The Idle Man of Zhenguan Intercepts Wu Zetian at the Start

When I arrived at Dunhua Ward, the market gates were about to close, and the Imperial Guards were beating gongs and shouting, officially starting the curfew.

The curfew in the Tang Dynasty did not affect the interior of the wards and markets. Compared with the dimly lit Zhuque Avenue, the streets of Dunhua Ward were already dotted with lights.

As the most remote ward in the southeast corner of Chang'an, Dunhua Ward was the poorest despite being backed by the royal garden, Furong Garden. It had fewer than 200 households, and the people relied mainly on farming and exporting their skills to make a living.

All the farms and mountains outside the market also belong to the royal family.

But the scenery is exceptionally beautiful, and the great Confucian scholar Yan Shigu of Langya once lived here, and now there is another Wannian County.

Although both were in Chang'an, Dunhuafang was more like a slum or urban village than Pingkangfang, which was full of brothels and taverns and brightly lit.

There were very few pedestrians on the street, and the lit areas were mostly shops selling things like woodworking, blacksmithing, and pottery.

"Wonton, piping hot wonton."

The sounds of vendors hawking their wares drifted from the street.

Changsun Dan turned to the side, lifted the carriage curtain, and a gust of cold wind rushed in. Chun Chan stuck out her tongue and tucked her neck into the collar of her light blue ruyi (a type of traditional Chinese dress).

"parking."

With a skillful pull of the reins, the coachman caused the carriage to pause gently before coming to a steady stop.

"Should we go down and take a look? This county magistrate is craving wontons."

Changsun Dan looked at Dong Yao and the other person with a smile.

Chun Chan bit her lip and nodded vigorously, while Dong Yao turned her face away slightly, but her stomach rumbled a few times against her will.

This girl had a rather cold personality, and Changsun Dan was too lazy to expose her. He simply bent down, took her hand, and got out of the carriage.

Although Changsun Dan was a few years younger than her, Dongyao blushed, twisted her body slightly, and then let him be.

"My esteemed guests, try my wontons. They have thin wrappers and generous fillings, and cost only two coins a bowl."

At the entrance of the pottery shop, under the dim light inside, a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, with a weathered face, huddled up and greeted Changsun Dan and the others. In front of him was a simple wooden cart with a stove and a pot on it.

Changsun Dansong opened Dongyao's hand and said as they walked:

"Then let's start with five bowls."

"Xu Daniu, all of you come over here and have a bowl of hot food to warm your stomachs."

The middle-aged man's brows relaxed slightly, and he responded. He hurriedly and clumsily lifted the pot lid, and the steam from the pot escaped. Changsun Dan rubbed his hands, as if the chill had been dispelled.

Changsun Dan walked to the stall. The middle-aged man was counting the wontons with his head down. Then, he limped over and took out a few bowls, wiping them with a cloth.

The man in his late forties had more and deeper wrinkles on his face than the man in his fifties or sixties.

Changsun Dan felt he had seen him somewhere before, but couldn't quite place him. He asked casually:

"Shopkeeper, how's business? It's so cold outside, and I don't see many people on the street."

The man looked up, a slight smile appearing in his folds:

"Replying to Your Excellency, when business is good, we can sell ten or eight bowls. If they are all distinguished guests like you, young master, they will be sold out in no time."

After saying that, he lowered his head and put the wontons into the pot one by one.

As if suddenly remembering something, the man looked up, staring at Changsun Dan somewhat embarrassedly, and asked hesitantly:

"Young master, you are quite handsome, and you do bear a resemblance to my young master. May I ask where you come from..."

After hearing what he said, Changsun Dan realized that the feeling of déjà vu came from the memories in his current body.

Changsun Dan sighed inwardly. This good-for-nothing Changsun Dan, though ignorant and incompetent, was still a kind and righteous person. Just based on his memories, he could influence his emotions.

Changsun Dan quickly stepped forward and supported the man's arms:

"Uncle Fu, it's me, Changsun Dan..."

Uncle Fu's original name was Zhou Dafu, which would have been an outstanding brand in later generations. Now, however, he is running this wonton stall, which makes people sigh.

Uncle Fu's cloudy eyes suddenly became much clearer, his expression momentarily blank, and the ceramic bowl in his hand clattered to the ground. The scene of his young master being beaten bloodied and bruised by Changsun Wuji and still pleading for him was vivid in his mind:

"My little master, it's so wonderful that you've grown up so smoothly..."

Changsun Dan stepped forward, helped Uncle Fu sit down at the small table, and looked up to ask:

"Who among you knows how to cook wontons?"

Xu Daniu quickly stepped forward and picked up the broken pieces of the ceramic bowl from the ground as well.

"Back in the county, when I was in the Prince of Qin's mansion, I worked as a cook."

As she spoke, she deftly picked up a wooden spoon and stirred it in the pot.

When Uncle Fu saw Changsun Dan, he was overjoyed and wiped away his tears with his sleeve.

