Chapter 3, The Desire for Power

A soft "mm" came from inside the room, as if accepting Zhang Mingxuan's explanation

Zhang Mingxuan took a glance and immediately knew he was not a good person. The reason? A man's intuition

Zhang Mingxuan placed the book on the bookshelf, wearing a face full of despair as he threw himself into the chair. Is the language of the cultivation world really this difficult to understand? One morning, I have become illiterate!

Zhang Mingxuan apologized, saying: "I am very sorry! It is because you and my sister have a very similar temperament that I called you by the wrong name"

Zhang Mingxuan lowered his head to glance at his attire, which was still casual clothing from Earth, appearing somewhat out of place in the Tang Dynasty. Of course, Zhang Mingxuan would not admit to this and retorted with dissatisfaction: "Who are you! What I wear is none of your business!"

Before long, Zhang Mingxuan, with nothing to do, began to struggle with his eyelids, lowering and raising his head repeatedly

Zhang Mingxuan shook his hand and said with a bitter expression, "What is the purpose of making such a large barrel?"

Zhang Mingxuan glanced at him and said lightly: "I don't believe it!"

Wait a moment, is there something wrong! Zhang Mingxuan looked down at the chair beneath him and the books on the shelf, there were no chairs in the Tang Dynasty right

Li Qingya's expression remained unchanged as she淡淡道: "Are you finished speaking?"

Li Qingya said to the young man: "Young Master Wang, please do not disturb the tranquility of the bookstore, as Qingya still has business to attend to"

Although I do not know what this Qionglin Bookstore is, it certainly cannot compare to Du Xiang, and General Cheng must have a significant background! Now Zhang Mingxuan has realized that if Du He at noon today is the son of Du Xiang, then that rude and boorish scholar with the surname Cheng must be the son of General Cheng Yaojin! If even these two are behaving themselves in the bookstore, then this bookstore must be extraordinary! A mere Qionglin Bookstore is nothing!

Zhang Mingxuan, seeing that no one was speaking in the room, turned around and entered the bookstore

Zhang Mingxuan no longer thinks about it; the Tang Dynasty he knows is vastly different from this one, which is entirely a new era dressed in the guise of the Tang Dynasty. Zhang Mingxuan's gaze is fixed on the outside of the shop, where people come and go, and vehicles flow like a tide.

When did bound books made of paper first appear? It shouldn't be during the Tang Dynasty, right? At least they were not widespread during the Tang Dynasty

Zhang Mingxuan suddenly stood up and exclaimed in confusion: "Teacher, I wasn't sleeping!"

After having a meal, Zhang Mingxuan felt invigorated and casually walked to a bookshelf. Upon opening a book, he was left bewildered, confronted with traditional characters and classical Chinese, which he could not understand

The young man chuckled and said, "Who am I? I am the young master of Qionglin Bookstore!" He looked at Zhang Mingxuan with a disdainful expression.

Turning his head towards the back door, he cheerfully called out: "Qingya! Qingya! I'm here!"

The young man looked at Zhang Mingxuan in disbelief and said, "You don't know Qionglin Bookstore? I will have the bookstore shut down immediately, do you believe it?"

Zhang Mingxuan pushed open the door and entered the bookstore, glancing around, and exclaimed! Not a single person was present

Li Qingya, sitting on the edge of the bed holding the baby and softly humming an unknown song, heard Zhang Mingxuan's call, let out a light snort, and murmured: "How shameless!"

Zhang Mingxuan waited for a moment, and then he heard a gentle voice coming from inside the room: "The first room on the left is the kitchen"

Zhang Mingxuan watched as Li Qingya entered the house, and only then did he hurriedly spread out his palm and blow a few breaths forcefully. In his palm, a red mark began to emerge.

Zhang Mingxuan stood in front of Young Master Wang and said: "Stop looking, you have no chance!"

As I walked into the courtyard, Li Qingya's voice came from inside the house: "Young Master Zhang, you may simply call my name in the future. There is no need to use titles like 'sister' or the like."

