The Female Captain (Northern Song Dynasty)

Jin Ling was a senior at Haihang University when she transmigrated to the Northern Song Dynasty, in the first year of Jingyou. Empress Zhangxian Mingsu, Liu E, had passed away, and the twenty-four-year-old Emperor Renzong had taken the reins of government. He was full of ambition and eager to usher in an era of great prosperity. The court was crowded with renowned officials: Yan Shu, forty-three, had just been appointed Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs, overseeing the empire's military administration. Fan Zhongyan, forty-six, had repeatedly risen and fallen for his outspoken remonstrations, and had just been demoted once again. Ouyang Xiu, twenty-seven, had recently passed the imperial examination. He was brimming with confidence, and his writing had already made waves in the capital. Han Qi, who would later become a great chancellor, was only twenty-six. He was serving as a seventh-rank judicial officer in Kaifeng, but his uprightness and keen judgment had already made him stand out in the capital. Bao Zheng was thirty-five and had just entered government service. This was the best of times: society was open, Emperor Renzong was benevolent, the court was full of famous officials, and the people were prosperous. It was also the worst of times: the Liao Empire loomed menacingly in the north, while Western Xia lurked in the west. A storm was brewing. The Jin family had been in the shipping business for generations. Last year, her father, uncle, and elder brother had sailed to Tianzhu to trade. Their ship was anchored at Gu Lin Port, waiting for the right wind season to return. But they still hadn't come home. In October, the last ship of the season returned with terrible news: the Jin family's vessel had been caught in a storm on the open sea off Gu Lin. The ship, its cargo, and everyone aboard had sunk into the depths, and not even the wreckage could be found. The cargo aboard was worth sixteen thousand strings of cash. Now, with the ship and its goods lost, the family's fortune had vanished overnight. The Chen family ignored their old ties and came to demand repayment, bringing a crowd of servants with them. They wanted to seize the Jin family's hereditary license to sail overseas. Thankfully, her maternal grandfather's Pan family stepped in to mediate and put a stop to things. The family sold off its houses, farmland, and the women's jewelry to redeem one medium-sized seagoing ship. It was all the capital they had left. With no way back, they staked their entire fortune and their lives on this final voyage. Just before the ship set sail, the Chen family poached the navigator responsible for charting their course. Jin Ling had no choice but to disguise herself as a man and take his place at the last minute. Unexpectedly, she ushered in the Age of Exploration four hundred years early, opening up the four seas and sending merchant ships across the world. *An upgrade-focused, feel-good story centered on building a career. There is a male lead, as well as plenty of other male characters, including handsome men from Tianzhu and an Arab prince. Many have one-sided crushes.