In the fifteenth year of the Da'an era, there was a sweltering heat.
A horse-drawn carriage travels along a winding path beside a mountain stream.
The mountain path is lined with lush, verdant vegetation.
The forest is deep and the water is shallow, with insects chirping and birds singing, creating a serene and tranquil atmosphere.
A handsome young man dressed in brocade robes was sitting in the carriage, peeking out from behind the curtain.
He wasn't in the mood to appreciate the picturesque 5A-level scenery; instead, he was lolling out his tongue and dozing off, looking just like a dead dog.
He was muttering to himself, and you could vaguely hear things like, "I can time travel just by taking a bath," "I wasted seven years studying Chinese literature," "I was an orphan before I time traveled, and I'm still an orphan after I was born," and "I died before the son-in-law I've been chasing for nine years."
He looked utterly hopeless.
Jing Zhe transmigrated five days ago and spent four and a half days in the car. During this time, he had already read through the memories of this body.
This is a fictional era, and the land beneath our feet is called Anguo.
His father, Jing Wenmao, served as an official in the capital city of Jingzhou when he was young. Later, he offended his colleagues in the court and was demoted to Pengzhou, a small border town. After taking office, he remained upright and honest and had a good reputation among the people.
The Jing couple lived a good life in Pengzhou, treating people kindly.
Unfortunately, by the time Jing Zhe traveled through time, they had already passed away.
The original owner of the body had just finished his mourning period, so he set off for Jingzhou to prepare for the imperial examinations, thus fulfilling Jing Wenmao's last wish.
The carriage is too slow; we don't know when we'll reach Jingzhou.
Bored out of his mind, Jing Zhe pulled his head back into the car, lay down sprawled out, and began his day of lazy bum mode.
...
"Hissing sound~"
With a neigh of a horse, the carriage came to a stop.
"arrive?"
Jing Zhe was fully recovered and instantly regained his energy.
When I jumped out of the car, I found that I was still in a desolate valley, with no trace of Jingzhou.
Her eyelids drooped down again.
"Young master, it's a long way to Jingzhou! It's still several miles from the border of Yongzhou!"
The driver walked over and smiled憨厚ly.
"Not there yet? If you're not there, then stop for a few minutes... What?"
"Young master, Mangshan is just ahead."
The coachman pointed to the steep and dangerous peaks ahead, "As you know, young master, the bandits of Mangshan Mountain have a bad reputation. Since we are passing through here, you would be better off changing into something more plain."
Jing Zhe roughly guessed what he meant. Dressed in his brocade robe, anyone who saw him would think he was a rich young master. Who else would the bandits rob if not him?
But he showed no fear and asked in return, "Isn't it said that the bandits of Mangshan Mountain usually act chivalrously and only rob corrupt officials and wealthy merchants? What are we ordinary people afraid of?"
The driver nodded, thinking to himself, "I'm just an ordinary citizen, you're not."
"Under the scorching sun, bandits might not be so dedicated. Even if we do encounter one, giving them a little something for their trouble wouldn't be a big deal. Speaking of which, I'd like to witness the bandits' prowess firsthand!"
Anyone else want to see the bandits?
Are you sick?!
The coachman glanced at Jing Zhe, thinking to himself, "Could this philanthropist have a stupid son? What's the point of him going to Jingzhou to take the exam?"
He stopped responding and just chuckled awkwardly.
Anyway, if anyone's going to rob someone, it'll be you.
I, an ordinary citizen, am not afraid!
They then got into the car and continued on their way.
...
When a person is down on their luck, even their farts can fly.
After traveling for half an hour, Jing Zhe felt his body sway, and the carriage stopped again. Outside, he heard the coachman's voice, which sounded like he was about to cry.
"Young...Young Master, mountain...mountain bandits!"
Jing Zhe lifted the curtain to look, and saw more than a dozen men in black riding tall horses approaching them.
Holy crap!
Has this mouth been blessed?
Mountain bandits are mountain bandits after all. No matter how good their reputation is, they are still just brutes who rob people on the road.
It's okay to joke around, but I'd still feel guilty if it really happened to me.
Jing Zhe dared not be presumptuous, so he quickly got out of the car and stood side by side with the driver, his hands behind his back, looking just like a lowly scoundrel waiting for a lecture from a big shot.
One of the men, a burly man in black who looked somewhat simple-minded, rode forward on horseback, looked the two men up and down with disdain, and said: "Chief, he's just a young master, not the one we're waiting for!"
"In that case, let's go."
The speaker was a woman. When Jing Zhe looked over, she had already turned her horse around, and he could only see her graceful figure wrapped in black tight-fitting clothes.
"Okay, let's go then."
The simple-minded man repeated what she said, then turned and left.
Seeing this, Jing Zhe patted the terrified driver on the shoulder with a smug look on his face. "What did I tell you?"
The driver wiped the sweat from his forehead, unsure whether it was from the heat or from fear, and gave an embarrassed smile. "I was overthinking it! The heroes of Mangshan are usually chivalrous and righteous, how could they possibly make things difficult for the descendant of the great philanthropist Jing?"
"hehe…"
The flattery wasn't particularly sophisticated, but Jing Zhe found it very appealing.
To everyone's surprise, the female chieftain, who had already walked several steps away, stopped and turned back.
Astride his horse, a pair of beautiful peach blossom eyes looked down at Jing Zhe, "Are you a descendant of the great philanthropist Jing?"
"hold head high…"
Jing Zhe nodded blankly.
"Your name is Jing Zhe?"
"Uh...yes..."
Jing Zhe was a little confused. It was one thing for his father to be famous, but how did the bandits even know his name?
After listening, the female chieftain looked him over carefully, then nodded slightly, seemingly believing him.
Where are you headed?
"Jingzhou".
Feeling that the female chieftain meant no harm, Jing Zhe was relieved.
"Your home is in Pengzhou, so just stay there. What are you doing running off to Jingzhou?"
"..."
The tone was firm, not like a question, but rather a challenge.
Jing Zhe was somewhat speechless. Does being from Pengzhou mean you have to stay there forever? How can the population move around? How can culture be spread?
What the hell is this logic?!
"I went to Jingzhou to take the imperial examinations."
"Your family is well-off, and you live much more comfortably in Pengzhou than the rest of us. Why bother with taking the imperial examinations?"
"A good man should aspire to serve the country, and passing the imperial examinations is naturally a way to serve the court!"
He responded calmly, but in his heart he was thinking: What I do is none of your business.
Pah, you're a bird!
"hehe."
The female chieftain sneered after hearing this, "So you've got the title of scholar, so you've got the service to the court! Guards—"
Then she waved her hand behind her, "Tie her up again!"
"Yes, tie them up and put them back!"
The burly, simple-minded man returned and immediately surrounded them.
Jing Zhe was dumbfounded, and a bad feeling crept into his mind!
These bandits were already at odds with the imperial court, and he stupidly claimed to be "serving the imperial court." Who else would they target if not him?
He immediately shouted, "Heroine, I was wrong! I'll never serve the court again, even if you beat me to death. Can't I just go to Jingzhou for a visit?"
"Brother, please don't tie me up. How about I give you some money for your trouble?"
"I can't carry anything on my shoulders or lift anything with my hands, so what use am I going up the mountain?"
"Holy crap! You're just tying someone up, where are you going to reach for your hands?"
"..."
Jing Zhe went on a hysterical outburst, but it couldn't change his fate of being tied up. The female chieftain even turned back to add a comment.
"Too much talking, just knock him out."
"..."
Then, the burly man stepped forward, his fist, as big as a clay pot, leaping into the air.
————
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