Chapter 1

In the kingdom of Jiangdu, in the city of Guangling, in the Qingyun neighborhood.

In a small, old but tidy courtyard, a young boy tilted his head back, squinted his eyes, and gazed at the chirping birds in the tree. He sighed deeply, "Damn... what a rip-off."

"Xiao'er, is that you?" A clear voice came from the west wing. "How did you get up? Are you feeling better?"

The boy raised his hand, rubbed his brow, forced a smile, and called out, "Mother, I'm feeling better."

"That's great. It seems that Grandma Chu's spirit calling was effective. Xiao'er, go catch a chicken to thank her later. Also, go see Tuniu. You've been sick for two days, and he's been quite scared. He's come a few times but didn't dare to enter."

"Okay." The boy responded, again showing a helpless smile. The image of an old woman and a young boy flashed in his mind. The old woman had a face full of wrinkles, with painted eyebrows and lips, looking quite worldly. The young boy had a tiger-like head and a strong, sturdy body, with a mix of honesty and cunning.

These were the two most vivid figures in his remaining memory, besides his mother who was weaving in the west wing: one was the witch who called his soul, whom he had just met yesterday; the other was his childhood friend, Tuniu, whose name matched his bull-like strength.

His name was Liang Xiao. Originally, he was just an ordinary Han Chinese boy, but now he had the soul of someone from two thousand years later.

For several days, Liang Xiao couldn't figure out why such a cliché thing had happened to him. I just admired the Han Dynasty and had a slight interest in its history, but I never thought I would end up here.

He originally wanted to lie down for a couple more days to adjust to the new environment, but when he heard that they had to give a chicken to Grandma Chu for calling his soul, he couldn't stay in bed anymore. For his family, a chicken was not a small matter. They only had five chickens, all of which laid eggs, which his mother had raised specifically to supplement his nutrition.

Eating two or three boiled eggs every day had given him a relatively tall and strong physique for his age.

Now, he was holding a coarse earthenware bowl with two greasy boiled eggs inside. The sight of the golden oil made him feel nauseous. As someone accustomed to green, healthy, and nutritious concepts, he found the boiled eggs unappealing and had no appetite.

Liang Xiao thought for a moment and walked into the west wing.

In the west wing, near the window, there was a loom. His mother, Liang Miao, was sitting behind it, working deftly. Hearing his footsteps, she looked up at him and continued her work. "Have you finished eating?"

"Mother, you eat them." Liang Xiao walked up to Liang Miao, pressed the loom, and handed the bowl to her. Liang Miao, seeing the untouched boiled eggs, felt curious. "Why haven't you eaten them?"

"Mother, I'm feeling better. You should eat them."

Liang Miao paused, then smiled. "Silly boy, these are for you. How can I eat them? Quickly put them away, don't dirty the brocade. I need to finish this piece of brocade soon. The Ding family has already urged me twice. I can't delay the work."

"Because you need to finish the work, that's why you should eat them." Liang Xiao insisted. "Mother, you are the pillar of our family. If you get tired, who will support us?"

Liang Miao blinked, seeming to find some sense in it. However, she still didn't take the bowl. "Xiao'er, I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but you should eat the chicken. Now, I support the family, but in the future, it will be up to you. Without a strong body, how can you join the army, achieve military success, and become a general?"

"General?" Liang Xiao's eyes widened in shock. My dear mother, your expectations are too high. I can't do that.

Liang Miao pinched Liang Xiao's cheek affectionately. "Of course, my son is naturally a good leader. In the future, you will achieve military success, be ennobled, and your descendants will be wealthy. Then I can enjoy a good life."

"But, Mother, our family..." Liang Xiao hesitated. From what he knew, getting a government position in the Han Dynasty was not easy. There were no imperial examinations; one had to rely on ancestral influence or recommendations. Given the Liang family's situation, neither seemed likely.

"Worried about the family's wealth?" Liang Miao seemed to guess his thoughts. "Don't worry about that. There are still a few years before you are registered. I will work hard and weave more brocade. By then, we will have enough."

Liang Xiao smiled bitterly. Although he didn't know where his mother's confidence came from, she clearly oversimplified the matter. From what he knew, the Han Dynasty used the system of recommendation, known as "Xiao Lian" (filial and honest). Each county only recommended one or two people per year, making it even harder than getting into university. There was no way it would be his turn.

Family wealth was just a basic requirement for entering the bureaucracy, not a guarantee. Moreover, there was a huge gap between entering the bureaucracy and becoming a general. His mother clearly oversimplified the matter, thinking that hard work would lead to wealth and a government position, which was naive.

He stood up. "Mother, I'll go thank Grandma Chu. You eat the eggs... the chicken. The task of making our family wealthy depends on you." Without waiting for Liang Miao to respond, he slipped out— he really couldn't swallow those greasy boiled eggs and had to take the easy way out.

