Lin Yuan slowly woke up. When he opened his eyes, he saw he was lying on a redwood bed. The bed had fancy carvings all over it. Above his head was an exquisite canopy, giving off a faint scent of sandalwood. Subconsciously, he tried to get up, but as soon as he sat up, he sensed something was wrong.
His line of sight... had gotten lower?
He quickly looked down and saw his small hands and feet. His heart skipped a beat. It felt like his entire body had shrunk down. His sleeves flopped way past his fingertips. When he touched his face, the skin was soft and smooth, just like a little kid's.
Just as he was trying to get used to this body, a familiar electronic voice rang out in his mind...
"Welcome, host, to the ancient plane."
It was Jiuchong.
Lin Yuan perked up and quickly asked in his heart, "... What's the situation this time?"
Jiuchong Ring said casually, "This plane is not like the ones before. It's an imagined parallel world. The host is in the Da'en Dynasty, on the western border. It has two capitals and ten prefectures. Among eastern countries, its national strength ranks third. Its folk customs and etiquette are a lot like those of the Song Dynasty, but there are some differences too."
Lin Yuan raised his eyebrows. "The Song Dynasty? What were the folk customs and etiquette of the Song Dynasty like? Damn it, I've forgotten. How was the Song Dynasty in the history books? The social customs shouldn't be too conservative, right?"
"Well... You can understand it that way. I don't know either." The Jiuchong Ring paused for a moment and then continued, "Next is the host's identity information."
"Lin Yuan, five years old this year."
"..." Lin Yuan was silent for a moment. Five years old? This was a worse situation than his last time-traveling experience. He was too young to fend for himself!
Jiuchong Ring ignored his resentment and continued, "The host's status is not low. You are the sixth son of the first general of the Da'en Kingdom. Your family has served in the army for generations and has sworn to be loyal to Da'en until death."
Lin Yuan immediately perked up. Was he a young master of a general's mansion this time?!
However, what Jiuchong Ring said next didn't allow him to be happy for long.
"Also, the general's family and the Da'en emperor each run most of the country's business and spy networks. Their powers are all mixed up and super complicated."
Lin Yuan: "..."
Goodness, it didn't sound like an ordinary general's family at all. Instead, it was directly bound to the three forces of the military, business, and espionage. This kind of status was good, but if he wasn't careful, he might end up being liquidated!
Lin Yuan rubbed the center of his brows and let out a deep sigh.
The Jiuchong Ring continued, "The host ranks sixth in the mansion. You have a father, that is, the first general of the Da'en Kingdom. There is a principal wife in the mansion, who is also the host's stepmother, the Gu family. Meanwhile, the host's birth mother is a concubine named Qingyin Niang. On top of that, he has two older brothers, three older sisters, and one younger sister."
Lin Yuan digested this information and couldn't help but complain in his heart, "Wait a minute, with my status, I'm a typical 'the sixth son'?"
The Jiuchong Ring replied indifferently, "That's right. The host's childhood name is exactly 'the sixth son'."
Lin Yuan: "..."
This was really an unsurprising way of naming.
However, more than this title, he was more concerned about his relationship with these brothers, sisters, parents. After all, even though he was from a good family, if there was a lot of family fighting, his life wouldn't be easy.
Jiuchong Ring seemed to know his concerns and added, "Although your stepmother is not your biological mother, as the wife of the great general, she has a dignified and composed temperament. She may not be close to you, but she has no ill intentions towards you either."
"Your biological mother has a low status and a gentle temperament. She loves you especially because you have been intelligent since childhood."
"The great general is serious and has extremely high requirements for you brothers. But since you're still a kid and haven't started proper martial arts training, you haven't gotten yelled at much."
"Now, let's talk about your brothers and sisters..."
"The eldest brother is meticulous and steady, and the second brother is arrogant and conceited, but he still protects his family."
"The third sister is intelligent and capable, the fourth sister is gentle and reserved, and the fifth sister is lively and unrestrained."
"As for the youngest sister, she is only three years old and is the most clingy. It's quite unusual that the siblings get along so well, and there's no discrimination between children born to the principal wife and concubines."
After hearing this, Lin Yuan finally let out a sigh of relief. It looked like the family got along okay, at least for now. So he didn't need to worry about his brothers and sisters stabbing him in the back right away.
However...
He sighed, sat cross-legged on the bed, and asked, "Then what is my main task now?"
