Simulates history, but Chongzhen is the Divine Emperor at the beginning

Chapter 212 Xiangyang Red Boy

In the 185th year of the Shaoxing reign, you were born as "Zhou Chi" in Xiangyang, a major city in the northern border of the Song Dynasty. Your nickname was "Red Boy"!

[Since you were born, you have received a strict education from your parents. Although your family is not wealthy, your parents value your future achievements and hope that you will one day become successful.]

In the Song Dynasty, there weren't many ways to succeed, especially in this crucial northern border region where the Song and Jin dynasties were in a standoff. There were only two ways: one was to study hard, gain a degree, and eventually achieve success in the imperial examinations, bringing prosperity to the entire family.

[The other is to train in martial arts and join the army! ]

[However, the latter is generally not the preferred path for the people of the Great Song Dynasty. After all, the Great Song Dynasty has always valued culture over military affairs. Even in the context of the Song-Jin confrontation, this iron rule has not changed significantly...]

[So, naturally, your parents sent you to a private school to learn the ways of the sages!]

They have high expectations of you, hoping that you can demonstrate your genius learning ability, or even become a renowned child prodigy, with a bright future ahead of you!

[After all, you are the reincarnation of a one-in-a-million red soul. People who believe in the power of strange people and visions will always have special expectations of you.]

[But the truth is exactly the opposite: compared to other children, you, the reincarnation of a red soul, "Red Boy," not only do you not show the talent for reading of a child prodigy, you're even slower than other children...]

Your academic performance isn't great. You're the archetypal "idiot" in class. While others can read through an article in one sitting, you have to read it several times before you can read it fluently. Writing and memorizing are even easier than that...

It's human nature to like beauty and dislike ugliness, and private school teachers are no exception. Between good students and bad students, teachers naturally prefer good students. Therefore, they will always criticize your slowness and dullness, and spanking with a ruler is commonplace!

[Since the teacher is like this, the students naturally won't be much better... In fact, none of the classmates like to play with you. They always deliberately isolate you. You even got a nickname for this: "Idiot"!]

Over time, you've naturally developed a withdrawn, shy personality, and a low self-esteem, afraid to look people in the eye... So, in a sense, going to school is actually a form of torture for you...

【But parents don’t care so much! 】

They are unwilling to accept your mediocrity, and instead blindly believe that "exceptional people have extraordinary visions." They dream of you achieving academic success, perhaps even passing the imperial examination, and taking them to Lin'an to enjoy a life of luxury!

Therefore, when they see you frustrated with your studies, they always scold you harshly: "If you don't study hard, you'll end up being a useless soldier!"

"If you don't study hard, you'll end up marrying the ugliest and slovenliest wife in the future!"

"If you don't study hard, you'll end up as a wandering ghost. You'll suffer hardships while you're alive, and after you die, you'll have to farm and pay taxes to the government. Even when your soul scatters, you won't qualify for reincarnation!"

"Red Boy! The whole family's hope rests on you alone. You must not let them down..."

[This, this, this, this, like a soul-stirring demonic sound, terrifying...]

Living in such an environment, you can imagine the psychological pressure you're under. Your ears are constantly ringing with all sorts of noises: the teacher's scolding, your classmates' ridicule, your parents' nagging...

[Every time you dream, you will wake up in a cold sweat from the extreme suffocation! ]

It's as if your life is only about studying, and your highest priority has become studying. If you don't study well, your life is over...

[And in this endless darkness and pressure, there is only one bright light that always comforts you, and that is "Father Xiang"! ]

[This young elder who has been accompanying you in the illusion from the beginning cares about you far more than your parents do.]

When your teacher scolds you about your "dark future," he'll sneer disdainfully: "What a gay man! How dare he bark like a dog? Someone in their sixties or seventies who can't even pass the imperial examination has the right to say someone else's future is bleak..."

When you're isolated by your classmates and mocked as a "nerd," he'll call them idiots: "Fuck you! The destined protagonist is here, and a bunch of idiots have the guts to open their mouths?! I'll confirm it's real, I've eaten too many red beans, and I'll send you to the Jinyiwei Hotel immediately!"

When your parents pressure you into saying "the early bird catches the worm," he'll yell at them for being shameless: "Only a chicken that can't fly itself would say 'the early bird catches the worm' to its newly laid eggs! If you're capable, pass the imperial examination and take your son to flight first!"

[At first glance, it's confirmed to be genuine, and the original family is worse than cattle and horses, with a pure biological father and mother! ]

[In short, he will always do his best to protect your personal dignity. Even if others can't see or hear him, he will still support you with all his strength!]

[Of course, he doesn't just dote on you blindly. If you do make a mistake, he'll criticize you appropriately. However, blindly criticizing you is meaningless, so he'll also patiently guide you and tell you what the right thing to do is.]

Especially when studying, he becomes your personal tutor, easily answering any questions you may have, from calligraphy techniques to unfamiliar characters and even the writing and conception of articles – he knows it all with ease!

