Grandson of the Great Yu: Old Man, You're Just a Purchasing Clerk!

[Alternate Founding-Era Setting] [Swapped Identities] [Hardcore Industrial Development] [Short-Tempered Ancestor Who Protects His Own to the Extreme] [Technological Overmatch] [Lighthearted Comedy of Everyday Life] [Feel-Good Story with No Frustrating Setbacks]

He hired a greedy, boastful old man as his purchasing agent and gave him three meals a day of bamboo-switch beatings. "You're just a purchasing agent. Stop worrying about the fate of the empire!"

He had no idea that the old man was the founding emperor, a tyrant who copied the insults he hurled at him each day and took them back to court as imperial edicts. He had no idea that the lame stablehand was the founding military god, or that the dark-faced guard was the commander of the Secret Intelligence Guard. He had even less idea that the crimson birthmark beneath his left ribs was proof that he was the rightful heir to the throne of Great Yu.

Then, on the day the princes forced their way into the palace, the old emperor took off his bamboo hat, and the entire court fell to its knees.

Gu Xuan stood there holding his bamboo switch, gazing at the familiar old face on the dragon throne. "Old Huang, you sure know how to keep up an act!"

"...Grandson, the throne is yours. Could you put away the switch first?"