In the thirtieth year of the Hongwu era, Lin Yan, a Ming-dynasty history buff and skilled craftsman, transmigrated into the body of a successful candidate in the imperial examinations who had been banished to Daxing County in Beiping after the Southern and Northern Candidates case. After his family was ruined and his loved ones were killed, he latched onto Zhu Di, amassing wealth by making salt and glass and helping him seize the throne in the Jingnan Campaign. Though he was made a prince and stripped of power, he adopted a lie-flat attitude while assisting with Yongle’s reforms, helping the Great Ming become the world’s dominant power. In the end, he was granted a princely title and enjoyed a life of comfort and riches. (Incorporates the plot of The Imperial Age; a lighthearted slice-of-life story.)
