What Brilliant Plan Does the Chancellor Have?

After an accident, Tu Xiuning and Fu Shanqing transmigrated to ancient times.

It was an age of heroes and countless legends, a world in turmoil.

As the chosen one, Tu Xiuning naturally had to take part in it.

Fu Shanqing felt responsible for keeping an eye on her, so she joined her on the journey.

The dynasty was nearing its end. Warlords fought for supremacy, and when the dust settled, the realm was divided into four.

In the west was Qin Feichen, in the north Liang Xiao Jun, in the south Chen He Yu, and in the east Xia Zhong Qian.

Fu Shanqing was wondering whom Tu Xiuning would choose to support,

when she saw Xiao Ce, whom Tu Xiuning had brought back.

Who was Xiao Ce?

He was a peerless god of war, strong enough to lift a massive cauldron and undefeated in a hundred battles. He was also illiterate, unable even to recognize the written characters.

Sincere, kindhearted, and devoted to those he cared about, he was unfortunately a poor judge of character. His trusted aides plotted against him, and he died young, his life cut tragically short.

Forced to study ancient characters every day, Fu Shanqing grabbed Tu Xiuning and shook her hard: "You liar! Didn't you say you couldn't stand illiterates?!"

*

Everyone who had spent time with Xiao Ce knew that, aside from marching to war, he was easy to fool in every other respect.

He led from the front when pursuing enemy forces, but left the governance of his territory to his subordinates.

He gave aid to fellow townsfolk who came to him for help and took in strategists who sought his patronage.

He granted every request, whether it was a man seeking an education or a woman looking to marry.

In just two years, the Kingdom of Guangyang was already bursting at the seams.

Everyone had spotted Xiao Ce's kind heart and hoped to reap the benefits without lifting a finger.

With the population swelling and the bureaucracy growing bloated, the few officials who actually did their jobs were at their wits' end. They repeatedly petitioned Xiao Ce to return to the capital, but never received a reply.

Only after a long while did they realize: Their king couldn't read!

Just as they were beginning to think their situation was hopeless, Xiao Ce suddenly appointed a chancellor.

The good news was that the chancellor had achieved great things.

The bad news was that the chancellor was a woman.

The officials all submitted memorials, asking Xiao Ce to rescind his decision.

This time, they received a written reply from Xiao Ce:

The words "Absolutely impossible," written in enormous characters, which Tu Xiuning had just taught him.

The officials wailed in despair and accepted their fate once more. But little by little, they began to see the advantages of having a chancellor.

Chancellor Tu knew the heavens above and the earth below, understood people and strategy alike,

and could even keep Xiao Ce's kindness in check.

She knew how to put the right people in the right jobs, and everyone who came to join them found a place suited to their talents.

The people lived in peace and contentment, Guangyang grew prosperous and stable, and the kingdom took on an entirely new character.

The officials changed their tune and became the chancellor's staunchest supporters.

Whenever a major decision had to be made, or Xiao Ce started handing out kindness indiscriminately again, they all turned to Tu Xiuning:

"What is the chancellor's brilliant plan?"

[Reading Guide]

1. The history mentioned in the story is the history of the world where the female lead and the female supporting character live. Both the ancient and modern settings are fictional, so please don't nitpick the historical details.

2. The female lead is three years older than the male lead. This is an older-woman-younger-man romance.

3. The female lead has maxed-out stats in every area. She has a psychological disorder stemming from her family circumstances, which is an important part of the story, but she will recover in the end.

4. There are some ensemble-cast elements. The female supporting character is the female lead's close friend and will have a substantial role.

Theme: What happens depends on what people make of it.