Chapter 3: Yue Xiang

Young Master, no matter what, you must not seek death any longer. You must live on, for only by living can you avenge the Master and the Young Mistress

"Going to Aihun City?" Yue Weihua was taken aback, somewhat puzzled.

After much contemplation, I finally had some clues. Coupled with the increasingly loud voices of my two sworn brothers beside me, Yue Weihua had no choice but to interrupt his thoughts and let out a gentle sigh, saying: "Xiao Hai, Xiao Hu, I apologize for worrying you. I promise you, I will never seek death again in the future"

Elder brother, second brother

Yue Hai had not finished speaking when Yue Weihua directly interrupted him, for in the memories of his past life, it seemed that only his grandfather's line had been passed down in the Yue family. Moreover, Yue Weihua clearly remembered that within five generations of his lineage in the Yue family genealogy, it was a direct line of inheritance.

"Xiao Hai, feel free to speak your mind. Between brothers, there is nothing that cannot be said," said Yue Weihua.

However, when Yue Hai mentioned it, a memory belonging to the main character, Yue Weihua, suddenly emerged in his mind. In an instant, Yue Weihua began to understand what was going on. It turned out that he indeed had an uncle, but he had been expelled from the Yue family over twenty years ago by the old master and was also removed from the family genealogy. As for the specific reasons, he was not very clear in his memory.

"Elder brother, there is something I am unsure whether I should say or not," Yue Hai paused and said.

Young master, as long as you do not seek death, I will agree to not just one condition, but even a hundred.

Yue Weihua also took the opportunity to sit up, then paused for a moment before saying: "Xiao Hai, Xiao Hu, I promise you that I will not seek death, but you must also agree to one condition of mine."

"Brother Hua, do not be anxious. I know of a place that has no guards, and the city wall is no higher than one zhang. We can easily climb over it"

At this point, the atmosphere suddenly became oppressive. Indeed, in the Yue Family Village, with over 300 people, in the blink of an eye, only a few remain before us. Just yesterday, everyone was chatting and laughing together, yet today, they are separated by the realms of life and death. How can this not evoke deep sorrow?

In fact, since I took over as the steward two years ago, I have interacted with Uncle Xiang several times...

Indeed, young master, I, Yue Hu, guarantee with my character that if you give any orders, Yue Hu shall not dare to disobey

Young master, what is this

Yue Hai and Yue Hu are both orphans. Ever since they were adopted by the Yue family, they have followed Yue Weihua due to their considerable talents in martial arts and other areas. Having been accustomed to calling him Young Master Yue since childhood, even after the old master adopted them as his sons, their identities and statuses changed, but they still insist on calling Yue Weihua Young Master and refuse to change their address. No matter what anyone says, it is of no use. Therefore, Yue Weihua is now taking this opportunity to make this request.

From a distance, the imposing fortress city at the border came into view, and Yue Weihua appeared quite moved. He had visited this place more than once in later years, but what he saw was the reconstructed Aihun City. As expected, on the 3rd of next month, the Russian Empire would launch an attack on Aihun City, subsequently setting it ablaze, leaving only a structure known as Kuixing Pavilion to survive.

However, the subsequent explanation by Yue Hai allowed Yue Weihua to further understand the truth of the matter. It turned out that this was also related to the ancestral teachings of the Yue family. Since their ancestor, Yue Fei, was persecuted by the court, the Yue family has lived in seclusion beyond the pass, and from then on, they prohibited their descendants from entering the court to hold official positions.

Unbeknownst to them, at some point, Yue Hai and Yue Hu gradually regained some strength, and thus they gathered around Yue Weihua. They saw that although Yue Weihua had awakened, he merely stared blankly at the sky with unblinking eyes and refused to speak. This caused both of his sworn brothers to become anxious, and they urged and pleaded with him, their voices tinged with tears.

After several setbacks, coupled with having passed the age of thirty, Yue Xiang finally felt disheartened and contemplated returning to the Yue family. At that time, the old master was still alive. Upon entering the Yue family home, he was directly driven out by the old master with a cane. Ultimately, Yue Xiang, unable to face anyone, reluctantly chose to settle in Aihun City, across the river from the ancestral home of the Yue family in Hailanpao.

