My Carefree Days in the Hongwu Era

After transmigrating into the early Ming dynasty as a bankrupt commoner, Lin Xiao nearly had his legs broken at knifepoint in a gambling den. But his revolutionary “national bond strategy” caught the eye of Zhu Yuanzhang, who was traveling incognito.

He had only wanted to make some money and live as a carefree official, but unexpectedly stepped into the empire’s most dangerous whirlpool: the Eastern Palace. Crown Prince Zhu Xiongying suddenly fell gravely ill, and the imperial physicians were helpless. Crown Prince Zhu Biao was frail and secretly suffered from a chronic illness. Knowing the tragedies recorded in history, Lin Xiao understood that if he couldn’t save them, the Hongwu Golden Age would come to an abrupt end.

So, beyond the treasury’s troubles and the fires of war, an even more dangerous secret struggle quietly began. Using modern emergency medicine, he snatched lives from the King of Hell and prolonged the heir’s life with health management. In a series of poisonings and “accidental” assassinations, he also crushed a shocking conspiracy that threatened the foundations of the empire.

From the streets to the palace, from a minor Ministry of Revenue clerk to the imperial family’s trusted “physician,” Lin Xiao walked a razor’s edge between Zhu Yuanzhang’s suspicion and favor, Empress Ma’s entrustment, and the trust of Zhu Biao and his son. He had to do more than enrich the nation and strengthen its military: he had to build a Great Ming without the Jingnan Rebellion.

This was a high-stakes gamble of knowledge, courage, and humanity. Win, and he could retire after accomplishing his mission, free to roam mountains and seas. Lose, and he would be doomed beyond redemption. History’s wheels had already begun to turn in a new direction behind him...