Chapter 1

Li Zhongyi leaned against the artificial hill, squinted his eyes, and stared aimlessly at the northern sky, feeling extremely dejected.

In his previous life, Li Zhongyi worked at the most authoritative traditional Chinese medicine institution in the republic—the National Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He not only enjoyed special allowances from the state but was also the youngest chief expert in history.

Just as the old dean was about to retire and Li Zhongyi was about to take over, he himself encountered a major incident.

During his morning exercise, Li Zhongyi was hit by an out-of-control speeding car, resulting in a bloody mess and his untimely death.

After a long while, Li Zhongyi sighed inwardly, "Ah, I've been here for more than three months. My beautiful wife and adorable son are truly heart-wrenching!"

Now, in this Shu Kingdom, the young man he possessed was still named Li Zhongyi, and he also came from a family of traditional Chinese medicine.

Unfortunately, the current ruler of Shu, Meng Chang, was historically a tragic figure who wore a "green hat" (a term for a cuckold). Several years later, despite having tens of thousands of troops, Meng Chang did not dare to fight and directly surrendered to Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin. Not only that, his most beloved concubine, Fei Guifei (the Flower Lady), was also taken by Emperor Zhao.

Li Zhongyi's father, Li Dahe, was a famous doctor in Shu and currently held the position of "Attending Physician" in the Shu Kingdom's Imperial Medical Bureau.

Unlike the general impression of people in later generations, according to medical history, the Imperial Medical Bureau of the Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties was merely equivalent to a modern Chinese medicine administration, Chinese medicine university, and herbal base, serving as an official medical management and educational institution and not responsible for treating the nobles in the palace.

The so-called "imperial physicians" who treated the emperor and high-ranking officials were actually the "Fengyu" (fifth-rank officials) and "Shiyuyi" (sixth-rank officials) in the Imperial Medical Bureau, including the "Simi" (eighth-rank officials).

Li Dahe's ancestors were all doctors, and the family's background was rather unremarkable. However, Li Zhongyi's mother, Lady Cao, came from a prominent family in Wanzhou.

It was said that when Lady Cao married into the Li family, she brought nearly a thousand acres of prime land as dowry.

Due to the strong position of the Cao family, after the birth of Li Zhongyi's legitimate brother, Li Zhonghao, Li Zhongyi's life as the illegitimate eldest son became increasingly difficult.

Moreover, Li Zhongyi was neither good at literature nor martial arts, and his reputation as a "bookworm" had long been spread by those with ulterior motives.

Just as Li Zhongyi was lost in thought, a whisper nearby caught his attention.

"You little vixen, you're being ungrateful. If you serve the eldest son well, you'll surely live a good life in the future."

"Alas, the eldest son has become a bookworm from reading too much and is afraid of the hardships of martial arts. He is often scolded and beaten by his father. What hope do I have following him?"

"You, don't be ungrateful. The eldest son may be illegitimate, but he is still the son of the master."

"Oh, are you trying to upset me? Without mentioning other things, as the first-class maid of the eldest son, I wear rough linen and wooden hairpins. The lowest-ranking maid of the second son wears gold and silver and lives a luxurious life..."

"The second son is the legitimate son of the lady and will inherit the family business, so naturally..."

"Angelica, please have mercy on me. I beg you to ask your mother to speak to the lady on my behalf, okay?"

"Hmph, you cheap vixen, I know your tricks. Don't always try to get close to the second son. The lady watches closely, and you might lose your life. My mother, though a longtime servant of the lady, dares not speak much about such matters. If something goes wrong, the whole family will be killed."

"Alas, what a cruel fate, how can I live on?"

"..."

After the two maids finished their conversation and dispersed, Li Zhongyi slowly came out from behind the artificial hill.

Perhaps because of the family's background in traditional Chinese medicine, the maids in the Li family were often named after herbs. The maid who had just betrayed her master was none other than Li Zhongyi's personal maid, named Peony.

As for Angelica, she was one of the four main maids serving Li Dahe, and her mother was the head of the inner courtyard, Aunt Zhang.

At noon, Li Dahe, who usually ate in the palace, suddenly returned home. As soon as he entered the door, he called Li Zhongyi into the study.

"Son, I greet you, Father." Li Zhongyi respectfully bowed to Li Dahe, who was sitting at the desk.

"Enough." Li Dahe looked at Li Zhongyi for a long time, then sighed and slowly said, "Son, after the New Year, you will be eighteen."

Based on Li Zhongyi's experience, a long lecture was about to begin, so he quickly lowered his head to listen. After Li Dahe vented his frustration, there would be no serious consequences, and the matter would be over.

