Urbaner Superarzt

Kapitel 1

A pure and elegant woman and an extraordinary emperor, their love story unfolds in a dazzling display.

One is hesitation and resistance, desperately trying to guard one's own heart.

One is assertive and deeply affectionate, striving to preserve this delicate orchid.

Finally, beautiful encounters always have beautiful endings.

Wei Yu lost her way. All around her were tall trees. Although the stone slabs under her feet were still flat, Wei Yu could no longer tell which way was east, west, south, or north. The sky was getting dark, and smoke was spreading in the mountainside. Wei Yu regretted it. Knowing that she had a bad sense of direction, she shouldn't have come out alone. She should have stayed in her room and thought about things in peace.

It was a summer evening, the wind wasn't too cold. Wei Yu walked back silently. The pine forest rustled, and leaves fell silently. Wei Yu thought that if she disappeared like this, it wouldn't be such a bad thing. Wei Yu laughed to herself. Who would have thought that she, who seemed so easygoing, would have such a pessimistic thought? Her uncle would be very sad if he knew.

Wei Yu was born posthumously. Her mother died after giving birth to her, and her uncle took the infant Wei Yu into his home to raise her. Fortunately, her parents had left behind a considerable fortune, and her uncle also ran a photography studio, so the family was quite well-off. As for her aunt, she was only there because of the money, and she often spoke of how kind her family had been to Wei Yu. Her uncle was very upright and felt that since the money was left to Wei Yu by her brother and sister-in-law, it should be at Wei Yu's disposal. Since Wei Yu was a minor, the money should not be touched. Her aunt harbored resentment and, although she did not mistreat Wei Yu, she always treated her coldly and rudely. Growing up in such an environment, Wei Yu was introverted, but unlike her mother, she wasn't weak-willed. She had a strong sense of self and loved Tang and Song dynasty poetry, and was captivated by the beautiful scenes described in those poems. This year, she turned twenty and received her university acceptance letter, deciding to visit Mount Lu as a gift to herself. Her aunt complained, saying she didn't understand the hardships of daily life and was trying to enjoy life before even earning money. Thinking of this, Wei Yu smiled bitterly. Her aunt's concern was that Wei Yu should use that large sum of money to repay their kindness in raising her. As she was leaving, her doting uncle thought she had been wronged and was worried about her traveling alone. Wei Yu repeatedly assured him that she would let him know she was safe every day, but her uncle was still not very happy. Wei Yu thought of her earlier thoughts and couldn't help but sigh. Before leaving, Wei Yu went to the bank and only kept one-third of the money for herself. She entrusted the rest of the money and the jewelry her mother had left her to her uncle through a lawyer. Her uncle's photo studio should have been expanded long ago. Her aunt had cried and made a scene in front of her uncle more than once. She hoped that this time she could satisfy her aunt and that her uncle would not be troubled anymore.

As dusk deepened, Wei Yu grew increasingly anxious. She had walked for some time, feeling as if she had entered a maze, surrounded by dense trees, and now faced another fork in the road. The self-deprecating laughter she had just shared was now gone. After dinner, she declined her travel companions' invitations and went for a walk alone. Engrossed in admiring the verdant shadows and crimson sunset of Mount Lu, and the breathtaking view of the sun sinking into the lake, she unknowingly wandered onto a narrow path. If she waited until the next morning to realize she was missing from her hotel, she tried to contact her guide, but the signal in the mountains was poor. She was truly at a loss. Which path should she take? She clutched the jade Pixiu pendant at her chest, the only keepsake from her mother that she had ever worn since childhood. She silently wished for "good luck" and then walked along the right-hand path.

Perhaps her mother was truly protecting her, for soon the view opened up before her, the moonlight shining brightly, the shadows of the trees swaying. Wei Yu felt slightly relieved, but suddenly, two figures swept past her at lightning speed without stopping. Wei Yu was startled, her heart filled with suspicion, but then she thought they were probably locals and could ask for directions. Ignoring the tour guide's earlier warning not to talk to strangers, she called out, "Could you please stop for a moment? I need directions, how do I get to the Cloud Steps?" The two seemed to pause for a moment, but continued walking. Wei Yu followed behind, jogging a few steps. "Please tell me, I'm lost." Wei Yu braced herself, seeing that the two were not thugs, her palms sweating as she clutched the Pixiu. She walked and talked, unaware that the surrounding smoke was growing thicker.

