"Master Lin", the young servant in green clothes pushed open the cabin door, holding a bowl of medicinal soup, "its time for you to take your medicine, the boat owner will have porridge ready soon, and Miss Su also sent over half a black-boned chicken to nourish your body, I told the boat owner to cook it with the porridge, after eating the porridge you can rest properly, dont just sit there all night again; youve barely escaped disaster, if you return home looking even more gaunt, Madame Qi will definitely blame me for not taking good care of you..."

  The porthole in the cabin was closed, and suddenly it was filled with a strong smell of medicine.

  Listening to Zhao Nengs shout, Lin Xie suddenly came to his senses and thought: Ah, dont think about whether you are Lin Xie or Tan Zong anymore. Even if there is great reluctance, in this world, he can only live as Lin Xie. He subconsciously took the medicine bowl, drank it all in one gulp, and then drank a mouthful of tea to rinse away the bitter taste. Only then did he look at Zhao Neng and say: "I understand..."

  Outside the dusk was deepening, and inside the cabin the doors were tightly closed, the light was very dim, Zhao Nai took out a candle holder and muttered to himself as he lit it before leaving.

  The neighboring boat again transmitted a lingering and unbroken sound of the guqin, as there was still some time before the evenings performance on the painted barge, Su Mei had already begun to tune her instrument inside.

  Lin Tie had no time to go and listen, in the cabin hung a sword, usually only used for decoration, he took it down and pressed the card on the scabbard mouth, the sword "ding" popped out, reflecting the flickering candlelight, looking closely, the sword was ordinary, the blade was not sharp, nor did it have a blood groove.

  Lin Xie held the sword and made a few slashing movements, but he had never used a sword before and wasnt accustomed to it. If he really wanted to use force to kill someone, he felt that a 20-30 cm long deboning knife would be more handy. These past few days, he had secretly watched Fu Qinghe teach his two apprentices martial arts at the stern of the painting boat. Fu Qinghe was a famous martial artist in Jiangning, and from his stance, Lin Xie knew that there was no legendary martial art that could defeat a thousand people. The stances for close combat were similar to those he remembered from later generations, but actually less concise and practical than those from later generations. Lin Xie judged that if his physical strength could keep up, even if he faced Fu Qinghes two apprentices head-on right now, it wouldnt be a problem.

  Lin Xie was unaccustomed to wielding a sword, but he felt that his arms still had some strength left, and his physical strength was not bad, not the kind of weak and useless scholar who couldnt withstand the wind.

  Although he is a member of the Lin family, a prominent clan in Jiangdong Prefecture, Dongyang Prefecture, he is only an ordinary collateral branch descendant. His parents had passed away early. Lin Xies late mother was once a maid serving as a wet nurse to Gu Yingxu, the seventh wife of Lin Tingxun, the head of the Lin family. After Gu Yingxu married Lin Tingxun as his seventh wife, Lin Xie received care from the main branch due to this relationship. Although he no longer had to work hard like before, he still needed to do manual labor to make a living - it was only after passing the imperial examination and becoming a scholar that he qualified to receive a small amount of silver from the family each month to focus on his studies; The attendant Zhao Neng was also sent by Gu Yingxu to take care of him when he went to Jianye for the exam.

  Lin Xuan thought of Madame Gu Yingxiu, and a hint of bitter smile appeared at the corner of his mouth: Gu Yingxiu was only seven years older than him, and it could be said that he and Gu Yingxiu were both raised by his mother. If Gu Yingxius family hadnt declined and been taken in as a concubine by Lin Tingxun, who was already over 50 years old at the time, Lin Xuan might still have called her "Sister Yingxiu". His first romantic dream was of Gu Yingxiu, which made Lin Xuan, who was timid and valued etiquette, afraid to face her afterwards. On the other hand, before marrying Lin Tingxun, Gu Yingxiu had a gentle and weak personality, but after becoming his concubine, she became extremely strong-willed, even surpassing the boundaries of wife and concubine to interfere in family affairs, making Lin Xuan feel even more unable to lift his head in front of her.

  Although Su Mei is more beautiful and elegant than Gu Ying, there are also three or four similarities between them. This is probably the reason why Lin Xuan fell deeply in love with Su Mei at first sight and couldnt extricate himself.

