When Li Shimin Came to the Northern Song Dynasty

Important note before reading: The story starts slowly, is complete, and is 340,000 words long. It is a short story, a short story. It begins winding down after Li Shimin's enthronement ceremony. Events after his enthronement will not be covered in detail. Events after his enthronement will not be covered in detail!

Feel free to visit my author page and follow my new ongoing novel, "When Little Er Feng Meets His Dad, the First Emperor"

[The story starts in 1115, during the Zhenghe era of Emperor Huizong's reign in the Song dynasty]

After closing his eyes in Hanfeng Hall, Li Shimin transmigrates into a book and becomes Zhao Shiming, a distant relative of the imperial family of the Great Song.

Though everything around him seems prosperous, he soon discovers the truth behind the calm, ordinary life of the common people: the Great Song dynasty faces formidable enemies beyond its borders, while bandits rule the mountains within them. Even in the wealthy Jiangnan region, people are selling their children... At a time of such danger, the emperor is actually planning to issue an edict raising taxes to build Taoist temples.

Even more troubling is the ominous vision he accidentally witnesses: in a few years, northern barbarians will invade the south and seize the Song imperial family and court officials, plunging all of the Central Plains into another catastrophe.

The fate of the realm is the responsibility of the royal house. Li Shimin politely declines Liangshan Marsh's invitation, deciding to first dig up some of his own burial treasures at Zhaoling, then find a mountain to recruit soldiers and buy horses.

But before he can even get his grave-robbing and army-building enterprise started...

Qu Tutong arrives with seals from the 108 mountain strongholds he has conquered,

Yuchi Gong sneaks away with the keys to his father's private treasury in the dead of night,

and Zhangsun Wuji personally brings several carts of precious treasures...

The three kneel in tears and beg His Majesty not to dig up graves in Chang'an. They will take care of the funds for the rebellion!

Overjoyed, Li Shimin weeps. "Excellent! With the rulers and ministers of my Zhenguan era working together, how could we fail to save the people of this realm?"

Li Jing rushes over, gasping for breath, and hastily objects: "Wait! Becoming bandits and rebelling like this would damage Your Majesty's reputation. I have a plan that will accomplish two things at once!"

Later, on the day the new ruler is enthroned, the nations of the steppe send envoys bearing lavish gifts. Li Shimin raises his cup and laughs heartily as he looks around at the assembled officials.

"Once I recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, I also want to take the soldiers of our Great Song north to the grasslands and south to Dali. I hear the rulers of those nations are all talented singers and dancers. Would you ministers care to enjoy the show?"

The civil and military officials' eyes light up as they shout in unison, "Thank you, Your Majesty! We would be delighted to feast our eyes!"

The steppe envoys, trembling all over, stare at Li Shimin in terror. Here it comes again, that familiar fear that makes us want to fall to our knees and cry, "Heavenly Qaghan!"

Reading guide:

1. A feel-good transmigration-into-a-book story, with an ensemble cast and a gradual progression through everyday life and leveling up. Plot comes first, with a romance between the male and female leads woven in. The couple is the Zhenguan emperor and empress, one-on-one.

2. Set in a partly fictionalized late Northern Song dynasty, with many invented details. This is not a historically researched work.

3. Forms of address and dialogue use a modern, colloquial style. There is no System or cheat ability. The male lead's golden finger is himself and some of the meritorious officials from the Zhenguan era.

4. The story follows an outline. I politely decline writing advice. The novel is 340,000 words long and ends with Li Shimin's enthronement. Events after his enthronement will not be covered in detail.

This is a derivative novel, not official history. If you dislike any historical figures or plot points, please stop reading. Your time and money should be spent on things that make you happy. I hope you all find books you enjoy.

Theme: Build a prosperous and peaceful age for the people