The Empress traveled through time and space, and she fought for supremacy in the troubled times

The shopkeeper's hand holding the abacus shook for a moment, but soon stabilized.

"Thank you for your kindness, my lord. I don't have any requests. I just want to continue running this dental clinic."

He is a very versatile person, treats people with proper courtesy, is not flattering, speaks neither servilely nor arrogantly, and has principles.

He is extremely proficient in arithmetic and has his own way of training people.

Yun Zhi picked up the tea beside her, took a sip, and put it down, her eyes full of determination.

Seeing that Yun Zhi didn't answer, the shopkeeper tightened his grip on the abacus, but did not change his words.

Putting down the teacup, he said, "I haven't asked the shopkeeper's name yet."

He put the abacus aside and said, "My surname is Xu, and my name is Shi Ling."

Yun Zhi looked at the pattern on the teacup and asked casually, "Manager Xu, you are not from here, right?"

"Yes, my ancestral home is in Yangzhou, and later my family moved here."

Yangzhou is located a little further south.

Yun Zhi nodded thoughtfully. Yangzhou is a place with a strong literary style and has produced the most top scholars over the years.

She raised her head, a faint smile on her lips, "Manager Xu must be the son of an official, or an official who has passed the imperial examination."

Shopkeeper Xu bent his fingers slightly and immediately took over the conversation, his expression unchanged, "My Lord, you are really joking. My family used to be in business, but after falling into poverty, we moved here with our family."

In Qingyun County, what was circulated about Xu Shiling's family background was indeed as he said: he was the son of a merchant, and came here after his family fell into poverty.

He held out his calloused hands and said, "My Lord, look at my hands. They don't look like that kind of person."

"is it?"

Shopkeeper Xu looked straight into those eyes, feeling as if everything was seen through him.

Even so, his expression remained unchanged, "Yes."

"Manager Xu, you can even lie to people without batting an eyelid. You're truly amazing."

Shopkeeper Xu hunched over, a puzzled expression on his face. "I don't know why the Lord is suspicious of my identity. I am indeed just an ordinary person."

Yun Zhi tapped the table lightly, causing the tea in the cup to sway. "You may not realize it, but some of these actions have become part of your DNA."

"When I got off the carriage, you bowed your head in a very standard manner. You must have practiced many times to be able to do it so smoothly."

"And Shopkeeper Xu's gait is an official gait, right? Each step is the same length, the footfall is steady, he walks silently, and his arms swing naturally. How could a merchant's son learn this official gait?"

Yun Zhi stopped tapping her fingers and raised them to look at them.

"Besides, the way Manager Xu brewed tea just now was very pleasing to the eye. I heard that officials in the previous dynasty all loved the art of making tea and would learn it."

"Manager Xu, do you still think you're a merchant's son?"

"puff"

Xu Shiling knelt on the ground and said, "I hope my lord will forgive me."

"Tell me about your true life story."

"I don't want to cause any trouble, so I have always claimed to be the son of a merchant. In fact, I am the son of the former Guanglu Shiqing."

His life story is simple. At the peak of his career, he was brought down to the dust.

His father was a third-rank official, and he lived up to his family's expectations, successfully becoming the top scholar that year, and was paraded through the streets on horseback, enjoying a moment of fame.

It was also at this time that my father was involved in a party dispute. In order to protect his family, he hanged himself to prove his innocence.

The final result was that the other members of the Xu family survived, but were demoted to commoners, their property was confiscated, and their descendants were no longer allowed to take the imperial examinations.

At this point, he was in his twenties and was supporting the family.

After returning to my hometown, I did all kinds of work, which is why I have calluses on my hands now.

Later, due to the gossip of neighbors, he moved here with his family.

He was afraid that if he told his true background, people here would point fingers at him like they had done before, so he changed his appearance and said that he was the son of a merchant.

I have been here for so many years and no one has discovered me, but I didn’t expect Yun Zhi to see through me.

After finishing his rough account of his life, Xu Shiling, who was crawling on the ground, raised his head.

"I don't have any big aspirations. I just want to live my life like this. I'm content with the life I'm living now."

Looking at the man with a face that looked indifferent, Yun Zhi chuckled.

"Is it because he has nothing to aspire to, or is it because he's afraid of being in the same situation again? Has the once-proud champion become so timid now?"

"When the official announced the winner of the first class, Xu Shiling, what was going through Xu's mind? When he was paraded through the streets with his horse in the air and the people cheering, what was going through Xu's mind?"

"You can't be afraid of the rope for the rest of your life after being bitten by a snake once."

Yun Zhi stood up and walked slowly towards him.

"Doesn't Xu Zhuangyuan want to return to that glorious moment when everyone was watching him?"

"Don't you want to redress the injustice done to your father who died?"

"Don't you want to be the glory of your family and be respected and admired by future generations?"

"Don't you want to work for the welfare of these suffering people?"

"Don't you want to be remembered for eternity and be admired by the world?"

Yun Zhi bent down and closed the distance with him. "Could it be that Mr. Top Scholar wishes to waste his immense talent and be content to live a mediocre life as the owner of a mere pawnshop?"

"Submit to me, and all your wishes will come true. In these troubled times, survival is already difficult. Why not give it a try? If you win, your heroic name will be etched in history books."

"Xu Shiling, do you want to take a gamble?"

Xu Shiling, kneeling on the ground, was trembling all over.

What was he thinking when the official announcing his name was sung out loud and the people were cheering and throwing silk flowers at him while he was paraded through the streets?

He thought that he must use his talents to ensure that the people of Tianqi could live and work in peace and contentment, without suffering from the chaos of war, and to have his name, Xu Shiling, recorded in history.

How could the top scholar, who was so glorious at that time, not have his own ambitions?

However, everything that happened later wore him down, and he was afraid to talk about his past.

Now, when I think back to my youth, I feel like the ambition I had back then is beginning to reawaken.

His name means that his father hopes that he will maintain his lofty ambitions in his official career.

Now, is he going to take a gamble?

His palms were wet with sweat as he looked at his lord who had been waiting for his reply.

At this moment, everything seemed clear.

Follow your heart.

"I, Xu Shiling, am willing to submit to the Lord's command. I will never betray the Lord in this life. I hope to create a peaceful and prosperous era with the Lord."