Chapter 4: Night Talk at Zhang's Mansion, Zhitu Shichen

  It wasn't until much later that the eerie silence outside was broken, and He Tianxi used all his strength to carefully crawl out of the large wine jar. Seeing that there were no devils around, he dragged his exhausted body quickly towards the inner courtyard, where he saw the corpse of his wife who had been raped and murdered. Overcome with grief and exhaustion, He Tianxi suddenly collapsed onto the ground, using his last bit of strength to crawl towards his wife's lifeless body.

  He Tianci crawled to his sister-in-law's side, raised his arm and slapped his own mouth, crying and shouting: "Sister-in-law, it's me who owes you an apology, if I hadn't been saved by you, you wouldn't have died, damn those little devils, a group of beasts, this vendetta I will definitely make them pay in blood, family hatred and national hatred, I'll settle the score all at once."

  Half awake, He Tianxi suddenly felt a bit of energy, walked to the gate, tidied up Da Sao's disheveled clothes, and in the northeast winter, the soil was frozen, making it particularly laborious to dig. He Tianxi dragged his tired body and dug a big hole, then buried Da Sao in the yard. After finishing these things, before dawn, he set foot on a new journey, walking towards the distance with difficulty.

  Later, he met Zhang Xiluan, a high-ranking official on his way to Jinzhou Prefecture via Zhen'an County, which led to the story of "The Strange Encounter with the Horse".

  The stars twinkled in the sky, and the night color was like a pile of stones, squeezing onto the snow-covered street, as if to crush the earth. The past events were like threads that connected under the night color, making He Tianxi's heart feel desolate. Looking at the distant village, He Tianxi unknowingly shed tears, perhaps he would never see his beloved parents again, and perhaps this chaotic world was created for him. It is said that a chaotic world creates heroes, perhaps he also had a heroic fate!

  A nation is going through turmoil, and I am favored by the god of fortune. Now is the era when the Chinese people are suffering, and the Russians and Japanese are committing all sorts of evil in Northeast China, while our Great Qing Dynasty has designated the area west of the Liao River as a neutral zone, and the area east of the Liao River as a battleground for the Japanese and Russian devils. Perhaps I, a future person, truly bear the mission of saving the people of Northeast China from their predicament, perhaps I bear the mission of reviving the Chinese nation, perhaps my own era will eventually arrive!

  Since you've come, then make yourself at home. Having arrived in this era, one must adapt to this society. Only after adapting to this society can it be possible for you to change it. After some deliberation, he decided that first and foremost, he had to learn how to write with a brush. It's laughable to say so, but times are different; if one cannot even hold a pen, wouldn't that be ridiculed by the world?

  In a chaotic world, archery and horseback riding are essential skills. At the very least, when fleeing for one's life, one can run faster than others; if lucky, one may even bring out some soldiers, and who knows, maybe one day conquer the world.

  Moreover, one must have a certain ability to make their wallet bulge, in this chaotic world, as long as they possess either soldiers or money, they can survive on this land.

  In the end, now that I'm on my own with no one to rely on, since I've become Zhang Xun's deputy, I'll just take it easy and do things slowly. This identity will be the most beneficial, as a transmigrator's identity, I'm probably the only person in this era who can appear as a prophet, walking at the forefront of history. After all, my history lessons were still able to prepare me for a few unexpected events. With heaven's timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony all in my hands, I will surely be invincible!

  After thinking about all this, He Tianxi felt a bit tired. Unconsciously, his eyelids closed together. This time, He Tianxi slept particularly soundly. He knew that after today, he would no longer be a 21st-century university student. After tonight, he would emerge as a member of the Qing Dynasty people, perhaps shouldering the heavy responsibility of national rejuvenation.

  The next evening, He Tianci walked towards Zhang Xun's temporary government office, passing through a corridor, and arrived at the Nan Dadian after entering the main gate. The courtyard had five large houses with eight sides, majestic and magnificent.

  He Tianci couldn't help but be drawn in by the grandeur of the Zhang estate, and when he looked up again, he was met with a large golden sign with two huge characters that read "Zhang Fu"

  In Zhang's mansion, Zhang Xiluan sat high in the main hall, his every move exuding an aura of majesty.

  "Your subordinate has arrived to pay respects to Director-General!" He Tianci said respectfully.

  "Alright, get up," Zhang Xiluan said with some helplessness. "I'm telling you, from now on, there's no need to be so polite."