"Hei, this boy..." Liang Miao wanted to call him back but saw that he had already left. She looked at the eggs in the earthenware bowl, shook her head, and smiled with satisfaction. "This boy has grown up and knows how to be filial."

...

Liang Xiao caught a chicken, left the house, and headed straight for Grandma Chu's house. Grandma Chu lived in a different neighborhood, so Liang Xiao had to leave his own neighborhood. He had often read about such descriptions in historical materials, but seeing the high neighborhood walls on both sides of the road still left him in awe.

If he remembered correctly, Guangling City was the Yangzhou of the future, known for the phrase "In the third month, the flowers bloom and the boats sail to Yangzhou." Unlike the city he knew, which was full of commercial areas, the market and residential areas were separate here. The streets were lined with uniform neighborhood walls, with no shops, and there were few pedestrians.

It was the spring plowing season, and most adults had gone out of the city to farm. Even children who were not yet adults would help with the farming as much as they could—farm life was tight, and they couldn't afford to have idle people—only a rascal like Liang Xiao would have nothing to do and wander around.

The Liang family had no land because it was a single-parent family with no strong labor force. Liang Xiao's mother, Liang Miao, was skilled at weaving brocade but not at farming, so she never claimed any land and relied solely on weaving for a living. This was probably why she hoped Liang Xiao would get a government position—she couldn't expect him to inherit her weaving skills, which was a woman's job.

However, from Liang Xiao's remaining memories, he was not a good boy. To put it bluntly, the real Liang Xiao was a rascal. Stealing chickens and dogs was child's play for him, and he had also done many despicable things, such as kicking widows' doors and digging graves. When he was possessed, he was robbing a tomb and fainted for some reason, waking up as the current Liang Xiao.

He was carried back from the western suburbs of Jin Kui Mountain by Tuniu, which was the best feng shui place in Guangling County and had the most graves. However, Tuniu didn't tell Liang Miao about this, so she might not know that he was a rascal and still thought he was a good boy.

Clearly, he had a doting mother.

Liang Xiao went to Grandma Chu's house, but she wasn't there. The door was locked, and he didn't know where she had gone to swindle money. He carried the chicken and, following the route in his memory, headed west, planning to leave the city and go to the western suburbs. The west was where the rascals gathered, and if he guessed correctly, Tuniu would likely be there.

After leaving the city, he occasionally looked up and was stunned, feeling as if he had traveled through time.

Before him was a vast expanse of water, stretching to the horizon. The reeds grew along the water's edge, and the sails dotted the surface, creating a scene of a watery landscape.

"This... this is the Yangtze River." Liang Xiao was stunned for a long time before he slowly realized that he was in the Han Dynasty's Guangling City, not the 21st-century Yangzhou. The mighty Yangtze River reached the city, and the bustling city of the future was nowhere to be seen, only a vast expanse of water, which would gradually emerge at some point.

Liang Xiao walked to the water's edge and looked across the Yangtze River, trying to see Beigushan on the other side. Unfortunately, he saw nothing, just like the bright future his mother Liang Miao hoped for, which was nowhere to be seen.

"I'm dizzy, the future is bleak." Liang Xiao couldn't help but quote a line: "Thinking of the vast universe, how can one not shed tears?"

"Young man, you look like a talented person, but why are you so lacking in ambition? Tsk, tsk, what a waste of such a good appearance."

A hoarse voice came from behind. Liang Xiao turned around and saw a prisoner in a half-worn ochre robe, with a scruffy beard, a gaunt face, and one blind eye, leaving only one right eye. However, the remaining eye was sharp and piercing, making Liang Xiao feel a chill.

"You are..."

"I am just a prisoner, a cripple. However, I can't stand your lack of ambition, so I couldn't help but say a few words." The prisoner looked him up and down, then frowned. "Where are you from, and what is your name?"

Liang Xiao was also annoyed, a surge of anger rising from within, even though he didn't know where it came from. "Strangers meet, why should I tell you my name? You don't look like a good person, and you might have just escaped from prison."

The prisoner was taken aback but didn't get angry. He laughed and limped away. "Interesting, I misjudged you. You have a temper. Young man, take care of yourself and don't waste your talent."

Liang Xiao was puzzled. What talent do I have? He said I look talented and have a unique appearance. Could I be one of those naturally gifted people? No wonder my mother is so confident. Even this prisoner can see it.

Liang Xiao walked to the water's edge, squatted down, and looked at his reflection. After a long time, he couldn't see anything special about himself. Although his features were regular, he didn't look particularly talented.

Sigh, he must have been afraid I would beat him, so he said nice things to me to get away.

Next time, don't let me see you, or you'll be in trouble. Liang Xiao waved his fist at the water, trying to look fierce. But no matter how he looked, he felt he wasn't a bad person and should be someone who could be educated.

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