Chapter 1: God, Let Me Die Again
nflower seed paste are your favorite, and there's also vinegar celery, which is the most appetizing..."Mother Lu was chattering away, using her chopsticks to constantly shovel food into Fang Jun's bow...During the twelfth year of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty, winter.
A thousand families are like a chessboard, and twelve streets are like vegetable plots.
A faint fire flickers from afar, a starlit sky above the five gates to the west.
At the very first hour of dawn, the vast city of Chang'an seemed like an ancient behemoth slumbering in the darkness.
Stars and moon were absent, a cold wind howled, goose-feather snowfall blanketed the streets and alleyways, accumulating on rooftops. A line of carriages carrying flaming torches marched from each neighborhood's just-opened gate, their footsteps muffled by thick snow. They converged on Zhuque Street, forming a grand procession heading towards Chengtian Gate to attend court.
As dawn approached, there was a commotion at the residence of Liang Guogong and Shangshu Zuopu Shaofang Xuanling.
At the age of sixty, Fang Xuanling, wearing his official robes, stood in the courtyard with his hands behind his back. He looked up at the snow-covered roof and wore a face full of worry.
A scantily clad young boy sat on the roof, holding a flask of liquor in his hand and taking sips from time to time, sighing heavily.
At this moment, a young maid of twelve or thirteen years old ran over and "thud" knelt before Fang Xuanling. Her knees sank instantly into the inch-thick snow.
"Woooo...Master, it's all my fault. I didn't watch over the second young master... Woooo..."
The little maidservant Qiao'er, who was the second young master's personal attendant, just woke up and found out that the second young master had gone to the roof to drink before dawn. She didn't even know about it. The second young master had been sick for many days, and this was only just getting better. What if he catches a cold
I blame myself for not discovering the second young master's whereabouts in time. The maid cried so sadly, her tears were like pear blossoms in the rain.
There was a flurry of footsteps in the house. Madam Lu rushed out, flustered and agitated, asking urgently, "Where is he Where is he"
Feng Xuanling sighed and pointed at the ceiling.
Lu seemed to have just woken up, his hair still unkempt. When he looked up and saw "Listening Snow Drinking Wine," his second son on the roof, he immediately cried out, "Son! Come down quickly, it's freezing cold out there today. Don't catch a chill!"
The youngest son, in a hunting trip outside the city some days ago, unfortunately fell off his horse and hit his back of the head. He has been unconscious ever since and remains in a daze. Everyone in the household is deeply worried.
This is just new, how did you end up back on the roof in this wind and snow
Did he hit his head
Thinking this way, Lu's heart grew even more anxious. Tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her face.
The boy on the rooftop, however, remained unmoved, with his head tilted back as if lost in thought.
Fáng Xuánlíng's face was grim. Although he was also worried about his second son, the commotion in the house this morning had been quite disruptive and unbecoming.
He shouted, “Come down quickly!”
The boy remained still, but leaned down to look over.
Flames from torches and lanterns flickered in the courtyard, reflecting off the snow, revealing the youth's face clearly.
He was of a sturdy build with thick eyebrows and large eyes. His youthful face, which still held a hint of immaturity, seemed to be no more than fifteen or sixteen years old. He wore a thin robe, his figure was not particularly imposing, but solid and broad-shouldered.
The young man looked at Fang Xuanling and then at Lu Shi, and finally spoke: "I will not marry Princess Gaoyang!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire courtyard fell silent.
Fng, startled at first, immediately flew into a rage: "Unfilial son, are you looking for death"
The young man stiffened his neck and glared defiantly: "If you want me to marry Gao Yang, I'll die in front of you!"
Fang Xuanling was so angry that his beard bristled. He glared fiercely at his second son: “This is a marriage bestowed by His Majesty, how dare you, a young fool, refuse You are putting the imperial dignity to shame! Moreover, marrying Princess Shang is an honor beyond measure. You actually reject it, it's simply outrageous!”
Fang Xuanling puffed out his cheeks and glared, wishing he could kill this scoundrel on the spot!
The Emperor's decree, who dares not obey
Even if you really don't want to accept this honor, you dare not say it out loud, so you can only think about it in your heart...
The young man seemed to realize that threatening him with death was ineffective. He couldn't help but grimace, pleading desperately: “Otherwise… could you please tell the Emperor Don’t make it Gao Yang, how about we choose a different one”
Fang Xuanling was stunned: "...Change another one"
What the hell do you think you are, a princess of the Tang Dynasty
Chinese cabbage
This one's not good, let me find a different one
This is asking for death!
Fang Xuanling's eyes were bloodshot, and he roared to the heavens: "Damn beast! Get down here!"
