Chapter 1, Lin'an City
"Drive!" A sudden shout echoed from deep within the shaded path. Shortly after, a carriage, drawn by two jet-black horses as powerful as dragons, emerged from the depths of the grove, making its way along the winding post road towards the city of Lin'an. As the weather grew colder, the carriage was covered with a black cloth curtain, which bore two imposing characters for 'purple' embroidered in purple thread at both ends. This carriage belonged to the Duke of Purple Robes in Lin'an.
"Qiyan, please pull the curtains closed; it's cold outside, be careful not to catch a chill," a gentle woman's voice came from within the carriage.
Mother! ... ... The little girl named Qiyan looked up at her mother, her eyes filled with pleading.
The cold wind howled, and passersby huddled, tucking their necks into their collars. In this late autumn season, however, Lin Junxuan felt no chill at all, sitting among a group of beggars. Lin Junxuan touched his chest, and a warm current flowed from it. Beneath his clothing lay a star-shaped pendant chain, and that warm sensation emanated from the pendant. It was precisely because of this chain that Lin Junxuan, with his four-year-old body, was completely unafraid of the autumn chill. In addition to this star-shaped pendant chain, Lin Junxuan also kept a copy of "Qimen Dunjia"; both items were left to him by his great-grandfather
The beautiful woman felt a softness in her heart; she had always found it difficult to refuse her children's requests and did not know how to decline them.
Inside the carriage, a resplendent lady sat on the long bench, indulgently gazing at the child leaning against the window. She shook her head helplessly, seemingly finding it difficult as a mother to utter any words of refusal in the face of their clear eyes: "Qiyan, you may look, but only for a little while. Once we cross the bridge, you can no longer do this."
Mother, Mother, look quickly, there are birds on the river! The little girl exclaimed in astonishment, her eyes wide open, as if she were seeing everything for the first time.
"Alright, my dear, your mother agrees with you," the gentle woman said. "Qiyan, it is cold outside, come and sit beside your mother."
Outside the city of Lin'an, the green mountains are clustered together, and a winding post road meanders through the ancient trees of the mountains, leading to the city of Lin'an. At this moment, it is late autumn, and the weather is gradually turning cold. The post road is sparsely populated with carriages and horses.
Since the moment of his arrival until now, more than a month has passed. During this month, Lin Junxuan has never spoken a word, as it is said that too many words lead to mistakes. He has been learning, learning everything about this world, understanding everything about this city of Lin'an
Additionally, from the two small seal script characters at the city gate, Lin Junxuan learned that the place he was in was called "Lin'an City"; beyond that, he knew nothing else. Everything else required him to explore and understand on his own
Mother! Suddenly, a little girl's voice called out. The beautiful woman did not turn around; she simply smiled and replied, "Hmm, Qiyan, what is it?" However, there followed a period of silence, with no response from the little girl. The beautiful woman, puzzled, looked up and through her peripheral vision, she saw the little girl staring blankly at a certain point outside the car window, her face seemingly filled with sorrow
"Mother, Mother, we are home, we are home." The curtain of the carriage was suddenly drawn back, and a small girl with a delicate, rosy face poked her head out, calling out loudly as she gazed at the rows of houses in the distance.
Lin Junxuan sat by the ancient bridge, coldly watching a group of beggars scramble for copper coins before him, showing no intention of reaching out. Although before the "time travel," Lin Jun had maintained a simple life with *Tu* Shu Xuan, he had seen enough of the world. It was merely a few copper coins; there was no need to place himself among a group of beggars and fight with them for such a trivial amount. More importantly, Lin Junxuan's current body was that of a mere four-year-old child. In such a scramble, it was very likely that he would not only fail to obtain the coins but also end up getting hurt.
"Take it, this is a gift from the lady who sees your plight." A loud voice came from the tall carriage, and as soon as the voice fell, a large handful of copper coins suddenly spilled out from the carriage. Hundreds of coins fell to the ground, making a crisp clinking sound.
"I wonder which fallen noble family this young man comes from, who has ended up in this city of Lin'an!" thought the beautiful woman. Only those illustrious families that once shone brightly could raise such a unique offspring
Oh! The once panicked beggars rushed over, cheering as they scrambled for the scattered coins on the ground
"Qiyan, what is the matter?" the beautiful woman asked in surprise, while also looking towards the window.
Lin Junxuan is well acquainted with these two types of fonts. The former, Lin Junxuan studied specifically due to his love for ancient texts, while the latter requires no study at all, as most modern individuals can recognize it at a glance
Despite knowing almost nothing about this world, Lin Junxuan is certain of one thing: this world must be intricately connected to the world he is familiar with. This can be seen from their language, as well as the fact that they use small seal script in formal occasions and clerical script in other ordinary situations
Upon waking, Lin Junxuan discovered that the first thing was that his clothes seemed too large. However, he soon realized that it was not the clothes that had grown, but rather he had shrunk. He had taken on the appearance of a four-year-old and had arrived in this world.
Lin Junxuan arrived in this world on a cold, deep night. At the moment of his arrival, the vast majority of this world was plunged into slumber. Even if someone heard the sound of his landing, they merely thought it was an ordinary noise and continued to sleep soundly.
