Chief Minister of the Nine Ming Dynasties

By the end of the Hongzhi reign, corruption plagued the Ming court, foreign threats were brewing, the people were suffering, and desolation hung over the entire realm.

Su Heng transmigrates from another world into the body of a poor orphan in the countryside.

He believes neither in heaven-sent miracles nor in illusory shortcuts. Instead, he studies diligently, overcoming all nine stages of the imperial examinations through sheer talent and achieving the unprecedented honor of placing first in all nine rounds.

Rather than coveting the splendor of court, he puts down roots in the counties and towns, among the people: reclaiming farmland, building irrigation works, resettling refugees, and rooting out corruption. He strengthens the foundations of the Ming through infrastructure and improvements to people's livelihoods.

Once he enters the central government, he serves through the reigns of nine emperors.

The court is rife with political intrigue, while threats on the borders come one after another. Yet he always remains true to himself. He crushes the eunuch faction, curbs the powerful, reforms corrupt policies, and secures the borders, repeatedly saving the dynasty from crisis.

Half a lifetime of toil, beginning in the fields and devoted to the realm.

He harbors not the slightest ambition to usurp power, only a heartfelt desire to help the people. Through a century of hardship, he single-handedly props up the Ming as it teeters on the brink of collapse. Once the land is at peace and the realm is secure, this common-born chancellor who served nine emperors earns a place in the annals of history for all time.