Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 254 The Great Han Imperial Clan
"One, two, three, four, two, two, three, four..."

As the sun rose, in the eyes of the Liu family servants, their young master Liu Haoxing (Xuan Chong), who had learned from his mistakes and was now determined to improve, began to get up on time and practice the "Zodiac Forms" modified from the "Five Animal Frolics" in the martial arts room.

This started three months ago, and it's as if he's become a completely different person.

The equipment in the martial arts training room was completely different from what he had seen in his previous life. For example, the equipment Xuan Chong had chosen was made of thick logs, eight meters high, with metal bars extending from it. (Similar to parallel bars and horizontal bars on a sandy surface.)
Using this equipment is like climbing a tree, moving from one bar to another.

Xuan Chong realized that the sports culture of this world was completely different from the historical development of his previous life.

Taking this iron tree as an example, climbing it using only your arms is like a gibbon; but climbing it using your legs and relying solely on your waist for balance is like a dragon.

Xuanchong can now move in a dragon-like form in climbing areas below three meters; above five meters, he transforms into a monkey. — His family's instructor has given him some pointers a few times, and Xuanchong is slowly figuring it out.

Xuan Chong is still unclear about the current rules of this world. He doesn't even know if the system will be able to cover for him this time.

However, during the journey through the "Yaochao" plane, he remembered all the notes and experiences he had recorded on the system with exceptional clarity, including the physical sensations he experienced while practicing the Body Freezing Technique.

The body-fixation technique requires the implantation of relevant "sensory assistance sensors" within the body. Xuan Chong called out to the system several times, but the system did not respond.

Xuan Chong: "I didn't find any exchange window; but just now, I've adapted to the mundane at school and developed a good habit. When I'm sure a certain direction for development is good, then if there are no conditions, I'll create them. Start from the basics."

You don't need to reach a certain threshold to start exercising.

Instead, we act according to whatever conditions are available.

As a human being, even if you become disabled, you still have to take responsibility for your body. But right now, in this transmigration, I'm just chubby and lazy.

…The chubby, milky-smelling boy has turned into a bratty brat…

After transmigrating, Xuan Chong's primary task as Liu Haoxing was to restore his body to a healthy state.

Every morning at seven o'clock, as the first rays of dawn break through the eastern waves, Xuan Chong gets up, rinses his mouth, cleans his teeth, makes himself a cup of egg drop soup, and drinks it down. Feeling a warm sensation spreading through his lower abdomen, he begins his training. After two hours of profuse sweating, he eats breakfast. Finally, following the principle that "the early bird catches the worm," he begins reading.

At 10:00 AM, he practiced standing on the horse stance again. Initially, Xuan Chong could only stand for three or four minutes. Now, he can hold the stance for half an hour.

After standing meditation, he ate lunch, then sat quietly for half an hour before starting his afternoon study. Around three or four o'clock, Xuan Chong began practicing the spear shaking technique. After that, he sat quietly reading and ate dinner.

At eight o'clock in the evening, they slept under the same blanket. In the eyes of others, during these three months, Liu Haoxing gave up lavish meals, stopped indulging in alcohol, and even gave up his bad habit of "dog fighting and gambling".

After inheriting the title of heir, Xuan Chong flipped through "his own drawer" and looked at the "dog breed characteristics" recorded by Liu Haoxing in his notebook. He couldn't help but feel that it was childish, like elementary school students arguing about who was the strongest among the Ultramen.

After Xuan Chong completely reformed and began a life of observing the precepts, all the fighting dogs were given to the herders patrolling the mountains.

From the outside perspective, Liu Haoxing (Xuan Chong) began to believe in religion after suffering a severe emotional trauma.

Indeed, Xuanchong lives an orderly life here and actively participates in community cultural activities.

Every Sunday, Xuan Chong would regularly go to the temple of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to pray.

Thus, he became recognized as an activist by the local religious community. — In the community's propaganda, Xuan Chong learned that his bad reputation for debauchery was now gone.

The church welcomed Xuan Chong's approach and was willing to arrange for him to study with fellow believers. Xuan Chong immediately stopped and maintained his "distance".

