Tianqi City, a strategic hub in the southern border of the Empire, was a place where merchants gathered and academies flourished. On the surface, it seemed like a paradise, peaceful with lively festivals and the populace living in harmony. Yet beneath that tranquil exterior, the city was a deep pool, its waters swirling with hidden currents.
Li Ze sat in a corner of the tavern, holding a crude clay wine bowl filled with slightly sour yellow wine. As he drank, he listened attentively to the conversations around him, hoping to piece together the true nature of this era.
"Did you hear? Yesterday, Wang the butcher from West Street had his leg broken by the tax officers—just because he owed three coins," one man muttered.
"How could we not hear? The 'Tax Inspection Bureau' is worse than thieves now. Even beggars are getting checked to see if they've been evading taxes," another responded.
"You're telling me! The new head of the Bureau is ruthless. In just one month, he's executed seventeen commoners for 'disobedience.' Hmph, where do they get the power to disobey?" a third man chimed in.
Li Ze's expression tightened, and the wine bowl in his hand trembled slightly. Though he had grown up in an ordinary family, he had studied history and ancient systems for many years. Yet, when truly faced with the situation, the weight of oppression was far more real and suffocating than anything he had read in books.
Just as his mind grew heavy, a loud scream pierced the tavern's chatter.
"Let go of my daughter! You corrupt officials!"
Outside the tavern, a disheveled elderly woman knelt on the ground, clinging desperately to a group of officers dressed in embroidered fish-scale uniforms. They were forcefully dragging a young girl of fourteen or fifteen, her face streaked with tears and fear.
"How dare you, commoner! Your daughter owes the county office money. It's only right she be taken to pay her debt! Drag her away!" one of the officers barked.
"But she didn't owe the debt! Her dead father was forced to sign it when he was wronged! She was just a child!" the elderly woman wailed.
Li Ze watched the scene unfold, his heart churning. He clenched his fists but then let them relax. He wasn't a hero. He had no martial skills, no official position, no connections. He had only just crossed over to this world and to intervene now would be asking for trouble.
Yet, he knew this was not an isolated incident.
It was the "normalcy" experienced by countless people in the Empire every single day.
His teeth gritted, Li Ze drank the rest of his wine in one gulp. Then, with a sudden resolve, he stood up and walked toward the door.
"Stop!"
Before he could finish his sentence, he had stepped between the officers and the girl. His voice wasn't loud, but it immediately silenced the entire tavern.
"I will pay the debt owed by this girl," he declared.
Everyone froze in surprise, and even the officers paused for a moment. The leader narrowed his eyes, sizing Li Ze up, then sneered, "And who are you to her?"
"I'm no one to her. I'm just a scholar who can't stand to watch this," Li Ze replied calmly.
The officer scoffed, "A scholar? Do you know how much she owes? One hundred taels of silver."
Li Ze's face paled. He had only a small amount of copper coins he'd found on the street earlier, not even enough to cover one tael, let alone one hundred. But he stared the officer down, his voice steady and unyielding.
"By law, debts owed by the common people can be settled in the town records, with the headman serving as guarantor for installment payments. You have no court ruling, yet you are forcibly taking her—this is both unlawful and unjust."
A murmur of shock rippled through the onlookers.
The officer's expression darkened. "Are you teaching us how to do our job?"
Li Ze didn't retreat. Instead, he moved forward. "I'm simply telling you—this is not your domain. This is a place governed by the law of Tianqi City. If you take her, you are breaking the law."
Furious, the officer reached for his sword. But then, a voice came from behind the crowd.
"Hold on."
The crowd parted, and a young man in a green robe strode forward with elegant poise. Holding a folding fan, he gave Li Ze a half-smile, his gaze both mocking and amused.
"Your words seem... untimely, sir."
Li Ze raised an eyebrow. "And you are?"
The young man didn't answer directly. He glanced down at the mother and daughter, then turned to the officer with a calm, indifferent voice.
"Release them."
"But, sir..." the officer hesitated.
"Release them," the young man repeated firmly.
Grinding his teeth, the officer had no choice but to let go. The girl collapsed to the ground, clinging to her mother and crying uncontrollably.
The young man put away his fan and turned to Li Ze with a slight smile. "What's your name?"
"Li Ze."
"Li Ze, what a good name," the young man said thoughtfully. "I'm Shen Yunwang, a lecturer at Tianqi Academy, tasked with overseeing the scholars." He paused, his eyes darkening. "If you hadn't interfered today, I wouldn't have remembered you. But now, I do."
He patted Li Ze on the shoulder, speaking quietly. "In this world, many things cannot be solved by reason."
Li Ze stood there, watching Shen Yunwang's retreating figure, and felt as if this unfamiliar era had finally begun to unveil its true face to him.
His first trial of fate had begun.