Chapter 1: The Attached Military Forces

What does it matter if one is Yang Jian or Huang Laifu? Zhuang Zhou dreams of a butterfly, and the butterfly dreams of Zhuang Zhou

To be honest, Yang Jian is quite satisfied with the body of Huang Laifu that he currently possesses. Perhaps as a result of years of exercise, this body is tall, sturdy, and full of strength. Moreover, at just 17 years old, it is far superior to his previous body, which was plagued by excessive indulgence and had been in a sub-healthy state at the age of 35. Even his younger brother has grown a size larger. Although his face may appear a bit coarse and dark, once he sheds his youthful innocence, he can still be considered quite handsome.

Yang Jian took a deep breath, placed the copper mirror on the bedside table, heavily lifted the thick quilt, turned over, and got off the kang. He grabbed a cotton robe nearby and began to dress himself—wearing ancient clothing, he had already grown accustomed to it over the past few days. He was inherently a person who easily adapted to his surroundings, and in modern times, he took pride in his ability to adjust to various environments. The confusion he experienced in the previous days was, in fact, a common human reaction.

Therefore, Huang Sihao provided Huang Laifu with some silver coins, assigned two servants to ensure Huang Laifu's safety, and used connections to obtain some travel permits for him. Thus, from early March to early November of this year, Huang Laifu traveled for several months, enjoying himself immensely across the vast regions of the south and north.

Huang Laifu had long been confirmed as a scholar. By next year, when his old father retires and he takes over his position, he fears he will be constrained in Wuzhaibao, making it difficult to have the freedom to travel. Thus, at the beginning of this year, Huang Laifu had a sudden inspiration and wanted to travel the world like the protagonist in the book: a consequence of reading too many idle books

All three sisters are daughters of the Yang family and have all been married off to the sons of officers from various military garrisons

Yang Jian looked around. In the past few days, he had not taken a good look at the room he was in.

Yang Jian could not imagine what would happen if others discovered that he was not the relative they believed him to be. Would he be burned as a monster? Or perhaps merely driven out of the house? Even so, being rootless and drifting, how could he survive in the Ming Dynasty?

"Elder brother..." A crisp little girl's voice rang out from the courtyard, followed by the sound of a bouncing footsteps approaching the door. Yang Jian knew that it was his younger sister, Huang Xiurou's voice. In recent days, she had been visiting him from time to time. On the day Huang Laifu was carried into the Qianhu residence, she had even cried anxiously.

He lifted the cotton door curtain that was hung with a wooden board, and a gust of cold air rushed in, carrying a few snowflakes, which invigorated Yang Jian.

Yang Jian engaged in activities for a while, feeling a bit thirsty, so he returned indoors, intending to drink some water before going out for a stroll

Yes, my own sister. Suddenly, the feeling of emptiness caused by the disconnection from society vanished in Yang Jian's heart. He no longer had parents or relatives in the 21st century, but at the same time, he possessed his own parents and relatives in the 16th century during the Ming Dynasty. Their concern for him was genuine and heartfelt.

Although Yang Jian had previously read some popular science works, which often included articles introducing certain spatial anomalies in history, such as a person walking down the street and suddenly encountering a mist, and when the mist dissipated, that person found themselves in another country

How to view this: the coarse, dark face, not yet 20 years old, with an ancient hairstyle on top, is in stark contrast to my original face, which was fair and calm, slightly blessed, at 35 years old, styled in a flat cut, with no similarities whatsoever

Huang Sihao and Yang Shi had their son Huang Laifu when they were over 40 years old, which inevitably led to some indulgence. This resulted in Huang Laifu developing a domineering temperament; he was often brave and aggressive, frequently engaging in fights and regularly bullying the military households of Wuzhaibao.

As far as the eye can see, the ancient, worn, and typical Shanxi siheyuan old architecture is no different from what is seen on television

Huang Laifu smiled as he lifted the cotton door curtain

Huang Laifu is the eldest son of the Huang family, but he has three older sisters. The eldest sister, Huang Ziru, is 27 years old this year. The second sister, Huang Wanrou, is 25 years old. The third sister, Huang Birou, is 22 years old. Additionally, Huang Laifu has a younger brother and sister, who are the children of the second and third mothers, respectively. The younger brother, Huang Lingbin, is 14 years old this year. The younger sister, Huang Xiurou, is 9 years old this year

After several days of fear and anxiety, as of today, Yang Jian has finally calmed down a bit. He can now take the time to reflect on certain matters

Wuzhaibao in Zhenxi, Shanxi, is a place that Yang Jian is not very clear about. According to his memory of Huang Laifu, it is located near Taolu, which is not far from the Hetao region. During the Ming Dynasty under the reign of Wanli, it belonged to the Shanxi Dusi and was part of the Shanxi Town within the Nine Border Military Garrison, thus situated in the northwestern part of Shanxi. Yang Jian couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh at the thought of having traveled from modern Fujian in the 21st century to Shanxi during the Ming Dynasty.

