Chapter 1: Back to the Past

As for the era names, Xu Ping only has a vague recollection of the recent era of the Zhenzong reign, known as Dazhong Xiangfu. However, his memory is limited to the fact that this era name is somewhat special, and he cannot recall how it is described in historical texts.

Xu Ping stood up and said to Xu Chang, "I have taken care of all the troubles."

This debauched young man, who has been tutored by renowned masters since childhood at his father's request, is still utterly unskilled. Xu Ping compared and found that many of the characters he recognized were actually the same as the simplified characters from his past life memories, even though they were clearly traditional characters. This is what is referred to as the vulgar characters of the Song Dynasty. The teacher's assessment of this young man is that he is good at using vulgar characters and local dialects, and his future prospects are limited to being a first-rate businessman, with little hope of achieving anything significant.

Zhang Sanniang revealed a smile; despite her stern demeanor, she appeared quite benevolent: "The weather is hot, you need not stand on ceremony. Please go back to the hall in the village first; we will arrive shortly. I have something to discuss with you in a moment."

On either side of the two individuals, there are two more people seated, one on the left and one on the right

Zhang Sanniang's smile became even more radiant as she said to Lin Suniang beside her: "Da Lang has not been in good spirits recently, and those who mimic him say he seems mad, not realizing that he has turned over a new leaf. My son now understands manners as well."

Xu Ping took five or six days to gradually calm his emotions and reluctantly accepted this reality. To his surprise, once he accepted it, he felt a slight excitement. After all, he had studied history; as long as he paid attention, he might seize an opportunity and soar to great heights, leaving a mark in history, no longer having to live as pitifully as his counterpart in another world.

Xu Ping is a scholarly individual. Since we have entered an era that venerates literati, he does have some aspirations regarding the imperial examination. However, writing characters incorrectly poses a significant problem. Not to mention the various taboos associated with the royal family; for instance, the provincial military originally had a position called Tongpan, but now, to avoid offending the Empress Dowager, it has been changed to Tongpan. One can imagine how complicated this matter is

Beside her was a girl of about twelve or thirteen years old, with her hair styled in double buns, wearing a light blue dress. She had a delicate oval face and an expression that was calm and indifferent. She was none other than Xu Ping's fiancée, Lin Su Niang, the daughter of her own teacher

Xu Ping knows how to check the current era, as the historical records of China are meticulously detailed. The sexagenary cycle has been in use for thousands of years without any confusion. For instance, he remembers that Qin Shi Huang unified the six states in 221 BC, and then he can accurately deduce the dates from historical books day by day.

People in the Song Dynasty certainly would not have used simplified characters, but due to the high status and reputation of Kou Zhun, the people of Song avoided using the full form of his name, reducing the strokes of the character 'Zhun'. Eventually, this reduced form became the standard character. Indeed, the character 'Zhun' after reduction is the simplified version.

Lin Suniang smiled and said: "It is all due to the lady's excellent guidance"

Behind the ox cart, a middle-aged man in his thirties dressed in white is Xu Ping's teacher and also his future father-in-law, Lin Wensi. He is sweating profusely from the heat as he dismounts from a black donkey

Xu Ping recognized that this was his family's servant, the steward of this estate, who had been raised in his maternal grandfather's home since childhood. After his parents married, he took on the family surname and was given the name Xu Chang. His father, Xu Zheng, inherited his father-in-law's estate and subsequently soared to great heights, eventually amassing a fortune of ten thousand taels, along with inheriting these household servants.

With someone accompanying him, Xu Ping no longer hesitated and walked ahead with Xu Chang

The two individuals circled to the back of the estate, directly encountering Madam Xu and her party.

The memories of that world are so vivid, almost every event is fresh in his mind, making it difficult for him to distinguish which one is truly himself and which one is merely a dream

On the fourth day of the fourth month of the second year of the Tian Sheng era, Xu Ping sat under the large willow tree by the wheat field on the eastern side of his estate, leaning against the willow tree, lost in thought as he gazed at the small river not far to the south. Beneath him was a bamboo mat, and beside him was a fruit plate filled with preserved fruits and dried nuts.

However, upon knowing this acquaintance, Kou Zhun, it felt as if his feet finally touched the ground, and Xu Ping felt much more at ease. He spent the entire morning sitting here, unraveling the memories of two lifetimes that radiated from Kou Zhun.

