Book One: The Struggle for Power

Overview

The eighth year of Yuanyou—a watershed moment.

Mrs. Clark, known as the female Yao and Shun, would pass away at the end of this year, while William Carter, the most adept at political revenge in Song dynasty history, would take power at the year’s end.

At this time, the Great Song, though beset with hidden worries, was still in its golden age. If civil and military officials could unite in purpose, then the Jingkang Incident decades later would never have occurred. However, William Carter’s experience as a shadow emperor in his youth doomed him to an uneasy succession. Starting from the second year of Shaosheng, countless renowned civil officials were demoted or even died in exile, and the court was mired in factional strife, leaving no time for real governance. It can be said that from this year onward, the seeds of the Song dynasty’s decline were sown.

It was in this year that Brian Hill, bearing the name Edward Clark, began his journey. How far can he go?

Volume One: Winds Rise and Clouds Surge

Chapter One: Traversing Time and Space

Where is this place?

Brian Hill awoke to find himself lying on a cold, damp floor, utterly bewildered. He struggled to sit up, his eyes darting around, but what he saw only made his heart sink. A dilapidated house, mottled walls, an ancient idol in the shrine... everything was so unfamiliar and suspicious. Had he been kidnapped?

There was no one around. His clothes were intact, his ring and watch were still on, and even the lighter in his pocket was there. Yet he clearly remembered that just a moment ago, he was chatting with a friend in his dorm room, and now he had woken up here. Wasn’t this all too bizarre? Could it be a kidnapping?

Just as he was lost in confusion, a commotion suddenly erupted outside, mixed with the sounds of fighting. Brian Hill didn’t have time to think; he quickly got up and hid behind the shrine. In his mind, if something really was happening, even gaining an extra minute could be crucial. Before figuring out the other party’s intentions, he wasn’t foolish enough to confront them head-on.

He had just concealed himself when a staggering figure rushed in, only to collapse to the ground after a few steps, his face and head covered in blood—a terrifying sight. At that moment, several burly men wielding clubs stormed in, surrounding the man menacingly.

“Andrew Clark, you have nowhere left to run this time, do you?” the leader shouted, striking the man’s shoulder with his club. “You’ve swindled my money countless times over the past two years, and you’ve been fooling around with my wife. Today, I’ll have my revenge!”

At his command, a flurry of clubs rained down on the man’s head and face, the sickening thuds echoing in the air. The man, though grunting in pain, did not beg for mercy, which even made Brian Hill secretly admire his toughness. The beating lasted as long as it takes to eat a meal before the group finally stopped. The leader, still unsatisfied, grabbed the man, spat in his face, and cursed, “Hmph, you got off easy today. If I ever catch you loitering near my house again, I’ll take your life!”

As Brian Hill watched the group leave, cursing and grumbling, his confusion only deepened. Judging by their speech, there was a strong Henan accent, and their phrasing was quite archaic, very different from modern language habits. Although he couldn’t see clearly from behind the shrine, he had gotten a good look at their clothing—it was definitely not something that could be brushed off as just “hanfu.” Could it be that, just as he’d joked with his friend earlier, he had actually traveled through time?

But seeing the man lying on the ground, groaning in pain, he quickly dismissed this absurd thought. Earlier, he could justify not stepping out as being outnumbered, but now, to stand by and do nothing would be heartless. He darted out from behind the shrine, walked quickly to the man, and asked in a low voice, “Hey, are you alright? Do you want me to call an ambulance or the police?”

The man looked up in confusion and muttered, “Ambulance? Police? What are those?” But when he got a good look at Brian Hill’s face and clothes, his expression changed dramatically, and he urgently asked, “Brother, where are you from? Why do you look so much like me, yet wear such strange clothes?”

Look alike? Only then did Brian Hill take a closer look. Despite the man’s bruised and swollen face, his facial features were indeed strikingly similar to his own—as if they were carved from the same mold. But he was an only child, with no brothers. Half-joking, he winked and said, “As the ancients say, ‘Within the four seas, all men are brothers.’ Maybe it’s fate. You’re badly hurt and can’t afford to delay. I’d better take you to the hospital!”