The two people finally stopped and turned around at the same time. They were a simply dressed man and woman, around sixty years old, looking energetic and kind-faced. They smiled at Wei Yu, their eyes shining, and said in unison, "Young lady, it's you!"

Wei Yu felt a sudden jolt in her heart, realizing that her words were a bit strange. She belatedly came to her senses, took a few steps back, and heard the babbling of a brook in her ears. She looked around and was startled. With a gasp, Wei Yu turned pale.

She then realized that the three of them were standing on a vast plain, the sun high in the sky, a soft breeze caressing her cheeks, carrying a refreshing fragrance. She remained silent, somewhat dazed, her heart pounding. Even with her usually composed nature, she was now flustered. "This...this..."

She closed her eyes, hoping it was a dream. She pinched her arm hard, letting out a soft cry of pain. She opened her eyes, but nothing had changed.

"Hehe," the two men chuckled at Wei Yu's childish actions. Wei Yu blushed, and the two men stopped laughing. "Miss must have many questions in her heart. Why don't you sit down and let us tell you in detail?" Their tone was very respectful, yet also tinged with joy.

Wei Yu's heart pounded wildly, as if it would leap out of her chest. Dazed, she did as she was told and sat down on the ground. What she touched was soft, damp grass. This was no dream. Just moments ago, she had been walking on the mountain path of Mount Lu. Yet here she was, with people and a clear sky before her. Strange and fantastical forces were truly living, breathing beings in the world. This was something that only happened in books. Wei Yu was truly speechless. One really can't be too stubborn; anything can happen.

Their eyes met, and the two men revealed their admiration, becoming even more convinced that the beautiful woman before them was someone generations had longed to find but could never attain.

They were incredibly fortunate to have met their destined one. Their expressions became even more respectful. "Miss, our surname is Ji. We are brother and sister, and we are elders of the Qin Empire."

"The Qin Empire? Elder?" Wei Yu murmured repeatedly.

"Yes, it's a long story. Young lady, you are very knowledgeable. You must have studied Tao Yuanming's 'Peach Blossom Spring' from the Jin Dynasty. We are the descendants of the pre-Qin era mentioned in this article. We have the opportunity to find the intersection connecting the two time periods, thanks to this article, which also led to the creation of the great Qin Empire." The two spoke eloquently, very proudly.

The history of the Qin Empire can be traced back to the Taiyuan period of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. At that time, a fisherman accidentally entered the Peach Blossom Spring, which was later known as the Peach Blossom Spring, through a peach blossom forest. After the fisherman left, the Peach Blossom Spring was no longer peaceful. People's hearts were restless. Curiosity about life in another world led some to find an opportunity to leave. Some never returned, while others came back, bringing with them the power struggles, greed, and justice of the outside world into this pure land. People began to fight and struggle endlessly. After several decades, people were surprised to find that the land they lived in was not so small. So the territory slowly expanded, and counties were established. Wise and learned people realized that this was another space mentioned in the documents brought in by their ancestors. Their ancestors had been searching for it and accidentally entered this strange world, but they did not know it and only used it as a place of refuge. After years of warfare, numerous states, large and small, were established in this space. Among them was the Ying family, descendants of the Qin royal family. They led people to escape the chaos of war and discovered this land. In 645 AD, they established the Qin Empire, assisted by the Ji family. Due to war, the junction between the two timelines was destroyed and gradually disappeared, becoming legends and historical records. In 1024 AD, the Qin Empire, through conquest and war, became the largest country, vast in territory and immensely wealthy. The Ji family served as ministers to the empire for generations. Among them, those with the strongest spiritual power were called elders, who remained unmarried throughout their lives and wielded significant influence over the empire. However, members of the Ji family could not hold real positions. This was to prevent the Ji family from using the elders to gain power and harboring rebellious intentions, thus preventing the empire from weakening. Such a thing had happened before, causing the empire to decline temporarily. Each generation of elders inherited a peerless secret: a passage connecting to another timeline exists on the Chenjiang Plain within the empire's territory. The emperors of the Qin Empire needed the approval of the elders of their generation to learn this secret, and they had to swear an oath to keep it secret for life, never to pass it on to anyone else. As a result, several wise rulers of the Qin Empire incorporated many insightful decisions from outside, such as the policies of the Tang Dynasty. The Qin Empire became the most powerful empire in this era, and although there were several generations of internal strife, none were enough to shake its foundations.

