xymnovel Chapter 134 Original Worldline Side Story 5: The Last Supper and a New Beginning
Chapter 134 Original Worldline Side Story 5: The Last Supper and a New Beginning
Night falls on Luomashi Pedestrian Street near the Bell Tower in Xi'an.
This is the most vibrant and lively place in the entire city. Neon signs flash the words "Lamb Stew with Flatbread", "Cold Skin Noodles with Roujiamo", and "Biangbiang Noodles". The air is filled with the aroma of chili oil being heated by hot oil, as well as the strong smell of cumin and charcoal.
Ying Zheng sat at a plastic folding table at a roadside stall. His elegant black Zhongshan suit seemed somewhat out of place in this bustling, street-smart environment, but he sat upright with his hands on his knees, managing to make the rickety plastic stool exude the majesty of a dragon throne.
"Boss!" Ying Zheng shouted in a strong voice, "Give me a bowl of that... the noodle dish with the hardest name to write."
The greasy-faced owner, wielding a large ladle, chuckled upon hearing this and replied in fluent Shaanxi dialect, "Alright! One bowl of biangbiang noodles! Large or small?"
"A large bowl," Ying Zheng said without hesitation. "Add chili and extra vinegar."
"Okay! Please wait a moment! Here are two more cloves of garlic for you!"
Ying Zheng looked at the small stainless steel bowl on the table used to hold garlic, and then at the orange glass bottle of beverage next to it.
"Little G," Ying Zheng asked in his mind, "is this the 'Three Qin Set Meal' you mentioned?"
"That's right, Brother Zheng." Little G's voice sounded very relaxed. "Oil-splashed noodles, Bingfeng soda, roujiamo (Chinese hamburger). This is the soul of modern Qin people. Coming to Xi'an and not eating this is like not having come at all."
Ying Zheng picked up the bottle of "Bingfeng" and used a screwdriver to pry open the cap.
"Sizzle—"
A wisp of white steam rose up. He took a sip, the bubbles bursting on his tongue, carrying the refreshing scent of oranges and a hint of sweetness.
"Not bad," Ying Zheng commented. "It tastes better than the fermented vegetable soup in the palace. It's just that it's too fizzy; drinking too much of it can be..."
"belch--"
Ying Zheng couldn't help but let out a loud burp. Several young people who were eating skewers nearby looked over, but Ying Zheng remained unfazed, even nodding slightly in greeting, as if it were some kind of royal etiquette.
The noodles have arrived.
The enormous bowl was almost as big as the bronze cauldron used by Qin Shi Huang. At the bottom of the bowl were mung bean sprouts, on top of which were noodles as wide as a belt, and on top of that were a layer of bright red chili powder, minced garlic and chopped green onions.
The owner took a ladle of boiling hot oil and poured it onto the chili powder with a "sizzle".
Instantly, the aroma exploded.
Ying Zheng took a deep breath. The smell was spicy, intense, and went straight to the top of his head.
"Fragrant." Ying Zheng uttered only one word.
He picked up his chopsticks and stirred the noodles clumsily. The noodles were chewy and coated with chili oil. He picked up a noodle and put it in his mouth.
hot.
That was the first impression. Back then, the Qin Dynasty didn't have chili peppers, only Sichuan peppercorns and dogwood. This direct spiciness instantly caused fine beads of sweat to appear on Ying Zheng's forehead.
Cool.
This is the second impression. The noodles are smooth and chewy, with a strong wheat aroma. Combined with the sourness of aged vinegar and the spiciness of minced garlic, a primal and rugged sense of satisfaction arises spontaneously.
"This is the taste of the Qin people," Ying Zheng mumbled between bites. "Bold and straightforward. This bowl of noodles will keep you going all day."
"Brother Zheng, don't just eat noodles, eat some garlic too!" Little G reminded him. "Eating noodles without garlic diminishes the flavor by half."
Ying Zheng hesitated for a moment, then peeled a clove of raw garlic and took a bite.
"hiss--"
The spicy garlic juice exploded in his mouth, and Ying Zheng's eyes almost welled up with tears from the spiciness, but he immediately took a sip of Bingfeng soda.
"That's satisfying!" Ying Zheng laughed. "This is the kind of food a man should eat! The imperial dishes in the palace are all finely chopped, looking exquisite but tasteless. This food from the common people is much more nourishing."
An old man at the next table, wearing a vest and fanning himself with a palm leaf fan, couldn't help but chime in when he saw Ying Zheng eating with relish: "Hey buddy, are you from out of town? Judging by the way you eat, you look like a martial arts expert."
Ying Zheng put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth: "I guess so. I used to be a soldier and led a few people."
