Chapter 254: Great Han Imperial Kin
“One two three four, two two three four…”
As the sun had just risen, in the eyes of the Liu family servants, their young master Liu Haoxing (Xuan Chong), who knew shame and then bravely strove forward, began to get up on time, then practiced the “Zodiac Forms” derived from the “Five Animal Frolics” in the martial arts room.
This scene had started three months ago, as if he had become a different person.
The equipment in the martial arts room was completely different from his previous life. For example, the equipment Xuan Chong was currently selecting was made of wood as thick as could be embraced by both arms, eight meters high, with metal bars extending from it. (Can be referenced to parallel bars and single bars on sand.)
Using this equipment was just like climbing a tree, moving from one bar to another.
Xuan Chong knew that this world’s sports culture and previous life’s historical development were completely different.
Taking this iron tree as an example, climbing up using only both arms was the long-armed ape form; without using both arms, but kicking and stepping up with legs, relying only on the waist to maintain balance, that was the dragon form.
Now Xuan Chong was active in the climbing area below three meters, which could be dragon form; above five meters, it became monkey. — The family instructor had pointed it out a few times, and Xuan Chong was now slowly figuring it out.
Xuan Chong was still unclear about this world’s current rules. He even didn’t know if the system would back him up this time.
However, during the soul transmigration process of the “Yaodao” plane, everything involving notes and experiences recorded on his system, he remembered exceptionally clearly, including the bodily sensation experiences when practicing the Body Fixing Technique.
The Body Fixing Technique required implanting relevant “perception auxiliary sensors” in the body. Xuan Chong had called the system several times, but there was no response.
Xuan Chong: “I didn’t find any exchange window; but just now, I had already adapted to the ordinary in school, and developed a good habit. When I determine that a certain development direction is good, then without conditions, create conditions. Start from the basics.”
Exercising the body was not about reaching a certain threshold to start.
Rather, whatever conditions there were, proceed according to those conditions.
As a person, even if becoming disabled, one must be responsible for one’s body. And his current transmigration starting point was just flabby obesity, with all limbs idle.
…Milky-scented chubby kid turned into stinky kid…
After transmigration, Xuan Chong’s most primary task as Liu Haoxing was to condition his body to a healthy state.
Every morning at seven o’clock, when rosy clouds broke through the waves from the east, Xuan Chong got up, first rinsed his mouth and cleaned his teeth, brewed a cup of egg soup by himself, gulped it into his stomach, felt a warmth lingering in the dantian, and then began training. After two hours of sweating profusely, he ate breakfast. Finally, according to “the plan for a day lies in the morning,” he began studying.
At ten o’clock in the morning, he stood in horse stance again. Initially, Xuan Chong could only stand for three or four minutes. Now he could persist for half a shichen.
After standing stake, he ate lunch, then sat quietly for half an hour before starting afternoon study. At three or four o’clock, Xuan Chong began practicing shaking the great spear. After shaking, he sat quietly reading and ate dinner.
At eight in the evening, he went to bed. In these three months, in others’ eyes, Liu Haoxing had abandoned big fish and big meat, no longer indulged in alcohol, and even discarded the bad habit of “dog fighting gambling.”
After inheriting the heir status, Xuan Chong rummaged through “his own drawer,” looking at the “dog breed characteristics” recorded by Liu Haoxing in the notebook, like elementary school students arguing who was stronger among the Ultras, and couldn’t help but sigh at the childishness.
When Xuan Chong thoroughly turned over a new leaf and entered a life of keeping precepts, all those fighting dogs were given to the mountain patrol herders.
As for the outside world, it seemed that Liu Haoxing (Xuan Chong) had suffered a heavy mental blow and began to believe in religion.
Correct, Xuan Chong lived orderly here and actively integrated into group cultural activities.
Every Sunday, Xuan Chong regularly went to Emperor Yeshi’s temple to pray.
Thus becoming an active member recognized by the local religious organization. — In the religious organization’s propaganda, Xuan Chong knew that his reputation for debauchery was now gone.
