I expected Royal Road to be similar to Back to Ming, and it kind of is. There are a lot more characters to keep track of and many different events happening all over the country. The romance aspect also starts much earlier and is present throughout the story.

More struggles, more setbacks, and more angst+pining involved. I personally prefer Back to Ming because it's more satisfying in terms of progression and improving the common people's lives, whereas Royal Road starts off that way but slowly shifts its focus to politics and... more>> angsty slow-burn romance.

Something I'm kinda annoyed by is that every once in a while, it's revealed that Liang Feng had studied about [insert random subject] in his past life because he was interested in it or whatever, whenever it's convenient for him to know about it. It's not to the point where he's OP, but the range of subjects he "studies" is just too large it's unbelievable! For example: Buddhist scriptures, training troops, gunpowder recipe, paper making, smelting metal, astrology, drawing maps, shooting arrows, traditional Chinese medicine, siege weapons, horse riding, advanced mathematics, Chinese history, farming tools, alchemy/chemistry, and so on. Some are still reasonable while others are just plain weird for a modern person to know about. Remember, Liang Feng wasn't a historian but a policeman! <<less

Really love this novel. Mtl wasn't too hard but the novel was a bit heavy on history so the names get confusing sometimes. The author also explains the history parts in the novel to not confuse the readers.

The MC is very steady, mature, smart and has good foresight. I love, love, love his character❤️. The way he builds up his land and improves the standard of living with his modern thinking is very fun to read. He doesn't have excessive knowledge on how to invent new things and there are... more>> trial and errors which really makes it more realistic. He tries not to attract too much attention and just keeps to himself as much as possible.

The ML gets attracted to him real fast though but the MC is considered very 'beautiful'. The ML puts in honest effort to be able to stand on equal grounds with him and protect him. He has quite a 'ferocious' nature and being on the battlefield totally suits him. He is the silent, intense, extremely loyal, possessive, earnest kind of guy that you just can't dislike. The fact that he has silver eyes is a major plus point for me too😋.

The novel focuses more on the plot than romance. The romance is a slow burn but its good❣️

The MC also has a little son. He's a super cute bun🥰. Don't worry though, the wife has already passed away.

Spoiler

His real father disliked him because his wife died giving birth to him and also blamed him for his own mother's (kid's grandmother) death. He didn't ab*se him physically but he also didn't give him any attention and let the poor bun think that he is the cause of their deaths. It's wasn't until the MC appeared that he finally got some real parental love. It gets especially hilarious when the cute bun gets jealous of the ML for MC's attention.

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Almost all the other side characters are also really well written. I have read it till ch 80 and I have found this novel to be totally bingeworthy❤️

If you liked Back to the beginning of Ming to do charity, then you'll definitely love this too. The major difference is the base character of the MCs. The one here being a law enforcer in his previous life and the other one being a scheming person. So you can imagine things turning out differently. <<less

I love this novel so much. The historic details alone is fascinating. The characters were fleshed out so nicely. I feel like I've gone to a journey with Liang Feng and his band of worshippers, lol.

The novel also displayed the impact of modern wisdoms in such an ancient era, to an extent, it justified the continuous victories LF gain when going to war. IMO, this is how modern to ancient kingdom transmigration should be done. Truly an amazing read of a webnovel.

Also, LF and General Yi love story is so... more>> romantic. Though, it's so slow burn I was doubting this novel to be danmei but the romance is beautiful enough to offset the wait. Like, the romance happened after chapter 270ish I think. While General Yi realized his love for LF so much earlier. My God, what a pitiful wolfdog that guy is, lol.

There's also some boring slice of life moments, but I guess it was necessary to pace the novel. Though I kinda like those moments.

Every characters has their own merits and I love the many of them. The son, Liang Rong is such a filial little doll, his wife, the ministers, even some passerby supporting characters is well written. It's a very satisfying read.

A most recommended read. <<less

I was super into it at first because I love history, kingdom building and battles.

The first 50 or so chapters are interesting, MC is cool-headed, a good and clever person, side-characters are likeable and the ML is great, no face-paralysis CEO and nothing between him and MC is forced.

After that it gets really frustrating, MC is just too OP, it's not reasonable how much knowledge he has about random topics, of course all of them useful in ancient China.

... more>> He's also good at manipulating others, blindingly beautiful and what not.

What made me drop it is that it gets really boring when you notice that the kingdom building and military aspects are miniscule, they use a lot of historic characters and events but it's really just a country-wide palace drama.

Party A hates party B, B is a relative of A and seemingly hates party Z, party Z is secretly an ally of B but pretends to be with A.

That's the majority of the story and it's just not my thing, way too much interpersonal drama, no real stakes because MC is OP - there's nothing exciting left for me.

But if you are into this stuff, then definitely check it out! <<less

Did not like the part where MC decided that he should marry and choose a young bride so he could quote, "groom her into his preference". Did not like that at all, also there are quite the misogynistic undertone throughout the story whenever a plotline concerning women comes in place. But the rest is quite likable.