"Being a soldier is great!" The old man gave a thumbs up. "We Shaanxi kids are just born to be soldiers! Back then, Qin Shi Huang unified the six kingdoms thanks to the ruthlessness of us Qin people! Looks like you have that same spirit!"
Ying Zheng laughed, a very happy laugh.
"Brother is right. People from Qin never back down or make empty promises."
After finishing his noodles, Ying Zheng did not rush to leave.
He watched the people coming and going on the street.
There were office workers who had just finished get off work, loosening their ties and eating fried rice with a relaxed but tired air; there were students in school uniforms, discussing their exams in twos and threes; there were couples holding hands, queuing up in front of a bubble tea shop.
Everyone is busy, but everyone is free.
There was no curfew, no patrolling soldiers, and no corvée labor that could fall on any time.
"Little G".
[Yes, Brother Zheng.]
"When I standardized weights and measures, it was to facilitate tax collection; I built the Straight Road to facilitate troop transport; I standardized writing to facilitate the issuance of imperial edicts." Ying Zheng looked at the myriad lights of the city, his eyes becoming profound. "I have always believed that unification was for the sake of the emperor's power."
He pointed to the huge LED screen not far away, which was playing the evening news—reports on the construction of the national high-speed rail network and the successful space launch.
"But now, I understand," Ying Zheng said softly. "The unification was so that they could live like they do now."
"Because the roads are open, vegetables from the south can be transported to the north; because the writing system is the same, people here can read books from there; because the weights and measures are the same, people don't have to worry about being cheated when doing business."
"This is my true achievement." Ying Zheng gripped the bottle of Bingfeng ice cream tightly. "It's not those terracotta warriors, it's not those palaces. It's this bowl of noodles, this bottle of water, and the smiles on these people's faces."
"Brother Zheng, you're starting to sound more and more like a philosopher," Little G teased.
"That's right," Ying Zheng said proudly. "I've read more books (even though they're from Little G's database) than they've walked roads."
At this moment, Little G's voice suddenly became somewhat serious.
[Brother Zheng, it's time.]
The time-space anchor is loosening. We'll be going back in five minutes.
Ying Zheng paused for a moment, then looked at the digital watch on his wrist that he had just bought at the night market stall (25 yuan, and it even had a glow-in-the-dark function).
"So fast?"
He glanced at the bustling night market and the vibrant world with a touch of reluctance.
"Boss! Check please!" Ying Zheng shouted.
"That'll be 38 yuan in total!" the shopkeeper shouted without turning around. "Scan the code on the table!"
Ying Zheng touched his pocket.
broken.
He had previously spent all the money in the "electronic wallet" that Xiao G had created for him—from buying terracotta warrior dolls, taking the high-speed rail, and buying clothes.
"Brother Zheng...we're out of money," Little G said awkwardly.
"No money?" Ying Zheng raised an eyebrow. "How can I, a dignified ruler... dine and dash?"
He searched his entire body and finally found the last Qin Banliang coin—the real gold ingot—in the inner pocket.
This was the only thing he brought from the Qin Dynasty.
Ying Zheng looked at the gold ingot, which was engraved with the two characters "Ban Liang" in Li Si's small seal script, a mark of that era.
He picked up a napkin from the table, took out a pen (which he had just bought) from his pocket, and wrote a line on the paper.
His handwriting remained vigorous and powerful, and although he wrote in simplified characters (taught by Xiao G), it exuded an imperial aura.
He pressed the gold coin onto a napkin and placed it in the most conspicuous spot on the table.
"Boss, the money's on the table!"
Ying Zheng stood up, straightened his collar, and took one last look at the world.
"I'm gone."
He turned and strode into a deserted alley.
Just as his figure disappeared into the shadows, the air distorted slightly, rippling outwards like water.
……
A few minutes later, the boss came over to collect the bowls.
"Huh? What did this person give me?"
The shopkeeper removed the napkin and saw a heavy, yellowish object.
He picked it up, weighed it in his hand, and then bit it with his teeth.
"Holy crap?! Gold?!"
The shop owner was so startled he almost dropped the bowl. He quickly picked up the napkin, only to see that it read:
"The noodles are chewy, and the garlic is flavorful. But these chilies aren't as spicy as the ones I ate in America back then. Here's the gold for you; keep the change. —Qin Zhao Zheng."
The boss looked at the words, then at the gold ingot in his hand, and was completely bewildered.
"Qin Zhao Zheng? That name sounds so familiar... Holy crap! Qin Shi Huang?!"
The next day, news of a noodle shop owner in Xi'an receiving a gold ingot as a reward from Qin Shi Huang became the top trending topic. Experts, after examining the ingot, stated that it had an extremely high gold content and its casting technique matched the characteristics of the Qin Dynasty, classifying it as a national first-class cultural relic…
Of course, this is a follow-up.
"Your Majesty? Your Majesty?"