Then let's hurry and lead the way

By a stroke of chance, Yue Xiang followed a foreign friend to Europe, where he stayed for three years. This three-year study tour in Europe enriched Yue Xiang's knowledge and perspective. Upon returning to his homeland, he aspired to engage in the Qing Dynasty's Self-Strengthening Movement. However, the harsh reality struck Yue Xiang once again. His straightforward character and his dedication to the welfare of the people caused his patriotic ambitions to once again come to naught.

It is said that Uncle Yue Xiang was intelligent and eager to learn from a young age. Not only was he skilled in martial arts, but his knowledge also advanced by leaps and bounds. By the time he turned eighteen, he secretly participated in the imperial examination without informing his family, and surprisingly, he passed and became a successful candidate, serving as the magistrate of a county. However, when this news reached the ears of the elder of the Yue family, he immediately made the decision to expel Yue Xiang from the Yue family and remove his name from the family register

May I ask where the road leads?

Yue Weihua wanted to organize some grandiose words to express his gratitude to his two sworn brothers, but he suddenly realized that any words seemed pale and powerless in the face of such emotions. Thus, he could only shake his head and smile faintly, saying: "Xiao Hai, you are 21 years old this year, Xiao Hu, you are 19 years old, and I am 24 years old this year. From now on, I will be the eldest brother, Xiao Hai will be the second brother, and Xiao Hu, you will be the third brother. Let us address each other as brothers and no longer call me 'young master', alright?"

After approaching the city wall, Yue Weihua inquired, "Xiao Hai, the city gates are all closed, how are we going to get in?"

In the late night, under the bright moonlight, inhaling the faint scent of blood from the river, along the banks of the Heishui River, we walked on foot towards the upstream city of Aihun. Although it was only a distance of three to four li, the path was not easy to traverse. Despite the extraordinary stamina of Yue Weihua and his companions, it still took them over an hour to reach the city gate of Aihun.

"Yes, good," Yue Hai said, but then added, "Elder brother, I think we should send someone to Aihun City first."

In fact, one cannot blame Yue Hu and Yue Hai for their anxiety, primarily because all along, the main character, Yue Weihua, has been excessively infatuated. Of course, it is not only Yue Weihua who is infatuated; his wife, Xie Min, is equally so. Yesterday, in order not to burden Yue Weihua, Xie Min seized the opportunity to plunge into the river. What no one expected was that Yue Weihua actually contemplated a love suicide, disregarding even his father and son, attempting to take his own life several times. Although his father decisively knocked Yue Weihua unconscious, he still succumbed to his repressed emotions and died. Indeed, when a person truly harbors a death wish, who can possibly stop them?

Witnessing the unwavering loyalty of his two sworn brothers, Yue Weihua, as a modern individual deeply influenced by a strong monetary perspective, felt truly moved. At least in the thirty years of his previous life, he had likely only experienced such genuine emotions from his parents and grandfather.

Let us go and meet Uncle Xiang tonight

However, ideals are beautiful, while reality is harsh. Although Yue Xiang is full of passion and knowledge, he unfortunately encounters a decayed feudal society. Within less than half a year of serving as a county magistrate, due to his conduct and approach to affairs, he finds himself at odds with the corrupt officialdom. Yue Xiang quickly faces exclusion and suppression from all sides. After less than a year in office, he becomes disheartened and resigns, leading a life of wandering and study.

Of course, in the past, Yue Weihua was rather impetuous. Although he treated his two sworn brothers sincerely, he had never truly opened his heart to them as he does now. It is evident that Yue Hai is the happiest to see Yue Weihua's transformation, as the young master has finally matured

For a soul that has just arrived, contemplating the direction to take at such a historical turning point in 1900 is a matter that Yue Weihua must consider at this moment

Yue Hai spoke the truth; the three of them all possessed ancestral martial arts skills. Although it cannot be said that they could walk on rooftops, climbing over a wall of one zhang in height was indeed not a difficult task for Yue Hai and the others. However, for the current Yue Weihua, it was still somewhat challenging, as he had just taken over this body and many things still required adjustment.

