A Qing Dynasty Reincarnation: Clinging to the Fourth Prince

Also known as:

"Qing Transmigration: The Days Spent Lying Flat in the Old Summer Palace"; "Crouching in a Corner, Eating Popcorn Up Close as the Nine Princes Fight for the Throne"; "Becoming the Last Man Standing: What Did Yinzhen Get Right?"; "A World of What Ifs: How Things Changed Starting with the Yongzheng Emperor"

Ye Lin was an ordinary wage earner. His greatest talents were typing and working overtime, but he never expected that...

One day, he would transmigrate to the Great Qing, rendering ten years of hard study completely useless. o(╥﹏╥)o

He woke up right in the middle of a battlefield, with schemes and plots coming one after another.

Fortunately, the author was a loving mother, and gave him a sufficiently powerful golden finger.

He only wanted to install a flushing toilet, so why did he accidentally spark a technological revolution?

He only wanted to show off his English, so why did he end up facilitating major trade?

He only wanted a happy life at home with a cat and a dog, so how did he accidentally get caught up in the struggle for the throne?

He thought he was just a bystander watching the drama and eating popcorn, but somehow he became Yinzhen's close friend and confidant.

After transmigrating, he sought neither fame nor fortune, only to have a clear conscience. He changed the fates of many people and witnessed the living, breathing Emperor Yongzheng. He had no regrets about his life!

Years later, at a press conference held by the Great Qing royal family, a reporter asked Ye Lin what the Yongzheng Emperor meant to him.

Ye Lin smiled and looked toward the emperor. "The great, wise ruler I supported throughout my life!"

The reporter asked the Yongzheng Emperor the same question. The Fourth Prince looked at Ye Lin, thought for a long time, then replied, "First, Zhuge Kongming aided Liu Bei's house. Later, Ye Ziyu aided me!"

P.S.:

1. A feel-good power fantasy.

2. A very, very, very slow burn, with an overpowered golden finger.

3. Some historical events, plus many fictional additions. Please don't nitpick the history.

4. A struggle for the throne, with a little nation-building and development, improving people's livelihoods and strengthening the country.

5. Errors will be corrected all together after completion.

6. Please don't mention other novels or compare this one with them.

[Disclaimer: This novel does not welcome extremists, reactionaries, or brainwashed people who use the pretext of opposing the Qing to flaunt fake AI patriotism, while actually trying to censor and erase Chinese history! The position of this novel is: The fifty-six ethnic groups are one family! Extreme ethnic supremacists and populists who believe that all other ethnic groups must harbor hostile intentions toward us, leave!!!]

(Readers with sound values can skip this and scroll straight down to the content warnings.)

Our sacred territory is indivisible! The history of our country is equally sacred and indivisible! Anyone attempting to undermine or divide it is a reactionary!

Near China are two small countries, A and B. In modern history, country A was colonized and ruled by country B for more than fifty years. During that time, B suppressed A's culture and history. When the world's strategic landscape changed and B withdrew, the people of A had forgotten not only their history, but even their own traditional songs. It took many more years for A to slowly rediscover its roots.

Every part of Chinese history is a precious treasure, painstakingly excavated, studied, and verified by countless scholars. Every dynasty had periods of prosperity and periods of decline. The cycle of life and death is a natural law, and only cowards dare not face this head-on!!!

The colonizing country B could only suppress the history of country A, yet certain extremists have managed to make their own people hate their country's history and actively censor it. It is truly astonishing!!! How laughable, sad, and lamentable!!! How absurd, ridiculous, and farcical!!!

History deserves respect. It should not be maliciously vilified and censored. China's long and rich history is a treasure that many countries envy. It can be judged objectively, but it should not be distorted and hated!

Anyone clear-minded understands one thing: all feudal dynasties have been completely wiped out!!! Not one speck of their ashes remains, and they certainly cannot come back to life!!! Making bizarre claims to scare people is laughable!

