Chapter 1 of 10

Chapter 1

17 min read4,288 wordsMature

### Chapter 1: A Thousand-Year Dream

My head hurts so much, what's going on? Zhang Qiang tried hard to open his eyes, but found that what should have been a simple task was now impossible. Zhang Qiang didn't know what was happening; why couldn't he control his body? Was he being oppressed by a ghost?

In a daze, Zhang Qiang heard a voice: "Jun'er, wake up quickly, don't scare your mother!"

"Madam, I'm truly at a loss. The second young master fell from the roof and hit his head. He will likely be unconscious for some time," an old doctor in ancient attire said, stroking his white beard with a bitter smile, his face tinged with fear.

The woman, referred to as Madam, wiped the tears from her eyes and managed a weak smile: "Doctor, is my son in any danger?"

"Madam, please don't worry. The second young master is just unconscious and not in any danger. He should wake up in an hour. However, I must tell you that due to the head injury, he might have some aftereffects," the old doctor said, pointing to his head and speaking softly.

"Doctor, just speak your mind. I can handle it. Don't worry, I won't blame you. As long as Jun'er is not in danger, that's all that matters," the middle-aged woman wiped her tears and gestured for the old doctor to continue.

The old doctor bowed to the Madam, his white beard trembling as he hesitated before saying, "Thank you for your understanding. I'll be straightforward. The second young master might lose his memory."

Hearing the old doctor's words, the middle-aged woman was so shocked that her body trembled. The maidservant quickly came to support her. The middle-aged woman looked at her youngest son lying on the bed, feeling a bitter pain in her heart. Why was fate so cruel to him? He was only fourteen and had to endure such torment.

After the old doctor left, the middle-aged woman sat by her son's bedside, holding his hand and looking at his young face. Her heart felt as if it were being cut by a knife. The pain in her son's body was her pain. The separation of mother and son, the pain of parting, was unbearable.

Zhang Qiang felt someone holding his hand and tried hard to open his eyes, but his head hurt terribly. He felt like he was in a dark space, with no light and no sound. Zhang Qiang was terrified, afraid of the darkness and the silence. At some point, Zhang Qiang finally managed to make a sound, though he didn't know how. He heard himself moan softly, "It hurts!"

"Jun'er, are you awake? Where does it hurt? Tell your mother, and I'll have the doctor look at you," a voice said, filled with excitement, tears, and trembling.

Zhang Qiang was glad he could control himself again and tried to open his eyes. But when he saw his surroundings, he was stunned. What was going on? Wasn't he just writing a program in front of his computer? How did he end up here? He had never seen such a place before. The furnishings in the room clearly did not belong to the modern era. Every item in the room, if sold, would fetch a high price. They were all antiques. Whose house was this, and how could they be so wealthy, using antiques as decorations? And the most outrageous thing was that the owner used an antique as a chamber pot, a complete waste of a treasure. Zhang Qiang stared at the items in the room, completely dumbfounded.

"Jun'er, what's wrong? Don't scare your mother. Are you feeling unwell?" Zhang Qiang heard the voice and was puzzled. Who was Jun'er? He turned to look at the speaker and couldn't look away. What was going on? He was in an ancient-style room and saw several people in ancient attire. Was he on a movie set? Zhang Qiang bitterly smiled. This was clearly not a movie set; there wasn't even a camera. He carefully observed the middle-aged woman in front of him. Her hair was elegantly styled, her skin slightly yellow, giving her a spirited appearance. She was around forty years old. The clothes she wore were not from the Qing or Ming dynasties. Zhang Qiang observed carefully: a light yellow gauze dress, large sleeves, a chest-length shawl, and a long skirt of the same color. This attire was from the Tang Dynasty. Had he really traveled through time?

"Madam, are you calling me?" Zhang Qiang asked, his expression sincere but a bit foolish.

"Jun'er, what's wrong? Don't scare your mother. I'm your mother," the middle-aged woman cried, tears streaming down her face. What had she done to deserve this? Her son didn't recognize her.

Hearing the middle-aged woman's words, Zhang Qiang was stunned. Could it be true that he had traveled through time? He stretched out his hands and examined them carefully. Oh no, was this a dream? These hands were clearly not his. Zhang Qiang shouted loudly, "Bring me a mirror, quickly!"

The maidservants didn't know what a mirror was, but the middle-aged woman understood what her son meant. She said anxiously, "What are you waiting for? Bring a bronze mirror for the second young master." The maidservants hurriedly brought a bronze mirror, and Zhang Qiang snatched it, looking at the unfamiliar face in the mirror. He finally accepted the reality: he had really traveled through time. But what about his parents? They had raised him all his life, and now their son was gone. How sad they must be. Thinking about this, Zhang Qiang's tears flowed. The tree wants to be still, but the wind won't stop; the child wants to care for his parents, but they are no longer there. This was the greatest pain in life. But he was grateful that he had a brother and a sister. Zhang Qiang silently prayed: Brother, sister, please take care of our parents for me.

