Chapter 3

When Zhao Gang gradually regained consciousness from his coma, he felt as if his head was about to split open, and it seemed to be wrapped in something, causing both pain and stuffiness. Around him, it seemed as if countless people were whispering, their voices not loud but piercing his eardrums, making him even more restless and impatient.

He wanted to investigate his surroundings, but his body was weak, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't open his eyes. In a daze, Zhao Gang could only ask himself, "What happened? Where am I now?"

...Right, after work, he accompanied a colleague to dinner. While crossing the street, a clearly speeding car suddenly rushed towards him. He tried to dodge, but the sudden shock made his reaction slow, and then...

He had been in a car accident!!

Realizing the cause and effect of the situation, Zhao Gang felt his thoughts become even more chaotic, with various thoughts flooding his mind.

Am I in the hospital now?

Was the driver caught?

Who are all these people around me? Doctors and nurses? Why is it so noisy?

Most importantly, did I suffer any serious injuries in this car accident?

Thinking about the possible catastrophic consequences, Zhao Gang became extremely anxious, wanting to open his eyes and get up to check his body. However, it was as if he had lost control of his body, unable to open his eyes or move. He could only vaguely hear people talking around him, but couldn't make out what they were saying.

Finally, after an unknown amount of time, his body gradually regained some strength, and his senses slowly returned. Although he still couldn't get up or open his eyes, Zhao Gang could feel the existence of his arms and legs, and the whispers around him finally became clear.

"Thank goodness, I still have my senses; I haven't become a vegetable..."

However, before he could feel relieved, the whispers around him made him pause.

...

"These ruffians are truly despicable, daring to attack Lord Zhao, causing him to fall into a coma. They must not be let off; they must be severely punished!! They must be severely punished..."

"However, this time, Lord Zhao intended to divert all the disaster relief funds allocated by the court, which is too much of a big move and is indeed inappropriate. In times of natural disasters and human calamities, if it triggers a rebellion..."

"What do you understand? Lord Zhao, at a young age, is already a close confidant of His Majesty, a high-ranking official of the third rank, with a noble status and a bright future. For him to personally inspect the disaster area is a great honor for those ruffians. But they not only failed to show gratitude but even threw stones at Lord Zhao, truly ungrateful..."

"Hmph, those reformists are delighted by Lord Zhao's attack. That young man from the Zhang family even dared to set off firecrackers in the street to celebrate. Some pedantic scholars even dared to defend those ruffians who attacked Lord Zhao. Once this matter is over, I will definitely deal with them..."

"May the Buddha protect Lord Zhao. If anything happens to him, we cannot bear the blame from His Majesty..."

"Colleagues, this is a major incident, and we cannot cover it up. If anything happens to Lord Zhao, the Emperor will certainly blame us. Even if Lord Zhao is ultimately unharmed, we will still be blamed for our poor governance and inadequate protection..."

"Actually, these are minor issues. I am worried that if Lord Zhao wakes up and thinks about the attack, and vents his anger on us, what should we do? Sigh..."

"Lord Liu, those ruffians who attacked Lord Zhao have all been arrested. How should we deal with them? Due to Lord Zhao's attack, all the government offices are in chaos. As the head of this region, you must make a decision..."

...

After hearing a few sentences, Zhao Gang became even more puzzled. What were these people talking about? Who is "Lord Zhao"? What "disaster area" and "ruffians"? Could they be discussing a historical drama? Their enthusiasm was as if they were personally experiencing it, which seemed too deep into the role.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhao Gang finally gathered enough strength to open his eyes.

Then, he was stunned by what he saw.

In front of him stood two or three dozen people, densely packed, old and young, nearly filling the entire room. Each person's expression was anxious, angry, panicked, or at a loss... but that wasn't the most important thing.

The most important thing was that he was not in the hospital as he had expected, but in a bedroom. The bedroom contained no modern appliances, and the decor was in the Ming and Qing styles, ancient and elegant, yet exquisitely luxurious.

And the people in front of him were not doctors or nurses, but a group of people dressed in ancient costumes, resembling Ming officials... actors? Lunatics?

What was going on?

Looking at everything in front of him—the elegant bedroom, the strangers dressed as ancient officials, and their half-ancient, half-modern dialogue—Zhao Gang felt a sense of temporal dislocation, as if he had been transported back in time. Yet, deep in his mind, there was a faint sense of familiarity.

Just as Zhao Gang was puzzled by the scene, someone finally noticed that he had woken up and was looking at them with open eyes. They were overjoyed and, losing their composure, shouted to the others, "Colleagues, Lord Zhao, Lord Zhao has woken up!! Doctor!! Doctor!! Quickly call the doctor!!"

As he shouted, the person rushed to Zhao Gang's bedside, his face full of flattery and servility, and said, "Lord Zhao, you have finally woken up. I knew that with your great fortune and the protection of the Buddha, you would be fine."

At the same time, everyone in the room, like this person, rushed to Zhao Gang's side, vying to say auspicious words and express their concern, afraid of falling behind.

"Lord Zhao, you have finally woken up. I was so worried today. I have been praying to the Buddha for your well-being. Now that you are awake and unharmed, it shows that the heavens have eyes, and the truth is clear. Minor disasters will not harm you at all!!"