The religious organization was very welcoming of Xuan Chong’s approach and was willing to arrange fellow believers for in-depth study with him. Xuan Chong immediately stopped it, maintaining “distance.”
Master Xuan Chong did not have the habit of sharing his life with others. Even when the religious organization tried to pull him into the faith, among the inserted “fellow believers,” there was a pretty girl his age.
…Spacetime fork, culture split…
Emperor Yeshi and Mazu were one south and one north, two coastal orthodox gods enfeoffed by the emperor four hundred years ago.
Mazu blesses fishermen not encountering storms; Emperor Yeshi can protect whaling ships on the North Atlantic route from being extorted by the sea mountain god (iceberg collisions).
In Dongtu this place, every November 11th (lunar calendar), Dongtu’s citizens wait to offer incense to Emperor Yeshi and prepare tribute.
Liu Haoxing suddenly became self-disciplined in life, and the outside world had various opinions, but Xuan Chong himself knew it was because of soul transmigration.
But in this world, to others, besides becoming a devout believer, it was hard to explain why a teenager suddenly turned over a new leaf from indulgence these days.
Just like those aunties in Xuan Chong’s previous life, when seeing boys working out to lose weight, they couldn’t think of reasons other than “chasing girls.”
At this time, the weather was even colder, and the offshore whaling ships had returned. The workshop areas in the city were filled with the smell of fried whale oil. After ordinary Dongtu people finished eating, they went to the public bathhouse to bare all honestly.
…Became “I”…
After three months of cultivation, the once chubby fat face had become sharp-chinned, arm muscles had formed, leg steps were solid. Recovered from fat lump state to angular and defined.
Although not as good as those with special physical talents, at least he wouldn’t be panting after walking a hundred steps quickly.
Every day, extremely vigorous energy rose from the organs straight to the crown of the head. The benefits were quick thinking and sharp gaze.
In other words, the original Liu Haoxing, at least the Xuan Chong just after transmigration, was still in “fool” appearance; now he was worthy of having a spiritual root.
Drinking and being uninhibited was still the mark of a talented scholar, a huge lingering poison of Eastern Wei-Jin culture.
Xuan Chong was very clear that an adult man’s physical state was closely related to the “stupid and foolish” appearance seen by the outside world.
Maintaining a healthy body ensures good internal circulation hormone secretion, allowing men to maintain aggressiveness, mental activity, and tolerance to various pressures.
This was also a principle Xuan Chong only understood at thirty in his previous life. In his youth, he saw those prodigies with exceptional talents, misled by certain propaganda, thinking talent determined the upper limit.
In fact! Xuan Chong harbored a belief in his heart: if his twelve- or thirteen-year-old self had been guided by his thirty-year-old self, how much would he differ from geniuses?
…No difference between immortal and mortal! Dare to measure…
Here it must be mentioned, this transmigration’s starting point. Eastern Xian Han belonged to a modernization empire. This empire, to maintain border control, adopted the enfeoffment system. That is, throwing those rotten and hard-to-manage territories around to the enfeoffed kings.
For example, the current Dongtu Kingdom was an enfeoffed king under the Xian Han system.
Don’t look at Dongtu Island’s large area, but there’s only this one city.
The King of Dongtu in the north could be said to have a single lineage. It was said that many kingdoms’ enfeoffed kings in the south were abolished by Xian Han due to the main line dying out.
But for Dongtu Kingdom, the imperial court was very gracious, allowing Dongtu Kingdom to continue passing down the country.
The reason was simple: if really abolishing the country, the imperial court directly governing would require sending which official to directly administer the prefectures and counties there? — Wouldn’t that offend people?
The imperial court’s scholar-officials were like daughters-in-law managing household affairs; they didn’t want to go to the mountainous ravines to show their faces. Such thankless tasks could be left to the little uncle at home.
Xuan Chong was now born in the Dongtu Prince’s Mansion. This Liu Haoxing, as the eldest legitimate son, had obviously been overly pampered before his transmigration, a standard wastrel young master.
