"Treading upon the bones of high nobility across the imperial avenues... but what can I do when I'm one of those very nobles!"
Wu Youren didn't actually hold that high of a status; at best, he merely brushed against the edge of nobility by shamelessly latching on.
Facing the rippling waters of the small lake, he sat quietly until dusk, his mind calm as still water. He had really fucking transmigrated.
As anyone experienced with transmigration knew, a catastrophic start was standard operating procedure.
He hadn't been greeted with a blow from a sap, that standard-issue weapon of the newbie village, but his situation wasn't much better.
A system... probably didn't exist, or at least he couldn't find one for now.
Aside from being not yet sixteen years of age, there wasn't a single thing to be happy about.
He was the grandson of a low-ranking merit lord, possessed only middling martial skills, and received regular allowances sent from home...
It all sounded quite decent, but the problem was that he was a citizen of the Great Jin, currently residing in Great Liang!
Everything stemmed from that war twelve years ago, which Great Jin had lost.
Hence, his current status: a hostage—one of many!
Though the scenery before him was pleasant, it was no homeland of his. By the shore stood a small lakeside pavilion. A gentle west wind blew, yet no reflection of the moon could be seen.
His face had changed, no longer who he had been yesterday.
Right now, his biggest problem was: who the fuck pushed me into the lake yesterday?
The lake was named Jade Lake, barely a thousand square meters in size. Its waters were crystal clear yet deep, and his predecessor didn't know how to swim.
Fortunately, Liang patrol guards had heard the commotion and rushed over to fish him out, by which time he was already unconscious.
A drifting soul from another world found a vessel to inhabit, tossing and turning until dawn before finally waking.
Everyone knew he wasn't quite himself, so no one bothered him today.
Up until now, Wu Youren hadn't fully assimilated all the memories of his predecessor, and his emotions weren't quite in sync yet, making this a good opportunity to sort things through.
He was certain he hadn't made any enemies. Who would strike with such malice?
Seeing the sky darken, he didn't want to risk a second "accident." He stood and walked toward his quarters.
Before he had gone far, he ran into two Liang patrol guards who couldn't help but chuckle when they saw him. "Yo, isn't that Lordling Wu?"
"The one who botched his suicide? Haha, what a waste of good looks."
The hostages did indeed possess status, but that was back in Great Jin.
Here, even the lowliest patrol guard could address him as "Lordling Wu" to his face, followed immediately by a string of sneering mockery.
Yet Wu Youren simply smiled and nodded. "My thanks once again to you gentlemen for the rescue."
Then he walked past them unhurriedly.
The two guards exchanged a glance. "Is he mocking us?"
Only a fool would want to save the offspring of foreign nobles, but they had no choice. If a hostage died without cause, everyone on duty would get flogged.
"Probably not," the other guard murmured thoughtfully. "It wasn't our doing anyway. In the end, we did save his life."
Wu Youren had his own suspicions: his fall into the water might not have been the work of the Liang people.
He was a mere hostage; if they wanted to strike, killing him outright would be effortless. They wouldn't even need an excuse.
Yet if it wasn't the Liang people, guessing the culprit became even harder!
Wu Youren truly hadn't offended any of his peers, simply because... he wasn't important enough.
He was merely the grandson of a merit lord, the lowest rank in the hostage delegation. Above him were barons, viscounts, earls, marquises, and dukes!
In terms of personal wealth, he was also the poorest, ruling out murder for money.
This matter was truly baffling!
Arriving outside his quarters, he paused slightly—the unlatched door stood ajar.
His room wasn't large, barely eight or nine square meters, furnished with two stools, a bed, a wardrobe, and a desk.
There was also a small brazier for boiling water, brewing tea, and keeping warm in winter.
A stout youth sat on one of the stools. Seeing him enter, the youth didn't bother to rise. "Looks like you're completely fine now?"
"Thank you for your concern, Brother Linyuan," Wu Youren replied evenly.
This fellow hailed from a viscount's family. He looked big and burly, but in reality... he was exceptionally adept at bureaucratic office politics.
"We also conducted an investigation into last night's incident," the stout youth said blankly, sounding as if reading off an official script. "The consensus is that a member of the Guizu may have infiltrated the grounds!"
In this world, wars were fought not only among mortal nations; demons, monsters, ghosts, and fiends also ran rampant, collectively known as the Guizu.
"The Guizu?" Hearing this, Wu Youren shook his head and unhooked a jade pendant from his waist.
This was a biguijue, a Gui-warding jade. Anyone with a bit of means would find a way to obtain one.
Wu Youren's biguijue was made of poor material and crudely crafted. Though called jade, it might not even be real jade.
Yet even such an imitation jade wasn't something ordinary folk could possess. At best, well-to-do common families might own one or two wooden wards.
Great Jin had many merit lords, but less than half of their grandsons could own a jade ward.
Wu Youren only had one because he had been sent as a hostage; his grandfather feared that if he died, the clan would have to select another boy, so the talisman was given to him. Otherwise, he never would have received it.
He showed the pendant to the stout youth and gave a wry smile. "Does this look like it encountered a Gui?"
Although the quality was poor by the hostage delegation's standards, ordinary people on the market didn't even have the standing to buy one!
So he wasn't afraid of being ridiculed.
"Perhaps it was an animal spirit," Shi Linyuan replied dismissively. "A jade pendant can't ward off all Guizu!"
*But we are in the capital of Great Liang!* Wu Youren wanted to retort, but upon second thought, there was little point.
