Chapter 1: The Illegitimate Son Who Left Home

Some people, upon transmigrating, see a beauty at first sight; some see an immortal; and some, blessed by luck, see a beautiful immortal at first glance. Henry Thompson also transmigrated, but unfortunately, the first thing he saw was a tombstone half as tall as a man. What’s more, he was hugging the tombstone in a rather ambiguous posture. If anyone saw him like this, they would surely suspect he had some kind of interspecies friendship with the tombstone.

At dawn, the light was still dim. All around was a bamboo grove rustling in the cold autumn wind. In the clearing at the center stood a solitary grave, and Henry Thompson sat in front of it, hugging the tombstone. Besides “terrifying,” it was hard to think of any other suitable word to describe the scene.

However, there was no trace of fear on Henry Thompson’s face. He stood up, stretched his frozen body, straightened his robe, and then bowed deeply to the tombstone before him, saying, “Thank you both for fulfilling each other. May you be joined in marriage in the afterlife and never again suffer the pain of longing!”

When Henry Thompson first regained consciousness, he already knew he had transmigrated, because in addition to his own memories, his mind now held the memories of another person—also named Henry Thompson, but a man from the Tang Dynasty over a thousand years ago. He was the son of the famous early Tang general, known as the “God of War of the Great Tang,” James Thompson. However, Henry Thompson was not James Thompson’s legitimate son, but born of a concubine—an illegitimate son, not much valued in the family.

The original Henry Thompson was dull by nature, fond only of reading, a true bookworm. Not being the legitimate son, he was quite inconspicuous in the Li household. But more than a year ago, Henry Thompson did something that shocked the entire Tang Dynasty. While out on an excursion, he met a beautiful young woman, and the two fell in love at first sight.

In the Tang Dynasty, social customs were relatively open, and romance between men and women was not something to be ashamed of. However, the woman Henry Thompson fell for had a special status—she was a beautiful young nun. In an ordinary family, this might not have been a big deal; she could simply leave the order and marry. But James Thompson was a general of the imperial court, and no matter how little he favored Henry Thompson, it was impossible for him to allow his son to marry a nun. Otherwise, the Li family would lose face.

So, when James Thompson learned of Henry Thompson’s affair with the young nun, he flew into a rage. Not only did he confine Henry Thompson at home and forbid him from going out, but he also arranged a marriage for him as quickly as possible, and even sent people to the nun’s temple to scold her. The young nun, already frail, became even more distressed over Henry Thompson, and, tormented by longing and grievance, she passed away a few months later.

Henry Thompson was kept under house arrest by his father, and only learned of the nun’s death three days after it happened. He vomited blood and fainted on the spot. Upon waking, he, who had never dared raise his voice at home, flew into a rage for the sake of his beloved, quarreled fiercely with his father, and stormed out of the Li residence. The incident became known throughout the Tang Dynasty, and for a time, everyone was talking about it. In his fury, James Thompson declared that he would no longer recognize Henry Thompson as his son, thus severing their father-son relationship.

After leaving home, Henry Thompson lived in a small manor by the southern moat of the city, and also moved the young nun’s grave beside the manor. The manor had been bought by his late mother with all her private savings as a fallback for Henry Thompson. This farsighted woman knew that, though the struggles in a noble household were not as fierce as those in the royal family, they were still cruel, and her honest son, who disliked conflict, would inevitably suffer. With this manor, Henry Thompson would at least have a retreat. Unexpectedly, only a few years after her death, Henry Thompson really had to rely on this manor to survive.

Thinking of the previous Henry Thompson’s fate, Henry Thompson couldn’t help but sigh. Since moving here, he had kept vigil by his lover’s grave every day. A bookworm by nature, deeply devoted to the young nun, he was now separated from her by life and death, tormented by longing and guilt. After a year of this, his health collapsed. With the deepening autumn and the cold nights, Henry Thompson finally died in front of his lover’s grave last night, making way for the current Henry Thompson.

“In the future, during Qingming, Shangyuan, and other festivals, I will be sure to burn more paper money for you both!” Henry Thompson said, bowing once more to the tombstone before turning to leave. The original Henry Thompson was gone, but he still had to live on. Having experienced life and death, he cherished this second chance at life all the more.