"Jun'er, don't cry. It's okay to lose your memory. As long as you're safe, that's what matters. Don't cry; it breaks my heart," the middle-aged woman said, seeing her son's large tears. She hadn't seen her son cry like this in years. He had always been happy, like a little sun. Seeing his smile always made her feel relaxed and content. But now he had lost his memory and didn't even recognize his mother. The middle-aged woman's tears never stopped. She held her son, hoping to give him strength to get through this difficult time. She didn't want him to live in sadness. At this moment, the middle-aged woman felt a bit more at ease. Her son, though a bit wild, was still better than this.

In the middle-aged woman's embrace, Zhang Qiang felt a warmth, just like when he was in his mother's arms. They say that only a mother is good, and a child with a mother is a treasure. Zhang Qiang felt like he was that treasure. No matter what he became, this middle-aged woman would always dote on him. Since the situation had already happened, why should he be so stubborn? He had already been unfilial; should he also disappoint this world's mother?

"Mother, don't cry. It's my fault for scaring you. Can you tell me what year it is? And who am I? Please tell me," Zhang Qiang wiped his tears and lifted his head from his mother's embrace.

The middle-aged woman was overjoyed to see this. Whether her son had lost his memory or not, he was still strong. Though he didn't remember who he was, he still recognized her as his mother. The middle-aged woman was very satisfied. As long as her son recognized the family, the rest could be learned gradually. She hugged Zhang Qiang and slowly narrated.

After the middle-aged woman's narration, Zhang Qiang understood everything. He was in the tenth year of the Zhen Guan era, meaning he had traveled to the Tang Dynasty during Emperor Li Shimin's reign. His identity was not simple; his father was Liang Guogong Fang Xuanling. Who was Fang Xuanling? He was the most famous prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, perhaps only rivaled by Du Ruhui. His mother was also not simple; she was the eldest daughter of the Lu family, one of the eight great families. He was Fang Xuanling's second son, Fang Jun, also known as Fang Yiai. He had an older brother, Fang Yizhi, and two older sisters, Fang Fengzhu and Fang Shiming. Thinking about his family, he realized how extraordinary they were. His father was the prime minister, and his two brothers-in-law were not simple either: one was Prince Li Yuanjia of Han, and the other was the governor of Lai Prefecture, Zheng Renkai. This was truly a noble family. With such a background, he was a second-generation rich kid. Thinking about the historical Fang Yiai, he was a typical second-generation rich kid, and a completely brainless one at that. He probably didn't even know how he died, and even more ridiculous, he was cuckolded by his wife. Zhang Qiang cursed Fang Yiai in his heart, but then realized that he was Fang Yiai. Cursing him was cursing himself. Zhang Qiang thought, this Fang Yiai was not the same as the historical one. Could he let the Princess Gao Yang play with him?

Seeing her son quickly adjust his mood, Lu Shi was very happy. But thinking about his memory loss, her joy faded. She wiped her tears and sighed, "Jun'er, don't worry. If you lose your memory, you can slowly find it back. Even if you never remember, it's okay as long as you remember you are the second young master of the Fang family. If you want anything, just tell your mother, and I'll give it to you. Don't scare people by climbing onto the roof again. If your father finds out, he'll probably beat you."

Hearing Lu Shi's words, Fang Yiai immediately imagined a scene: a prime minister with a big stick chasing his good-for-nothing son. It was quite a funny scene.

Seeing the fear on her son's face, Lu Shi pinched his cheek and scolded, "You naughty boy, you've lost your memory but still remember your father's stern face. Your mother is so good to you, and you don't remember her."

"Mother, I haven't forgotten you. You have to help me. If Father really beats me, I'll be hurt even more," Fang Yiai said with a pitiful expression, but he was secretly smiling. It seemed he had a kind mother.

"Hmph, if that old man dares to beat you, I'll make him sleep on the street. Remember, for the next two days, pretend to be sick and stay in bed. I'll see if that old man dares to beat you. He's really gone too far," Lu Shi lovingly stroked her son's head, speaking in a domineering tone. Fang Yiai touched his forehead, thinking that a kind mother often spoils her children. The historical Fang Yiai's bad character was probably due to Lu Shi's indulgence. But it couldn't be helped; which mother doesn't love her son? If he didn't learn to be good, it was his own fault, not Lu Shi's. But seeing Lu Shi's attitude, the Tang Dynasty's prime minister probably had a tough life with a fierce wife. It was quite a helpless situation!

A new Fang Yiai quietly thought, what would the sky of the Tang Dynasty be like? The Zhen Guan era would last forever!

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