"Lord Zhao, do you feel any discomfort now? If you need anything, just say it. No matter how expensive the medicine or items, I will find them for you, even if it means bankrupting myself."

"Lord Zhao, those ruffians are truly despicable. They have all been arrested. Just give the order, and I will have them beheaded and displayed!!"

...

Looking at these strangers dressed as ancient officials, all of whom were fawning and flattering, though unfamiliar, yet strangely familiar, Zhao Gang was at a loss. Suddenly, a loud noise echoed in his mind, and a flood of inexplicable memory fragments suddenly rushed into his brain.

The pain and helplessness of losing his mother in childhood, the hard study and struggle during his years of study, the joy and anticipation of passing the imperial exams, the confusion and joy of suddenly receiving the emperor's favor, the ambition and arrogance of rapid promotion, the anxiety and satisfaction after the first act of corruption, and the panic and anger of being attacked at the height of his success...

In just a few moments, like a movie playing, the life of a young official from ancient times, spanning over twenty years, inexplicably entered Zhao Gang's mind, merging with his own memories.

And the owner of these memory fragments was named "Zhao Junchen"!!

A young man of just twenty-three, who, through the emperor's favor and various means, had become a high-ranking official, the Deputy Minister of Revenue, the Chief of the Inner Transport Treasury, and a third-rank official of the court!!

These suddenly emerging memory fragments were fragmented, complex, and incomplete, seemingly only the most profound parts of "Zhao Junchen's" memory—Zhao Gang didn't even know which dynasty "Zhao Junchen" belonged to—but they were so clear and familiar, as if Zhao Gang himself had experienced them.

Faced with such an incredible turn of events, and with a group of ancient officials in strange costumes fawning and asking after his well-being, Zhao Gang felt absurd and at a loss, wanting to say something or ask something, but unable to get a word in amid the noise and chaos.

At this moment, an elderly man dressed as an ancient official shouted, "Ridiculous!! Lord Zhao has just woken up, and his body is still weak. Your loud noise and chaos will hinder his recovery. If anything happens to Lord Zhao, can you bear the responsibility?"

The people in the room suddenly realized they had gone too far and were in a panic, apologizing. However, the room became much quieter.

Then, the old man pushed through the crowd, came to Zhao Gang's side, and said softly, "Lord Zhao, after your attack, I was extremely anxious and did not delay, summoning all the famous doctors in the city to treat you. Fortunately, the doctors diagnosed that although you suffered a heavy blow to the head and fell into a coma, there was no serious damage, and you just need to rest to recover. Please rest assured. However, despite this, I and my colleagues are still worried and have been waiting here to guard you. Thank goodness, you have finally woken up. Lord Zhao, how do you feel now? Do you need me to call the doctor? They are waiting outside and can come to examine you immediately."

This old man was clearly the leader of the group. When he spoke, no one dared to interrupt. When facing Zhao Junchen, the old man's expression, like the others, was full of obvious humility and flattery, but he was much more restrained and steady, and more shrewd and worldly.

However, at this moment, Zhao Gang, faced with this sudden and inexplicable turn of events, was in a state of confusion and could not calm down. He wanted to ask questions but didn't know how to start, and didn't respond.

However, the old man, seeing that Zhao Gang ignored his greetings and instead frowned, with a fluctuating gaze, seemed to be agitated or thinking about something, became anxious.

Thinking about the noble status of the person in front of him, who had been attacked and injured under his jurisdiction, and even though the perpetrator had been caught, if the person in front of him was still angry and vented his anger on these local officials, then...

Thinking of this, the old man, who had been somewhat steady, lost most of his composure and, without any侥幸, knelt in front of Zhao Gang's bed and kowtowed, saying, "Lord Zhao, as an imperial envoy, your attack is indeed due to my negligence and failure to protect you. Please punish me; I have no complaints. However, your grand plan has not yet been implemented. Please give us a chance to atone for our sins."

As the old man knelt, the others in the room also looked panicked and followed suit, kneeling and pleading for forgiveness.

Seeing this, after the initial confusion and panic, Zhao Gang finally understood—these strangers dressed as ancient officials clearly mistook him for the "Lord Zhao" they were talking about, and this "Lord Zhao" had been attacked by "ruffians" while inspecting the disaster area and then fell into a coma...

Connecting this with the memory fragments of "Zhao Junchen" that suddenly appeared in his mind...

All of this led Zhao Gang to an absurd and unbelievable conclusion.

Could it be that after the car accident, he had somehow traveled back in time to a certain dynasty, possessed the body of another person, and was reborn?

And this person was a high-ranking official in ancient times?

Although Zhao Gang prided himself on being calm and composed, in the face of this nearly absurd conclusion, he was also overwhelmed with confusion and panic.

Meanwhile, the ancient officials in front of Zhao Gang's bed continued to kneel, trembling with fear, but dared not argue, only waiting for Zhao Gang to decide their fate.

After a long silence, Zhao Gang finally suppressed his confusion and panic and, in as calm a voice as possible, said, "Mirror."

Seeing the puzzled expressions on the officials' faces, Zhao Gang added, "Give me a mirror."

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