Chapter 1: The Traveler

Chen De looked at the three individuals before him, all dressed as farmers. The leading elder, though vigorous, was evidently very old, while the other two were boys around fourteen or fifteen years of age, seasoned by hard labor. All three had sun-tanned skin, rough to the touch, and their hands were covered in frostbite upon frostbite. Furthermore, recalling that most of those working in the fields earlier were women, it was clear that there were few able-bodied men in the village

In his youth, the old man had also drawn a few stones with a bow, fought alongside the great Liu Zhiyuan in the He Shuo region, and had connections with the brave men of Youzhou on the battlefield. As he spoke, the old man rolled up his sleeves, revealing a large arrow wound on his arm.

Seeing the kind-hearted old farmer suddenly turn hostile, Chen De quickly tried to appease him, ultimately having to admit that he was a Han nobleman from Youzhou, who had fled to the Central Plains unwilling to live under Khitan rule

After taking a stroll, relying on the half-remembered local dialect learned from Old Man Li the night before, Chen De had gathered information about the village and the surrounding terrain. This was originally a large village with over 500 households, but due to years of warfare, it now had fewer than 100 households. With the wheat nearing harvest, the old, young, women, and children were all busily preparing to gather the crops, hoping to store some food before the Song army raided; otherwise, they would have to rely on foraging for wild vegetables in the mountains to survive. The villagers were known for their fierce character; not every household had adult males, yet each courtyard had stone locks and other equipment for strength training. More than ten youths, including Sun Ding, had already begun practicing archery under the trees at the village entrance early in the morning, hitting targets at a distance of about thirty to fifty meters with a success rate of seven or eight out of ten. This village was surrounded by mountains, with only the valley containing the river named Lishi Shui leading outward. Lishi Shui flowed westward into the Yellow River, with the opposite bank being Suizhou, inhabited by the Dangxiang people. Following the Yellow River downstream would lead into Song territory. Thus, Lishi County was effectively at the intersection of the Northern Han, Song, and Dangxiang territories, making it a place of continuous military strife since the end of the Tang dynasty. To ensure their self-defense in chaotic times, the village's young men often began practicing archery and weaponry before reaching adulthood, and every morning and evening, they would lift stone locks and practice horse stances to build their strength, reflecting a strong martial spirit.

The children playing on the mulberry tree soon discovered Chen De, and with the children's alarm, the people working in the fields not only showed no intention of welcoming Chen De but instead fled back to the village like startled deer

Who else could it be but Zhao Dalang, who seized the kingdom from the hands of the orphaned and widowed?" The old man said resentfully, as if he had witnessed it with his own eyes

It is said that the town commander who colluded with foreign enemies and caused the death of the Wei Bo Yabing later regretted it deeply, as the town was often bullied and there was no strong army to defend against enemies. He once remarked, "Gathering iron from thirty-six counties across four provinces is difficult, yet it is easy to forge a mistake." Chen Dehe suddenly recalled having read such a tale before.

Old Li took a sip of water, sat on a stone platform in the courtyard, and leisurely said: "The Silver Spear Guards were originally the soldiers of the Weibo garrison in the He-shuo region. These individuals were originally the sons of the local gentry in He-shuo, who had served in the military for generations, each skilled in martial arts, particularly adept at wielding the iron short spear. Due to their formidable prowess, they frequently revolted and changed commanders, which led to their collusion with external enemies and the assassination by the Kaifeng troops, resulting in almost all of them being killed. The few that remained were organized into the Silver Spear Guards, and later, they were incorporated by Lord Li Cunxun into the Silver Spear Division at the front of his camp. This elite force was once invincible and commanded great respect." At this point, he took another sip of water, appearing lost in thought.

The young spectators have gathered around, some wiping sweat and offering water to the old man Li, some gazing at Chen De with admiration, while others eagerly await the old man Li to tell stories

Li Jiuyan, seeing her expression of distress, comforted her, saying: "The day before yesterday, someone came to find me, saying they saw Brother Yanshou in Wubao Village. He is doing well, but the Xiang people from Xiazhou keep invading the county, making it impossible for him to return to take care of you. He sent word for you not to worry about him and to take good care of the child in your womb."

