Chapter 3

  The air in the early morning is filled with a fragrant scent, and the gentle breeze carries a hint of damp earthy smell. Birds chirp in the woods, and the brook babbles as it flows through the forest, winding its way into the distance. A ray of sunlight filters through the trees, passing through the car window to shine on my face. The dazzling light makes me wake up without realizing it. The impact of traversing time and space is undoubtedly enormous, and the sheer force is beyond description.

  I slowly opened my eyes, raised my hand to look at my watch, and it was already 12 o'clock. I looked over at Grandpa. He was lying on the passenger seat, so I gently touched him with my hand. There was no reaction. I felt his neck pulse (this is something we all had to learn in first aid training, to ensure survival in a short amount of time). There was only a faint beat. My heart tightened. I quickly lifted Grandpa out of the car and placed him on flat ground. All around us was a mountain valley. A waterfall cascaded down from the distant mountainside, creating a whirlpool in the deep pool below before flowing away along a small stream. Dozens of cars were scattered about the edges of the pool. I sprinted towards the nearest one at a speed of 100 meters per second, banging on the door.

  Jiang Hao and Chen Hui were woken up by me, opening their blurry eyes and saying: "A Xiao, what's the hurry?" I panted and said: "Quickly, go find Dr. Han Zhi, the old man is in a bad way, maybe it was too much pressure on the way here. Hurry up!" After finishing speaking, I didn't give them time to ask questions and ran towards another car. Dr. Han Zhi rushed over under the leadership of Fatso Fan Jie. The old man lay on the soft grass. We all anxiously watched Dr. Han Zhi and the old man. At this moment, we had no mood to appreciate the beautiful scenery here. We all stood there helplessly watching Dr. Han Zhi, who slightly signaled us not to worry. Dr. Han Zhi skillfully opened the first-aid kit beside him. A strong heart needle was injected. Then Dr. Han Zhi stood up and said: "A Xiao, help me give Mr. Zhu artificial respiration while I press his heart." After a few minutes of effort, the old man's pulse slowly recovered.

  The old man stood up again with his strong vitality and smiled at us, saying: "Don't worry about me, I'm fine. Besides, even if something happens to me, Ah Xiao will take over my business, haha." I called out to Chen Hui and Jiang Hao, saying: "You two stay by the old man's side and take care of him with Han Zhi." We'll tidy up the car first and then sort out our base. As I stood up, I saw Chen Hui and the others nodding in agreement.

  I said to Lü Jun and Zhou Lun, "Arun, Xiaojun, you two go and check all the members to see if there are any other losses." As I watched them walk away into the distance, time seemed to slow down. Dr. Han Zhi also followed them, crawling up to the car door one by one to check on the injuries of the personnel. Zhou Lun and Lü Jun walked over, their facial expressions already telling me that the situation was very bad. Zhou Lun said in a low voice, "Grandpa, except for the twelve people here, everyone else has died due to interference from the strong rays of the time tunnel. Their bodies are completely dehydrated. Of course, this includes Chen Fei, Fan Jie, and Li Quan." After finishing speaking, he burst into tears at the sudden loss of his comrades.

  Grandfather's resolute face was shocked to hear the news, and he looked at Han with inquiring eyes. When he didn't get an answer from Han, a sad expression also appeared on Grandfather's face. Grandfather suppressed his heartache and said, "It's my fault that they're gone." After finishing speaking, he made an effort to stand up. I quickly stood beside Grandfather and supported him. The grandfather wearing camouflage clothes took off the military cap from his head. He looked at the twelve people around him and said, "Alright, everyone must be strong now. Although we lost so many comrades from the start, this makes us have to be even stronger and more resolute. We must cherish our lives even more, don't be sad, don't take life lightly, otherwise, we will owe those who are under the nine springs."

  Grandfather paused for a moment, looked around at the scenery and said: "I think this place is also beautiful with clear mountains and water, so let our first generation of martyrs rest here forever." After finishing speaking, he turned to Song Dian and Zhao Zhe and said: "You two gather some people to bury these soldiers."

  Witnessing the bodies of friends being buried in the yellow earth. The originally flat grassland rose into piles of yellow earth, and tears flowed unnaturally from our eyes. After bowing respectfully to each new grave, I was the first to walk out of the shadow of grief. From my pocket, I took out a pack of Chinese cigarettes that I had been carrying with me, lit nine cigarettes after taking them out, and said in a choked voice: "Fatty, Quan stupid, Chen Fei big brother. You guys are good, can rest easy and sleep soundly in this mountain green water place." Others looked at me doing so and followed suit, lighting up cigarettes and placing them on the graves of each comrade.