Not all elders possess sufficient ability to enter and exit the passage. Even those with the ability may only do so two or three times in their lifetime. Moreover, exiting the passage requires an imperial decree. If the emperor is unworthy, even those with the ability are forbidden from venturing out on their own, otherwise they will be punished by heaven, the Ji clan's spiritual power will be withdrawn, and the passage will be permanently closed. Originally, after the establishment of the empire in 645 AD, the emperor and elders at that time feared the disappearance of this only passage and also worried about outsiders intruding. Since the "Peach Blossom Spring" story had been widely circulated, and people from the outside world had been constantly coming to visit, the clan members with spiritual power set up a barrier at the passage—a pine forest—and made a vow to restrain each other. Elders with insufficient power could only vaguely see this pine forest but could not pass through it. It was also feared that if elders with insufficient power went out, they would not be able to adapt to life outside and would be harmed, thus weakening the Ji clan's status. Therefore, for more than two hundred years before the siblings Ji Heng and Ji Qing succeeded as elders in this generation, no elder was able to leave the passage. So during these two hundred years, emperors occasionally knew this secret, but they did not really believe it and just listened to it for the time being.

The siblings Ji Heng and Ji Qing possessed extraordinary abilities, both becoming Imperial Elders at the age of thirty-five—an unprecedented event in the empire's history. Emperor Rende, who ascended the throne at a young age, was eager to end the domestic decadence and complacency, while neighboring states like Zhu Zi, Xu, and Chen grew increasingly powerful. He sought to appoint virtuous ministers and generals, reduce taxes and corvée labor, abolish hereditary privileges of the powerful, and usher in a new era of prosperity. The Ji siblings were fortunate to encounter an enlightened ruler and were sent on a journey. At a time when China was actively reforming and the West was rapidly developing its science and technology, the Ji siblings returned. Emperor Rende, with his keen insight, adopted many of the valuable lessons they brought back and implemented sweeping reforms to the domestic laws, governance, military, and economy. However, these reforms faced resistance from outdated forces and threatened the interests of the powerful elites. Emperor Rende was kind and gentle, but his governance was fraught with difficulties and interference. He exhausted himself and died young. His successor, Emperor Xuande, was young, and his maternal relatives controlled the court. Powerful officials resurfaced, corruption and the sale of official positions became rampant, and the Ji siblings were ostracized and secluded themselves until the twelfth year of Xuande's reign. He then assumed personal rule, dismissed powerful officials, purged the court of internal strife, and cleansed the government. The Ji siblings emerged from seclusion and were highly valued by the emperor. The emperor, however, was ruthless and cold-blooded, implementing the reforms of his predecessor without mercy. In the eighteenth year of Xuande's reign, his maternal uncle was found selling examination questions for profit. Empress Dowager Zhou pleaded with him, but the emperor, avoiding his mother at the Daming Palace, ordered his uncle's execution in the marketplace. The court and the public were horrified and dared not look him in the eye. The Ji siblings, as was customary, revealed the secret to Emperor Xuande. A year earlier, they had again been ordered by the emperor to travel through the Tongdao Pass to observe commerce and military affairs in another time and space. Unexpectedly, on their return journey, they entered a pine forest without a word and were followed inside.

Wei Yu was speechless, unable to utter a word for a moment, her mind in turmoil. After a long while, she finally asked, "Elders, when will we be able to exit the passage again?"