"I often walk in the palace, being cautious and careful all my life, but this time..." Li Dahe suddenly paused, his face becoming much gentler, and he called Li Zhongyi by his childhood name, "I know you best, Zhen. With your talent, whether in medicine or the imperial examinations, there is little hope. I originally planned to use the opportunity of the imperial favor to send you to the Imperial Ancestral Temple as a priest. Although your background is not very noble, it would still be a way to enter the government. However, the court suddenly changed the rules..."

Li Dahe took a breath and said, "According to the court's rules, as a sixth-rank official, I can send you to the Ministry of War for 'training,' which is also a way to enter the government. However, the thirteen years of hardship are too long, and I don't know if my old bones can last that long. Your mother also..."

Even if Li Zhongyi were a fool, he could understand that Li Dahe was planning his future. He quickly bowed and said, "Son is unfilial, causing Father to worry."

Li Dahe waved his hand and said, "We are close family, no need for empty words. If a child is not well-educated, it is the father's fault. Your current state is largely my responsibility!"

"Father, I..." Li Zhongyi wanted to explain, but Li Dahe waved his hand to stop him, "If I can be promoted this time... you will have the opportunity to serve as a guard in the emperor's three guards. After three to five years of training, you will have a promising future."

Li Zhongyi opened his mouth, wanting to say that he was skilled in medicine and could also be an imperial physician. However, he swallowed his words, knowing that Li Dahe might not believe him.

After leaving the study, Li Zhongyi's lips curved into a surprising arc, and his mood improved significantly.

Although Li Zhongyi was criticized by Li Dahe, the deep love and concern for his son could not be denied.

What a pity, the hearts of parents!

A few days later, after finishing his lunch, Li Zhongyi, as usual, slowly walked to the pond in the family garden.

Having been in the Later Shu Kingdom for several months, Li Zhongyi still hadn't figured out his future path in this chaotic era of warring states.

Business? Cough, in this era, merchants have a very low status. Even with great wealth, a slight mistake could lead to the destruction of the family.

Taking over Li Dahe's position as an imperial physician? Cough, the principle that serving the emperor is like serving a tiger was clear to Li Zhongyi from his previous life. If you walk by the river often, you will eventually get wet.

Following the path Li Dahe suggested, serving as a guard for a few years and then becoming a minor official like a county magistrate or a county captain, seemed unstable.

Historical records clearly state that the ruler Meng Chang was a foolish and tyrannical king, and the fall of the kingdom was not far off.

"Eldest son, eldest son, where are you? Eldest son, something big has happened..."

Suddenly, a frightening call broke into Li Zhongyi's thoughts, high and low, interrupting his contemplation.

Li Zhongyi stood up from the pond, shook his head, and gathered his thoughts.

He saw his birth mother, Lady Xue, and her personal maid, Ping'er, rushing to the pond in a panic. He instinctively shouted, "What happened?"

When Lady Xue heard Li Zhongyi's voice, her eyes brightened. She ran to Li Zhongyi, grabbed his arm, and cried in panic, "Eldest son, run! The lady has already taken the second son and escaped through a dog hole..."

Li Zhongyi frowned. If the lady and the second son had escaped through a dog hole, it must be a serious matter.

Just as Li Zhongyi was confused, Lady Xue, with great effort, took a large bundle from Ping'er and forcefully pushed it into Li Zhongyi's arms.

Goodness, it was heavy. Li Zhongyi almost dropped it, nearly hitting his foot.

"Mother, has Father had an accident?" Li Zhongyi, who had served many important figures in his previous life, quickly regained his composure and asked Lady Xue in a calm voice.

However, Lady Xue, as if frozen, stood there, unresponsive to Li Zhongyi's calls.

With no other choice, Li Zhongyi turned to Ping'er, who was also in shock, and said gently, "Take a deep breath and tell me what happened to Father."

Based on Li Zhongyi's experience, he guessed that Father Li Dahe had gotten into serious trouble.

Although the Li family was not of high rank, Li Dahe, as a sixth-rank official, was not someone that ordinary people or merchants could easily provoke.

When Lady Xue chose Ping'er as her personal maid, she valued her eloquence and quick wit.

Following Li Zhongyi's instructions, Ping'er took two deep breaths and quickly regained her composure, reporting clearly, "About fifteen minutes ago, the lady hurriedly packed some valuables and fled with the second son through a dog hole. The house is in chaos. I heard that the master, while treating the concubine, angered the emperor and has been thrown into prison..."

Li Zhongyi stroked his chin and sighed inwardly. Whether in the feudal dynasty or in the modern republic, being a doctor was risky.

In his previous life, besides the frequent incidents of patients killing doctors, he, as a "famous doctor" in the medical circle, seemed to be highly respected and admired. However, if he was not careful and got involved in power struggles, the consequences were severe.

"We need to leave quickly!" Li Zhongyi, without hesitation, put the heavy bundle on his shoulder, supported the sobbing Lady Xue, and quickly headed for the back door.