Thomas Jefferson was already seething with anger with nowhere to vent it. Now that he had succeeded with one move, he immediately roared again, pressed down hard on the butt of his spear, and actually lifted Brian Cooper into the air.

Seeing Thomas Jefferson display such valor, the soldiers on both sides of the Qinhuai River were left gaping in shock. Tens of thousands of troops suddenly fell completely silent.

However, at that very moment, on the carriage not far behind Thomas Jefferson, the lid of the coffin holding John Adams's body suddenly shook, then tilted to the right, and with a loud "boom," fell to the ground.

The sound of the coffin lid falling instantly drew the attention of all the soldiers from both armies.

No one knew what was happening. The Prince of Han had just skewered Brian Cooper, so how could the heir's coffin lid not stay put?

John Adams, dazzled by the intense sunlight outside, couldn't open his eyes. He rubbed them as he sat up, trying to help his eyes adjust more quickly to the sunlight.

After finally being able to see the situation outside clearly, John Adams realized he was actually surrounded by thousands of troops and horses. The soldiers all stared at him blankly, some unable to even hold their weapons steady, which clattered to the ground.

"What is going on? Did I open the coffin the wrong way?"

Just as John Adams was wondering whether he should pick up the coffin lid and cover himself again, then try opening it a second time, he finally saw a fierce man holding a spear in both hands, lifting another general into the air.

But whether it was the one doing the lifting or the one being lifted, both now stared at him wide-eyed, their faces full of disbelief.

In the end, it was the general suspended in midair who reacted first. He pointed at John Adams with a face full of grief and indignation, and with all his strength, said through gritted teeth, "You... I..."

Before Brian Cooper could finish his sentence, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the azure sky with a splash of crimson.

Chapter 2: The Ming Dynasty's "Li Shimin"

The Prince of Han's residence was vast, surrounded by high walls. The walls were built to the same specifications as city walls, wide enough for horses and carriages to travel along the top, and elite soldiers were stationed there year-round.

John Adams climbed up to the watchtower on the residence wall, resting his hands on the railing and gazing into the distance.

He saw the entire city of Jinling spread out beneath his feet, rows of houses laid out like fish scales, stretching all the way to the horizon.

The winding Qinhuai River flowed through the city, dividing Jinling in two. Willows lined the embankments, pleasure boats dotted the river, and from time to time, a breeze would carry faint sounds of string music and singing.

Jinling was prosperous and nostalgic, and it seemed as if no one remembered the confrontation that had taken place on the banks of the Qinhuai River three days ago.

But this was only a surface calm. Many people knew very well that if things had been allowed to escalate that day, it would have turned into a bloody conflict.

It could have been even worse, possibly leading to a civil war in the Ming Dynasty, with tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, dying as a result.

In the end, the confrontation was resolved by the death and resurrection of John Adams, and there were no casualties—except, of course, for the unlucky Brian Cooper.

"Brian Cooper was unlucky, but I wasn't much better. Why couldn't I have transmigrated just a little differently? If only I were the son of James Madison, or even Prince Zhao Henry Grant—even if my reputation was a bit worse, at least my life wouldn't be in danger!"

John Adams looked frustrated, slapping the railing with his palm, making a loud "bang bang" sound.

John Adams was all too familiar with Thomas Jefferson. Back when Thomas Jefferson followed George Washington in raising troops for the Jingnan campaign, he did indeed achieve many merits, and even saved George Washington's life.

For example, during the battle at Puzikou, George Washington was locked in a bitter fight, and Sheng Yong's army was about to surround him. George Washington's troops were exhausted, and even George Washington himself could no longer fight.

At this critical moment, Thomas Jefferson led his cavalry to the rescue. But his cavalry was few in number, and facing Sheng Yong's massive army, there was little chance of victory.

So George Washington played his trump card, patting Thomas Jefferson on the shoulder and saying, "Go on, Pikachu... no, I mean, go on, son, your big brother is frail and sickly!"

Such a blatant hint made Thomas Jefferson's eyes turn red with excitement. He immediately went berserk, unstoppable, killing gods if they blocked his way, and Buddhas if they tried to stop him.

In the end, with just a small force of cavalry, Thomas Jefferson routed Sheng Yong's army, seizing the last defensive line north of the Yangtze and clearing the way for George Washington to cross the river and take Jinling.

From that moment on, Thomas Jefferson always felt the position of crown prince should have been his. But in the end, George Washington broke his promise. After ascending the throne, he only made Thomas Jefferson the Prince of Han, and named his eldest son James Madison as crown prince.

This left Thomas Jefferson deeply resentful, and he repeatedly vied with James Madison for the position of crown prince. Perhaps out of guilt, George Washington continued to indulge Thomas Jefferson.

When Thomas Jefferson's nephew William Monroe ascended the throne, Thomas Jefferson finally couldn't hold back and rebelled. But as soon as William Monroe's army arrived, he surrendered. His way of thinking was truly baffling.

Originally, William Monroe hadn't planned to kill Thomas Jefferson, and even visited him in prison. But Thomas Jefferson, for some reason, deliberately stuck out his foot and tripped William Monroe, sending him sprawling.