Chapter 1, Dartmouth

As a naval officer, Hu Xu is very aware that the Qing Dynasty had no navy, and even the formal title of the Beiyang Fleet, which later dominated Asia for a time, was still referred to as the Beiyang Water Force

At least in 1853, the Qing Empire was still quite robust. Ultimately, the downfall of the Qing Dynasty was not a result of external pressures or armed conflicts, but rather stemmed from the internal reforms of the Qing Dynasty that ultimately led to its own collapse through repeated failures.

With Lily's reminder, Hu Xu suddenly recalled certain things, including the very familiar name Lin Haijiang, and some past memories began to gradually surface before his eyes

Lily exclaimed, "Oh my! That foreign doctor said you might experience some shock, forget things, it's truly miraculous!"

Hu Xu, despite his lack of understanding, still grasped the meaning of the two characters for 'room.' Thus, he blushed and awkwardly said, 'Well then, could you explain to me about that chair over there?'

Hu Xu glanced helplessly at the little girl and then said, "Come sit over here and tell me all about it."

In the melodious sound of the organ, the bells of the small town of Southampton begin to toll slowly, their distant chimes resonating throughout the entire port. For Southampton, the natural deep-water harbor that serves as the center for the transshipment of goods on the southern coast of the British Empire, the sound of the bells signifies that today's high tide is about to come to an end

When Hu Xu opened his eyes again, he found an extremely weary girl leaning on his bedside, and the furnishings in the room were a bizarre blend of Chinese and Western styles. It was as if it were a scene from a low-quality play set in the late Qing Dynasty or early Republic of China. Hu Xu struggled to sit up, but inadvertently startled the girl who was resting at his bedside. In surprise, the girl hurriedly supported Hu Xu and said, "Young Master, what are you trying to do? I am here to serve you!"

"Hurry up and follow me, we are going to be late! Robert is notoriously strict and unyielding." After Anna smiled at Lin Haijiang, she lifted the hem of her skirt and immediately moved with great speed. Lin Haijiang stared at Anna's fluffy, large princess dress, momentarily taken aback, but then recalled a joke from the past. However, this was certainly not the time for jokes, so he quickened his pace to catch up with Anna as they headed straight for the school gate

Hu Xu tightly clenched his fists and fell asleep unknowingly. Bai He smiled helplessly, covered the young master with a quilt, and was just about to turn around when she noticed Zi Juan quietly entering to take her place. The two little girls exchanged smiles and stealthily ran to the outer hall to whisper.

The earlier the decaying Qing Dynasty is overthrown, the sooner China will seize the opportunity for renewed development and regain the advantage that allows the Chinese nation to stand tall among the nations of the world

The academy was established in 1863, and is also known as the "Royal Naval College Dartmouth". Historically, the directors of the academy have been appointed from the commanders of the Royal Navy's home fleet.

Early the next morning, Hu Xu got up early. The remnants of his memory reminded him that the roll call at Dartmouth Naval School was at 7:00. Since most of his hair had been burned off, he simply decided to shave his head completely. In Hu Xu's view, this trivial act of shaving his head resulted in Steward Zhao and a group of people kneeling before him, crying profusely.

Hu Xu was driven by a strong impulse to meet the Lin family's extraordinary ancestors. How could it be that, in the so-called 'great power' of the inland region during the Qing Dynasty, which was still under the policy of 'maritime prohibition', there existed such a far-sighted awareness of the ocean? It is truly remarkable

The Second Opium War, marked by the burning of the Old Summer Palace by the Anglo-French Allied Forces, occurred externally, while internally, the Qing court's tyranny led to widespread suffering among the populace, culminating in the Taiping Rebellion. A series of significant events unfolded during this critical period from 1851 to 1860

"Young Master! Young Master! You have finally awakened?" Hu Xu opened his heavy eyes, and what came into view was a chubby man with a beaming face. He hazily glanced around the room at the people present, then closed his eyes again. He could hear someone beside him anxiously saying with mixed emotions: "Xiao Zi, express our gratitude to Doctor Smithson, double the consultation fee!"