This novel is soo good so far! I'm really enjoying the MC and how he is navigating his new release on life in ancient China coming from the modern world. The ML is also likeable. So far the romance is very slow so don't expect any romance to happen anytime soon between the two. Looks like a slow burner but the plot is very good that you still get enjoyment. Can't wait to read more. Translations are not far right now so I ended up MTL'ing this and I give... more>> it 8.5/10 for readable. Some of the names translated may confuse you at times but it's not so bad that it poses a problem on MTL. Hope the translators continue with this novel anyways as this is already looking to be a novel I would read again and having it fully translated would also be great ^^

Edit 2 after complete: FYI, the romance between the two doesn't really hit until around and after Ch 230 if I remember. I enjoy this novel more for the story and the BL is a plus so if you are here for more of the BL romance, this novel may not be for you as it takes a while to get to that point in the MC and ML relationship. But when they do they are great together ☺️ Solid 4/5 stars.

Edit: I wanted to mention, in the novel they deal with the plague epidemic and as I read this, it's so surreal because we too are dealing with a pandemic at this moment all over the world 😷 really hit me.

Stay safe everyone. <<less

What a masterpiece!. It's rare to get a novel like this, it's undoubtedly one of the pinnacles of writing. The plot is clear, I didn't find any potholes while reading (maybe there were but I wasn't aware). It can be said that this is a lively novel, very realistic.

There are several strong points in this novel:

Of course there are also drawbacks,

But if you can endure these shortcomings, of course this novel is very enjoyable, especially if you like historical genres and power struggles.

Just sat through a 383 chapters of pure bliss and I don't regret a second of it.

While I have nothing on pure idealistic storylines with OP MC, I usually dislike the way the story are progressing bc it's very obvious where the story was going and it turns boring fast. But this, while there's not much plot twist to the ending, I enjoyed every conflict, and word dumps given by the author. It really helps as well that the author would put various notes that would help understand history better.

That... more>> is to say, I would put this as a 8/10 historical novel. 9/10 Politics. 2/10 romance novel.

There's little to no romance in this novel that I've found reviews of people being shocked that this was BL. Not surprising, since there seems to be only 20 chapters of romance overall and even then, it's progressing very slowly.

Spoiler

Some romance starts happening around chapter 200

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That doesn't take away from this being a great novel tho. Just like to remind people that this is more of a historical novel than romance. If you're wondering, the romance between the MC and ML is very sweet. They're both two mature adults that recognise each others responsibility and find solace in one another. <<less

Amazing. Absolutely amazing. I-wow, this is what a modern to history transmigration should be like.

The characters, the plot, and the history were written very well and I definitely learned the dense amount of history of the dynasty.

The novel is really, really well done.

However, I would like to note for readers who only want romance, the romance is a slow burn. The plot is politic heavy and focuses on building a nation. But this just makes the romance much sweeter between the leads because despite having responsibilities, they truly care for... more>> each other.

Ugh, my heart. Considering the extras, I'm glad I'm not the only one shipping historical figures lmao.

The novel is very well written.

10/10

Enjoi and Adieu.

Their love transcends time. Literally soul mates (spoiler). <<less

Amazing novel. The pacing, language, world building, everything about it was so immersing and fascinating. The author definitely knows her History, and you will see many historical figures getting mentioned and popping up one after another, which is so interesting to see. I love the mc's relationship with his retainers a lot. They aren't brain dead worshippers, but they have their own opinions and smarts.

Romance wise, I had originally found the main cp underwhelming, and since I wanted them to focus on the kingdom building aspects of it more, I... more>> was not very into the whole romantic descriptions. However, I ended up really liking them! The ML's growth especially caught me off guard. At the start, he was depicted as a rough soldier, but as you continue you will realise that he is growing as a person along side the MC. They have their ups and downs, especially in an era where their kind of relationship is a stigma (also there were war happening everywhere), but I ended up appreciating how their relationship grew.

The kingdom building part was the reason why I started this novel, and it didn't fail my expectations. It really deserves one of the top spots for this category. At the start it gets a bit heavy with all the different scopes he's trying to focus on, but it gets so much interesting after he had scattered his 'seeds' for planting later on. I'll miss this novel very much. It will stay with me for a long time. <<less

Up to 138 the novel was really interesting. I enjoyed the slow buildup of forces and how he collected talented people like a hobby. It was also nice to see him slowly become more accepting of the fact that he now has a son.

The way the MC treated those around him was nice to see, and it helps that he wasn't attempting to be righteous in his actions by trying to save everyone even if they offended him. Rather, I was happier that he was willing to get rid of... more>> those who threatened his and his people's safety.

My biggest problem with this novel, though is that it felt like a history lesson with a sprinkle of original material. I'm usually a fan of these type of plot intrigue novels but not when it's real historical events. Cause I'll be honest, I skipped over half the details speaking on the drama and histories of XYZ cause I don't care.

Even then I was willing to continue cause I still enjoyed the slow progress and development the MC was making and the character development of him and those around him. However, by the time I got to the secondary translation starting at 139 I pretty much lost all desire to continue.

I'm sorry, this may be rude, but honestly their translations are good for regular plots of face slapping and dogblooded drama and maybe even gaming novels, but with such a heavy emphasis on not only historical characters but also events, this novel needs a lot more attention to detail.

