Great Ming: From 996 to 007

Zhu Houzhao was a middle manager at a major internet company. Working 996 was considered a blessing, and 007 was the norm. Then, after 72 straight hours of overtime, he suddenly died at his desk.

When he woke up, he had become the Hongzhi Emperor of the Ming dynasty.

The Golden Throne Hall, imperial robes, a harem of consorts: Zhu Houzhao threw his head back and laughed. “At last, I can lie flat!”

Then he discovered the truth.

Court began at five in the morning, and he had to stand for three or four hours at a time. There were three or four hundred memorials to review every day, which meant staying up all night to finish them. He worked year-round, with no days off. Holidays? They didn’t exist.

From 996 to 007, this transmigration had somehow made his life worse.

Zhu Houzhao was furious.

If he couldn’t escape, then he’d fight fire with fire.

He replaced the Eight-Legged Essay with PowerPoint presentations, making Xie Qian, the Minister of Rites, jump up and down in anger.

He introduced KPI assessments for the ministers of the Six Ministries. Liu Jian, the Minister of Revenue, fell into deep thought as he stared at the “balanced scorecard.”

He used a “three-color classification system” to process memorials, prompting Li Dongyang, the Grand Secretary, to cry, “This is sorcery!”

He used big data to survey farmland, bringing the ledgers of the emperor’s uncle, Zhang Heling, into the light for the first time.

The day his hot-air balloons took to the sky, the Tatar cavalry was routed. Ma Wensheng, the Minister of War, wept and shouted, “Send up another one!”

A year later, the ministers of the Six Ministries knelt in a heap. “Your Majesty, we wish to take some leave…”

Zhu Houzhao smiled. “Leave? Let’s talk after you’ve aligned your OKRs for this quarter.”

This is the story of an office worker determined to make the best of life, even on his knees.

It is also the story of a lazy man pushed to the brink who accidentally sent the Ming dynasty racing toward the stars.

His greatest wish in this life is for everyone to be able to leave work on time.