Chapter 1: Will The Great Ming Dynasty Perish After Two Generations?
“My head! Is my head still here?”
Zhang Biao sprang up from the bed board with such force that he almost knocked over the small IKEA desk lamp by the head of the bed.
At the same time, he clutched his neck tightly with both hands. His hands met warm, slightly sweaty skin, and he could clearly feel his carotid artery throbbing.
There was no chilling severance, nor gushing blood.
“Hoo!”
Zhang Biao let out a long sigh, his body going limp as if his bones had been removed, and slumped back into the bedding that gave off a faint scent of privet. He muttered to himself, “Scared the hell out of me. Old Zhu’s blade is still as swift as ever.”
He habitually raised his left arm. On the smooth inner side of his forearm, a pure white digital display, seemingly projected from a sci-fi movie, was quietly ticking: 【71:59:58】
“Tsk, only three days?!”
Zhang Biao pursed his lips, his tone as familiar as a corporate slave complaining about shortened public holidays.
However, he quickly threw off the thin quilt, his bare feet stepping onto the cool floor tiles, and walked to the custom-made high-definition fitting mirror in the room.
A young face was reflected in the mirror, with well-proportioned features and a hint of post-graduation clarity.
“Ah! Oh! Uh! Eek!”
Zhang Biao moved his mouth in front of the mirror, then began the mandatory lesson he had to do upon returning.
Practicing ‘dying for a cause’ expressions.
Expression One:
【Emperor! The people are water, and you are the boat! Water can carry a boat, and it can also capsize it! Your cruelty and bloodthirstiness will force all the people to rebel?!】
Zhang Biao shouted and waved his arms at the air, nearly spitting on the mirror. After practicing for two seconds, he gave up himself, saying, “No, no, it’s too hard on my throat. Besides, the last time I used this trick, Old Zhu thought my voice was too loud and had the Imperial Guard gag me before beheading me. The experience was very poor, a negative review!”
Expression Two:
【Alas! The Great Ming Empire is in precarious danger! Emperor! Open your eyes and see! Look at the widespread starvation and listen to the boiling public grievance! I… I feel like my heart is being twisted by a knife!】
As he spoke, Zhang Biao squeezed his eyes hard, trying to force out a few tears. In the end, he only yawned, shook his head, and mumbled, “Forget it, the acting demands are too high, I can’t cry. And Old Zhu doesn’t fall for this. The last time, halfway through crying, he said, ‘Noisy,’ and directly bestowed a cup of poisoned wine. That wine was so potent and bitter, my tongue was numb for a long time.”
Expression Three:
Zhang Biao took a deep breath, all emotion instantly wiped from his face. His eyes became vacant, the corners of his mouth turned down slightly, and his entire demeanor exuded a weary, “I’m tired, let’s just end it all” resignation. Then, facing the mirror, his tone was devoid of inflection, even a bit impatient.
【I humbly report to the Emperor! I have heard that a Prince is indulging in lavish construction, burdening the people and wasting resources. This action is no different from digging his own grave. I fear endless disaster for the empire. Evidence? I have none. Investigate it yourself! What do you mean I don’t want to live anymore? Yes! You are absolutely right, kill me quickly, I’m in a hurry!】
He nodded with satisfaction, “Hmm, I’ll use this next time. It’s effortless and saves energy, the lines are short, the information is sufficient, it precisely hits the mark, and it’s guaranteed to max out Old Zhu’s anger value, with a 99.8% probability of triggering ‘execution by beheading’! Perfect!”
Having made up his mind, Zhang Biao began his three-day vacation.
In truth, rather than a vacation, it was more like a return to modern society.
Because three months prior, a countdown had inexplicably appeared on his arm.
At first, he thought his life was coming to an end. However, as the countdown reached zero, his world suddenly spun, and he transmigrated to the Great Ming Dynasty.
It was then that he realized he had encountered something extraordinary.
However, this was not the most bizarre part.
The most bizarre part was that as soon as he transmigrated to the Great Ming Dynasty, he was placed on the execution platform.
The reason was that he had risked his life to offer counsel, enraging the Hongwu Great Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, and was dragged out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony to the Meridian Gate and beheaded on the spot.