[Under this halo, his image in your eyes has soared to the sky. He is a mentor and friend more perfect than a dream, and he exists only for you...]

[You have never seen a saint, but your father-in-law has already surpassed a saint to you!]

[It is precisely because of his perfect teaching that, although you still cannot overcome your instinctive slowness, you have not fallen behind academically.]

[More importantly, it was precisely because of his perfect example and life guidance that you were not distorted or assimilated by the impetuous Song Dynasty. The pressure of study and life could not crush you, because your heart had already been comforted...]

【…】

[This goes on day after day, year after year.]

[In addition to studying, you will also find some historical books to read under the guidance of your father-in-law, and combine them with what you see and hear in daily life to try to piece together the worldview of the current world.]

[And with this piecing together, a grand and bizarre worldview was established...]

The original Song Dynasty was quite normal, just like the original historical storyline. It was founded by Emperor Taizu Zhao Kuangyin, who launched the Chenqiao Rebellion. Later, through the efforts of the brothers Taizu and Taizong, the Song Dynasty gradually unified the Central Plains, which had been divided since the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties.

However, this unification was somewhat unrealistic, as there was a Dali Kingdom to the south of the Song Dynasty, and to the north there was a powerful country that was no less powerful than the Song Dynasty: the Liao Dynasty!

Rather than saying that the Song Dynasty was a unified dynasty, it would be better to say that it was a "broadly defined Southern Dynasty" that emerged after the Tang Dynasty exploded...

[In addition to Dali and Liao, the Song Dynasty later split off from the Western Xia, which made its already fragile "great unification" even worse...]

[And when the Jin people suddenly appeared, this "great unification" that had already been in jeopardy was completely ruined! ]

The Jin first replaced the Liao Dynasty, which existed alongside the Song Dynasty. They then destroyed the Song capital of Bianjing in one fell swoop during the Jingkang Incident, capturing the two emperors. This frightened the current emperor so much that he immediately began to make various arrangements after ascending the throne in Nanjing (Shangqiu). If the emperor hadn't been quick to make arrangements and evaded the Jin's search and search, the Song Dynasty would have truly perished!

Even if the emperor finally gained a foothold in Lin'an and managed to hold on to the Great Song Dynasty, the entire north was completely lost... Now, let alone "great unification", this is almost worse than the proper Southern Dynasty "Liu Song"!

[It can be said that the existence of the Jin people perfectly resolved the dispute over whether the Song Dynasty was a unified dynasty, because it was now truly a Southern Dynasty...]

[The Jin and Song dynasties coexisted, creating another Northern and Southern Dynasties.]

[And the "change in the sky" that changed the era also occurred during this period...]

At that time, the all-out war between the Song Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty was still ongoing. Emperor Zhao had not given up his ambition to reclaim the north. Hundreds of thousands of troops from both sides fought fiercely across the entire Central Plains. Even under the charge of renowned generals like Yue Fei and Han Shizhong, the Song Dynasty even seemed poised to succeed in its northern expedition!

【But at this moment, "the sky changes"...】

[No one can explain exactly what happened. All we know is that Yue Fei and other generals quickly withdrew their troops!]

[Shortly after the Northern Expedition, Emperor Zhao ascended to the throne of God, and from then on, the Song Dynasty entered a new era... The people of Song territory would not be completely gone after death, but would transform into pink souls that would continue to exist for a few years.]

[And if the soul is strong enough, it can be reincarnated under the arrangement of the government and live another life! ]

[As a result, earth-shaking changes took place within the Great Song Dynasty. People's lives gradually improved at a noticeable speed, and the whole country was thriving!]

However, in stark contrast to this thriving people's livelihood, the imperial court negotiated peace with the Jin people. The two sides used Dasan Pass, Xiangyang, and the Huai River as the boundary. The Song Dynasty completely abandoned its old northern territory and never launched another large-scale northern expedition... Many people were dissatisfied with this: "The Song Dynasty should have become stronger after the "change of heaven", so why did it give in and stop fighting?"

[But later, everyone gradually realized that something wasn't right with the Jin Kingdom either...]

[And unlike the Song Dynasty, the people of the Jin Dynasty are no longer just pitiful northern survivors, but have undergone some unimaginable and horrific changes!]

In order to prevent the unknown terror from the north from spreading southward, the Song Dynasty was willing to abandon the Northern Expedition and even give up the northern territory. Even Yue Fei, the most pro-war leader, silently expressed his willingness to support all decisions of the court...

[This continued until the 185th year of Shaoxing…]

【…】

【Something weird! 】

After reading various historical books and rumors with you, your father-in-law, who has gradually pieced together a new worldview, can't help but look pensive...

[Could it be that this is another Divine Emperor Ming Dynasty? ]

[Could it be that this place, like the Divine Emperor Ming, is also an "illusory world" that overshadows the "real world"?]

If so, then whose dream is this world? The Divine Emperor Ming was the fantasy of Emperor Chongzhen when he hanged himself on Coal Hill, and this Song Dynasty, could it be the fantasy of Zhao Gou?

