If you die, I will be able to inherit your cultivation.

He had overheard the servants of the Marquis's mansion discussing this book in private.

It's roughly about a woman who disguises herself as a man and becomes the magistrate of a remote county.

He was a brilliant judge, a champion of the people, and governed the county with remarkable efficiency.

Because it was written so realistically, even the few literate maids in the mansion were secretly passing it around, and it was said that even the eldest young lady had read it.

But in Zhou Ming's view, this was pure nonsense.

In his previous life, in an era of information overload, this kind of plot would have been riddled with eight hundred common-sense flaws at a glance.

Which dynasty didn't verify the identity of the person selecting a county magistrate? How could they possibly let a woman slip through the cracks and become the head of a county?

You must understand, this is a proper ancient society with strict etiquette and a clear distinction between superiors and inferiors.

Women could only embroider and practice needlework in their boudoirs, managing the household affairs. Let alone becoming a county magistrate, they had to report to higher authorities even to go out.

At the poetry gathering in Xishan the day before yesterday, which young lady wasn't surrounded by layers upon layers of maids and servants?

For a woman to become a county magistrate, she must first deceive the Ministry of Personnel's selection and verification process, the eyes of her colleagues, the observation of the yamen runners, and the entire county's population.

The probability of that is even lower than if he were to find a Celestial Emperor's cultivation manual while out and about.

However, he also understood why such stories would circulate among the maids in the Marquis's mansion.

In this world of strict rules and clear hierarchy, the more bound a person is, the more they enjoy watching stories that break the rules.

For a woman to step out of her boudoir, wear official robes, sit in the courtroom and issue orders is no less than seeing the entrance to another world.

The more impossible something is in reality, the more it needs to be fulfilled in storybooks.

This mentality has remained the same throughout history, just like the reason why people in later generations binge-watch TV series.

Thinking about this, Zhou Ming suddenly had an idea.

He grimaced and pretended to be squatting with great difficulty, then cleared his throat and spoke in a voice that trembled slightly with pain.

"Sister Dongmei, those storybooks aren't interesting. I have a better story. Would you like to hear it?"

"Just focus on your horse stance, stop talking nonsense."

Dongmei didn't even look up, turned another page of her book, and spoke in a calm, indifferent voice.

"No, Sister Dongmei, I really have a good story. After we finish practicing the horse stance, I'll tell you a bit. Just listen to a couple of sentences, and if you don't like it, I won't say another word."

Dongmei finally lifted her eyelids from the storybook and looked at Zhou Ming suspiciously.

This kid was such a pathetic, half-dead guy yesterday, but today he actually has the mind to tell her stories?

Her gaze lingered on his pointed, monkey-like face for three seconds, as if trying to figure out what he was up to, before she lowered her head again and turned a page of her book without commenting.

Zhou Ming took this as tacit approval, and while shaking his leg, he quickly searched for materials in his mind.

In his past life, he was a regular reader of Tomato Novels. After starting university, he would read for one or two hours every night before bed, and if he found a good one, he could even read it all night long.

He could recount the entire storyline of ancient romance, palace intrigue, female emperor's rise to power, true and false heiresses, and divine doctor and poisonous concubine with his eyes closed.

Since Dongmei likes reading novels featuring strong female protagonists, let's give her some strong medicine.

He remembered a female protagonist novel he had read in his previous life. He couldn't quite recall the title, but he still remembered the general storyline clearly.

It's about a woman from humble beginnings who climbs the social ladder step by step to eventually become the emperor.

This story is not the kind of trivial cross-dressing drama like "The False Crown Order," but a genuine female triumph.

The female protagonist takes the imperial examination as a woman, quells rebellions, fights powerful ministers, and recruits famous generals.

From a commoner to someone who wielded immense power, he finally ascended the throne amidst the kneeling worship of all the officials, changed the era name, established new systems, and brought great order to the land.

He refused to believe that Dongmei wouldn't be tempted.

Dongmei flipped through two more pages of the storybook, then finally put the book down on her lap.

He raised his eyelids and glanced at Zhou Ming's legs, which were trembling so badly they seemed about to fall apart, and slowly uttered two words: "Stop."

Zhou Ming felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He collapsed to the ground, his legs stretched out straight forward, panting heavily.

He was breathing heavily, his chest heaving violently, and a few hoarse gasps escaped his throat, making him look like a fish that had been slapped onto the shore, its white belly turned up.

"Sister Dongmei," he took a couple of breaths, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, "I'll tell you right now."

Dongmei closed the storybook, placed it on her knees, crossed her arms, leaned back on the stool, and gave off an expression that said, "Go ahead and tell the story, or go back to squatting."

Zhou Ming didn't waste any time; he immediately launched into a tirade:

"There was once a woman who came from humble beginnings. Her father was a private tutor in the countryside, and her mother was a herbalist."

"When she was ten years old, a band of defeated soldiers passed through her village and slaughtered everyone in the village. Her parents died under that knife."

"She crawled out from a pile of corpses and used the half-packet of arsenic left by her mother to poison three lone fleeing soldiers, avenging her parents."

"She was only ten years old that year. Later, she climbed the ranks and at the age of twenty-three, she ascended the throne as an empress, despite being a woman."

Dongmei's eyebrows twitched slightly. She leaned forward slightly from the back of the chair and stopped tapping with her fingers resting on her arm.

Zhou Ming pretended not to see it, changed the subject, and started talking from the beginning.

He begins by telling the story of the female protagonist's childhood escape, how she was taken in by a medicine merchant, how she learned medicine from the merchant, and how she used her medical skills to support herself in the chaotic world.

She recounted her first time dressing as a man to make house calls, when she was harassed by a local thug. Instead of backing down, she used a needle to seal the thug's acupoints, forcing him to kneel and beg for mercy.

She recounts her journey as a doctor northward, witnessing the myriad aspects of human nature amidst the chaos of war: mothers selling their children, old farmers whose land was seized by wealthy landowners, and merchants who were exploited by corrupt officials yet dared not utter a word.

She gradually became dissatisfied with just treating illnesses and began to treat people.

Zhou Ming's voice was not loud, but his speech was clear and logical.

He had read so many novels in his previous life, and although he had never written any himself, he was very familiar with the formulas and rhythms.

He spoke at a measured pace when recounting these background stories, detailing the female protagonist's journey from practicing medicine to deciding to enter officialdom.

He only briefly touched upon those trivial experiences in officialdom, focusing instead on the female lead's first trial.

An old farmer whose land was seized by a wealthy landowner went to the county government to file a complaint. The female protagonist, disguised as a man, sat in court for the first time after becoming the county magistrate, and her hand was still trembling as she struck the gavel.

Despite the threats from the wealthy landowners, she still managed to win the case and return the land deed to the old farmer.

As Dongmei listened, she leaned back against the stool, her face still bearing that calm and indifferent expression.

But she leaned back a beat slower than usual, and her brows were slightly furrowed, as if she was pondering how the female magistrate had handled the case under pressure.

As Zhou Ming spoke, he kept glancing at the sky out of the corner of his eye.