"Young master, I heard them call you magistrate. Did you come to Dunhua Ward with a title and separate from your family?"

Changsun Dan nodded:

"Uncle Fu, you left with a limp in the process of saving me back then... Now I am the magistrate of Wannian County, appointed by His Majesty. I no longer have to live under someone else's roof. Come with me in a moment, and you will be the steward of the magistrate's mansion from now on."

"The wontons are here." Xu Daniu quickly placed two bowls of wontons on the table.

Changsun Dan lightly kicked him in the calf:

"You're just a cook in the Prince of Qin's mansion, and I even told His Majesty that you once fought alongside him. Luckily, His Majesty doesn't know you, or he would have been exposed long ago."

Xu Daniu felt a wave of embarrassment and stammered:

"County...County Prince, His Majesty really knows me. I used to be in the Tian Ce Army, and I was specifically...specifically, I cooked for His Majesty...Even when I went to the Dali Temple...it was all arranged by His Majesty."

Changsun Dan was speechless. He pretended to jump up, but seeing that Xu Daniu was too scared to move, he asked Liu Tiezhu:

"You son of a bitch, you're not a cook too, are you?"

Liu Tiezhu puffed out his chest:

"I am here to tend His Majesty's horses."

"Good, very good. You two, a cook and a groom, dare to brag to me that you are veterans of the Prince of Qin's mansion."

Changsun Dan plopped down on the stool again. Such a huge flaw, yet His Majesty didn't expose him to his face. What exactly is this old fox up to?

But time has passed, and there's no use thinking about it anymore. I picked up the bowl and shoveled a wonton into my mouth. The meat filling had a strong gamey smell. In the Tang Dynasty, there was no systematic technique for castrating boars, so the pork tasted tough and gamey.

Changsun Dan's most pressing task right now is to extract penicillin. Castrating pigs shouldn't be too difficult. He can just take a look at the castration room a few more times. Although humans and pigs are on different paths, they lead to the same goal.

With a wave of the hand:

"Come and eat with us."

Xu Daniu felt as if he had been granted a great pardon, and quickly went to get the wontons.

Seeing that the young man had no airs towards his servants and didn't seem to be putting on a show, Chun Chan stopped being polite and pulled Dong Yao to sit down next to Changsun Dan.

Everyone except Changsun Dan ate heartily. Uncle Fu, who usually couldn't bear to eat himself, shed tears over a wonton.

"Young master, I used to be just a servant in the Changsun family. Now my legs aren't as strong as they used to be. I... I'll be content if I can be your gatekeeper from now on."

Changsun Dan said solemnly:

"Uncle Fu, there will only be more and more people working in the county government in the future. You can help me manage them. Da Niu and Tie Zhu will also help you. When you can't work anymore, I will take care of you in your old age."

Changsun Dan's words were sincere, but these people felt something else entirely. In this world with its strict hierarchy, being able to provide them with some food and clothing was already considered a great act of kindness. Where in the world could one find someone who treated their servants like human beings?

Some color returned to Dongyao's usually cold face.

Uncle Fu was moved, feeling that the leg hadn't been broken completely enough back then. The young master was also very different from before, no longer the cowardly and timid boy he once was, but instead exuding a calm and confident aura.

He was about to open his mouth to say something, but then swallowed his words back.

Changsun Dan, with his keen intellect, smiled and asked:

"Uncle Fu, I remember you have a wife and children, bring them over with you."

Uncle Fu then lost control of his emotions. This grown man choked up and struggled to get up, trying to kneel down in front of Changsun Dan.

Changsun Dan quickly reached out to help, but being thin and weak, he quickly gave Xu Daniu a wink.

After Xu Daniu and Liu Tiezhu helped Uncle Fu to his feet, Changsun Dan patted him on the shoulder with feigned ease, but a bad feeling crept into his heart:

"Uncle Fu, have you encountered some difficulties? Tell me, and I will definitely help you solve them if I can think of a solution."

After calming himself down, Uncle Fu looked ten years older.

"Seven years ago, I was kicked out of the Changsun Mansion. To treat my leg injury, my wife went everywhere to borrow money. Later, only the Cui family's money shop agreed to lend us money."

"They agreed to lend fifty coins and repay eighty coins after six months. My wife is illiterate, so she put her fingerprint on it. But the IOU they wrote said she would borrow fifty strings of cash and repay eighty strings..."

"Six months later, the money lender sent people to harass us for the debt every day. Every time they came, they would smash things. My family was already so poor that we couldn't even afford to eat. My wife couldn't take it anymore and was driven crazy. She committed suicide a few days later."

"But they still wouldn't let us go. My daughter, who was only eight years old at the time, was also taken away by them. Later I found out that she was sold to Yuxianlou... If I hadn't been thinking about my poor daughter... I would have ended it all long ago."

At this point, Uncle Fu's hands and feet trembled uncontrollably, and the muscles on his face twitched and distorted.

"My lord... I beg you, I beg you to save my poor daughter..."