Chapter One, the impoverished young man of the Duke of Su's residence

Zhao Xian understood that what Old Huang said was to give him some face. The talk of mourning was just a pretense; his previous incarnation had been mad for three years, how could he go to the ancestral hall to inherit the throne

Zhao Xian nodded, acknowledging the reasoning behind it

Huang Bo, do you think selling these two stone lions could fetch a considerable amount of money?

Old Huang smiled wryly and added: "Moreover, Your Highness, you should refer to yourself as 'Gu' and in the future as 'Ben Wang'. Continuously using 'I' is a term used by commoners."

Prince Su's Mansion

"Huang Bo, since our family is a prince of the national dynasty, we should have an annual salary, right?"

Faced with the only person before him, namely Huang Bo, Zhao Xian had no choice but to carefully question Huang Bo. Huang Bo, believing that his young prince had been mad for three years and had lost his sanity, thus shared everything he knew.

The entire residence of the Prince of Su has been left in ruins, with only the land remaining. Not only have all the flowers and plants in the garden of the Prince of Su vanished without a trace, but even some stone benches and tables have also disappeared.

Old Huang solemnly stated: "The old prince passed away in May three years ago, and it is now early February. According to the ceremonial regulations of our Qi Kingdom, if one does not inherit the title within three years, the court will reclaim it."

Young Prince, all the sellable old servants have been sold, and this is all to sustain the livelihood of the royal residence. You must not suspect that the old servants have been greedy...

According to Lao Huang, his cheap old father made significant contributions back in the day. He foolishly endured for three years, and while the capital city did not send imperial physicians for treatment, there should at least have been some acknowledgment, if not a way to ensure that his life could be manageable

Zhao Xian waved his hand in annoyance, stood up from the steps at the entrance of the Wangfu, looked around, and was captivated by the two enormous stone lions at the entrance of the Wangfu.

It was only when Zhao Xian walked into his own room that he realized that in the vast residence of the Prince of Suqin, perhaps only his own bed remained.

Zhao Xian is the heir apparent of the Prince of Su from the Qi State's Su Wangfu.

At this moment, in front of the residence of Prince Su, a young man with a furrowed brow and a gray-haired old servant are engaged in a conversation that cannot be spoken of in public

He suddenly stood up, turned around, and stepped into the residence of the Duke of Su. Looking around, it could be said that the place was bare; not to mention any antiques or paintings, even the furniture and chairs had completely vanished.

This is a matter of utmost priority

Huang Bo, you are quite ruthless this time, what about the items in the Wang residence

First of all, the country where Zhao Xian resides is called Qi State, and it is currently the fifteenth year of the Chengkang era of Qi State

This ... ...

Zhao Xian's expression changed: "In other words, if I cannot go to the capital within three months, the title of the Duke of Su will be lost?"

Huang Bo, do you mean to say that the vast royal residence has not a single grain of rice left?

The current world is divided into three nations, each having established itself for over a century. The Qi Kingdom, where Zhao Xian resides, occupies the Jiangnan region, while to the north lies the vast territory of the Qi Kingdom, and to the southwest is the Western Chu, claimed to be established by the descendants of the Chu Dynasty.

Is there no news from the capital?

Zhao Xian disdainfully curled his lips, indicating that this stone lion was unlikely to be sold.

Old Huang said with a bitter smile: "Young Prince, when I previously told you that the Wang residence has run out of rice, I was not joking..."

At this point, Old Huang sighed and said, "I am not afraid of the young prince's reproach. To speak somewhat harshly, when the old prince was alive, there were hundreds of servants in the prince's residence, but later they all left without a trace. If I, Old Huang, were greedy for wealth, I could have easily sold off the prince's possessions three years ago and left without a care. Why would I still be here, enduring this impoverished life beside the young prince now"

There is no food to eat, what face is there to keep...

Through some fragmented information from Huang Boke, Zhao Xian roughly deduced a historical context. History took a turn during the Chu-Han Contention, where Liu Bang was decisively killed by Xiang Yu at the Hongmen Banquet, leading to the establishment of the Great Chu.

Oh, there is also a patched python robe belonging to the heir of the Prince of Su.

Zhao Xian sat down heavily on his bed and said angrily, "How much silver do we have in the residence? Bring it all out at once, for I am going to the capital!"

Old Huang continued to lament: "Little Prince, ever since the old prince passed away three years ago, not only has the government suppressed us, but the local gentry has also made things difficult for our Su Wangfu. The fief granted by the court has inexplicably been revoked, resulting in the complete depletion of all the land, deeds, and assets under the name of Su Wangfu."

Your grandmother's ... ...

After reluctantly letting go of his longing for his hometown, Zhao Xian began to confront the reality he had traversed. The first thing he needed to do was to clarify what his current situation truly was

The young man known as the Little Prince is named Zhao Xian. At this moment, it has only been half a day since he just crossed over.

Upon hearing this country name, Zhao Xian's head began to ache. Not to mention traveling back to the prosperous Tang Dynasty or the affluent Song Dynasty, at the very least, could you provide me with a dynasty that actually existed in history

As a modern individual studying history, Zhao Xian does not have much resistance to the idea of time travel; in the entire history department, nine and a half out of ten people have contemplated traveling back to ancient times

Zhao Xian, who comes from a background in history, understands well how significant titles were in ancient times. As long as he obtains the title of Prince Su, as long as the state of Qiguo does not perish, he will have a day of good fortune.

A hundred years later, the Great Chu fell into chaos and was swiftly destroyed, followed by the Jin Dynasty and a series of other dynasties, which have continued to the present day, marking a span of over one thousand years.

Huang Bo let out a bitter laugh: "It cannot be sold, it cannot be sold. The lions of the Wang residence are not something an ordinary family can afford. Just one act of overstepping is enough to incur the crime of confiscation of property. Not to mention whether it can be sold or not, even if it were sold, where would the dignity of the Duke of Su's residence be placed?"

Where do so many poor pretensions come from

Qiguo? What kind of country is this!

Two hundred miles south of the capital city of Qiguo, Lin'an, lies a place called Suzhou. Not far from the Suzhou government office, there is a grand mansion that spans across two streets, with four magnificent golden characters inlaid on its main gate.

Not long after graduating from university, Zhao Xian found himself in a daze, as if awakening from a dream. When he came to, the only person before him was the wrinkled old man, Lao Huang, along with a dilapidated yet astonishingly large royal mansion.

Old Huang glanced at Zhao Xian with a peculiar look in his eyes and murmured softly: "Little Prince, ever since the late Old Prince passed away three years ago, you have been observing the period of mourning for him, and to this day, you have not formally received the princely title at the ancestral hall in the capital, so your rice stipend..."

The capital has seen many people urging the young prince to enter the city and don the crown

Huang Bo let out a bitter laugh and said, "Little Prince, ever since the passing of the Prince, you have been in a state of madness for a full three years. It is only recently that you have finally regained your senses. During these three years, all your food, clothing, and expenses have been sustained by the past provisions of the manor. Although the manor is wealthy, consuming resources for three years naturally leads to depletion."

You see ... ...

Zhao Xianqiang forcibly suppressed his desire to go on a rampage and continued to inquire about the situation with Huang Bo

In his early years, Zhao Xian's benefactor, the former Duke of Su, Zhao Gong, was honored by the late emperor for his contributions during the founding of the dynasty and was granted the title of Duke of Su, with hereditary rights that could not be replaced. Coincidentally, the heir who has now transmigrated into this body shares the same name, also called Zhao Xian.