Chapter 1: Bianliang Yongyi Marquis House

The Great Zhou

The first year of Jiayou

Winter

Dongjing Bianliang

Snow fell all night, only ceasing by midday.

The rooftops of the entire city were blanketed in snow, draped in silver.

Amid such fine scenery, the sons and daughters of wealthy families sighed with deep emotion, inspiring scholars to burst into poetry.

But for the poor and lonely, the biting cold was another hurdle they might not survive.

The snow on the main streets had already been shoveled to either side by the Street Office.

On other streets, homeowners or servants were also clearing the snow.

At major establishments like Fanlou and Panlou, warm stoves and poached-slice hotpots, under the calls of tea and wine masters, drew in many customers, business growing ever livelier.

The hour of Wei (1 to 3 p.m.)

Quyuanjie

Yongyi Marquis House

The inner courtyard,

The main wife’s chamber,

A clean yet slightly aged incense burner steamed gently, its warmth maintaining a comfortable temperature in the spacious room. Nearby, on a large rosewood bed, a cherubic infant opened his eyes, while a woman beside him focused intently on her needlework.

“Wah”

Hearing the infant’s cry, the woman paused her needlework, lifted the blanket to glance at him, smiled warmly, and said cheerfully: “Little Master is so well-behaved!”

She promptly changed his soaked diaper, and as soon as she finished, the infant stopped crying.

The infant, refreshed after sleep, stared with large, dark, gleaming eyes at the woman before him, her hair styled in an ancient coiffure, and at the ornate but aged beams above.

“Alas, not a single sound from a modern phone, TV, or anything else! I must really have been transported. All I did was rewatch The Story of Yanxi Palace five times and stayed up all night reading the original novel—how did I end up here?!”

Xu Zaijing did not know how long he had been an infant, for newborns’ eyes and ears were still developing, leaving him in a foggy state—eating and sleeping, with no sense of time.

His brief moments of clarity were blurred by underdeveloped vision, making everything appear as if seen through severe myopia.

Only these past few days, as his body matured, could he see slightly farther and hear faint sounds.

He had confirmed he had truly been transported to ancient times.

“Who in their right mind would want to come to an ancient world without computers, phones, or air conditioning?!”

Xu Zaijing grumbled, but hunger stirred again, prompting him to cry out—babies who cry get fed!

“Is the Little Master hungry?” A gentle voice came.

“Auntie Cui, look at how he wails—definitely hungry.”

The woman called Auntie Cui had fair skin, a round, slightly plump face, dewy complexion, gentle eyes, and thick, jet-black hair.

Her physical presence spoke of a woman well-nourished, a perfectly capable mother.

Holding the crying infant, she expertly unfastened her robe, watching him suckle vigorously, her eyes filled with delight.

“Little Master is unusually obedient and well-behaved.”

The young girl beside her nodded, smiling warmly.

Xu Zaijing closed his eyes, focused entirely on feeding.

A door opened; the maids and servants greeted someone, followed by the chime of jewelry, and a woman’s voice spoke:

“Xiao Zhu, how is Jingge today?”

Hearing the voice, Xu Zaijing’s ears twitched.

“Lady, he’s very well-behaved—just changed his diaper. Look, Lady, when you spoke, Little Master’s ears moved!”

As she spoke, Xu Zaijing felt a familiar warmth approach him—a presence he had never known in his past life, the loving, comforting aura of his biological mother.

Feeling this reassuring presence, his lips curled upward, forming a tiny dimple on his cheek.

“Auntie Cui, let me hold him.”

Seeing her son in the nurse’s arms, Sun Shi, the Lady of Yongyi Marquis House, smiled warmly and took him.

This was her fifth child, and third son.

Sun Shi had expected her fifth child to be another trial, but this one, aside from crying when hungry or needing a diaper change, remained quiet and calm—unlike his two older brothers and two older sisters.

This made the Lady of Yongyi Marquis House love her youngest son even more.

Her personal maid, Xiao Zhu, stood behind Sun Shi, skillfully removing her hairpins and ornaments, and said casually:

“Lady, was the Ningyuan Marquis House’s first-birthday banquet lively? I heard that Lady Bai is the legitimate daughter of a wealthy family from Yangzhou.”

“Of course it was lively—all the prominent military families in the capital attended. Dozens of banquet tables were set up. Lady Bai’s pearl hairpin was truly exquisite. But…”

“Lady, what happened?”

“At today’s banquet, Lady Bai was thoroughly humiliated by that Gu family’s aunt.”

“The one married into the Yang family?”

“Who else? She made Lady Bai lose face and turned the entire gathering into a spectacle. Poor Lady Bai—no family members even came to support her.”

“Didn’t the Marquis reprimand this aunt?”

“Hmph. Before the Marquis could speak, Lady Bai’s longtime maid bluntly spoke up, leaving the aunt so ashamed she barely ate and stormed out of the banquet.”

“It’s rare to shame your own sister-in-law so openly.”

“Isn’t it because she’s been fed too many sweet words from her sisters-in-law, and the Qin family of Dongchang Marquis House also…”

In his mother’s warm, comforting arms, Xu Zaijing, having just finished eating, drifted in and out of sleep, listening to the mistress and maid’s conversation.

Before falling asleep, he thought: “Marquis Gu, Lady Bai, the Qin family, and a Gunainai married into the Yang family… Am I really in the world of The Story of Yanxi Palace?”

A wave of drowsiness washed over him, and he fell asleep.

Xu Zaijing did not know how long he slept before waking again, this time from a cool sensation against his cheek.

He opened his eyes—the room was dim, lit only by the warm yellow glow of candles. Before him was a girl of three or four, pressing her face against his.

“Mother, Brother’s face is so smooth! Look, Brother’s awake!”

“Xu Anmei, did you wake him? You’ve only just come in—your face must be icy cold.” Sun Shi frowned at her fourth daughter.

“Hehe…”

“You’re still laughing? Wait till Father comes home—he’ll spank you.” A calm girl’s voice said.

“What’s this about? Why would I spank An’er?” A man’s voice came.

“What else? Your daughter just walked in and woke up your son.”

As she spoke, the little girl before Xu Zaijing was lifted away.

“Father, don’t kiss my face—your beard is too prickly!” came the impatient voice of the girl.

In response, the man laughed heartily.

“Mother, hold me—I don’t want Father to hold me!”

(A rough family relationship chart is posted in the comments section, pinned at the top.)

There’s little revenge or dramatic conflict here—I wonder if this Tongren of The Story of Yanxi Palace will win the readers’ favor. Comments and corrections welcome! Looking forward to them! (*▽*)

A rough relationship chart is posted in the comments.

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(End of Chapter)