He transmigrates to the Ming Dynasty and becomes the Zhengde Emperor. The good news: he remembers living through three lifetimes. The bad news: every official in court is teaching him how to be a pushover.
A bolt of lightning strikes the palace, and they demand that he issue an edict of self-reproach. Censorial officials kneel at the gate to impeach him for being reckless and immoral. Jiao Fang’s memorial is written before he can even wake up, accusing him of indulging his attendants, neglecting his studies, and ignoring state affairs.
Sitting on the threshold with a book, he listens to the accusations and asks only, “Who told you to write this memorial?”
On the day of his enthronement, he lifts the beads hanging from his crown and looks over the hundreds of faces below. “Send the accounts of the imperial treasury to the Qianqing Palace tomorrow.”
Later, historians write that the emperor had changed his ways and become decisive. Only Zhu Houzhao knows the truth: he simply doesn’t want to be a foolish ruler led around by others ever again.
