Chaos of Ming 1628

At Caishikou, blood flooded the ditches.

A row of people knelt amidst rotten vegetable leaves, thick hemp ropes around their necks. The executioner's tea hadn't even dried before the command flag was lowered.

With a flash of light, the head rolled into the muddy water, and the splashes of blood splattered onto Li Qing's face.

Li Qing suddenly opened his eyes, his heart filled with horror. At this moment, he was bound hand and foot and kneeling on the execution platform.

Dozens of people knelt beside him, their faces ashen. The officials standing to the side wore simple everyday clothes, while their official uniforms were imposing and dazzling.

Is he from another time?

He was a Chinese literature professor in his sixties when, while researching ancient Chinese culture from the Ming Dynasty, he became so engrossed in a newly unearthed book that he forgot to eat and sleep and fell into a coma. When he opened his eyes again, he not only had the body of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old, but his mind was also completely blank. Where was he, and what had he experienced in the past?

Why was he on the execution platform? What did the original owner of this body do to deserve being beheaded?

In the blink of an eye, the executioner stood behind him, holding a large knife.

The executioner slightly raised his eyelids and loudly proclaimed the crime: "Disregarding the national laws on salt and iron, committing a crime of greed and breaking the law, the punishment is execution!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the broadsword rose, and with a burst of blood mist, a head fell to the ground.

The cries of agony still lingered in the air when the executioner's voice rose again.

"You have illegally manufactured firearms and are skilled in gunpowder production. Your intentions are treacherous and tantamount to rebellion. You are hereby sentenced to death according to the law!"

"Those who fabricate sophistry, promote evil arts, and mislead their neighbors are not to be tolerated under the law; they must be executed!"

"Those who fabricate heresies, spread falsehoods to mislead the public, disturb moral order, and corrupt social norms shall be sentenced to immediate execution!"

……

Heads fell one after another, bloodstains soaking into the ground. In no more than two people, they would be upon him.

How can he get out of this situation?

The crimes just mentioned by the executioner might include: manufacturing and distributing refined salt, amassing wealth comparable to a nation; inventing matches, benefiting a region; or overturning the flat earth theory and introducing geocentrism in advance…

The so-called time-travel strategy has been nipped in the bud.

And what did the original owner of the body do?

Li Qing was extremely anxious. Seeing the executioner's knife already in front of him, he suddenly looked up.

Veins bulged on his neck as he cried out in alarm, "What crime have I committed? Why are you trying to kill me?"

"You spy, you dare to shout?"

Before Li Qing could react to the shout, he was kicked.

He lay on the ground and then realized that he had just spoken Mandarin.

Standard Mandarin is based on the Beijing pronunciation, with distinct tones of level, rising, departing, and entering, and retroflex consonants and neutral tones forming a separate system. In contrast, the official language of the Ming Dynasty followed the *Hongwu Zhengyun*, where entering tone characters ended with a glottal stop [-ʔ], clearly distinguishing between palatal and non-palatal consonants. Furthermore, there were vastly different differences in vocabulary, grammar, and modal particles.

Such a tone, when heard here, is no different from the cry of a bird from a foreign land. Although the listener does not know the origin of the sound, the words "not of our kind" are enough to condemn it.

Being mistaken for a spy. What good could come of it but being beheaded?

Am I going to die right after I transmigrated here?

The executioner remained expressionless upon hearing this. He glanced at the person beside him, took the execution warrant, and threw it on the ground: "Kill him."

Li Qing was panicked. He lay prostrate on the ground, but dared not be careless. He hurriedly looked up and looked around, searching for a chance to survive.

His eyes were fixed on the executioner's scarlet robe, on which was embroidered a proud xiezhi (a mythical beast). Most officials in the Ming Dynasty wore xiezhi badges. This at least links this dynasty to the Ming Dynasty.

He clenched his teeth. Although servants and executioners surrounded him, several other people in different attire also stood there. Their robes were woven with flying fish patterns, and they held embroidered spring knives in their hands.

These two points alone are enough to conclude that this is the Ming Dynasty.

In the Ming Dynasty, officials of the Censorate of the third rank and above wore official robes and were accompanied by members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Today's executioner was not a circuit censor, but someone escorting an imperial case out of the capital.

Officials of this rank have the absolute authority to execute spies. To survive, one must instill fear in the enemy.

Li Qing propped himself up, veins bulging on his neck. He dared not use Mandarin anymore and immediately changed his pronunciation, shouting, "You're right, I am a spy."

Before the crowd could get angry, he uttered the second half of his sentence: "But I am a spy sent out by the Ming Dynasty."

The entire room fell silent.

Spies from enemy countries are naturally condemned to death, while those from one's own country are hailed as heroes. The treatment of spies is worlds apart.