I fear that I have already become this vast forest boundary. The name Hu Xu will likely be buried deep within my own memories from now on

My head is hurting quite a bit right now, could you tell me about my past? Also, what year is it this year? The young maid, in a state of panic, suddenly knelt down on the ground with a thud and cried, "Young master was injured while trying to save Sister Baihe and Sister Zijuān. It is all our fault; we will no longer shout about going out to trouble you in the future"

In 1852, although Britain had largely completed its industrial transformation, urban development and construction were still in a state of confusion, with its destination being the Dartmouth Naval College in the suburb of Melton, Dartmouth.

After sternly reprimanding the two disobedient young maids who relied on the young master's favor, Butler Zhao stood respectfully to the side, directing Baihe and Zijuang to assist Hu Xu with changing his clothes

In Lin Haijiang's memory, this is Principal Mistrong George's daughter, Anna George, who is also the school's physics teacher

Lin! Has your body recovered? Just as Lin Haijiang was momentarily stunned after getting off the carriage, a typical Western beauty with a hot figure, blonde hair, and blue eyes stood in front of him, her expression of concern appearing genuine

Such matters generally exist within the conceptual framework of fictional novels. The idea of an immortal soul being reborn is indeed too bizarre for Hu Xu, a modern individual, to accept, to the point of being utterly incomprehensible. It is also fortunate that Hu Xu has a habit of being rather careless in his daily life.

Lin Haijiang performed a hat-removal gesture towards Anna as per his memory, but his shiny bald head elicited a gasp from Anna. The melodious chime interrupted Anna's thoughts of further inquiry

Hu Xu hesitated for a moment, deciding to go along with Bai He’s words, lest it raise the little girl’s suspicions. He then slightly shook his head and said: "It’s not your fault; I’m just a bit confused at the moment, and many things from the past have become quite vague!"

The second year of Xianfeng? That would be 1852? Hu Xu let out a long sigh and murmured to himself: "Eight more years, eight more years!"

After Hu Xu changed into his school uniform, he stood in front of the mirror. The deep blue, double-breasted military uniform with a stand-up collar appeared very substantial. Aside from a one-finger-wide white trim at the cuffs and a red line on the trousers, the entire military uniform had no other decorations, making it look particularly neat and efficient compared to military uniforms from both the East and West of this era.

The year 1860 was an incredibly dark period for the entire Chinese nation, as the cultural heritage and achievements accumulated over thousands of years were shamelessly plundered by bandits

Hu Xu's request left the young maid momentarily stunned However, she still brought over a palm-sized mirror with a look of disbelief on her face Hu Xu took a moment to calm his emotions and picked up the mirror to take a look A strange, fair-skinned face appeared in the mirror Hu Xu was taken aback for quite a while before slowly putting down the mirror He realized that he had likely encountered something truly extraordinary

Butler Zhao also knew that the young master was often mocked at school for his braid, being called the 'Oriental Barbarian.' Especially this time, a conflict arose due to local students' disrespectful remarks towards Zijuang and Baihe, resulting in a scuffle that knocked over a lamp, burning off a shiny, well-groomed braid.

The pain in his head made Hu Xu feel what is known as reality, and as he touched his face, he suddenly paused in a moment of bewilderment

Lily slightly bent down and performed a bow, then said: "I, along with Sister Lily, Butler Zhao, Lin San, and Lin Si, came to the English Empire's Dartmouth with you last year. It was arranged by the old master for you to attend that naval school, saying that after you completed your studies, you would receive a title from your cousin in the Guangdong Navy."

However, apart from accepting reality, Hu Xu had no other options before him. Helplessly, Hu Xu ran his fingers through his disheveled hair, which still bore a strong scent of burning and焦味.

