[Political Intrigue] + [Multiple Heroines?] + [Imperial Examinations] + [Officialdom] + [Feel-Good Power Fantasy] + [Golden Finger]
A top history student at a university wakes up to find himself reincarnated as the ne'er-do-well heir of the Chen Duke's estate. Watch as he uses what he has learned to revitalize his family and become Chief Grand Secretary, wielding power over all under heaven.
The civil officials sneer: "The son of a military man thinks he deserves to pick up a brush?"
But he takes up his brush and shatters the imperial examination records. His county exam essay stuns the world by directly addressing the border crisis, while his mathematical calculations before the throne astound all who came before and all who will come after!
From the Hanlin Academy to the military garrisons along the nine frontiers, his double-entry bookkeeping method is hidden in the salt administration ledgers, while the victory reports on bandit suppression feature his improved firearm designs.
The old ministers of the Grand Secretariat denounce him: "This boy is throwing the court into chaos with the tricks of merchants!"
They have no idea that he already holds irrefutable evidence of corruption in the Six Ministries up his sleeve. "Gentlemen, have you heard of the calculus model for the devaluation of Ming paper currency?"
When the emperor on the Dragon Throne unrolls his Outline of the Industrial Revolution, his vermilion brush trembles. "My dear subject... You truly are a gift from Heaven to our dynasty."
The male lead, Chen Yan, goes from a discarded son to someone who proves his worth and becomes a pawn, then turns the tables, seizes power, and becomes the one moving the pieces. Much of the story is foreshadowed. Watch him overcome every obstacle, restore his family, and rise to the top.
The Duke knows in his heart that this is no longer the son he once knew. Perhaps the ancestors are watching over them, or perhaps... But no matter what, he is still his son.
Golden finger [what]