Section 1

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History holds countless possibilities, which is why human life becomes filled with meaning

After speaking, regardless of whether Shi Yue agreed or not, he invited him to the edge of the city, where a soldier had already gone to the nearest war tent to summon the commander who was warming himself by the fire

It is a winter filled with heavy snow, and the drifting, hazy snow has wrapped the ancient city of Kaifeng in a silver cloak. Everyone traveling in Kaifeng is, without exception, wearing bamboo hats and donning raincoats, struggling through snow that reaches a foot deep. On the once-bustling official roads, horse-drawn carriages can no longer pass. The city of Kaifeng, known for its population of over one million and its unparalleled splendor, has, due to this harsh weather, lost the usual liveliness and clamor even on the Bian River.

Five months back in time. In October of the second year of Xining, which corresponds to the year 1069 in the Gregorian calendar, it is twenty-six years before the First Crusade.

Shiyue stood there in a daze, completely oblivious to how to finish the last line. The phrase "Ultimately, the colors of the rivers and mountains will change" made his heart race violently. This era! This history! ... Perhaps, perhaps ... In that moment, something known as "ambition" quietly surfaced. How many stories of historical change had he read? Perhaps ... In that moment, something known as "ambition" quietly surfaced. How many stories of historical change had he read? Perhaps ...

At that moment, the soldier who had gone to seek instructions had returned, but the officer did not come back with him. In such cold weather, the officer was too lazy to even move, and instead, he scolded the soldier who had come to report. The small leader cursed inwardly; after all, he was reluctant to offend a scholar. After thinking for a while, he had no choice but to wave his hand and let him go. Allowing a spy to enter Bianjing City did not necessarily mean that he would be held accountable; however, offending a scholar who might have a "future" would certainly lead to his own downfall. The small leader cursed inwardly again; after all, he was reluctant to offend a scholar. After thinking for a while, he had no choice but to wave his hand and let him go. Allowing a spy to enter Bianjing City did not necessarily mean that he would be held accountable; however, offending a scholar who might have a "future" would certainly lead to his own downfall. He understood this point of interest clearly.

Shiyue, dressed in a white down coat, gazed at the soldiers whose eyes were filled with vigilance, and began to feel uneasy. There were only a few pedestrians in front of the gate, yet they all seemed to be targeting him. Two days ago, when Shiyue inexplicably appeared on the outskirts of a small village thirty miles from Kaifeng, the expressions of the villagers looking at him were exactly the same as those of these soldiers.

The soldiers were whispering to each other, speculating about the meaning of Shi Yue's recent actions. Upon seeing the "strange person" approaching the city gate, a small leader walked directly up to Shi Yue and, lacking in authority, shouted: "Who are you? Do you have a travel permit?"

Due to the scarcity of pedestrians, the soldiers guarding the outer city of Kaifeng have also become quite lax. They leaned their weapons against the walls of the city gate, rubbing their hands together and pacing back and forth, cursing the unfortunate weather. Occasionally, a few farmers selling firewood and charcoal would pass by, and the soldiers were too lazy to check, allowing them to pass without hindrance. Over a hundred years since the founding of the Song Dynasty, the city of Dongjing has never experienced any disturbances, and in this era of peace, there is even less to worry about! The soldiers guarding the city only hope to return and enjoy a warm drink, resting comfortably by the heated kang.

The official language of the Song Dynasty had a pronunciation quite different from that of modern Mandarin. Shi Yue, who understood many dialects, could only barely comprehend it. He stopped in his tracks and replied arrogantly, "I come from Mount Hua, and my family has lived in seclusion there for generations. I do not know what a travel permit is." This was an excuse he had long prepared, but his pronunciation sounded rather strange, resembling the heavily accented Kaifeng dialect.

"Before the problem is resolved, one must first survive." It is with this belief that Shi Yue decided to brave the severe cold and heavy snow to come to Kaifeng. "I will not collapse outside the city of Kaifeng." He stood up, brushed off the snow from his body, and looked up at the city tower of this great metropolis, which only exists in historical records a thousand years later, and calmly walked past the city guards.

The small leader listened with great interest as Shi Yue recited poetry, secretly praising his own wise and decisive decision—after all, this was an era where scholars were excessively respected, and among the lower-class people, a talented scholar signified boundless prospects. However, the small leader's self-satisfaction was short-lived; when he saw that Shi Yue could not recite the final line for a long time, his sense of self-satisfaction immediately transformed into ridicule of the clumsy scholar—although he himself would never be able to compose poetry, that did not prevent him from mocking others for their inability to do so.

