Reality dealt Tuqiu Jiu another heavy blow, but perhaps because nothing good had happened since he crossed over, this matter didn’t really hit him too hard.
He gave up on inventing and creating—those were the affairs of the hundred artisans. Unless he registered in the Artisan Registry, but in the current Qin state, the Scholar-Farmer-Artisan-Merchant distinction was clearly defined, and the status of artisans was very low. As the son of an official, his future might not be exceptionally bright, but it wouldn’t be too bad either. At worst, he could live as a commoner. Why on earth would he willingly enter the Artisan Registry?
Even if he didn’t care about his Commoner Registry status, Tuqiu Yue would definitely disagree if he knew. No matter how good-tempered he was, he’d probably want to break Tuqiu Jiu’s legs.
Besides, making a name for oneself didn’t necessarily rely on “inventions and creations.” He could do other things.
The most important thing now was figuring out his identity. What could he do within the scope of his responsibilities?
Tuqiu Jiu felt momentarily uncertain about his own position.
Noticing his sudden silence and slightly melancholic expression, Tuqiu Yue, who was beside him, thought the child might be worried about adapting to a new environment. He spoke up, “You might not know the situation at home yet. There aren’t many people in the family—just your mother and your elder brother.”
Huh?
Tuqiu Jiu immediately turned to look at Tuqiu Yue. “Elder brother?”
He had assumed Tuqiu Yue adopted him because he had no sons. No, it wasn’t just his assumption—adoption in ancient times was very strict, especially for families with a Peerage Rank to inherit. The authorities were particularly cautious.
If Tuqiu Yue already had a son, strictly speaking, his adoption request shouldn’t have been approved.
Could it be that Tuqiu Yue had used some special means?
Tuqiu Jiu couldn’t help but shudder. Surely Tuqiu Yue wouldn’t knowingly break the law, would he? The Qin Laws were very strict, especially when it came to something as important as Peerage Rank inheritance. If it came to light, it would mean death for the entire family!
Tuqiu Yue’s expression darkened slightly. “Yes, he’s two years older than you. His given name is Yan. Last summer, he suffered from heatstroke and never fully recovered. Since then, he’s been bedridden… Recently, the physician said his time is running out.”
Heatstroke? Oh, that must mean sunstroke. So, sunstroke led to an illness that has persisted until now?
Thinking about it, severe sunstroke was difficult to treat even in later eras. History records many notable figures who died from it, so it wasn’t surprising in this era either.
Once Tuqiu Jiu understood, he quickly apologized, “It was rude of me…”
Tuqiu Yue waved his hand. “It’s fine. You’ll learn about the family situation sooner or later. Your mother injured her body giving birth to him, so in the future… you’ll be our only son.”
Tuqiu Yue said this to reassure Tuqiu Jiu.
His biological son was nearing the end of his life. From the initial grief to eventual acceptance, he had come to terms with the reality.
In these times, it wasn’t uncommon for children to die young. The only pity was that his eldest son was already sixteen, on the verge of adulthood.
As for having his wife bear another child, he didn’t want that. Another pregnancy would be a challenge to her health, and it was highly likely something would go wrong.
He also had no desire to take a concubine. His wife, Lady Fan, was the daughter of the former magistrate of Xianyang County. Back when he first arrived in Xianyang with nothing to his name, it was the magistrate who recognized his talent, promoted him, and even gave him his daughter in marriage.
It could be said that Tuqiu Yue owed much of his current standing to his wife’s family. Moreover, Lady Fan had married beneath her station, yet she never looked down upon him. She was exceptionally virtuous, managing household affairs diligently for him, and had damaged her health while giving birth.
He shared a deep bond with his wife and naturally had no desire to take a concubine.
These past two days, Lady Fan had been weeping incessantly over their son’s condition, leaving him worried about whether she could endure if their eldest were to pass away.
Thus, part of his reason for adopting Tuqiu Jiu was in hopes that the child’s presence might comfort Lady Fan and lessen his wife’s grief.
With Tuqiu Yue’s explanation, Tuqiu Jiu now understood why the authorities had agreed to the adoption despite him having a son. Essentially, everyone had already treated his never-met elder brother, Tuqiu Yan, as if he were dead.
For a moment, Tuqiu Jiu felt a pang of sympathy for that brother—still alive yet already given a death sentence.
Unfortunately, he dared not claim he could cure illnesses. He might know some prescriptions or medicinal components, but Western medicine was out of the question given the current lack of conditions, and Chinese medicine… emphasized treating the specific ailment.
No matter how capable he was, he wasn’t a doctor. Even inexperienced doctors might struggle to diagnose complex diseases, let alone him.
So Tuqiu Jiu kept his mouth firmly shut, not daring to say a word.
If all else failed, he could simply provide for the couple in their old age and see them off at their funerals.
Tuqiu Yue was a good man, and the woman who could live harmoniously with him and earn his respect was likely not a bad person either.
As they spoke, the carriage gradually came to a halt. Outside, Yu Jing announced, “Master, Second Young Master, we are home.”
Tuqiu Jiu had thought he wouldn’t care, but upon hearing these words, he couldn’t help but nervously clench his fists.
Tuqiu Yue extended a hand to him with a smile and said, “Come, Father will take you home.”
Tuqiu Jiu instinctively wiped his sweaty palms on his clothes. Meeting Tuqiu Yue’s gaze, he smiled sheepishly and reached out his hand.
But as soon as he extended it, he paused—he noticed his hand was… somewhat dirty.
After all, he had just been released from prison, and during his time there, he had little opportunity to wash up.
