Wen Zhuo had to eat two Palace Museum ice cream bars before Shen Zheng finally led him out through the Gate of Divine Might.
The moment they left the palace gate, the blue-brick paving beneath their feet gave way to a smooth, pitch-black asphalt road stretching wide into the distance. Iron-shelled vehicles streamed past in all shapes and sizes.
Wen Zhuo came to an abrupt halt, his body stiffening. Though Shen Zheng had described the world of later generations to him before, seeing it with his own eyes was still deeply shocking.
He simply could not imagine how the familiar capital of Da Qian had transformed, step by step, into what lay before him.
Unease stirring in his heart, he instinctively tightened his grip on Shen Zheng’s hand, eyeing the iron contraptions warily.
“Your Majesty, these objects are enormous, and they move like pythons. They are most dangerous.”
Shen Zheng gently rubbed the back of his hand with his fingertips. “Travel in later generations is governed by rules as well. Just as the laws of Da Qian state, ‘Anyone who, without cause, races carriages or horses through the streets and thereby injures another shall receive fifty strokes.’ If someone injures another person here, they will likewise be punished.”
Wen Zhuo felt somewhat reassured, but continued questioning him. “And how many strokes would they receive?”
“Later generations place greater emphasis on civilization than Da Qian does. They do not resort to flogging lightly.” Shen Zheng patiently explained, “At most, the offender would be detained or fined. Making them pay the price is sufficient.”
At that, Wen Zhuo sidelonged a glance at Shen Zheng and tentatively probed, “If that is so, then why, when I deceived Your Majesty before, was I made to...?”
Shen Zheng was not the least bit afraid of the question. Raising his brows with a teasing smile, he deliberately asked, “Made to what, Teacher? Say it.”
Wen Zhuo was rendered speechless. Instead, he flushed the tips of his ears crimson. In the end, he could only turn his head away and pretend to be composed.
Before long, Shen Zheng took out a little metal box called a cell phone. After tapping it several times, he summoned another iron shell.
The driver even came forward to open the door for them. Lifting the hem of his robe, Wen Zhuo bent at the waist and climbed inside, sitting properly as though he were boarding a palanquin.
Once the driver had settled into his seat, he turned his head toward Shen Zheng. “Last four digits of the booking number?”
Wen Zhuo was utterly confused. Shen Zheng gave four numbers, and the two exchanged a question and answer as though reciting a secret code.
Once the driver had the numbers, the vehicle glided smoothly forward.
Wen Zhuo mused to himself that a cell phone was rather like a royal pass: flash it once, and it could be exchanged for an ice cream; flash it again, and it could summon a carriage. Only, there were rather too many people in later generations who possessed such passes.
The hired car passed through the palace grounds, and Wen Zhuo could not resist leaning against the window, gazing outside without blinking.
He had never seen such a long stone arch bridge, nor such lofty buildings. Layer upon layer, they pierced the sky, far surpassing the Hall of Ancestral Worship and the Hall of Cool Serenity.
Shen Zheng explained everything along the way, pointing things out to him one by one.
“This is the Western Park. It is called Beihai Park now. In the past, it was reserved for the imperial family, but now ordinary people can enter and enjoy themselves as well.”
“Do you remember Pingliang Street? It is called Xi’anmen Avenue now. That taller gray building is a hospital, while the low buildings to the left are schools.”
“We’ll be home in about half an hour. See that blue archway and the opening in the ground? That is the subway I told you about. It is fast and convenient, though it is crowded and cramped.”
Wen Zhuo’s gaze followed Shen Zheng’s explanations here and there. Suddenly, he frowned and pointed at the street.
“Your Majesty, those bicycles are entirely different from the one you made. They can travel without anyone pedaling them. Why is that?”
“Those are electric scooters. We didn’t have the conditions to build them before.” Shen Zheng smiled. “If you’re curious, Wanshan, we can buy one when we get back.”
Wen Zhuo gently shook his head, his expression utterly serious. “There is no need to waste money, Your Majesty. You should save those silver coins and buy more ice cream instead.”
Ever since Wen Zhuo had gotten into the car, the driver in front had been repeatedly sneaking glances at him through the rearview mirror.
