The Great Yong: From Clerk to Chancellor

The Great Yong dynasty has stood for 150 years. The Di and Rong tribes threaten its northern passes, factional strife wracks the court, and the aging emperor is chronically ill. The Crown Prince and Third Prince are already locked in a struggle for the throne. Lan Ce transmigrates to the frontier of Yunzhou, where he becomes a low-ranking clerk in the military governor's office. The first thing he discovers upon waking is that the previous owner of his body had just “accidentally” fallen from his horse after noticing irregularities in the military payroll records. The figures don't add up, and the discrepancies follow a clear pattern. In his mind, a jade pendant glimmers: “Report these accounts, and you'll be dead within three days. Probability: 87%.” Heavenly Calculations: Using known information to predict the most likely choices each faction will make to maximize its interests. The best, middle, and worst courses of action, along with their probabilities and costs, are laid out at a glance. The price is his memories. Every calculation takes him further from his past life. He forgets his mother's face, the formulas of calculus, and even who he is. But Lan Ce has to keep calculating. Trace the embezzlement network: the Revenue Ministry, the War Ministry, and the frontier garrisons split the spoils. Analyze the three Northern Di tribes: the Left Tribe wants war, the Right Tribe favors trade, and the royal court hesitates. Determine the limits of the succession struggle: the Crown Prince can be protected, the Third Prince controlled, the eunuchs used, and the upright officials enlisted. Calculate the three paths that could lead to Great Yong's fall. From a low-ranking clerk to a records officer, military advisor, provincial aide, court official, regional administrator, and finally a minister at the heart of the empire. “The best plan costs too much. The middle plan is viable. I won't choose the worst.” “This report isn't reliable enough. Investigate again.” “Smile as you write your superior into a dead end.” When the power of the Heavenly Calculations runs dry and the jade pendant shatters, can he still win? From copyist to master strategist, Lan Ce uses his wits to outmaneuver the blade at every turn.