EPISODE 1

Early morning.

Jinxiu Village slowly awakens in the morning light.

The wooden door of a dilapidated thatched cottage creaks open, and a child runs out, heading straight to the water jar by the wall. With practiced ease, the child grips the rim of the jar, stands on tiptoe, and peers inside, seemingly searching for something.

Found it!

Stretching out a small arm into the jar, after much effort, the child finally fishes out a chipped ladle. Clutching it eagerly to the chest, the action also scoops up a string of clear water droplets.

Ice-cold.

Involuntarily shivering, the child blinks bright eyes and then looks down into the ladle, earnestly saying, “It's okay, there’s still water. I... I just have to be slower, just a bit slower.”

One step.

Another step.

And another... moving like a little snail, the child slowly returns to the dim thatched cottage, approaches a low bed, and gently calls out to the slender youth lying there, “Little uncle, drink some water, little uncle, little uncle...”

Little uncle?

What little uncle?

Seems to be the voice of a child.

Annoying!

So noisy!

Xiao Yu, having worked overtime for half a month, had just lain down to get some well-deserved sleep, only to be awakened by these calls. Irritated, he turned over in bed, sensing something was amiss.

Slowly opening his eyes, he saw a strange and dirty little face.

Who is this?

He sat up abruptly.

"Uncle, you're awake!" the child said, beaming.

Xiao Yu exclaimed in astonishment, "Who are you?"

The child looked puzzled but answered, "Uncle, I'm Minghe."

Minghe?

Who is Minghe?

Before Xiao Yu could ponder further, a torrent of memories flooded his brain, overwhelming him... After processing them for a while, he realized he had died of overwork and then transmigrated into a fictional online novel called "Emperor's Dream" he had read half a month ago, becoming a minor character with the same name.

This character, an orphan living with his sister, hoped to pass the imperial examination one day to provide a better life for his sister's family. He worked the fields and studied, waiting for that day.

But tragically, just three years after his sister's marriage, before he had the chance to take the exams, his brother-in-law died in battle, and his sister fell ill with grief.

Despite selling all his assets, he couldn't save his sister's life. When he himself fell ill, there was not a single coin left in the house.

Left with no choice, he worked in a tavern despite his illness, only to encounter a rogue manager. He didn't earn any money and his condition worsened due to the stress and mistreatment.

Eventually, due to a severe fever, he died in his dilapidated thatched hut, leaving behind his three-year-old nephew, Minghe.

However, the story of "Emperor's Dream" truly begins from this point. The young Minghe, after witnessing the cold, stiffening corpse of his uncle, suffered a tremendous psychological shock, developing a deep-seated resentment towards the world.

As Minghe grew up alone, he faced even more disdain, suffering, and abuse, which fueled the hatred in his heart. He became increasingly ruthless, ascending to the position of Prime Minister while also becoming the greatest antagonist in "Emperor's Dream."

He relentlessly persecuted the rising male protagonist and his group, becoming a formidable force in the court, feared by all.

Had it not been for his madness leading to his death, the protagonist's group would have stood no chance against him.

Many readers regretted his demise, writing lengthy reviews about this controversial character. Most believed he was not inherently evil and could have been guided onto the right path by a kind person. His talents could have been used to protect and unify the country, potentially making it the strongest in the world.

Such a pity.

Truly a pity.

The death of Minghe's uncle was the root of all the tragedies in "Emperor's Dream," a consensus among the readers. Now, although Minghe's uncle was indeed dead, Xiao Yu's soul had entered his body, making "Uncle" very much alive again.

The silver lining was that at this point, Minghe hadn't yet developed any hatred for the world. He hadn't experienced rejection, suffering, or abuse, nor had he harmed any innocents. All the tragedies narrated in the book had not yet occurred.

Yes.

They had not happened.

Xiao Yu, unsure of what he could do in this frail body, felt dizzy and sweaty after just a short while of sitting up and thinking. Carelessly, he fell back onto the bed with a thud.

"Uncle!" Minghe quickly put down his water dipper.

Xiao Yu lay back, breathing rapidly to alleviate his discomfort.

"Uncle, Uncle, are you feverish again?" Minghe's small hand already touched Xiao Yu's forehead.

Sensing the child's panic, Xiao Yu said weakly, "I'm not feverish, I'm okay, really. Just a bit dizzy, I'll feel better after resting a bit."

Indeed.

Uncle's forehead wasn't hot anymore.

Minghe withdrew his hand and picked up the water dipper again, "Then you should drink some water, just drink a little." Whether it was fever or recovery, Uncle always gave his mother water, saying it would make her feel better. So the first thing he did upon waking up was to fetch water for Uncle.

Xiao Yu's stomach was empty, and he didn't feel like drinking water at all.

Minghe put down the water dipper again, asking, "Uncle, are you hungry?"

Indeed.

Xiao Yu felt hungry.

Minghe hurriedly said, "I have a steamed bun! I have a big steamed bun!"

The Xiao family's meager possessions, the Ming family's land, and valuables were all sold for his sister's medical expenses. The original host had not received his wages either. Apart from this dilapidated small courtyard, the original host and Minghe were truly at the end of their resources. Xiao Yu didn't know where Minghe had gotten the steamed bun.

"I traded for it!" Minghe quickly added.

"Traded?" Xiao Yu was puzzled.

"A couple of days ago, it rained heavily. The mountain was very slippery, and Granny Hao was afraid of falling and didn't dare to go up. Yesterday, I went up the mountain for her and collected a basket of firewood. Then Granny Hao gave me a big steamed bun, a really big one, Uncle, look." Minghe pulled out a round white steamed bun from his embrace.

At the age of three.

This child is only three years old!

And he's already gathering firewood to exchange for steamed buns!

"A poor child becomes the breadwinner early," Xiao Yu couldn't help but reflect inwardly.

"Uncle, eat this. If you eat, you won't feel dizzy anymore!" Minghe pushed a large steamed bun towards Xiao Yu, revealing his skinny arms from the sleeves, marked with striking red welts.

Xiao Yu quickly grabbed Minghe's small hand, "What happened to your arm?"

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