Jiuchong Ring replied, "I don't know."
Lin Yuan: "?"
"Currently, the host hasn't come into contact with relevant people, things, or matters, so the main mission cannot be determined."
Lin Yuan flopped back onto the bed, at a loss for words.
Guess he'd have to start from square one and figure everything out all over again.
======================
林远意识逐渐清醒,睁开眼睛,却发现自己正躺在一张雕刻着繁复纹路的红木床榻上,头顶是一方精致的帐幔,透着淡淡的檀木香.他下意识地想要起身,然而刚一坐起,便察觉到了不对劲.
视线...变低了?
他猛地低头,看见自己的小手小脚,心里顿时咯噔一下.整个人仿佛缩水了一般,连衣袖都比想象中长了许多.他抬手摸了摸脸,肌肤细腻光滑,明显是个孩子的手感.
就在他努力适应这具身体的时候,熟悉的电子音在脑海中响起...
"欢迎宿主来到古代位面."
是九重.
林远精神一振,连忙在心里问道:"... 这次又是什么情况?"
九重戒悠悠道:"这个位面与以往不同,乃是一个架空的平行世界.宿主所在的王朝为 '大恩' ,地处西方边陲,由两都十府组成.国力在整个东方国家中排名第三,民俗礼仪多与宋朝相似,然亦有所不同."
林远挑眉,"宋朝?宋朝的民俗礼仪是什么样的?惨了,我都忘了,历史书上的宋朝是怎样的,民风应该不会很保守吧?"
"嗯... 你要这么理解也是可以的,我也不知." 九重戒停顿了一下,继续道:"接下来是宿主的身份信息."
"林远,今年五岁."
"..." 林远沉默了一瞬,五岁?比上次穿越时更惨了,他甚至还没到能够自力更生的年纪!
九重戒毫不理会他的怨念,继续道:"宿主身份不低,乃大恩国第一大将军的第六子,世代从军,誓死效忠大恩."
林远顿时精神一振,这回是个将军府公子?!
不过九重戒接下来的话让他没来得及高兴太久.
"除此之外,将军府与当今大恩皇帝各掌控着大半个大恩的商贸与情报网络,势力盘根错节,错综复杂."
林远:"..."
好家伙,听着就不是什么单纯的将军世家,而是直接绑定了军,商,谍三重势力.这种身份好是好,但一不小心搞不好是会被清算的节奏啊!
林远揉了揉眉心,深深叹了口气.
九重戒继续道:"宿主在府中排行第六,上有一位父亲,亦即大恩国第一大将军.府中有正妻一位,亦是宿主的嫡母,顾氏,同时宿主的生母为偏房小妾,清音娘.除此之外,你还有两位兄长,三位姐姐,以及一位年幼的妹妹."
林远消化了一下这个信息,忍不住在心里吐槽:"等等,我这身份,是个典型的 '老六' ?"
九重戒淡淡回道:"没错,宿主小名正是 '老六' ."
林远:"..."
这还真是毫无意外的起名方式.
不过,比起这个称呼,他更在意自己与这群兄弟姐妹,父母的关系如何,毕竟出身虽好,可若是家族斗争激烈,那他的日子恐怕也不好过.
九重戒似乎知道他的顾虑,补充道:"你的嫡母虽非生母,但身为大将军之妻,性情端庄持重,待你虽不亲近,但也并无恶意."
"生母身份不高,性情温和,因你自幼聪慧而格外疼爱."
"大将军为人严肃,对你们兄弟要求极高,但你年幼尚未正式习武,因此未曾受过太多训斥."
"至于你的兄长与姊妹..."
"大哥严谨沉稳,二哥骄傲自负,然对家人尚算护短."
"三姐聪慧能干,四姐温婉内敛,五姐活泼跳脱."
"至于最小的妹妹,年方三岁,最是粘人.兄弟姐妹算是少有的和睦,没什么嫡庶之分."
林远听完,总算松了口气,看样子,这一家子至少表面上还算和睦,自己暂时不用担心被兄弟姐妹坑害.
不过...
他叹了口气,盘腿坐在床上,问道:"那我现在的主要任务是什么?"
九重戒答道:"不清楚."
林远:"?"
"当前宿主尚未接触相关人事物,故无法确定主线任务."
林远无语地躺回了床上.
行吧,看来一切都得从头探索了.