With that appearance and bearing, dressed in an ancient robe, he looked very much like some celebrity. Yet the things he and his companion discussed were so peculiar that the driver was more inclined to think him a history enthusiast.
Unable to suppress his curiosity any longer, the driver struck up a conversation. “Mr. Bi, is your friend visiting the capital from out of town?”
Shen Zheng took a moment to realize whom he was addressing. He did not explain, merely replied, “More or less. Sir, please keep your eyes on the road.”
Only then did the driver reluctantly turn his gaze away.
In fact, Wen Zhuo had remembered as soon as he boarded the car that he was not truly without a single possession. The longevity lock was still fastened around his ankle.
However, the item was worth more than a thousand pieces of gold. It had been personally given to him by His Majesty and could not be pawned lightly.
He decided to wait and see just how impoverished Shen Zheng had become in later generations before considering it.
When the car stopped, the two of them got out and entered the residence. Wen Zhuo stood in the courtyard, momentarily at a loss as to how he should judge it.
The house was completely unlike the Wen residence. It stood two stories high, was bright and open throughout, and had broad windows that allowed sunlight to pour in unhindered, leaving scarcely a dark corner inside.
Everything within sight was spotless, and every object had been arranged in perfect order. The bedroom alone was several times more spacious than the bedchamber in the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
If one had to name something similar, it was the wooden furniture, still fashioned in the ancient style and crafted with exquisite skill. Several calligraphic works and paintings hung on the walls. Their artistry was decent enough to please the eye.
As for what it lacked, his own residence had larger courtyards, more trees and flowers, and even running water. Most importantly, this place was truly far too distant from the imperial city.
Wen Zhuo stood by the door, feeling somewhat ill at ease.
Shen Zheng had already crouched down and taken out a pair of slippers. He bent one knee and patted the little stool by the entrance.
“Come. Sit down.”
Wen Zhuo did not understand, but obediently took a seat.
Shen Zheng remained on one knee and reached out to lift Wen Zhuo’s official robe, intending to remove his court boots.
“Don’t!” Wen Zhuo hurriedly reached out to stop him.
But Shen Zheng closed his hand around Wen Zhuo’s ankle. Without allowing any argument, he gently pulled off both the boot and sock, then slipped a slipper onto his foot.
Wen Zhuo could not resist him and had no choice but to let Shen Zheng fuss over him. Only when his toes touched the floor did he realize that these things resembled the footwear worn by the bare-armed, bare-toed women he had seen.
“Your Majesty, can these be worn outside?”
“These are worn indoors. They’re called slippers.” Shen Zheng smiled. His fingertips brushed over Wen Zhuo’s ankle, lightly nudging the longevity lock. The little bell inside chimed softly.
Wen Zhuo immediately pressed his knees together and covered his feet with the wide folds of his court robe, his expression turning bashful.
“I saw women wearing similar things without socks, walking openly through the streets.”
“Those are sandals.” Shen Zheng rose and led him farther inside. “The etiquette and customs of later generations are not as strict and restrictive as those of Da Qian. As for their light clothing, it is because the weather is hot. Didn’t you notice that it is much warmer and drier here than in Da Qian?”
He paused, then reminded him in a quiet voice, “Teacher, you must not call me Your Majesty in front of outsiders. Address me by my name instead. Fortunately, that driver misheard you just now. Otherwise, he would have thought there was something wrong with our heads.”
Wen Zhuo nodded and committed the instruction to memory. Looking around, he asked, “Does Your Majesty live in this residence alone?”
Shen Zheng led him to the bedroom, which was clean and spacious. “My parents from this era are here as well, but they are currently abroad on an exchange visit and won’t be back for a while. Someone comes by to clean the house from time to time.”
Wen Zhuo considered this for a moment. “Are Your Majesty’s father and mother officials of a rank similar to Liu Kangren’s?”
Shen Zheng could not hold back his laughter and shook his head. “They are entirely different. Liu Kangren devoted himself to serving Da Qian. My parents work for their own careers.”
He helped Wen Zhuo sit on the neatly made bed.
