Chapter 1: Return to Sui

  (PS: Newbie author, new book, please collect, recommend and reward.)

  "Master! Master! Wake up, wake up! If anything happens to you, how can I explain it to the old master?!"

  In the endless and icy darkness, Chen Yingliang floated aimlessly, vaguely hearing a heart-wrenching cry. The crying voice grew clearer and closer, and after drifting for an unknown period of time, Chen Yingliang was suddenly pulled by a powerful force into a warm place, where a glimmer of light gradually appeared before his eyes.

  "Am I not dead? How can I still hear sounds?"

  Chen Yingliang was perplexed in his heart, Chen Yingliang clearly remembered that he led his subordinates to capture transnational drug traffickers. The drug trafficker opened fire and refused to be captured. Suddenly, his forehead felt like it had been hit with a heavy hammer, and then his consciousness flew into the sky. He saw his own corpse wearing a police uniform lying next to the police car, with red blood and white brain matter spewing from his brow. At that moment, Chen Yingliang understood that he had been shot and sacrificed, or rather, it was the retribution for embezzling public funds to eat, drink, and have fun, and using public funds to buy an iPhone 5 as a U-disk.

  At that time, the gunfight was intense, Chen Yingliang couldn't hear a sound, but now, Chen Yingliang could clearly hear this mournful cry, and could also distinguish that the cry came from an old man, in addition to this cry, Chen Yingliang also heard other people's voices.

  "What's going on? Who am I?" As soon as he thought of this, countless voices and images flooded into Chen Yingliang's mind like a tsunami, all of which were unfamiliar to Chen Yingliang, yet felt extremely familiar. These voices and images came too fast and too strong, far exceeding the speed limit that Chen Yingliang could bear, making his head ache and also making him involuntarily let out a loud cry, "Ah!"

  "Wake up! Wake up! Save him!"

  "Master, you're awake? That's great! That's great!"

  The heart-wrenching wails turned into cries of joy, and an old face appeared before Chen Yingliang's eyes. The old face was covered in wrinkles, with tears and snot, although Chen Yingliang had never seen this face before, yet somehow felt extremely familiar and intimate. A thought immediately flashed through Chen Yingliang's mind, "Chen Lao San, I'm called Third Uncle, the only servant left to me by my parents, also the only relative I have after my parents' death."

  "Master, how could you be so desperate?" Chen Lao San hugged Chen Ying Liang and wailed again, crying loudly while muttering, "How could you hang yourself? How could you hang yourself? The Chai family... those heartless people, even if they wanted to break off the engagement, you didn't have to hang yourself! You're the only son of the Chen family, if we can't save you, how will I face Master and the old master?"

  "Hanging? Retreating from relatives? Chai family? What does it mean?" Chen Yingliang became confused again, and then suddenly remembered that just a short while ago, he had cried bitterly in a shabby old room, then stood on a stool, hanging the rope made of his belt around his neck...

  As he thought of this, countless voices and images rushed into Chen Yingliang's mind like a flood, so fast that Chen Yingliang let out another miserable cry, "Ah!"

  "Third Uncle, Third Uncle, don't throttle Chen Xiaoge again, he just woke up, don't choke him to death again."

  "Oh, young master, forgive me, forgive me, I didn't mean to. Chen Lao San hastily released Chen Ying Liang and grabbed a simple white-haired old man in plain clothes, begging with a sobbing tone, "Doctor, please take a look at my young master quickly, see if he's okay? Is he okay?"

  "Don't worry, old man. If the person who hanged themselves can wake up, they'll generally be fine and won't need any medicine. Just give him some rice porridge to eat and let him rest a lot. He'll be okay in a few days."

  "Oh, thank you, Doctor, thank you, Doctor. I'll go cook some congee now, I'll go cook some congee now."

  "Hey, little brother, you should also be more open-minded. The world is not just yours alone to be jilted. If it's over, then so be it! You're still young and handsome, don't worry, you'll find another wife in the future."

  "Yes, Chen Xiaoge, you should let it go. The girl's family insists on breaking off the engagement and there's nothing you can do about it. Just let her call it off. After some time has passed, Auntie will introduce you to an even better wife."

  Although the people who said these words were mostly shabbily dressed and spoke in a simple tone, the warmth and concern in their words were beyond words. However, there were also different voices. At least one young man wearing tattered shorts shouted out, "Damn it! When did those bastards from the Chai family run away? Three dogs, go catch them back and pay for Chen's medicine!"

  "Go get it back!"

  "Second Dog, Third Dog, come back to Mother! What's wrong with you? Don't you know what kind of family the Chai family is? That's an official family, they have money and power. Are you looking for death by provoking them?"

  "Damn it!" The young man in short clothes was obviously somewhat timid, stopped in his tracks and spat out a mouthful of thick phlegm, cursing, "Son of a bitch! He even took the betrothal gifts with him when he broke off the engagement. Even if he had money, he's still a cheap bastard!"

