The Most Powerful Young Master of the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 2: Starting with a Little Girl

Summer of the fifth year of the Huangyou era. Nong Zhigao advanced once more, and Guangzhou had already fallen. The emperor, overruling all objections, appointed Di Qing to quell the rebellion. Before Di Qing and Yu Jing’s forces could even reach the front lines, an unexpected turn of events occurred: Chen Shu disobeyed his commander’s orders and led 8,000 troops into battle prematurely, resulting in a crushing defeat for the Song army at Kunlun Pass. At a time when there was still no sign of hope in the Guangnan region, trouble struck even the home of the local official most trusted by the people of Shuzhou. It was said that after a burst of thunder, a fire broke out at the Wang Anshi residence… When Xiao Wang opened his eyes, he felt something was very strange. His body had shrunk to such a small size that he wasn’t even sure if he was ten years old. On top of that, his body had stiffened; he was unable to move, as if paralyzed. He had originally been on a business trip to Anqing City for a livestock exchange conference. He’d gone to his hotel intending to play a game, when suddenly his Samsung laptop exploded. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in this ancient setting. He took a look around. Although the room was large, the furniture and furnishings were old and shabby. Judging by appearances, although this body belongs to a young master, there are only three people in the room right now: a young, beautiful woman, and two middle-aged men standing behind her with their heads slightly bowed. That’s a sign of respect—a traditional stance between servants and their masters in ancient times. The fact that only two servants had come after the young master’s accident seemed to indicate this wasn’t a grand estate. Moreover, there was no one resembling a “master of the house” at the scene—could it be that I’d ended up with a heartless father? One of the middle-aged men, noticing that the young master’s demeanor had changed since he woke up, tentatively said, “Madam, please do not grieve. Young Master, say something to cheer your mother up—don’t let her worry herself sick.” Xiao Wang felt a bit at a loss for words regarding this request. After all, if a child not yet ten years old were to speak in a mature tone, there was a real possibility he’d be branded a demon and thrown into a pond. Clans in certain regions of ancient times were particularly fond of doing just that. “My son, your younger brother and sister both died in infancy. You are the apple of the Wang family’s eye. Don’t make your mother worry—quickly say something you usually say to put her mind at ease.” The beautiful woman sat down by the bedside and reached out her fair hand to stroke Little Wang’s head. At this point, Little Wang knew only that this family, like himself, bore the surname Wang. He also felt her request was rather unreasonable—judging by the circumstances, he hadn’t inherited any memories from this previous incarnation, so how was he supposed to know what the previous incarnation’s catchphrase was? Seeing that he still wouldn’t speak, the beautiful woman cradled Little Wang’s head against her chest and gently stroked it a couple of times, saying, “All right, all right. If you don’t want to say it, then don’t. When you’re ready to talk, Mother will come see you again.” That’s more like it. She’s so kind—I’ll just consider this a welcome gift for crossing over. I’ve landed in a good family. As Xiao Wang thought this, he noticed that as they stepped back out, they casually picked up a bowl of some kind of tonic sitting on the coffee table and took it with them. That’s mine! Little Wang dared only to watch with his eyes, not daring to speak. Maybe the previous owner didn’t have much of an appetite, but I’m a big eater, okay? Seriously. Newcomers have no rights—and just like that, my first bit of property was snatched away by them… “I guess I really did survive a close call.” As she muttered to herself, Xiao Wang realized her voice had changed—it had turned into a child’s voice. What was frustrating, though, was that aside from being certain he’d time-traveled, Xiao Wang didn’t even know what kind of world this was. Reflecting on it, this time-travel experience seemed a bit underwhelming—unlike the scenarios in novels, he didn’t come equipped with a personal storage space or some kind of system. Apart from feeling that his mind was a bit sharper and his thoughts a bit faster than before, there didn’t seem to be anything else extraordinary about it. At some point—it seemed his soul and body had fully merged—his body became able to move, and Xiao Wang got out of bed to walk around. Influenced by this child’s body, his subconscious behavior took on a mischievous, childish air—a far cry from the handsome, worldly style he’d had before the transition. After taking a couple of steps barefoot, Xiao Wang felt his posture looked a bit sleazy—not like a child at all—so he hurriedly adjusted it. Just then, the door suddenly swung open, and a little girl of about four walked in—she was adorable, with eyes wide as saucers. “Don’t you find it a little strange that this young master’s style has changed?” Xiao Wang wouldn’t dare let his true identity slip in front of others, but he felt no pressure about spinning a tall tale to a four-year-old girl. After all, not only could he beat her in a fight, but he could also outrun her—and if all else failed, he could just slip away. The little girl looked impressed, though she didn’t quite get it. “Heaven must have a reason for sending me here. You’re my first recruit—from now on, you’ll live the high life with me,” Xiao