Ji Heng said, “As elders, although we have the ability, firstly, we must obey the Emperor’s decree to go out through the passage, and secondly, we need sufficient ability to go out. Even if we siblings work together, we can only do it twice in the past twenty-five years. After we return to report to the Emperor this time, we will go into seclusion again. We will emerge from seclusion in one or two years to select a successor. Then we will step down from our positions as elders and enter the Senate to focus on cultivating those in our family who have spiritual power.”

Before she could speak, she blurted out, "Then doesn't that mean I can never go back?"

Ji Heng smiled and said, "That's not necessarily true. You are a person of noble birth and destiny. Whether you can go back or not is up to you. If you can see the pine forest behind you, you can return the way you came."

Wei Yu hurriedly turned around, only to be disappointed to see a grassland with herds of cattle and sheep in the distance. She couldn't help but complain, "Elder, are you kidding me? Do you expect me to wait here forever?" Wei Yu thought to herself, there's nothing here. Perhaps she'll starve to death here before she even sees the pine forest.

"No, no," Ji Heng cupped his hands in greeting. Ji Qing nudged his brother and said, "Miss, there's no need to rush. There's another way. After we choose an heir, we can work together and maybe send you out. If we don't leave the passage, it won't be considered disobeying the Emperor's decree. Even if it doesn't work, we won't have any responsibility then, so we can wait here with you."

In truth, the Ji siblings had another matter on their minds. Thirty-five years ago, after inheriting their positions as elders, they inadvertently discovered an ancient divination in the Ji clan's genealogy: "Twins, destined to rule the world, the world will belong to them." The Ji siblings were indeed twins. However, Emperor Rende had many concubines and the palace was chaotic. Although the current emperor had not yet established an empress, he still had concubines and attendants according to custom. The two siblings had reached the age of seclusion to choose a successor, and they had almost forgotten about the divination, thinking it was not the right time. Unexpectedly, Weiyu appeared. The two siblings shared the same thought and held onto a sliver of hope, believing that Weiyu might be the one destined by the divination. In the past thousand years, apart from the fisherman of Wuling in Jin entering Peach Blossom Spring, no one had come before. But the two elders were wise men, deeply believing that although fate was determined by heaven, fortune was in one's own hands. The two words "destiny" were entirely in one's own control. Just like the siblings, they did not simply rely on fate, but through diligent cultivation, they stood out from many candidates. Therefore, the two elders did not speak out. Although they were not panicked by not saying anything, all of this must have disturbed her mind. She needed time to accept all these sudden changes. If she heard these words again, she would think they were extremely absurd. Once she had a resistance, it would be even more difficult for her to let go of her feelings in the future.

Wei Yu closed her eyes again, forcing herself to calm down. She took a deep breath, silently counted from one to ten, opened her beautiful eyes, and bowed: "In that case, I will trouble you two elders. My surname is Song, and my given name is Wei Yu. You can call me Wei Yu."

Helpless, Wei Yu followed the Ji siblings on their journey back to Shangjing, the capital of the Qin Empire.

The Ji siblings claimed to be traveling around and kept a very low profile. The grassland they were in was a free grazing area on the Chenjiang Plain, one of the four major plains in the empire. Apart from the herdsmen, scholars, poets and monks from within the empire often came and went, so no one would notice their sudden appearance. To make it easier to travel, Ji Qing took Wei Yu to a secluded place to change her clothes. Wei Yu tied her hair up and wore a long robe, which made her look like an imperial Confucian scholar. Ji Qing told her that the empire still used the system of China's Tang Dynasty. The customs, clothing, writing, language, and even the measurement had not changed much, so she did not need to worry about being thought to be strange by others.

The three agreed to address each other as uncle and nephew. After hiking for three hours on the grassland, at noon, they entered a market.

