TRM Chapter 1

It was the hottest season of the year, and the ginkgo tree leaves in the Astrology Tower’s courtyard curled under the sunlight, looking wilted and sickly.

Even the palace’s notoriously domineering cat seemed to lose interest in troubling Qiao Guanxing, lazily lying in the shade beneath the tree, enjoying the coolness of the stone table.

Occasionally, a gentle breeze would pass, and the copper bird wind chimes outside the window would slowly turn, emitting a few faint, crisp sounds as the little bells rang.

Qiao Guanxing rested his chin in his hand, gazing at the clouds outside the window. This was the first summer since his unexpected journey to the past.

Confused, he had found himself thrust into the Great Zhou Dynasty. He was a university student majoring in meteorology. He had been working as a waiter at a beach restaurant to earn some tuition money during summer break, only to be caught in a tsunami. When he regained consciousness, he was surrounded by a group of teenage boys, all dressed in coarse robes, waiting to be selected for a fate he couldn’t yet comprehend.

Qiao Guanxing was stunned. Through the blurry copper mirror in the room, he could see that his appearance had reverted to that of a 16 or 17-year-old.

After the initial shock and panic faded, he slowly gathered his thoughts. It wasn’t long before he learned that he was in the inner chambers of the Great Zhou palace, and they were all awaiting selection to become eunuchs.

Qiao Guanxing furrowed his brow in disbelief. “Wait… did you say eunuch?”

Others who got transmigrated became princes or generals, but him? He was to become a eunuch?

“Being a eunuch isn’t so bad. At least you don’t have to worry about food or clothes,” one of the boys nearby said, eyes filled with longing. Most of them were poor peasants, and to them, simply having enough to eat was a dream come true.

Qiao Guanxing, an orphan who had always lived in poverty, couldn’t bring himself to accept the idea of sacrificing a part of his body just to survive.

So, he looked out the window, trying to think of a way to escape.

But it was too late.

The door suddenly swung open, and sunlight flooded in. A stern-faced senior eunuch, dressed in a brilliant blue robe, entered. He cast a sharp glance at the group, then commanded, “Go stand in the sun so I can get a good look at you.”

The red walls and white-tiled roofs of the palace framed the clear blue sky, with a few wisps of cloud drifting by. The leaves of the ginkgo trees were a beautiful blend of yellow and green, the epitome of early autumn.

But Qiao Guanxing didn’t have the heart to admire the scenery. His heart sank, cold and heavy.

The boys in the front, whose bodies had been deemed suitable, were sent off to a side room for their castration. The muffled, anguished screams sent chills down his spine. He frantically searched for any way to delay the inevitable, hoping for a chance to escape.

Just then, the senior eunuch walked up to him and tapped his shoulder with a long stick. “Lift your head. Let me see if your shoulders are straight and if your neck is crooked.”

“…”

Qiao Guanxing swallowed hard, reluctantly raising his head. His eyes squinted against the sunlight as the clouds shifted across his vision.

Wait—his expression shifted. He noticed something strange about the clouds. The direction of the upper and lower cloud layers didn’t align. They were moving in opposite directions.

“G-Gonggong,”¹ he blurted, hastily lowering his head again, trying to sound sincere.”Perhaps we should postpone the inspection for another day? It might rain soon. The sky will cloud over, and not only will you be unable to see properly, but you might get wet as well.”

“Utter nonsense,” the senior eunuch scoffed, furrowing his brow. “It’s a clear day. How could it possibly rain?”

But as he was about to scold Qiao Guanxing further, the sky abruptly darkened.

Thick clouds covered the sun, and a cool breeze swept through the air. The humidity thickened, a clear sign that rain was near.

The senior eunuch glanced back and forth between the sky and Qiao Guanxing, eyes widening in disbelief. “How did you know it was going to rain?”

Clouds moving against the wind means that the wind direction at different altitudes is inconsistent. This indicates that the area is near a front or low-pressure zone, naturally signaling that rain is coming.

Qiao Guanxing wasn’t sure how to explain this to the grand eunuch, so he simply mumbled, “I calculated it.”

To his surprise, the eunuch’s expression grew even more astonished. He waved his sleeve at the others who hadn’t been inspected yet.

“Return to your rooms and wait.”

Then he turned to Qiao Guanxing. “Come with me.”

Qiao Guanxing: ???

Qiao Guanxing: !!!

At that moment, he thought the senior eunuch intended to make him a eunuch as well, but he was surprised when he was instead brought before the emperor.

Behind the thick curtains of the imperial bedchamber, the emperor’s voice sounded weak and frail. A long-time believer in the path of gods and immortals, he had gathered so-called “masters” and “immortals” from across the land into the palace, and over time, those around him competed to present him with so-called “immortal talents.”