Wang added. The little girl was delighted upon hearing this and clapped her hands as she hopped up and down. “Hehe,” Wang chuckled. Even though he wasn’t a rich kid, starting out with a little girl was pretty fun. He felt no pressure around the little girl, so Xiao Wang grew bolder. He walked barefoot in several different styles, eager to pick the one that most resembled a young master. “Da Bang, what are you doing?” the little girl asked curiously. Xiao Wang, who suffered from a persecution complex, was immediately startled. She actually knew I was “Da Bang”—could she have X-ray vision? Sensing that this might be a cultivator loli, Xiao Wang realized that his earlier confidence in being able to defeat her had been a bit too optimistic. “Da Bang, what are you doing?” the little girl asked again. “Let me test you first: What’s my name? Who’s my dad? Where are we? What year is it now?” Wang managed to regain her composure for the moment. The little girl obediently replied, “Your name is Wang Bang. You’re ten years old this year. Our dad is Wang Anshi. This is Shuzhou. It’s the fifth year of the Huangyou era.” So it was Wang Bang inhabiting Wang Bang’s body—and he had a dad who would go on to be incredibly influential? When the little girl said, “Our dad is Wang Anshi,” I realized she was my younger sister. At first, I’d thought she was the maid’s daughter because her hair was dry and yellowish, and she looked malnourished. “You’re doing great, little sister. So I’ve decided to keep teaching you. What official position does our dad hold right now?” Wang Bang asked. “He’s the Deputy Magistrate of Shuzhou and concurrently the Transport Commissioner of Huaixi. Everyone calls him ‘Wang Caosi,’” the little girl recited, as if reading from a textbook. Wang Bang thought his situation here wasn’t too bad—he was the son of a high-ranking official, and starting out with a little girl had helped him make some sense of the current situation… “Have you heard? A meteor fell on the Wang Anshi family’s estate, and his son was injured.” “A harbinger of misfortune. That good-for-nothing Wang Bang is all talk—he’s eccentric and mentally unstable. He’d be better off just dying sooner rather than later.” “Yeah, anyway, I sure don’t want to see him at the academy. Just like his father, Wang Anshi, he’s nothing but a hateful presence.” “I heard the Prefect is also very dissatisfied with Wang Anshi and is currently drafting a memorial to the imperial court to impeach him.” “Wang Anshi has confiscated all the income from the official farmlands of Huaixi officials. My father’s was confiscated too—he deserves to be impeached.” “It’s truly karma. Let’s see how long Wang Anshi can hold onto his position!” At the prefectural academy, too, there was much talk about the natural disasters that had befallen the Wang Anshi family… Before dawn, Wang Anshi entered the city and hurried toward the Grain Transport Bureau. Along the way, he heard many people whispering, accompanied by sarcastic remarks such as “Good-for-nothing… he’s lucky to be alive.” It was only then that Wang Anshi realized something had happened at home. However, he heard that no one had died, and that the relevant officials from the Huaixi Circuit, as well as representatives from various powerful clans, had already been summoned and were awaiting the second Huaixi grain procurement conference. The fighting in Guangnan had reached a fever pitch, and grain and provisions were urgently needed. So Wang Anshi, still unable to spare a thought for the matter, hurried into the Grain Transport Bureau… The next morning, it began to rain. Drip, drip—the roof of Wang Bang’s room was leaking. The little girl pushed open the door and came in. She was quite capable; at only four years old, she could carry two basins at once. One was a washbasin; after setting it down, she said, “Da Bang, it’s time to get up and wash your face.” Then she carried another basin to the spot where the roof was leaking to catch the water, and once again stared absently at the leak in the ceiling. Wang Bang sat up to look at the leaking roof. Seeing his little sister’s tiny figure holding the basin to catch the water, he asked in astonishment, “Where are our servants?” “We don’t have any servants. We’re short-handed right now—Dad and Uncle Liao have both gone to deliver grain,” the little girl said. “Dad told me that Guangzhou has already fallen. General Di was called upon to lead the troops in this time of crisis, and he needs supplies. Zhao Shidan, the prefect of Kangzhou, is an old friend of Dad’s—his entire family was killed in action.” Wang Bang reflected on the historical events. With the Battle of Kunlun Pass, Di Qing cemented his status as the “War God” of the Song Dynasty—though his end was not far off. Before the battle for Kunlun Pass, he would commit the gravest political blunder of his life. At the same time, Wang Anshi, who was providing support from behind the scenes, would attract a great deal of animosity and offend a great many people. Although she hadn’t met Wang Anshi yet, now that she was part of this family, she had to help him—otherwise, the pressure on him would be too great. With that in mind, Wang Bang stood up, took the basin his little sister had been using to catch the leaks, and picked her up. He was startled by the sensation—aside from her dry, yellow hair, the little girl was surprisingly thin and incredibly light. Leaning against Wang Bang’s chest, she bit her finger and stared absently at the spot where the rain was leaking through the roof. After Shao Qing, she said, “Look, the floor’s wet. Bugs like dampness, and once it gets wet, the bugs will come and bite you.” “I really love this little girl,” Wang Bang muttered to himself…