He instinctively tried to withdraw his hand, but Tuqiu Yue grasped it first, leading him out of the carriage.
After alighting, they did not hurry inside. Instead, they stood outside the gate as Tuqiu Yue guided him to look around and said, “Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the surrounding terrain. When you have leisure, you can ask Shuisheng to walk you around the area. In time, you’ll surely remember it.”
Shuisheng was the slave-official standing at the entrance to welcome them. Upon hearing his name, he promptly nodded in acknowledgment.
Tuqiu Jiu also obediently agreed. As Tuqiu Yue led him inside, he asked, “Where is my wife?”
Shuisheng replied, “The lady learned that the master would be bringing the Second Young Master home today and has been waiting in the main hall since early.”
Tuqiu Jiu felt another wave of nervousness. He wasn’t afraid of being ignored—if others overlooked him, he could overlook them in return.
It was precisely this kind of solemn treatment that weighed on him, making him fear he might fall short of their expectations.
Perhaps sensing his tension, Tuqiu Yue tightened his grip on his hand and said with a smile, “My wife is the gentlest and most considerate person. You’ll understand once you meet her.”
“Husband, you always say the same few things about me. It seems you ought to read more books.”
A gentle, soft-spoken woman’s voice sounded. Tuqiu Jiu followed the sound and saw a woman in a cyan dress standing at the entrance of the hall. She appeared young, with an oval face and willow-leaf eyebrows, her features gentle as water.
This was Tuqiu Yue’s wife, Lady Fan.
Though she was smiling, a faint trace of sorrow could still be seen between her brows.
Tuqiu Jiu understood well—after all, her own son’s fate remained uncertain.
He obediently walked over and bowed, saying, “Your child pays respects to Mother.”
Lady Fan approached without minding his dirtiness, helping him up as she said, “There’s no need for such formalities among family. Come in first and have some pastries. I’ve already arranged for hot water to be prepared. You can have a bite to eat before bathing.”
Lady Fan was very thoughtful. Having just been released from prison, Tuqiu Jiu would certainly need to bathe—both to cleanse himself and to wash away the misfortune. Moreover, the food in prison was surely poor, and she had heard from her husband that others had even snatched his meals. Thus, Tuqiu Jiu must be famished by now.
As it was not yet mealtime, and Lady Fan worried he might feel weak bathing on an empty stomach, she wanted him to eat something first.
Tuqiu Jiu had felt relatively at ease facing Tuqiu Yue earlier, but now, seeing Lady Fan dressed neatly with her gentle and fresh demeanor, he couldn’t help but wish to wash himself clean immediately. The faint scent of incense drifting from her made him hesitant to draw too close.
Lady Fan, however, showed no sign of disdain, leading him by the hand into the hall.
Tuqiu Yue followed beside his wife, laughing, “Now that you have a son, my lady, you’ve forgotten your husband.”
Lady Fan shot him a reproachful glance. “Don’t tease.”
She and Tuqiu Yue were usually quite casual at home. In truth, couples with good relationships rarely maintain excessive formality—after all, treating each other like guests hardly fosters closeness.
Still, this being her first meeting with Tuqiu Jiu, she worried that being too informal with her husband might leave a poor impression on the child. Parents always care about how they appear to their children, especially since Tuqiu Jiu was an adopted heir.
Tuqiu Yue, on the other hand, was more indifferent. While he maintained decorum outside, at home he naturally relaxed. They would have plenty of time to interact with Tuqiu Jiu in the future, so there was no need to hide anything.
As Tuqiu Jiu walked alongside Lady Fan, he whispered, “Mother, I am filthy and smell unpleasant. Perhaps I should bathe first.”
Lady Fan thought for a moment and said, “Then I’ll have someone bring the pastries to the bathing room. You can eat while you bathe.”
For some reason, an image of soaking in a hot spring suddenly surfaced in Tuqiu Jiu’s mind.
In reality, it wasn’t too different. Their home was fairly spacious, with a dedicated room for bathing. Inside were two chambers. The one Tuqiu Jiu entered contained a circular bathing pool, not small by any means—though not suitable for swimming, it was more than adequate for a leisurely soak.
Before seeing the pool, Tuqiu Jiu hadn’t given it much thought, perhaps too preoccupied with worries about his fate to care about other matters. But now, the sight made his entire body itch with anticipation, and he longed to jump in immediately.
Lady Fan called over two people and instructed them to attend to the young master properly.
The two appeared around his age, and judging by their attire, they were likely slave-officials of the household.
Having two people assist him with bathing made Tuqiu Jiu somewhat uncomfortable. Fortunately, the original host hadn’t lived in particularly luxurious conditions either, so his discomfort didn’t seem out of character.
At first, he felt a bit reserved, but later—it was truly refreshing.
When the two young slave-officials scrubbed him with bathing tools made from unknown plants, it felt… quite comfortable indeed.
And then there was that long hair—he had never kept long hair before, and suddenly having it so long left him at a loss for how to wash it properly. Fortunately, someone was there to help, sparing him from fumbling around.
After the bath, Tuqiu Jiu felt completely refreshed, as if his spirit had been revitalized.
His original clothes were naturally unwearable, being prison garments, but Lady Fan had thoughtfully prepared new attire for him.
However, when he saw the finely stitched, comfortable fabric of the Ku (Ancient Trousers), his expression stiffened slightly.
No matter how well-made the clothes were, they couldn’t hide the fact that these were open-crotch pants.
Author’s Note:
Tuqiu Jiu: Just look at the clothing of this era, and you’ll understand why people in the Qin and Han dynasties were so free-spirited. In the future, this would be considered lingerie. Bunny shyly covers face.jpg