Gu Jingxing, a doctor of materials science, woke up and became a fifteen-year-old official son of the Renzong Dynasty of the Northern Song Dynasty.
There is no system, no panel, and no grandpa.
He only had a little knowledge of metallurgy and chemistry, and a history of the decline and fall of the Song Dynasty that he knew by heart.
He originally wanted to be a quiet alien in this feudal dynasty - he hated the monarchy, hated hierarchy, and only wanted to engage in scientific research.
But reality soon taught him how to behave.
The failure of Qingli's New Deal made him understand: Talking about system reform without productivity is all just castles in the air. In this era where illiteracy is common and people rely on nature for their livelihood, do you talk about democracy to farmers? Talking to warlords about constitutionalism?
Let them have enough to eat first.
So he put away his arrogance and picked up the hammer.
Smelt steel well, make good medicine, build good roads, and run good schools.
Liberate productivity step by step and change this land bit by bit.
Redundant troops? Change. Redundant officials? Cut. Yanyun Sixteen States? Call back.
Liu E asked him: "You are a young man, why do you talk so wildly about the Northern Expedition?"
He said: "I do not lie. I only do practical things."
Renzong asked him: "You want to change the law?"
He said: "I do not change the law. I only change the soil. When the soil changes, the flowers will bloom naturally."
Many years later, when he stood at the top of the city of Yanjing, looking at his regained homeland, behind him were all the people kneeling in worship, and beside him was his married wife.
Someone asked him: "Gu Gong, what do you want to change?"
He smiled: "I don't want to change anything. I just want to make this era a little better."
