Chapter 1, Laozi is back

Do not seek the imperial physician, as those physicians are unreliable; the ones who come are certainly spies. Wu Fu shook his head in disapproval of his son's suggestion and said to his younger son: "Wu Xi, your pace is swift, take more silver to the front gate and find Doctor Zhou Huichun there to treat the eldest prince."

Zhuang Zhou dreamed of a butterfly! Wu Yuanming ignored the concerned inquiries from Wu Fu and his son, instead jumping around and waving his fists, laughing maniacally: "I understand now, I am like Zhuangzi, dreaming of my next life! Hahaha... the Qing Dynasty, I have returned!"

"Zhou Langzhong, please have some tea." Wu Fu placed a cup of hot tea beside Zhou Huichun and said softly, "Our young master was startled awake from a dream half an hour ago. He was sleeping soundly when he suddenly screamed and fell out of bed." Wu Fu's warm face was completely pressed against the cold back, while the stern-faced Zhou Huichun did not even glance at him, merely responding with a cold grunt. However, Zhou Huichun soon let out an exclamation, "Oh! How strange!"

Wu Fushan's well-meaning nagging was like playing the lute to a cow, and Wu Yuanming, who had almost no conscience, did not listen to a single word. At this moment, Wu Yuanming was merely repeating a few words, "Zhuang Zhou dreamed of a butterfly, Zhuang Zhou dreamed of a butterfly, Zhuang Zhou dreamed of a butterfly..." Suddenly, Wu Yuanming leaped out of bed barefoot, startling the four members of the Wu family, who quickly asked, "Young Master, what is wrong? Young Master, are you feeling unwell?"

Thank you, Dr. Zhou, for your concern. I, Wu Yuan... Wu Yingxiong understands. Wu Yuanming is a character who would rather die than suffer a loss, always trying to take advantage, and he is unwilling to even suffer verbal losses. However, I would like to remind Dr. Zhou that while it may be acceptable to speak such words in front of me, if mentioned in front of other gossipy individuals... Hehe, Dr. Zhou may not fear death, but Dr. Zhou's son and grandson might... Hehe, Dr. Zhou may not fear death, but Dr. Zhou's son and grandson might...

At this thought, the exhausted Wu Yuanming was drenched in cold sweat. He did not know where a surge of strength came from, but he jumped off the bed, disregarding the three family members beside him. In a flurry, he only pulled at his pants, shouting with a hoarse voice filled with anxiety, "Wu Fu, quickly bring the lamp! I want to see if my life root is still there!"

"I ask you, who am I? What is my name?" Wu Yuanming asked in a daze. Wu Fu was taken aback for a moment, then quickly realized that the young master must have lost his senses in a dream, causing him to forget his own name. Wu Fu replied respectfully: "In response to the heir, the heir's surname is Wu, and he is the eldest son of Prince Wu Sangui of Pingxi, the husband of Princess Jianing, and a first-rank official serving as the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, with the esteemed name Wu Yingxiong."

Thank you, Doctor Zhou. Wu Xi, please send Doctor Zhou back and conveniently bring the medicine as well. Wu Fu received it with immense gratitude and arranged for his youngest son to escort Zhou Huichun back. However, Zhou Huichun did not rush to leave and subtly mocked Wu Yuanming, saying: "Your Highness, I have noticed that your liver pulse is quite weak. It seems you are often burdened by mundane matters, which has accumulated sorrow in your liver. You should try to be more open-minded and think of happier things. Our Han dynasty has already been handed over to others; what could be more worthy of concern than this?"

"Should we report this to the princess as well?" Wu Xi responded and then asked. Upon hearing this, Wu Yuanming instinctively shouted, "No! Do not report it to her! I do not want to see her! I do not want to see anyone from her family!"

My own study? Wu Lu? Wu Shou? Wu Xi? My own study? Wu Yuanming softly repeated these words in his mouth, his mind a chaotic jumble. At one moment, he envisioned a scene of battling insects and playing with birds in an ancient room adorned with intricate beams and painted pillars; at another, he pictured himself tinkering with a keyboard and mouse in a concrete room while playing Counter-Strike. Sometimes, he saw himself dressed in red and gold, welcoming a bride who was less than 1.3 meters tall; at other times, he imagined waiting anxiously with a bouquet of bright roses beneath the girls' dormitory. Even the elderly Wu Fu, with his white hair, struggled to support him, but he remained oblivious.