  Lin Xian slightly shook his head and sighed, in his past life Tan Zong died from drinking poison because of helping the police catch a fisherman, this life Lin Xian is infatuated with a Yueju opera singer, what kind of thing is this? Its better to go home and seduce the young and beautiful Seventh Lady, at least that would be enjoyable - but he could only think about it in his heart, knowing that in this world where etiquette was extremely strict, if such things were exposed, the outcome would be even more miserable. However, there are no absolutes, didnt Emperor Taizong of our dynasty openly make his brothers wife a concubine and bring her into the harem? And yet nobody dared to risk being beheaded to come out and gossip about it.

  "My young master asked me to thank your daughter." At this time, there were voices of Zhao Neng talking to others coming from outside.

  "If youre really grateful, its better to disappear quickly; if a scholar like him is drowned, Miss Su might also be drowned by someone elses spittle when she returns to Jiangning... You should advise your young master more." It was a clear and tender voice, Lin Zong heard it and felt as if he had called the mobile inquiry platform in his previous life. She was Su Meis personal maid, Xiao Man. Xiao Man was extremely disgusted with him, who had only luckily passed the imperial examination and came from an ordinary family, for his persistent pursuit of her mistress without knowing his place, and she didnt have a good expression when seeing him.

  A fourteen-year-old loli, really didnt give people a lovely feeling, Lin Xuan was tied up in the cabin and shook his head slightly after listening to Xiao Mans words.

  "After he passed the imperial examination and became a jinshi, his temper has become more arrogant. How can I, who followed him, persuade him?" Zhao Nai said helplessly outside the cabin, with an undisguised tone of discontent in his voice.

  Lin Xie listened and just smiled, thinking that Zhao was intentionally saying it for him to hear.

  Zhao Neng was a servant born into the Zhao family, and for three generations, the Zhao family had served as servants to the Lin family. Due to the strict personal attachment relationships in todays society, servants born into the household were more likely to gain the trust and favor of the masters family. Before Lin Xiucai became a scholar, his status in the Lin family was far inferior to that of Zhao Neng, who was a servant born into the household.

  Zhao Neng had been following Lin Tingxuan, the master of the Lin family, since he was 14 or 15 years old. This year, at the age of 18, although his figure is a bit slender, he is clever and knowledgeable. He was assigned by Madame Qi to serve Lin Xuan in preparation for the imperial examination. Zhao Neng had some complaints about this arrangement, but he didnt dare offend Madame Qi. On the way, he didnt get along with Lin Xuan.

  Zhao Neng did not expect that Lin Xuan would have such good luck in this years imperial examination, and unexpectedly passed with high honors. Having passed the exam, he would be qualified to become an official, and with the influence of the Lin family, he would certainly be able to secure a position as a minor official in the local government. Thinking that Lin Xuans status within the Lin family would soon change, Zhao Nengs attitude slightly shifted; otherwise, he would never have addressed him as "Young Master Lin Xuan" in the past. Of course, his resentment behind Lin Xuans back did not dissipate much.

  Lin Xie made up his mind to leave Baisha County tomorrow, letting Su Mei become a fleeting memory. He thought that he had been taken care of by her for many days, and she had helped him with food and clothing, so he couldnt just leave without saying anything. Moreover, he couldnt let Zhao Neng, that dog slave, continue to speak ill of him outside. Lin Xie threw his sword on the table, pushed open the cabin door and walked out, seeing Su Meis maid Xiaoman chatting with Zhao Neng by the ships side. He said to her: "Please tell Miss Su that Lin Xie has caused her a lot of trouble these days, and plans to take a light boat upstream back to Dongyang tomorrow morning... thank you for your concern these days..."

  "Ah!" Su Meis maid, Xiao Man, suddenly walked out and startled Lin Fu. Before Su Meis maid could respond to him, he turned his head and scolded Zhao Neng in a low voice, "Dont talk nonsense, you wont die! What do you mean by my temper is rising?"

  All the way, Zhao Nai had never scolded Lin Fu with such vicious words before. Suddenly, he reprimanded him, and a surge of evil energy rushed to his brain, just about to erupt. However, when he saw Lin Fus cold and stern eyes staring at him in the twilight, which were very different from usual, he was taken aback. He realized that outside, Lin Fu was the master, and he was the servant. Moreover, after Lin Fu passed the imperial examination, things were not as they used to be. On the day the list of successful candidates was announced, the person in charge of the Lin familys affairs in Jiangning specially sent twenty silver coins for celebration. Zhao Nai suppressed the evil hatred in his heart and did not erupt, but the shame of being scolded by Lin Fu in front of Su Meis maid, Xiao Man, could not be erased. His neck turned red, and he stood there, unsure of how to react.