“Teacher, sit here for now. There are several rooms in my house, but since you and I are married, we must sleep in the same bed. Take off your court robe first. I’ll find you some clothes from this era to wear.”
This was not the first time Wen Zhuo had undressed before Shen Zheng, so upon hearing those words, he reached to loosen his leather belt and took off the outer official robe.
Shen Zheng turned and walked into the cloakroom to rummage through clothes, without turning his head as he added, "Take off your undergarment too. No one wears undergarments in later generations."
Wen Zhuo frowned slightly, but everything he had seen along the way confirmed that this was true, so he did as he was told and undid the ties of his undergarment.
Inside the cloakroom, Shen Zheng's gaze swept across the rows of clothes, finally settling on a slightly cyan long-sleeved casual shirt.
It was plain in color, close to the tone of the daily clothes Wen Zhuo usually wore, and it had never been worn by Shen Zheng before.
Shen Zheng took it casually, then picked up a pair of shorts.
"Teacher, stand up."
Wen Zhuo stood up. Shen Zheng personally took off the remaining undergarment on him, then tucked his long black hair that hung down his back, slipped the shirt over him, and buttoned up all the buttons one by one.
The shirt was a little too big, with the long sleeves hanging down to his fingertips, covering him completely, which made Wen Zhuo feel a little more at ease.
He took off his close-fitting underpants on his own, stood there quietly, waiting for Shen Zheng to bring him his trousers.
Shen Zheng looked at the person in front of him, his Adam's apple rolling gently.
The loose shirt draped over his fair, porcelain-like skin, half covering and half revealing, making him look so delicate and captivating that he was a breathtaking sight.
He flipped his hand and tossed that pair of shorts back into the cloakroom, his face as calm as usual, "You're dressed properly."
"?"
Wen Zhuo was stunned, and asked warily, "Why are my clothes different from Your Majesty's?"
Shen Zheng said in all seriousness, "I'm wearing outdoor clothes, while yours are home clothes. I haven't changed yet."
Wen Zhuo tugged at the hem of the shirt desperately, but his legs were bare, and the shirt barely covered anything.
"I'm not used to this. I'd better put on my court trousers."
As he said that, he was about to reach for the trousers, but Shen Zheng stopped him, a smile creeping into his eyes. He gently held Wen Zhuo in place, and whispered, "Teacher, since you've come to later generations, you have to follow the local customs. At home, in front of your husband, it's normal not to wear underpants."
After saying that, he wrapped his arm around Wen Zhuo's waist, lifted him up, and kissed and tasted his lips.
Wen Zhuo's breath gradually became ragged. The shirt was rolled up, and the covered parts became fewer and fewer, until finally all was laid bare, and he was completely overwhelmed.
"Your Majesty... why didn't you ever tell me about these things before?"
"It's not too late to tell you now." Shen Zheng pushed into the warm, soft valley of his body, kissing away his trembling sobs.
The room was filled with lingering affection, and it was a long time before things settled down.
Wen Zhuo was completely exhausted, and Shen Zheng carried him to the bathroom to clean up.
He leaned close to Shen Zheng's ear and whispered, "Your Majesty, please grow your hair long. It makes me feel very awkward."
Shen Zheng nuzzled his earlobe affectionately, "Everything for Wanshan."
In the past, when Wen Zhuo was this tired, he would have long since rolled into the bedding, buried his head in the pillow and fallen into a deep sleep.
But today, as he had just arrived in later generations, his eyes were full of novel things. He was so eager for knowledge that he was not the least bit sleepy.
His long black hair was still damp. Shen Zheng sat by the bed, wiping it gently with a soft towel.
Wen Zhuo suddenly turned his head, reached out to hold Shen Zheng's forearm, his eyes earnest and urgent, "There are so many things in later generations that I don't understand. I don't want to be an ignorant person. Your Majesty, do you have any ancient books for me to read and study?"
Shen Zheng tucked the hickey on Wen Zhuo's collarbone under his shirt collar, and said softly, "Reading books is too slow. It's better to watch videos. I told you before that in later generations, there is a device that can capture the scenes in front of you and save them in a storage folder, so you can watch them anytime later. Do you remember that?"
