Spring was in its full bloom, the grass grew wild and the Orioles chirped. The river flowers bloomed red, besting even fire in their splendour.

On the endless grassy fields, the mountain flowers bloomed freely, presenting a scene full of vitality.

Su Ting sat on a mahogany armchair, lost in a daze as he gazed at the beautiful view below the mountain. Light winds stirred an aurora beneath the mountains encompassing ancient stone walls and gloomy alleys that spread across like a chessboard. Under the twilight haze, swirls of green smoke sprouted from all around; the willows by the Thin West Lake were becoming green, and boats moved back and forth on the lake surface, creating a gracing view of the picturesque landscape.

It was already the eighteenth year of Kangzhi's reign, the governor of Yangzhou had set up a prefecture known as Huaizhou, which was then renamed to Yangzhou. The dreamy, coulant tales of the distinguishing southern views were exclusive to this city.

"Kangzhi? Three countries reverting to the Han, two Jin dynasties, and then Song, Qi, Liang, and Chen, yet no sight of Sui and Tang dynasties. Has history diverged onto another path?" Su Ting quietly murmured.

"Young Master, it's getting late. The morning cold might affect your health. We should descend from the mountain now!" From behind him, stood a robust man wearing a green robe. His large, square face sported a broad smile. The man around thirty, was very respectful towards Su Ting.

Su Ting nodded lightly then stood from his chair without uttering a word, and simply began walking down the hill. The middle-aged man faithfully followed him, his anxious mood reflecting in his gaze as he wanted to speak several times but stopped.

The Zhang’s mansion that Su Ting was looking at from the hill was placed in a large garden in the heart of a gigantic mansion. One could see the grand building structures from the hilltop, and the sight was so overwhelming that one couldn't see the end of it. As his gaze swept over the surrounding area, the lush trees and plants presented an extravagance that would leave anyone speechless.

This was the home of the most affluent family in Yangzhou, the imperial merchant family of Zhang. The Zhangs may be imperial merchants, but they were also scholarly and noble. The family's direct ancestor, Zhang Jian, was titled as Marquis Weiwu for his meritorious service to the royal family. His son, Zhang Yu, inherited the title of second-rank General Weilie, and his grandson, Zhang Lang, inherited the third-rank title General of the State.

Now the head of the Zhang family is Zhang Rong, the fourth-generation descendant of Zhang Jian. Although he doesn't hold a title, he is a named scholar, an equivalent to an imperial graduate, once held the position of Assistant Minister in the Dali Temple, with great power and high position.

The Zhang family mansion was bustling with servants, none of which could be compared to those of ordinary families. The maids were all dressed in red and green, chirping like birds. There were flowers adorned with embroidered ribbons in the garden, willows whipped up fragrant winds. All of this was too captivating.

"Hehe, sisters, isn't that the Third Young Master from the Lu family? Tsk tsk, he seems like a young boy to me. Just look at his thin arms and legs; even a gust of wind might blow him away!”

"Isn't that him? Ever since he came into our Zhang family's door, he fell ill and was said to be cursed. Our grandmothers had to ask monks and Taoists to come and made so much effort to finally make him better. He's just recently come out from the western corner room and has now started climbing the mountain for the scenery. He seems to be healing."

"What's the use of being well? The third master came all the way from Jiangning to Yangzhou, saying that he came here to study. But I heard our eldest grandmother say that he can’t even recite the 'Thousand Character Classic' fluently. He's from the Lu family, an illustrious and affluent house of the three dukes, just how unworthy and disgraceful is he to have turned out like this?"

"Our Zhang family may not be on par with the Lu family, yet, though our young masters may be unruly, they still cannot compare to this Third Young Master Lu from the Lu family…"

"Don't all of you keep referring to him as 'young master', this Lu San is only considered a young master in our house, isn't he just an illegitimate son born to a maid of the second household of the Lu family? He doesn't even recognize his place in the Lu family, and absurdly tries to compete with Second Young Master Lu, abandoning all sense of respect and deference, which is outrageous. Is it any wonder that my lady is extremely angry and had just sent him over? They said he's here to live and study, but in reality, they're also hoping that the old master and ladies of our house could supervise him more.

Our eldest lady had already issued an order, instructing us not to indulge him. He's inherently full of faults, if we continue to tolerate him acting out, wouldn't we be making difficulties for our lady? Sisters, don't you agree?"

...

In the courtyard, several men and women huddled together, pointing at Lu Zhen and whispering among themselves, all with animated discussions. Lu Zhen, however, remained calm, walking unhurriedly, according to his memory, he returned to the western corner compound of the Zhang family.

This courtyard was nothing special. The banana plants planted here had already wilted severely, and birdcages hung on the corridors on both sides, a smell of bird feces filled the air. Above were three connected rooms, all with peeling and decaying carvings. Hanging above was a plaque, with only the word "West" remaining, the other characters had long since peeled off, exuding a sense of decay.