  Lins words were already full of veiled criticism and sarcasm, and Su Meis maid Xiao Mans face was also burning with anger. She knew that she and Zhao Neng had been secretly slandering each other behind their backs, and thought to herself: When will this useless soft-shelled turtle dare to lecture others? Originally, she wanted to retort with a few sarcastic remarks, but at this point, where would she find the interest to do so? She only said: "Ill just tell my mistress..."

  "Trouble Little Manchu girl..." Lin Mou bowed his head, watching Su Meis maid, Xiao Man, enter the cabin to report back. The little girl looked back once before entering the cabin, her small face as white as jade in the dusk, with a hint of childishness, her dark eyes shining like stars in the night, her skin delicate and fair, every feature perfectly proportioned, truly a beautiful young woman. No wonder Zhao Neng was delighted to be here with her, whispering sweet nothings? It seemed she also enjoyed listening to Zhao Neng vent his grievances against him, this kind of thing easily resonating with those who shared the same enemy.

  Lin was tied up at the bow of the boat, waiting for a response. Zhao Neng was annoyed and resentful in his heart, but he couldnt just leave with his hands in his sleeves. He stood aside with a dark face and didnt make a sound. After a while, Su Meis maid, Xiao Man, came back with a small package wrapped in a silk handkerchief. She leaned against the side of the boat and said to Lin, "Were setting sail today. My mistress is still bathing and changing clothes, so she cant come out to bid farewell to Master Lin. Here are some silver coins for your travel expenses. I hope you wont delay..." Her voice was soft and gentle as she spoke, but her face showed no expression, as if she were mechanically repeating Su Meis original words. It seemed that she didnt want her mistress to provide Lin with more money for his return journey.

  After Lin Xian finished his high school entrance exam, the manager of the Lin familys business in Jiangning sent over twenty taels of silver to help with travel expenses. In less than a month, all of it was spent, and even if there were some leftovers, they would still be in Zhao Nengs hands. This wicked servant needed to be taught a lesson, and couldnt be allowed to control the purse strings. Lin Xian didnt engage in empty pleasantries, and after taking the silver, he said with a hint of embarrassment: "Please pass on my thanks to Miss Su...". In his heart, he thought that Su Mei wouldnt come out to bid farewell, not because she was bathing and changing clothes, but probably because she didnt want him to continue having feelings for her. The gift of travel money was also her usual generosity towards down-on-their-luck scholars - Lin Xian looked at the last remnants of sunset in the western sky, like a girls rosy lips, and thought that he was indeed the most down-on-his-luck scholar at this moment.

  At this moment, the sound of horseshoes came, and more than a dozen tall horses galloped over to the riverbank, their riders faces unclear in the dusk. In an instant, they arrived at the nearby dock, where more than ten horses, either green or yellow or spotted, crowded together. Su Meis maid, Xiao Man, with sharp eyes, called out in a sweet voice: "Mr. Du, why are you earlier today than usual? Ill have someone bring down the ladder right away."

  A man in his middle age, who was at the front of the group, got off his horse and handed it over to a servant while responding to Su Meis maid, Xiao Man. Without waiting for the boatman on the painted barge to put down the gangway, he jumped onto the black awning of the ship. He was agile and wore a short blue robe with a short mustache and no beard. It was Du Rong, the wealthy owner of Qingfeng Bank in Jiangning. As soon as Du Rong boarded the boat, he saw Lin Xie standing at the bow and asked in surprise, "Lin Gongzi has finally shown up today! Are you also here to listen to Su Niangs music on the barge?" He patted his chest and opened his hand, saying, "I dont have any silver coins to give you. Since Lin Gongzi is agile, why not climb to the top of the boat to listen to the music? Be careful not to fall into the water again..." He laughed loudly and jumped onto the painted barge with a flourish.

  Su Meng stopped her boat here to perform for disaster relief and set a rule: the first-class cabin costs 10 taels of silver, and the subsequent reward money is at will.