In recent days, Yang Jian, who has been controlling Huang Laifu's body and consciousness, has been forced to lie in bed and rest. This has also allowed Yang Jian to organize his thoughts and calm his emotions

Given that things have come to this point, it is futile to think too much. Since we are here, we shall accept it with composure

From the memories of the past few days spent with Huang Laifu, Yang Jian realized that he was in Huang Laifu's residence—within the Qianhu Mansion of Wuzhaibao, which was the house where Huang Laifu usually lived

Other circumstances at home. Father Huang Sihao, aged 59 this year. Mother Yang, aged 57 this year. In addition, Huang Sihao has two concubines, referred to as Second Madam and Third Madam.

Yang Jian read quite a few such peculiar articles, but at that time he regarded them merely as amusing works to pass the time

Adding some scattered items, this is basically the interior of the house. This is the place where Huang Laifu has lived for 17 years, and he will continue to live here in the future. Having become accustomed to life in the 21st century, will he be able to adapt to his current living situation?

Yang Jian walked into the courtyard, stretched his body a bit, and performed a set of martial arts popular among the Ming army. Initially, he appeared somewhat awkward, but as he continued, his movements became increasingly fluid and vigorous. He had complete control over Huang Laifu, even inheriting his skills. Without much thought, the martial arts naturally came to his mind, as if he had learned them himself.

Unbeknownst to him, Yang Jian, who drove down the valley in modern times, unexpectedly traversed time and space, coincidentally inhabiting the body of Huang Laifu, resulting in an unprecedented event in history

Yang Jian was unable to explain why such strange things were happening to him. In modern times, he was a distributor. A few days ago, while driving to meet a client in another city, an accident occurred; the car plunged down a valley, and he lost consciousness at that moment. Even more unexpectedly, when he woke up, he found himself in the 17th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, having become another person.

Wrapped in a quilt, leaning against the kang, gazing at the face in the copper mirror, Yang Jian still found it difficult to accept the reality of his time travel, even though several days had passed

Moreover, if one possesses another person's body without that individual's memories, every action and movement will appear suspicious in the eyes of those familiar with him, ultimately carrying the risk of exposure. How will one explain it then

Perhaps it was due to the severe damage to the brain of this body at that time, that when Yang Jian possessed him, his consciousness had completely ceased to exist. Everything about this body, such as physical memory and abilities, had already been entirely controlled and possessed by Yang Jian

Having acquired the memories of this body, it also spared Yang Jian the trouble of spending time to understand this world, including its language, environment, customs, and so on—just the language alone has greatly benefited Yang Jian

From the original memories of this body, Yang Jian knows that the original name of this body is Huang Laifu. He is the son of Huang Sihao, a hereditary thousand-household leader of the Wuzhaibao in the Xidu Division of the Ming Dynasty, and he is 17 years old this year

A person, after experiencing certain events that induce fear and shock, inevitably has to confront the reality of survival issues, and Yang Jian is no exception. Fortunately, with the memories of this individual, he can impersonate this person's identity. This troublesome risk has been reduced to a very low level, which can be considered a significant stroke of luck amidst misfortune

However, such an event occurred to him, suddenly transitioning from a familiar world to one that was completely foreign. Even more astonishing was the leap from modern times back to ancient times. When such a bizarre occurrence takes place, anyone would feel a sense of fear and trepidation, and Yang Jian was no exception.

Huang Laifu was no exception; his father, Huang Sihao, had arranged a marriage for him early on, to the daughter of a general from a nearby garrison. Daughters of military families are often seen as tools for mutual alliances, with little autonomy in choosing their partners. In the Ming Dynasty, the concept of romantic love was virtually nonexistent in the minds of the people; marriages were dictated by parental authority and facilitated by matchmakers.

Yang Jianyi exhaled a breath of white air by the door. It was November, and in modern Shanxi, it had already turned cold. By mid-November, there would still be light snow or sleet. The weather in Shanxi during this time should be even colder. It was the 17th year of the Wanli era, and I recall that the Little Ice Age had already begun several years prior. The entire northern region of China had fallen into a cycle of cold and drought, lasting for several decades.