As the beggars scrambled for the copper coins, a pair of eyes inside the carriage remained fixed on the scene behind. Noticing that Lin Junxuan did not make a move to seize the coins, the owner of those eyes nodded in satisfaction. The curtains fell, and amidst the sound of "gulu gulu," the carriage drove into the city, disappearing among the densely packed buildings.
... ...
It is just that the residence is in need of a companion reader. That child seems to be quite knowledgeable and sensible. The beautiful woman looked at the child by the ancient bridge and said, "This child is also quite handsome, not unworthy of my status as a noble of the Ziyi Marquisate. Perhaps we should have the steward test him shortly. If he is indeed educated and possesses some intelligence, it would not be inappropriate to bring him into the residence to accompany Qiyan and Lingxiao.
"Mother, really?" The little girl jumped up, exclaiming in surprise. Upon seeing the beautiful woman nodding with a smile, the little girl cheered joyfully, skipping over to the beautiful woman and saying in her childish voice, "I knew Mother treats Qiyan the best."
Hmm! The little girl responded vaguely, and after a while, she shouted again, "Mother, look quickly, there are fish in the river!" The beautiful woman merely smiled and said nothing. Although the cold was biting outside the carriage, the interior was warm and cozy. The carriage was not only lavishly decorated, but also covered with several thick layers of pure wool blankets. Beside the beautiful woman, a little boy dressed in a luxurious fur coat was quietly holding an ancient scroll, reading silently. The beautiful woman looked at the reading child with a smile, her heart filled with a sense of satisfaction. Beside the beautiful woman, a little boy dressed in a luxurious fur coat was quietly holding an ancient scroll, reading silently. The beautiful woman looked at the reading child with a smile, her heart filled with a sense of satisfaction.
That night, Lin Junxuan spent his time groping in the darkness. He drifted around in the dark and eventually discovered a frozen old beggar beneath a crooked old tree. After putting on the old beggar's much larger tattered clothes, Lin Junxuan draped his own clothes over the old beggar's body. After bowing three times, Lin Junxuan buried this unfamiliar old beggar.
While other children lament and beg passersby, this child remains completely still. He does not appear to be begging; sitting among a group of beggars, he does not engage with the others. Although he wears the same tattered clothing, it does not evoke the same sense of filth and aversion as it does on the other beggars.
Everything in this world is strange and novel to Lin Junxuan. Since his arrival in this world, he has been observing it. The script used in this world is Clerical Script. Apart from a few different characters, it is almost identical to the script used in modern China.
He could not help but wonder what had happened to the Grand Duke. This was a mystery, one that he was currently unable to unravel. However, as long as he preserved the pendant passed down from the Grand Duke and this volume of "Qimen Dunjia," Lin Junxuan believed that one day he would find the Grand Duke and uncover the truth behind it all
The beautiful woman smiled silently, and the maid beside her understood. She stepped forward a few paces and drew the curtains, making the inside of the carriage warm again
After a brief moment of shock, Lin Junxuan quickly calmed down. Shock does not provide any assistance in dealing with matters. What is important is what he should do next
No, Mother, Qiyan has worked hard to come out this time, and Qiyan wants to see outside https://www.hetushu.com
Mother, look at that brother; he is so pitiful! Qiyan has clothes to wear, but he has none. The little girl pointed at a frail figure by the stone bridge. Mother, he is so pitiful! Let's take him home! The little girl turned back, pleading with her mother.
What a strange child! The beautiful woman thought, as she pondered her thoughts, when the child sitting at the bridge seemed to sense her gaze and suddenly turned his head. A pair of lively eyes met the beautiful woman's sight. In those eyes, there was neither the envy that other beggars showed when they saw themselves, nor the awe towards the power of the Purple Robe Marquis's residence; there was only a tranquil calmness like water. In that moment, the beautiful woman was struck by a delusion, as if the child sitting by the bridge was not a three or four-year-old, but a great scholar, well-versed in the classics, with a noble spirit in his heart. In those eyes, there was neither the envy that other beggars showed when they saw themselves, nor the awe towards the power of the Purple Robe Marquis's residence; there was only a tranquil calmness like water. In that moment, the beautiful woman was struck by a delusion, as if the child sitting by the bridge was not a three or four-year-old, but a great scholar, well-versed in the classics, with a noble spirit in his heart.
Since the beautiful woman has made her decision, she no longer looks outward
Drive! Amidst the coachman's shouts, a magnificent black carriage passed over the bridge. Upon seeing the approaching carriage, the beggars by the bridge hurriedly jumped aside in panic, yet one child remained seated, motionless. He had long since realized that this carriage would certainly not come this way.
Following the gaze of the little girl, the beautiful woman looked towards the slender figure by the ancient bridge. The beautiful woman could not take her eyes off after just one glance. It was a child of about four or five years old, wearing a tattered garment that was clearly much too large for his small frame, sitting motionless among three or four other beggar children. It was now late autumn, and the weather was growing colder; even with the warm fox fur draped over her shoulders, the beautiful woman felt the chill biting. In stark contrast, the child sat upright and still, unlike the other beggar children around him who were shivering in the cold wind.