Xuan Chong pursed his lips, defending Liu Haoxing’s behavior: “I absolutely don’t despise wastrels. Speaking of which, being able to be a wastrel but not being one is having a mental illness.”
Xian Han’s imperial court obviously didn’t want heirs of various vassal kingdoms to be wastrels either, so it summoned disciples from various places to the capital city to study. As a result, while studying, Liu Haoxing became a wastrel and returned home to reflect.
The reason was quite laughable. Liu Haoxing was bullied in the Imperial Academy. In that gathering place of powerful ministers’ young masters, a bumpkin little prince from the north was nothing. The one who bullied Liu Haoxing was Lin Yang, son of the current dynasty’s Sima family.
Xuan Chong thought for a moment and remembered “Lin Yang.” Xuan Chong emphasized to himself: I’m not petty; I just want to clarify the predecessor’s interpersonal relationships.
…Wealth and prestige in the inland, feudal in the border…
Although ups and downs since High Ancestor founded the Great Han, the Han imperial family always managed to uphold it, and the system had always been reforming.
Xuan Chong: Considered upholding it. Heng Han’s founding Liu Bei as Yang Ancestor (temple name) was said to have genealogy; but Li Han’s holy ancestor was born in the mixed Huhan area of the river loop. He also claimed to be Liu, fulfilling the “golden sword prophecy” at the time, and finally seized the world.
As for the current dynasty, it was the fifth creation of the Great Han. This Xian Han was even more legendary, with a meteor falling near Mount Tai, and the current dynasty’s founding emperor receiving heaven’s mandate.
Of course, these were myths and stories from hundreds of years ago. The Son of Heaven in the East had established an indisputable “religious authority” over these two thousand years.
In the previous dynasty, Zhen Han’s iron hooves conquered to Europe, absorbing local religions; Zhen Han’s Confucian scholars even established the trinity heaven’s mandate theory system of “heaven, emperor, ancestors.”
Zhen Han’s Son of Heaven’s religious authority grew larger, but governance of the world became increasingly powerless, so after three generations of Zhen Han, the enfeoffed kings in Europe began to self-govern.
Within the Nine Provinces, land governance also had chain reactions, and the emperor’s enfeoffed kings conflicted severely with prefecture-county system officials.
“Kings” as representatives of local strongmen, acted above the edicts, unable to set an example, letting other strongmen also see edicts as nothing.
Ultimately leading to Zhen Han’s collapse, and the world falling into chaos.
That is, at the stage of Bethlehem calendar 1455, European countries split territories and established independence. Until now, that side has become “disloyal” forces.
…Previous dynasty’s lesson is, borders not ruled by Liu clan, inland should not have kings…
Xian Han rose from the two lakes area. At founding, after the first battle being the decisive battle at Poyang Lake, it defeated the southeast Zhu-Zhang alliance, swept the south, then step by step pushed north, took Guanzhong, took Hebei to the east, and pacified the world.
After Xuan Chong reviewed the current dynasty’s founding route, his expression was very strange. Then he began taking notes and highlighting key points.
The idea of scholar-officials co-governing the world with the Son of Heaven appeared during Heng Han (Liu Bei), and by Zhen Han, a complete cabinet system already existed.
Scholar-officials already had “upper, middle, lower” three grades of scholar groups, corresponding to the “prefecture, county” three consultative assemblies’ deliberative powers.
And the current dynasty completely institutionalized this system with edicts. Within the Nine Provinces inland, “law” is above all.
So although Liu Haoxing had a “vassal king” background, he could at most shepherd the people on his own fief; when under the Son of Heaven’s feet, he really was far inferior to powerful ministers.
Lin Yang’s father had steadily sat in the political arena for twenty years, now holding the position of Sima. This position was similar to the British prime minister in his previous life’s Europe, with real power to mobilize national military and formulate diplomatic strategies, but constrained by the Situ managing civil affairs and Sikong managing finances; the Lin family daughter was the emperor’s main wife, standard imperial relative.
