[Qing Dynasty] His Highness the Crown Prince Has Ascended

My next novel is now open for readers: A Scholar's Worthy Friend (Imperial Examinations) A modern-day corporate drone wakes up as the younger son of the second branch of an earl's family. There's no family estate he needs to inherit, a life of wealth and comfort awaits, and next door lives a supposedly brilliant cousin who could compose poetry at seven. Shi Qing thinks he's finally landed the perfect lie-flat life, but before he can even lie down for half a second, he discovers that the grand Earl's estate is nothing more than a bamboo fence covered in lime: all show on the outside. Gorgeous on the outside, hollow as a snow cave within. Half the capital is counting the days until that country bumpkin, whose legs are still caked with mud, gets kicked back to the countryside. Wen Shiqing: "..." After more than a decade of grueling imperial exams, he is finally on the verge of leaping through the dragon gate. But with powerful relatives ruling from within and enemies eyeing the realm from without, Lord Wen, who has barely been lying flat for half a quarter of an hour, jolts upright on his deathbed: This realm... is doomed to fall sooner or later! Amid the chaos, Shiqing glances at the friend who has grown up by his side. "Ahem. When Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on a person, it first tests their resolve and strains their muscles and bones..." His friend Xiao Heng, who only wants to pick a fief and lie flat there: "..." Channel the waters into rivers, graft superior crops, develop trade, and enrich the people while strengthening the military. Rather than worrying about the outside world, it's better to push ourselves relentlessly. Many years later, The new emperor and his newly appointed chancellor, Lord Wen, share drinks beneath the moon, recalling the "happy" days when the two of them climbed mountains and crossed seas, and counted heads in a bandit's den. P.S. First the imperial exams, then nation-building. The male lead is focused on his career. The imperial examination system in this novel is based on the Song dynasty. Novel blurb: Amid a blaze of sunset, as the princes and imperial relatives stare in disbelief, the former Crown Prince... ascends to immortality! In the Forbidden City, Emperor Yongzheng rubs his darkened eye sockets without thinking. The throne he worked so hard to win suddenly doesn't seem so appealing anymore... When Crown Prince Yinreng was five, he was suddenly pestered by a bizarre jade pendant. A Yu: Want to live forever? Want to fly on a sword? Cultivation can solve all your troubles. Yinreng: "A gentleman does not speak of the supernatural." A Yu: Once you cultivate, you'll never get sick again! And you won't have to drink bitter medicine! Yinreng: "When Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on a person, it first tests their resolve..." A Yu grits his teeth: "I observed the heavens last night and discovered that your father can remain on the throne for at least another forty-four years..." Yinreng: "..." Next novel in the works: A Scholar's Worthy Friend Theme: Transcendence brings freedom