  I looked at the faces of my comrades, took over the Wuliangye from Zhou Lun in the car. After twisting off the bottle cap and pouring nine cups of wine towards the grave, I muttered to myself: "We once had a common dream. We were once full of vigor. I didn't expect you to leave so early. I, Zhu Xiao, swear here that when I restore the Han and Tang dynasties' grandeur, I will come back and offer a toast to each of my comrades."

  I stood up, cleared my throat and said: "Alright, comrades. What's lost can never be regained. I think our fallen comrades wouldn't want us to live in sorrow either. The fight must go on. Our cause has just begun. Now if we all work together to tidy up our base, we'll have a solid fortress, and with that, we'll have the first force to dominate this world." Everyone heard my muttering and was invigorated by it.

  I said to Xiao Ying: "Xiao Ying, call the three team leaders and the only surviving warrior over." After they came over, they gave me a standard military salute. Geez, it left me stunned at the time. Luckily, Xiao Ying's hand grabbed my back and I quickly returned a standard military salute as well. I said to the three team leaders: "Three of you, it's an honor to live and struggle together under the same roof in the future. If we brothers have anything wrong, please contain and guide us more often. And also... please introduce yourselves."

  Those three captains were also amused by my last sentence, and the atmosphere eased unknowingly. Said: "Ah Xiao, be polite. We may still need your help in the future."

  Only the thin man in the middle stood up and said, "So I'll speak first. My name is Zhang Zhitao, and I used to serve in the Chinese People's Liberation Army Special Forces. I'm from Nanjing. Because I hated Japan so much, I was later transferred out of the army for beating up Japanese people, and finally Mr. saw me and brought me here."

  The middle-aged man with a small tuft of beard on the left said: "My name is Ye Jun, from Liaoning. I used to be in the Marine Corps, and when I went home for a visit, my wife ran away with a Russian. I chased after them and killed those two dogs. In the end, Mr. saved me by chance, and that's how I ended up here." After finishing speaking, he retreated with a gloomy expression.

  I walked up to him and bowed deeply, saying: "Jun Ge, I'm sorry. I made you recall a painful past. But Jun Ge, you shouldn't be like this because of that woman. She's not worth it. Although I've never experienced love before, I know that for you, being like this because of her is not worth it. You should face everything with a happy heart. We should all face this unfamiliar world with a fearless spirit. The us from that world have long been dead. Do you understand, Jun Ge?"

  Ye Jun nodded and looked at me again, his eyes no longer showing any signs of pain. I knew that the knot in his heart had been untied by me at this moment. My intuition told me that this person would become another fierce general in the future.

  The last team leader was a sturdy young man, possibly not much older than us. He said: "My name is Yue Yulong, I used to be in the army's field forces, I don't have any special experiences, I was raised by my master since childhood, so I came here." After finishing speaking, he smiled awkwardly.

  The only surviving warrior also walked up and saluted, saying: "My name is Wu Yue. There's nothing special about my experience, I'm just a mediocre person, but I'm an extreme nationalist. So I didn't get along well in the army, later the boss here recruited bodyguards so I followed him to this place. I thank the boss for giving me such an opportunity. I will cherish it." After finishing speaking, he saluted again. Finally, we brothers also introduced ourselves to them.

  I said in a low voice: "Alright, since everyone has met, let's bring the cars over and gather them together. Then we can set up our camp." The cars had already driven to the innermost part of the valley, where the waterfall flowed gently from a small stream beside the cars, completely losing its majestic momentum. It became like a sentimental girl, winding and curving as it flowed into the distance. The grassy ground was filled with fresh air. The sky was such a blue, the mountains were such a green, and the water was so crystal clear that I made a vow in my heart to never damage the environment again. Our camp had been set up. First, twenty cars formed a circle on the outside, with five cars inside as pillars, connected by steel pipes on top, and covered with an extra-large camouflage cloth. We brought along twenty cars full of military supplies, one car of medicine, one car of machinery, one car of books, two cars for food, and some gold, about 1000 taels or so, and a dozen barrels of gasoline.

  It's evening, and listening to the sounds of animals outside, we seem to have returned to a wildlife park. The old man gathered us for a meeting, with the theme being that we've arrived at an unfamiliar place. First, we need to determine how many years it has been since we left our original location and where exactly this place is. Second, we need to establish the leadership position centered around the old man. Among the 14 of us, there's a clear division of labor and cooperation plan. The base members include the old man, Han Zhi, Jiang Hao, Xu Jin, etc. The old man naturally doesn't need to be mentioned as the overall person in charge. Han Zhi and Jiang Hao are responsible for conducting research, Chen Hui is responsible for drafting a constructive outline and laws after determining what era this is. Zhao Zhe and Zhang Zhitao are responsible for the security work of the entire base, but since there are only 14 people in total, it's actually just these two. I will head to Hunan with Ah Lun, Ye Jun will go to Jiangxi, Xiao Ying and Wu Yue will go to Sichuan, Lv Jun and Yue Yulong will be active in Hubei and Anhui. The purpose of this trip is also very clear: after going out, the leaders of each small group are responsible for conducting activities according to the local situation, and the main purpose of this trip is still to understand the outside situation as soon as possible and establish our own contact network (later, when historians of the Great Chinese Empire studied this task allocation, they said that it was precisely because of the flexibility and autonomy of this task that the first batch of armed forces and revolutionary struggles of the Great Chinese Empire were created). Finally, the old man concluded: "Alright, the meeting is adjourned here. From now on, we'll take turns keeping watch."

