In the fifteenth year of the Chenghua Dynasty, the usurper Ning Chen finally died. The youngest left minister since the founding of the dynasty, his power extended over all the realm, and his methods were as ruthless as his heart. He formed a party...
A wave of dizziness swept over him, accompanied by a faint commotion at the edges of his hearing.
Ning Rushen's memory was still anchored in the moment just seconds before; he had stepped out of the teaching building and missed a stair, then felt as if someone had dragged him across the ground, as lifelessly as a corpse.
After the blinding white light faded, his eyes opened to a scene framed by stone steps and red walls. Ahead, a procession of people dressed in court attire moved majestically through a Wumen Gate, resembling a scene straight out of a historical drama.
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And there he was, sitting not far from the procession on the bare ground.
His gaze fell upon a swath of crimson robes and the pale, slender wrist that emerged from them.
Just as he was taking it all in, a man dressed in white robes hurried over from a distance. "Lord Ning!"
The imperial physician stopped in his tracks, "..."
Suddenly, a voice came from beside him, "Did you hit your head or something?"
Turning his head, Ning Rushen realized another person was standing next to him, donned in light crimson court attire, looking to be in his early twenties. He was grimacing as he rubbed his knee, glaring at Ning Rushen with evident irritation.
Two eunuchs, trying to smooth things over with apologetic smiles, said, "Lord Geng, Lord Ning indeed took quite a fall."
Geng Yan glanced at Ning Rushen, "Nothing good ever happens when I run into you."
Ning Rushen scrutinized the few people before him.
The pain he felt was so vivid, and his surroundings so clear and detailed. His head buzzed for a few moments before he was forced to acknowledge a startling fact:
He hadn't died; he had traveled through time.
But he had no idea which dynasty this was, or even who he was.
Rubbing his head, Ning Rushen decided to clarify his situation first, "My head's a bit fuzzy right now. Where am I, and what happened?"
The atmosphere suddenly fell silent.
The eunuchs looked terrified, and the imperial physician hastily grabbed his wrist, closing his eyes and murmuring under his breath, barely making out the words: "It's over, it's all over..."
Geng Yan opened his mouth then closed it, eyeing Ning Rushen for a long while before finally, unable to contain his curiosity, limping closer to ask, "Did you, did you really hit your head hard?"
Ning Rushen's face turned ashen as he stared at him.
Taking a deep breath, Geng Yan said, "Today is the Emperor's coronation ceremony. Do you remember? We were returning from the suburbs to the Wumen Gate when you, blind and lame, failed to watch where you were going and fell face-first like a dog eating shit. You even dragged me down with you, causing me to injure my leg as well. Have you forgotten all that?"
