Chapter 1

Xu Hao, slouching under the square wisteria trellis by the skylight, listened to the cheerful chirping of cicadas in the willow trees, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth.

Before his eyes, the emerald green vines hung down in curves, swaying back and forth in the gentle breeze. In the distance, within an ancient octagonal pavilion by a small pond, a young girl with a ponytail and a white veil was playing a guqin. The sounds of children reciting from the neighboring schoolhouse occasionally mixed in.

What a poetic and picturesque scene, but unfortunately, the occasional wrong notes from the guqin were like the mournful cries of a dying rooster, piercingly unpleasant. The uneven recitation of the children was often interspersed with the laughter of mischievous boys, creating a chaotic and annoying atmosphere. The continuous chirping of cicadas, after a while, sounded like a brain-washing spell, robbing one of the desire to sleep.

Xu Hao, listless, stared blankly, his nose catching the fragrance of the various flowers blooming at his feet. A gust of wind brought the strong scent of sandalwood from the octagonal pavilion.

In ancient times, people burned incense while playing the guqin; today, they burn incense while practicing the guqin. It's just that the girl's skill and the strong scent are inversely proportional.

"Huh!" Xu Hao wrinkled his nose, as if the incense being burned was not the precious sandalwood but a mix of various cheap cosmetics, and even expired ones at that.

My little sister is really playing the guqin haphazardly! Xu Hao raised his head to gaze at the cloudless blue sky, the sun's rays pouring down mercilessly. Beside him, the young maid Qiuxiang, dozing off, fanned herself with a trembling hand, a thread of saliva even trickling from the corner of her mouth.

Other people's Qiuxiang can charm a crowd with a smile, but my Qiuxiang is plain and unremarkable, lacking both beauty and figure. She is truly a real-life yellow-haired girl.

Life is so unfair. Some ambitious, talented, and handsome men with grand ambitions cry and beg to be transported back to ancient times to achieve great deeds. Whether it's pacifying the world, ruling all directions, or unifying the globe, they aim to change history and reverse the decline of China over the past few centuries, ultimately ruling the world.

How admirable! But why did fate choose me, a person who has never had great ambitions and is neither scholarly nor martial?

What a pity! Fate plays tricks on people. I may not be as handsome as Pan An, as brave as Zhang Fei, as sycophantic as Zhao Gao or Qin Hui, as wise as Zhuge Liang, or even have the beloved imperial bloodline of Liu Bei.

Actually, are princes and generals born to their roles? These things don't matter. If I had come twenty years earlier, I could have followed Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, serving him loyally for half my life. If I were lucky enough to survive?

Forget it. The titles and honors earned through a life of service are not secure. Look at the lives of the meritorious officials in the capital now; they live in constant torment. The emperor is suspicious, and almost none of them have a good end. Even the famous right chancellor Li Shanchang is said to be on his last legs, despite having an imperial pardon that grants him two reprieves from death.

What should I do in the future? Become a scholar and an official? Not a good idea. The former county magistrate, whose skin was flayed and displayed at the village temple, met a tragic end just for accepting twenty taels of silver from a widow in the eastern village and engaging in a bit of corruption.

Being an official in this era is a high-risk profession. Eight out of ten officials die in office, and even after death, they don't get a proper burial. Even the most learned scholars are stripped and beaten in public, losing all dignity.

Become a merchant and make a fortune? Not a good idea either. In this world, merchants are looked down upon, considered a lowly profession. What's the point of making a lot of money? Try wearing a colorful silk robe and see how that goes!

It seems that being an ordinary citizen is the best option. In the Ming Dynasty, farmers have status and respect. They can farm, weave, raise pigs, perform labor, go to bed early, and enjoy a warm family life. The legendary Jinyiwei, those fierce enforcers, are said to love the people like their own children, being natural enemies of the rich and powerful.

The problem is that I am a穿越者 (穿越者 means "time traveler" or "穿越者" in this context, but it's better to use "穿越者" to maintain the original flavor), and although I am an ordinary citizen, heaven has given me a "good relative."

The first meritorious official of the Ming Dynasty, the Duke of Wei, Xu Da, is my second grandfather, a direct blood relative. Thinking about it brings both joy and worry.

The joy is that the entire clan benefits, and although there are not many relatives left, at least the family is well-fed and respected. The worry is that one day, the Jinyiwei might come knocking, as I am a registered male member of the Xu family, listed in the family genealogy.

There's a movie line that says, "My fate is in my hands, not in the heavens." Nonsense! Try rebelling in the early Ming Dynasty and see what happens.

Sigh, since I'm here, I might as well make the best of it. I'm just an ordinary person with no great ambitions, so I'll choose to live a peaceful life.

There's a popular children's rhyme in the village that goes, "If the emperor orders you to die at midnight, who dares to keep you alive until dawn?"

Xu Hao sighed. Since Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang drove out the Tartars and revitalized China, the fate of the Xu family has undergone a tremendous transformation.

Back then, the Xu family was just a farming household. Fortunately, our ancestors had a tradition of learning, and my second grandfather, Xu Da, secretly read many books, including military treatises, and had great ambitions from a young age.

At that time, Xu Da joined Zhu Yuanzhang's uprising, while my grandfather died of an epidemic during a great famine. My grandmother, Xu Laotai, managed to keep both families alive, and Xu Da was very grateful to his sister-in-law. After establishing the capital in Nanjing, he brought his brother's family to the outskirts of the capital.

Grandmother Xu Laotai, deeply respected by Xu Da, had high prestige in the entire clan and was the ultimate authority at home, with everyone fearing her.

Xu Hao didn't particularly like this strict old lady, and she didn't like him either, as he was not outstanding in any way. In fact, the entire second branch of the family was not favored by the old lady.

Speaking of the second branch, my adoptive father's generation consists of three brothers, and he is the second. The three brothers grew up as companions and book boys to the three sons of Xu Da, who had become successful.

My eldest uncle, Xu Yaotu, followed his cousin, Xu Da's eldest son, Xu Yun Gong, and learned excellent martial arts. He was also handsome and well-built, naturally favored by the old lady, and the eldest branch held a high status in the family.

My third uncle, Xu Zengfu, followed Xu Da's youngest son, Xu Zengshou, and studied poetry and literature from a young age. He was quick-witted and eloquent, also deeply loved by the old lady, and the third branch held a high status in the family.

Only my adoptive father had the hardest life. He followed the honest and straightforward second cousin, Xu Yingxu, and had a personality as dull as a wooden block. He was not as skilled in martial arts as his elder brother or as talented in literature as his younger brother, and he couldn't speak well, so it was natural that he was not favored by the family.

Another point is that my adoptive father is very afraid of his wife, which the old lady, who was always strong-willed, found most unsatisfactory. However, my adoptive mother was very capable and gave birth to three children, which prevented the old lady from finding a reason to criticize her.

I have an older sister who is not yet married and a younger sister who is very lively. My father is honest and steady, and my mother is fiery-tempered. Our family life is neither good nor bad.

In short, my life in the Ming Dynasty has just begun.