I Conned the Entire Imperial Court Into Ruin

Everyone at Court Was Fooled by Me is a lighthearted historical transmigration comedy.

Gu Yan, a modern wedding emcee, accidentally transmigrates to the Great Zhou Dynasty and becomes a destitute scholar in Qingshan County, so poor he can barely afford to eat. To make a living, he sets up a fortune-telling stall by the roadside and uses his silver tongue to fool passersby. But his very first “scam” accidentally solves a murder case, and his reputation takes off overnight.

The county magistrate treats him like a reclusive sage, wealthy merchants seek his advice on feng shui, constables ask him to help solve cases, and a talented courtesan can't forget a poem he wrote. Gu Yan only wants to earn money quietly, yet one misunderstanding after another leaves him with “immortal quotes” that scholars across the city endlessly analyze. Anything he says offhand becomes the subject of intense scrutiny.

The more guilty he feels, the more others revere him. The more he wants to run away, the more famous he becomes.

As his status rises, Gu Yan is gradually drawn into court intrigues, scholarly rivalries, and the affairs of the realm. Every official at court is convinced he has the whole world in his heart and can plan for every contingency, but no one knows that this “peerless sage” is actually a coward who fears death and relies entirely on improvisation.

The novel is a lighthearted laugh-out-loud comedy centered on misunderstandings. It combines everyday life in ancient times, poetry and showing off, an ensemble cast, and subversive plot twists, bringing the lively world of the Great Zhou Dynasty to life amid all the laughs.