"Zhou Langzhong, if the pulse has already been taken, please write the prescription, and I will have someone fetch the medicine." Wu Fu, who had been fiddling with the charcoal stove, noticed that Zhou Huichun was becoming increasingly sensitive in his speech. Unable to hold back, he interrupted Zhou Xingchun's monologue. As he spoke, Wu Fu used a pair of fire tongs to pick up several pieces of brightly burning red charcoal, allowing Zhou Huichun to see his expression in the glow of the coals. Zhou Xingcheng, being quite astute, noticed Wu Fu's subtle signals and the unfriendly expression on Wu Yuanming's face. He immediately understood that he might have inadvertently touched upon a sensitive topic for Wu Yuanming and promptly ceased discussing the pulse condition, moving to the writing desk to prepare the prescription.

Wu Yuanming asked ambiguously: "Who are you, and where am I?"

After Wu Yuanming was assisted to the dental chair by Wu Lu and Wu Shou, approximately half an hour later, the renowned doctor Zhou Huichun from Huichuntang in the capital's Xinglin district was finally invited by Wu Xi. It was not that Wu Xi was lazy or negligent in his duties, but rather that Doctor Zhou was initially unwilling to treat the son of a great traitor, even stating that it would be satisfying to see Wu Yingxiong die from his illness. For a doctor whose mission is to save lives to utter such words, Wu Yuanming could indeed be considered unparalleled throughout history. Ultimately, it was only after Wu Xi knelt down, even injuring his forehead, that Doctor Zhou reluctantly accompanied him to the Wu residence.

I am Wu Yingxiong! Wu Yuanming suddenly sat up, and he remembered that he was Wu Yingxiong, the eldest son of Wu Sangui, the one who was cuckolded by his wife, had his genitals cut off by the conspirators, and was beheaded by Kangxi! The eldest son of the great traitor Wu Sangui—Wu Yingxiong! The current time is not the twenty-first century, but the third day of the first month in the eighth year of Kangxi!

"Your Highness, you should not frighten Doctor Zhou." Wu Fu, who had served the Wu family for three generations, was not only loyal to Wu Yingxiong but also a kind-hearted and sensible person. While preparing medicine for Wu Yuanming, he said, "Although Doctor Zhou's words may be harsh and he inadvertently touched upon your taboo, he is truly a good person. Last year, when Minister Ao ordered the expansion of land, many Han people whose fields were enclosed ended up begging in Beijing. Throughout the city, it was only Doctor Zhou's Huichun Hall that provided medicine to the beggars, saving countless of our Han people..."

This week, the physician Zhou Huichun, whom Wu Xi invited, is quite talkative, yet he is the foremost healer among the common people in the capital. Even Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang once sought his treatment for her migraine. However, Wu Yuanming is not actually ill; he merely needs some calming and energy-boosting medicine to get by. Thus, Zhou Huichun swiftly wrote the prescription and handed it to Wu Fu, saying, "Go to my pharmacy to fetch the medicine. Boil three bowls of water down to one, take three doses daily, and after two days of continuous use, you will surely see improvement"

"Help!" Wu Yuanming shouted as he jumped up from the bed, waving his hands. In his struggle, he tripped over the bed sheet and fell heavily to the floor, resulting in a painful collision between his head and the ground. The pain, however, brought him back to his senses—being beaten by the urban management was just a dream. Realizing this, Wu Yuanming let out a sigh of relief and lay weakly on the cold floor, gasping for breath

Upon entering the study, Zhou Huichun, dressed in a mink coat, wore an extremely unfriendly expression. Without even greeting, he directly sat on the edge of Wu Yuanming's bed and bluntly asked, "Were you startled awake from a dream? When was it?" As he spoke, Zhou Huichun took out a piece of thin gauze from his pocket to cover his right hand, and then he grasped Wu Yuanming's wrist to check his pulse. That rude and contemptuous action made Wu Yuanming feel very displeased. In the twenty-first century, if anyone dared to treat Wu Yuanming like this, he would have long since turned hostile and dealt with them.

