Chapter 4: A Young Man’s Dream

The elderly man who had suddenly appeared was white-haired and bearded, his face rough and deeply lined, each wrinkle etched like a ravine, making him seem extremely advanced in years. Stranger still, he wore a coarse linen robe, a strip of white cloth tied around his forehead, and his expression was so grief-stricken that he looked as if he had just returned from a funeral.

Lu Tingfang was startled, pulling Lu Xin with him and retreating five or six steps before halting. His gaze was complicated; the old man before him bore a striking resemblance to “Grandfather Qi”, the shopkeeper at the village entrance, someone he had seen many times on annual visits to honor his ancestors. He was certain he could not be mistaken. Yet the man’s attire was entirely different.

“Grandfather Qi?” Lu Tingfang drew a deep breath and, after much hesitation, called out softly. The old man, hearing this, finally ceased tossing paper offerings into the well and looked up at the two children.

“Who are you? Judging by your clothes, you don’t look like folk from Yin County.” The old man's voice was hoarse and weary, thick with a strong local accent. It took Lu Tingfang a moment to realize he was speaking in Ningbo dialect.

“Tingfang, what’s he saying? I can’t understand a word. Hey, old man, can’t you speak Mandarin?” Lu Xin, having seen a living person, quickly recovered from his earlier fright. He thought, could a dead man really be tossing paper into a well? All they needed now was for this old man to help them find their grandfather. His spirits lifted, but Lu Tingfang’s face suddenly changed.

“Yin County? Ningbo... Aren’t we at home?” Lu Tingfang glanced around once more, and everywhere he looked he saw only thatched huts and earthen houses—no sign of cement anywhere. Coupled with the old man’s attire, a terrifying and unbelievable thought began to take shape in his mind: had they somehow traveled through time?

“Grandfather, may I ask what year it is?” Having studied history with his grandfather since childhood, Lu Tingfang was intimately familiar with China’s ancient culture. He could recite the great events of every dynasty at school. Now, carefully observing his surroundings, he realized this place could not be the twenty-first century.

The old man seemed to understand his question, frowning in surprise before replying, “It’s the tenth year of Wude... No, that’s not right, it should be the first year of Zhenguan. Not long ago, word came from Chang’an that the old emperor had abdicated and the Prince of Qin has taken the throne. That’s big news—haven’t you heard?”

“Wude? Zhenguan? The Prince of Qin... How could this be? My grandfather always said that even if you add any speed to the speed of light, the result is still the speed of light. That’s a law of physics; the speed of light can’t be surpassed. Relativity’s musings on time travel don’t even meet the most basic requirements. How could Xiaoxin and I possibly travel across time, all the way to the Tang dynasty?” Lu Tingfang’s face was ashen. Though he said nothing aloud, his mind was a storm of confusion and fear. For anyone, to be abruptly torn from loved ones and the world they know, only to be cast back into ancient times, would be to face a primal terror of the unknown.

“Tingfang, what are you thinking? I couldn’t understand a word of what you said to the old man.” Lu Xin’s reaction was naturally slower, his youth sheltering him from the gravity of their situation. The innocent have no fear; it is the nature of children, and sometimes, a kind of helplessness. Lu Tingfang did not know how to explain the truth to his younger cousin, so he simply patted his head and said, “Xiaoxin, let’s go home with this grandfather for now. I’ll tell you more later.”

The old man’s home was at the foot of a remote mountain, surrounded by farmland, with no other houses in sight. From their conversation, Lu Tingfang learned that the old man was named Tu Xing, a native of Mou County. In the eighth year of Wude, the government had abolished Yin Prefecture and merged the three counties of Yin, Mou, and Juzhang under the name Yin County, which was placed under the jurisdiction of Yue Prefecture. That’s why he called himself a man of Yin County.

The wars at the end of the Sui and the dawn of the Tang had claimed all of Tu Xing’s sons on the battlefield. The family was poor, none of the children could afford a bride, and so the family line was extinguished. Now, in that large house, he lived utterly alone.

“Sigh, there hasn’t been peace in the world for decades. It’s us common folk who suffer most. The wealthy can buy their way out of conscription, but families like mine can only watch their children go off to die. Today is Qingming. I wanted to burn paper offerings for them, but not one of them has a grave. So I climb the highest mountain and toss the paper from there. Tell me, what’s the point in living when life comes to this?” At this, Tu Xing broke down and wept before the two children. Lu Tingfang was moved but did not know how to comfort him, so he held his tongue.

Tu Xing’s house was spacious but sparsely furnished, with only one table and six or seven wooden stools. The stove was set in the northwest corner, with two beds opposite. Beyond that, the place was nearly bare.