Today, every dynasty is simply one part of Chinese history, a precious treasure of China! China is the whole, not certain feudal dynasties! Inventing an enemy in a bygone historical period, stirring up hatred, and calling for violence only affects the People's Republic of China!!!

Some may not know that the fifty-six ethnic groups are one family. This was achieved through the efforts of countless martyrs! It still takes constant effort to maintain this, now and in the future!

If you can't contribute anything to China, fine. But using the banner of patriotism to make divisive statements is utterly shameless and vile!!!

The regimes of ethnic minorities are an inseparable part of Chinese history! They are also an inseparable part of Chinese civilization!!!

[The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council: Our territory must not be divided, our country must not be thrown into chaos, our peoples must not be scattered, and our civilization must not be severed!!!]

The country will not allow extreme Han supremacists to foment division, spread hatred, vilify Chinese history, or censor China's past!

Content warnings! Please read! Content warnings! Please read!:

1. [Not a romance]!!! An extremely, extremely niche novel, [leaning toward history and political intrigue], like the TV dramas Yongzheng Dynasty and Kangxi Dynasty!!! It consults historical sources and recreates the general course of official history.

The Eighth Prince's faction is advised not to try this.

If you want sweet romance, women competing with women, household battles, harem battles, or other romantic elements from either ancient or modern settings, or if you aren't interested in history, don't read this!!!

2. In this life, the protagonist is here to [lie flat, enjoy freedom, and live a retired life]. He does not participate in political infighting! In his previous life, the protagonist was [an ordinary person]. He doesn't understand officialdom, isn't particularly calculating, and has no ambition to hold office.

Getting to be a literary advisor around Yinzhen is the limit for him. He won't become a high-ranking official or an emperor, okay? Readers who want a career-driven protagonist, don't read this!!!

[The protagonist lying flat is the main storyline]. He only gets involved in things when he has nothing better to do, satisfying his own ambitions and gaining a little sense of accomplishment.

If you want the protagonist to be an overpowered hero, adored by everyone, unify the world, build a harem, and collect beautiful women, none of that is here!!!

3. The setting is realistic. The main focus is carefully unraveling the struggle among the nine sons for the throne during the Kangxi era of the Qing dynasty. [There isn't much infrastructure development!!! There is no miraculous golden finger that can push the world's timeline into an industrial revolution through sheer force.]

The protagonist's golden finger consists of enhanced brain function and a little bit of good fortune. [The golden finger is constrained by the objective rules of the real world]. It won't break the logic of the real world.

There won't be any plot about unifying Earth or conquering the universe. Think carefully before starting.

4. The style is realistic, and every NPC in the setting is grounded in reality!!! [Supporting-character NPCs are real people with brains, schemes, and influence]!!!

There are no [puppet characters] who instantly bow down when the protagonist waves his hand, with their loyalty maxed out!

The protagonist, supporting characters, and NPCs all act and speak [in their own interests].

If your moral standards are too high, you want every character to live happily ever after, or [you can't accept the dark side of human nature], don't read this.

5. The protagonist's brain has been enhanced, and he has a photographic memory. His characterization is similar to that of a rather innocent, kind, and honest [scientist], not a politician!

When it comes to scheming and strategy, the protagonist is [inferior to] most NPCs. If you want to see him outsmart everyone, don't read this.

6. [Very little melodrama]!!! The protagonist watches the Nine Princes compete for the throne, but he won't get hurt, vomit blood, fall off a cliff, be misunderstood, and so on. The main thing is for him to lie flat, enjoy life, and eat popcorn!

7. A [mild] feel-good power fantasy. The protagonist simply watches Yinzhen make his way to the throne. There is no repeated abuse followed by repeated face-slapping, no leveling up by defeating wave after wave of monsters and collecting gold. Readers who like high-intensity, hardcore power fantasies, don't read this.

8. [No pairing], okay? The protagonist is a [Peter Pan] type!!! A playful, childlike disposition, free of worldly desires, no romance, and single for life!!! If that bothers you, don't read this.