“Your Majesty, this servant is the one I found for you. He can predict the weather, whether it will rain or shine.”

“Really?” The emperor coughed twice, and a palace maid immediately presented a golden pill crafted by a so-called “master.” “Let him stay a few days and observe. If it’s true, I shall appoint him as the Imperial Astrologer.”

Relieved that he no longer had to become a eunuch, Qiao Guanxing spent several days observing the weather. Eventually, he won the emperor’s favor by accurately predicting the weather, and the emperor, pleased with him, officially appointed him as the Imperial Astrologer and had him moved into the Immortal Garden.

The garden housed many of the emperor’s collected “immortals”—those who practiced alchemy, practitioners of immortality techniques, or dabbled in the mystical arts.

Qiao Guanxing, feeling out of place among them, chose to settle in the deepest part of the garden, in a small courtyard with a high tower. He named it the Astrology Tower.

A year passed in the blink of an eye. Qiao Guanxing had grown accustomed to his idle life, receiving a fixed monthly stipend. He would occasionally make his presence known to the emperor to earn a little extra reward, all the while plotting how to gather enough money to escape the palace.

Escape was necessary, for the crown prince…

“May Your Highness, the Crown Prince live long.”

The synchronized greetings from a few people outside startled Qiao Guanxing. The very person he had been thinking of just moments before now swept aside the bead curtains and walked in with a cold expression. He sat down in the chair beside Qiao Guanxing and reached for a cup to pour himself some cold tea.

His movements were smooth, as if he were in his own chambers.

“Your Highness, Your Highness…” Qiao Guanxing quickly took the teapot and poured tea for him, “Let this servant do it.”

Zhou Jingyuan raised an eyebrow slightly, appearing a bit more at ease.

Despite being only 18,  Zhou Jingyuan carried the oppressive air of one who had long held power. His handsome face was constantly shifting between moods, making Qiao Guanxing a bit intimidated. He found himself constantly trying to please and appease him in his presence.

A while ago, the Emperor had probably taken too many immortal pills, and he was now bedridden, spending most of the day in a coma.

The duties of the Imperial Court and governance had almost entirely fallen on Zhou Jingyuan’s shoulders. The lingering illnesses and old wounds from years of incompetent rule had accumulated, and dealing with them meant he could only rest in the early hours of the morning.

In the past, Zhou Jingyuan would visit the Astrology Tower every day, but now he could barely find the time to come even once every few days, which left him feeling quite dissatisfied.

Noticing the fatigue that he unintentionally displayed, Qiao Guanxing sighed and casually asked, “Your Highness, is the Emperor doing well?”

Then he saw the Crown Prince curve his lips into a smile, in a surprisingly good mood as he said, “Hmm, he’s about to die.”

Qiao Guanxing: …

With trembling hands, he gripped his teacup, took a deep breath, and thought to himself that Zhou Jingyuan truly was cold-hearted, not even caring about his own father’s life.

Though the two of them had gotten along fairly well this past year, if one day the Crown Prince was in a bad mood, it wouldn’t be surprising if he simply killed him.

So, Qiao Guanxing stiffly changed the subject, trying to show Zhou Jingyuan that he was useful.

“Your Highness, last night I observed the celestial phenomena and calculated that heavy rain will arrive in the next few days.”

Zhou Jingyuan glanced at him, took a sip of tea, but said nothing.

“Also, I know that the rain will shift southward, which will alleviate the drought troubles of the southern people.”

The Crown Prince continued drinking his tea.

Qiao Guanxing racked his brain, saying everything he knew, but when he saw that the other man was still unresponsive, he couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. He lowered his gaze and softly added, “Your Highness, I really am different from those so-called Immortal Masters who deceive with tricks.”

“Oh.”

Finally, Zhou Jingyuan put down his cup and looked at him. His beautiful but sharp eyes narrowed slightly, but after their eyes met, he awkwardly turned his head away. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, “If you really can calculate rain, snow, fog, frost…”

“Then, have you calculated…me, to you….”

He faltered for a while, not able to finish his sentence.

Qiao Guanxing eagerly asked, “What? Please, tell me.”

But in the end, Zhou Jingyuan angrily rubbed his cheek and said, “Forget it, it’s nothing!”

Once again, nothing. Fine.

Qiao Guanxing rubbed his cheek with a sense of grievance and quietly lifted his eyes to observe the Crown Prince, who was mysteriously upset.

Hmm, it really seemed like he was angry, his ears were even flushed with color.

Thinking about the small stash of gold he had hidden, Qiao Guanxing sighed again. Zhou Jingyuan was so unpredictable. Alright. He decided he should find a way to leave the palace after all.