Chapter One: The Unlucky Soul's Journey Through Time

In the dim prison cell, a mixture of mildew, sweat, decay, and feces filled the air. Chen Kan casually picked up a rat that mistook his finger for a french fry and tossed it aside. He gave a bitter smile.

He had to accept this absurd reality.

Yes, he had traveled through time.

From the towering, technologically advanced 21st century, he had crossed over to the summer of the fourth year of the Jianwen era in the Ming dynasty.

How he had traveled through time? That was irrelevant!

What mattered was Chen Kan’s current predicament was far from pleasant.

Not only was he imprisoned, but his life was also in constant danger.

As for the reason...

It was simple—he had taken over the body of a man whose teacher was named Fang Xiaoru.

Yes, the very same Fang Xiaoru who, according to history, was executed along with his entire clan by Zhu Di.

“Life is unpredictable, like a small intestine wrapped in a large intestine,” Chen Kan mused, swallowing his words after merging with the original owner’s memories.

The unlucky man who had traveled through time was also named Chen Kan.

But this Chen Kan’s past was so bizarre that “strange” didn’t even begin to describe it.

He was originally the son of Chen Heng, Marquis of Puding, a founding general of the Ming dynasty.

A genuine spoiled young noble.

In his previous life, Chen Kan was just a typical overworked corporate drone. Becoming a spoiled noble through time travel wasn’t entirely unacceptable.

But fate loved to toy with him.

In the 26th year of the Hongwu era, Chen Heng was implicated in the Lan Yu case and died in the imperial prison.

The original owner of the body also fell from grace, from a spoiled noble to dirt beneath the feet.

You might think this was the end?

Of course not.

With Chen Heng’s death, his noble title was revoked by Zhu Yuanzhang.

The original owner, left with no family, had no choice but to seek out his father’s former superior, Duke Fu Youde of Yingguo, begging for shelter.

Chen Heng had once been Fu Youde’s top general and had distinguished himself during the expedition to Yunnan.

Fu Youde, upon seeing his once-trusted subordinate’s head severed and his son reduced to misery, couldn’t help but feel sorrowful.

Out of old friendship, Fu Youde not only took him in but also betrothed his most beloved granddaughter—Fu Zhong’s eldest daughter, Fu Yu, born to Princess Shouchun, Zhu Yuanzhang’s ninth daughter—to the original owner.

They agreed that the two would marry once Fu Yu turned eighteen.

But fate’s cruelty was not mere talk.

Just as the original owner thought he was about to achieve both love and success, Fu Youde was executed by Zhu Yuanzhang’s order, and Fu Zhong was implicated.

The original owner’s fiancée, still cold to the touch, was taken away along with her brother Fu Yan, ordered by Zhu Yuanzhang to be raised by Crown Prince Zhu Jixi.

Thus, the original owner was once again cast onto the streets.

You think that was the end?

No, it was only the beginning...

Chen Heng had a close friend named Fang Xiaoru.

Unable to bear seeing his old friend’s son fall so low, Fang took him in and raised him as a disciple.

The original owner lived safely under Fang Xiaoru’s roof for four years.

In the 31st year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang died, and Crown Prince Zhu Yunwen ascended the throne, naming the era Jianwen.

With Zhu Yuanzhang’s death, the original owner thought his fortunes would turn.

But who could have guessed that the Jianwen Emperor would immediately begin actions that would lead to his own ruin?

His policy to reduce the power of regional princes provoked Zhu Di, Prince of Yan, stationed on the northern frontier, to launch the Jingnan Campaign.

In the fourth year, Zhu Di captured Yingtian Prefecture.

After the Jianwen Emperor set fire to the palace, he vanished without a trace.

Fang Xiaoru, one of the key officials of the Jianwen government, was also arrested by Zhu Di’s order.

And as Fang Xiaoru’s student, how could the original owner avoid imprisonment?

Thus, he was once again thrown into prison.

Only this time, he did not survive.

So Chen Kan had come, taking over as the new unlucky soul...

After reviewing the original owner’s life, Chen Kan muttered bitterly, “Isn’t this just the definition of a born loser?”

“Ridiculous beyond belief, absurdity knocking on absurdity’s door, utterly ridiculous!”

However,

It wasn’t a big problem.

As a seasoned bookworm familiar with countless reincarnation and underdog stories, no one understood these plots better than him!

This script was far too familiar to Chen Kan.

After a brief silence, he silently called out in his heart, “System, come out!!!”

...

“System, daddy?”

...

Unexpectedly, there was no “ding” sound or any confirmation of system binding in his mind.

Chen Kan’s heart sank—he had no system!

But...

It wasn’t a big problem either.

He believed that with his foresight as a person from the future, he could surely thrive in the Ming dynasty.

Right?

Comforting himself, Chen Kan refocused on reality.

He had traveled through time but had no special powers.

So next,

How could he survive Zhu Di’s bloody sword?

That became the urgent question Chen Kan needed to solve.

“I have to find a way to save myself. After all, it’s not every day you get to travel through time and die so easily.”

Chen Kan’s mind raced as he recalled why Fang Xiaoru was executed along with his entire clan.

On June 17th of the fourth year of Jianwen,

Zhu Di staged a farce on his way back from paying respects at Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang’s mausoleum.

He “reluctantly” proclaimed himself emperor in Nanjing.

Then he summoned Fang Xiaoru and ordered him to draft the edict of enthronement.

Fang Xiaoru naturally refused and spat on Zhu Di in the main hall.

Furious, Zhu Di condemned Fang Xiaoru to the brutal punishment of dismemberment and extermination of ten clans.

To reach the number ten, Zhu Di even counted Fang’s disciples and old friends as separate clans.

“So, I’m doomed?” Chen Kan bitterly muttered.

“Tyrant? I spit on you!”

Recalling the entire historical episode of Fang Xiaoru, bitterness welled up in Chen Kan’s mouth.

He had inexplicably come to the Ming dynasty, identified only as Fang Xiaoru’s disciple.

It was clearly a setup to send his head to Zhu Di.

No courtesy at all—straight to a hellish beginning!

From the original owner’s memories, today was June 14th.

Only three days remained before Zhu Di’s “yellow robe” incident.

That meant Chen Kan had just three days left.

After three days, if he didn’t want to become a mere footnote on the dramatic page of Fang Xiaoru’s history,

He had only two choices:

Either grow wings and fly out of the Ming dynasty—which presupposed a successful prison break—

Or convince Fang Xiaoru to become Zhu Di’s second-in-command and obediently write the enthronement edict.

Otherwise, there was only one ending—

Death.

And a cruel death at that, tortured to death by dismemberment.

The method was unimaginably savage!

Understanding his dire situation, Chen Kan was filled with anxiety and fear.

Prison break?

Comparing his delicate arms to the thick wooden walls of the cell, as thick as a human head, Chen Kan immediately abandoned the idea.

Convince Fang Xiaoru to side with Zhu Di?

But that was Fang Xiaoru—

A man who had witnessed the brutal murder of his family, friends, and disciples by Zhu Di, yet remained utterly unyielding in mind and spirit.

He was truly history’s toughest bone to break.

And Chen Kan was supposed to persuade him to side with Zhu Di?

Was that even possible?

—