The Chenjiang Plain, belonging to the Northeast Commandery, is one of the empire's grain bases and distribution centers. It boasts the largest nomadic area in the country, and the valiant warhorses of the imperial army are produced here. The pastoral area is governed by a Protectorate, directly appointed by the emperor. According to the law, it is forbidden for civilians to privately raise or sell warhorses. Caravans and mule trains must regularly register the number of horses transported with the government, report losses, and obtain additional horses from the government. Private transactions are severely punished, with property confiscated. Selling horses to neighboring countries is considered treason and punishable by death. Ordinary cattle and sheep, however, can be freely raised and traded in the free grazing areas. The market the three entered was a free trade zone, bustling with people, lined with shops, and with vehicles and horses coming and going, indicating a very active trade. Wei Yu noticed that the buildings were quite large, with one- or two-story houses everywhere. Large inns, hotels, and restaurants were three or four stories high, but none of them exceeded five stories. Seeing her looking at them, Ji Heng whispered to her, "Anything above five stories must be a government office or official residence, and it must also be done according to regulations. You can't overstep your bounds."

Due to limitations imposed by skin color, language, and culture, the elders who went abroad generally only traveled within China. Upon their return, the emperor was selective in implementing measures; only those beneficial to the dynasty's rule were adopted and promoted. There was a fear that the widespread adoption of advanced technologies might attract the covetousness of other nations, posing a threat and potentially sparking conflict and war. This timeline, as it was still primarily agricultural and pastoral, much like the Ming and Qing dynasties, meant that the technologies and modernities of other eras were nowhere to be found. In Wei Yu's view, she was merely a passerby, destined to return to her own world in a year or two. She considered it just a dream journey, but one that was far too fantastical and too long. Why should she know anything about it? What did the fate of the empire matter to her?

Ji Qing, being a woman, was perceptive. Seeing that Wei Yu had been sullen all the way, and that today's events had been too shocking for her, coupled with Wei Yu's elegant and outstanding temperament which had already attracted attention, some bold women frequently threw her flirtatious glances. She gave her brother a wink and said affectionately, "A Yu," Ji Qing said, "how about we rest here today? Big brother, A Yu is tired."

In a small inn, the three of them had lunch. Ji Qing sat with Wei Yu in the room to rest. When the innkeeper's daughter came out for the third time under the pretext of bringing tea and snacks to peek at her while she was eating and laughing, Wei Yu finally couldn't help but say, "Aunt Qing," which was Ji Qing's repeated request, "Are all the women in your country so lively and proactive?" as if she were infatuated.

Ji Qing smiled warmly, "No, no. Although women's status is not as equal as men's and women's, they can still have their own opinions, especially when it comes to marriage. The boss's daughter must have taken a liking to your handsome appearance and wants to take you as her son-in-law."

Wei Yuwei, her face slightly flushed, pretended not to hear. She took a sip of tea and looked out the window. Sure enough, women were walking around on the street from time to time, their demeanor unpretentious, yet they spoke with composure. Ji Qing sighed beside her, "There's no other way. Only when there are no men in the family can women be allowed out. Daughters from good families are raised in seclusion, taught the three obediences and four virtues from a young age, in preparation for the imperial harem selection, hoping to rise in rank. Not to mention the pampered daughters of officials, the positions of the head of the inner palace and even the empress are all chosen from among them. It's very difficult for women who are busy outside, running around and managing the household, to find a good marriage."

Wei Yu shook her head and sighed, "What's so good about being a concubine? It's better to be a commoner, with one husband and one wife. Isn't that a kind of happiness?" Ji Qing was speechless for a moment. What worried her was that Wei Yu didn't care about fame and fortune in the court, and didn't even have the slightest interest in the empire. She was completely detached from it all. If that was the case, Wei Yu and the emperor would have no way to cross paths. Could it be that Wei Yu had just entered this time and space by chance, instead of what they imagined?

