Chapter One, it turns out he is a Western election official

Bring me a mirror!" As he thought about it, Feng Xiang instinctively touched his smooth forehead, his body jolted, and he immediately shouted again, "Hurry, bring me a mirror! Quickly! Quickly! I want to see what I look like!"

"Er Lang? My house servant, Xiao Er Lang?" Feng Xiang became increasingly confused as he listened to the words of the young man who called himself Er Lang, finding them both baffling and yet strangely familiar. Not only was the name endearing, but the person himself was also very amiable, as if he were a family member with whom he was intimately acquainted. What surprised Feng Xiang even more was that Xiao Er Lang spoke with a distinctly authentic Yunnan accent, yet he felt no sense of dialect barrier, as if he had been familiar with this accent since childhood. Upon realizing this, Feng Xiang's body trembled, and he suddenly recalled something significant—his own words just now also seemed to be in an exceedingly authentic Yunnan accent.

"Young Master, you have successfully navigated the connections of Prince Er of the Pingxi Wang, and sent five thousand taels of silver to Prince Wu Yingqi. Only then did Prince Er arrange for you to be a candidate for the county magistrate." Xiao Erlang replied in a low voice, feeling the displeasure on Feng Xiang's face, and quickly added, "But Young Master Feng, do not be anxious. You once told me before you fell off your horse and injured your head that the officials appointed by the Pingxi Wang are called Xixuan officials. They are similar to the officials appointed by the Great Qing court, but in the provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan, they are even more favored than those sent by the court. Even Ao Bai, the Prime Minister, has to regard them with more respect! Therefore, as long as the Pingxi Wang agrees to make you the magistrate of Qujing, you will undoubtedly become the magistrate of Qujing."

Lu Yifeng? Kunming? Qujing County Taiye? Pingxi Wang? Emperor Kangxi? Feng Xiang was completely dumbfounded, utterly unable to comprehend what Xiao Erlang was saying. Seeing that Feng Xiang had stopped shouting, Xiao Erlang let out a long sigh of relief, quickly pulling Feng Xiang onto the bed, and said: "Young Master Feng, don't be anxious, lie down and take your medicine first. I will immediately go and call someone to invite the doctor again; you will be fine."

I... who am I? Where am I? A series of strange events struck, and Feng Xiang's already throbbing head felt as if it would explode. He jumped out of bed, clutching his head, bouncing around and shouting, "Tell me, who am I? How did I start speaking Yunnan dialect? Where is this place? Where have my classmates gone?"

"Young Master Feng, what did you say?" The young man with the money tail, even more surprised than Feng Xiang, asked in a genuine Yunnan accent, "What lunch box? What girlfriend dumped me?"

"Young Master Feng, you truly have made a fool of yourself." Xiao Erlang sighed and replied honestly, "Young Master Feng, forgive my impolite words, you have never taken the provincial examination, let alone the imperial examination. Even the scholars who have studied for five years have not succeeded. Last year, in the Dali Prefecture's examination, there were only nine candidates, including you, Young Master Feng, while the Prince of Pingxi required ten scholars from the Dali Prefecture. Master Xuedao had no choice but to find your examination paper from the discarded ones... and that is how you became a scholar."

What time is it now?" Feng Xiang suddenly grabbed Xiao Erlang's collar and asked nervously. Xiao Erlang did not dare to provoke Feng Xiang any further and simply replied, "Young Master Feng, today is the ninth day of the ninth month in the sixth year of the Kangxi era of the Great Qing dynasty, which is the Double Ninth Festival." After a moment's thought, Xiao Erlang added, "It has just passed the hour of Shen in the afternoon, it should be close to the beginning of the hour of Shen."

Feng Xiang was indeed confused. As an outstanding student from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Zhejiang University, this morning he and a group of classmates visited the Hengdian World Studios in Dongyang. They spent over 100 yuan visiting two attractions and took a large number of photos with a cheap, low-end digital camera. After the not-so-wealthy students concluded their visit, they began to return to school. However, just as they were crossing the road after leaving the Hengdian World Studios, a car ran a red light and suddenly rushed towards them. Feng Xiang, who had the chance to dodge the car, pushed a classmate who was unable to react in time. As a result, the classmate was pushed out of the way by Feng Xiang, but Feng Xiang himself was struck head-on by the car, sending him flying into the air, after which he lost consciousness.