  The hubbub gradually subsided, and Chen Yingliang was fine. The doctor, who had not quite diagnosed the problem, took his leave first, taking with him the four five-copper coins that Old Man Chen had spent a lot of time rummaging through the broken wooden chest to find. Originally, one coin was still short, and Old Man Chen also cupped his hands in gratitude to borrow from those present. Fortunately, the doctor was somewhat kind-hearted and waived the remaining coin, instructing Old Man Chen to take good care of Chen Yingliang lest he do something foolish again, and then left amidst Old Man Chen's profuse thanks.

  Others gradually left, and most of them advised Chen Yingliang to be more open-minded and not to seek death when they were about to leave. Then Chen Lao San brought a bowl of rice porridge that was so clear it could reflect a person's shadow in a broken ceramic bowl and fed Chen Yingliang with tears in his eyes, and the dark room finally became quiet. Chen Yingliang also remembered many past events, knew his current identity, and understood the origin and process of the whole thing.

  Chen Yingliang found himself transformed into a 17-year-old ancient young noble, with the same name and surname as his own. He was the son of a declining aristocratic family, both parents had passed away, without brothers or sisters, except for Chen Lao San this old servant, there were no other relatives. Currently living in Daxing City, he hanged himself because the father of his fiancée, to whom he was engaged through a matchmaker, sent someone to break off the engagement. The lonely and helpless young noble Chen Yingliang could not withstand this blow, neither crying nor agreeing to divorce his fiancée, made an excuse to return to his bedroom, untied his belt and hanged himself.

  As for the police captain Chen Yingliang who used public funds to buy an iPhone 5 as a U disk, why did he become the little eunuch Chen Yingliang in ancient times? No matter how hard Chen Yingliang racked his brains, he couldn't figure it out.

  As for now, what time, what dynasty, Chen Yingliang's mind is still a mess, and he currently knows nothing.

  It just so happened that Old Three came over and asked about their well-being. Chen Yingliang then softly asked, "Third Uncle, what time is it now?"

  "It's just past the first watch of the hour of xu." Chen Lao San replied accurately but uselessly, and continued: "Young master, go to sleep, I'll keep watch over you."

  "Third Uncle, I'm asking what year and day it is now?" Chen Yingliang asked in a low voice again, saying: "My mind is all muddled, I can't remember."

  "Master, you..." Chen Lao San's eyes reddened again, and he choked out an answer: "Master, this year is the ninth year of Da Ye, today is May 16th."

  "What's the year of Da Ye?" Chen Yingliang's mind was still in a mess, he had some impression of this year number, seemed to have heard or seen it somewhere, but couldn't recall the details for the time being. So he asked Chen Lao San again: "Third Uncle, what is the current national title?"

  "Your Highness, you can't even remember this?" Chen Lao San fell to tears and choked with sobs: "The current national title is called Great Sui."

  "What a big Sui?!" Chen Yingliang suddenly raised his head and asked, "Is the current emperor Emperor Wen of Sui or Emperor Yang of Sui?"

  "Sui Wendi? Sui Yangdi?" Chen Lao San was thoroughly confused by Chen Yingliang, and holding back tears asked: "Young Master, what do you mean by this, why can't I understand it? Wendi? Ah yes, I remember that nine years ago the great Sui emperor passed away, his posthumous name was Emperor Wen of Sui."

  "Emperor Wen? Sui Emperor Wen? So, now it's the era of Emperor Yang of Sui?! Chen Yingliang knew that the Sui dynasty was short-lived and only had two emperors. Since Old Three said a great emperor of Sui has passed away, then now it must be the era of Emperor Yang of Sui without a doubt!"

  Chen Yingliang originally wanted to ask about the situation in the world, whether Dou Jiande, Wang Shichong and Li Mi had rebelled, and whether Li Yuan and Li Shimin, who were taking advantage of the situation, had risen up in arms. However, considering that an old servant like Chen Lao San might not know such things, Chen Yingliang temporarily dispelled this idea and prepared to calm his mind, which was still a mess, by recalling some memories from ancient times. On the other side, seeing that Chen Yingliang had stopped speaking, Chen Lao San urged him in a soft voice again: "Young master, it's almost dark, you've just recovered, go to sleep."

  Chen Yingliang nodded dazedly and asked casually: "Third Uncle, what's the name of that wife of mine who hasn't entered my family yet? What kind of family is hers?"

  "Master......" Chen Lao San was afraid of stimulating Chen Ying Liang again, but couldn't help but answer, so he hesitated for a moment. Chen Lao San still replied: "Master, your young mistress who hasn't entered the door is Miss Chai from the Chai family, named Chai Qian. Her father, Chai Shen, is the Duke of Julu in Great Sui, with an official title as the Right Inner Rate of the Crown Prince."

  "What is Taizi You Nei Shi? What kind of official is this?" Chen Yingliang curiously asked.

  "This... even I don't understand." Chen Lao San sighed and continued, "In short, he's a very high-ranking official. I heard his son is also a high-ranking official in the imperial court, and not long ago, he married an even more wealthy and noble official's daughter."

  "Oh, right." Chen Lao San added: "Today the Chai family came to show off, saying that the new relative of the Chai family surnamed Li had been a governor and prefect in many places, with a large family business, and was even related to the current emperor, making them incredibly wealthy and noble."