Zhang Yang watched the girl in the kitchen in silence.
The girl was watching the dishwasher work intently, but also somewhat flustered; clearly, she was quite resistant to these modern things.
Zhang Yang remained silent until the girl seemed to get used to the dishwasher and her tense shoulders relaxed, at which point he also breathed a sigh of relief.
The girl was tidying up the kitchen, and she felt a bit like she was stepping on a landmine, as if her family's kitchen was a very dangerous place.
When the girl was almost done with her work.
Zhang Yangcai then said, "Gu Yanyan, come here and sit down!"
"Yes, young master... Zhang Yang!" Gu Yanyan replied softly, walking out of the kitchen somewhat awkwardly. She sat on the sofa, looking at the large black square on the white wall. Inside the square, several people were moving around, dressed in strange clothes and saying strange things.
Zhang Yang told her that this is called a television!
This home was unfamiliar to her.
Not long ago, she was released from a place called the Research Center and then stayed at Professor Zhang's house.
Professor Zhang is a renowned archaeologist in China. He led the team that opened the tomb of Emperor Wuzong and Empress Zhenrui and released her from that jewelry box.
Zhang Yang is Professor Zhang's son.
The tomb of Emperor Wuzong and Empress Zhenrui is now called Yangling. Professor Zhang and his team have unearthed many things from Yangling and are studying them all night.
During this period, only she and Zhang Yang were at home.
She tried her best to minimize her presence, but she could still feel Zhang Yang's gaze subtly fixed on her.
"You forgot to put cooking wine in the fish you made today," Zhang Yang said casually. If he didn't speak, this woman, who claimed to be from the ancient Great Jing Dynasty, could remain silent all day, her eyes downcast and her mind at ease, just like an extremely well-behaved maid from a wealthy family.
If he really said that, she would be very anxious and would say that she was from the Chu Prince's Mansion, the personal maid of the Chu Princess, not an ordinary wealthy family, but a member of the royal family.
The King of Chu was none other than Emperor Wuzong.
The Princess Consort of Chu was the later Empress Zhenrui.
Zhang Yang was very curious about her.
Gu Yanyan opened her mouth. Cooking wine was not a condiment in the Great Jing Dynasty. She was not a cook and her cooking skills were very average. Although Zhang Yang had told her to add it, she still forgot to add it.
In fact, she was filled with fear of the world, and she dared not go out without Zhang Yang's company.
Zhang Yang said, "This is the modern era."
The place she lived in was called ancient times.
A thousand years have passed since the Great Jing Dynasty.
She had only ever seen such a large number as a thousand years on banknotes; she had no way of calculating how long a thousand years actually was.
Zhang Yang had told her that in a thousand years, the Great Jing Dynasty had been extinct for nine hundred years, and then went through many dynasties such as Chu, Feng, Wu, Ning, and An, before reaching the modern era.
Within her understanding, the Great Jing Dynasty was overthrown by treacherous officials, and the subsequent dynastic changes had nothing to do with her.
"I'll remember to add the wine next time!" Gu Yanyan replied softly, looking somewhat dejected.
In Dajing, she was the Chu King's favorite maid, a highly sought-after figure in the money exchange, a remarkable woman who had traveled to many places in Dajing and gained a wealth of knowledge, and a loyal servant who dared to sacrifice herself for her master.
She is incredibly proud of every identity she holds.
But now, she understands nothing, knows nothing, can't even cook a fish properly, and is no different from a useless person.
She touched the undergarment in her pocket.
After drinking the poison, she covered her face with a bellyband embroidered with two female demons fighting. The familiar pattern and fine stitches were the only thing that could comfort her now.
She knew very well that she could still embroider, but people in this era did not seem to like embroidery. The clothes they wore were very simple, with only printed patterns that looked just like the real ones, so there was no need for embroidery at all.
Her only strength seemed to have no use here.
Zhang Yang smiled. "It's okay if you didn't add it, it's not a big deal. But adding cooking wine can remove the fishy smell. How did you usually cook fish?"
“In the past, there were cooks who prepared dishes. There were only…” Gu Yanyan couldn’t continue. She was gradually realizing her situation. She was different from others. The more she talked, the stranger she seemed.
Zhang Yang raised an eyebrow, looking at her with interest. "Only what?"
