The Tianqi Golden Age: An Unofficial History

**A woman transmigrates into a male emperor; a man transmigrates into a female empress.** After pulling an all-nighter working on a design draft, civil engineer Zhu Xiaoxiao unfortunately drops dead in front of her computer. When she opens her eyes again, she discovers that she’s been reincarnated as Zhu Youxiao, the renowned figurine-making enthusiast of Ming history. Starting over as a woman in a man’s body? Well, that could work. Dying young by dissolving in water? Absolutely not! Fortunately, Zhu Xiaoxiao has the Emperor Development System bound to her. By handcrafting all manner of components, she can accumulate Artisan Points, which she can use to draw cards and summon famous ministers and generals, or redeem for cheat abilities, blueprints, and formulas—all to help her complete her main quest: preventing the downfall of the Ming dynasty. And so, the moment Zhu Xiaoxiao unleashes her domineering imperial aura, the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard immediately bows in allegiance. “I’ll go through fire and water for you, Your Highness!” Gold on her very first draw! The god of war Qi Jiguang returns through Edo Tensei, and the Japanese pirates, Red-Haired Barbarians, and Franks are about to meet the strictest father they’ve ever known. A severe drought in Shaanxi? The Yellow River bursting its banks? Xu Guangqi charges straight into the fray, hauling sweet potatoes and corn, while Zhu Xiaoxiao personally gets to work pouring concrete. Concrete dams are invincible beneath the heavens! At the decisive battle in Liaodong, everyone gets a new-model weapon. Let the cannons roar and blast those bastards to hell! Nurhaci adds yet another grievance to his list: “Don’t look down on an old man just because he’s poor!” Hong Taiji lies low and quietly builds up his strength. When the three-year deadline arrives, he musters a great army and returns for revenge, only to suffer another bitter defeat: “Don’t look down on a middle-aged man just because he’s poor!” Hong Chengchou personally persuades Consort Zhuang to surrender, and the remnants of the Eight Banners submit. Fulin furiously draws his sword: “Don’t look down on a young man just because he’s poor!” Consort Zhuang slaps him across the face. “Don’t you dare treat your Uncle Hong like that!” *** What Zhang Juzheng could least bear to leave behind before his death was his unfinished life’s work. Even after being reincarnated as a woman, he cannot put it out of his mind. Then he reads the historical records and discovers that, after his death, his policies were dismantled and his family brought to ruin. He had been prepared for the deadly struggles of officialdom. What he had never imagined was that the emperor would hate him so deeply that he would overturn every policy beneficial to the country, all because of personal resentment! The innocent suffering of his family fills him with pain and remorse. Yet when he looks at the youthful face of a sheltered young lady reflected in the mirror, all his resentment and thwarted ambition seem reduced to a bitter joke. He watches coldly as the flames of war spread across the land and the people’s livelihoods fall into ruin, while his former student drags the dynasty toward its end. In the end, all the indignation in his heart escapes in one long sigh. What he could not accomplish in his previous life may yet be possible in this one. Supporting a husband and raising children is far too much to ask of this old man. Exercising sovereign power at court suits me much better. Wouldn’t you agree, Emperor Zetian the Great Sage? *** Even with his sights set on power, Zhang Juzheng still considers himself a loyal subject and has no intention of simply doing away with the emperor. And although teaching a young sovereign has left him with a touch of PTSD, he still harbors a sliver of hope. What if? What if, this time, he could mold a young emperor into a sage ruler the likes of whom appears only once in a thousand years? Zhu Xiaoxiao, buried in a mountain of wood shavings and utterly oblivious to the world around her: “No one can stop me from building an aircraft carrier with my own two hands!” Zhang Juzheng is furious. His steadfast loyalty melts away like cream. “I am no regent. I am the emperor!” — Description from novelcodex.orgFull novel: The Tianqi Golden Age: An Unofficial History — read the rest free on N​o⁠v​e⁠l​C⁠o​d⁠e​x⁠.​o⁠r​g⁠