[Power struggles + infrastructure building + survival + history + military generals]
Transmigration destination: the Great Sui? The Great Tang? The Great Song? Or the Great Ming? No, no.
A little further back, then. How about the Northern and Southern Dynasties after the Three Kingdoms and the Jin dynasties? A time to contend for supremacy and make a name for oneself.
No System, no foreknowledge to exploit opportunities, no dependence on powerful factions: a grounded, historically realistic struggle for supremacy.
Compete on the same stage with Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai, the two great rivals of the Northern dynasties, and vie for supremacy with Emperor Wu of Liang in the Southern dynasties.
I just saw this book and haven't had time to read it yet