  A warm ray of sunlight had already shone on the soft grass outside the camp, and everyone was doing their own thing in an orderly manner. The long-term military training had made us all disciplined and organized. For a common goal, no arrangement was needed, and everyone had proactively found things to do on their own initiative.

  I, Zhou Lun and Ye Jun walked towards the outside of the valley according to yesterday's plan. Along the way, we three talked about this strange world and its peculiar natural scenery, feeling that it was worth coming to this world. At the same time, our friendship with Ye Jun also grew further. After walking for about five or six miles, we discovered a village. Since we were all carrying weapons on us, we didn't feel particularly afraid. As we walked into the village, everything looked desolate. The crumbling walls had weeds swaying back and forth on both sides.

  As I looked around, the entire village inside and out was filled with a desolate atmosphere, the empty village seemed particularly quiet. In the distance, the vast expanse of wilderness was dotted with barren land everywhere. I furrowed my brow, exchanged a glance with Zhou Lun and Ye Jun, and said, "Let's go in and take a look." Ye Jun and Zhou Lun also nodded in agreement.

  As we walked into the dilapidated village, we searched everywhere. Finally, in a house at the end of the village that was about to collapse, we found an old man. I tried my best to ask him in standard Mandarin: "Old sir, may I ask what place is this? Whose jurisdiction does it belong to now?"

  That old man seemed to be suffering from a serious illness, always with his back to us and ignoring us. Zhou Lun endured the stench in the house, walked forward, and checked the old man's breath. Turning around, he said: "A Xiao, this old man is on his last breath. Based on my observation, if we don't treat him in time, I'm afraid there will be a risk to his life." I looked at Ye Jun and said: "Quick! Prepare the medicine you carry with you. Also, take out military dry rations and water. This old man's family seems to have starved to this state."

  Watching the old man slowly come back. We all looked at each other. Carrying the still not fully awake old man, we headed back in the direction of the base.

  "Old man, you're awake!" Zhu Ao exclaimed as he looked at the old man who had just woken up.

  The old man woke up and looked around at all these unfamiliar things in a fluster. He was a little intimidated. Zhu Ao said softly, "Old sir, don't be afraid! I've led my children and grandchildren to live in seclusion for decades, but yesterday I suddenly had a heart attack, and ordered two of my grandsons to go out for a walk. It was my two grandsons who saw you sleeping at home, and when your life was hanging by a thread, they rescued you and brought you here."

  The old man listened to Zhu Ao's words and was no longer so flustered. After calming down, he said to Zhu Ao: "Thank you, sir, for saving my life."

  Everyone present heard the old man call Zhu Ao "Yuan Wai" and couldn't help but hold back their smiles, while Peng Ying and a few others had already burst out laughing.

  The old man looked at them with a surprised smile and asked: "Isn't the old gentleman an official?"

  Zhu Ao was fortunate to have a quick wit, and he glared at those who were about to laugh, then calmly said to the old man: "Sir, you are unaware that I am Zhu Gong Yunwen of the Ming dynasty. Due to the Yan Wang's rebellion against the emperor, my family has been hiding in these mountains. Originally, we wanted to reclaim our rightful place, but unfortunately, my ancestor left behind a will stating that we should not leave the mountain unless it is a chaotic world." After finishing speaking, he seemed to feel regretful and let out a sigh.

  The old man was also a scholar and naturally knew about the rebellion of the King of Yan. He hastily got up from his blanket and said, "Mountain villager Li Zhaosu pays respects to Your Majesty."

  Zhu Ao helped Li Zhaosu up and said, "Li Lao, no need for formalities. Aren't we all subjects of the great Ming dynasty? You are at least legitimate, while we are just a group of fugitives. How dare I claim to be Your Highness?"

  Zhu Ao said to Li Zhaosu: "Mr. Li, I sent two of my grandsons out today to inquire about the current situation and whether the people are suffering."

  Li Zuo once again made a bow and said: "If there was no chaos of the Yan Wang that day, we common people would have been under the governance of Emperor Wen, how good it would be." After finishing speaking, he had already shed tears. Li Zuo thought for a moment and said: "Your Majesty, now the world is no longer the world of our great Ming dynasty. The mountains and rivers are no longer the mountains and rivers of our Han family."