"Good, this is what brothers are for." Yue Weihua smiled happily, then looked towards the east and continued, "Second brother, third brother, it’s almost dawn. Regardless of the circumstances, we must search along the shore to see if we can find any survivors, especially to check if there are any members of the Yue family. Additionally, let’s see if we can find some small boats that I can use once it gets light out."

Since he knows that there is still such an uncle alive, Yue Weihua has no reason not to go and pay a visit. Moreover, the Yue family has suffered such a great calamity, with over 300 members perishing at the hands of the old Russians. This news must certainly be conveyed to this elder. Of course, the existence of this uncle should also make the implementation of Yue Weihua's upcoming plans proceed more smoothly.

After a moment of silence among the three, it was Yue Hai who spoke first. Although Yue Hai was only 21 years old, he was, in fact, quite mature for his age. He had already been the steward of the Yue family for two years, but out of a sense of gratitude, he had never dared to overstep his bounds.

Brother, from now on you will be my dear brother, Xiao Hu will be my dear younger brother, and Kun Er will be my dear nephew

Aihun City, located in the northern gateway of Heilongjiang Province, is the site where the Treaty of Aihun between China and Russia was signed. It was established during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty. According to the "Shengjing Tongzhi," Aihun City is surrounded by the Chongling Mountains on the inner ring and faces the great river on the outer side, making it the largest town along the banks of the Heilong River at that time. The inner city was constructed with pine wood as walls, filled with earth, standing 1.8 zhang high, and encompassing a perimeter of 1,300 steps, with four gates. The southwestern and northern sides were lined with wooden corridors, with one gate to the south, two gates to the northwest, and the southeast facing the river, surrounded by a distance of ten li. It was the largest town along the Heilong River at that time, with the inner city built of pine wood walls, filled with earth, standing 1.8 zhang high, and encompassing a perimeter of 1,300 steps, with four gates; the southwestern and northern sides were lined with wooden corridors, with one gate to the south, two gates to the northwest, and the southeast facing the river, surrounded by a distance of ten li.

However, the reason Yue Feng has not spoken up is twofold: first, he needs to sort through the memories of the original owner, Yue Weihua, as he will soon become Yue Weihua himself, and it is best not to make any mistakes; second, he is contemplating his future and how he should proceed in his own life

Indeed, young master, you have come to a realization, which is truly wonderful

"Wait a moment, Uncle Xiang, which Uncle Xiang?"

Indeed, young master, look how small the young master is, how can you bear to leave him behind...

Little Hai, Little Hu, listen to me. Our Yue family has suffered this great calamity, and apart from us few, it is likely that there will be hardly any survivors left. From now on, it will just be us relying on each other. Can we not still call each other brothers?

Of course, if it were not for Yue Weihua's quest for death, how could Yue Feng possibly traverse through the body

Two years ago, following the passing of the elder, the relationship between Yue Xiang and the Yue family began to ease. Recently, the head of the Yue family, Yue Zhenghui, agreed to reinstate Yue Xiang in the family genealogy. Unfortunately, fate did not favor them, as the Yue family encountered a great calamity. This is also the reason why Yue Weihua did not find any record of Yue Xiang's branch in the Yue family genealogy he saw in his previous life

Yue Hu has always been quite simple-minded, having enjoyed practicing martial arts since childhood, without any ulterior motives. Since Yue Hai has agreed, he naturally has no objections, and it feels quite natural to call him elder brother and second brother.

Expulsion from the Yue family and removal from the family tree, this punishment in this era is undoubtedly more severe than killing a person. Upon learning this news, Yue Xiang felt extremely frustrated. However, since the outcome was already determined, Yue Xiang thought to serve diligently as an official and benefit the local people. By then, the old master would naturally understand that the ancestral teachings are not necessarily correct.