The old man's courtyard is situated at the highest point of the village, overgrown with weeds. Although the wide front door and thick walls indicate that the owner once enjoyed a period of prosperity, the whitewash on the walls has long since peeled away, leaving a disheveled appearance. A few wooden sticks are tied together with grass rope to serve as window shutters. A little girl with her hair styled in two buns brings over a plate of washed mulberries and then snuggles up beside the old man, curiously observing this strangely dressed stranger.

When, when, when, "What noise, so loud!" Chen De's hand waved unconsciously. Struggling to open his eyes, but large clumps of secretion firmly glued his upper and lower eyelids together. Unable to do anything, he used his hand to pry open the egg-sized eye crust.

"You are lying." At the age when Sun Dingzheng was yearning for heroes, he was clearly dissatisfied with this outcome. "If the silver spear is truly that powerful, why would General Jie still want to kill them? Isn't that self-sabotage?"

At this moment, although Li Jiuyan was knocked to the ground, there was not a trace of resentment on his face; instead, he appeared somewhat pleased and said: "Young Master Chen's technique with the short gun resembles the martial arts of the military. I wonder if it is the skill of the Silver Gun that is rumored to be effective in the capital?"

Regardless of who it is, anyone who sees three ancient individuals with their hair styled in topknots watching them intently cannot help but feel a wave of dizziness. Comrade Chen De, despite being well-versed in astronomy and geography, is at a loss on how to respond to the current situation. In the thirty years before the nuclear war, during the 30th century, time-travel novels had long ceased to be popular.

After breakfast, Chen De and Li Laozhang began to prepare for the wheat harvest. He explained to Li Jiuyan about a tool he remembered that could quickly harvest wheat. Li Jiuyan listened in astonishment as Chen De gestured and spoke for a long time, only to realize that this seemingly privileged young man, who had never worked in the fields, wanted him to help prototype a certain device. Although he lived in the village, he did not rely on farming for his livelihood; his son, who served in the military in Taiyuan, brought back a considerable amount of money each year, enough to support him and his granddaughter.

After the young woman left, expressing her heartfelt gratitude, Li Jiuyan said with a somber expression: "Last month, the Dangxiang people launched a night raid on Wubao Village, killing the husband of the Zhang family's young daughter. However, at this moment, no one dared to inform her, as a careless word could lead to the loss of two lives."

Chen De was almost half-buried in the thick fallen leaves, staring blankly at the surrounding forest. The unpolluted sky and vibrant greens filled his entire field of vision, as if it had all been just a dream...

Watching the elderly man contentedly drink the millet porridge handed to him, Chen De couldn't help but feel a sense of lament. After finishing a bowl of porridge, he felt as if there was hardly anything in his stomach. Hearing the old man mention that in this era, one only eats two meals a day, he wondered how one could possibly survive.

"Hmph, the person is already dead; what use is regret?" said the young man named Sun Ding, raising his wooden sword and pretending to strike, as if the unscrupulous town commander were right before him, determined to split him in half with a single blow. The other youths echoed his sentiments, clearly indicating that Sun Ding was the leader of this group of young men.

Indeed. Is the young man planning to head to Bianliang again? The old man continued to ramble, saying, "Do not blame this old man for being talkative; the people of Bianliang do not hold the people of Youyan in high regard. When I served in the army in Bianliang, there was a strong man named Han, who was said to be the son of a noble family from the Liao state. He was a brave man who could draw a hard bow. He secretly returned to Bianliang from Lulong but could not enter the Han camp, so he had to mingle with the barbarian soldiers. The officials would call out to him as if he were just another barbarian. One day, for reasons unknown, he offended a few ruffians and was brutally killed, his hands severed, and he was thrown into the Bian River to drown. The military officers merely thought a barbarian had died and reported it casually." After finishing, he took the black pottery bowl handed to him by the little girl, drank a sip of water with a creaking sound, and his expression turned somber.

"Old Man Li, stop keeping us in suspense, what happened next?" A boy named Sun Ding asked impatiently, pretending to pull at Li Jiuyan.

Zhao Kuangyin?" Chen De exclaimed in surprise, "I heard when I was in Youzhou that Zhao Kuangyin is a great hero, wielding an iron staff as long as himself, defeating 46 military governors all surnamed Zhao. It is also said that he is benevolent and magnanimous, a capable ruler who can save the common people from water and fire.