Father, the Crown Prince's gaze was unfocused, as if he were lost in thought. The young man named Wu Shou, being the most astute, noticed that Wu Yuanming was not in good spirits and suggested, "Shall we go find the imperial physician to prescribe some calming medicine for the Crown Prince?"

After performing a half-kneeling salute, Wu Xihang quickly ran out of the study. Only then did Wu Yuanming let out a sigh of relief, collapsing weakly onto the bed. At this moment, Wu Yuanming gradually began to recall his identity; he seemed to be the eldest son of a prince from the Qing Dynasty. The Wu Fu before him was a long-time family servant, while Wu Lu and Wu Xi were born in his household. The earlier scene of the city management officers being fierce and intimidating was merely the end of a long nightmare, in which his name was Wu Yuanming, and he was a traffic police officer with a relatively upright demeanor.

"Thank heaven, thank the earth, thank our ancestors... still here." Wu Yuanming, who finally breathed a sigh of relief, unexpectedly collapsed to the ground, inwardly shouting, "Old Jin has caused quite a bit of trouble..."

Is my life still there? Wu Yuanming's cries resembled the howls of wolves, the wails of ghosts, and even more so, the mournful cries of night owls, echoing far into the snowy night. In short, despite Wu Yuanming's residence being located in Shihu Hutong outside Xuanwu Gate, his cries were clearly heard even by the imperial guards on duty at Zhengyang Gate of the Forbidden City. This frightened the poor imperial guards, making them suspicious and paranoid, leading them to spend money on incense and paper money to worship the fox spirit. In short, despite Wu Yuanming's residence being located in Shihu Hutong outside Xuanwu Gate, his cries were clearly heard even by the imperial guards on duty at Zhengyang Gate of the Forbidden City. This frightened the poor imperial guards, making them suspicious and paranoid, leading them to spend money on incense and paper money to worship the fox spirit. However, the most unfortunate were the common people living around Shihu Hutong—their property values plummeted by half overnight.

"Wu Fu," Wu Yuanming called gently. Wu Fu, who was applying bruise ointment to the skin that Wu Yuanming had injured, raised his head and replied kindly, "Young Master, this old servant is here."

"Doctor Zhou, what is wrong with our young master?" Wu Fu, startled by Zhou Huichun's sudden reaction, quickly inquired, "Doctor Zhou, is our young master seriously ill?"

"Your Highness, what is the matter with you?" A voice, old and panicked, came from outside the room. Wu Yuanming vaguely felt that this voice was somewhat familiar, yet he could not recall who the owner of the voice was. At that moment, the door creaked open, and a beam of candlelight entered Wu Yingxiong's dark bedroom, dazzling Wu Yuanming's eyes. In a daze, Wu Yuanming saw an old man in a long robe and a horse coat enter. The old man was holding a brass candlestick, and the flickering candlelight illuminated him, revealing that he had a small braid.

"Your Highness, you must have had another nightmare." The elderly Wu Fu said while checking if Wu Yuanming had any injuries from a fall, "Your Highness, the old servant knows that you are troubled by the Emperor's rejection of your petition to return home for a family visit, but you must take care of your health. The old Prince is still waiting for your return in Yunnan, and you will have the opportunity to go back in the future"

It turned out that within less than an hour after awakening, Wu Yuanming had already understood what that long dream represented—his consciousness from the twenty-first century had returned to the body of his previous life. If it were someone else, their consciousness suddenly returning to their past life’s body would surely cause them to panic and be at a loss. However, our Wu Yingxiong, the great heir of the Wu family, is not someone to be trifled with. Upon realizing the situation, he not only remained calm but also did not feel disheartened by the prospect of his tragic fate. Instead, he dashed barefoot into the snow-covered outdoors, waving his fists and shouting into the dark night sky, "The Qing Dynasty, I have returned! I have returned!"

