Chapter 13: Beat Him Up
Li Daoxuan found himself staring at the diorama box, transfixed for another entire day, only pausing to order takeout when hunger gnawed at him.
Just like that, evening arrived.
Outside, Shuangqing City was bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun, and, surprisingly, the scene inside the diorama box also transformed, reflecting the descent of dusk. Even though his room was lit by fluorescent lights, casting their glow directly onto the diorama box, the light didn't seem to penetrate the glass. Instead, the sky within the box grew steadily darker.
The box possessed far too many strange peculiarities; Li Daoxuan had long since stopped marveling at minor details like the lighting.
He was now somewhat worried about Gao Chuwu and the other three young villagers. They had left for the county town early that morning and hadn't returned, and he couldn't shake the fear that something might have gone wrong.
It was a feeling akin to a person who kept a yard full of kittens, only for four mischievous ones to wander off, their whereabouts unknown. As their caretaker, he felt a considerable anxiety about whether they would return safely.
Just then, five tiny figures suddenly appeared at the edge of the diorama box.
Li Daoxuan’s spirits lifted. "Wonderful! They've returned safely."
Indeed, Gao Chuwu and his companions were back.
San Shier dared not resist. He secretly glanced at the four men, realizing they were the simple, honest type. Reasoning with them would be futile, and too many idle words would likely earn him a beating with their clubs. So, he kept his mouth shut and obediently followed them all the way to Gao Family Village.
Over thirty li of walking was no easy feat for a strategist unaccustomed to physical exertion. Compounded by not having eaten all day, by the time they reached Gao Family Village, he was utterly exhausted, barely able to catch his breath.
The moment they entered the village, San Shier collapsed onto the ground. "Gao Family Village at last," he gasped. "My good sirs, why have you brought me here? You can tell me now, can't you? It is called... the Dagger Revealed After the Map is Unrolled."
Gao Chuwu instructed, "You three, keep an eye on the strategist. I'll go get Yiye."
He immediately dashed towards Gao Yiye's house, intending to use her as an intermediary to inform the Heavenly Lord.
But Li Daoxuan had already spotted the group, so there was no need for Gao Chuwu to notify him. He spoke directly towards Gao Yiye's house, "Yiye, Yiye..."
Gao Yiye had just finished dinner and was mending torn clothes inside her house. Hearing the Heavenly Lord's voice, a shiver ran through her, and she sprang up from her broken stool. Then, with a soft thud, she knelt on the ground, asking, "What are your commands, Heavenly Lord?"
Li Daoxuan instructed, "Gao Chuwu has brought back a seemingly educated man. I need you to ask him a few questions for me."
Gao Yiye understood. "I will respectfully obey your command, Heavenly Lord."
Li Daoxuan urged, "Very well, go quickly. Gao Chuwu will be at your door any moment now."
Gao Yiye rose and pulled open her door.
The very instant she opened the door, Gao Chuwu, who had just raised his hand to knock, found the door creaking open inward. His hand froze mid-air. "Huh? Yiye? How did you know...?"
Gao Yiye replied, "The Heavenly Lord said you had returned, and that you brought an educated man with you."
Gao Chuwu cast a respectful gaze towards the sky above.
Gao Yiye then ran at her fastest pace towards the village entrance. By this time, many in the village had already received the news. After all, the village was so small that a few households could see what was happening at the entrance from their windows, and a single shout was enough to bring everyone out.
All forty-two villagers—men, women, old, and young—gathered before San Shier.
The sun was almost setting, and the golden, slanting rays stretched the entire village's shadows diagonally. The villagers stood silhouetted against the sunset, silently watching San Shier. The scene was rather eerie.
San Shier immediately felt an immense wave of pressure and fear. Before the villagers could speak, he hastily interjected, "Please, don't misunderstand! Don't misunderstand! I was absolutely not the one forcing you to pay taxes! I swear to the heavens, I was speaking up for you! I advised the magistrate not to collect taxes, and he threw me out of the yamen. Truly, I swear it's true! Please, don't hit me! If you have any grievances, take them up with the magistrate...! It is called... Clearly Distinguishing Gratitude and Grudges."
The villagers parted, creating a path. Gao Yiye stepped forward, standing directly in front of San Shier.
As she took center stage, San Shier's gaze naturally fell upon her, and he began to inwardly wonder. *What was going on with this village?* he thought. *Normally, a respected old village chief would step forward to speak, but here it was a young woman?*
Gao Yiye inclined her head, listening to the voice from above. Then, with a solemn expression, she asked, "Who are you? What is your current position? How many books have you read? How much of the world have you seen?"
San Shier's spirits revived. "My surname is San," he declared. "I was born on the second day of the tenth month, hence my given name, San Shier. I served as the strategist for the Magistrate of Chengcheng County, Shaanxi Province... *cough*... *formerly* served, that is. I've been dismissed. I diligently studied for ten years, enduring hardships, and have traveled extensively throughout the land. It is called... Possessing Immense Literary Talent."
Li Daoxuan noticed that the fellow's speech had been relatively normal at first, but when he reached the last four characters, his voice suddenly boomed, his expression became exaggerated, and he struck an ostentatious pose. It was utterly comical, and Li Daoxuan couldn't help but be amused. "Yiye," he instructed, "ask him what year and month it is now."
Gao Yiye's spirits rose, and she quickly relayed the Heavenly Lord's words.
Hearing her question, San Shier couldn't help but freeze in surprise. *Ask me what year and month it is? What kind of villagers are these?* he mused. *I've heard that country folk sometimes don't leave their villages for years, remaining completely ignorant of the outside world, but what could they possibly mean by asking this?*
Though perplexed, he dared not refuse to answer the question.
San Shier straightened his expression, his face solemn, and declared, "It is now the seventh year of Tianqi, the seventh month. It is called... er... blast! This phrase cannot be summarized with an idiom."
He clasped his hands over his head, an expression of profound agony on his face. It seemed the inability to summarize the statement with an idiom caused him unbearable pain, a fact he could not accept.
The villagers exchanged glances, a ripple of quiet bewilderment passing through them.
The villagers found his comical behavior both funny and exasperating.
But Li Daoxuan didn't laugh; instead, his entire body stiffened. As someone who frequented history and military forums, the year "Tianqi Seven" was far from unfamiliar to him.
This was a genuine reign era of the Great Ming Dynasty!
In this very year, Emperor Zhu Youxiao of Tianqi had died, and Emperor Zhu Youjian of Chongzhen had ascended the throne. The empire was suffering a great drought, and the peasant uprisings that would mark the end of the Ming Dynasty were about to erupt. The Great Ming itself was about to begin its final decade of struggle.
*What was happening? Was what he saw through the diorama box actually a real historical dynasty?*
*No, no, no, it must just be a coincidence, merely a coincidence of reign eras.*
Li Daoxuan said in a low voice, "Yiye, ask him the name of the current emperor."
Yiye promptly asked.
When asked about the emperor's given name, San Shier's expression turned grave. "A humble servant such as myself dares not utter the given name of the reigning emperor. It is called... Honoring the Sovereign and Benefiting the People."
Li Daoxuan commanded, "Beat him up."
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