9. [Realistic style]!!! NPCs have less than a one-percent chance of being love-struck. If you want someone other than the protagonist to be passionately in love with someone, swearing to love them until the mountains crumble and the heavens unite with the earth, and so on, that's not here either.

10. The fates of 95% of the [NPCs develop according to their actual historical trajectories]. If you feel strongly about a particular NPC and want them to rise above their circumstances and break free of their original fate, don't read this.

11. The protagonist was born an ordinary person in both his previous life and this one. [He has no powerful parents to pave the way for him]! [There is no ex-fiancée who broke off their engagement coming back to slap him in the face]!

The protagonist [transmigrated; he did not take control of this world]!!! The direction the world takes, and the lives and wills of all the NPCs in it, [do not revolve around the protagonist]. If this bothers you, proceed with caution.

12. [Updates are slow]. Patient readers who are willing to savor the story are welcome. If you're eager to see the ending, you can wait until it's complete.

13. This novel is only suitable for readers who resonate with it. [The outline is already set], and the plot [will not be changed to cater to readers' various requests]!! Think carefully before starting.

If you're enjoying it, keep reading. [If you're not enjoying it, just click the X], okay? Don't force yourself, and you don't need to tell everyone.

14. A possible sensitive point concerning the protagonist changing the course of history: [In the historical timeline, all four children born to Nian Shi died young]. Through an equivalent exchange involving the protagonist, Nian Shi's fate is changed against the odds, and she has one healthy child.

But in his previous life, this child was born to another woman in Prince Yong's household, and also died young. If you can't accept this setup, don't read this!!!

15. This novel depicts Qing dynasty history. If you can't stand the Manchu regime, don't read this.

16. [Qing Transmigration] depicts the Qing dynasty's [feudal imperial society]. The privileged classes can dispose of laws and human lives as they please, and there are masters and servants, okay?

If you want to pursue, apply, or introduce the more civilized values of modern society into a feudal society, don't read this.

For example, if you want to see equality for everyone, absolute fairness and justice, and good social welfare in the Qing dynasty, none of that is here, okay?

The ancient world is depicted as it actually was. This is a portrayal of real history. It won't be prettified, and it won't depict a world where everyone is equal.

The protagonist isn't a god and can't overthrow a feudal dynasty by himself. A grain of sand from his era landing on his head is a whole mountain. His first priority can only be taking care of himself and his family. If you can't accept that, don't read this.

17. As in the real world, what characters say is affected by their audience, the occasion, and many other factors. [As in reality, what a character says may not match their true thoughts!!!! Nor does it represent the author's views or attitudes!!!!!]

Characters' words and opinions are influenced by their personalities, experiences, education, and family backgrounds. [They do not represent the author's own views].

The novel does only light historical research. Its scope is limited to tracing Qing dynasty history and the ideas of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, among other schools of thought. Sources include historical documents available online, such as the Veritable Records of the Great Qing. These are used as found, without attempting to verify the authenticity of historical materials or debate different schools of historical scholarship.

[The contents of this novel have nothing to do with people, events, or things in modern society]. Please don't make arbitrary comparisons or associations!!!!

18. [The novel leans toward an ensemble cast]. In the real world, supporting characters and NPCs have their own things to do. [That means the camera and plot won't revolve around the protagonist 24/7]. If this bothers you, proceed with caution.

19. When it comes to political struggles, the focus is solely on the process of power plays. The story does not discuss whether the participants are good or bad, right or wrong, black or white, heroes or villains. The complexity of human nature can't be summed up as good people and bad people. For example, some officials actively promote Yongzheng's new policies and reduce the tax burden on the common people, making them good, effective officials. Yet in private, they may have poor character, sucking up to a powerful figure to the point where they abandon all dignity and earn the contempt of other officials.

20. Every reader has their own opinions, and the author respects that, knowing that everyone has their own perspective. An apple is a commodity to a merchant, a subject to a painter, food to a child, a livelihood to a fruit farmer, and a specimen to a biologist. What an apple is depends on the perspective of the person looking at it.