Master Xuanchong did not have the habit of sharing his life with others. Even when the religious group tried to recruit him, among the "fellow believers" they inserted was a beautiful girl his own age.

…Time and space diverge, culture splits…

Yeshi and Mazu were two coastal deities, one in the south and one in the north, who were appointed by emperors four hundred years ago.

Mazu protects fishermen from storms; Yeshi the Great protects whale hunters from being extorted by the sea god (iceberg collisions) when sailing the Northern Ocean.

In Dongtu, every year on the 11th day of the 11th month (lunar calendar), the people of Dongtu wait to offer incense and prepare offerings for Emperor Yeshi.

Liu Haoxing's sudden self-discipline has sparked much speculation, but Xuan Chong knows for sure that it's because of his soul being transported.

But to outsiders in this world, it's hard to explain why a teenager would suddenly change his nature from being unrestrained, except perhaps by becoming a devout believer.

Just like those middle-aged women in Xuan Chong's previous life, when they saw boys working out and losing weight, they couldn't think of any other reason besides "chasing girls".

The weather grew even colder, and the whaling ships returned from the open sea. The workers' quarters in the city reeked of fried whale blubber, and after meals, ordinary people in Dongtu would go to the public bathhouses to expose themselves.

…becoming "me"…

After three months of training, his once chubby face has transformed into a sharp chin, his arm muscles have become well-defined, and his legs have a solid stance. He has transformed from a chubby figure into someone with a more angular appearance.

Although not as physically gifted as those with special abilities, at least I won't be out of breath after walking a hundred steps or so.

Every day, an abundance of energy rises from the internal organs, reaching the top of the head. The benefits include quick thinking and sharp vision.

In other words, the original Liu Haoxing, at least when he first transmigrated as Xuan Chong, was still a "fool"; but now he is worthy of wisdom.

Drinking and indulging in unrestrained behavior still makes one a talented scholar, a huge lingering influence of the Wei-Jin culture of the East.

Xuan Chong was very clear that the physical condition of an adult male was closely related to what the outside world perceived as "dull and stupid".

Maintaining a healthy body and ensuring proper secretion of hormones can help men maintain their aggressiveness, mental agility, and tolerance to various pressures.

This is also a truth that Xuan Chong only understood at the age of thirty in his previous life. The extraordinary child prodigies he witnessed in his youth were all misled by certain propaganda, who believed that talent determined the upper limit.

In reality, Xuan Chong harbored a secret belief: if he had his 30-year-old self guiding him when he was twelve or thirteen, how much difference would he have made between himself and the geniuses?
…There is no difference between immortals and mortals! Daring to measure…

Here, I should mention the beginning of this time travel story. The Eastern Han Dynasty was a modern empire, and in order to maintain control over its borders, it adopted a feudal system. In other words, it abandoned the surrounding territories that were too bad to manage to govern to the feudal kings.

For example, the present-day Dongtu Kingdom is a feudal kingdom under the current Han system.

Despite its large size, Dongtu Island only has one city.

The King of Dongtu in the north was a single-line heir. Meanwhile, many kingdoms in the south had their kings eliminated by the Han dynasty under the pretext of the extinction of their direct lineage.

However, the imperial court was very lenient towards the Dongtu Kingdom, allowing it to continue as a nation.

The logic is simple: if the kingdom were to be abolished and the imperial court were to directly govern it, which official would be sent to govern the counties and prefectures there? — Wouldn't that just offend people?

The officials and scholars of the court, like daughters-in-law managing household affairs, had no desire to venture into remote mountain valleys and expose themselves to the world. Such arduous tasks were best left to their younger brothers-in-law.

Xuan Chong was born in the Dongtu Prince's Mansion. Liu Haoxing, as the eldest son, was obviously too spoiled before Xuan Chong's transmigration and was a typical good-for-nothing young master.

Xuan Chong curled his lip and defended Liu Haoxing's behavior: "I'm absolutely not looking down on good-for-nothings. To say that you can be a good-for-nothing and not be one of those people who are crazy would be like this."