"A camera." Wen Zhuo blurted out the answer.
"Wait for me." Shen Zheng got up and went to the outer room, bringing back a tablet. He tapped on the screen, found seven or eight popular science videos covering humanities, politics, technology and many other fields.
He had planned to hold Wen Zhuo in his arms and lean against the head of the bed to watch together, explaining things to him whenever needed. But just at that moment, the mobile phone on the bedside table vibrated violently. He picked it up and saw his advisor's name on the screen, followed by a scolding message —
"The Daqian Shunyuan Dynasty you wrote in your thesis is completely inconsistent with official history! Revise it immediately, and send me the outline tonight!!!"
Shen Zheng felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He cursed under his breath, realizing that he had completely forgotten about the most important thesis!
"Wanshan, you watch by yourself first. I have an urgent matter to deal with." He quickly kissed Wen Zhuo on the forehead, changed all the fonts on the tablet to traditional Chinese, renamed the wake word of the smart assistant to 'Liu Qiying', and told him, "Teacher, if you have anything you don't understand, just say 'Hi Liu Qiying' to it, then ask your question, and it will answer you."
Wen Zhuo was so fascinated by this almost magical device, his mind full of novelty, that he didn't care if Shen Zheng was there to accompany him or not.
He raised his hand and gently touched the cold screen, looking at the neat characters on it, and casually replied, "Your Majesty, go quickly. I can teach myself."
"Call me if you need anything." Shen Zheng massaged his temples, replying to his advisor's WeChat messages as he walked quickly to the study.
Wen Zhuo tapped his fingertip lightly, and the video started playing immediately.
He sat up straight at once, ignoring the slight soreness in his back, watching intently.
The seven videos were finished quickly, and he still felt unsatisfied, so he selected other content to watch on his own.
The tablet seemed mysterious, but it was extremely easy to operate. With his intelligence, he mastered it in the blink of an eye.
But when he accidentally clicked on a physics popular science video, he finally got lost, unable to understand a single thing. Only then did he remember the method Shen Zheng had left him.
He leaned forward slightly, bringing his face close to the tablet, and spoke in a precise, courteous tone, "Hi Liu Qiying."
A faint swirl appeared on the screen right away, and a sweet, soft voice replied briskly, "I'm here."
Wen Zhuo was about to ask who Newton was, but then he thought of another thing that puzzled him even more.
He glanced at the closed study door, leaned over and asked humbly, "I came here from the Great Qian Dynasty, and suddenly arrived at this present world. I heard that in this world, at home, one must not wear underpants in front of one's husband. What is the reason for this?"
He spoke as seriously as if he was asking a question in a private school, waiting patiently for the answer.
Soon, the sweet soft voice said, "Young master from the Great Qian Dynasty, there is no such rule in this world. You must have misheard it!"
"..."
Wen Zhuo's brows twitched slightly. He calmed the ripples in his heart, and asked again, "Thank you for the clarification. I have another question. I heard that between married couples in this world, if someone hurts themselves, the law will regard it as damaging shared property, and make them apologize in public. Is that true?"
The sweet soft voice answered straightforwardly, "Young master from the Great Qian Dynasty, that's a complete misunderstanding. There is no such rule in the laws of the present world!"
Wen Zhuo sat up slowly, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he spoke again, his voice was slightly tight, "May I ask if the close-fitting clothes in later generations are made of thin, delicate fabric, tied only with silk ribbons, impossible to cover the body properly, making people feel ashamed?"
The sweet soft voice laughed out loud, "Hahaha, young master from the Great Qian Dynasty! The close-fitting clothes in later generations all cover the body properly, are decent and appropriate, and are nothing like what you described. That's the bellyband from the Great Qian Dynasty!"
These words made Wen Zhuo's face turn bright red all the way from his collarbone to the tip of his ears. He was so ashamed and annoyed that he said in a deep voice, "My room has a door. May I ask how to lock it completely?"
The sweet soft voice hurriedly soothed him, "Don't be angry, young master from the Great Qian Dynasty! I'll teach you right now!"