"Come on, you can just say that it was my father who handed over the empire to the Manchus." The cunning Wu Yuanming had regained much of his senses at this moment and naturally caught the insinuation in Zhou Huichun's words. However, Wu Yuanming had also heard that Zhou Huichun was a stubborn old man who would not yield easily—Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang had once issued an edict for Zhou Huichun to serve in the Imperial Medical Institute, but Zhou Huichun refused to bow to the Manchus, claiming he was suffering from a contagious disease. Moreover, in order to verify whether Zhou Huichun was lying, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang sent several groups of imperial physicians to examine him, but they all returned without any results, and the matter ultimately came to nothing. This old stubborn man, who adhered strictly to the distinction between Manchus and Han, even dared to defy Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang; it would indeed be strange for him to bow to a leisurely official like Wu Yingxiong.

"Your Highness, please forgive me; I have been foolish," Zhou Huichun scolded himself for his indiscretion. The lingering hatred for the Qing dynasty from the previous era was a capital offense that could implicate his entire family. Although he had used a unique method to deceive the imperial physician and escaped the grave crime of disobeying an imperial edict, he had still been marked in the Qing court. If what he had just said were to spread, the consequences would be unimaginable. Therefore, Zhou Huichun dared not mock Wu Yuanming any longer, and he even refrained from collecting the consultation fee. He hurriedly took his leave, allowing Wu Yuanming, who was busy with his own troubles, to save a considerable sum on the late-night medical fees.

The heir's kidney pulse is robust and substantial, which is truly rare. Given the heir's status and position, it is indeed admirable that he can achieve this. Zhou Huichun's response finally allowed Wu Fu to breathe a sigh of relief, and Zhou Huichun's complexion also improved somewhat at this moment. He sincerely exclaimed: "As the eldest son of the Prince of Pingxi, a first-rank minister, and the husband of Princess Jianning, with numerous beautiful wives and concubines at home, he is still able to maintain such integrity. If I am not mistaken, the heir has not approached women for at least three months, right? It is truly commendable, truly commendable."

"Young Master, what has happened to you? I am your old servant, Wu Fu. Are you in your study?" The elderly Wu Fu exclaimed anxiously, "Young Master, you must be haunted by a nightmare. Wu Lu, Wu Shou, Wu Xi, you three little rascals, come quickly, the Young Master is haunted by a nightmare!"

A biting cold wind swept through, and suddenly a few snowflakes floated down from the pitch-black sky. The snowflakes grew larger, swirling and dancing, resembling goose feathers. It was as if the heavens themselves were weeping for Wu Yuanming—how could I send such a despicable person back to this era? Is this not a sin?

"Father, what happened?" Several young voices, accompanied by hurried footsteps, quickly approached. At this moment, several candlesticks in the study were lit by Wu Fu, and Wu Yuanming's eyes gradually adjusted to the light, allowing him to see that three young men in their twenties had rushed in, all with bald foreheads and small braids, dressed in the traditional attire of the Manchu era. Wu Fu anxiously called out to the three young men: "You little rascals, come help the Crown Prince! The Crown Prince has a scratch; I will skin you all alive."

Three strong young men worked together effortlessly to lift Wu Yuanming onto the dental chair. Although it was presumably the first time Wu Yuanming had met them, he recognized that the slightly older young man was named Wu Lu, the one with a capable appearance was named Wu Shou, and the strongest yet least attractive among them was named Wu Xi. Moreover, Wu Yuanming also knew that these three young men were the sons of the old Wu Fu and seemed to be his household servants. This left Wu Yuanming even more confused, "Who am I? Am I Wu Yuanming? Or someone else?"

In Wu Yuanming's study, only four candles were lit, and the light was not very good. Therefore, Zhou Huichun did not notice the glances exchanged by Wu Fu, Wu Lu, and others towards him. He could only keep praising Wu Yuanming's pulse condition and thought about his only son, who was indulged in all sorts of vices such as drinking, gambling, and visiting brothels. Unable to restrain himself, he said: "It is truly lamentable that my unworthy son, not yet thirty, has married four concubines and frequently visits the flower streets and willow alleys to engage with prostitutes. If he could possess even half of the self-respect and dignity of a legitimate heir, he would not always be asking me for Liuwei Dihuang Wan."