The Han court clearly did not want the heirs of the various vassal states to be incompetent, so it summoned the sons of the regions to the capital for education. As a result, Liu Haoxing became incompetent and returned home to reflect on his mistakes.

The reason was rather ridiculous. Liu Haoxing was being bullied at the Imperial Academy. In that place where powerful young masters gathered, the country bumpkin from the north was nothing. And the one bullying Liu Haoxing was Lin Yang, the son of the Sima family of this dynasty. Xuan Chong thought for a moment, remembered "Lin Yang," and emphasized to himself: I'm not petty, I just want to understand the interpersonal relationships of my predecessor.

…Confucianism resides in the interior, feudalism in the frontiers…

Although the Han Dynasty experienced ups and downs after its founding by Emperor Gaozu, the Han court was always able to support the nation, and its systems were constantly being reformed.

Xuan Chong: It can be considered as supporting the Han dynasty. Liu Bei, who founded the "Heng Han" dynasty, is said to have a genealogy as the ancestor of the Yang dynasty (temple name); however, the ancestor of the "Li Han" dynasty was born in the Hetao region, where Han and non-Han peoples lived together. He also called himself Liu, fulfilling the "golden knife prophecy" of the time, and eventually seized the world.

As for our current dynasty, it is the fifth Han dynasty to be established. This current Han dynasty is even more legendary, with an asteroid landing near Mount Tai, and our founding emperor receiving the mandate of heaven.

Of course, these are all myths from hundreds of years ago. For the past two thousand years, the emperor in the East has established an unquestionable "religious authority."

In the previous dynasty, the "Zhen Han" army conquered Europe and absorbed the local religions; the Confucian scholars of the previous dynasty further established the triune divine mandate theory system of "Heaven, Emperor, and Ancestors".

As the religious authority of the "Zhen Han" emperors grew, their ability to govern the world became increasingly inadequate. Therefore, after the three generations of "Zhen Han," the kings enfeoffed in Europe began to govern themselves.

Within the Nine Provinces, land governance also experienced a chain reaction, with serious conflicts arising between the kings enfeoffed by the emperor and the bureaucrats of the prefecture-county system.

As the representative of powerful clans, the "King" acts above the law and fails to set an example, causing other powerful clans to disregard the law as well.

Ultimately, this led to the collapse of the "Zhen Han" regime, plunging the world into chaos.

Around 1455 Bethlehem year, the European states began to carve out their own territories and establish their own independent powers. Even now, those states are considered "disobedient" forces.

…The lesson from the previous dynasty is that no one other than a member of the Liu family should be king on the frontiers, and there should be no kings in the interior…

The Han dynasty originated in the Hunan and Hubei regions. At its founding, after the first and decisive battle at Poyang Lake, it defeated the Zhu-Zhang alliance in the southeast and swept across the south. Then, it gradually advanced northward, took Guanzhong, and went east to conquer Hebei, thus pacifying the country.

Xuan Chong's expression was strange after reviewing the founding guidelines of the dynasty. He then began taking notes and highlighting key points.

The idea of ​​scholar-officials and the emperor jointly governing the country emerged during the reign of Liu Bei (the founder of the Han dynasty), and by the time of Liu Zhen (the founder of the Han dynasty), a complete cabinet system had already been established.

The scholar-official class already existed in three tiers: "upper," "middle," and "lower," corresponding to the deliberative power of the three advisory councils of "prefectures, counties, and districts."

This dynasty, however, has completely formalized this system into laws and regulations. Within the Nine Provinces, "law" is above all else.

Therefore, although Liu Haoxing had the background of a "feudal king", he could only govern the people in his own fiefdom at most; when he was under the emperor's nose, he was really far inferior to a powerful minister.

Lin Yang's father has held a stable position in politics for twenty years and is now an official known as Sima. This position is similar to that of the British Prime Minister in the previous world, possessing real power to mobilize the national military and formulate diplomatic strategies, but is subject to the constraints of the Situ who manages civil affairs and the Sikong who manages finances; Lin's daughter is the emperor's principal wife, a typical member of the imperial family.

