Tuqiu Jiu found it rather difficult to accept the fact that he had become illiterate, and it took him a long while to regain his composure.
While he was still in shock, Tuqiu Dun hesitated for a long time before finally signing the document.
Seeing Tuqiu Jiu still dazed, Yu Jing beside him couldn’t help but whisper, “Young master, it’s time to pay respects to your lord father.”
Only then did Tuqiu Jiu snap out of it. Oh, right, his father had changed.
He had no choice but to set aside the matter of becoming illiterate for now. Kneeling and bowing to Tuqiu Yue, he said, “Your child pays respects to Father.”
As Tuqiu Yue stood up and walked over, he took a cloak from another slave-official beside him. When he reached Tuqiu Jiu, he bent down to help him up, draped the cloak over his shoulders, and wrapped an arm around him, smiling with relief. “Good child.”
After saying this, he turned to Tuqiu Dun and said, “Since you’ve signed, from now on, he has no ties to your family. You may leave.”
Tuqiu Dun was taken aback. “I… I can go home now?”
The Xianyang County Magistrate nearby said, “Your crime has been redeemed with money. You may return home.”
Tuqiu Dun immediately broke into a wide smile, but after a moment, he realized something. “What about my wife and children?”
The magistrate replied, “Their crimes have not been redeemed. They must continue serving their sentences.”
Tuqiu Dun grew anxious and turned to Tuqiu Yue. “They still have to serve their sentences?”
Tuqiu Yue said calmly, “When we made our agreement, I promised to redeem your crime, not your entire family’s. Naturally, they must continue serving their sentences.”
Tuqiu Dun widened his eyes and said bitterly, “You… you are so deceitful.”
Tuqiu Yue sneered. “Our agreement was only verbal, with no written contract. Even if I hadn’t redeemed your crime, what could you have done?”
In the state of Qin, which governed by law, even buying and selling goods required a contract. The contract would specify what was being traded, the quantity, and the identities of the buyer and seller. Each party would keep half of the contract, and if a dispute arose and needed to be brought before the authorities, this would serve as evidence.
As a result, literacy rates in Qin were quite high. Even if commoners didn’t know many characters, they would recognize a few from daily use.
Other states had no such requirement. Tuqiu Dun had been a Qin commoner for less than two full years and had not fully adapted to Qin society, so he hadn’t realized this.
Moreover, Tuqiu Yue had technically fulfilled his promise. From the beginning, he had never said he would redeem the crimes of Tuqiu Dun’s entire family. At this moment, Tuqiu Dun had no choice but to seethe with anger.
Not to mention, Tuqiu Yue was a senior official, while Tuqiu Dun was a commoner—the difference between them was like that between clouds and mud.
Beside them, Tuqiu Jiu silently gave his new father a thumbs-up in his heart. He had originally worried that after the adoption, this family might still harass him or cause trouble.
After all, when he left earlier, he had glanced back and seen his stepmother looking at him with eyes that seemed ready to devour him whole. Once she was released, she would surely not let the matter rest if she ever found an opportunity.
He had already escaped the tiger’s den, and his status and position were now completely different from before. Seeking revenge against this family shouldn’t be too difficult.
His only concern was whether rushing to seek revenge immediately after changing his status would leave a bad impression on his new family. He never expected Tuqiu Yue to pull off such a masterstroke.
After a brief interaction, Tuqiu Jiu could tell that Tuqiu Dun was hot-tempered and easily angered but lacked any real ideas of his own. Without his stepmother whispering in his ear, it seemed he had no immediate intention of causing trouble for Tuqiu Jiu.
Moreover, Tuqiu Dun was now alone and far from home, having to handle every aspect of his life by himself. He likely didn’t have the energy to come looking for trouble.
With this burden lifted, Tuqiu Jiu felt as if the air itself had grown fresher.
Beside him, Tuqiu Yue noticed the gloom in his eyes had completely vanished, replaced by a bright clarity that made the young man seem more vibrant. He couldn’t help but ponder thoughtfully. In his view, merely separating this family for a while was not enough; only by truly removing them from Tuqiu Jiu’s life would it be satisfactory.
However, this matter shouldn’t be rushed. The family was currently under scrutiny, so it was best to wait a little longer.
Tuqiu Dun had wanted to argue further, but with a wave of the county magistrate’s hand, tingzu immediately stepped forward and dragged him out.
Ignoring Tuqiu Dun’s loud protests, Tuqiu Yue turned to Tuqiu Jiu. “From today onward, it is as if you have been reborn. Since that is the case, why not change your name as well?”
Tuqiu Jiu quickly nodded and said, “I leave it to Father’s discretion.”
Changing his name was a minor matter. What he needed most now was to strengthen the bond between himself and Tuqiu Yue. If Tuqiu Yue wanted to give him a new name, so be it.