Indeed. The old man looked at the person in front of him with confusion, saying, "Currently, the Zhao family is in power in the Central Plains, and scholars all speak well of him, yet every year they send troops to attack us"

Alright, alright. Li Jiuyan hurriedly replied: "Later, this silver spear offended a certain general, resulting in it being deceived to the banks of the Yellow River, where three thousand military households were all executed. It is said that even the river water turned yellow.

Brother Chen, is the thing you taught my grandfather really ten times faster than using a sickle to harvest wheat

Chen De's expression was one of surprise as he replied, "Indeed, it is true that there are skills in the military, but I am unaware of the effectiveness of the silver spear."

Whether Zhao Guanjia is good or bad, the old man does not know, but ever since Zhao Guanjia took the throne, our Shizhou has not been free from military disasters. The old man spat out a thick phlegm and glared at Chen De with indignation, saying, "Most of the orphans and widows in this entire village are largely the result of this official's actions."

"Listening to the accent, could it be that you are from Youzhou?" The old man gestured for Chen De to sit on the low bed by the window

The little girl named Juan'er lost her parents at a young age and rarely saw outsiders. Upon meeting Chen De, she was filled with joy and clung to him closely. Chen De was particularly fond of this endearing little girl, and the two shared a special bond. Even late into the night, she insisted on staying by Chen De's side.

Having crossed a treacherous ridge, the terraced fields suddenly appeared before him, and Chen De's mouth remained agape for a long time. The landscape before him was clearly a small basin surrounded by mountains, with a winding river carving out two openings on the western and northern sides of the surrounding peaks. The ridge where Chen De stood was located on the eastern side of the basin, extremely steep and covered with thorny bushes, vinegar willows, and other shrubs. In contrast, the mountains on the western side of the basin were relatively gentle, with rows of cave-style houses distributed in an orderly manner on the eastern side of the ridge. On both sides of the river were fields and meadows, where the waves of wheat, illuminated by the setting sun, resembled undulating golden satin. Beside the wheat fields were clusters of mulberry trees, their leaves already turning yellow. One could see some village women working in the fields, while young boys played in the trees. The tree shade meandered upward along the mountain slope, enveloping the village.

"Khitan, are you referring to the Liao Dynasty? May I ask, esteemed elder, who currently claims the title of emperor in the Central Plains?" Chen De asked urgently, his eyes flashing.

Early the next morning, when Li Laozhang got up to chop firewood, he saw Chen De practicing in the morning. Unable to resist, the two military men from different generations engaged in a friendly spar. In just a few moves, Li Laozhang was defeated by Chen De's capture technique. They then decided to compare their skills with weapons, leading to the scene Chen De had just witnessed. Chen De's modern bayonet technique was evenly matched against Li Jiuyan's military knife skills. Ultimately, however, Li Jiuyan, being old and exhausted, stumbled backward and was struck on the shoulder by Chen De, causing him to fall to the ground.

The leading elder, seeing that Chen De remained silent, bowed deeply and said: "I am the old man Li Jiuyan. May I ask your esteemed name and where you hail from?"

"Then can you not leave?" The little girl's sparkling eyes were as bright as the stars in the sky. "Grandpa said you are going to Kaifeng, please don't go. The people of Kaifeng are very bad; they killed my mom and dad."

"Zhao family? But that was during the Song Dynasty," Chen De inquired.

I just heard my father-in-law say that the Zhao family is currently in power, but I wonder which official it is? The atmosphere had just begun to ease when Chen De continued to inquire about the news

"Father-in-law, you have misunderstood. I am not from the Liao state; I am a true Chinese person," Chen De hurriedly explained

Chen Derang instructed Li Jiuyan to gather the existing tools for harvesting wheat, including the straw basket for holding the wheat, the sickle, and the winnowing basket. First, the sickle was tied to one side of the winnowing basket with a rope, so that when the sickle was swung to cut the wheat, the wheat would naturally fall into the winnowing basket. Then, a frame with four small wooden wheels was constructed, which could be tied around the waist with a rope for easy dragging. Finally, the straw basket was placed on the wooden frame, allowing the wheat ears from the winnowing basket to be conveniently poured into the straw basket behind. Once the straw basket was full, it could be pulled to the threshing ground. It is said that this method is ten times faster than using a sickle alone to cut wheat.