……
Fang Xuanling rushed to court in a hurry, but the appointed time had already passed. Although the emperor was usually quite tolerant of old and trusted officials like him and rarely scolded them, Fang Xuanling, who had served diligently for many years, took his responsibility very seriously and would never take advantage of the emperor's favor to be careless.
In each of the four corners of the grand hall were several braziers, their fires burning brightly, warming the room like spring.
But Fang Jun's heart remained as cold and icy as the weather outside, piercingly so...
Just the moment before, I was in the county chairing a meeting on vigorously developing agricultural mechanization for farming. My head suddenly spun, my vision went black, and now, damn it, I'm in the Tang Dynasty!
Just wear it then. Even if I lose out on the bright future that comes with being the youngest department head in the province, it's not like it's the end of the world. Who knows when something like this, crossing over time, might happen
To be able to wear the clothes of the Tang Dynasty would not be bad, experiencing the feeling of having all under heaven submit and the country being prosperous with a proud populace.
But why the hell did she have to become someone else's lost love
Famous throughout the ages, a turtle's paragon, the ultimate cuckold king, the glowing green giant!
Could it be because we share the same name
Fang Jun's name was given to him by his own father. The old man was a typical country bumpkin, having never been to school and not knowing many characters. He didn't realize at all that the name he gave his son was the same as a famous historical figure from ancient times.
It wasn't until Fang Jun entered junior high school that he learned there was another historical figure with the same name as him: Fang Jun, whose courtesy name was Yiai.
Speaking of that man, ha ha, his name is known throughout the ages…
Could it be that I, myself, have crossed over into the body of this esteemed gentleman who lived over a thousand years ago
Oh my god, what are you trying to do
It's all dad's fault, if he had named me Fang Shiling it would have been much better...
Fang Jun always thought of himself as someone who went with the flow. He could endure poverty and accept setbacks, but by God, he absolutely couldn't stand being cheated on!
The delicately prepared small dishes on the table couldn't entice his appetite at all. He felt like a huge stone was pressing down on his chest, so suffocating...
"Child, at least eat a little. These wontons filled with sunflower seed paste are your favorite, and there's also vinegar celery, which is the most appetizing..."
Mother Lu was chattering away, using her chopsticks to constantly shovel food into Fang Jun's bowl, as if she were going to feed him directly.
Although he was depressed as hell, Fang Jun still felt warm in his heart.
The meticulous care and deep maternal love reminded him of his own mother in another world.
A son, who was always seen as proud and successful, suddenly died. Sending a black-haired person to a white-haired one, how heartbroken the mother must be!
Fang Junqiang endured his worry and grief, picking up a wonton and putting it in his mouth, but he couldn't taste it.
"You said your son, with so many people around, how could you say such words If it gets out, His Majesty will be furious! Besides, that girl Gao Yang, I think she's quite good. She has a good figure, is pretty, and comes from a noble family, even more favored by His Majesty, why don't you like her"
Lu was a little dissatisfied and mumbled under her breath.
Mentioning this matter, Fang Jun's chest felt tight: "Mother, Father listens to you the most. You tell him to speak to the Emperor, can we not arrange this marriage"
Princess Gao Yang!
She was a legendary woman, a great pioneer of free love and a typical example of extramarital affairs...
What the hell am I supposed to do about this
Lu angrily slapped her son and said, "What kind of talk is that What do you mean your father listens to me the most..."
After some thought, I agreed with my son and continued, “This matter, I'm afraid it’s beyond your control. Lately, Your Majesty has been quite upset over that Clan Chronicle. It is said that Princess Shen, who compiled it, ranked the Cui clan as the first among all clans, and there are rumors that the Five Clans and Seven Sects wanted to maintain their pure bloodlines and would not marry into the imperial family… Your Majesty is very displeased. If you were to stir up another such commotion now, what do you think your Majesty would think Well, the Five Clans and Seven Sects look down upon our Li royal family, and your Fang family does too Think about it, can this possibly work”
Mr. Lu advised his son earnestly, but no matter how you looked at him, he resembled a proud rooster, looking vigorous and lively.
Well...
"Oh, I forgot. The Lu family is a genuine descendant of the Fanyang Lu clan. She looks down on the Li royal family with mixed Han and Hu blood..."
But what does that have to do with me
He also knew it would be difficult to get the emperor to revoke his decree, but the problem was if he really married Princess GaoYang as fate had planned, he would definitely kill her to prevent being cuckolded on some dark and stormy night...
Speaking of which, killing the emperor's daughter doesn't seem to have a good ending either…
After much deliberation, Fang Jun actually discovered that there were dead ends in all directions. No matter which way he went, it was a losing game.
...unsolved...
He felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, his vision blurring. His heart screamed silently: God, can I die again twelfth year of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty, winter.A thousand families are like a chessboard, and twelve streets are like vegetable plots.A faint fire flickers from afar, a starlit sky above the fi...