The Great Idler at the End of the Ming Dynasty

Wang Yu is a twenty-first-century hiking enthusiast who, by a twist of fate, arrives in the twelfth month of the fifth year of the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty. An unambitious office drone, he only wants to save up some money and settle down in the south before the realm descends into chaos.

There are still decades to go before the Southern Ming falls. Drawing on what he knows of later history, he plans to make money and enjoy a quiet life in retirement.

But life is full of surprises. As more and more people gather around him, his ties to the world grow ever stronger. Whether Wang Yu likes it or not, he is drawn into the imperial court and officialdom.

Wang Yu, however, has no desire to scheme for power again. He only wants to lie flat and watch history unfold. After all, the stage of history was meant to be ruled by the figures who shine among its stars.