The executioner, his brow furrowed, stood up in fright. He raised his hand, signaling the executioner to halt.

Li Qing knelt in the mud, constantly surveying his surroundings. He needed to figure out which dynasty he belonged to, so that he could rely on his knowledge to survive, to convince people with just a few words.

The ground was covered with trampled yellow paper, and the four characters "Dragon-riding Distinguished Guest" were clearly visible on the lintel in the distance.

The only time the phrase "dragon-riding" can be used is when the emperor dies and the mourning period has not yet ended.

His gaze swept over the notice at Caishikou: "September of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign".

The seventh year of the Tianqi reign. A new emperor has been enthroned, but the reign title remains unchanged.

He died in August and is here in September. The eunuch Wei was not yet overthrown, and he resumed his duties during the mourning period.

The situation was urgent. Li Qing's palms were covered in cold sweat, but he still tried to remain calm and straight despite being tied up.

Seeing his distinguished demeanor, the executioner hesitated to act rashly. He approached him, scrutinizing him closely, his brow furrowed: "Who are you?"

Li Qing was experiencing a mental storm. Without the original owner's memories, he was unable to introduce himself and had an unusual accent. This was undoubtedly digging his own grave, and he was doomed to die.

Fabricating stories is easy, but a simple investigation will likely lead to certain death. The household registration system in the Ming Dynasty was quite sophisticated and difficult to fool. Impersonating a famous person might intimidate officials and prevent them from conducting arbitrary checks. But in today's turbulent situation, who can one impersonate?

During the Tianqi era, no one wielded more power than Wei Zhongxian. He controlled the palace and oversaw all officials, holding the power of life and death in his hands. He had countless adopted sons, but how many could local officials actually contact? He could easily fabricate a person to impersonate him, and even with the Embroidered Uniform Guard present, they wouldn't easily recognize him. Who would dare to cause trouble?

However, the drawbacks were also present. Chongzhen had only been on the throne for a little over two months, while Wei Zhongxian had held power in the court for decades. He had been influential in the first half of his life, but in the end, he could only end his life with a white silk ribbon.

Impersonating his adopted son will only bring peace for two or three months before being purged and slaughtered.

Since an identity is absolutely necessary, caution is paramount. Looking around, apart from the executioner, all the yamen runners are dressed in flying fish robes, clearly all from the Eastern Depot.

If the Eastern Depot wants to kill someone, who can stop them?

Unless this person not only has no connection with Wei Zhongxian, but also inspires fear in him so that he dares not touch him, and remains as secure as Mount Tai even after the Chongzhen Emperor's reign.

"You brat, stop pretending to be a ghost! Tell me your name now!" came the urging voice in my ear.

The executioner was already there, a sinister smile on his face.

According to custom, a spy returning from prison should first be taken to the main gate and locked in a side tent to await interrogation. However, this person appeared directly on the execution platform, which was already suspicious.

Moreover, spies returning home are assessed to see if they bring any useful information. If the information is useful, they are rewarded according to their contribution; if the information is useless, they are repeatedly questioned and sent back to their original unit.

The main reason is that now that the late emperor has passed away, the current emperor is unpredictable, and we dare not cause the Grand Eunuch any trouble.

The executioner, too lazy to bother with them, barked a low shout: "Enemy spy, execute him on the spot."

Li Qing sighed inwardly, realizing that the other party clearly wanted to avoid trouble. He quickly took advantage of the other party's relaxation and broke free from their restraints.

The executioner raised his hand, and the Imperial Guard pressed his sword.

Li Qing stepped forward. He swung his palm and struck the executioner precisely in the face, causing him to stagger backward and fall to the ground.

Two Imperial Guards drew their swords, the blades pressed against Li Qing's neck from the left and right, their menacing gazes suggesting they would sever his head at any moment.

Li Qing laughed heartily, showing no fear whatsoever. He stood with his hands behind his back, his body not tilting at all.

"I was sent by Commander-in-Chief Sun to scout military intelligence! Because I have lived in Liaodong for a long time, my accent is different. How did I become a spy? This task was personally assigned by the Commander-in-Chief. Are you all capable of taking responsibility?"

The executioner, his anger rising, covered his burning face with his hand. Upon hearing the man's name, he was startled.

Suppressing his anger, he gritted his teeth and spat out each word through gritted teeth: "Who are you, Commander-in-Chief?"

Li Qing stood with his hands behind his back, facing the gleaming blade, still calm and composed. His voice was loud and clear, neither humble nor arrogant: "I am a descendant of the Sun family of Gaoyang, a junior of the same clan as the Grand Commander."

"Sixteen years old, named Sun Qing!"