds in the stable yard all knelt down in unison, their foreheads tightly pressed to the ground, performing the grand bow, not daring to lift their heads, as if even a glance would offend the pride of the noble lady.

This was an era where bloodline determined everything. The Spring and Autumn period was the last glory of the hereditary aristocracy. There were no commoners rising to become nobles, and no one dared to shout, "Are the kings, marquises, generals, and ministers not of a certain kind?" Many ancient clans could trace their lineage back thousands of years to the times of Emperor Yao and Emperor Shun. Bloodline, knowledge, status, and surname were passed down from generation to generation. The gap between the aristocratic doctors and the commoners was greater than the distance between heaven and earth.

Ji Ying did not even look at them; she only urged her younger brother with great anticipation, "Wuxi, go on, tell me more."

Wuxi chuckled mischievously, "To know what happens next, you'll have to wait for the next part."

"Again, 'wait for the next part'? Can't Wuxi just finish the story in one go?"

Little Ji Ying pouted her cherry-like lips, somewhat disappointed, but quickly scanned the surroundings, put on a stern face, and acted like an older sister.

She extended her white, tender hand, pulling Zhao Wuxi out of the dark stable hut, patting the grass clippings off his clothes, and smoothing his messy hair.

Zhao Wuxi felt a bit awkward. Although this body was only thirteen years old, he was tall and slender. After his穿越 (穿越 means "穿越" in Chinese, which can be translated as "time travel" or "穿越" in this context, but it's better to use "time travel" for clarity), he had discarded the childish hairstyle "zongjiao" without hesitation and replaced it with a single conical topknot, making him look like a young man at first glance.

Now, the tall Zhao Wuxi was being patted around by his petite sister, stumbling awkwardly.

But his heart was warm. Looking around the entire Zhao clan, no one treated him better than his sister.

Although Zhao Wuxi also had the blood of the Zhao clan, being a descendant of the heavenly bird, he was lowly due to his illegitimate birth and the half-Rong and Di blood from his mother, which made him even lower in status.

Only Ji Ying would feel sorry for him and often speak up for him.

But he knew that in history, the story of Wuxi and Ji Ying was a tragic tale stained with blood!

According to historical records, a few years later, Ji Ying would be married to the northern state of Dai, and Zhao Wuxi would stand out among the clan's sons, becoming the heir to the family.

Before his death, Zhao Yang gave Wuxi the order to destroy Dai... to destroy the state where his most beloved daughter resided!

So, the first thing Wuxi did after taking office was to wear a white mourning robe, climb the Xia Wu Mountain in the north, and invite his brother-in-law to a banquet. During the banquet, he had disguised tiger warriors raise heavy bronze ladles and smash them down, splattering the brain of the King of Dai!

A long-planned murder and the subsequent annexation war.

Upon hearing the news of her husband's death, Ji Ying, the Queen of Dai, said:

"To forget one's husband for one's brother is unrighteous; to resent one's brother for the death of one's husband is unjust."

Her feelings must have been very complex. Should she be happy that her brother had finally become a cruel and cold-blooded, yet qualified, head of the Zhao clan? Or should she mourn the splattered brain of her husband?

She wept bitterly, sharpening the hairpin on her head and stabbing it into her long, delicate neck, blooming blood flowers on the hillside.

Later generations called her "Lady Mojiji."

This might be the "lifelong regret" that the owner of this body mentioned in his dream. Zhao Wuxi forced his dearest sister to her death, perhaps the immense regret and sorrow led to his time travel?

Looking at the beautiful girl in front of him, who was acting like an older sister, Zhao Wuxi couldn't help but sigh in regret and gently held her slender hand.

As the poem says: "In our youth, we feasted and laughed, making solemn vows, never thinking of breaking them."

I will protect you!

This was the wish of another Zhao Wuxi.

And it was now Zhao Wuxi's goal.

Little Ji Ying also pulled Wuxi by the hand, walking to a covered walkway. She ordered the servant girls to lay out bamboo mats and bring a black lacquered low table.