As for Liu Haoxing's family? Although they share the surname Liu, their relationship with the current imperial family is so distant that it's impossible to know where they came from.

Xuan Chong flipped through the family genealogy and found that his ancestor was Liu Yu, who served as Grand Marshal in the "Li Han" regime. Of course, after three generations, the family fell into decline and was exiled to the north.

Then, the lineage continued unbroken in the north for a thousand years. Four hundred years ago, in response to the uprising of the founding emperor of this dynasty to restore the Han dynasty, the title was restored.

Of course, the imperial court also needed to win the support of the peripheral Liu clans, which is why it granted Liu Haoxing's ancestors the title of vassal king. — And this title was directly bestowed upon Dongtu, a godforsaken place.

Xuan Chong suspected that his ancestor might have offended someone back then.

…tracing the origins of history…

After understanding the resources that his current identity provides, Xuan Chong began to think about how to effectively utilize these resources and ensure that he could live a peaceful life wherever he was!

As a second-generation heir, Xuan Chong's role is very clear: don't cause trouble.

Within the existing social structure, one should not allow the power one wields to undermine the existing system. Don't follow suit just because others have succeeded. You are different from them.

As for those who rose through the ranks from the lower and middle levels, they were all ruthlessly eliminated. Their experiences included writing epitaphs for many colleagues who "died from the struggle."

Xuan Chong was hatching a plan: "I remember there should be an oil field near Dongtu, and oil fields need an oil refining industry. I can make plans in advance, take advantage of the future fuel era, become an oil seller, earn some money, and give some benefits to my people! Hmm, then I can happily be a prince."

With a beep, the system finally appeared.

System: "This is the Magical Science plane; do not apply orthodox historical analysis. Note: It is currently a math exam; please adjust to the correct problem-solving approach."

Xuan Chong: "I called you earlier, but you pretended not to hear me!"

The system displayed a standard: Xuan Chong's physical condition was still adjusting and he could not be said to be in a stable state after transmigrating.

That afternoon, upon hearing the system's voice, Xuan Chong suddenly jolted awake, sat up, and then muttered something to himself, looking anxious and uncertain.

…Proctor: Lie down?! Hmph, this is an exam…

On the other side of the ocean, Xie Ming, or rather, Jemint. His appearance was distinct: mixed-race, with black hair, a high nose, and his hair styled in a gentleman's bun.

The young master looked at the cannons being forged in his family's factory. These cannons were intended to be installed on battleships.

In the Western Ocean, the most powerful ironclad warships had reached a displacement of over 20,000 tons. Unlike the current Han dynasty's "cruiser" development strategy, the Eastern Yin dynasty pursued a strategy of heavy gunboats.

The struggle for control of the seas along the “Ion-Europe-Africa” triangular trade route between the New World and Europe in the Atlantic Ocean has reached a fever pitch.

Inside the factory, Jemint is walking.

Suddenly, a man covered in grease pulled a gun from his pocket. However, just as the assassin was about to fire, a burly white man next to Jemint abruptly stepped forward and drew his gun even faster.

The bullet hit the burly man.

His clothes were torn, revealing thick, inhuman hair underneath. Upon closer inspection, the burly man's face had transformed into that of a werewolf.

Just as the werewolf was about to tear the attacker apart, Jemint whispered: Break all four limbs, keep him alive.

The werewolf's neck collar was flashing; then, regaining his senses, he snapped the bones of the man disguised as a worker who had attacked his young master.

Blood-red blood splattered from the rotating machine.

Jemint, his face still somewhat childish, watched all this with indifference and said in a low voice, "It seems someone is unhappy about me inheriting the family business."

Xie Ming adapted to the new era much faster than Xuan Chong because it wasn't his first time here.

He patted the werewolf on the shoulder, and a black power seeped into the werewolf's skin, turning his pupils back to black from red.

The werewolf's ferocious "snarling" appearance immediately disappeared, turning into a docile dog-like state, before reverting to its human form.

Jemint (Xie Ming), whose paternal lineage was Dongyin, nodded slightly: "Viking slaves are loyal dogs."

(End of this chapter)