  "Director General Xie", He Tianci walked aside and stood straight beside Zhang Xiluan.

  Zhang Xiluan lightly pointed to the seat beside him and said to He Tianxi, "Tianxi, what do you think of the current national situation?"

  "Your Excellency, in my opinion, the current situation in Northeast China is that both Japan and Russia have the intention of destroying our great China. This war between Japan and Russia will not last long. Japan is now receiving foreign exchange and weapons support from countries like Britain and America. Moreover, although Russia has completed the construction of the Siberian Railway to Dalian, its supply lines are frequently disrupted by bandits and the Japanese, which poses a big problem. I believe that although Japan is a small country, it is strong in spirit. As the British say, the Russians are fighting for their dinner, while the Japanese are fighting for survival. This Japan will surely defeat Russia."

  Zhang Xiluan nodded in agreement, then continued: "The war has been going on for a year, and the decline of Tsarist Russia is gradually becoming apparent. The prospects for the war are also becoming clearer. I wonder what your views are on the post-war situation?"

  He Tianci thought for a moment, and then said: "In my humble opinion, Russia is not as good as Japan. Although Russia is a traditional European country with its development focus on Europe, it has many ethnic and class contradictions at home. Compared to Japan, although the country is small, but the spirit is strong, and it borders China, since the end of the Ming Dynasty, the heart of destroying our China has not died! In comparison, I think Japan is the biggest threat to China."

  Zhang Xun hesitated for a moment, sighed and said: "Ah! I've been dealing with this little devil for so many years. Since the Sino-Japanese War, we've been fighting against Japan. The pain of our great Qing dynasty! After the defeat in the Battle of the Yellow Sea, our great Qing dynasty has stagnated, watching as neighboring Japan grew stronger and stronger. It's only been a few years, but Japan is not to be underestimated!"

  After taking a sip of tea, he continued: "I have something to ask for your advice. The Russian old man's trend is gradually becoming clear. A certain General Matveyev asked me for help and we are old acquaintances. In the early years when I was in Tieling, we had contact and he was a 'Manchurian expert'. Now he has been promoted to Major General and said that this time it was ordered by the Russian commander-in-chief, Batkin, to find someone in our Fengtian who can help the Russian army collect grain, and promised them that Russia would provide money, guns, and arm a brigade for us. The main task is to help them gather intelligence, purchase grain, and eliminate pro-Japanese bandits."

  After listening, He Tianxi was overjoyed and thought to himself that this might be his chance to rise to prominence. However, he suppressed his inner excitement, remained silent for a moment, raised an eyebrow, and said: "Is this really the case? In my opinion, this plan is feasible as long as we keep it confidential. We can openly tell the imperial court that we are eliminating bandits, while secretly helping Russia strike against Japan. Although Russia is not a pleasant entity, the outcome of this war is already set in stone and Japan will emerge victorious, which is beyond our control. Nevertheless, we can make Japan's victory more miserable, stir up greater conflict between the two sides, and reap the benefits as onlookers."

  Zhang Xiluan gently stroked his beard and said, "Tianxi's words are reasonable, I didn't expect that at your young age, you would analyze the current situation so thoroughly. I am deeply impressed, a truly formidable younger generation."

  "Thank you for your praise, sir. I'm just a humble subordinate who has been influenced by your greatness. Please continue to guide me, sir."

  Zhang Xiluan smiled with a helpless expression, "Oh dear! How can I deal with you? This little mouth of yours! And then asked again, don't know if Tianci has any words or not?"

  "Your Excellency, I, your humble servant, have been abroad since childhood and still don't know how to write." He Tianci said respectfully.

  Zhang Xiluan carefully examined He Tianxi from head to toe, then slowly said: "I see that you are cautious and resourceful, with a clever mind. In the past, there was Zhuge Liang, known as the Sleeping Dragon. And on your forehead, you have a 'Wang' character-shaped birthmark. Why don't we call you Hu Chen? What do you think, Tianxi?"

  He Tianci thought to himself, in his previous life, people called him the "Tiger of Hard Work", and unexpectedly, he came to the late Qing dynasty and got the character "Hu" (tiger) again. It seemed that he was destined to be connected with tigers, and from then on, he had an inseparable bond with them.

  "He Tianci hastily bowed and said: 'Your subordinate thanks you, sir, for the gift of a character.'"

  Zhang Xiluan stood up and looked outside, then smiled and said: "Huchen, it's getting late, you should head back early. I'll think about the old Maozi thing again."