Chapter 4: Is This the Qin Dynasty?

"Please rest here for the night, brave sir!" Guo Dian said respectfully to Li Nian in front of a palace chamber.

Li Nian looked at the chamber before him and nodded; this must be where he was to stay for the night.

"Have you no eyes? Hurry and come serve the guest!" While Guo Dian was extremely polite to Li Nian, he was far less courteous toward the other eunuchs and palace maids. Under his reprimand, a dozen servants hurried out of the chamber to welcome Li Nian inside.

Once they were indoors, Guo Dian asked, "Would the brave sir like to retire immediately, or would you prefer to wash first?" Seeming to recall something, he added, "Does the brave sir wish to eat?"

Li Nian was silent. Seeing that Li Nian did not understand, Guo Dian turned to the attendants waiting nearby and ordered, "Why haven't you prepared hot water for the guest yet? Serve him well; I shall return presently!" He then turned back to Li Nian and said, "Please wait here, sir; I will be back shortly."

Guo Dian left the chamber. Li Nian did not know where he had gone, and due to the language barrier, he could not communicate with the attendants. He stood in the room, taking in his surroundings and observing the eunuchs and maids.

*There are no tables or chairs in the room. It is said that the earliest chairs in China appeared during the Han Dynasty. If I have traveled back to ancient China, this place is likely from before the Han. And before the Han...*

Recalling the items he had seen in the hall earlier—the attire of the heroic man, the dress of the guards, the bamboo slips he caught a glimpse of, and the style of the script—a thought stirred in Li Nian’s heart. *Could I have traveled to the Qin Dynasty?*

He had never studied history in depth, but he knew certain things: the script of the Qin Dynasty was Small Seal Script, the dynasty favored the color black, there were no tables or chairs, people sat on mats on the floor, and the appearance of the Terracotta Warriors he had seen in Lintong... the more he looked, the more the guards around him resembled them.

*I must have come to the Qin Dynasty... or perhaps some period of the pre-Qin era. But if it truly is the Qin Dynasty, could that heroic man be...?*

Li Nian’s heart skipped a beat, and a series of titles surfaced in his mind: "Ancestor Dragon," "First Emperor," "Ying Zheng," "Zhao Zheng," "Qin Shi Huang," "Founder of the Qin Dynasty," "The first monarch in China to claim the title of Emperor."

*If it really is him, what year is it? How long until Huhai takes the throne? Where are Liu Bang and Xiang Yu? What should I do?*

Li Nian’s thoughts were a tangled mess, and his shifting expressions were noted by a guard nearby, who silently memorized them to report to the King later.

Just as Li Nian was lost in thought, Guo Dian returned. "Apologies for the long wait, brave sir!"

Li Nian collected his thoughts and looked at Guo Dian, who was followed by two people carrying trays—one with clothing and the other with food. It was clear that Guo Dian had left to arrange these for him.

At that moment, several eunuchs carried a large wooden tub into the room. One said to Guo Dian, "Chief Steward, the hot water is ready!"

Ignoring the servant, Guo Dian asked Li Nian, "Would the brave sir like to wash first, or eat?" He gestured toward the tub and the tray of food.

The meaning was clear. Li Nian pointed to the tray, indicating he would eat first. Regardless of the circumstances, food was the essence of life, and he was starving. Even if he were to be executed or tortured later, he wouldn't skip a meal now. Besides, he had been on his way to buy groceries when he was transported here.

Seeing Li Nian’s choice, Guo Dian ordered the tray to be placed on a low table in the room and said, "The meal is humble; please forgive us, brave sir."

In the Qin era, people ate only two meals a day. The first, called "Zhaoshi" or "Yong," was around nine in the morning, which was why that time was also called "shishi" (eating time). The second, called "Bushi" or "Sun," was around four in the afternoon. Usually, no food was consumed after these, but this was the Qin royal palace, and food was kept on hand in case the nobles residing there were hungry.

Li Nian looked at the tray, sat down on the floor by the table, picked up the chopsticks, and began to eat. The meal was simple: a bowl of grain, a plate of unrecognizable vegetables, and a bowl of meat soup. He used the words "bowl," "chopsticks," and "rice" for lack of better terms, though they surely were not called that in this era. The food was bland and nowhere near as flavorful as modern cuisine, which, despite its "technological" additives, far surpassed this era in taste.

As he ate, Guo Dian stood by, watching silently. Li Nian knew the man was there to serve him but also to monitor him, yet he remained composed. He needed to show that he was different from the people of this age.

After the meal, Li Nian rose from the floor, and at a wave from Guo Dian, a servant removed the tray. Guo Dian pointed to the wooden tub and asked, "Does the brave sir wish to wash now, or would you rather rest?"

Li Nian was not sleepy; it had been broad daylight in the modern world when he left. After a moment’s thought, he decided to bathe. This man’s kindness was likely a pretext; he probably wanted to use the opportunity to inspect his clothing and his body. Even though he had already been searched in the palace hall, one could never be too sure. *The ancients are cunning; I must not underestimate them,* Li Nian warned himself.

With the help of several maids, Li Nian undressed and stepped into the wooden tub. He leaned his head against the rim and closed his eyes, feeling the hands scrubbing his skin. He felt no joy in experiencing the privileges of the feudal elite; he knew full well that the King let him stay in the palace and provided attendants only because he was intrigued by his mysterious origins and the modern items he possessed. If he could not satisfy the King in the future, the consequences were obvious.

Meanwhile, just as Li Nian had suspected, Guo Dian was holding his ice-silk t-shirt, stroking and examining it closely. *This material is neither hemp nor silk; it is soft, smooth, and cool to the touch. Truly extraordinary.*

After a moment, Guo Dian placed the shirt on a tray and picked up another garment. *This texture is somewhat like hemp, yet it lacks the coarseness and stiffness. Marvelous!*

Setting aside the jeans, he picked up Li Nian’s ice-silk underwear. *The material is the same as the shirt. Using this to cover one’s private parts is indeed a clever idea. This man’s attire seems simple but follows a deep logic. I must report this to the King.*

There were no underpants in the Qin Dynasty. Did that mean that when the First Emperor unified the world, he was effectively "going commando"?