If he had not seen it with his own eyes, Lin Haijiang would find it hard to believe the historical records. It is said that Queen Victoria also often did not bathe

Only after Hu Xu agreed that he was merely doing it temporarily and would reissue it, did the matter finally come to a conclusion

The cargo ships waiting not far away had no choice but to drop anchor, awaiting tomorrow's tide

As the carriage crossed a small ridge, Lin Haijiang's vision suddenly opened up, revealing an endless sea against the backdrop of a blue sky and white clouds, with several seagulls soaring freely. A straight path made of straw led to a group of three two-story buildings, and just a bit further back was a dock, where two double-masted heavy sailing ships with bowsprits were moored.

Hu Xu's ambitions are undoubtedly grand, and his ideals are equally magnificent; however, he is much like most dreamers, lacking both a timely opportunity to make an impact and the necessary strength to do so

Since the Dartmouth Naval School has not yet become the Royal Naval College, it implies that the current time point he is in should be before 1863

Hu Xu finds it hard to imagine why the knees of a robust man, standing at seven feet tall, would be so weak. Moreover, tears can flow down at will. According to Hu Xu's standards, if Butler Zhao were placed in a later era, he would at least be a triple award-winning actor, recognized by the Golden Rooster, Hundred Flowers, and Golden Horse awards.

Before the establishment of the Royal Naval College Dartmouth, the Dartmouth Naval School was merely an institution in the United Kingdom for training deck officers and non-commissioned officers. It can be said that eighty percent of the junior officers and non-commissioned officers of the Royal Navy came from the Dartmouth Naval School, and international students from the East were indeed a novel phenomenon during this era

In a two-story Victorian-style building in the town of Dartmouth, a few miles from Southampton, a group of people is anxiously gathered around a doctor

"Mirror, give me a mirror!" Hu Xu shouted anxiously, his eyes wide and red.

Ah! Baihe's little face immediately turned bright red. Baihe fidgeted with her clothing for a while before softly saying: "Sister Ziju is your primary maid, while I am merely a secondary servant. I absolutely cannot break the rules, and moreover, young master, you are still recovering from your illness. Engaging in such activities may adversely affect your condition"

Subsequently, he participated in the Second Opium War of 1860 and was involved in the burning of the Old Summer Palace, which led to his direct removal from the Lin family genealogy. His three cousins were engaged in maritime trade in Guangdong and Southeast Asia, mostly involved in businesses that were half commercial and half piratical.

It seems that his greatest love is still the military uniform. Hu Xu placed the European-style large hat on his head. Hu Xu knew that from the moment he stepped out of this door today, the name Hu Xu would be forever buried in his heart, replaced by Lin Haijiang. Lin Haijiang is him, and he is also Lin Haijiang

Sitting in the carriage driven by Lin San, Lin Haijiang gazed at the scenery outside. The narrow and irregular streets, the uneven road surface, and a pervasive stench filled the air. Lin Haijiang witnessed many households pouring their "chamber pots" onto the street right in front of their homes. Meanwhile, the drainage ditches on the street had long been clogged with garbage and sludge

Hu Xu has a particular fondness for history, but this is limited to topics related to the navy. He clearly remembers Lin Haijiang, whose courtesy name was Xiaoren, and he can say that he and his three cousins are all genuine traitors. Among them, Lin Haijiang joined the Far East Fleet of the British Empire after graduating from Dartmouth Naval College

Hu Xu's blood had unknowingly begun to boil; he was eager to do something for this deeply suffering nation, yet he did not know where to start

In Hu Xu's memory, the Royal Naval College is the primary institution for training junior officers of the British Navy, renowned as the "cradle" of British naval officers

What year is it this year? Facing the young master's inquiry, Baihe thought for a moment and said: When we left, Emperor Xianfeng ascended the throne and issued a general amnesty, so this year is naturally the second year of Xianfeng, and you are also sixteen years old