In truth, Tuqiu Yue’s desire to change Tuqiu Jiu’s name wasn’t simply about picking a new one; he felt that the name “Jiu” was rather unfortunate.
The character “咎” carried connotations of fault, blame, and even shared the same meaning as “凶” in the context of fortune and misfortune.
Just hearing the name made it clear that this child’s birth had been neither anticipated nor valued, and he was even seen as a mistake.
Tuqiu Yue couldn’t bear to let his newly acknowledged son continue bearing such a name.
Although Tuqiu Jiu had left the decision to him, Tuqiu Yue still patiently asked, “If you have a name in mind, you may tell me.”
Tuqiu Jiu replied somewhat awkwardly in a low voice, “I have never studied and cannot read.”
Of course, this was an excuse. The main issue was that written characters had evolved gradually over time. What if he suggested a character that hadn’t yet appeared in this era?
Upon hearing this, Tuqiu Yue paused, pursed his lips, clearly angered. He felt deeply that Tuqiu Dun had gotten off too lightly and should have been dealt with more harshly.
Seeing the slight embarrassment on the young man’s face, Tuqiu Yue comforted him gently, “It’s all right. Let me think. You have used this name for many years, and suddenly changing it might be difficult to adjust to. How about replacing it with the character ‘dove’?”
Tuqiu Jiu blinked. Since the communication was verbal, he didn’t know which character it was, only that the pronunciation was the same.
Tuqiu Yue had a tingzu bring a carving knife and carved a character onto a blank wooden board.
Tuqiu Jiu glanced down. Well, good—he still didn’t recognize it.
The county magistrate, standing nearby, came over to look and smiled. “This character is excellent. ‘鸠’ refers to a bird, a dove. This bird symbolizes longevity and also carries the meaning of peace. Your father wishes for you to live a long and peaceful life.”
A bird?
Tuqiu Jiu mentally matched the simplified character from later eras with the one before him. In later times, this character’s meaning was ordinary, but before the Wei and Jin dynasties, it was quite favorable. As the county magistrate had said, the dove represented longevity; the heads of walking sticks for the elderly were often carved in the shape of doves.
He recalled historical records stating that during the Han Dynasty, Emperor Cheng of Han once held a banquet for elders over seventy years old. In addition to offering wine and meat, he also presented them with exquisitely crafted dove-headed staffs, symbolizing imperial favor and the blessing of longevity.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Since people of this era considered the character auspicious, he naturally had no objections.
Of course, the main reason was that through a single character, he could feel Tuqiu Yue’s care for him.
At the very least, it was far better than Tuqiu Dun.
Filled with joy, he bowed to Tuqiu Yue and said, “Thank you, Father, for bestowing this name upon me.”
Tuqiu Yue patted his shoulder and replied, “Between father and son, there is no need for such formalities.”
What followed was a series of procedures for changing his name. Even in later eras, the process of changing one’s name was somewhat cumbersome, let alone in this time. Qin laws were meticulous, and local officials were particularly cautious.
Fortunately, Tuqiu Yue was an official, and compared to commoners, he enjoyed certain privileges.
Thus, the new name for Tuqiu Jiu—or rather, now to be called Tuqiu Jiu—was successfully registered.
With a new name came a new identity. He inexplicably felt a weight lift from his heart, as if many burdens had suddenly vanished.
Once everything was settled, Tuqiu Jiu held his new Chuan and examined it with fascination for a long time. In this era, this item was equivalent to an identity card, and the so-called Yan-chuan was simply identity verification.
Seeing his joyful expression, Tuqiu Yue felt a pang of sorrow. He wrapped an arm around Tuqiu Jiu’s slightly thin shoulders and said, “Let’s go, it’s time to go home.”
No matter the era, the word “home” always tugs at the heartstrings.
Tuqiu Jiu’s heart stirred, and he looked up at Tuqiu Yue, asking, “What about my punishment…?”
Tuqiu Yue smiled gently. “Don’t worry, I have already paid to redeem your sentence.”
If he had paid to redeem Tuqiu Dun’s crimes, how could he forget his own son?
Tuqiu Jiu asked softly, “How much did it cost… to redeem the punishment?”
“Why do you ask?” Tuqiu Yue inquired, then immediately understood. “Do you want to remember it so you can repay me in the future?”
Tuqiu Jiu smiled sheepishly without answering. Even between father and son, accounts should be clear. It was only proper. Tuqiu Yue had no obligation to spend money to redeem his punishment.
Moreover, he recalled that the cost of redeeming punishments in ancient times was substantial, often beyond the means of ordinary commoners. It was essentially a privilege reserved for officials and nobles.