"The stable yard is dirty and smelly, and far from the main hall. Why did you come so early, Sister?"

"If I didn't come, wouldn't you have to eat breakfast with those lowly stable boys and shepherds?"

Zhao Wuxi smiled awkwardly. In fact, in the stable yard, being with the illiterate stable boys and shepherds made him feel more relaxed. It was better than facing the incomprehensible pre-Qin rituals. Wasn't it said that the rituals and music of the Spring and Autumn period had collapsed? Why were things so complicated and cumbersome?

For example, the breakfast in front of him...

As a noble lady, Ji Ying's steps were as light as a reed flower, almost making no sound as she tiptoed across the wooden floor of the covered walkway, unlike Zhao Wuxi, who made the wooden floor creak.

Then, she pressed Zhao Wuxi's shoulder and knelt properly on the mat. She took a green bamboo basket from a servant girl. Inside the basket was a golden-bright bronze food container, specifically for holding cooked millet and rice. When the container was opened, a fragrant aroma mixed with steam wafted out.

But when Zhao Wuxi glanced into the bamboo basket, he saw that it contained only a Shang dagger, ivory chopsticks, lacquer bowls, and wine cups, with no meat or sacrificial vessels, and he was greatly disappointed.

He picked up the Shang dagger and chopsticks, tapping the low table and singing, "Chopsticks and dagger, you should go back, this meal has no deer jerky I love..."

Wuxi's exaggerated actions and humorous lyrics made the nearby servant girls turn away and giggle. Since his minor illness, this illegitimate son had become more lively, changing from his former silent and gloomy self to entertaining Lady Ji Ying. Lady Ji Ying's smiles had increased, and they were genuinely happy for the affectionate siblings.

Ji Ying couldn't help but laugh and pinched Zhao Wuxi's leg, then explained, "As the poem says, 'In September, clothes are given; in October, rice is harvested.' Wuxi, do you know that today is the day of rice harvest? After the harvest, the first cooked food must be steamed in a bronze tripod to sacrifice to the Heavenly Emperor and ancestors. Then it is for the clan's lord to enjoy, followed by us, the nobles and noble ladies... How can we, as descendants, have the nerve to eat meat and grains when the Heavenly Emperor and ancestors only have the five grains during breakfast?"

Because Zhao Wuxi had previously caused trouble due to his lack of etiquette, Ji Ying took every opportunity to teach him noble manners and common knowledge.

Zhao Wuxi, with his modern mindset, often questioned, "Would the Heavenly Emperor and ancestors be satisfied with such a meager meal?"

"The wise doctor Gong Zhiqi of the State of Yu once said, 'It is not the millet and rice that are fragrant, but the virtue of the sacrificer. As long as we are sufficiently devout, the five grains are enough to honor them. Besides, during the banquet, there will be a secondary sacrifice, and fresh game from the hunt will be offered then.'"

Zhao Wuxi was taken aback, "Sister, are we going hunting today? Can you tell me more about it?"

"Father is going to accompany the noble guests from the State of Song for a winter hunt at Mian Mountain. For this, he even had a quarrel with the Yins."

Yin Xiang, the steward of the Zhao clan's palace, was the second of Zhao Yang's three chief advisors. The first chief steward, Dong Anyu, had volunteered to resign from his position and go to the northern new territory of Jinyang to build a city, a well-known figure whom Zhao Wuxi had heard of during his trip to Taiyuan in his previous life.

At this time, the hereditary nobles controlled the politics of the feudal states, and their stewards often controlled the household affairs of the nobles. Therefore, Confucius said, "When the government is in the hands of the nobles, it will not last for five generations; when it is in the hands of the stewards, it will not last for three generations." The stewards of the six noble families of the State of Jin were not as arrogant as their counterparts in the State of Lu, but they still held significant power and could not be underestimated. Not only did the nobles often treat them with the respect of a teacher, but sometimes even the state rulers would show them courtesy.

