I Spent Five Years Fighting Poverty, and Now I'm on the Throne

After an accident, the clear-eyed, rather naive college student Pei Zhu transmigrated into the body of a newly appointed magistrate in a remote border county. He realized that not only was his new post nearly deserted, lacking food and clothing, but it was also constantly at risk of invasion by foreign enemies. Taking a laid-back approach, Pei Zhu flopped down and decided to die. The Poverty Alleviation System that had brought him here hurried to reassure him: "Don't panic. Complete ten poverty alleviation missions, and we can send you back!" Pei Zhu sprang up from his deathbed and opened the mission list, surprised to see that the tasks seemed pretty simple. They were all things like expanding industries, building irrigation systems, repairing roads, and increasing crop yields... Easy as pie! But after Pei Zhu finally managed to achieve some results, he discovered that without dealing with the threat of foreign enemies, everything else was just talk. To alleviate poverty, Pei Zhu gritted his teeth and took on even more work. The city defenses needed reinforcing, more granaries had to be built, and since they'd recruited soldiers, they might as well raise more horses. Expanding the county office staff was perfectly reasonable, too, right? As it turned out, the advisor he'd picked up was a Grand Tutor condemned to death. The burly man he'd met on the road was a general regarded as a thorn in the emperor's side. The female accountant who came seeking his protection had once overseen the military, political, and financial affairs of the Northwest Army. Even the unassuming teacher was the Libationer of the Imperial Academy, with students throughout the land... Pei Zhu had no idea any of them were hiding their identities. He happily kept taking people in, and even his fiancee was someone he'd picked up. Later, the imperial court couldn't sit by any longer and sent troops to wipe him out. Before Pei Zhu could figure out how to escape, his followers had already stormed the capital and proclaimed him the new emperor. Pei Zhu was bewildered: Was this a hidden reward? The System was just as confused: I don't know. Headquarters never said anything. An ambitious rebel faction vs. an innocent county magistrate forced to wear the imperial robes Please note: 1. A romance centered on the male lead. The female lead appears a little later. 2. The male lead is an idealist. 3. Please be civil and discuss the story in a friendly manner. Theme: Face adversity with perseverance and self-reliance