Ji Qing instructed Wei Yu to rest well, and she and Ji Heng went to the official post station in the market to arrange a carriage. The journey to the capital was long and arduous; it would take half a month to reach Qinghe Ferry on foot, cross the river into Zhuojun, pass through Bohaijun, and finally reach Jingjiwei, the central prefecture of the empire, which guarded the capital, Shangjing. If the journey went smoothly, it would still take two months. Considering that Wei Yu was new to the empire and her speech and appearance might easily attract attention, Ji Heng decided to buy a carriage to reduce the fatigue of the journey. On the other hand, it would also give Wei Yu time to learn about some of the empire's customs and official system. After all, Wei Yu would have to live in Shangjing for one to two years, and after the siblings returned, they would have to begin their seclusion. Although they could entrust her to the Ji clan, there would be many times when Wei Yu would have to face a completely different environment on her own.

As night fell, the bustling market quieted down. Wei Yu, however, tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She sat up, put on her clothes, pulled the quilt tighter, and slipped on her boots barefoot, shivering slightly. She opened the window; there was no wind, no moon—it was mid-spring, and the night was still a bit chilly. Wei Yu pulled her robe tighter around herself. The streets were deserted, pitch black, save for the occasional lantern hanging under the eaves, casting a dim yellow glow. The night was heavy, and Wei Yu felt a pang of sorrow. What time was it on the other side? Was anyone searching for her? "Uncle..." Wei Yu looked up at the sky. No stars twinkled. Did her uncle know she was missing? Uncle must be feeling incredibly guilty. Wei Yu felt a warmth on her face, and tears streamed down her cheeks. "I will, I will, Uncle, I will definitely come back." Wei Yu tightly gripped the jade Pixiu hanging in front of her chest. "Mom, can you see your daughter?" she whispered, her heart filled with confusion and grievance, making her hold her breath to keep from sobbing.

The Ji siblings in the next room listened silently to the faint sobs. Ji Heng sighed, "It's good for her to cry. This is hard for anyone to accept. After all, she is just a girl." Ji Qing nodded, "Yes, when I learned the secret from the former elder, I found it unbelievable. I am a cultivator, and I felt this way. How much more so for Miss Weiyu?"

In the morning, vendors set up their stalls at the market, shops opened for business, and shouts and calls filled the air.

The carriage steps were lowered. Wei Yu glanced back; beside the wooden door of the inn, the cowhide lantern of "Wu Family Inn" swayed slightly in the wind. Behind the door, the innkeeper's daughter's lingering gaze was fixed on her face. Wei Yu thought indifferently, this was not a dream; this was the road she had come from. Ji Qing supported her arm, bent down and climbed into the carriage. Ji Heng sat in the driver's seat, shouted "Go!", and kicked up a cloud of dust, speeding off onto the official road.

This was a powerful empire with a vast territory. After the reforms of the Rende and Xuande father and son, the empire was restored to its previous period of prosperity.

During the reign of Emperor Rende, an era synchronized with the outside world was adopted, using the lunar calendar. The empire was reorganized into thirty-two prefectures, and improvements were made to the system, classics, and imperial examinations. Some measures from the Ming and Qing dynasties were promoted. The year Weiyu arrived was the year 2000, the twentieth year of Emperor Xuande. Although the empire was still primarily engaged in agriculture, commerce, textiles, and logistics were very active. Urban construction had reached a considerable scale, and maritime affairs such as shipbuilding were among the best in the world. Aristocratic families owned fleets of varying sizes, and the empire's naval capital, personally commanded by the emperor, was the most powerful naval fleet on the continent. Regarding the use of gunpowder, Emperor Xuande issued strict laws. While ordinary people could still possess a certain number of horses and ships for commercial activities, the private possession of firearms was strictly prohibited for ordinary people, including princes and ministers. If discovered, the person in charge would be executed, and their entire family would be punished. Men would be enslaved forever, and women would be forced into prostitution. This was the most severe punishment in the empire. Only the empire's fleet and the emperor's personal guard—the naval battalion and the musketeer battalion—possessed firearms. Due to the cruelty of the prohibition, firearms became the empire's most powerful and unique military weapon, intimidating other countries. The states of Zhuzi, Xu, and Chen, though unwilling, had no choice but to submit to its authority.

From the Chenjiang Plain to Qinghedu, Wei Yu's initial amazement at what she saw and heard gradually turned into acceptance.