Li Daoxuan found himself staring at the diorama box for the entire day.
He barely noticed the passage of time. Only when hunger became impossible to ignore did he finally look away long enough to order some takeout, after which his attention returned immediately to the tiny world before him.
Before he knew it, evening had arrived.
Outside his apartment, Shuangqing City was bathed in the golden glow of sunset. The towering buildings and distant streets shimmered beneath the fading light, gradually surrendering to the coming night.
What surprised him, however, was that the same transformation was happening inside the diorama box.
The sky within the miniature world slowly darkened as well, shifting from bright afternoon to dusky twilight.
This made no sense.
His room was brightly lit by fluorescent lights, their white glow shining directly onto the glass enclosure. Yet somehow, that artificial light failed to penetrate the world inside. The villagers' sky obeyed its own rules, following its own sun.
Li Daoxuan frowned slightly.
The box contained far too many strange mysteries already. Compared to everything else he had witnessed, the behavior of its light no longer seemed worth dwelling on.
What concerned him more was something else entirely.
Gao Chuwu and the others had not returned.
They had left early that morning, full of determination, yet now the day was nearly over, and there was still no sign of them. An uneasy feeling settled into his chest, growing heavier as time passed.
It reminded him of someone raising a yard full of kittens, only for four mischievous ones to wander off beyond the fence.
No matter how independent they might be, worry was inevitable.
Just as his anxiety reached its peak, movement appeared at the very edge of the diorama box.
Five tiny figures.
Li Daoxuan's eyes widened.
"They're back."
Relief washed over him almost instantly.
Gao Chuwu and the others had returned safely.
San Shier regained consciousness halfway through the journey.
The first thing he saw was four young villagers surrounding him, each gripping a thick wooden club. Their expressions were serious, their gazes fixed firmly on him, leaving no room for misunderstanding.
He was being escorted.
At club-point.
San Shier was no fool. He understood his situation immediately.
He stole a few cautious glances at them and quickly reached a conclusion.
These were simple villagers. Honest. Straightforward.
Which also meant they were not people one could reason with easily.
If he spoke carelessly, he might earn himself another blow to the head.
So he wisely chose silence.
Step by step, he followed them all the way to Gao Family Village.
For someone unaccustomed to physical labor, walking more than thirty li was pure torture. His legs trembled with exhaustion, and his stomach burned with hunger.
By the time they finally entered the village, he had reached his limit.
He collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.
"So this… is Gao Family Village…" he wheezed.
He lifted his head weakly, looking at Gao Chuwu.
"My good sirs… now that we have arrived… perhaps you can finally tell me your purpose?"
He paused briefly before adding with forced dignity,
"This is what one calls revealing the dagger after the map is unrolled."
Gao Chuwu ignored the phrase entirely.
"You three keep watching him," he said. "I'll go get Yiye."
Without waiting for a response, he ran off toward Gao Yiye's house.
But there was no need.
Li Daoxuan had already seen everything.
He leaned closer to the box and spoke softly,
"Yiye. Yiye."
Inside her small, broken house, Gao Yiye had just finished her evening meal and was quietly mending torn clothing beneath the dim light.
The moment she heard his voice, her entire body trembled.
She immediately dropped what she was doing and fell to her knees with a soft thud.
"Tianzun," she said reverently, "what are your commands?"
Gao Yiye's voice carried both devotion and nervousness.
Li Daoxuan spoke calmly.
"Gao Chuwu has brought back a man who appears to be educated. I need to ask him a few questions."
"I will obey," she replied without hesitation.
"Go quickly," Li Daoxuan added. "He will arrive at your door shortly."
Gao Yiye rose at once and opened the door.
Outside, Gao Chuwu stood frozen mid-motion, his hand raised, about to knock.
He stared at her in surprise.
"Yiye? How did you know I was here?"
"Tianzun told me," she answered simply. "You've returned, and you brought an educated man."
Gao Chuwu instinctively glanced upward.
His expression turned reverent.
Without another word, Gao Yiye ran toward the village entrance.
By then, word had already spread.
The village was small. News traveled faster than the wind.
All forty-two villagers soon gathered together.
Men. Women. Children. Elderly.
They stood in silence, watching San Shier.
The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the earth. Golden light stretched across their figures, turning them into dark silhouettes against the fading glow.
The atmosphere was strangely oppressive.
San Shier felt his heart tremble.
Before anyone could speak, he hurriedly blurted out,
"Please, don't misunderstand! I was not the one collecting taxes! I spoke against it. I advised the magistrate to spare the people, and he dismissed me because of it!"
His voice grew louder as panic overtook him.
"If you have grievances, you should seek the magistrate. Not me!"
He swallowed.
"This is what one calls clearly distinguishing gratitude and grudges."
The villagers parted.
A path opened.
Gao Yiye stepped forward.
San Shier's gaze fell upon her.
Confusion flickered across his face.
Why her?
Normally, a village chief or elder would handle such matters. Yet here, it was a young woman standing at the forefront.
Gao Yiye lowered her head slightly, listening.
Then she spoke.
"Who are you?"
"What position did you hold?"
"How many books have you read?"
"How much of the world have you seen?"
San Shier straightened instinctively.
"My surname is San," he declared proudly. "I was born on the second day of the tenth month, hence my name, San Shier."
He drew a breath.
"I formerly served as strategist to the magistrate of Chengcheng County. I studied diligently for ten years and have traveled far and wide."
His voice suddenly rose dramatically.
"This is what one calls possessing immense literary talent."
Li Daoxuan nearly laughed.
This man was ridiculous.
"Ask him what year it is," Li Daoxuan said.
Gao Yiye relayed the question.
San Shier froze.
What kind of question was that?
Still, he dared not refuse.
"It is the seventh year of Tianqi," he answered. "Seventh month."
He paused, clearly distressed.
"This statement… cannot be summarized with an idiom."
He clutched his head in visible agony.
The villagers stared at him in bafflement.
But Li Daoxuan did not laugh.
His expression had gone completely rigid.
Tianqi Seven.
He knew that reign year.
Anyone familiar with Ming history knew it.
That was the year Emperor Tianqi died.
The year Emperor Chongzhen ascended the throne.
The beginning of the final chapter of the Great Ming Dynasty.
Drought. Rebellion. Collapse.
His throat felt dry.
Could this be real?
No.
It had to be coincidence.
It had to be.
"Ask him the name of the current emperor," Li Daoxuan said quietly.
Gao Yiye obeyed.
San Shier's expression turned solemn.
"A humble man such as myself would never dare utter the emperor's given name."
He bowed his head.
"This is what one calls honoring the sovereign."
Li Daoxuan stared at him for a moment.
Then he said calmly,
"Beat him up."