Chapter 1

"A-Lang, it's time to eat..."

The young man, who had been staring blankly at the old locust tree in the courtyard, came back to his senses.

After seeing what the old servant was holding, a look of disgust appeared on his face.

"Uncle Yun, why is it glutinous rice cake again? Is there nothing else to eat at home?"

The old man, who the youth called Uncle Yun, smiled kindly.

"A-Lang, Huxian is not like our hometown in Jiangzhou. If you want something fresh, this old servant will go to Fengshui tomorrow and catch a couple of fish for you to nourish your body..."

The son of a distinguished family was living such a meager life.

Was this how Li Shimin treated the families of his subordinates?

Jing Junhong was, after all, a meritorious official who had followed the emperor.

After his death at Xuanwu Gate, he was posthumously honored with a title and a posthumous name, without any omissions.

There was no reason why, as the descendant of a national duke, he should have to let the old servant go to the river to catch fish just to have some meat.

If this was the case, what was the point of risking his life for others?

Jing Xuan couldn't understand.

What he found even more incomprehensible was...

How did he end up falling off a cliff while driving on a mountain road?

I'm an experienced driver...

The moment he was thrown out of the car window, Jing Feng was terrified, thinking he was going to die...

Indeed, he did die.

At least, this body wasn't his.

How could a man in his twenties suddenly become a fourteen-year-old boy?

And with the same name.

Could this be fate?

But there was one thing Jing Xuan was absolutely certain about.

The car he was driving must have also fallen into the nearby mountains.

Otherwise, why would the old locust tree outside emit a faint smell of fuel?

"A-Lang, eat slowly..."

Uncle Yun smiled and reminded him. Seeing that Jing Xuan, despite his disgust, was still eating with relish, the old man carefully served him a cup of plum juice.

This was something Jing Xuan had taught him to make a few days ago. It had a very tempting taste, and the passing merchants praised it highly, though it was a bit expensive.

"Madam has written to you, A-Lang, asking you to go to Chang'an on the first day of next month. She also asked this old servant to make sure you are well-dressed, but our A-Lang is already handsome and refined, why would you need me to dress you up?"

Jing Xuan was a bit embarrassed by the old man's enthusiastic gaze and was about to be modest, but the old man added:

"Except for being a bit dark..."

Mother, how could he not be dark?

This body wasn't his...

Besides, with such intense sunlight, it was hard not to get tanned!

Although he didn't know much about the "Madam" Uncle Yun mentioned, he had learned some useful information from the bits and pieces over the past few days.

After Jing Junhong's death, he left behind two sons and a daughter.

The eldest son, Jing Yuan, inherited the title of Marquis of Qianchang County that Jing Junhong held in his lifetime.

According to the Tang Dynasty's rules of inheritance, Jing Yuan was now the Earl of Taiping County.

However, he had already died last year, in the second year of the Zhenguan era.

And Jing Xuan was the second son of Jing Junhong.

He had been in mourning in Taiping County, Jiangzhou.

Now that the three-year mourning period was over, he had been invited by his elder sister, who was already married, to come to Chang'an to seek a future.

According to the travel permit in the letter, he first came to Huxian to seek out Uncle Yun, who had previously been a guard under Jing Junhong.

His elder sister had written to him early, asking him to come to Chang'an to see if he could use connections to retain the title of his elder brother, Jing Yuan.

After all, Jing Yuan had died without leaving any descendants.

Who would have thought that just as he arrived, the owner of this body was replaced?

Fortunately, communication between different regions in ancient times was very inconvenient, and Uncle Yun hadn't seen Jing Xuan for several years, so he managed to pass off the deception.

The pressure of making a living is the main theme in any era.

The Jing family had fallen, and as the only male in the family, Jing Xuan felt the ancient obsession with titles for the first time.

"Uncle Yun, who is the family of my elder sister? Can they really influence matters of inheritance in the imperial court?"

Uncle Yun smiled and replied:

"A-Lang, the family of Madam is the famous Prince of Rencheng. How could they not have influence? You just need to be at ease. With Madam, our Jing family will surely rise again."

Prince of Rencheng?

Li Daozong?

I've become Li Daozong's brother-in-law?

Jing Xuan's head was spinning.

Li Daozong was one of the few capable and battle-hardened members of the Li Tang royal family, deeply trusted by Li Shimin!

His elder sister was a princess?

"A-Lang, Madam is not a princess. When you go to the prince's residence, be sure not to lose your manners. The prince had a princess before he married Madam, who is only a concubine. However, the princess is now seriously ill and bedridden, so Madam manages all the affairs of the prince's residence. That's why..."

Hearing Uncle Yun's explanation, Jing Xuan began to understand.

If the princess hadn't been seriously ill, it wouldn't have mattered. Now that his elder sister had taken charge of the prince's residence, she was likely trying to favor her own family, which was why she wanted to bring her long-lost brother, Jing Xuan, from their hometown...

It seemed that his elder sister, whom he had yet to meet, was also a "sibling supporter"...

"Madam also said that you can stay at this residence in Huxian without worrying about anyone disturbing you. If you can inherit the title, we will try to find a house for you in Chang'an."

When Uncle Yun said this, his cloudy eyes were already smiling.

He had been sold to the Jing family as a slave in his childhood and grew up with Jing Junhong, with a relationship that was both friend and servant.

After Jing Junhong's death, he had relied on the protection of the princess and managed the residence in Huxian for the prince, earning a few coins by running a tea stall in his spare time.

He had thought the Jing family had fallen, but now there was a chance for a comeback, how could he not be happy?

Especially since this A-Lang from Jiangzhou had an extraordinary demeanor and was likely to achieve great things in the future.

Jing Xuan nodded, but his eyes were scanning the surroundings.

This residence was surrounded by mountains on three sides, with a very quiet and elegant environment, far from human habitation.

If his car had really fallen nearby, it probably hadn't been discovered yet.

However, he needed to find it as soon as possible. Such a cross-era artifact should not be exposed to the world.

After all, it was a large truck full of cargo...