My past life exposure shocked the entire internet.

When Hejia was born, the Ning Dynasty was already showing signs of decline.

The old emperor, despite his advanced age, held numerous imperial concubine selections to fill his harem.

His uncles coveted the throne and did not hesitate to collude with barbarian villains.

His father, Xiang Heng, was not the crown prince and was not favored by the old emperor. He was only given the perfunctory title of "Prince An".

Hejia knew that the old emperor was wary of his father, simply because his father was both a scholar and a warrior, and had made great military achievements.

Those whose achievements overshadow their ruler will surely be killed by him.

However, his father was very cautious and always thought things through before acting. The old emperor couldn't even find fault with Xiang Heng, let alone find an excuse to kill his father.

Hejia also knew that as long as the old emperor lived, they would never have peace, and the Ning Dynasty would eventually perish.

Xiang Heng and his mother He Sui were childhood sweethearts and husband and wife in their youth, and their feelings for each other were very deep.

In a royal family where genuine affection is virtually nonexistent, this feeling becomes all the more precious.

Xiang Heng even allowed him to take his mother's surname. Even if this were done in China three hundred years later, people would jump out and condemn it as a heinous act.

What has Xiang Heng ever been afraid of?
Throughout his life, how many times has Xiang Heng been accused of being rebellious?

This is the only time!
Thus, his surname was He (鹤), the He of He Sui (鹤岁), and his given name was Jia (迦), the Jia of Shakyamuni.

But the reason Xiang Heng named him "Jia" was not because he hoped he would pursue Buddhism or seek enlightenment, but because he wanted him to know something—

China, where human will can conquer nature.

There are no gods or Buddhas who descend from the sky; there are only mortals who achieve sainthood through physical means.

No matter how busy Xiang Heng is with official duties, he will always make time to accompany He Sui and him.

As the situation in Shenzhou became increasingly tense, Hejia's time to see Xiang Heng became shorter and shorter.

He was not yet three years old at the time, but he was precocious and knew that things were getting more and more chaotic outside the Prince An's mansion, with corpses appearing on the streets from time to time.

The imperial palace was filled with music and revelry, a life of extreme extravagance.

Outside the palace, the people were living in misery, and complaints were widespread.

One day, his father returned, his usually calm and composed expression now showing signs of worry.

He heard his mother ask, "Is there some trouble at court again?"

His father said, “In this chaotic world, treacherous officials are in power and bandits are rampant. I must do something to protect the country that our ancestor built. Otherwise, I will not be at peace if it is stolen by others.”

He Sui understood and always supported him, saying gently, "Aheng, do what you want to do. Don't worry about me. I will take good care of myself and Jia'er."

"Where is Gar?" he heard his father ask him, so he came out from behind the curtain.

"Jia'er, your father will be away for a while." Xiang Heng squatted down and patted his head. "You'll be the only one by your mother's side. Don't make her angry."

He Sui said, "Jia'er has always been sensible and has never made me angry. It's just that sometimes Jia'er is too quiet, and I'm afraid he has something on his mind."

Xiang Heng nodded and said to him, "If there's anything you're thinking about, don't keep it to yourself, tell us."

Hejia nodded again.

"Don't you like spears? When your father returns, I will definitely choose the best spear for you." Xiang Heng said with a smile, "My son is the best in the world, and he deserves the best."

Xiang Heng left, and that departure lasted for a year.

Before he left, he also left a large number of soldiers to guard the Prince An's mansion to prevent others from harming He Sui and his mother He Jia.

Aside from reading and practicing martial arts every day, young Hejia would sit on the rooftop, gazing towards the city gate, waiting for Xiang Heng's return.

He could see the smoke signals in the distance and hear the cries of the people. He didn't know how long the war would last; he only hoped it would end as soon as possible, bringing peace to everyone.

He also regretted that he was too young to go to the battlefield with Xiang Heng and kill the enemy.

He Jia thought that he needed to grow up as soon as possible, become strong, strong enough to protect his family.

“Our Jia’er will grow up to be a strong and upright man.” He Sui patted his head. “Your future will be much more than just this imperial city.”

The imperial city is so vast that many people never manage to explore every corner in their lifetime.

But the imperial city is too small, trapping countless talented individuals who never had the chance to shine.

“Yes,” Hejia said, “I want to be like my father.”

"Your Highness," the steward of the Prince's residence announced, "the Twenty-Seventh Prince has arrived."

He Sui wasn't surprised: "Please come in quickly."

Someone was already waiting in the lobby; he was tall and handsome.

He Jia recognized this person; it was his father's younger brother, Xiang Qingtian, who was only a dozen years older than him and still a teenager.

"Sister-in-law Wang," Xiang Qingtian bowed to He Sui, "I brought some things, including toys for the children."

"Thank you, Twenty-Seventh Brother." He Sui smiled. "It's getting late, stay for a meal."

He Jia saw Xiang Qingtian walk up to him and take out a rattle drum and shake it.

Hejia turned his head away; he would never play such childish games.

The still-young Xiang Qingtian was somewhat hurt, but he quickly regained his optimism: "I see that my nephew is calm and composed, and he will surely become a dragon among men in the future. It is also thanks to the good upbringing of my brother and sister-in-law."

Hejia looked at him expressionlessly, still not uttering a single word.

Xiang Qingtian was even more hurt: "Sigh, nephew, you can't be a mute. You have to talk more, you know?"

Hejia turned around, her back to him.

Xiang Qingtian: "..."

This little nephew is no fun at all; he wants Xiang Heng to give him another fun child.

Xiang Qingtian's wish was fulfilled quite quickly.

A year later, Xiang Heng returned after quelling the chaos in the region and enjoyed a few rare months of peace.

In the same few months, He Sui became pregnant again.

This delighted Xiang Heng, who took extremely good care of her.

This pregnancy was very peaceful, and He Sui did not suffer much. There was no morning sickness or any other discomfort.

Everyone in the Prince An's mansion said that the fetus was already being cared for while still in its mother's womb, so once it was born, it would surely be no ordinary creature.

He Sui didn't think that way. She only hoped to give birth to the baby smoothly. Whether the baby was a boy or a girl, whether the baby had any talent or not, or even if the baby just lived an ordinary life, as long as the baby's future was good, she had no other desires.

Before she knew it, she was eight months pregnant. In two more months, the Prince An's Mansion would welcome a new family member.

He Sui was also extremely happy, but she did not neglect He Jia. She still ate and played with him every day, and asked him, "Jia'er, do you want a younger brother or a younger sister?"

Young Hejia listened to the movements inside Hesui's belly through his clothes, and after a long while, he finally said two words: "All is well."

But he thought to himself that it wouldn't be good if his younger brother was as taciturn as him.

If it were his younger sister, he would be willing to find the best things in the world for her. (End of Chapter)