Old Man Li took a moment to catch his breath while telling a story, then took Juan with him to prepare breakfast. Chen De, having nothing to do, wiped his face and went out for a walk

Throughout the journey, Chen De noticed that not only wheat was planted in the fields, but also millet and flax. Scattered along the edge of the fields were the sickles dropped by people fleeing in panic, and near the village, there were even two or three hens searching for food. However, it was only when Chen De clearly saw the attire of the villagers approaching him that he felt a true sense of surprise

The old man spoke little, but Chen De soon realized that this place was Shizhou, Lishi County under the Han state during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, which corresponds to the central and southern part of today's Lüliang Mountain area. The current ruler was Liu Jiyuan, and this year was the year of Guiyou, marking the first year of the Guangyun era of the Northern Han. Zhao Kuangyin of the Song dynasty had been emperor for thirteen years since he donned the yellow robe, having destroyed the Shu kingdom eight years ago. At this time, the country was prosperous and the military strong, governing the realm as solidly as an iron barrel. However, this Zhao official had failed to capture Taiyuan in his last two attempts, so he ordered the Song army to frequently cross the border to pillage, in order to deplete the population and resources of the Northern Han. Unfortunately, Shizhou was adjacent to the Song territory, and in the villages, half of the able-bodied men had been conscripted, leaving behind only women, children, and the elderly, who were unable to bear the disturbances.

The old man spoke at length, telling Chen De that his son was named Li Chengxiang, who held a modest position as a captain in the Northern Han army, stationed in Taiyuan for many years and still unmarried. The young girl named Juan, who was with the old man, was the orphan of his son's comrade and had recognized the old man as her grandfather. Li Chengxiang initially intended for both the old man and the girl to move to Taiyuan City, but he worried that he would not be able to care for them during a potential attack by the Song army, so he left them in their hometown. In these chaotic times of war, both Li Laozhang and his son were considered well-experienced individuals, which granted them some prestige in the village. Therefore, whenever outsiders visited, it was often Li Laozhang who would mediate on their behalf. Villagers also frequently came to Li Laozhang to inquire about news from the outside world.

Misunderstanding. The old man slammed the bowl down, his face suddenly changing color. "You young man are getting old, but your ears are not deaf, and your eyes are not dim. You are dressed in barbarian clothes, with a shaved head and beard, and your accent is from Youzhou. How can you resemble a Chinese person? Since you are unwilling to confide in an old man from a remote village, so be it.

The old man, seeing that Chen De was unwilling to reveal his background, did not press him further. He smiled and said, "A distinguished guest has come from afar. Since you are lost, why not rest in our village for a few days and choose a day to return home?" As he spoke, he stepped aside and gestured for Chen De to enter the village as a guest

Indeed, Brother Chen is quite remarkable; he possesses a multitude of skills that can enhance everyone's quality of life.

"Juan'er, be good, your elder brother will not go to Kaifeng." Chen gently stroked Juan'er's soft hair. This little girl seemed to have some ethnic minority heritage; her eye sockets were deep, with a hint of green. Her hair was soft and slightly yellowish, feeling like the fur of a Persian cat, providing a very comfortable sensation

Li Jiuyan's expression became serious, "Although you are still young, it is important to know this matter early. In the military, no matter how capable you are, you must never offend the commander. The generals may appear imposing but are often petty; if you provoke them, they can do anything.

Indeed, has the father-in-law ever been to Youzhou

Since he spoke Mandarin, Chen De could barely understand and also learned to greet the elder by saying: "My surname is Chen, my given name is De. I got lost in the mountains and do not know where I came from."

While speaking, a woman with a large belly suddenly pushed the door open. She seemed taken aback to find the old man Li conversing with a stranger in the room. Once she regained her composure, she leaned against the door and said, "I did not know that you had a distinguished guest, and I apologize for the interruption. May I inquire if you have any news of my husband?" This woman had a fair and delicate complexion. Although she was heavily pregnant, it could not conceal her previously graceful figure. Dressed in a scholar's robe, she possessed a unique charm.