Lady, escort the emperor! 1
娘子,护驾!
Chapter 1: New Account, Don’t Mess Around
“Dog thief, prepare to die!”
A crisp, girlish shout exploded in his ears, instantly jolting Li Nuo awake from his sleep.
In his blurry sleepiness, he saw a figure standing before him.
The girl wore a white ancient-style long dress. She appeared to be sixteen or seventeen years old, with a slender and graceful figure, skin as white as snow, and delicate and beautiful features. She was no less stunning than any female celebrity in the entertainment industry, except her expression was quite unpleasant.
Unpleasant was an understatement. Her angry eyes burned with deep-seated hatred, and in her hand she held a gleaming dagger, as if Li Nuo had done something unforgivable.
What’s going on, cosplay?
In just two hours, court would begin. As a judicial assistant, Li Nuo had pulled an all-nighter, having just finished organizing the litigation materials. He had lain down on the cramped folding bed in the corner of his office, intending to take a short nap to regain his energy, only to be woken up.
No, this wasn’t his assistant’s office. Li Nuo looked around and found himself lying on an ornate bed. The room’s furnishings were antique and elegant, and extremely luxurious.
So, this was a dream?
What a bizarre dream; he hadn’t had time to watch any period dramas lately…
*Whoosh!*
Before Li Nuo could react in his dream, the girl attacked.
The dagger sliced through the air, aimed at Li Nuo’s neck.
Even knowing it was a dream, Li Nuo instinctively dodged.
He dodged, but not completely.
The dagger, originally aimed at Li Nuo’s neck, deviated slightly due to his movement, slicing his shoulder.
The silk pajamas, embroidered with intricate patterns, were instantly stained crimson with blood.
Pain!
Intense pain!
Li Nuo’s rather handsome face contorted in agony, and large beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. He hadn’t expected to feel such realistic pain in a dream!
Having failed to strike a vital point, the girl lunged again, aiming the dagger at his heart.
Twice she had tried to kill him!
Having handled numerous cases, Li Nuo knew that facing a knife-wielding assailant, he couldn’t fight head-on. He scrambled towards the corner of the bed. The girl jumped onto the bed, the dagger still pursuing him.
This time, cornered, Li Nuo had nowhere to hide.
Leaning against the bedpost, he gave up resistance completely.
Generally, in a dream, death meant the end of the dream.
The sooner he died, the sooner he’d wake up; he still had to go to work.
Li Nuo resigned himself to his fate, but the girl’s dagger didn’t plunge into his heart.
The sharp blade stopped less than half an inch from Li Nuo’s chest.
Thinking she’d had a change of heart and wouldn’t harm an innocent, he looked up and saw that the girl looked strange.
Her face was flushed, her forehead covered in fine sweat. It seemed she was trying with all her might to plunge the dagger into Li Nuo’s heart, but her body was as if bound by something, unable to move.
Li Nuo scrambled off the bed. At the same time, the door was flung open with immense force, and an elderly man with gray hair rushed in. Seeing that Li Nuo was only slightly injured, he visibly relaxed, quickly approaching Li Nuo and bowing. “My apologies for my lateness, please forgive this old servant!”
Li Nuo was completely bewildered, but he knew his dream should be ending.
He didn’t know how long he’d been asleep, but he’d missed court and would have his wages docked.
How did one wake up from a dream?
Death, falling, or a violent impact…
That’s what they seemed to say in *Inception*. Suicide was out of the question; even in a dream, pain was real. As for falling… he couldn’t find a high place immediately. Finally, Li Nuo looked at a thick pillar in the room.
Ignoring the old man and the girl, Li Nuo took a running start and, to everyone’s astonishment and bewilderment, headbutted the pillar.
*Bang!*
Before he could feel the pain in his forehead, his consciousness began to sink into an endless abyss.
…
“Ah…”
The sky was bright. Li Nuo yawned and got out of bed.
“Hiss…”
A sharp pain shot through his forehead and shoulder. Li Nuo frowned, touched his forehead, then his expression froze.
How did I get such a huge bump?
He looked down at his shoulder; a blood-soaked bandage was strikingly visible.
Li Nuo finally understood. He looked around and found himself still in the room from his dream: the ornate bed, the antique furniture, the exquisite carvings on the headboard – all elegant and luxurious.
Still not awake?
No, no, court was about to start; if he didn’t wake up soon, there would be serious trouble.
The pillar trick didn’t seem to work. Li Nuo got out of bed, went into the courtyard, and saw a ladder against the wall.
The gray-haired old man had just stepped into the courtyard when he saw his young master standing on the roof, his expression solemn, arms outstretched, about to leap.
Too late to react, he instantly extended his hand, pointing towards Li Nuo.
Li Nuo leaped from the roof, staring dumbfounded as he slowly descended at the speed of falling leaves. The old man had already run to his side, grabbing his arm anxiously. “Young Master, what troubles you so? Tell this old servant, and I will help you find a solution. Please, don’t kill yourself!”
…
Da Xia.
Chang’an.
The Minister of Justice’s mansion.
“Young Master, you truly remember nothing?”
“You don’t remember this old servant?”
“Then you must at least remember who you are?”
Li Nuo sat on the bed, shaking his head blankly at the man who claimed to be an “old servant,” his face filled with concern and worry.
The old man looked at the dazed Li Nuo and sighed. “It’s over. It seems he’s damaged his brain…”
Li Nuo gazed out the window, his heart churning.
He certainly remembered who he was.
Li Nuo, male, Han Chinese, 21 years old, graduated from the Law Department of Xi’an Jiaotong University, recently passed the judicial examination and the national civil service examination, and became a glorious people’s judge… assistant.
Although still just an assistant, he had secured a stable job at a young age, becoming the envy of his peers.
The local court was busy; after two consecutive all-nighters, he had just finished all the pre-trial preparations and planned to rest for a while. He closed his eyes and when he opened them, he was in another place.
A beautiful girl with a knife wanted to kill him.
This old man, whom he had never met before, repeatedly called himself an “old servant.”
He could say it was a dream, but everything he had experienced was so clear and real.
Li Nuo realized something.
No way, just two all-nighters, and I’m dead?
Okay, as a modern person who had been exposed to countless novels and films, Li Nuo could accept the idea of time travel.
But, time travel was one thing, but what about this book floating before him?
The book seemed real and unreal, tangible and intangible, hovering about half a meter in front of Li Nuo.
Li Nuo reached out and waved his hand in front of it; his palm passed right through the book, indicating it was not solid.
Soon, Li Nuo found the book familiar.
Six months ago, he’d found an ancient book at a used bookstore. The contents were written in Small Seal Script. As a law student, Li Nuo recognized the two characters on the book’s cover: “Law” and “Code” in Seal Script.
After some haggling, Li Nuo bought the book for eighty yuan from the vendor, intending to use it as a reference for research on ancient law.
Although he hadn’t used the book for his paper, it made a decent pillow for naps. He had been using it as a pillow before falling asleep, and now, it had apparently crossed two worlds with him, appearing before him in this form.
Li Nuo glanced at the worried old man; the other party seemed unable to see it.
His gaze returned to the book. The Seal Script characters “Law Code” on the cover were familiar and comforting.
Unlike before, this time, two lines of small characters had been added beneath the cover.
“Name: Li Nuo.”
“Life Expectancy: Three Days.”
Seeing the two added lines on the Law Code’s cover, Li Nuo was stunned.
What’s happening? He’d only just arrived, and he only had three days to live?
Hey, new account, don’t mess around…
(End of Chapter)
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