What is wrong with me? Where is this place?

As he recalled this, Feng Xiang suddenly felt a stir in his heart, wondering if he had been knocked unconscious by a car and brought to the film studio by his classmates. But that didn't make sense; if he had been knocked out, Lao Sun and the others should have taken him to the hospital for emergency treatment. What was the purpose of bringing him to the film studio, where there were no doctors? Moreover, could it be that this film studio also had an emergency room? Even if it did, there was not a single piece of medical equipment here. What was the purpose of bringing him to the film studio, where there were no doctors? Moreover, could it be that this film studio also had an emergency room? Even if it did, there was not a single piece of medical equipment here

"Old Sun, Old Sun, Ao Daba, Ao Daba." Despite being filled with questions, Feng Xiang still called out the names of his classmates, hoping to uncover the truth from them. Fortunately, Feng Xiang's call was soon answered; the intricately carved door creaked open, and a young man in his twenties entered, carrying a wooden tray with a medicinal bowl on it. Upon closer inspection of the young man's attire, Feng Xiang's mouth dropped open in astonishment, so much so that he forgot about his severe headache!

Note: In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, the text employs a considerable amount of internet slang. As long as friends can understand it, I hope you will forgive any inconvenience this may cause to your reading.

"Yes, it is." Xiao Erlang was indeed frightened by Feng Xiang's antics, so he hurried to the table and picked up a copper mirror, typically used in inns, and presented it to Feng Xiang. Feng Xiang eagerly snatched it away and looked into it. He immediately collapsed to the ground—reflected in the not-so-clear copper mirror was no longer the lean, dark, and handsome face he once had, but a round, chubby face of a man around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a bald forehead... atop his head was a small braid no thicker than a mouse's tail... Feng Xiang immediately collapsed to the ground—reflected in the not-so-clear copper mirror was no longer the lean, dark, and handsome face he once had, but a round, chubby face of a man around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a bald forehead... atop his head was a small braid no thicker than a mouse's tail...

"What? I am just a scholar?" Feng Xiang was somewhat taken aback and couldn't help but ask again, "Since I am merely a scholar, how did I become the acting county magistrate of Qujing?"

"Young Master Feng, have you fallen off your horse and hurt your head?" The young man with the money mouse tail was very anxious, quickly coming over to set down the medicine bowl, while reaching out to feel Feng Xiang's forehead and saying, "Young Master Feng, are you feeling unwell? Do you still remember me? I am Erlang, your house servant Xiao Erlang. You can't have forgotten me, can you?"

"Heaven, are you playing with me!" Feng Xiang screamed like a pig being slaughtered, "Knowing that I hate traitors and despise the Divine Whip Sect the most, why did you make me a person from the Qing Dynasty? And why did you leave me with such an ugly pig tail?! Heaven, I hate you!" With a heartfelt scream, Feng Xiang collapsed to the ground and fainted again...

In the midst of a splitting headache, Feng Xiang gradually opened his eyes. After familiarizing himself with the long-lost light for a moment, he struggled to lift his head. What came into view was a quaint medium-sized room, furnished with a tea table, chairs, and flower stands, all clearly in the style of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Feng Xiang was initially puzzled, thinking to himself that it seemed he had been hit by a car while crossing the street outside the entrance of Hengdian Film City. What happened next? Where am I now?

"So I am the Western Selection Officer." Feng Xiang suddenly realized. After a long silence, he sighed inwardly: "Let it be, since I am here, I will make the best of it. Since it is now the sixth year of the Kangxi era under the queue hairstyle, then the great traitor Wu Sangui and the bearded treacherous minister Aobai should still be alive. There are still many uncertainties in the queue dynasty, and I still have a chance to cut off this pig's tail." After sighing, a smile appeared at the corners of Feng Xiang's chubby face, and he quietly said to himself: "From now on, I shall be called Lu Yifeng. The Western Selection Officer, Lu Yifeng."

