Volume One: A Boy Grows Up in the Harris Family

Chapter One: First Arrival at the Harris Residence

　　In the twelfth year of the Kaihuang era, three years after the Sui dynasty destroyed Chen, the world was at peace. Emperor George Harris of Sui governed diligently, allowing the people to recuperate, and the Sui empire was full of vitality.

　　In early February, the spring breeze had already brought a hint of warmth into the imperial capital. Willow branches sprouted buds, orioles flew among the lush grass, and the air was filled with the spirit of spring.

　　That morning, a black, round-canopied ox cart entered Wuben Ward near the imperial city. Many imperial relatives and nobles lived in Wuben Ward, dressed in fine clothes, riding spirited horses, with splendid carriages and a constant stream of people, making it especially lively.

　　Although this ox cart was large and sturdy, drawn by a strong ox—clearly from a well-off family—compared to the luxurious carriages in Wuben Ward, it still appeared rather shabby.

　　Driving the ox cart was a man of about thirty, with a worried look between his brows. He wore a coarse linen robe and a soft-topped headscarf, covered in dust from travel, clearly having come from afar. His surname was Thompson, from Yingzhou, and he had come to the capital this time to resolve a personal matter.

　　A slit opened in the cloth curtain at the front of the round canopy, revealing the face of a young woman. She said softly, "Er Lang, it seems William is awake."

　　"Mm!" the man replied casually. "Give him some cake to help him feel better."

　　The man sighed in frustration. He wondered if William's biological father would acknowledge this son.

　　Inside the ox cart, a small boy had already woken up. His big, dark eyes were deep as water, thoughtful. His name was William, his mother’s surname was Thompson, so for now he was called William Thompson. The reason it was temporary depended on whether his biological father would acknowledge him later. If so, he would change his name to William Harris.

　　He was only three years old at this time, but his soul was already twenty-five. He was a soul from fourteen hundred years in the future, also surnamed Harris, an office worker who died of illness. Yet his soul lingered, returning to the eleventh year of the Kaihuang era, fourteen hundred years ago, inhabiting the body of a sick child. After nearly a month of struggling with illness, he was finally reborn, but his Sui dynasty mother had not escaped the clutches of disease and had passed away half a year ago.

　　The man outside the cart was his uncle, and the young woman inside was his aunt. Both were kind and honest people, and had intended to adopt him. Unexpectedly, a letter from the capital changed his fate. Only then did he learn he was an illegitimate child, and that his irresponsible father, for some reason, had remembered him and summoned him to the capital.

　　William had been in this era for half a year, and still retained many memories of his previous life. But he was very quiet and didn’t like to talk, because by Chinese reckoning he had just turned two. If he acted too strangely, he might be seen as a monster and his life could be in danger. He had to adapt to his current age, and the best way was to remain silent.

　　Only his eyes were hard to disguise. Unintentionally, they would reveal the vicissitudes of a person who had lived for fourteen hundred years, which always made his aunt’s heart skip a beat.

　　"There it is again!"

　　The young woman smiled and gently tapped his little forehead. "What worries could such a little child have?"

　　She was already used to William's deep gaze and didn’t think much of it. She took a lamb and scallion stuffed flatbread from a bamboo basket and handed it to William. "Eat up!"

　　William sat up, took the meat pie, and nibbled on it slowly. "Auntie, where are we now?"

　　This was the question he had asked most along the way. It was his first time leaving home, and he was curious about everything in the Sui dynasty, marveling at how prosperous this era was—rich in resources, with low prices. The fragrant meat pie in his hand had cost them only one qian. If he didn’t know history, he would never have believed this dynasty was about to collapse.

　　The world would soon fall into chaos, and heroes would emerge: Richard Thompson, Arthur Grant, Edward Bennett, Charles Cooper, Abraham Lincoln—all names he knew well, making his heart race. This was the twelfth year of the Kaihuang era; he wondered when the chaos would begin.

　　He forgot that legend is not history—Charles Cooper was only a year older than him now.

　　The young woman’s smile was gentle. She had carefully looked after this poor child who had lost his mother all the way. At this moment, she had no idea that this three-year-old boy was actually hoping for the world to fall into chaos. She poured a bowl of water from a clay pot and carefully fed him. "We’re almost at your home. Do you like it?"

　　William didn’t answer, nor could he. Did he like it? He didn’t know. He only knew his father’s surname was Harris, and a few years ago he was the governor of Yingzhou. After getting entangled with his mother, he was promoted last year and left for the capital, saying he needed to inform his own father before bringing them to the capital. Perhaps he had received permission, which was why William was now on his way to the capital.

　　William had thought about it for a long time. Who exactly was his father? Surname Harris, grandfather a high official in the capital—could he be of imperial blood? This was the Sui dynasty, after all, and Harris was the imperial surname! Perhaps his uncle knew, but he never told him, keeping his lips tightly sealed the whole journey.