A familiar voice rang in my ears.
Ying Zheng suddenly opened his eyes.
There were no neon lights, no car noises, and no smell of chili peppers.
Only the familiar scent of sandalwood from Zhangtai Palace and Zhao Gao's magnified, concerned old face remained.
"Your Majesty, why are you asleep in the Imperial Study?" Zhao Gao carefully draped a cloak over Ying Zheng's shoulders. "It's already past midnight, be careful not to catch a cold."
Ying Zheng paused for a moment, then looked at his hands. There was no iced beer, no napkins, only the vermilion brush he hadn't put down yet.
"Is it a dream?" Ying Zheng murmured to himself.
But the lingering garlic smell in his mouth and the burning sensation in his stomach after eating chili peppers told him that it wasn't a dream.
Moreover, in his pocket, the Q-version Qin Shi Huang doll was lying there quietly.
Ying Zheng took a deep breath, his eyes instantly becoming sharp, as if those two thousand years had not aged him, but rather made him even younger.
"Zhao Gao!"
"Your servant is here."
"Issue the decree! Immediately summon the patriarch of the Mohist school and the head of the Gongshu family! Also, drag that brat Huhai out of bed!"
Zhao Gao was startled: "Your Majesty, it's already past four in the morning! Has something terrible happened?"
"A major event! A matter of utmost importance!"
Ying Zheng pushed aside the memorial, grabbed a huge sheet of white paper, and spread it on the table.
He picked up his pen, dipped it in thick ink, and the image of that silvery-white, dragon-like figure appeared in his mind—the Fuxing bullet train.
"In my dream, I saw the future Qin Dynasty," Ying Zheng said excitedly as he drew. "The carriages there don't need horses, and they run faster than the wind! The bridges there span the sea, connecting the world! The buildings there are taller than mountains!"
With swift, flowing strokes, he sketched the streamlined outline of a car's front on the paper. Although the drawing technique was rough, the overall spirit of the work was palpable.
"I want to build this!" Ying Zheng pointed to the blueprints. "Although we don't have electricity or that 'chip' technology right now, I have the Mohists, the Gongshu School, and all the artisans of the Qin Dynasty!"
"I want the chariots of Great Qin to travel at that speed! I want the roads of Great Qin to be built all the way to the other side of the sea!"
Zhao Gao looked at the blueprint. Although he couldn't understand it, he felt the long-lost domineering aura emanating from His Majesty, as if it were the same aura he had when he swept across the six kingdoms.
"Your Majesty, what is the name of this carriage?" Zhao Gao asked.
Ying Zheng put down his pen, looked at the front of the carriage, and thought of the red ticket and that great era.
He picked up his pen and solemnly wrote three large characters above the drawing:
**"Fuxing" train**
"This is called the Fuxing (Rejuvenation) high-speed train." Ying Zheng's gaze was intense. "It's not about reviving the past, it's about reviving the future. I want Qin to be forever young, forever on the move!"
Its daybreak.
The first ray of sunlight shone into Zhangtai Palace.
Hu Hai, with his hair in a mess, was holding the Q-version doll (given to him by Ying Zheng) and staring at the blueprints on the table, his eyes wide like copper bells.
"Father! This is... an aerodynamic design?" Hu Hai exclaimed. "This streamlined shape... can greatly reduce wind resistance! How did you come up with this? A genius!"
"Enough nonsense." Ying Zheng took a sip of tea (not as good as Bingfeng, but acceptable). "Build it for me. Start with a steam-powered one. My requirements aren't high; just get it to a speed of 100 kilometers per hour!"
"One hundred kilometers?!" Hu Hai screamed in terror. "Father, that boiler is going to explode!"
"If it gets blown up, just rebuild it!" Ying Zheng slammed his fist on the table. "I'll give you all my private savings! If you can't rebuild it, I'll send you to build the Great Wall!"
"I'll build it! Fine, I'll build it!" Hu Hai grabbed the blueprints and ran off, shouting as he ran, "Where are the Mohists! Get up and get to work! Father has gone mad... oh no, Father has awakened!"
Watching Hu Hai's departing figure, Ying Zheng smiled.
He took the chibi-style doll out of his pocket and placed it on the imperial desk, directly facing the ever-burning lamp.
"Little G," Ying Zheng murmured to himself, "See? I didn't embarrass you."
"You're right. Civilization has no end. My Great Qin has only just begun its journey."
At this moment, the city of Xianyang outside the window had already awakened.
The steam locomotive whistles resounded through the sky, white smoke billowed from the factory chimneys, and the sound of students reading aloud filled the school.
This is the best of times.
The legend of Qin Shi Huang eating oil-splashed noodles without paying (in fact, he paid with gold) will become an eternal tale in another time and space.