As for Liu Haoxing’s family? Although surnamed Liu, the relation to the current imperial family was distantly unknown.
Xuan Chong flipped through the family genealogy; his own ancestors were Liu Yu, who in Li Han rose to Grand Marshal; of course, after three generations, the family declined and was exiled to the north.
Then inherited in the north for a thousand years unbroken. Four hundred years ago, responding to the current dynasty’s founding emperor’s uprising to restore the Han imperial family, the rank was restored.
Of course, the imperial court at that time also needed support from peripheral Liu clans, so gave Liu Haoxing’s ancestor a vassal king. — And this rank was directly enfeoffed to this godforsaken place of Dongtu.
Xuan Chong suspected if his old ancestor had offended someone back then.
…Trace the history…
After Xuan Chong understood the resources his current identity provided, he began thinking about how to effectively utilize resources to ensure adapting wherever he went!
As a second generation, Xuan Chong’s positioning was very clear: just don’t make trouble.
In the existing social structure, don’t let power he doesn’t control disrupt the existing system. Don’t follow others just because you see them succeed in making trouble. He was different from them.
As for those who rose from middle and lower layers by making trouble, they were survivors of cruel elimination. Their experiences included writing epitaphs for many “trouble-making dead” peers.
Xuan Chong schemed: “I remember there’s an oil field near Dongtu, and oil fields need the oil refining industry. Lay out in advance, ride the wave of the coming fuel era, be an oil seller, earn some small money, give some welfare to the citizens! Mm, then I’ll happily be a prince.”
Beep beep beep, with a sound, the system finally appeared.
System: “This plane is a magic-science plane, do not bring in orthodox historical analysis. Note, now is math exam time, please adjust to the correct problem-solving mindset.”
Xuan Chong: “I called you earlier, and you pretended not to hear!”
The system displayed a standard: Xuan Chong’s previous body condition was still adjusting, not yet in a stable state after transmigration.
That afternoon, upon hearing the system’s voice, Xuan Chong suddenly jolted, sat up, and then anxiously muttered to himself.
…Invigilator teacher: Lie flat?! Hmph, it’s exam time…
On the other side of the ocean, Xie Ming, mm, Jemint. His appearance was distinct, mixed-race, black hair high nose, combed in a nobleman’s bun.
This young master watched the cannons being tempered in his family factory. These cannons were currently all to be mounted on battleships.
On the Western Ocean, the most powerful ironclad ships had reached over twenty thousand tons. Unlike Xian Han’s “cruiser” development strategy, Dongyin’s side pursued heavy armor gunship strategy.
Between the New Continent and Europe, on the Atlantic Ocean, the struggle for maritime rights on the “Yin-Europe-Africa” triangular trade route had entered white-hot intensity.
In the factory, Jemint was walking.
Suddenly, a person covered in oil stains pulled out a gun from his pocket. However, just as this assassin prepared to shoot, a white burly man beside Jemint suddenly stepped forward and drew his gun even faster.
When the bullet hit this burly man.
Clothes tore, but revealed dense hair unlike humans inside, and at this moment, looking closely, this burly man’s face had become a werewolf.
Just as this werewolf prepared to tear apart the sneak attacker, Jemint lightly said: Break the four limbs, keep alive.
On this werewolf’s neck, a blood-red collar was flashing; then he regained reason, and broke the bones of this guy disguised as a worker sneaking attacking the young master, with joints bending backward.
On the rotating machines, blood-red blood splattered.
Jemint’s slightly childish face coldly watched all this, lowly saying: “Looks like someone is dissatisfied with me inheriting the family business.”
Xie Ming adapted to this era faster than Xuan Chong because it wasn’t his first time here.
He patted the werewolf’s shoulder beside him, a black power penetrated into the werewolf’s skin, and the werewolf’s pupils recovered from red to black.
The werewolf’s original bared-teeth ferocity immediately receded, becoming docile like a pastoral dog, then changed back to human state.
Jemint (Xie Ming), whose paternal line was Eastern Yin people, nodded slightly: “Viking slave, a loyal good dog.”
