The Idle Man of Tokyo

Zhao Heng, a seasoned publishing editor in the modern era, worked himself to death while revising a manuscript. When he opened his eyes, he had become the least noticeable son of a concubine in the Zhao household during the Jinghe era of the Great Liang. His father had just died, his stepmother had turned against him, and he was thrown out with two taels of silver and an old bundle. He stood in the vast city of Bianjing, with no idea what lay ahead.

While others transmigrated to become high officials or prime ministers and vie for supremacy, Zhao Heng chose the most “unambitious” path: no scheming his way through the imperial exams, no currying favor with the powerful, and no getting caught up in factional strife. Relying on his publishing expertise from his previous life, he wrote popular fiction, printed tabloids, and opened a bookshop. Starting with a tiny stall in the entertainment district, he turned popular street literature into an elegant business amid bustling Bianjing, and became the leisurely man of Dongjing whom everyone admired.