“Near the capital…” Gu Yanyan lowered her eyes slightly, her eyes misting over. “Only the Yunhe River has yellow croaker in it, but it’s not easy to catch. Back then, I… didn’t eat fish often, and the cook wasn’t very good at cooking fish either, so we always steamed it.”
At this point, Gu Yanyan finally had a moment of wisdom and stopped talking.
Actually, she had a lot more to say.
For example, during festivals, fish would be sent as tribute from the south, and His Majesty would bestow some upon the various princes and ministers. However, in general, fish was not a staple food; it was only eaten occasionally during festivals.
For example, the princess always complained that the cook's fish was not good enough, so she would cook braised fish or spicy fish herself, and even grilled fish. The princess's cooking methods were very unique, and the prince liked them very much, as did she.
For example, when she traveled all over China, she saw many different kinds of fish in many places, but because she didn't like them, she never tried them.
She had so much to say, but couldn't express it, and didn't know who to say it to.
She wasn't a very clever woman. Her daughter was dead, in the coffin next to her. There would never be another person like her daughter in this world who would treat her unconditionally well. She had to learn to be clever on her own.
Zhang Yang's lips curled up slightly.
Gu Yanyan was the subject of his observation; he was very curious about what was happening to her.
He didn't believe the outside world's claims that an orphan girl, in order to attract attention, somehow entered the ancient tomb and deliberately let herself be discovered in order to become famous overnight.
He was even more convinced that she was truly a ghost from a thousand years ago.
He felt that his grandfather thought the same way, which was why he dared to bring her to live at home. He believed that Gu Yanyan might not be able to survive outside.
He didn't press the matter further. Instead, he quietly changed the channel.
There's a TV series on TV right now called "Empress Zhenrui".
Empress Zhenrui is a legendary figure. There are many official and unofficial historical accounts about her. Because they usurped the throne from their own nephew and then passed it on to him, this part of history is particularly interesting and is the part that historians have been debating the most.
What's even more interesting is that Emperor Wuzong was the only emperor to bring his empress, Shang, to court, and the harem consisted of only one empress, a first in the thousands of years of feudal dynasty history.
Moreover, the imperial edicts issued during their reigns were surprisingly plain, leading historians to believe that either Empress Zhenrui or Emperor Wuzong might have been time travelers, or both of them might have been, given that their decrees reflected many aspects of modern thinking.
According to unofficial historical records, after Emperor Wuzong passed away, Emperor Jingzong, Mu Qianzhong, once tried to erase the history of Emperor Wuzong's reign. He even killed three Grand Historians, but they still refused to revise the historical records. Helpless, Emperor Jingzong had no choice but to acquiesce, and this history was thus passed down in its original form.
Whether it's true or false is no longer discernible.
However, this has shrouded this period of history in a mysterious hue.
Therefore, the history of Empress Zhenrui and Emperor Wuzong is the most frequently depicted topic in TV dramas, with numerous versions available.
Zhang Yang showed Gu Yanyan a recently popular TV series about Empress Zhenrui, featuring top-tier celebrities and boasting costumes and props that perfectly recreate the imperial court etiquette and customs of the Great Jing Dynasty.
Gu Yanyan doesn't understand anything.
She sat obediently on the sofa, looking at whatever Zhang Yang put out. Usually, she would only leave when Zhang Yang told her she could go.
Living under someone else's roof.
This is her current situation.
She watched TV and gradually became engrossed in it.
In her view, on the television screen, a man abruptly grabbed a woman and questioned her about the problem with her drink, uttering the words "Wen Qing!"
Gu Yanyan's body tensed up.
The girl's name was also Wen Qing, and she had also sold wine.
As she watched, she heard the man identify himself as Mu Xingzhi.
She stood up abruptly.
She understood; that strange thing called a television was showing a story about a girl and a prince.
"That's not right!" Gu Yanyan's face flushed red.
Zhang Yang looked at Gu Yanyan with great interest, quite satisfied with her reaction. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing about them is right!" Gu Yanyan didn't want to say more, but since it concerned the people she cared about most, she didn't hold back and choked up with bitterness. "Those two people don't look like the prince and the young lady at all."
"When did this young lady ever wear such clothes? The collar of this dress is completely improper. She doesn't like to wear such bright colors either. Her clothes are always simple and plain, and she prefers to have simple patterns embroidered on them."
