Modern provincial government clerk Su Yan accidentally triggers a mechanism in an ancient book while working overtime. His soul transmigrates to the third year of the Jingtai era in the Qichen Dynasty, where he becomes a low-ranking county registrar in Wanping County. New to the ancient bureaucracy, he knows nothing about official document formats or local affairs, and his meager salary leaves him struggling. For a time, all he wants is to get by in peace.
Drawing on his modern skills in drafting official documents, organizing data, and streamlining procedures, Su Yan brings innovations like categorized forms and triplicate documents into his work. His simplified business registry wins his superior’s approval, his improved tax collection process is adopted throughout Shuntian Prefecture, and his knack for spotting patterns in data helps expose powerful landowners’ schemes to swallow up farmland.
From cautious newcomer to a man willing to take responsibility, he learns the rules of official life under the guidance of a seasoned county deputy. He eases a drought through relief work that pays people in labor, and gradually sets his sights on passing the jinshi exam and rising to high office so he can improve people’s lives. His widowed mother back in the countryside, the “emotional support” of his parents in the modern world, and his ties with the county magistrate, an academy compiler, and fellow exam candidates all tug at him in different ways. Together, they shape a path through the Qichen Dynasty’s bureaucracy that balances practical work with ideals of serving the people.