If you want to share your thoughts, you can express your opinions or list references and various scholarly perspectives for everyone to consult. But please don't lecture, attack, or criticize others in the comments. Let's work together to maintain a friendly, harmonious atmosphere and reduce the spread of negativity. Thank you.

21. Preparations for the later war, the war itself, and changes in the situation all take a very long time. If written year by year, events would be too scattered. To speed up the story, [the author has pressed the fast-forward button]. All the important events will still happen; the pace is simply faster.

For readers who want to compare the story with historical records: Kangxi Year 55 in the novel corresponds to historical Years 55, 56, and 57; Kangxi Year 56 in the novel corresponds to historical Years 58 and 59; Kangxi Year 57 in the novel corresponds to historical Years 60 and 61.

22. From Kangxi Year 61 through the Yongzheng era, [some minor changes will occur to the historical course of events] in the main text. If this bothers you, proceed with caution. [The actual historical events may be presented in extra chapters].

23. This is a work ten years in the making, a personal indulgence born of studying history. Please read it simply as a novel, and don't tie it to any past, current, or future discussion of: XX values, XX opposition, XX criticism, XX culture wars, XX conflicts, XX fan circles, XX whitewashing, XX schools of thought, XX ethnic groups, XX elites, XX ideologies, XX hostility, feudalism, and so on...

The complexity and depth of history and human nature cannot be reduced to any one issue. The ideas that exist in ancient and modern times are also vastly different.

A painting of an apple is just a painting of an apple. Whether viewers taste sweetness or tartness, smell the fragrance of the fruit or its impending decay, see a modest income or good value for money, all depends on their own perspectives and ideas. The painter's task is simply to make the apple look as lifelike as possible and portray the real apple itself.

People read novels to enjoy a peaceful moment of relaxation. Life doesn't require us to be in battle mode every moment. We can unwind and make room for different opinions and attitudes. Please don't speculate, provoke arguments, use the novel to advance an issue by criticizing others, or flaunt your own superiority!!! Related comments will be deleted. Thank you.

24. The author is neither a history expert nor a fan or hater of any historical dynasty or figure. The author simply [starts from historical sources] and [writes about the facts] as they appear, without whitewashing or vilifying any historical figure. However, the views expressed are the author's [subjective opinions]. Every person is complex and multifaceted, and everyone is entitled to their own subjective opinions. The author respects everyone's differing views. This novel aims not to decide who was good or bad, but to portray the complexity of each historical figure: their personalities, experiences, actions, and fates.

25. There may be more content warnings. None come to mind for now, but I'll add them if I think of any.

26. This novel is [only suitable for readers who resonate with it]! Everyone has different values, and different people like different things. If you know you like this vegetable, come on in.

If you prefer radishes, go find a radish to eat, okay? Don't force yourself!!! If you drop the novel, there's no need to leave a comment. Thank you!!!

Important:

After reading all the content warnings, you can double them in your mind and lower your expectations before starting, okay?

Researching and writing is hard work, and I do it to make the story feel as real as possible. I hope that while reading, you can set aside the worries and hassles of the real world, enjoy following the protagonist into another world, and catch a glimpse of how emperors and ministers think and operate, the real political machinations in history, and what the prosperous final years of Kangxi's reign and the early years of Yongzheng's reign were really like...

If you've made it this far, you must be more patient than most readers, and you truly share the author's desire to learn from history, follow the emperor's example, and pick up some historical political wisdom. Bravo! You're wonderful!

The author's health has been poor for a long time, so for now I can only guarantee three updates a week. I won't have the energy to correct errors while the novel is updating; I'll go back and fix them all after completion. Please understand. *bows*

Every click and comment from you motivates the author to keep updating~

VIP Announcement:

Dear readers, this novel will become a paid title on Wednesday, August 25, with three updates totaling ten thousand words.

Thank you for all your support so far. I hope you'll continue supporting me in the future. *bows in gratitude to everyone!*

Theme: Ordinary people can accomplish great things, grow through hard work, and change their fate.