I, Kangxi, am here to overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming!

Good news, we've traveled through time!

Bad news, I've been transported to the Qing Dynasty.

In the inner city of Beijing, there is a three-courtyard mansion with an oversized layout.

Ten-year-old Hong Xiguan touched the back of his head with a greasy, rat-tail braid, his face expressionless. A deep-seated nausea made him feel as if his soul had been tainted.

"grass!"

A phrase that has been passed down for over three hundred years silently exploded in his heart.

His real name is Hong Xiguan. He was a history major in the 21st century with impeccable political integrity. One moment he was at the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum in Nanjing, marveling at the magnificent story of "starting with a bowl and ending with a country" in front of Zhu Yuanzhang's tomb. The next moment, the world spun around him, and when he opened his eyes again, he was in this terrible state.

Good heavens, they were reminiscing about the Ming Dynasty on the territory of the Ming Taizu, only to be kicked into the dragon's den and tiger's lair of the Qing Dynasty. What a mess!

It would be fine if I were transported to the Qing Dynasty, since I'm a history major and know this period of history by heart. I might even be able to make a name for myself by taking advantage of the information gap.

The problem is that he started in hell mode right from the beginning. He didn't even know his own body's name, let alone his so-called parents.

The only saving grace is that this body seems to have a decent background, so he didn't have to experience the harsh realities of ordinary life where "oppressive government is more ferocious than a tiger."

But this is even stranger than ordinary life.

This grand mansion, with its three courtyards and three entrances, flying eaves and bracket sets, carved beams and painted rafters, exudes understated luxury.

Hong Xiguan was served by ten guards who stood like javelins in various parts of the courtyard, with eyes like hawks, and six taciturn and quick-handed old women.

These people bowed and kowtowed to him, addressing him as "Young Master" with such deference that it made him uneasy.

Hong Xiguan suspected more than once that he might be the illegitimate child of some powerful and influential person who was secretly raised here.

This body has no formal name, only a nickname, "Chengcheng".

Chengcheng?

done?

What did it become?

Hong Xiguan had complained about this strange name in his mind more than once, always feeling that it had an inexplicable sinister quality about it.

Here, he lived a life of luxury, with everything done for him. The only rule was that he was not allowed to leave the house.

To him, this luxurious courtyard was a cage, a gilded cage.

Over time, the original owner of this body, a real ten-year-old boy, died in depression and loneliness, his soul and spirit destroyed, which gave him the opportunity to take over the body.

……

Today, the weather is fine and sunny.

As usual, Hong Xiguan carried an exquisite birdcage in his hand, inside which was a brightly feathered thrush. He casually teased it, but his gaze drifted to the square sky beyond the courtyard wall.

Boredom was the catalyst for the original owner of this body's death, and it is now his greatest enemy.

He had tried to rebel.

On one occasion, during a break between guard shifts, Hong Xiguan climbed over the wall in a human pyramid formation.

But the scene outside the wall chilled him to the bone. Every few steps there was a sentry post, and those who seemed to be sunbathing, playing chess, or selling candied hawthorns on the street all had eyes like poisoned hooks, fixed on his direction.

It's like an invisible net that covers the sky and the earth.

As soon as Hong Xiguan poked his head out, he was pulled down by the head maid who had come upon hearing the news. The old maid was in tears, saying that there was a smallpox outbreak outside, which was extremely dangerous. Nine out of ten houses in Beijing were empty, and people were dying like dumplings being dropped into a pot. Young master, you are of noble birth, you must not go out and risk your life!

smallpox?

Hong Xiguan's mind went blank.

As a history student, I know all too well what the word "smallpox" meant in the early Qing Dynasty.

That was a sword hanging over the heads of the Manchu nobles. It is said that the early death of Emperor Shunzhi was also related to this.

But a crisis can also mean an opportunity.

Others might be afraid of smallpox, but Hong Xiguan, a modern man with medical knowledge more than 300 years ahead of his time, what was he afraid of?

Although there was no cowpox vaccine, the human variolation method, while in its rudimentary form, was far from mature and carried extremely high risks.

With his rudimentary understanding of history and medicine, he managed to develop a "mature seedling method" that was less risky and more effective. This method involved taking pus from patients with mild cases, processing it specially, and then inoculating himself with the pus.

This is a high-stakes gamble. If he wins, Hung Hei-kwun will obtain the most valuable "immunity charm" of this era.

Fortunately, he won his gamble.

Hong Xiguan endured a high fever and several days of delirium, but the price he paid was a few light pockmarks on his face. However, compared to his life, this was insignificant.

He didn't tell anyone this secret.

I'm only a ten-year-old child right now, how can I explain such extraordinary means?

In this era, being regarded as either a monster or a god is neither a good thing for him, a "prisoner".

Hong Xiguan thought that life would continue uneventfully until he, this "canary in the cage," was either spoiled or remembered by the person behind the scenes.

However, the change came so quickly.

……

In the afternoon, the arrival of a nanny broke the stagnant tranquility of the courtyard.

She was a woman in her forties, dressed in a simple royal blue palace gown, without any makeup, yet she possessed a dignified and imposing air.

As soon as she appeared, the ten arrogant guards in the courtyard all bowed, their expressions solemn with a hint of almost devout reverence.

The six old women who usually only recognized him were even more silent, standing with their heads bowed, like quails seeing a hawk.

"This servant, Sumala, greets the young master."

The woman's voice was gentle and neither humble nor arrogant; she merely bowed slightly, performing a half-bow.

boom!

"Sumalagu?!"

Hong Xiguan was greatly shocked, and a huge wave of emotion surged within him.

This name is familiar to anyone who knows the history of the Qing Dynasty!