If it were not for being in such a bizarre situation, witnessing the ancient city of Kaifeng with my own eyes would be such an intoxicating experience! But at this moment, Shi Yue could only hope that this game would end soon. "I am really about to go crazy, Einstein! Jesus Christ! Allah! Buddha! The Jade Emperor!" Shi Yue whispered in a low roar, unable to contain himself as he crouched down, grabbing a handful of snow and vigorously rubbing it on his face. "I am really about to go crazy, Einstein! Jesus Christ! Allah! Buddha! The Jade Emperor!" Shi Yue whispered in a low roar, unable to contain himself as he crouched down, grabbing a handful of snow and vigorously rubbing it on his face. The biting cold gradually helped Shi Yue calm down again.

Shiyue stood silently to the side, unexpectedly appreciating the rare heavy snowfall that had not been seen in a thousand years, with his hands behind his back—could there be any worse situation in this world? Shiyue couldn't help but let out a self-deprecating cold laugh. This expression, in the eyes of the little leader, made him feel that this "strange person" was even more unfathomable.

Shiyue controlled his chaotic thoughts and raised his head to survey the ancient city of Kaifeng before him. The seemingly endless high walls were deliberately constructed in a winding manner, resembling a giant dragon with a white back, stretching into the distant haze. The wide moat, over 10 zhang in width, was lined with poplar trees, their branches laden with bulky "silver strips." What a magnificent city! Even at such a moment, Shiyue could not help but let out a sigh of admiration in his heart. The wide moat, over 10 zhang in width, was lined with poplar trees, their branches laden with bulky "silver strips." What a magnificent city! Even at such a moment, Shiyue could not help but let out a sigh of admiration in his heart.

The little leader scrutinized Shi Yue: "This 'strange person', although adorned in a peculiar manner, wears clothing that seems beyond the means of an ordinary individual; his attitude is arrogant, suggesting he must have some backing. He claims to be a recluse from Mount Hua, yet it is well-known that recluses often have intricate connections with high officials in the court—at the very least, they are educated individuals. In these times, the most unpredictable are indeed the educated; one cannot afford to offend them, as making a living is not easy. Moreover, this 'strange person' has delicate features and a complexion as fair as a woman's, making it even less likely that he is a member of the Tangut or Khitan peoples.

Flakes of snow, resembling goose feathers, slowly drift down from the sky, rolling and dancing in the westerly wind, before quietly and silently settling on the ground, covering the footprints just made by passersby

However, at this moment, under the Dai Lou Gate at the far west of the southern city wall of Kaifeng, the soldiers had no choice but to reluctantly pick up their cold weapons, vigilantly watching the peculiar man before them. He wore a smooth, white, strange garment, had a shallow flat top hairstyle, and notably, there were no scars on his head. He was tall, with fair skin, truly a bizarre figure, neither monk nor layman.

He shook his head vigorously, repeating silently in his mind, "This is not the year 2004, this is the 11th century!" Shi Yue forced himself to accept an incredible fact: the era he was currently in, if it was not a dream, was indeed the 11th century! As a graduate in history, he had a profound impression of the second year of Xining; it was the year Wang Anshi began his reforms! For the past two days, Shi Yue had been forcing himself to accept this fact. If only it were a dream, but why was there cold, hunger, and pain in a dream?

But in that very moment, he calmed down. For the past few days, he had relied on the kindness of the ordinary people for his meals; not starving to death was already quite fortunate, yet he still allowed himself to indulge in wild thoughts! Shi Yue shook his head and smiled self-deprecatingly. However, the little leader couldn't help but misunderstand, tilting his mouth and raising his eyebrows at a companion, thinking to himself: "So he truly is a scholar who can only recite a few lines of poetry!"

Understanding the critical points, the small leader immediately made a decision—to seek approval from the superior. If there was anything wrong, the superior would be responsible, as they received more money each month than he did. This responsibility should also fall on them. He then politely said to Shi Yue: "This young master, please come this way first. I must consult the superior for a decision; I cannot release you without permission. I hope you can understand."

Just as he was about to recite the last line, Shi Yue suddenly realized, almost scaring himself into a cold sweat. What he was reciting was a revolutionary poem, which in ancient times was known as a "counter-poem." The last line of this poem is "In the end, the colors of the rivers and mountains will change." To recite such lines in front of these soldiers was tantamount to committing suicide

Shiyue suddenly recalled his childhood, when his father would hold him on his lap to watch the snow, teaching him to read poetry. The scene and feelings were as if they had happened just yesterday. However, his current situation was such that he was separated from his parents by two lifetimes, and the chance of reunion was extremely slim, which inevitably filled him with sorrow. He silently recited the poem he had learned on his father's lap several times, and in a moment of overwhelming emotion, he could not help but softly chant: "One piece, another piece, and yet another piece, flying into the mud pit, all unseen. They continue to fly, one after another..."