Young Master Wang let out a light snort, turned around, and left, completely ignoring Zhang Mingxuan

Bending down, he quickly washed the dishes clean and threw the bucket back into the well. This time, Zhang Mingxuan was clever; he gently shook the rope and only drew up a quarter of the bucket's water, finding it slightly strenuous to pull it up.

"I am not your teacher!" A teasing voice came from nearby. Zhang Mingxuan looked over and saw a young man dressed in luxurious clothing, waving a peony folding fan, with a pale face, standing in front of the counter and looking at him with a mocking expression

The young man was taken aback by Zhang Mingxuan's retort and turned to walk towards the backyard, saying: "I can't be bothered to talk to you, I'm going to find Qingya."

"Hey! Kid, who are you?" A dissatisfied voice rang in Zhang Mingxuan's ear, instantly pulling him out of his daze

Zhang Mingxuan returned the tableware to its place and then walked towards the bookstore ahead

Young Master Wang called out: "Hey, hey! Qingya, respond! Do you agree or disagree?"

Zhang Mingxuan curiously walked into the kitchen of the Tang Dynasty, where the stove, fireplace, and cupboard were all in their respective places, clean and tidy. Zhang Mingxuan placed the dishes into the cupboard and murmured, "This is no worse than the kitchens of the previous world"

Young Master Wang patted his chest and assured, "If you marry me, I guarantee that all the business of Qionglin Bookstore will be entrusted to you, which is far better than this small bookstore. Moreover, your child will be my child, and I will certainly treat her as my own."

Young Master Wang chuckled and said, "No disturbance, no disturbance. Anyway, there isn't much business in the shop. Qingya, if you enjoy selling books, why not come to my house instead"

"I am not someone to be trifled with, so get away from me!" The young man forcefully pushed Zhang Mingxuan, causing him to stagger back four or five steps, nearly falling to the ground

Although Li Qingya tried to maintain a calm tone, Zhang Mingxuan still detected a hint of embarrassment and dissatisfaction in her voice. Zhang Mingxuan was momentarily puzzled, then suddenly slapped his forehead; perhaps such casual terms of address among sisters on Earth carried a different connotation, but in the Tang Dynasty, using such terms might imply a hint of teasing! The fact that Li Qingya did not angrily expel Zhang Mingxuan from the room could be considered quite magnanimous.

"Hello, who exactly are you? What kind of messy clothes are you wearing!" The young man looked at Zhang Mingxuan with disdain

The young man immediately set aside the matter of Zhang Mingxuan upon seeing Li Qingya, exclaiming in delight: "Qingya, you have arrived"

Young Master Wang nodded and looked at Li Qingya with anticipation

I have translated several books, all of which are in traditional Chinese characters, and they are not the kind of traditional characters I am familiar with. They appear somewhat like seal script and also resemble bronze inscriptions.

In the current situation, the Xiaoxiao family bookstore is filled entirely with paper books. Wait! Are there bookstores in the Tang Dynasty? Could there be time travelers who invented chairs and improved the papermaking process?

At this moment, the back door was opened, and Li Qingya came out holding a baby

Zhang Mingxuan watched the departing figure of Young Master Wang, feeling for the first time a deep-seated desire for power arise within him. He did not want to experience again what could not be stopped even by the various flower boys.

Li Qingya said, "Having said that, please leave!" Li Qingya turned and left

The young man was also surprised by this situation. He looked at his own hands and said, "Am I really this powerful now?"

Zhang Mingxuan, however, showed no interest and said: "Qionglin Bookstore? What is that? If you want to read, read; if not, get lost. Why are you whining?"

Zhang Mingxuan quickly blocked his way in dissatisfaction and angrily said to him: "No unauthorized personnel are allowed in the back courtyard residence"

I rinsed the dishes with clean water once more, clapped my hands in satisfaction, stood up and stretched my waist, and called out to the room: "Sister Qingya, where should I put them?"