From the Start, I Draw Zhu Yuanzhang's God-Tier Begging Skill

After transmigrating to another world, Zhaozhao, now a little girl, gets a System that can draw emperors, empresses, and their skills from every dynasty. As the spark that will rekindle civilization, she must start it all over again.

Penniless and caught in the middle of a famine, Zhaozhao flees for her life. To survive, she makes her first draw: a gold skill card.

[Emperor Taizu of Ming, Zhu Yuanzhang: Begging Bowl] Skill: [Begging] Trait: [Worn-Out]. It only gets more battered as it levels up, while granting the bowl's owner a buff that makes them look distinguished.

This card is amazing. No matter how chaotic the times get, it guarantees you can beg for enough food to survive. Mom won't have to worry about me going hungry anymore!

But in times of chaos, little girls like her are easy targets for kidnappers. What's more, she can't speak the local language and doesn't look like a native.

Desperate to survive, Zhaozhao stakes all her resources on drawing cards. After getting a pile of useless junk, she finally draws a character gold card. Dragons and phoenixes appear, strange signs fill the sky, and her expectations soar.

But then... it turns out to be Zhu Yuanzhang himself, at the same age as her!

Clutching the battered bowl, Zhaozhao bursts into tears. "Y-You're just as little as me! How are we supposed to survive?"

Emperor Taizu of Ming, Zhu Yuanzhang, was born poor and endured a life of hardship and wandering. In his early years, he survived by begging, roaming with a bowl in hand and witnessing the warmth and cruelty of the world.

He later joined the Red Turban Army, fought bravely, gathered talented people around him, and turned the tide again and again when all seemed lost. In the end, he unified the Central Plains, reclaimed his homeland, brought peace to the realm, and founded the Great Ming.

During his reign, court intrigue ran rampant and blood flowed in rivers. He purged corrupt officials, and even his meritorious generals were killed, leaving the court with no capable commanders. Yet he also gave farmers a chance to recover and live in peace and prosperity.

He thought it was all over when he died. But when he opened his eyes again, he had become a little boy who didn't even reach the height of a cartwheel. A pitiful little girl was holding the familiar battered bowl and crying, begging for his help. She told him the world was in chaos, disasters were frequent, and famine had struck year after year.

Zhu Yuanzhang: "..." The bad memories are coming back!

Before long, Zhaozhao draws Empress Ma's [Kind Mother's Coat], Zhu Youjian's [Official's Hat Chair], and plenty of other strange little things from the Ming Dynasty pool.

Then the Han Dynasty pool opens, and she draws Liu Xiu, the Son of the Plane. After a string of frustrating mishaps, the three of them make a plan:

Stockpile grain and wait before declaring themselves kings. First, find a place to farm together, then draw more friends to help with the work. Improve their lives, educate the people, restore the great land of China, patiently wait for their wives to arrive, and give their wayward descendants a good beating along the way!

World-building, another world, card drawing, conquest, and a satisfying growth story.

The emperors are not romantic pairings. They all have wives.

Theme: Helping others is helping yourself