The First Book of Shu's Three Heroes Chapter 1: The Time of Awakening from a Dream Has Already Been Three Years

  Spring has gone and autumn has come, flowers wither and bloom, the cold ice has passed, and another year has elapsed. The earth has returned to spring, but there is still a lingering chill that cannot be dissipated, and the sky's thick dark clouds have been overcast for a long time, as if making a solemn warning.

  In the thirty-fourth year of Jiajing, the Ming Dynasty was plagued by internal and external troubles. The Mongols united under the Tatars, intending to invade the northern borders of the Ming; the Japanese pirates sailed across the seas, seeking to profit from the situation. At this time, a large number of patriotic scholars emerged, but also a group of treacherous officials, with Yan Song being one of them.

  Yan Song was already an old man at this point, but he still held onto power, having been in control for nearly twenty years. He was the dominant force, and although Jiajing felt increasing pressure to take him down, he couldn't find a good opportunity to do so. After all, Yan Song had many followers and his influence was too great to be eliminated overnight. Moreover, Yan Song's protégés still controlled the military, and if they were to rebel, Jiajing's throne would be in danger. Although there were still people like Xu Ji and Lu Bing by his side, Lu Bing's Embroidered Uniform Guard was no match for Yan Song's troops, and Xu Ji was not yet a force to be reckoned with, unable to openly oppose Yan Song.

  Actually, all of this was brought about by Jiajing himself. If he hadn't been too trusting of Yan Song, things wouldn't have gone this far. Although he's now become vigilant, he has no excuse to take action. Enduring for the time being may provide an opportunity to overthrow Yan Song. Of course, his greatest hope still lies in next year's imperial examination. If several talented and virtuous officials are selected, it will be much easier to get rid of Yan Song.

  "Xiao Xi, Xiao Xi, it's been three years. We haven't left the palace in three years. Tell me, how is Liu Yan, the young master who saved us back then? And what about that silly person who fainted afterwards? What happened to them later on? How are they all doing now?"

  A very luxurious and magnificent palace-like bedroom, a young woman with a white gauze veil on her face looked worried as she spoke to a woman in pink beside her. This woman was none other than the young lady who had been saved by Liu Yan, the number one scholar of Shu, three years ago when she fell into the water while riding a horse carriage - Ning An Gongzhu, the beloved princess of the current emperor.

  "No, I have to go out again..." Xiaoxi said with a difficult expression. She didn't dare to be so reckless anymore. She still remembered the time three years ago when she went out and was beaten thirty times when she came back. Just thinking about it made her butt hurt.

  "Don't worry! This time we'll find a reason, and I'm sure Father won't blame us." The woman's face looked strange, with a hint of an unusual color in her eyes, which made Xiaoxiao feel numb.

  "Princess! Little... Xiaoxi begs you to spare me! If the Emperor finds out, this time the Emperor will surely take my head." Xiaoxi was so scared that her legs trembled and she didn't dare to imagine the consequences.

  Aren't you afraid? Can you not be afraid?! This is the imperial palace, can people come and go as they please?! Princess!! That's a precious body, noble status, what if something happens outside, who can take responsibility for that?! Moreover, the eldest princess and second princess died young, the current emperor's beloved princess is precisely Ning An princess, if she were to have some mishap, how would that be acceptable?!

  "Xiao Xi, why are you so timid and afraid of things?! Don't worry! The Qingming Festival is approaching, isn't there a Water Releasing Festival in Dujiangyan? Afterwards, there's also a Cuju competition to watch. Don't you want to go? If Father Emperor finds out, I'll just tell him that we're going to experience the folk customs, not to have fun. Besides, with Zhang Jin from the Sichuan Governor's Office and Wang Shu who will be selecting talents in Shu this time, I believe that with these two points, Father Emperor will definitely agree."

  Princess Ning An had an innocent and lovely look, her pitiful eyes blinking, making Xiao Xi feel a thread of reluctance, but under helplessness, she could only agree.

  She then tidied up her belongings, made herself look presentable, changed into a new set of clothes, and quietly left the Forbidden City, heading straight for Sichuan.

  The land of Shu in the southwest, with fertile fields stretching for thousands of miles.

  The Li Family Mansion in Shu.

  "Brother Feng Xian, Zheng Yao Ta..."

  At this time, a young man in white clothes as white as snow, with a worried face, said to a young man wearing a green shirt and long sleeves beside him, as if the person he was talking about was someone he cared about very much.

  The young man in white was named Li Chengfeng, and his anxiety was also self-evident. Three years passed in a flash, but on the bed lay a young man. According to his age, he should be eighteen years old, a fine young man, just at the prime of life, the best time to take the imperial examination. Who would have thought that a sudden change would make this young man lie on the sickbed for three years?

  This man is none other than Li Jia's only son, surnamed Li, named He, and nicknamed Zhengyao, the fool rumored in the streets.

  Li Zhengyao was not actually an idiot, but eight years ago he suddenly suffered a heavenly thunderbolt that struck him right on the head, and when he woke up he became muddle-headed and stupid, with an IQ similar to that of a five-year-old child.

  Originally silly and foolish, at least the body is healthy and can walk freely. But who knows, disaster does not come alone. Three years ago, Li's father and son went out to grab medicine, but unexpectedly they were bullied by local tyrant Guan Zhen, who was the son of Guan Dao, the county magistrate of Guanxian, and the grandson of Guan Ping, the prefect of Chengdu. As for this Guan Ping, he was a proud disciple of Yan Song.