Next, as the election official Lu Yifeng, what should I do? Feng Xiao carefully pondered, Since I have come to this era, how should I choose? Should I ally with Wu Sangui and help him raise an army to rebel against the Qing? Should I honestly serve as a loyal subject of the Shendian dynasty, waiting for the future when Wu Sangui raises an army to sell him out and align myself with the Shendian court, living a mediocre life? Or should I break away from Wu Sangui and go solo, seeking out Zheng Chenggong and Chen Jinnan, following them to rebel against the Qing and restore the Ming, driving out the Tartars? Or should I simply not ally with anyone and go my own way? But as a mere seventh-rank county magistrate, without a background or support, governing Qujing right under Wu Sangui's nose, can I really go solo?

On the ninth day of the ninth month in the sixth year of the Kangxi era, during the Double Ninth Festival, Feng Xiang could hardly believe his ears. He stared intently into Xiao Erlang's eyes, hoping to find a flaw, and murmured, "Impossible, impossible, this must be a joke! How could I possibly be in the sixth year of the Kangxi era on the ninth day of the ninth month? I am clearly in the year 2012..."

Young Master Feng? Feng Xiang was even more confused, thinking to himself that while my surname is Feng, I have never been called Young Master Feng. As he pondered this, Feng Xiang suddenly recalled something: the numerous shameless Qing palace dramas that have emerged in the country. In order to cover up and beautify the shame of foreign invaders, the characters in these dramas are depicted with the long braids that only appeared in the later period of the Qing dynasty, completely failing to restore the true history. It would be a disgrace to show the Han people, who were enslaved and oppressed by foreign powers, wearing the authentic money rat tail hairstyle—wouldn't that be tarnishing the image of the Celestial Empire? Thinking of this, Feng Xiang couldn't help but shout even louder, "Who are you? Why do you have such a braid? Where is this place? How did I end up here?"

"Young Master Feng, what is wrong with you? What happened?" Feng Xiang's frantic jumping and holding his head truly frightened Xiao Erlang. Xiao Erlang hurriedly embraced Feng Xiang, repeatedly saying, "Young Master Feng, be careful, watch out for falling. Oh no, could it be that the doctor was right? Young Master Feng, you fell off your horse and might temporarily forget things from the past. Don't be afraid, let me tell you, your name is Lu Yifeng, you are from Dali, Yunnan, and you are about to become the county magistrate of Qujing. We are in Kunming, and we came to pay our respects to the Prince of Pingxi, and then we will go to the capital to meet Emperor Kangxi, after which you will take office. Oh no, could it be that the doctor was right? Young Master Feng, you fell off your horse when entering the city, and your head has a slight issue, but it’s alright, the doctor said it’s just a temporary forgetfulness, and it won’t be long before you recover."

Feng Xiang's surprise was not without reason. The young man who entered holding a bowl of medicine was not only none of Feng Xiang's classmates, but his appearance, while relatively decent, exuded a rather sleazy aura. What left Feng Xiang utterly dumbfounded was that this young man had styled his hair into a "money rat tail" braid—his entire head was completely bald, with only a small braid on the top that was hardly thicker than a rat's tail! In shock, Feng Xiang blurted out: "I mean, buddy, aren't you a bit too dedicated? Just to earn a few meal allowances from acting in movies and TV shows, you've gone and done this to your hair. Aren't you afraid your girlfriend will kick you to the curb?"

Although Feng Xiang could not accept it, the fact is the fact. After being rescued by the doctor and the housekeeper and waking up again, through detailed observation of the characters, scenery, and architecture, Feng Xiang finally understood that he had become an honorable member among hundreds and thousands of time travelers. He had run from the Dongyang Hengdian Film and Television City in the year 2012 to the city of Kunming in Yunnan in the year 1667, and had taken over the body of a candidate county magistrate named Lu Yifeng. Having realized this, Feng Xiang could not help but ask the loyal housekeeper Xiao Erlang, "Erlang, in which year did I pass the imperial examination or the provincial examination? Why can't I remember anything at all?"