Glancing at the sky outside the courtyard, Chu Mu set down his book. He stood up, stretched, and seemed to accidentally bump the puppy lying by his feet.
The puppy whimpered a couple of times and looked up at Chu Mu, then docilely rubbed its fluffy head against his heel.
"Hahaha…"
Chu Mu burst into laughter. 'This little pup is surprisingly clever. It's not so bad keeping it around.'
After squatting down to rub its fur, Chu Mu stood up again. He stood at the doorway, gazing at the snowflakes dancing in the courtyard, his thoughts inevitably drifting back to that history book.
Seven hundred years of the Great Chu, a prosperous nation and a peaceful populace—as dream-like as a fairy tale.
That was what the history books recorded!
But from what he had seen, even in the small confines of Nanshan Town, it wasn't hard to tell that reality was far from the beautiful picture painted in the books.
The people of this world were not so kind and virtuous, and there was certainly no shortage of the ambitious.
This world was not truly one of prosperity and peace.
In the history of his past life, the longest-surviving dynasty was the Zhou Dynasty, which lasted nearly eight hundred years. But it existed during an era of feudalism, encompassing the Western Zhou, Eastern Zhou, Spring and Autumn, and Warring States periods. It was an age where countless heroes stirred up chaos, each eyeing the throne.
So how had this Great Chu held the throne securely for seven hundred years?
It must be understood that this Great Chu was no tiny country. According to the historical records, it had eighteen provinces and 2,638 counties!
Its territory was vast, probably comparable in size to the Huaxia of his previous life.
With such an immense territory, it couldn't possibly be a small, controlled vassal state with some kind of puppet emperor on the throne.
Suddenly, Chu Mu couldn't help but think of the Paper Currency, so exquisite it seemed out of place for this era. He thought of the minerals that seemed to defy market logic, the cheap grain, the high cost of knowledge…
'Everything seems unrelated, yet it all seems to indicate that there's more to this era than meets the eye.'
Chu Mu let out a long breath. A flicker in his eyes, and he suppressed these thoughts once more.
'I should be grateful,' he thought. 'Great Chu has ruled for seven hundred years, and the central authority remains strong.'
At the very least, it meant that the era he had arrived in was still a long way from chaos.
After a moment of contemplation, Chu Mu reined in his thoughts, turned back into his room, and grabbed his already-prepared satchel. He then headed out the door, braving the wind and snow.
He planned to spend this morning at the private school.
Speaking of which, nearly a month of studying at the private school had completely overturned Chu Mu's impression of education in this era.
Originally, Chu Mu had assumed that private schooling in this age would be rigid, strict, and bound by convention.
But the reality had far exceeded his expectations.
The education at the school was not only lenient and flexible but was actually quite relaxed. It even had a faint feeling of "happy education."
In Mr. Chang's own words, "Knowledge is for application; how can we be shackled to mere ink and paper?"
Guided by such a philosophy, the learning atmosphere at the school was naturally very relaxed and not at all confined to the so-called philosophies of sages and saints.
Chu Mu didn't know if this was an exception, but this kind of learning environment undoubtedly made him feel much more comfortable.
After all, he was just there to learn how to read. He wasn't preparing for any imperial examinations or to become an official. If it had been too rigid and harsh, he would have been miserable.
He hurried to the Chang Mansion, but only a moment later, Chu Mu reappeared at its entrance.
Chu Mu felt a bit helpless. The Inspection Office had never taken a break, which had made him forget that the private school had holidays.
"Good thing the snow stopped."
Chu Mu looked up at the sky, brushed the snowflakes from his shoulders, and started walking back the way he came.
The wind howled and snow filled the air, and there were few people on the street. In contrast, the restaurants and taverns by the roadside were all bustling with activity.
"Sir, will you be dining or lodging?"
As he was just passing a restaurant, a waiter greeted him with a cheerful smile.
Chu Mu's eyebrow twitched. He subconsciously glanced at the sign, where the three words "A Guest Arrives" came into view.
A strange look crossed Chu Mu's face. The welcome was so enthusiastic he thought he'd taken a wrong turn and ended up at Fengyue Tower again…
'Fengyue Tower…'
Recalling that lavish night at Fengyue Tower, Chu Mu couldn't help but smack his lips, savoring the memory for some reason.
'You have to admit, no matter the era, those places of pleasure really know how to show you a good time.'
"Alright, I'll eat."
Chu Mu glanced at the lively clamor inside the restaurant. His initial thought was to refuse, but for some reason, his mind changed. He nodded, and amidst the waiter's calls, he stepped into the establishment.
Over a month of life in this Otherworld had been uneventful, but it had also made Chu Mu aware of a rather serious problem.
Although the original owner's memories were complete, he had been young, and his social circle was too small. He had almost no knowledge of the outside world.
And as for him… he was new here and completely in the dark. On top of that, his official duties at the Inspection Office, along with his studies and martial arts training, took up almost all of his time.
His social circle was hardly any better than the original owner's.
Now, he had made significant progress in learning to read, his martial arts training was starting to show results, and he had fully settled into his position at the Inspection Office.
Chu Mu felt it was perhaps time to change his lifestyle.
This was precisely why he had changed his mind about eating here.
After all, the people who could afford to eat in this restaurant would have some spare money and leisure time. Listening to their grand discussions after their meals would, at the very least, broaden his own knowledge.
The inn had three stories. A central staircase was surrounded by an atrium. The second floor was clearly another dining area, while the windows and doors on the third floor were shut tight, indicating it was for lodging.
Although it was only morning, the first floor of the inn was already buzzing with voices. As far as the eye could see, there wasn't an empty seat.
Chu Mu wasn't surprised. In Nanshan Town, the most unique custom was probably the tradition of morning drinking.
Even at the Inspection Office, there were plenty of people who came in dizzy from drinking first thing in the morning.
Let alone in the town itself. People with spare time and money were never in short supply, no matter the era.
After a look around, Chu Mu followed the waiter up to the second floor. Compared to the packed first floor, the second floor seemed much more spacious.
"I'll sit here."
Chu Mu pointed to a table and chairs beside him and sat down without waiting for the waiter to respond.
The seat was next to the atrium railing, offering a perfect, unobstructed view of the bustling first floor.
"Right away, sir! What can I get for you? Our signature dishes for morning drinks are the Eight-Treasure Pork Stomach, the Ten-Perfection Chili, and our special Roast Goose… Our fiery liquor is also top-notch. On a cold winter day like this, a warm pot of that will keep you comfortable all day long…"
"A pot of liquor, an order of the Ten-Perfection Chili, and a roast goose."
Chu Mu replied casually. The chattering waiter immediately stopped his sales pitch, acknowledged with a cheerful laugh, shouted an order downstairs, and hurried away.
Chu Mu scanned his surroundings, then looked down at the floor below.
Amidst the clamor, the most eye-catching figure was, of course, the storyteller on a raised platform to one side. He was nearly seventy, with a clever tongue, and his eloquent tales had drawn a large crowd of diners…
…