Chapter 003: Rebirth as a Human

Reflecting on everything that has happened in history, Tang Feng felt that he had arrived in an era that was both the worst and the best. The worst because of the impending realities, and the best because none of it had yet occurred; perhaps he could still change it all, after all, he was the only one in this era who knew the course of history. However, he soon pondered a question about his current identity. He was neither a high-ranking minister in the court nor a general wielding military power; how could he possibly change anything? Moreover, from the historical records, this era was not lacking in renowned ministers and generals. Figures like Yang Lian and Sun Chengzong would be pillars of the court in any age, yet they seemed unable to contend with Wei Zhongxian and his eunuch faction. Unless he could somehow inhabit the body of Emperor Tianqi and replace him as the Son of Heaven of the Ming Dynasty, perhaps he could turn the tide. Yet, at present, he was merely a county magistrate in a small locality, and even a traveling one at that; how could someone like him possibly alter the course of history?

But then he suddenly remembered the events that had occurred with the Ox-Head and Horse-Face. Could that also have been a dream? Thinking of what the Ox-Head and Horse-Face had said, and recalling their promise to help him be reborn, Tang Kexiao suddenly felt that everything became real. Then he heard a very real voice by his ear: "Young Master, I will definitely not let anything happen to you!" The voice sounded quite youthful, yet Tang Kexiao could discern the resolute meaning behind the words. Soon after, he felt his body begin to warm up, sensing a warm current flowing around him, as if he were soaking in a hot spring. Then he heard a very real voice by his ear: "Young Master, I will definitely not let anything happen to you!" The voice sounded quite youthful, yet Tang Kexiao could discern the resolute meaning behind the words. Soon after, he felt his body begin to warm up, sensing a warm current flowing around him, as if he were soaking in a hot spring.

Tang Kexiao, who was astonished, looked at his own body and found that he was wearing a set of white cloth garments, which were not his pajamas. This further confirmed to him that what he had heard from that voice was indeed true. Holding onto his last hope, Tang Kexiao wanted to get up and take a look outside, but he discovered that his body was extremely weak, and he did not even have the strength to rise from the bed.

Just as Tang Feng began to contemplate how to seek benefits for the people in the county under his governance, the young boy named Jie Huo entered with a bowl of medicine. Upon seeing Tang Feng sitting up, he was first taken aback, then a smile appeared on his face. After placing a blanket under Tang Feng, he attempted to feed him the medicine. However, the now-awake Tang Feng was unwilling to let a child who was more than ten years younger than him serve him, and said, "I can manage myself. Please hand me the medicine." Saying this, he reached out to take the bowl of medicine.

The young master has been in a deep sleep for six days, and today is already the 7th of March

It seemed that the other party was also an ambitious person, so Tang Kexiao naturally agreed to his words. Just as he was about to say something more, Tang Kexiao woke up once again. Upon realizing that he had awakened again, Tang Kexiao understood that he had completely replaced the original owner of this body, and that the scholar named Tang Feng had already vanished without a trace. With a sense of guilt towards the person whose body he had forcibly taken, Tang Kexiao decided that from this moment on, he would call himself Tang Feng, in order to fulfill the original owner's wishes.

After letting out a bitter laugh, Tang Feng cast aside his unrealistic thoughts. Now, he only wished to fulfill the original aspirations of the former Tang Feng, to govern this unfamiliar She County well, so that the local people could live better lives. As for how to handle governmental affairs, Tang Feng did not concern himself with it at all. In his view, if he, possessing the wisdom of a modern person, could not manage even a county from the ancient Hu and Tu Shu era, it would truly be a disservice to his true identity.

Although the voice did not express everything, Tang Kexiao understood the meaning behind the words. It was evident that this person named Tang Feng had a frail body, which ultimately led to his untimely death. Meanwhile, he had been brought into this person's body by the Ox-Head and Horse-Face at the right moment, thus replacing him and coming back to life. After realizing this, Tang Kexiao felt somewhat embarrassed.

Tang Kexiao thought of the young man from earlier; from the look in his eyes, he understood the deep bond between the two. However, the voice did not cease, continuing to recount some of Tang Feng's experiences. Finally, it said: "Now I must take my leave. In addition to what I just mentioned, my ambition is also to serve the people. I hope you can assist me in this, so that the citizens under your governance can live in peace and prosperity"

It is unclear how much time had passed when Tang Kexiao began to regain some awareness. While he was still uncertain whether he was awake or dreaming, a gentle voice reached his mind. This voice sounded both vague and clear; vague because Tang Kexiao could not discern exactly what was being said, yet clear because he understood the intent behind the words. However, the content of what the voice conveyed was something he could not bring himself to believe.

Looking at the youth who was dressed similarly to those in the historical dramas on television, and hearing his distinctly era-specific address, Tang Kexiao felt a buzzing in his head. If it weren't for the youth's quick reflexes in supporting him, Tang Kexiao would have likely collapsed onto the bed. The youth propped up Tang Kexiao with one hand while swiftly grabbing another blanket from the bed with the other, placing it behind his back. Thus, Tang Kexiao was finally able to sit up halfway.