  After Lin Xie passed the imperial examination and became a xiucai, he could only receive six qian of silver as his monthly allowance from his clan. Ten taels of silver was an enormous sum for ordinary families, whereas laborers on the painting boats like him would have to work hard for a whole year just to earn three or four taels of silver and three or four thousand copper coins.

  The small package wrapped in a silk handkerchief weighed about ten taels of silver, and his face was too thick to use the travel expenses given by Su Mei as money for the upper boat.

  Su Meis maid, Xiao Man, followed behind Du Rong and said with a flattering tone: "Du Da Guan Ren doesnt know, Lin Gong Zi just said that he will leave Baisha County early tomorrow morning. My young lady gave him some silver ingots as travel expenses..."

  "Whats the point of having such a useless thing like Miss Su?"

  Du Rongs voice was still clear in Lin Xuans ears, even though he was suppressing his tone. Su Meis maid, Xiao Man, happened to turn her head and glance at Lin Xuan; Zhao Nengs mouth curled up into a cold smile, as if Du Rong had helped him release some pent-up energy.

  Fu Qinghe was leading two apprentices to instruct the boat workers to light up the lanterns under the eaves of the painting barge. Du Rong bowed his hands and said, "Master Fu is busy..." Fu Qinghe had no good feelings towards Du Rong, and he coldly nodded as a greeting. He pretended not to hear Du Rongs sarcastic words.

  Du Rongping was very generous when receiving guests, and he was a well-known wealthy merchant in Jiangning and Weiyang. Perhaps it was because Lin Xiangs relentless pursuit of Su Mei made him disgusted, so he treated her coldly.

  In the past, Lin Xie would have felt humiliated and ashamed even if he didnt dare to retort, but now he doesnt feel anything. He calmly gazes at Du Rongs back as he jumps onto the painting boat, then looks at Du Rongs followers who are still on the shore. More than a dozen men are wearing short clothes and boots, with either knives or swords at their waists, all armed. Some have tied their horses to the willows on the shore, while others are negotiating with the boat owners to borrow space to rest; one man is even squatting by the waters edge washing his face. Lin Xie suddenly sees that this mans collar has flipped up, revealing a corner of the leather armor underneath, and he feels a jolt: isnt the area around Weiyang Prefecture still peaceful? Even if there are occasional bandits, does Du Rong need to come here with such heavily armed guards?

  Over the years, banditry has been rampant everywhere, and merchants have privately hired guards. Although this goes against imperial regulations, local authorities have turned a blind eye; some powerful clans in certain areas have even used banditry as an excuse to organize private armies, which the imperial court cannot control. Du Rong is still just a merchant, after all, and having more than ten guards armed with swords is already a violation of the law; now they are openly wearing armor, truly arrogant to the extreme.

  Du Rongs guard noticed Lin Xie looking at him and simply flipped his collar down to cover his leather armor before turning around and walking away.

  Lin Xian thought that the rumors outside about Du Rong originally being a pirate, and after landing ashore, he made a fortune by smuggling private salt before switching to doing silk business, were mostly true; He didnt think much of it either, the boat family brought over the cooked chicken congee, he took it and went into the cabin.

  Su Meng, as the leader of the six famous courtesans of Jiangning, still has a great appeal in performing for disaster relief in Weiyang Baisha County. Lin Xie heard the sound of horse hooves and carriage wheels stopping at the ferry terminal from inside the cabin, and some people came by sedan chair; The painting boat put down the ladder to the shore, so those wealthy merchants and noble guests didnt need to borrow a foot to jump over from the awning boat.

  The sky had darkened, and Lin was tied up in the cabin when he heard several men come aboard. He lifted the curtain to take a peek and saw Zhao Neng sitting at the bow of the ship with three strange men, chatting and laughing together. The three men were carrying food boxes and were serving dishes, as well as two small jars of wine. When they saw Lin looking out, one of the men said: "We cant afford to rent a boat, thank you Mr. Lin for lending us your space... how about we share a drink?"

  If you cant afford the fare for a large boat, but still want to hear Su Mei sing and play the piano, then its most convenient to get on one of the small boats moored alongside the painted boat.

  Lin Zhan only nodded when Zhao Neng took the liberty of suggesting that people board the ship, cupped his hands and said: "My body has just recovered, I cant drink wine, please treat your guests as you wish..."

