Chapter 1

"Madam, Second Young Master has woken up. His hand just moved!" A clear female voice, filled with joy, rang in Li Qing's ear, interrupting his sweet dream.

Li Qing tried to open his eyes, but found his eyelids unbearably heavy, as if he were experiencing a sleep paralysis. Though his mind was clear, his body was unresponsive.

"Is that so? Let me take a look." Another round and mellow voice sounded. Then came a series of light footsteps, which paused: "Erlang, are you awake?"

Li Qing felt this voice was familiar, but he couldn't recall who it belonged to. At the moment, he was struggling to regain control of his body, hoping to open his eyes soon. He only remembered being hit by a speeding car while crossing the road. Even though he was skilled in internal martial arts, having reached the peak of Mingjing (manifest strength) and being just one step away from Anjing (hidden strength), he couldn't avoid the car that was speeding at 300 kilometers per hour. After that, everything went dark, and now he was here.

"Erlang?" The owner of the mellow voice, seeing no response from Li Qing, placed her hand on his forehead: "You're not feverish anymore. It seems the fever has broken. Now, the Tang Dynasty is at war everywhere. Liu Heita has been defeated, but the Jieji are raiding the border, and Prince Chai Shao is fighting the Tuyuhun. Your elder brother is already tired, so don't tell him about this to avoid worrying him."

Li Qing listened to these words, feeling puzzled: "Luoyang, at war? What's going on?" Could it be! He didn't dare to think about the implications behind these words, because if they were true, it would be a matter of life and death.

After a while, he slowly began to regain control of his body, and his eyelids no longer felt as heavy as a mountain. He slowly opened his eyes, but what he saw was unfamiliar. Instead of the white ceiling he expected, he saw a silk mosquito net, and he was lying on a carved bed. Everything was so strange.

"Where am I?" His voice was hoarse and dry, as if he hadn't spoken in a long time. His vocal cords felt like rough glass, producing a sound like nails scraping on a floor.

"Erlang." A voice drew Li Qing's attention. It was a beautiful lady wearing a white robe embroidered with peonies, exuding a noble and elegant aura, with a hint of melancholy in her eyes, making her look pitiful.

"Let Mother take a look. You're so weak, yet you insist on practicing martial arts!" She extended her delicate hand to check his temperature.

"Who are you?" Li Qing asked cautiously, looking at the unfamiliar noble lady.

"Erlang, don't you recognize Mother? The imperial physician said you didn't suffer any mental damage, right?" The lady's eyebrows arched slightly, and her expression turned slightly angry. These incompetent physicians, even imperial ones.

"Do I know you?" Li Qing asked uncertainly. Earlier, he had heard about the war, thinking a conflict had broken out. But now, looking at his surroundings and the noble lady's attire, he wondered if he had been transported to another time and place by some great author, as the imperial physician was a concept long buried in history.

"Summon the imperial physician. If your elder brother returns and finds you like this, he will be heartbroken." The lady instructed a nearby maid, then turned to Li Qing with a loving expression: "Child, don't worry. Mother will have the imperial physician treat you. You can play and practice martial arts like other children and become a great general in the future." She tucked the blanket around him: "Rest for a while, and drink your medicine later. Mother will have your elder brother come to chat with you."

Li Qing was still confused about what was happening. As a young man born under the red flag and raised in the spring breeze of socialism, he had always dismissed the idea of time travel. However, as a bookworm who had been reading for over a decade, this was one of his deepest and wildest dreams.

But at this moment, looking at the ancient setting and the delicate hand he had just pulled out from under the blanket, he was truly lost. How should he face this strange world, these unfamiliar family members, and even this unfamiliar self? With these thoughts, and the frailty of his new body, he fell into a deep sleep.

In a daze, Li Qing saw some fragmented images, but they were blurry. The image of a stern young man lingered in his mind, along with another woman, not the lady he had just seen. He didn't know who they were, but they felt very close.

In this half-sleep, half-wake state, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his head, and a series of images began to swirl. Li Qing thus learned about his current identity: This body was named Li Kuan, the second son of the Qin Prince of the Tang Dynasty. His grandfather was Emperor Gaozu of Tang, Li Yuan, and his father was Emperor Taizong, Li Shimin, making him the younger Li Shimin. He wasn't clear about his mother, only vaguely remembering a gentle woman, but he couldn't see her clearly.