More importantly, certain suspicions had essentially been confirmed.
He sighed inwardly. *A slip and fall into the lake... truly typical court politics.*
What next? Would someone deliver a "red pill" to finish the job?
Shi Linyuan waited a moment. Seeing that Wu Youren remained silent, he spoke again. "His Highness learned of the matter and attaches great importance to it. He instructed us to follow up closely."
The hostage delegation comprised a hundred youths, but there was only one royal prince: the seventeenth and youngest son of the King of Jin.
The Seventeenth Prince was the only genuine hostage; the others were merely study companions, attendants, enforcers, human shields...
Now His Highness had actually declared an intention to investigate thoroughly, and on behalf of a bottom-tier hostage at that. It was truly an honor.
Yet Wu Youren understood what it really meant and couldn't help letting out a soft sigh. "We are all hostages... why must hostages torment hostages?"
"What are you implying?" Shi Linyuan's face darkened. "Who's tormenting you?"
Wu Youren didn't answer his question directly, asking instead, "I'd like to know: what did I do wrong to disgrace Great Jin's dignity?"
Hostages usually presented a united front to outsiders, but internal purges were exceptionally ruthless.
Moreover, Great Liang was always delighted to see the hostages tear each other apart, and punishments were generally light.
They wished nothing more than for Great Jin's delegation to fall into internal chaos. If too many slots became vacant, Great Jin would simply have to send another batch.
Shi Linyuan wore a strange expression. "I already said His Highness values you. Can't you understand plain words?"
"I understand," Wu Youren nodded. "I'm very glad, though I feel I hardly deserve it."
Hardly deserved it? His Highness shouldn't even have his eyes on someone like him; the gap between their stations was far too wide.
Even as a disposable pawn, he barely qualified.
Not to mention... if he were meant to be a disposable pawn, why would he be made to die once beforehand?
Shi Linyuan's eyes shifted. "Good that you understand. Then you should repay His Highness properly, shouldn't you?"
"Have I not repaid him?" Anger flared within Wu Youren. "Sixty percent of my living allowance is already handed over!"
The allowance sent by his family wasn't much to begin with, and sixty percent went straight into His Highness's 'Hidden Dragon Plan.'
The hostages' allowances were transferred through the Protocol Office under Great Liang's Court of State Ceremonial, so nothing could be hidden!
Of the remaining forty percent, Wu Youren could keep only ten percent. Ten percent went to the clerk of the Protocol Office, and twenty percent went to the Liang guards at the Hostage Manor.
These were the "rules."
"There was originally a jar of liquor in your room," Shi Linyuan said faintly. "A small jar."
"I see." Wu Youren raised a hand and slapped his forehead hard.
His expression turned bizarre. "No wonder it went missing. That liquor was a bit unusual, but... was that really necessary?"
"Of course. It was strong spirits," Shi Linyuan replied solemnly. "Don't you understand the difference between strong spirits and thin wine?"
*Of course I understand!* Wu Youren at least had that much common sense. Thin wine was for poor folk.
Watering down wine... no matter how much water was added, it was still thin wine. Strong spirits were a mark of premium quality; add water, and it was ruined.
However, one could add other things!
"A jar for thin wine holding strong spirits," Shi Linyuan said, his face deadpan. "What were you thinking?"
*That was wine meant to be sold to the Liang people...* Wu Youren felt utterly helpless. *Can I tell you that the wine is toxic?*
It was spiked with mineral drugs—actual mineral drugs!
This whole thing was a terrible misunderstanding, a mess cooked up by his predecessor mainly out of poverty.
Yet what surprised Wu Youren was that this world had developed such adulteration techniques as well!
There was no uniform term for mineral drugs here, nor even a unified understanding of them.
His predecessor had acquired a secret recipe and refined the mineral drugs using similar methods.
Had the processes not been so strikingly familiar, Wu Youren wouldn't have made the connection.
So it was only natural that his reaction was delayed—who could have guessed that his predecessor had lost his soul over this?
Then he frowned. *Wait, that can't be right. Only a minute trace of mineral drug can be added to the wine. It shouldn't kill someone on the spot, right?*
Washing down mineral drugs with wine, feeling bolder with every cup—ancient miscellanies were full of such tales, but that was meant for selling wine, not murder!
The danger lay in chronic poisoning; over the short term, it shouldn't cause immediate harm.
Certain mineral drugs were even used in traditional medicine; in insufficient doses, they weren't fatal.
His predecessor understood this, measured out an appropriate ratio, and took only a tiny sip, not daring to drink more.
Unable to bear discarding the rest, he had kept the sample jar, intending to find an opportunity to let the Hostage Manor guards "sample" it.
Who would have thought someone would steal it...
Then, a sudden thought struck him, and his face drained of color. "Did all of you drink it?"
In an instant, an icy chill gripped him, freezing his thoughts. Could the Seventeenth Prince have... kicked the bucket?
"Of course. It was such a small jar," Shi Linyuan said with a half-smile. "Youren, you really gave everyone quite a big surprise!"
*Then everything's fine!* Wu Youren composed himself and said calmly, "You stole my belongings, and you call it a surprise?"
A gap in status certainly existed between a merit lord and a viscount, but theft was theft!
Yet someone versed in office politics naturally had a counter. "If you had such a channel, why didn't you offer it to His Highness?"
"Because I'm poor," Wu Youren held up a single finger. "Ten percent. I only get ten percent of my allowance! I can't even afford the blood food needed for cultivation. Shouldn't I find a way to earn some money?"