  At this time, there were still people on the shore who wanted to get on the boat. The man came forward and refused, saying: "You come up, do you want to drink wine or not? The bow of the ship is too small, cant hold many people..."

  Lin Xian thought: How did this fellow become the host here? Although he was unhappy in his heart, he didnt want to give Zhao Neng an opportunity to borrow power from outsiders. Besides, he saw that other ships seemed to have similar guests bringing wine and dishes on board, so he retreated back to the cabin without a word and locked the cabin door.

  At night, the sound of a qin melody came from a neighboring boat. Su Mei seemed to have her maid Xiaoman try out some new tunes in front of their guests. As he listened to the soft and gentle music, Lin Xie put down his book "Spring and Autumn Annals" and couldnt concentrate on reading anymore.

  Although he can only live as Lin Xie, he still subconsciously regards himself as Tan Zhong of the later generations in his dreams. His way of thinking is also like this: apart from the Five Barbarians invasion after the Wei and Jin dynasties, the history of nearly six or seven hundred years is not what he is familiar with - there are no Northern and Southern Dynasties, nor is there a Sui and Tang dynasty. He is not very familiar with historical details either. After reading the general history book "Zizhi Tongjian", he only knows that the Five Barbarians invasion was a large-scale turmoil that lasted for a hundred years, and the empire that unified the world after the Five Barbarians invasion was Yan. The country of Yan continued for only a hundred years, and it was Chen who overthrew Yan.

  History has been distorted, and Lin Xie can only accept it all. Until today, the Great Chen Dynasty has also disappeared into smoke, and the Taizu Emperor of this dynasty was originally a member of the Yuan family in Shangyang, Huainan. In the late years of the previous dynasty, when the world was in chaos, the Taizu Emperor, who was then the governor of Jiangdong, took Jiangning Prefecture as his base and established his imperial career, creating the Great Viet Empire, which has lasted for two hundred years until now.

  When Taizu Yuan Tuo first ascended to the throne, he established his capital in Jiangning. To resist the northern ethnic groups, Emperor Taizong moved the capital to Yanshan Prefecture in Hebei and renamed it Yanjing, while Jiangning was retained as a secondary capital, then known as Nanjing - which coincides with the later generations memory of Nanjing.

  Lin Yu was flipping through the historical book "Chunqiu Tongjian", and for a while, he couldnt quite understand this unfamiliar history. Because there was no AD dating method, the emperors reign recorded in the history books was somewhat complicated, so he could only roughly estimate that it was around the early years of the Song Dynasty. Due to the rule of three unfamiliar dynasties, the political, economic and military situation were vastly different from his vague memories of the early years of the Song Dynasty.

  Besides a few history books on the bedside table, there was a large pile of miscellaneous books. The poetry books that scholars and gentlemen often have on their desks were scarce.

  It turns out that Lin Xie, in the Lin family, was only slightly weak-minded, neglecting the poetry and literature commonly used in imperial examinations. However, his knowledge was not lacking, especially in miscellaneous studies, and he liked to study military strategy, often fantasizing about being a pioneering minister who expands the territory. But due to his weak-minded nature, these were just fantasies in his mind, and he even feared speaking out loud for fear of being ridiculed by others.

  Thinking of his past and present life, Lin Xie also shook his head with a bitter smile. Two completely different memories, two completely different personalities, what kind of person would he eventually become?

  It was also unknown what time it was when the guests heard the sound and dispersed, and they still heard Du Rongs voice on the shore bidding farewell and leading his troops to ride horses away.

  The three men who came on board to listen to the music had not yet dispersed, and they continued to invite Zhao Neng and the boatman to drink wine at the bow of the boat; they also took care of Lin Xie, with a somewhat subdued laughter. Lin Xie was not one to spoil others fun, thinking that he still had to hurry up tomorrow to instruct the boatman to set sail early, so he undressed, blew out the candle and went to bed first.

  Just as he was about to fall asleep, Lin Xie heard some unusual noises outside the cabin and sat up alertly. The more he listened, the more uneasy he felt. He carefully approached the gap between the wooden boards of the cabin door and peeked outside. What he saw made his blood run cold: the two men who had come aboard to drink earlier were standing at the bow of the boat, one holding a knife to Zhao Nengs throat, another holding a knife to force the boatman to untie the mooring rope, and the third man was nowhere to be seen.