She was the most trusted confidante of Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, the tutor of Emperor Kangxi, and a legendary woman with an extraordinary status in the harem, whom even princes and princesses respected!

What is she doing here?!

An absurd thought suddenly popped into my head: Could this place be the Forbidden City?

impossible!

Hong Xiguan immediately rejected this conjecture.

He climbed over the wall several times. Outside were rows of houses and crisscrossing alleys, a typical layout of Beijing's inner city, far from the towering walls and sprawling palaces of the imperial palace.

Then... why would this great deity condescend to come to a secret mansion in this city?

Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, Hong Xiguan tried his best to maintain the curiosity and innocence of a ten-year-old child and asked, "Granny Su, did you need something from me?"

Su Mala Gu scrutinized Hong Xiguan for a moment, her gaze lingering on the faint pockmarks on his face for a fleeting instant before revealing a barely perceptible hint of satisfaction.

"Young master, this place is cramped and uncomfortable. We should find another place."

"Change locations?" Hong Xiguan was taken aback.

Before he could ask any further questions, Su Ma La Gu had already turned around and given a brief instruction to the guards.

In an instant, the entire courtyard sprang into action, with guards clearing the way and nannies protecting him as he walked out in a grand procession.

This was the first time since Hong Xiguan had traveled through time that he had walked out of that cage "openly and legitimately".

However, the scene outside was even more bizarre than the cage itself.

The alleys along the way were deserted, with every household's doors tightly shut, and the streets were so clean that not even a single fallen leaf could be seen.

Deathly silence, a chilling silence, as if the whole world had been muted.

This is not a case of "smallpox ravaging the area and leaving nine out of ten houses empty" at all; it's clearly that the place was cleared out in advance!

What a grand gesture!

The new place is not far from here, just two alleys away.

However, its scale was more than twice as large as the previous one, resembling the layout of a small royal palace.

"From now on, you'll be living here," Sumalagu said calmly.

"Why?" Hong Xiguan finally couldn't help but ask, "Why change locations?"

Sumalagu said, "This is your mother's arrangement."

"What?"

This was the first time Hong Xiguan had heard anything about the mother of this body from someone else: "Who...mother...is she?"

Sumalagu gave him a deep look, her eyes filled with complex emotions, and sighed, "You will know in time."

What the hell is this?!

Hong Xiguan felt a surge of irritation.

These riddle tellers will have their lifespan shortened if they only say half of what they mean!

He couldn't help but start to guess that the identity of this "mother" must be extraordinary for Sumalagu to personally make the arrangements.

Could it be one of the unfavored concubines in the palace?

Or... perhaps some incredibly powerful noblewoman?

Just as Hong Xiguan was lost in thought, two eunuchs dressed in palace servants' robes, their faces pale, carried out of the main room something tightly wrapped in white cloth.

The object was clearly outlined, shaped like a child, but smaller than him, and looked to be no more than six or seven years old.

A strong, pungent stench, a mixture of medicinal and the smell of death, wafted through the air.

Hong Xiguan's pupils suddenly contracted.

A single thought, like lightning, pierced through all the fog in his mind.

"He...died of smallpox?"

Sumalagu followed his gaze and nodded, her tone completely flat, as if she were talking about something trivial: "Yes, thankfully, young master, you've already had smallpox and have developed immunity, so you're not afraid."

"Next," she turned to look at Hong Xiguan again, and said clearly, word by word, "Your Highness will have to work a little harder. From today onwards, you will be here learning court etiquette, classics, history, philosophy, and literature."

Hong Xiguan stared blankly at Su Mala Gu: "Learn...learn these things, for what?"

He was a smart man. In an instant, all the clues in his mind frantically connected, collided, and merged, ultimately pointing to a truth that made his scalp tingle and his soul tremble!

A child secretly kept outside the palace.

A quarantine zone disguised as a "smallpox" facility, but in reality, it was under strict lockdown.

Su Ma La Gu, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's most trusted confidante, personally oversaw the situation.

A child of similar age who had just died of smallpox.

And I, a survivor who also happened to have had smallpox, with "evidence" left on my face!

And that damn nickname: "Chengcheng"!

Substituting one thing for another!

This is a fucking earth-shattering "switcheroo"!

The "crown prince" who was replaced was just carried out wrapped in a white cloth!

In the early Qing Dynasty, which prince was ultimately chosen as the heir to the throne because he had survived smallpox?

Aisin-Gioro Xuanye!

The future Emperor Kangxi!

"It's done...it's done..."

Hong Xiguan muttered to himself, feeling a chill run from the soles of his feet straight up to the top of his head.

He didn't become some illegitimate child; rather, he "became" the substitute in that plan! He "became" Aisin-Gioro Xuanye!

Holy crap! This script... this script is weird! It starts with a bombshell, but whether it'll blow up ourselves or the enemy is still uncertain!

Hong Xiguan forcibly suppressed his wildly beating heart, raised his head and stared intently into Su Ma La Gu's unfathomable eyes, mustered his courage and asked, "Granny, you always call me Young Master, and 'Chengcheng' is my childhood name. I don't want to guess anymore, just tell me... what is my real name?"

This question came like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

The air in the entire courtyard seemed to freeze at that moment.

The eunuchs carrying the corpse froze, almost dropping the stretcher to the ground.

For the first time, a change appeared on Sumalagu's face.

She fell silent. Her eyes, which had witnessed decades of court intrigue, were now scrutinizing the ten-year-old boy before her with unprecedented sharpness. The boy had faint pockmarks on his face, but his eyes were frighteningly clear.

After a long silence, she spoke slowly, her voice low and solemn:

"From this day forward, your name is Aisin Gioro... Xuan Ye!"