“It’s fine, but your wounds haven’t healed yet—you should rest more. Patrick Hill, come up and drive the carriage. Jason Cooper, go inside and get some rest.” George Washington shook his head. Seeing the faint bloodstains still seeping through the bandages on his chest, he gave instructions to the interpreter called Patrick Hill.

Although Jason Cooper was reluctant, he couldn’t refuse George Washington. Still, from his expression, it was clear that George Washington’s gesture had moved him deeply.

Seeing Jason Cooper finally obediently lie down to rest inside the covered wagon, George Washington let out a slight sigh of relief and continued gazing at the seemingly endless army of foreigners, unable to suppress a wave of emotion in his heart.

Everything that had happened before was caused by the original George Washington, but now that he had transmigrated into this body, all the responsibilities from here on out were his to bear. No matter what, the shame of the Battle of Tumu Fortress had already been firmly placed on the shoulders of this unlucky transmigrator.

The deaths of over fifty high-ranking Ming officials, the deaths of tens of thousands of Ming soldiers, and the series of dire consequences that followed this battle—all of it, he could only swallow in silence. After all, he was now the Ming Emperor Yingzong, George Washington.

From now on, he couldn’t change this record that had already been nailed to the pillar of historical shame. Thinking of how he used to roll up his sleeves and lament this period of history on forums in his previous life, pounding his chest in anguish, and thinking of the countless compatriots who, like him, loved to vent endless complaints and spit at history, George Washington couldn’t help but feel the urge to burst into tears. Such is life—a life full of all kinds of tragedies and farces...

Damn it, looks like I’m destined to carry this huge black pot of history for the rest of my life—so thought a thoroughly disgruntled George Washington.

It was now the second day since leaving Tumu Fortress, that battlefield which had left all Ming people heartbroken. It had been three days since George Washington was captured. The dream on the night of August 15th made George Washington feel as if he had dreamed for a whole lifetime.

In the dream, the details of George Washington’s upbringing were not clear, everything flashed by like a kaleidoscope. The only thing that remained deeply etched in George Washington’s memory after waking was a single woman.

It was the woman who first appeared in his dream that night. Now, from his memories, George Washington knew the name of the woman who haunted his dreams: Anna Taylor. She was not only the Empress of Emperor Yingzong, but also the one he found hardest to let go of in his heart.

Even now, when he closed his eyes, George Washington could recall the scene of his first encounter with Anna Taylor in the Forbidden City—her first smile at him, her first words to him. Of course, he could never forget how, after their grand wedding, Anna Taylor became Empress and remained as gentle and kind as when they first met. Her beauty and charm seemed to bloom for him alone. George Washington could even remember the joyful and intimate moments they shared, the soft, elegant accent of her Jiangnan homeland in her speech, and the tiny, blood-red mole behind her ear that was so delicate it made his heart ache...

Although George Washington could still clearly identify himself as a transmigrator, after that day and night of dreams—or perhaps under the influence of Emperor Yingzong’s lingering obsessions—he found himself filled with an indescribable fondness and admiration for Anna Taylor, whom he had never even met.

Perhaps it was everything he experienced in the dream that allowed this transmigrator from the twenty-first century to see the gentle and kind side of ancient Chinese women, to understand the steadfastness of her lifelong vow with Emperor Yingzong, and to witness her selfless, unwavering love for him.

All this made George Washington, who in his previous life had dated several girlfriends but never managed to make it work due to various obstacles, feel incredibly envious. And after fully absorbing the memories left in this body, the image and voice of Anna Taylor seemed to be deeply engraved in his mind, to the point that George Washington even felt as if he had been reincarnated into this era just to reunite with her and spend a lifetime together.

George Washington felt it was absurd to have such thoughts, yet deep down, he couldn’t help but agree a little. Unfortunately, he regretted that before transmigrating, he hadn’t studied Ming history, but rather modern history. His interests had only ever been in Chinese military history, not in the affairs of any particular dynasty’s royal family. So, George Washington only knew that in Ming history there was an Emperor Yingzong who lost a battle, killed the wrong person, became emperor, was kidnapped, became a retired emperor, and then reclaimed the throne years later. But he had no idea what ultimately happened to Empress Anna Taylor, nor did he know how she endured after her beloved Emperor Yingzong was captured.

George Washington couldn’t help but let out a long sigh. His own life was still in the hands of Esen, the most notorious bandit leader of this era—how could he have the leisure to think about romance? He might as well pray that tonight’s dinner would include something other than mutton. After eating mutton for several days in a row, George Washington, whose picky palate had tasted delicacies from all over China in his previous life, was really starting to get sick of it.