Perhaps it was the rain, perhaps the fright from the accident on Mount Dianlong, but Lu Xin had developed a mild fever and soon fell asleep. While brewing herbal medicine, Tu Xing chatted with Lu Tingfang. Though his tales were filled with sorrow, the presence of company brought the old man an occasional smile.

“Grandfather Tu, I saw you tossing paper into the well earlier. Is that a local custom? Doesn’t the ash make the water dirty?” “That well has been dry for a year. Last year’s drought emptied all the village wells. I tossed paper into it because two days ago, someone fell in and died. A pitiful soul, I suppose. I send him on his way, hoping that, somewhere, a kind soul might do the same for my sons. As the Bodhisattva says, good deeds are rewarded. I hope it’s true. I, Tu Xing, have done no evil in my life. All I wish is that my unfortunate sons might be reborn into good lives.”

“So that’s how it is. Grandfather Tu, you are a good man. Surely you will be rewarded.” “Enough of that. You look tired. Go rest a while—I’ll prepare something for you and your brother to eat. Once you’ve slept, tell me where you come from.”

Where they came from? That hardly mattered now... What came next was what he truly needed to consider. Lu Tingfang nodded in silence. Though he looked sorrowful, his eyes shone brighter than ever, as though, in that moment, this fourteen-year-old boy saw the most beautiful scenery the world had to offer.

Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, half a month had gone by since Lu Xin and Lu Tingfang began their life in the Tang dynasty. It was the first year of Zhenguan. Emperor Taizong had just taken the throne, ruling with diligence and wisdom; the world was gradually settling into peace, and livelihoods were recovering. Though life was poor and they were not yet used to its monotony, the brothers wanted for nothing with Tu Xing’s care. When Lu Xin learned the truth, he threw tantrums for days, desperate to go home, but over time he came to accept their situation. After all, they had no idea how they had crossed through time, let alone how to return.

One day, Lu Tingfang heard that the City God Temple in Creek Town was hosting a festival with free food and officials from Yue Prefecture in attendance. He set off early with Lu Xin. Since arriving in the Tang dynasty, the two had only visited the town’s market a few times and had not truly explored this new world.

“I heard the festival is sponsored by Master Xu from Shanyin County, a wealthy man and a notable figure in Yue Prefecture. If we can find our way to the Xu household, we’ll reach Shanyin—that’s the seat of the Yue Prefectural Governor. It’s a far more promising place than this remote village.” Dressed in old linen clothes and hats, the two brothers blended in perfectly, passing through the streets like ordinary folk. Lu Xin, still young, naturally deferred to Lu Tingfang and had no plans for the future. But after half a month at Tu Xing’s house, having received the old man’s kindness, he was hesitant at the thought of leaving.

“Brother, if we go, what about Grandfather Tu?” “Silly boy, Grandfather Tu has been good to us, but his means are limited. If we stay in the village, we’ll farm our whole lives. We’re people of the twenty-first century—here, even if we can’t become emperors, we should at least claim a territory, rise to high office. Otherwise, we’d be letting ourselves down.”

“But Grandfather Tu killed his only old hen to nourish us. Even my real grandfather never treated me so kindly. If we leave, we must take him with us.” Lu Xin bit his lip and yanked his hand from Lu Tingfang’s, standing his ground. This surprised Lu Tingfang. He knew his cousin well—a boy used to having everything done for him, often willful, sometimes even mischievous. Yet, when it came to Tu Xing, he was so resolute.

But in Lu Tingfang’s plan, it was already troublesome enough to venture out with Lu Xin. Bringing along an old man would make things impossible.

“Xiaoxin, listen to me. Grandfather Tu gave you the family jade pendant, but that doesn’t make you his grandson. We must leave. Only by venturing out can we make our mark. You know, when we first arrived, I was as terrified and lost as you—even despairing. But then I realized: this is an enormous opportunity. I know the history of the Tang dynasty well. We have the knowledge and perspective of modern people. If we play each step right, we could become the rulers of this country. No, we could even rule the world and make history! None of this is possible in the twenty-first century—not for us, not for anyone.”

Lu Tingfang gripped Lu Xin’s shoulders, growing more excited and speaking louder with every word, until he no longer cared about the eyes of passersby. Lu Xin, seeing the strange intensity in his cousin’s eyes, felt a sudden fear and could only nod, which finally quieted the one so familiar yet now so foreign to him.

At that moment, people in the street began running toward the end of the road, as though something major had happened.

“Hurry, everyone—come see! There’s been a death at the City God Temple. The county yamen has surrounded Master Xu’s household, and even the military inspector from the prefecture has been alarmed!”