"She doesn't like to adorn herself with jewels, nor does she wear makeup, making herself look so undignified. And she's always pulling and tugging at men."
"Your Majesty did stop the young lady on the street back then, but she was dignified and immediately rebuked Your Majesty for his rudeness. How could she behave like this? It is truly indecent."
Gu Yanyan spoke a lot in one breath.
Zhang Yang's eyes showed surprise, but his interest deepened. This was the most Gu Yanyan had spoken since she came to his home. Her words were sincere, and even her annoyance and accusations were clear.
Moreover, many of the things he said were based on real events, as if he had actually seen them, which was very interesting!
"What was the real Empress Zhenrui like?"
Zhang Yang patiently guided him.
"Girl, she, she..." Gu Yanyan was a little anxious, and she stammered. She seemed to be unable to express what she wanted to say clearly.
Zhang Yang thoughtfully brought over paper and a pen.
Holding the smooth paper and the slender pencil, Gu Yanyan was at a loss for what to draw.
She can embroider and paint, but she can't paint portraits. Even if she does paint, it's mostly impressionistic. She can't really paint the image of a girl in her mind.
However, not wanting Zhang Yang to think she was lying, she picked up a pen and drew a person, clearly depicting the hair ornaments, clothes, and even the patterns on the hairpins and the floral designs.
She took her painting application very seriously, became more and more comfortable using the tools, and her skills improved.
Before long, a beautiful picture appeared on the paper. Except for the person's face, the rest of the picture was drawn very well.
Zhang Yang stared silently at the picture, which resembled some images he had seen on everyday clothing in the Great Jing Dynasty.
After Gu Yanyan finished drawing, she didn't seem very satisfied with her work. She felt a little regretful and said, "That's about it."
"Why isn't there a face?" Zhang Yang calmly folded the picture.
Gu Yanyan fell silent. "I can't draw it! I... I'm not a painter, I can't draw your appearance."
She stared blankly at the television. The show had already switched to other actors and was no longer airing "Empress Zhenrui." She felt a sense of relief mixed with a strange regret. She suddenly thought that it was good to watch something fake, just to keep it as a memento.
Zhang Yang keenly sensed the regret in her emotions and felt that she had a strange "infatuation" with Empress Zhenrui, which was different from a simple master-servant relationship, but more of a spontaneous and solemn affection.
"Empress Zhenrui was very beautiful?"
Gu Yanyan blushed slightly. "Of course the young lady is beautiful, otherwise, how could His Majesty have stopped her on the street back then? Let's not talk about it anymore; it's disrespectful to Her Majesty the Empress."
Zhang Yang's thin lips curved slightly, while Gu Yanyan exuded that heavy, decaying aura, a quality that a modern person could never possess: loyalty, reverence, and unwavering persistence. These qualities, concentrated in Gu Yanyan, made her seem like a figure from a painting.
A woman from the past suddenly intrudes into the modern world.
Just thinking about this idea is enough to get my blood pumping.
Gu Yanyan thought for a moment, then said in a low voice, "You actually dared to dig up the imperial tomb? Are you descendants of the Tomb Raider General?"
General of the Excavation Division?
Tomb raiders?
Zhang Yang was amused by her idea.
"No, it's a national precious archaeological team!"
"An archaeological team? Isn't that the same as the General of the Central Army?"
Zhang Yang was speechless for a moment. Actually, upon closer reflection, they were both digging up people's graves, so there didn't seem to be much difference. "The General was doing it to rob graves, while we are doing it to protect history."
"Oh!" Gu Yanyan's face scrunched up, her complexion turning pale. She bit her lip and whispered, "What are you planning to do after digging up the tombs of Emperor Wuzong and the Empress? You wouldn't... desecrate their remains, would you?"
"Hmm?" Zhang Yang finally understood. So that's why the little girl was feeling wronged.
He smiled. "No, it's for protection. The tomb has actually been closed for a long time. We'll build a memorial hall on it so that future generations can remember the merits of Emperor Wuzong and Empress Zhenrui."
Gu Yanyan finally breathed a sigh of relief. This problem had tormented her for many days, but now that she had an answer, she relaxed immediately.
Zhang Yang smiled and said, "Gu Yanyan!"
"Um?"
"Are you interested in studying? Studying history!"
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