According to standard, the young master of the Zhang family shall have four to eight maids, two old women, and a nursemaid. Lu Zhen only had an old woman to attend him. The old woman was already of age, having poor sight and hearing, yet was extremely bad-tempered, often cursing loudly. Thankfully, Lu Zhen also had a burly servant named Qi Biao, whom he brought from the Lu family, else he might have starved to death.

The courtyard was quiet. Qi Biao entered the room to tidy the bed and chairs, then cautiously helped Lu Zhen sit on the soft couch. After making sure Lu Zhen was settled, he covered him with a fur blanket, fetched water, tea, snacks, and even went to the kitchen for meals. He was busily engaging in many chores.

Lu Zhen, watching the busy Qi Biao, couldn't help but feel a sting in his heart, nearly bringing tears to his eyes.

Indeed, Lu Zhen had just recovered from a serious illness that almost took his life.

The truth was, the previous Lu Zhen was already dead. The current Lu Zhen may look the same, even carries the same name, but he is not from this world.

Lu Zhen used to be a military man on earth, someone straightforward and honorable, splendid in appearance, who received considerable attention from the military leaders and had promising prospects. However, after transitioning from the military, he became a bureau-level official, his rigid personality offended colleagues and superiors causing him to be singled out and ostracized in his career. His career and life were in a state of disillusionment, and he was later framed, taking the fall for someone else, resulting in complete ruin.

Gladen with despair, he wanted to end his life, but when he woke up, he found himself in a different world.

In this world, his name was also Lu Zhen, but he was only fourteen years old, scrawny, and in poor health.

After digesting the memories of the previous owner of this body over the past few days, Lu Zhen felt deep sympathy for him.

Lu Zhen was born into the Lu family of Jiangning and was one of the illegitimate sons of the household. Although he was born into a rich and powerful family, he was a bastard child. His birth mother was a maid, with a status incredibly low. Within the family, the household mistress treated him and his mother like maidservants.

According to ancient traditions, the legal wife is identified as the mother, and Lu Zhen can only address his biological mother as aunt and the main mistress as his mother.

The Zhang family of Yangzhou is Lu Zhen's mother's family. The several old masters of the Zhang family were technically Lu Zhen's uncles, but there was no blood relation. Lu Zhen lived at the Zhang family with such a status.

When Lu Zhen was at the Lu's, Mistress Zhang did not like him. However, as consideration for the status of the Lu family, if she were too cruel to Lu Zhen, she might be accused of being a mistress who could not accommodate her husband's illegitimate children, which would be heavily criticized.

Therefore, Madam Zhang came up with a plan to send Lu Zhen to study in Yangzhou Prefecture, which was her own family's place. The hidden intention behind this arrangement was clear. Previously, Lu Zhen had become mentally ill, and there likely were many hidden secrets behind this illness.

To put it bluntly, Lu Zhen's situation was like a lonely boat drifting in the vast sea, at risk of being capsized by the waves at any moment. His frail body and naive heart were hardly equipped to withstand such storms.

Qi Biao prepared the meals, but they were only some tofu, green vegetables, and coarse brown rice. After eating a little, Lu Zhen lost his appetite. He put down his chopsticks, lay down again, and felt very uncomfortable due to hunger.

Being tormented by hunger, Lu Zhen suddenly had a thought: "In the past and now, am I destined never to hold my head high? Given the chance to live again, can't I change my fate, to live a vibrant life?”

This thought raised his spirits and triggered his fighting spirit. There was a surge of blood rushing up in his lower abdomen, and he felt as if his health had been entirely restored.

He glanced at Qi Biao, who was busily cleaning around and suddenly sat up, saying, "Uncle, are we never going to eat brown rice again, okay?"

"Huh..." Qi Biao, who was busy cleaning, dropped his broom on the ground.

He hurried to Lu Zhen's side, with tears in his eyes, "My young master, you can finally talk! You've been ill for more than half a month. When you woke up, you were lost and confused. I thought you... you..."

He wiped away a tear, his voice choked with emotion, "If something happened to you, how could I explain it to the master and Mistress Yue?"

Qi Biao was truly crying. Although he was technically Lu Zhen's servant, he was actually his maternal uncle. Lu Zhen's birth mother, Auntie Qi, and he were born to the same parents and were siblings. Still, being born into a servant's family, even Lu Zhen’s birth mother couldn’t be recognized as his mother. How could Qi Biao be his real uncle?

This time when Lu Zhen came to Yangzhou from Jiangning, Aunt Qi couldn't stop it. She tearfully asked her brother to accompany Lu Zhen in hopes of providing some help. If it wasn't for this arrangement, Lu Zhen would have died from hunger or exhaustion when he fell ill.

"Uncle, let's go out and have some fun. Bring enough silver. There's a saying, 'One-third of the world enjoys the bright moon, while two-thirds are rogues in Yangzhou.' Now that we're in Yangzhou, how can we not enjoy the night view?"

After saying this, Lu Zhen stood up, flicked his sleeves, and walked out the door. Qi Biao was stunned for a while, and suddenly his face changed, "Young Master, wait for me. Where is the silver? That..."

Before he could say anything more, Lu Zhen had already disappeared into the distance.