Unable to fathom his own uselessness to the extent of requiring a young man to attend to him, Tang Kexiao could only laugh heartily. He could now be certain that he had fallen victim to that bull-headed and horse-faced trickery. Not only could he no longer return to honor his parents, but he also had no chance to see them even once more, for he had already realized that he had traversed into another realm. Under the young man's service, Tang Kexiao drank a bowl of bitter medicinal soup. Just as he was about to ask the young man a few questions, he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, and then he fell into a deep slumber.

Tang Feng immediately recalled that he had been ordered to take up his post on March 15, and said: "It seems we can no longer delay. Let me rest for another two days, and then we shall continue our journey."

The voice told Tang Kexiao that his current identity was that of a successful candidate from the Ming Dynasty, specifically from the forty-seventh year of the Wanli era. His name was Tang Feng, and he had recently received an appointment from the Ministry of Personnel to serve as the county magistrate in She County, Huizhou Prefecture, in Southern Zhili. At present, he was on his way there. Listening to this inexplicable voice ringing in his ears, Tang Kexiao could only find it amusing; he naturally assumed he was dreaming again, perhaps due to having read too much material about the Ming Dynasty.

After a moment of hesitation, Jiehuo handed the bowl to Tang Feng. It was only after seeing him drink the medicine completely that Jiehuo happily said, "Young Master has finally regained a bit of strength, which puts my mind at ease."

Tang Feng looked at his sincere smile and felt the deep bond between them. In that moment, he regarded him as family and smiled, saying: "Yes, I have awakened. You need not worry anymore. What day is it today?"

Yet that voice echoed in his mind: "I lost both my parents at a young age and was raised by my uncle, which allowed me to achieve this through books. However, he passed away two years ago. Now, I have only one relative left to rely on. As long as you treat him well in the future, even if my soul were to scatter, I would have no complaints."

Upon waking this time, Tang Kexiao—no, he should now be called Tang Feng—felt that his body had improved considerably, likely due to that bowl of medicine. He managed to sit up from the bed, looking at the simple guest room, and could not help but feel amused. He never expected that he would truly fulfill his own prophecy; he had just told an online friend that if he could travel to the Ming Dynasty like the protagonists in time-travel novels, he would do his utmost for the Ming Dynasty to prevent the tragedies of history from recurring. Now, he had indeed arrived in this era.

When Tang Kexiao woke up again, he found that he could open his eyes. He thought that everything that had happened before was merely a nightmare, so he immediately opened his eyes, hoping to see the familiar room and furnishings. However, what met his eyes shattered his hopes; he saw an empty room. Apart from the bed he was lying on, there was only a table not far away, a clothes rack, and a basin stand by the door.

Just as Tang Kexiao was trying hard to wake up, the door opened, and a boy of about fourteen or fifteen entered, holding a coarse porcelain bowl in his hands. Upon seeing that Tang Kexiao had awakened, the boy hurried over, first placing the bowl on the table, and then exclaimed with joy: "Young Master, you have finally woken up!"

Tang Feng smiled and nodded in agreement. After chatting with Jie Huo for a few more moments, he fell asleep again, feeling weary

Tang Kexiao had not yet understood the meaning of their words when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his body, as if a needle had pierced into him. Then came the second, the third... Tang Kexiao wanted to protest loudly, but he realized that he could not even open his mouth to speak. After enduring a few more stabs, he fell into unconsciousness once again

Just when Tang Kexiao felt quite comfortable, a dry hand rested on his pulse gate. After a while, an aged voice said: "This young gentleman's pulse is becoming more stable. It seems that your methods of saving lives are even more remarkable than mine. Allow me to use this silver needle to pierce a few of his acupoints, helping him to expel the cold energy as quickly as possible, and this young gentleman's life will be assured."

In his dreams, Tang Kexiao once again heard that voice. This time, perhaps because he was already awake, he could clearly hear what the voice was saying: "In fact, I am you now, that is, Tang Feng. As a native of Shanyin, Zhejiang, I have devoted myself to studying since childhood, with the sole aim of bringing glory to my ancestors. However, despite passing the imperial examination, I exhausted my health. Furthermore, after receiving my orders, I traveled for days on end and was caught in the rain, which led to me catching a cold and falling ill in this post station."

I was just about to advise him to rest for a few more days, but then I thought it would not be good to delay the matters of the court, so I could only say: "That can only wait until you have the strength to travel, my lord."

Tang Feng still retained many of his original memories, and he quickly realized that it was now the third year of the Tianqi era of the Ming Dynasty. "Isn't Tianqi the penultimate emperor of the Ming Dynasty?" With this thought, some records from history books flashed through Tang Feng's mind. He was the most incompetent emperor, only knowing how to hide in the palace and engage in his carpentry work. His favoritism towards the Ke family and Wei Zhongxian led to chaos throughout the Ming Dynasty. Moreover, during this period, the armies of the Later Jin began to launch repeated attacks on Liaodong. Under the dual pressures of internal strife and external threats, the Ming Dynasty finally reached its last moment. Even though the succeeding Emperor Chongzhen exerted tremendous effort, he ultimately met with a tragic end, resulting in his death and the fall of the nation.