I traveled back to ancient times, but I was able to lie down and relax.

Although Liu Nanjia's joking remarks were somewhat absurd, for some reason, they made him feel much better and pulled him back to reality from his chaotic thoughts.

Song Chen slowly began to speak: "As you know, my original name was An Mingqi, and Song is my mother's surname. The An family has been a family of military generals since the founding of the country. Every generation has produced generals, and every generation has also had people who died on the battlefield. The most recent ones were my grandfather and my eldest uncle."

“My father wasn’t very old then, not much older than I am now. He said that when my grandfather and eldest uncle went to the battlefield, he kept pestering me to go too. My grandfather forced him to stay at home, promising to take him hunting when he returned. That’s why he stayed. But then… everyone said that the Yong’an Marquis’s mansion was going to decline, but my father resolutely joined the army, starting as a private and climbing the ranks step by step until he finally became a general, upholding the mansion. But I never expected…”

Song Chen didn't finish his sentence, but Liu Nanjia understood and marveled at how remarkable General An was. Originally a noble young master of a marquis's mansion, he underwent a dramatic change overnight, yet he not only survived but also single-handedly returned to his rightful place.

However, Liu Nanjia hesitated for a moment, unsure whether she should voice her thoughts, before finally saying, "Song Chen, have you ever considered that perhaps the deaths of your grandfather and uncle weren't accidents after all?"

It's understandable that she overthinks things. Two generations in a row, first the main members of the family both died on the battlefield, and in Song Chen's words, the whole family was almost wiped out. When Song Chen's father finally managed to climb back up, the result was an even more devastating blow: the family's property was confiscated.

Could there be no conspiracy involved? Liu Nanjia didn't believe it. Based on her experience reading history and watching movies and TV series, the An family, the Yong'an Marquis's mansion, had probably been blocking someone's way long ago, perhaps even the one above them.

Song Chen fell silent again after hearing her words.

If Liu Nanjia could see through it, how could he, a young master of a marquis's family who grew up in the capital and was influenced by his surroundings, not see it clearly? Even if he didn't understand it then, he should understand it now.

"So, from a young age, my parents didn't let me get involved in military affairs and forced me to study literature. It is said that my older brother was also forced to study when he was young, but he was really not cut out for it, so my parents had to give up. As for me, I started studying as soon as I can remember. But I really envied the majestic look of my father and older brother practicing martial arts on the training ground every day, so I secretly learned on my own. As a result, my older brother found out and secretly taught me."

As Song Chen spoke, he seemed to recall some funny things from his childhood, and a smile appeared on his lips.

"And then?" Liu Nanjia pressed.

"Of course, it got discovered. My brother was only two years older than me, and he hadn't learned much himself, yet he dared to teach me. He got a beating from my dad. After that, when my dad taught my older brother every day, he also made me follow along, but I still had to study when it was time to study, and studying was the priority."

"So my skills are far inferior to my elder brother's, let alone my father's. If it were them, they might have survived the pursuers without the servant dying in my place..."

Seeing that he was rambling on about sad things again, Liu Nanjia quickly interrupted him: "You can't think like that. So many pursuers are chasing you. It would be the same no matter who came. They will only stop when they catch someone or see someone die with their own eyes. Didn't you hear what those two said? They even went to the bottom of the cliff to search themselves until they found the body."

"So it's definitely not your fault. Your servant, since he was willing to sacrifice himself to protect you, you should live on for his sake. Not only him, but your family also wants you to live well. Remember what you told my brother and the others? Maybe they're watching you from somewhere!"

"Don't worry," Song Chen forced a smile, but didn't manage to. "I won't take my own life, otherwise I wouldn't have asked you to save me back then."

"Thank you. I feel much better now that you've listened to what I've been through. Stop talking about me and tell me about your situation."

"Hey, don't thank me. It's better to talk things out than to keep them bottled up. But you can only tell me these things, not my brother and the others. They'll be terrified. Tell us about us? What is it?"

Liu Nanjia initially waved her hand magnanimously, indicating that it was just a chat and there was no need to thank her. Then she seemed a little puzzled—about her own siblings? The three of them seemed to be doing quite well these days.

Song Chen genuinely laughed this time. "You're afraid your brother will be scared, but why aren't you afraid at all? To be honest, I wouldn't dare say those things you said so easily."

Liu Nanjia felt ashamed. As a modern person, emperors were too far removed from her world; how could she possibly have any fear of them? Of course, she was only at home; she certainly wouldn't dare say such things outside.

So he mumbled, "Well, it's because the emperor is so far away, he can't hear me. I was just rambling in my own home. What did you just say about us?"

Let's change the subject quickly.