The edge of the kang features a large box, and on the wall above the kang, there is a painted strip approximately two feet high known as a "fence." This strip is adorned with various paintings, such as lions rolling embroidered balls and motifs symbolizing continuous wealth. The colors are vibrant and rich, strikingly eye-catching.

Outside is a large courtyard, with a ground paved in flagstones and pebbles. In the center of the courtyard stand several large locust trees. Beneath the locust trees are a few stone tables and chairs. Nearby is a weapons rack, on which are several long spears and similar weapons. At this moment, there is no one in the courtyard. Some small snowflakes are continuously falling from the sky.

After Huang Sihao had three daughters, he was anxious about not having a son. Fortunately, Yang's belly proved to be quite promising, and eventually, she gave birth to a son named Huang Laifu.

Having read too many idle books, Huang Laifu inevitably has some whimsical thoughts. This is because his father, Huang Sihao, the hereditary chief of Wuzhaibao, will turn 60 next year. At this age, he will honorably retire. By then, Huang Laifu, who has already been confirmed as a candidate for succession, will take over his father's position and become the next chief of Wuzhaibao. In the Ming Dynasty, this was referred to as "replacement of office," and the successor was also called "candidate."

At that moment, the two servants, seeing that Huang Laifu was in trouble, were naturally terrified and hurriedly rescued the possessed Huang Laifu. Upon returning to Wuzhaibao, chaos ensued. Especially when Huang Laifu's mother, Mrs. Yang, saw her son behaving unusually after waking up, she thought he was overly frightened and wept uncontrollably.

... ...

Unlike the outward behavior of being brave and fierce, Huang Laifu, in addition to practicing with swords and staffs, also enjoys reading several military and leisure books. This was quite rare among the Ming army in the mid to late Ming Dynasty, where most soldiers in the garrison were rough and reckless men. Leaders like General Qi Jiguang, who possessed both courage and wisdom, were extremely rare.

Whether it is joy turning to sorrow, or the unpredictability of fortune and misfortune, after being away for several months without incident, upon returning home, when only a few miles away from Wuzhaibao, the horse ridden by Huang Laifu was startled by falling rocks on a mountain path. As a result, Huang Laifu lost control and plunged down the valley, colliding with several rocks before ultimately losing consciousness.

Yang Jian is actually very aware of the identity of his current body. Firstly, he has learned some things from the outside world over the past few days. Secondly, and most importantly, when he first inhabited this body, he merged with its memories.

The face in the mirror is youthful, with somewhat coarse and dark skin, bearing a hint of arrogance, yet also possessing a touch of childishness, resembling the expression of a delinquent youth who is used to being brash. However, at this moment, the face appears somewhat listless and pale

Yang Jian said to himself: "From today onwards, I am Huang Laifu!"

At last, being a Qianhu is neither a small nor a large military officer, holding the fifth rank, commanding 1,120 soldiers. This is certainly better than being attached to a poor military household. If one works hard, there is great potential for success; in a future life, one could be considered a successful merchant, and in this life, perhaps one could become a successful military figure.

The military households of Wuzhaibao are extremely fearful of Huang Laifu, privately referring to him as "Huang Laohu". Even his younger brother, Huang Lingbin, admires him with a sense of trepidation. Only his younger sister, Huang Xiurou, enjoys clinging to her elder brother.

Several mahogany tables and chairs are arranged indoors, and there is a set of tea utensils on the table. Above, there are black tiles, wooden beams, intricately carved window frames, and windows that are open at the top and closed at the bottom, with some unknown paper pasted on them, creating a well-lit interior.

Huang Sihao and Yang Shi have always been indulgent towards their son. When they saw Huang Laifu thinking this way, they were initially taken aback and quickly tried to dissuade him. However, they could not overcome Huang Laifu's insistence. After their persuasion proved ineffective, Huang Sihao, coming from a prestigious family, thought that although he rarely studied, he had heard the saying that one should read thousands of books and travel thousands of miles. He considered it beneficial for his son to go out and see the world. At this time, the military system was in decline, and the management of soldiers was not as strict as it had been in the early Ming dynasty. Those without official positions still had a certain degree of freedom to move about.

Although the official language of the Ming Dynasty is not significantly different from modern Mandarin, there are still some distinctions. One can observe the nuances in the speech of Ming people by examining the tone used in the novel "Jin Ping Mei," written during the Wanli period against its historical backdrop. Furthermore, the differences in environment, customs, and etiquette are even more pronounced.