  Just then, a talented young man named Zhang Cheng happened to pass by, and Zhang Cheng was also Li Zhengyao's childhood friend, who stopped Guan Zhen in time. However, just as the tiger had left, a wolf arrived. Who knew that suddenly a horse carriage rushed out, and it seemed to be about to hit Li Zhengyao, who was standing stupidly on the street.

  At this critical moment, a figure suddenly rushed out and rescued the two girls who had fallen into the water from the carriage. At the same time, he also pulled the carriage to prevent it from hitting Rong Yao. However, the shock of the flying horse carriage made Rong Yao faint on the spot. Unexpectedly, this fainting spell lasted for three years.

  "There's a saying, 'If you have a mind to pick flowers, the flowers will not be in bloom; if you have no intention of planting willows, the willows will grow into shade.' I wonder if Brother Wen still remembers what he said before, that Zhen Yao's illness would one day get better?" The speaker was the green-robed man with long sleeves who had been called Feng Ming's younger brother by Li Chengfeng.

  This man is full of spirit, with a dignified appearance and strong air. Watching him take the pulse and examine the eyes, it's clear that he is a doctor.

  Speaking of Yuan Fengming, he is also a well-known figure in Shu. With his exquisite medical skills, he is called "Miao Shou Yi Xian". He has a son who has been following him to learn medicine and is now about the same age as Zheng Yao, 17 years old, with a strong intention of inheriting his father's career.

  "Is what you said true? Will he really get better as you said?"

  Li Chengfeng's eyes shone with a burst of light, his words were also very excited, and his eyebrows were filled with an expression of surprise, as if Yuan Fengming's sentence was a stimulant that caused his reaction to be so abnormally excited.

  However, Li Chengfeng's excitement was self-evident. His precious son had been sleeping without waking up since the last time (three years ago) when he was frightened by a horse carriage on Temple Street. Li Chengfeng rushed around to find good doctors, and all of them said the same thing as Yuan Fengming: "The pulse is normal and calm, the complexion is fine, there is no serious illness, just let him wake up naturally."

  So it seems that he would rather leave things to fate and do nothing about it. How could Li Chengfeng accept this fact? The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to seek medical attention everywhere, and as a result, three years passed in the blink of an eye. Unexpectedly, today Yuan Fengming made a diagnosis, and there was actually an improvement, and he was overjoyed.

  "That's right, in my estimation, if we give Zheng Yao a few more doses of medicine to calm his mind and invigorate his spirit, I guarantee he'll come around." As he spoke, Yuan Fengming was overjoyed and couldn't contain his excitement.

  This is a tricky situation, and it's hard to put into words. After experiencing it for three years, I finally see some progress, so how can I not be excited?

  "Alright! Today, you and I, two brothers, must get thoroughly drunk!"

  After finishing speaking, the two of them hastily went to the riverside pavilion to drink.

  Three years, Zheng Yao never opened his eyes. Li Chengfeng thought that waking up was already a distant hope. The almost desperate mood was instantly dispelled by Yuan Fengming's one sentence. The excited mood could only be expressed by getting drunk.

  "Master... Master!" Just as they had drunk three rounds of wine, a maid suddenly rushed out from the house, shouting loudly.

  Although the Li family's fortunes have declined, as the saying goes, a camel that has starved to death is still larger than a horse. There are still some remnants of their former prosperity. Above, there are two high-ranking officials who live in seclusion on Qingcheng Mountain, and outside the mansion, there are still over ten servants and maids.

  Li Chengfeng saw that the maid's expression was flustered, thinking that she must have something important to say, so he immediately stood up and said: "Xiaolian, what's wrong? You look so panicked. If there's something on your mind, speak quickly."

  "Reporting back to Master...Master, Young Master he...he..."

  "What's wrong with Young Master?" Li Chengfeng immediately asked back.

  "Master... Master has woken up!"

  "Awake?" Li Chengfeng's body stiffened, the wine cup in his hand spilled to the ground, and he rushed into the house.

  Yuan Fengming followed closely behind and soon appeared in front of Ruo Yao's bedroom.

  "Father!!" Just as Li Chengfeng approached, Zheng Yao suddenly straightened up, his body still looking somewhat weak, and his voice was also weak.

  "Zhèng... zhèng yáo!" Li Chengfeng quickly helped Zheng Yao up, holding him tightly in his arms. His heart was filled with excitement and a thousand words were left unspoken.

  "Uncle Yuan! Sister Xiao Lian!"

  "What? He... he called me Shishu?" Yuan Fengming's expression was extremely surprised, his eyes staring unblinkingly at Zheng Yao.

  "Yes, Zhēng Yáo also calls me Father! He calls me Father!"

  "Father! I'm unfilial, these years I've been unworthy of your concern. Please accept my bow!" After finishing speaking, Zheng Yao immediately got out of bed, knelt down and kowtowed. "Thank you, Uncle, for taking care of me all these years, please accept my bow!"

  Zheng Yao's sudden change in behavior shocked Li Chengfeng and the others. Hasn't Zheng Yao gone crazy? How can he be so different from usual today?

  "Alright, alright! Get up quickly."

  Li Chengfeng and Yuan Fengming both cheered repeatedly, but their eyes were moist.

  For a moment, the originally quiet and elegant Li Mansion suddenly returned to the scene eighteen years ago when Zhen Yao was born, bustling with excitement.