So, Zhao Wuxi found it hard to imagine that the courteous Zhao Yang would quarrel with the bearded Yin Xiang. What kind of disagreement could it be?

However, he was not concerned about this now. Hearing that they were going hunting today, Zhao Wuxi's eyes lit up.

"Winter hunt!"

In this life, his mother was a lowly Di woman, so he was not favored by Zhao Yang. After his serious breach of etiquette upon time travel, he was left to fend for himself in the stable yard.

He remembered that historically, Zhao Wuxi was only favored by Zhao Yang after a face reader praised him. But now, the face reader had not yet appeared, so he must quickly find an opportunity to turn the tide.

Because time was running out!

After much inquiry, he finally figured out the time. It was the eighth year of Duke Wu of Jin, early winter in the tenth month. If his calculations were correct, it should be 504 BC.

At this time, the Eastern Zhou Dynasty was already in decline, with the royal family weakened and the rituals and music in disarray.

This year, the State of Chu had just recovered from the brink of destruction, Fuchai was still the crown prince of Wu, and King Goujian of Yue had just ascended the throne, not yet experiencing the hardships of sleeping on firewood and tasting gall. Confucius was having an unsuccessful career and was staying at home, teaching and lecturing. The conspirators of the Chen family in the State of Qi had begun their century-long path to replacing the ruling family.

In the State of Jin, like the royal family, the royal descendants were declining, and the state affairs were controlled by the six chief ministers: Zhao, Wei, Han, Zhi, Fan, and Zhonghang. They gradually marginalized the state ruler and divided the territory.

This situation had lasted for more than fifty years. The state of Jin had multiple sources of power, and the internal affairs were in disarray. The hegemony established by Duke Wen of Jin had declined, and the court was shrouded in dark clouds. The prolonged civil war among the six chief ministers of Jin was about to break out in just a few years!

His sister Ji Ying was forced to go north to marry the Rong king of Dai at that time!

No matter what, he would not let history repeat itself.

Therefore, Wuxi must quickly become the heir of the Zhao clan, participate in family decisions, and avoid the precarious situation of the Zhao clan during the civil war.

As for the future, as a time traveler, he had grand ambitions: to inherit the position of the noble family, stand at the forefront of this era of great contention, unite the feudal lords, and bring order to the world...

Zhao Wuxi stood up and said, "I will also participate in the winter hunt!"

This body had other shortcomings, but it had an extraordinary talent for archery, capable of shooting a one-stone horn bow with no misses within fifty steps. The hunt was a form of military training, a rare opportunity to show his skills, which might make Zhao Yang look at him differently.

"But Father didn't say you could go," Ji Ying looked at her tall brother, somewhat worried.

Zhao Wuxi chuckled, "Did Father say I couldn't go?"

Ji Ying shook her head cutely, "No, he didn't..."

She then realized, yes, it was always like this. Wuxi was not often noticed at home, and sometimes he was not even invited to banquets. But when Ji Ying took him along, no one would drive him away, except for the last time.

"According to the rituals, the hunt should include all the sons. It seems there's no problem with you going, but you must be cautious and not anger Father again!"

Zhao Wuxi spread his arms, making a strong pose, "Sister, just wait at home. I will atone for my sins and return with countless game!"

The kind-hearted Ji Ying frowned, "I don't want you to kill too much. If you have the heart, bring a few live animals back for me to raise..."

In fact, Ji Ying was very happy. Since his minor illness, although Wuxi had forgotten most of the old rituals, he had become much more ambitious and spirited, making her both relieved and heartbroken.

But seeing Wuxi ready to leave, Ji Ying quickly pulled on his sleeve, "Come back, are you going like this?"

"Of course not, I still need to get my bow and arrows."

Ji Ying couldn't help but laugh, she patiently explained, "Do you want to learn from Duke Ling of Qi, who wanted to 'destroy this and eat it' in the Battle of An? Sit down and eat your breakfast first, and I'll explain the rituals to you in detail..."