It was not until today, two days later, that he finally accepted the reality that he had transmigrated to the Ming Dynasty.

The original body was Robert Bennett, a native of Suzhou Prefecture.

His father, John Bennett, was an outsider, a son-in-law who married into the Ye family.

His mother, Lady Ye, died in childbirth, and Robert Bennett was left with a congenital lung disease that has yet to heal, earning him the nickname “sickly ghost.”

John Bennett was an honest man. The year before last, after his father-in-law Stephen Reed passed away, the Ye clan grew envious of the inheritance he left behind and used various means, both overt and covert, to force John Bennett to share a portion.

But Stephen Reed had already closed all loopholes: he changed his daughter’s only child’s surname back to Jiang, leaving the Ye clan no chance to seize the inheritance openly.

John Bennett was simple and upright, struggling to protect his son and the family business. But just last year, while entertaining an important client with drinks, he suddenly collapsed and never woke up.

The original body was only fourteen last year, but gifted in his studies, he had already passed the county-level exam. After his father’s death, he did his utmost to protect the family business, but at the end of last year, he killed a distant cousin in the street...

The petty officer David Brooks was the only one in the group with a horse to ride.

He stroked his big beard and, pointing at the numb, shuffling Robert Bennett, asked, “Is that the scholar who killed someone?”

“Yes,” the accompanying soldier replied with a smile. “His name is Robert Bennett, the son of a son-in-law.”

“A scholar killing someone... rare indeed.” David Brooks looked at the frail Robert Bennett and chuckled.

In Ming society, civil officials were valued over military ones. If he met a scholar on a narrow path, David Brooks would have to step aside.

But now this scholar’s life and death were in his hands. To say David Brooks didn’t feel a sense of satisfaction would be a lie. “It’s a pity, really.” To curry favor with superiors is what every ambitious man should do... the soldier said, “That day, he met his cousin on the street, and the cousin publicly insulted his deceased father.”

The soldier sneaked a glance at David Brooks. David Brooks nodded, “If it were me, I’d have given him a good beating.”

Back in the Qin and Han dynasties, if you dared insult someone’s parents, and that person killed you on the spot, the authorities would likely acquit the killer.

That’s settled... the soldier smiled. “The petty officer is a man who hates evil.” He glanced at Robert Bennett. “There happened to be a butcher selling meat on the street at the time. This scholar grabbed the butcher’s knife and stabbed his cousin with one blow.”

“Maocai” is another term for “xiucai” (scholar). During the Eastern Han, to avoid using the emperor Liu Xiu’s given name, “xiucai” was changed to “maocai.”

“He’s got courage. If he weren’t so frail, he could join the army.” David Brooks admired such blood and bravery, but looked down on the status of a son-in-law’s son.

A man should strive for self-reliance; even begging is better than marrying into a wife’s family. That was the value of the time. In the Qin and Han, a son-in-law was almost like a criminal—summoned for military service or labor whenever needed.

“Exactly.” The soldier smiled. “Thanks to his status as a scholar, and the fact that the deceased insulted his late father first, Robert Bennett escaped the death penalty. But though spared from death, he couldn’t escape punishment. Now he’s being sent to Taizhou Prefecture as a convict soldier.”

“This one won’t last more than half a year.” David Brooks shook his head, a trace of pity flashing through his heart, but it quickly faded—there were other convict soldiers in his garrison, all bullied and reduced to walking corpses.

“There’s been a lot of trouble with Japanese pirates in Taizhou lately. Robert Bennett is weak; if he doesn’t die from hard labor, he’ll be driven to the front lines by his superiors and sent to his death...”

The soldier sighed.

Robert Bennett’s lung disease was severe. If not for the Ye family—later the Jiang family—being fairly well-off, they wouldn’t have been able to afford his medicine.

Once in Taizhou Prefecture, let alone medicine, even getting enough to eat would be a luxury.

This one won’t survive three months!

The soldier shook his head and paid no more attention to Robert Bennett.

Robert Bennett had accepted the reality of transmigration and pondered for a long time, but couldn’t, like so many predecessors, immediately find a way to escape punishment.

A life for a life—that’s the natural order.

Unless he could atone for his crime... but where would he find the chance?

As for killing, Robert Bennett had done plenty when he was a minor warlord. But this was the era of cold weapons... his meager skills in cold weapon combat were nothing here.

Robert Bennett stared blankly for a long time, looking up at the sky in despair.

Heavens, send me back!

How he wished this was all a dream...

Buzz!

Suddenly, his mind vibrated.

A great cauldron appeared out of nowhere.

Isn’t this the national treasure from the Central Plains Museum?

The cauldron slowly rotated in his mind.

An ancient, desolate aura filled his brain.

On the upper part of the cauldron, beneath the mottled cloud patterns, a number suddenly appeared.

—276 years.

Isn’t that exactly the length of the Ming Dynasty’s reign?

Robert Bennett was stunned.

A surge of information suddenly flooded his mind.

—The Ming Dynasty is destined for 500 years of rule.

—You, must complete it!

Robert Bennett felt it was all a dream and sneered, “Heh!”

—Do you wish to return?

Of course I want to go home... This is my chance! Robert Bennett pinched his thigh hard, tears coming to his eyes.

From the founding of the Ming to the suicide of the Chongzhen Emperor, the dynasty lasted 276 years.

To reach 500 years, 224 more are needed.

But Robert Bennett felt this broken body wouldn’t last three months.

Ding!

Suddenly, something else appeared in his mind.

This is...

Isn’t this a fruit knife?

A fruit knife spun in his mind.