The current year was Wude 6 (623 AD), and this body was only six years old. He had an elder brother, Li Chengqian, and younger siblings, including Li Ke, Li Tai, and several princesses, such as Chang乐 Princess Li Lizi, Yuzhang Princess, and Qinghe Princess.

In a drowsy state, Li Qing suddenly remembered something: Emperor Taizong's second son, Li Kuan, died young. This meant that even though he had traveled through time, he didn't have much time left. He vividly remembered that when Emperor Taizong ascended the throne, he posthumously honored his second son as the Prince of Chu, meaning he wouldn't live past Wude 9 (626 AD). It was now Wude 6, so he had only three years left. This realization made him, who had already died once, extremely fearful, as only those who have died truly understand the value of life.

Thinking about his impending death, Li Qing suddenly opened his eyes: He couldn't just lie there and wait to die. Even though he had been reborn as a sickly child, he had to do something! Otherwise, he would only have two or three years left!

In the face of life and death, one experiences great fear. At this moment, Li Qing's potential burst forth, his inner fire burning fiercely. He propped himself up on the bed, sat up, and leaned against the edge, thinking about what to do next.

There was a famous physician in this era—Sun Simiao, the Medicine King. However, this god-like figure was a wanderer, traveling to treat the people. With wars raging everywhere, it was uncertain if he could be found. Even when his stepfather became emperor, he couldn't find Sun Simiao to treat Empress Changsun's illness. Moreover, as a six-year-old child, how could he convince his stepfather to help find Sun Simiao? Telling him he was about to die would only result in a beating.

Was there any other way to stay alive? Yes, he could practice internal martial arts. The Twelve Forms of Xingyi, the San Ti stance—these were things he had deeply ingrained in his bones from his previous life. Initially, he had admired Bruce Lee and wanted to learn Jeet Kune Do, but where could he find authentic Jeet Kune Do in mainland China? Later, he heard the saying, "Tai Chi doesn't leave the house for ten years, but Xingyi can kill in one year." It sounded great, so he decided to learn Xingyi. He even visited the hometown of Ji Jike, the founder of Xingyi, but came up empty-handed. Eventually, he learned a set of Liuhe Xinyi Quan in Henan.

"Second Brother, are you awake?" A child's voice interrupted Li Qing's thoughts. He opened his eyes and saw a young boy bouncing over to him, wearing a white silk robe and deer-skin boots. His long hair was tied in a topknot, and he held a bound book. His delicate face was very handsome, with arched eyebrows, a straight nose, and a slightly pursed mouth, making him a very pretty little boy.

"Who are you?" Li Qing's voice was a bit better but still harsh to the ears. The little boy frowned: "Second Brother, don't you recognize your elder brother? I told you not to practice martial arts, but you never listen. If Father returns and sees you like this, we'll both be in trouble!" The little boy continued talking to himself.

"Let me tell you, today Confucius taught us a new article, Cai Yong's 'Encouragement to Study.' I'll read it to you. Master asked me to teach you, so listen carefully! Tomorrow, Master will test you, and if you can't answer, he'll hit me hard." The little boy waved the book, speaking earnestly.

"This must be Li Chengqian," Li Qing thought, finding it hard to imagine this chatty little boy would become the future crown prince who would later rebel with Hou Junji. As for the "Encouragement to Study" he was reading, Li Qing had never heard of it.

Although the little boy read diligently, due to Li Qing's lack of enthusiasm, he was beaten the next day and cried, vowing never to teach him again. Li Qing felt apologetic but found it extremely difficult for a modern soul to learn such obscure ancient texts.

After regaining consciousness, Li Qing spent his first night in the Tang Dynasty in a half-dream, half-awake state. That night, the sky grew dark, and the future began to change. The Tang Dynasty took a different path from that night on!

PS: The ages mentioned in the book are the traditional Chinese "nominal age," which is one year more than the actual age. So, the protagonist is six years old in nominal age, but actually only five, and not even five yet.

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