Cheng Zi’an, a rich second-generation academic underachiever, was waiting to inherit his family fortune when he transmigrated into a seven-year-old brat.
Fortunately, his family owned dozens of acres of fertile land, and his father, Cheng Zhen, was a Juren of both talent and beauty. He had no worries about food or clothing.
As an only son, Cheng Zi’an thought: “Studying is impossible. I’ll just be a happy slacker and continue my hedonistic lifestyle.”
Unexpectedly, Cheng Zhen met with misfortune, cutting off Cheng Zi’an’s path to “lying flat.”
The crowd sneered: “Without Cheng Zhen, the Cheng family is finished, especially with a dull and ignorant boy like Cheng Zi’an.”
Forced to study by Cheng Zhen at the end of a stick, the underachiever Cheng Zi’an wailed: “I can’t even recognize all the characters in the textbook!”
Who would have thought that under this pressure, he would become a paragon for scholars, leave his name in the annals of history, and assist two emperors for thirty years?
Not only did the Cheng family not perish, but starting from Cheng Zi’an, the clan flourished for centuries, and the “Cheng Clan of Mingzhou” became famous throughout the world.
The young Crown Prince once asked his Imperial Tutor, Cheng Zi’an: “Teacher, did you love studying since you were a child?”
Cheng Zi’an smiled but remained silent.
Sigh, don’t ask. It’s a story written in tears.
Cheng Zi’an’s private memoirs were titled: Originally, I Just Wanted to Be an Ordinary Playboy.
Reading Guide:
1.
Alternate history; please do not scrutinize for historical accuracy.
2.
The Imperial Examination system is a blend of the Tang and Song dynasties, not the common Ming and Qing systems.
3.
Early stages focus on studying and examinations; later stages focus on court life and officialdom.
4.
The “Cheng Clan of Mingzhou” is inspired by the “Yi Men Chen” (Chen Clan of the Righteous Gate).
5.
The male lead has a unique path and is not perfect. Lighthearted, with some luck—but not too much.
6.
Primarily focuses on the Imperial Examination, infrastructure building, and farming. The romance subplot is minimal.