By the way, the teacher is this fellow's future father-in-law, a failed candidate, specializing in the various subjects of the provincial examination, with a focus on the three commentaries of the "Spring and Autumn Annals". Just recently, he failed the examination again

There are two points regarding the memories of the previous life about Kou Zhun. The first is the Treaty of Chanyuan, which anyone from that era would understand better than him. The second point is to be grateful that, for better or worse, he was also a scholar, which relates to the character 'Zhun' in Kou Zhun's name

Based on the vague memories of the current young scion, the Song Dynasty has been established for over sixty years, spanning the reigns of Emperor Taizu, Emperor Taizong, and Emperor Zhenzong. As for who the current emperor is, he cannot even say clearly! The emperor is simply the emperor; even if there is a posthumous title, this young scion does not know it, and neither does he have any knowledge from his past life. Historical records state that the emperors of the Song Dynasty are referred to by their temple names, but if the emperor is not dead, how can there be a temple name?

Seeing him riding a donkey, Xu Ping couldn't help but laugh, as it was so different from the ancient customs he remembered. Although the image of Zhang Guolao riding a donkey backward was quite familiar, seeing a grown man on a small donkey still struck Xu Ping as ridiculous; it just seemed so out of place.

He has never heard of this era name, nor does he know who lived during this time or what events might occur! The history he learned is about what happened in a certain year of the Common Era, as recorded in the annals, but he never bothers to remember it.

Early in the morning, Xu Ping wandered around the village and accidentally overheard two villagers discussing the affairs of the state. This was not surprising, as he was currently at his family's estate in Zhongmou County of Kaifeng Prefecture, where the emperor resided. The common people here were well-informed and it was normal for them to comment on national matters in their spare time, just as the citizens of the former capital did.

The memories of the dandy are of little value, merely consisting of horse racing and dog fighting, brothels and taverns. What is known is only that Kou Zhun rose to fame in his youth, gaining renown from the Battle of Chanzhou, and later fell into the hands of Ding Wei, ultimately dying in Lingnan.

As Xu Ping was lost in thought, his head throbbing with pain, a man in his thirties approached him. He stood before Xu Ping, clasped his hands in greeting, and said: "Master, the lady has returned from the town and is already at the back of the estate. You should go and greet her."

On the left is a middle-aged woman, plump and fair, impeccably dressed from head to toe. She is the maid who has accompanied my mother since childhood, essentially a servant. When my mother married my father, she brought along some dowry and also married her off. A few years ago, her husband passed away, and life became difficult for her. My mother, being sentimental, hired her back. With the backing of the stern Zhang Sanniang, this woman holds a respectable position in the Xu family, and everyone refers to her as Granny Hong.

completely useless

Xu Ping is unable to clearly define his current state; in his memory, he is a minor employee at a rural machinery station in a small county, yet in reality, he finds himself in the Song Dynasty, identified as a useless and extravagant scion of a wealthy family, with even fragmented remnants of his past memories still lingering.

On the right side is a little girl, around eight or nine years old, with delicate features. She is dressed in a coarse blue garment and tightly holds a small, old bundle in her arms. Leaning against the side of the cart, she sits idly with her head lowered, occasionally glancing around with her dark eyes, secretly observing the people nearby, filled with curiosity. Xu Ping had never seen this little girl before and did not know where she came from

This is the reason he wants to force himself to get accustomed to the method of counting days in the fourth month of the Dingmao calendar, although this calculation is not something he can accomplish at present

Xu Ping was stunned for a moment before recalling that his current identity was that of a dandy, which did not command much respect from the servants. More importantly, Kou Zhun held a very high reputation among the common people at this time. In ancient times, people were particular about avoiding taboos; addressing Kou Zhun by his name meant he was treating him as a guest of his own estate. If it were someone else, they might have received a resounding slap in the face.

Lin Suniang and Xu Ping were childhood sweethearts, growing up together, yet their personalities were completely incompatible. Lin Suniang was well-educated and polite, demonstrating decorum even at a young age. To the current Xu Ping, she seemed like the virtuous wife and good mother described in history books, truly a person from ancient times. The former Xu Ping was a dandy, indulging in a life of excess and debauchery, making it impossible for them to connect. Now, the current Xu Ping feels an instinctive sense of distance from someone like her, who appears to have stepped out of the pages of a book.

