Chapter 8, Restore.

Chen Guoyuan is in Jiangnan, and the servants do not know much about Chen Guo. However, it is said that their country is richer than our Zhou. For instance, the silk and porcelain used in our Duke's residence are all imported from Chen Guo

Yang Tian did not expect that reading a book would be so difficult, but he had to wait for this nominal father to return, which would only be around evening. Therefore, Yang Tian could only find a place by the artificial hill, sit quietly, and stare blankly at the reflection of the hill in the pond.

"Noble person, not bad, I am now a noble person." Yang Tian became optimistic again, I am neither a caterpillar nor a fish, but a fisherman catching fish. No matter what time it is now, this place is at least hundreds of years behind the era I belong to, and I do not believe that advanced knowledge accumulated over hundreds of years cannot survive here

If one has a slight understanding of the establishment of the Sui Dynasty, Yang Tian should know when he is without needing to look it up in books. However, apart from knowing that the Sui Dynasty was a short-lived dynasty and that Emperor Yang Guang was a tyrant, Yang Tian is completely ignorant of other details. Perhaps if someone mentioned it, he would remember that the founding emperor of the Sui Dynasty was Yang Jian, and that Yang Guang was not originally the crown prince; the crown prince was his elder brother Yang Yong, and Yang Guang seized the throne by killing his brother. Other than that, he knows nothing at all.

The government residence not only has gardens and artificial hills, but also features a pond that occupies several acres. The pond is bordered by willows, which are currently laden with catkins. As a gentle breeze blows, the catkins drift into the pond. Occasionally, a fish surfaces, catching a caterpillar that has fallen from the willow tree, before swiftly diving back into the water, creating ripples across the pond's surface.

Of course there are, there are Qi and Liang. The state of Liang is quite small and is a vassal of our Great Zhou. As for Qi, it was originally not much different from our Great Zhou. However, Your Majesty has continuously led campaigns, and now many territories of the state of Qi have been occupied by our Great Zhou. According to what the Duke of the State has mentioned, Your Majesty may soon launch another campaign to incorporate Qi into our nation in one fell swoop

Are you Han Chinese, Ah Xiang

Yang Tian had been racking his brains to determine whether all the places he knew were from ancient China, but he had no impression of the Great Zhou in his mind, so he did not pursue the matter further. Unexpectedly, he learned from Axiang that there was also a state called Chen in the south, which immediately piqued his interest: "Axiang, are there any other states besides Chen?"

Axiang said sadly: "I am indeed a Han person."

Yang Tian was increasingly convinced that this court was a heavily Sinicized Xianbei court: "Are there more Han people or more Xianbei people?"

Yang Tian, however, did not wish to return immediately, and inquired, "Ah Xiang, where is my father's study? I would like to take a look."

Yang Tian gathered a rough understanding of the current situation from A Xiang's words. If what A Xiang said is true, then after the Great Zhou has destroyed the Northern Qi and Liang, there is no doubt that their military might will certainly turn south to annihilate the Chen Kingdom. Yang Tian has never believed in the concept of tribute; tribute is nothing but a sign of weakness and a means to aid the enemy

"Ah Xiang, could you tell me about the Chen state?" Since Ah Xiang mentioned that the Liang state is merely a vassal of the Zhou, and that the Qi state is on the verge of being destroyed by the Zhou, he need not worry about these two states, but rather needs to understand the Chen state, which is composed of Han people.

Axiang smiled and said: "Young Master, of course there are more Han people. Even in the Great Zhou, the number of Han people is ten times that of the Xianbei. Moreover, in the south and in the Chen Kingdom of Tushu, their numbers are not inferior to those of the Great Zhou; they are all Han people."

With this being said, Yang Tian became even more confused. Given the immense strength of the Great Zhou, it is highly likely that a northern dynasty could unify the entire country. Although his understanding of history is lacking, starting from the Qin dynasty, there has never been a unified dynasty known as the Northern Zhou. Moreover, the standard of living here cannot be compared to that of the Zhou state prior to the Tai period.

However, Yang Tian is already very satisfied to have unexpectedly gained so much knowledge from Axiang. From Axiang's repeated references to 'our Great Zhou', it is evident that the regime of Great Zhou is still quite stable. At least Yang Tian does not have to worry about losing his status as the eldest son of the Duke anytime soon

Axiang shook her head and said, "Young Master, the Duke's study is a place of great importance. Without the Duke's permission, I cannot dare to take you there."

No, I will never be a caterpillar; if I must be something, I would rather be a fish that eats caterpillars

However, Yang Guang is now called Pu Liu Ru Ying, which is derived from hearing the character "Yang" from his father's mouth that day. His Chinese name was also changed to Yang Ying. Although his own name contains the character "Yong," he is only remembered as Pu Liu Ru Yong. Therefore, Yang Tian remains in a state of confusion

Axiang shook her head: "No, there are many high-ranking officials of Han descent in the court, but the Great Zhou is a dynasty established by the Xianbei people, and the nobility are all of Xianbei descent"

The entire Duke's residence is divided into three tiers. The place where Yang Tian resides belongs to the innermost tier of the Duke's residence. Among his several brothers, apart from Amo, who lives here as well, the other three live closer to their parents. Both Yang Tian and Amo have their own independent courtyards, which also include several servants. Since both of them are still minors, these servants are also managed uniformly by the Duke's residence, with authority held by the mistress, Lady Dugu.

Then how is their military strength? Can they compete with our Great Zhou?

The imperial residence covers several hectares, and it takes more than half a day to walk around it. By the time Yang Tian completed a lap, he was already panting with exhaustion. Although his health had improved, he was still not accustomed to walking so much at once. Ah Xiang looked at him with concern and said, "Young Master, let's go back."

Ah Xiang stood behind him, perplexed by Yang Tian's words: "Young Master, what caterpillar, what fish? You are the son of a duke, invaluable beyond words, how could you say such things"

During this period when Yang Tian was ill, first, the Dugu family personally took care of him, and then assigned Axiang and Alan to look after him. Everyone was prohibited from approaching Yang Tian, so today was the first time he saw the servants in his courtyard. There were two pairs of couples specifically responsible for heavy labor, tasked with cleaning and washing in the courtyard, as well as a gardener and two guards. Upon seeing Yang Tian, these individuals quickly bowed and greeted him. Therefore, today was the first time Yang Tian encountered the servants in his courtyard, which included two pairs of couples responsible for heavy labor, a gardener, and two guards. Upon seeing Yang Tian, these individuals quickly bowed and greeted him

Yang Tian hoped even more to find the historical texts as soon as possible to thoroughly understand the era he was in, but he could not access his father's study for the time being, leaving him with no choice but to lament his situation

Is the status of the Han people very low

Yang Tian currently feels like a caterpillar that has fallen onto the surface of the water, arriving in this unfamiliar world where everything is beyond his control, uncertain of when he might be swallowed by a fish

Of course they cannot compete, as Chen State is required to pay tribute to us every year. Many of the items bestowed by the Emperor to the Duke's residence are indeed tributes from Chen State

I am currently a Xianbei person, but in my previous life, I was Han. At that time, should I help the Han people or the current Great Zhou? However, Yang Tian quickly cast this worry aside, as I am still young and do not understand the situation well; overthinking is of no benefit.