Since the other party had paid to redeem his punishment, he felt indebted and naturally wanted to understand the amount so he could repay it in the future.
Tuqiu Yue guided him onto the carriage. Once they were seated and the carriage began moving, Tuqiu Yue spoke again. “You might wonder why I insisted on adopting you as my heir.”
Tuqiu Jiu was momentarily taken aback. Weren’t they just discussing the redemption money? How did the topic shift here?
Seeing his slightly confused expression, Tuqiu Yue continued, “You are young and may not know this. Back then, after my parents passed away, I was left with no one to rely on and was bullied by the clan. It was your birth mother who gave me some money and provisions, allowing me to travel safely to Qin without starving on the road. That was a life-saving kindness, and I have always remembered it. However, due to the distance and the tense relations between Qin and Han, communication was cut off. For a long time, I had no news of your mother. After the war settled, I learned that she had already passed away.”
He sighed softly and went on, “Tuqiu Dun and I have been at odds since early on. I had originally planned to offer you assistance if you ever needed it in the future. Little did I know that you had suffered so much injustice in that household all these years.”
As he spoke, Tuqiu Yue felt a twinge of guilt. He was grateful to Tuqiu Jiu’s mother, yet his feelings toward Tuqiu Jiu as Tuqiu Dun’s son were complicated. With his benefactor gone, he had thought that helping Tuqiu Jiu in times of need would be the extent of his duty.
He just hadn’t expected Tuqiu Jiu’s life to be so miserable. Coupled with the young man’s meticulous nature and promising potential, he felt it was wrong to let Tuqiu Jiu continue wasting away at home.
Tuqiu Jiu finally understood—with this connection, Tuqiu Yue’s previous care for him and his later adoption as the designated heir now made sense.
At the same time, he felt a pang of regret. If the original owner had just held on a little longer, perhaps he could have welcomed a new life. Most importantly, if the original owner had persevered, wouldn’t he himself have avoided transmigrating here?
Who would choose to transmigrate to the Warring States period to become an overachiever when they could laze around as a couch potato in modern society?
Tuqiu Yue continued, “There’s actually one more thing I need to explain to you. Previously, you suggested using footprint size to estimate height. I have already reported it.”
Tuqiu Jiu immediately perked up. “Really? Will it be recorded in The Manual of Forensic Medicine?”
Tuqiu Yue looked surprised. “You know about The Manual of Forensic Medicine?”
Tuqiu Jiu paused before replying, “I once heard Zhi Yuli mention it in passing.”
Indeed, as an uneducated former citizen of the Han state, he really shouldn’t be familiar with such things.
Tuqiu Yue said, “This method will indeed be recorded in The Manual of Forensic Medicine. However… the credit cannot go to you. You may not know this, but after Lord Shang Yang established the laws and classified households, he explicitly stated that commoners should farm and fight, artisans should make tools, and merchants should trade goods. If someone does something beyond their designated role, they will not be rewarded but punished.”
Tuqiu Yue explained carefully, worried that his son might think he was stealing his credit.
After listening for a while, Tuqiu Jiu suddenly realized—wasn’t this exactly what Han Fei had summarized: “Let the rooster announce the night, let the cat catch mice, each using their abilities, so the ruler has nothing to worry about”?
In simpler terms, it meant everyone should stick to their own duties. However, in the Qin state, not only did people have to perform their designated roles, but if they overstepped—for example, if a commoner neglected farming to engage in artisan work—they would be punished.
Since Tuqiu Jiu was not a judicial official, crediting him would result in punishment.
He nodded in understanding, feeling no resentment. The Qin laws were clear, and besides, this discovery wasn’t even his own.
Still, he asked with concern, “Then can it be credited to you, Father? Let the reward go to you?”
As the saying goes, don’t let benefits flow to outsiders. If he couldn’t gain anything, it was better for Tuqiu Yue to receive it.
Tuqiu Yue breathed a slight sigh of relief. “The reward will indeed be credited to me.”
Tuqiu Jiu said happily, “That’s good.”
Now that he and Tuqiu Yue were family, he understood that Tuqiu Yue’s success would benefit him as well.
Wait—this raised a serious problem. His earlier idea of making paper would fall under the work of artisans. Even if he succeeded, he could only use it himself and absolutely must not present it to the authorities, or he would face punishment.
This time, not even crediting Tuqiu Yue would work!
The smile gradually faded from Tuqiu Jiu’s face. He turned to look out the carriage window and sighed: “Shang Yang, do you know how much trouble you’ve caused?”
Author’s Note:
Tuqiu Jiu: Half the paths for transmigrators have been blocked by Shang Yang. Isn’t he just the worst? Angry bunny tugging ears.jpg
For those waiting for the male lead to appear, Qingniao is working hard to write him in. Please be patient a little longer (＾▽＾)