The Prime Minister shook his head. "That's not right... Even Chongzhen dared to fantasize about a world where he could slaughter all the rebels at will. Could it be that Zhao Gou didn't even dare to fantasize about unifying the world, and only dared to fantasize about the division of Song and Jin? That's too far-fetched..."

[And based on the information we currently have, even though the Song Dynasty had the Divine Emperor Zhao Gou, the Jin Kingdom to the north was clearly no pushover, surprisingly enough to scare Yue Fei and his men into retreating!]

[This... this must be the fantasy of the Jin Emperor and Jin Wushu, imagining themselves defeating Yue Fei and scaring him and Han Shizhong into ceding territory and seeking peace...]

The more the Prime Minister thought about it, the more confused he became. He felt that his own knowledge might not be applicable to the Song Dynasty.

[However, this did not prevent him from conducting a few experiments to verify his hypothesis.]

So he asked you to find two stones, one large and one small, and then drop them from a high place... and both stones landed at the same time!

[Then, he asked you to do some simple experiments on air pressure and air composition...]

Finally, faced with these extremely normal experimental results, he couldn't help but scratch his head: Could it be that this isn't some illusory world like the Ming Dynasty, but a truly mysterious one?

[With all these doubts in mind, he continued to ponder on his own...]

【…】

You didn't stare blankly with him.

You just often ask him many questions out of curiosity while studying, trying to learn about your origins from him.

[And the Prime Minister always satisfied your curiosity. He first told you about his and your origins, and then talked about his three lives in the Ming Dynasty, as well as the history of the Southern Song Dynasty...]

[However, while telling you this, he also tells you seriously: You are not someone's reincarnation, nor are you someone else's puppet, so you don't have to look down on yourself. Your life has always belonged only to you!]

The story of the Ming Dynasty is ultimately the story of the Ming Dynasty. It has no direct connection to you, a Song Dynasty resident, so please do not feel any psychological burden.

[Listening to his teachings, you nodded hesitantly...]

Of course, you didn't actually think that much. You simply immersed yourself in the legendary stories he told, constantly experiencing those events filled with sadness and ups and downs from the perspective of the protagonist "Zhou Liang"... This story, told by an eyewitness, is far more exciting than those stories on the market...

After hearing so many legendary stories, you can't help but imagine your own future: as a "simulated protagonist" like your father, can you also accomplish something earth-shattering?

[By then, I will first become a general and then a prime minister, reaching the highest position in the government, and then I will knock Emperor Zhao off the throne with one punch, and curse him to his face: I, I, I, I! You dog-footed I…]

[Well, that's what a real man should be like!]

[As a young person, you thought about the bright future and couldn't help but smile foolishly...]

However, reality often contradicts ideals. Unlike the "Shaanxi prodigy" who excelled in the imperial examinations in stories, your aptitude for studying is truly lacking. Even if you were personally tutored by a top Ming Dynasty writer who had achieved three consecutive top honors, your grades wouldn't be considered excellent. You could only say that you weren't significantly behind your peers...

Faced with this cruel reality, you can't help but start to doubt yourself: Am I really not cut out for studying?

So you anxiously ask your father: What if I can't make it in school? Is my future really destined to be forever at the bottom of society, enduring my parents' complaints, earning a meager salary, and ultimately marrying an ugly, slovenly wife, leading a mediocre life?

[In response to this, the Prime Minister simply smiled and said: Great Love Immortal Venerable is right, no one's path is replicable, and everyone walks his own path in life...]

[While the path of Jile Tianzun is good, it does not mean that everyone can replicate it one-to-one, and the path of Tianzun is not the only path.]

“You should have your own ideas!”

He said this seriously.

"Your own thoughts?"

[You silently recite this sentence, and the thought in your mind gradually becomes clearer...]

[So from that day on, you began to diligently exercise in addition to studying. Following the professional exercise methods given by your father-in-law, you ran, swam, boxed, lifted weights... and even practiced swordplay!]

[Amidst your parents' bewilderment, you began practicing martial arts day after day for over a decade...]

"Why practice martial arts? It's a waste of time!"

Your parents scolded you for not doing your job properly and asked you to continue studying.

[Yet you said that you didn't neglect your studies and writing, and that you only practiced martial arts to strengthen your body. After all, a healthy body makes it easier to study!]

[With your promise, your parents still have some complaints, but they have tacitly agreed to your goal of strengthening your body...]

[But your diligence and hard work have been noticed by your father-in-law from beginning to end. He knows very well that you are definitely not practicing martial arts just to facilitate your studies. You have greater aspirations!]

【And this is enough. 】

He smiled, quietly watching you diligently exercising under the sun, watching the beads of sweat roll down into the dust, looking at your healthy complexion and muscles, he was very pleased...

【As you cultivate both civil and military skills, time slowly passes.】

【One year, three years.】

[Five years, ten years…]

[Gradually, the day of the imperial examination draws near...]

……

(End of this chapter)