Travelers from the Eight Directions

Xiaren was a history student with a particular fascination with the Ming dynasty. He often spent hours in the library’s rare-books section, poring over historical texts until he forgot to eat or sleep. One day, he stumbled upon an old thread-bound book. Its pages had yellowed, and the writing was blurred. Curiosity got the better of him, and as soon as he opened it, a strange force pulled him inside.

When Xiaren opened his eyes again, he found himself in an unfamiliar place. His T-shirt and jeans had become rough hemp clothes, and the buildings around him were steeped in the style of ancient times. He realized he had transmigrated to the Ming dynasty, and felt both excited and uneasy.

A girl in ancient dress appeared and asked him with concern how he was feeling. Her name was A Yue, and she was a doctor’s assistant. Seeing that Xiaren was unconscious, she had brought him back to the clinic to care for him. Xiaren explained that he came from the future. A Yue was skeptical, but still looked after him attentively.

With A Yue’s help, Xiaren gradually adapted to life in ancient times and learned that he had arrived during the Yongle era. Remembering that the Yongle Emperor, Zhu Di, had grown suspicious in his later years and that his health had steadily deteriorated, Xiaren came up with the idea of using his modern medical knowledge to help Zhu Di. He hoped the opportunity would also let him learn more about this era.