Yes, Zhang Biao was killed by Old Zhu as soon as he transmigrated.
But the more bizarre thing was that he didn’t feel any pain. The moment the blade touched his skin, he returned to his original world.
And the countdown on his arm refreshed at that moment.
Later, after repeated experiments, he finally confirmed three things.
【First, the countdown on his arm is the amount of time he can stay in the real world.】
【Second, when transmigrating, the progress of the real world and the Great Ming World can seamlessly connect.】
【Third, to return to the real world, he must offer counsel to Old Zhu and be enraged to death by Old Zhu.】
This… this is quite perverse.
However, given Old Zhu’s behavior, killing someone would be a piece of cake, right? He didn’t feel any pain anyway, and it was quite satisfying.
Especially when offering counsel to Old Zhu, it was incredibly exhilarating.
As for whether he would be resurrected and cause suspicion from Old Zhu or others, Zhang Biao had tested it. They only remembered that someone was killed but couldn’t recall who that person was, as if a segment of their memory had been deleted.
However, the events of the dying counsel were not affected at all.
As for the feeling after transmigrating.
Aside from the complete lack of pain when being killed, all other sensations were very real.
For example, he would bleed when injured, his throat would get choked by coarse steamed corn buns, and when he went to brothels to play…
“Cough cough…”
Zhang Biao coughed abruptly, only then realizing that the air conditioner in the room was still on.
Although it was a rental, the air conditioner in the room was not energy-efficient. When he cleaned it before, he had seen that the label was replaced. It was a fifth-tier energy efficiency rating, but it had a first-tier label on it. What a rip-off.
However, these were not the main points. The main point was that since he had finally returned, he had to enjoy modern life.
After all, life in the Great Ming Dynasty, by modern standards, was truly not fit for human living.
“Hmm, what should I eat today?”
Zhang Biao casually turned off the air conditioner, then skillfully picked up his mobile phone, opened the takeout app, and swiped through it. He finally ordered sour fish, braised pork with potatoes, and shredded chicken cold noodles.
Immediately after, he skillfully walked to his computer, opened a certain history forum, and posted with great interest:
【Rational discussion: How to enrage Zhu Yuanzhang with the most concise language and achieve the ‘execution by beheading’ achievement? Waiting online, in a hurry!】
If real society were a march, then the online world was definitely a symphony.
Within a few minutes, Zhang Biao’s post received replies.
【Is the poster a transmigrator? Take me with you?】
【Oh! What’s so difficult about that? Directly call him a donkey-faced man, guaranteed to be effective in one second, and they’ll scatter your ashes!】
【I suggest you perform a backflip in court and shout, ‘Old Zhu, you’re no good!’ Refer to a certain brave warrior who was skinned…】
【The ones above are too harsh. If it were September of the Hongwu 25th year, the poster could directly hold up a plaque saying, ‘Zhu Chongba! You favor concubines and abandon legitimate heirs, defying human relations. The Great Ming will perish in its second generation!’】
Zhang Biao watched with great interest, almost laughing himself off his feet.
“Hahaha, a backflip? That’s too difficult! September of the Hongwu 25th year? Isn’t that now? Okay, okay, the Great Ming will perish in its second generation, right! I’ve noted it down…”
He muttered and used his little notebook to record the netizens’ replies.
The three days passed in a blur of various delicacies, computer games, binge-watching dramas, and tirelessly researching the ‘art of seeking death.’
As the pure white countdown on his arm ticked down to its final seconds, Zhang Biao was sprawled on the bed, watching a nonsensical historical comedy on his tablet. In the show, an emperor was being infuriated by a comedic censor.
【00:00:05】
【.4】
【.3】
【.2】
【.1】
【.0】
Zhang Biao counted lazily.
Suddenly, his vision went black, and the world spun.
【Fictional history, please do not take it seriously, it is for entertainment purposes only.】
【Not a serious historical novel】, 【not a transmigrator being a dog novel】, 【a crazy and fun satisfying story】, 【brainless satisfaction, so satisfying it will make your scalp tingle】
【Extreme Old Zhu fans, extreme Ming Dynasty fans, the character settings and plot I have created may not be acceptable to you, please detour.】