Today, Xu Ping is in a better mood; he has finally learned about a living person mentioned in a history book

One said: "Lord Kou has made great contributions to the country, yet he has died an old man in Lingnan. It is truly hateful that Ding Wei, that treacherous villain, is still alive; he is indeed a calamity that will last for a thousand years!"

What is even more unfortunate is that he realized he did not know a single person mentioned in the history book

A bullock cart is ahead, and due to the heat, the curtain has been lifted.

The only significant events Xu Ping can recall are these few, but he does not know how many years it will take for them to occur. Originally, he believed he had a good grasp of history and could score high on exams, but when it came to specific years, he realized he was almost completely ignorant. After all, the history of China is just too long.

However, there is no way around it; this is the Song Dynasty, an era lacking horses. If one is not from a prominent family, it is indeed difficult to ride a horse; having a donkey to ride would be quite fortunate.

Xu Ping hesitated in place, unsure of what to do. As a son, he should carefully accompany his mother, as this is filial piety; how could he take a step ahead? Yet, the memories from his past life left him with no such awareness.

This led Xu Ping to discover a problem: he was unable to write the characters used in this era well. This issue is unrelated to traditional or simplified characters, as the form of traditional characters was not established until the Qing Dynasty, let alone simplified characters. If one naively believes that ancient people all used traditional characters, they would be in for a misfortune. For instance, take the character '准' (zhun); if one were to write it in traditional form to show off, it might end up in the hands of the authorities, who could mistakenly associate it with the faction of Ding Wei, leading to a hopeless career path thereafter.

However, with the mention of Kou Zhun, the memories of the two lives became intertwined

In the center is a middle-aged woman in her thirties, dressed in luxurious yet understated fabrics. Her complexion is slightly dark, and her expression is stern. She is Xu Ping's mother, Zhang Yuzhen, known as Iron-faced Zhang San Niang.

Zhang San's mother, feeling distressed for her son, said to Xu Chang beside her: "You take care of it, accompany the young master to leave first and avoid the heat, no need to stay with us."

He first needs to clarify which year it currently is, so that he can connect it with the history in his memory. However, after searching through the almanac, he only found this answer: the second year of the Tian Sheng era, in the summer of the fourth month, on the day of Ding Mao, which is the tenth day of the month

It turns out that it is now the era in which Kou Zhun lived, but unfortunately, he passed away last year in his place of exile in Lingnan. What happened after Kou Zhun's death? The Qingli New Policies? Wang Anshi's Reforms? The Jingkang Incident?

Perhaps this is a somewhat incomplete soul transfer, which is quite popular in that world now

Xu Ping interjected, saying: "Is Lord Kou referring to Kou Zhun?"

(Note: "Mama" is a common term used by Han people to refer to their mothers during the Song and Ming dynasties. It is frequently found in Song people's notes and in works such as "Three Words and Two Claps." For more details, please refer to the section "On the Terms Used in This Book and Others" in this book)

The one driving the ox cart ahead is a young servant from the family who works at the hotel in town, named Liu Xiaoyi

The two attendants rolled their eyes at him, performed a bow, and turned to leave without saying a word

Lin Wensi was not a local resident; he came to Kaifeng many years ago to take the imperial examination. By chance, he met Xu Zheng, and the two became close friends, leading Lin to settle down there. Later, through the connections of the Xu family, he was able to establish his household registration in Kaifeng. At that time, Kaifeng was the most prosperous place in the Song Dynasty, with a significant number of candidates for the imperial examination, far surpassing other regions, akin to having a household registration in Beijing and then taking the college entrance examination in a previous life. It was precisely because of this friendship that Lin Wensi disregarded Xu Ping's status as a frivolous young man and promised his daughter to him. At that time, Kaifeng was the most prosperous place in the Song Dynasty, with a significant number of candidates for the imperial examination, far surpassing other regions, akin to having a household registration in Beijing and then taking the college entrance examination in a previous life. It was precisely because of this friendship that Lin Wensi disregarded Xu Ping's status as a frivolous young man and promised his daughter to him

Another Path: "In the past years in Chanzhou ... ... "

Xu Ping stepped forward and greeted Zhang San Niang: "Mother, you have worked hard and endured much on the journey"