Glorious Tang Dynasty

In the sixth month of the second year of the Zhenguan era (628 AD), on a day marked by the Gengyin in the lunar calendar, Li Zhi—the future Emperor Gaozong of Tang—was born in the splendid Lizheng Hall of the Eastern Palace in Chang’an, his arrival announced by a resounding wail.

Li Zhi had actually tried to hold back that first cry. Yet, as it turned out, his efforts were futile; the natural expansion of his lungs at birth was entirely beyond his control. So, once more, the scholar from his previous life—Li Zhi—gained a new piece of knowledge, though it might not prove particularly useful.

As a newborn carrying memories of a past existence, he had yet to discover whose body he now inhabited. Still, having read many online novels in his former life, he found his current predicament not too hard to accept. After all, having a second chance after a failed life could hardly be considered a misfortune.

His former name was Li Zhi, a top student who had earned a doctorate from a prestigious university. He had always been fascinated by mathematics and logical reasoning, and with an exceptional score in the sciences, he was admitted to the physics program of a renowned university. Originally, he could have majored in applied physics and, upon graduation, chosen a stable and respectable research position. But his restless spirit refused to accept an ordinary life.

Thus, he resolutely chose to pursue a combined master’s and doctoral degree in mechanical engineering, preparing to carve out a place for himself in the business world. After receiving his diplom