Luo Wei opened his eyes again and found himself hurting all over. Strange. How could a dead man still feel pain? Just as he pondered the question, a hand reached down and met his forehead. He glanced up to see the owner of the hand and startled in surprise. It was his father's hand. His father who passed away years ago.

"Are you finally awake?" A handsome young man with tanned skin stuck his head out to peered at him, looking impatient, "Serves you right!"

It was his second eldest brother. Luo Wei started trembled like a leaf. His brother had been killed due to his impudence. How could he still be alive?

"Is it hurting bad?" Noticing his son's bizarre behavior, Luo Zhi Qiu turned to summon the doctor who was waiting aside.

The white-haired doctor shifted closer to take Luo Wei's Pulse, his face a picture of concentration.

"I," Luo Wei was doing his best not to not break down, his voice shook, "Where am I?"

"You're at home, where else!" Luo Ze couldn't hide his anger when it came to his younger brother. He couldn't even pretend to be happy as he spoke.

Luo Wei scanned his surroundings. He remembered this room. This was his old room back at home. Every corner of it was filled with such luxury and opulence, revealing just how shallow and worldly he used to be.

"What are you scheming?" Luo Ze asked rather unkindly.

"But I died." Luo Wei said, more to himself than anyone else.

"You died?" Luo Ze became even angrier, "Then what the hell are we supposed to be? Ghosts?"

Luo Wei's vision went dark again.

"What's happening to him?" Luo Ze questioned the doctor, finally nervous as he watched his little brother pass out again.

The doctor sighed, "Senior Chancellor," He addressed Luo Zi Qiu instead, "The young master has suffered internal injuries, it won't be an easy recovery."

This time around, it took Luo Wei two days to open his eyes again. When he did, the ones watching over him at his bedside were his two little attendants, Xiao Xiao and Qi Zi. Luo Wei remembered that they had been killed as well. Watching them, he realized that he was never kind to them. Or rather, as the son of the Senior Chancellor, Luo Wei had never been kind to anyone.

"What happened to me?" Luo Wei asked.

Xiao Xiao repied, "You were injured, sir."

Luo Wei lifted his hands and looked them over, both were perfect and unscathed, "but where am I?" He asked once more.

Qi Zi answered this time, "Young master, you're at home."

Neither dared to utter an extra word in front of Luo Wei. He was notoriously easy to anger, and one wrong phrase could earn them a beating. They both feared him.

Luo Wei remained dumbfounded for a moment. Then, all of a sudden he asked, "What year is it?"

Xiao Xiao and Qi Zi glanced at each other. Xiao Xiao replied, "Young Master, it's the fifth year of Qing Yuan(1)."

The fifth year of Qing Yuan... the fifth year of Qing Yuan. Luo Wei moved too abruptly as he tried to get up, and the pain at the deep in his chest forced him to settle back into the bed. He was thirteen during the fifth year of Qing Yuan, still the third son of the Senior Chancellor, and a member of the Luo family. It would still be seven years before his entire family would be wiped out. "Fifth year of Qing Yuan?" Luo Wei's voice wavered.

"That's right, sir." Qi Zi couldn't begin to guess at what was wrong with their young master.

Luo Wei stared ahead blankly without saying anything.

The two little attendants waited, but no word came from their young master. "Sir?" Finally, Xiao Xiao couldn't help but call out to him.

Luo Wei covered his face with both of his hands, but he wasn't able to stop the tears from seeping through the cracks of his fingers.

"Young Master?" Qi Zi, who was usually so calm and collected, couldn't help but feel uneasy at this sight. Their young master never cried, what's going on?

Luo Wei's tears fell silently. He had thought that everything had already met its final end, but he couldn't fathom that the heavens would give him another chance. Is this an opportunity to rectify all of his past mistakes?

"Young Master, are you in a lot of pain?" Qi Zi asked again, worried.

Luo Wei wiped the tears off his face and smiled at his two attendants, "I'm fine. Would you please go fetch me something to eat?"

Xiao Xiao and Qi Zi were stunned, when did their young master ever smile at them like this?

"Please," Luo Wei said gently, with a touch of remorse.

The two young attendants both rushed out at once. How strange their young master seemed, ever since he woke up. It was as if he's become a whole different person.

FOOTNOTES:

1. Qing Yuan Era - Dates in historical China has two parts, a year number and an era title, usually linked to the emperor ascending the throne. It's currently year 5 in the Qing Yuan era. There's a historical Qing Yuan era, however, this story does not appear to have any real historical grounding and though the format is being used, the name Qing Yuan is not referring to any specific point in time.

TRANSLATOR'S NOTES:

This chapter is short and sweet, setting up the family. In Chinese, Luo Wei's father's title, Senior Chancellor, is rendered as "the left chancellor". I did some research recently and found that this is the senior position to the other "right chancellor". I think it makes sense to refer to them by seniority as not to confuse with positional words. I wonder if they stand on the left and right of the emperor during court assembly.