  At that time, Zhu Ao had already known that the situation should be roughly like this. Holding a teacup in his hand and listening to Li Zhaosu's words, he let go of the cup and it fell to the ground. He muttered to himself: "I didn't expect it, I didn't expect it." After finishing speaking, he looked at Li Zhaosu and said: "Mr. Li, can you explain the detailed situation?"

  Li Zuo thought for a moment and said: "Your Highness, then listen to me slowly. It's been 12 years since the great Ming dynasty truly perished. Of course, it's been 12 years since the Qing dynasty entered the pass, and now it's already the 12th year of Shunzhi. However, there are still some loyal ministers and old men in various places who are struggling to support the bloodline of our Ming dynasty." After finishing speaking, he suddenly discovered a problem and asked Zhu Ao with inquiry: "Your Highness, I have something to ask."

  Zhu Ao looked at Li Zha and said: "Mr. Li, just say what you want to say directly."

  Li Zuo thought for a moment and said: "Your Majesty, why are you all dressed like this? This is not the attire of my Great Ming Dynasty."

  Zhu Ao smiled and replied, "In the past, my ancestors led us to evade in all directions. For convenience, we changed our attire to this style. Later, we found that this attire was convenient for action and movement, so it continued." After finishing speaking, he stood up and said to Li Zhaoshi, "Mr. Li, please rest first." Then he took us out.

  Sitting in Grandfather's tent, Grandfather looked at Han Zhi with a questioning gaze. Han Zhi touched his hair and said, "I think it might be because we passed through too many people and vehicles this time, resulting in some deviation in time." The old man didn't blame him much, saying, "Now that we've arrived in 1656, let's not worry about other things. We'll follow the distribution and arrangement of our meeting that day, but I want to make a change." Everyone looked at Grandfather. Grandfather smiled and said, "You see, after you all left, there were only five people in the entire base. I think this Li Zhaoshi is still trustworthy, so I want to start from here. Let's develop our base, and in one or two months, you can leave. When you go out, be careful to protect yourselves. If news gets out, it will mean that we are remnants of the Ming dynasty. As for how to develop and what to say, you'll have to figure it out on your own. Each small team must be able to stand alone after splitting up. In terms of recruiting members, you must be careful and cautious. Never reveal our secrets. Also, we will wait here for two months, during which time we will also be active in the surrounding area. When the time comes, we will need to relocate. The geographical location here is not suitable, so we plan to move to the mountains later. Do you understand?" Everyone nodded to indicate that they understood. Grandfather nodded in satisfaction and said, "You all have a lot of work to do over the next two months. According to the actual situation at the time, each person must bring me a pair of soldiers." He smiled and walked out.

  Li Zha's actions were still very swift, and after bringing us back to the village, he introduced our situation to everyone. The villagers were also very happy. After all, they didn't have to drag around a annoying queue, at least there was a meal to eat. All the people in the village followed Li Zha to this small valley. On the outside of the four sides, we had already made a large number of camouflage. The deepest part of the valley was the core area of the entire valley. The outer ring was the various tents led by the villagers, which were distributed in a scattered and orderly manner on the outskirts of the valley. In the middle, a very large lawn had been tidied up by us. There were fourteen of us, except for Dr. Han Zhi who brought ten craftsmen. Each of the thirteen of us brought twenty new soldiers. A total of 260 people. Li Zha was sent out by Grandpa to purchase various supplies and food. After all, we didn't bring many things when we came over. More than 260 big men, plus some old, weak, women and children, five or six hundred people eating together was still very annoying. The 260 people were divided into ten small teams, each team with a team leader, of course, it was us few people. Among them, 130 people formed one row, temporarily without a row leader. Two rows formed a company, with Zhu Xiao as the company commander, Zhou Lun as the deputy company commander, and Peng Ying as the staff officer. Zhu Xiao looked at the people standing on the square, sparse and scattered, and a smile appeared in the corner of his mouth. In his heart, he thought: "Tomorrow, two months later, you will be elite with one against ten."

  Author's note: I've been writing this for almost a year now. For most of that time, I stopped updating and I feel really sorry to everyone. That's why I didn't post the first part again. To be honest... it's not something I'm afraid to say out loud, but I really did have a case of writer's block. So I put down my pen. Without hesitation, I stopped. Later on, I slowly started recharging, while also taking care of my small company. When I used to work for others, I could go online at night and just get by during the day. But now that I'm running my own company, I feel really exhausted. By the end of each day, I don't even have the interest to pick up my pen anymore. However, since I've finally posted this, it's already been completed in its entirety. From February of this year when I stopped writing until the end of February when I officially started editing, it took almost half a year before I could finally let out a sigh of relief. I've finally filled in the hole that I dug for myself - maybe not very well, but at least I've filled it in. It wasn't all for nothing, thanks to all the readers who supported me and the authors who helped me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!