Yet within the first chapter in the new translation names of events, characters and places have already been mixed up. I was just barely able to keep up when the translation was proper, but after 138 it becomes so much more tiring to read so I've decided to drop it because I can't see myself trying to struggle through 200+ more chapters <<less

Why does majority of good writing cn kingdom-building novels BL?!

On another note, after the new translation group took over KnoxT @ Ch. 139, the translation quality dropped. Names, nouns, titles, certain words, grammar are set incorrectly. The translation reminds me of Webnovel where the first 20ish chapters have good translation and the rest just becomes shit. I MTL some of the text and it came out better than what they provided. But for those who don't know Chinese I guess it's passable.

Elegant and tasteful work!

It’s very beautiful novel with complete aspects. There’s transmigration but still maintain the ancient way of writing. There’s war and city building. Moreover, ancient BL that most realistic so far. MC and ML respect each other so much because the difference between positions. Their love is yearning, struggling and long-lasting.

However what I like the most in this novel is not the love story but how the author portray MC through the text. He’s worth to be the king, father and lover. I especially like it when he... more>> teach his son.

(Comparing to ‘Back to Ming to do charity’ which is the same type. This is more serious work with many details e.g. War describtion, politics, history) <<less

Great book for plot not so much for romance, as it is minimal. If you like tons of wars and world building, with sprinkle of romance then you will love this book.

But if you are like me and you need 55% romance and 45% world Building & plot, then I wouldn't recommend it, as it will make you dissatisfied.

One of the best historical BL novels that I've read! There's a lot of history about Ancient China and traditional customs that's really fascinating.

For readers that feel a little icky about any of the MC's decisions/thoughts, please do remember that the MC was originally only 23 or so in his original world, so the MC is very much a baby and not a super mature adult (like 30s/40s). Add on to the fact that it is very difficult to change social norms/customs in a country as big as China, MC... more>> was naturally shackled to the cultural values of the times and could not promote progressive ideas like monogamy and equal education, etc.

Overall, this is a great read, and I really appreciate the interactions between the MC and ML.

P.S. I always feel a lil bittersweet about historical BL novels because more often than not, authors age the characters, so the readers live through the character' entire journey, including old age. Sometimes, I wish the characters can forever remain in their best years and live happily ever after like in fairytales. <<less

MTL up-to chapter 103.

Readability 80%.

Rating 7 out of 10.

... more>> The story was slow paced, MC took his sweet time to implement modern knowledge into feudal society.

However he often made concession to modify it to fit into feudalism, their reason was to make the civilian accept it easily.

I was hoping for a good action in conquering cities in war time, however so far there's only small scale disturbance with no significant growth for the ML. Perhaps because he was younger than MC, he seemed immature and required much attention from MC.

Anyway, for me the talk about military merit reward was boring and kinda redundant considering MC scope of authority currently only applied in his small residence. <<less

I'm logging this book although I didn't finish it because this book is quite good. The premise of the story is that a policeman dies in the line of duty and transmigrates into the past where he then has to deal with the challenges of the time.

Chrysanthemum Garden's translation is top tier. The English translations are natural, with a good flow and the translator provided detailed footnotes. The story is multiple POV, with side characters playing a part (hence the mammoth length).

This is a slow story, about the protagonist's efforts... more>> to make a life for himself in the past and the focus of the narrative is on how he builds a base of power for himself and how he then improves the lives of others. The story is concerned with society (how it runs), leadership and strategy. The hero here builds and runs a community. There is a romance subplot between the general and the protagonist too.

Dropping this as I'm sadly specifically in the mood for a political intrigue novel with lots of drama and angst and not in the mood for other things lol. I might pick this up again. <<less

This is an epic novel with the political sweep of QJJ and the slow burn, realistic romance of Thousand Autumns.

Liang Feng is a policeman killed in the line of duty and ends up in the body of a man with a similar name in the ancient past. Because he is also from an upper tier family of politicians, this helps him navigate being thrown into one of the most violent periods in ancient China. He is intelligent and brave, but also a womanizer; it's implied his parents' marriage disillusioned him.

Yi... more>> Yan is a 17 years old illiterate barbarian s*ave LF saves in the beginning of the novel but like a diamond in the rough. Since both main leads are too busy just trying to survive droughts, multiple wars, a locust plague, political assassinations, and even finding enough money to buy materials. The romance is slow-burn and simmers in the background. They do exchange plenty of admiration for each other's physical charms and abilities throughout the novel so it's not a surprise when they finally get together. The main plot spans almost 20 years and the two main characters are older when they get together.

The cast is huge and contains many real historical figures and the action moves from one region to another. Diplomacy, deception, soldiers, etc are all used in a massive game of literal thrones as the Sima princes all vie for power.

I highly recommend this novel, especially if you like a good long historical romance with a serious plot. The extras are very cute and the author doesn't forget the side characters.

Ps: LF's son and YY fighting over LF's attention is cute! <<less

not finished yet bUT THIS IS EXCELLENT. I love how calm and calculating MC is, in contrast to the endearingly blunt and childish ML. ML is only 17 and rather simpleminded since he was a s*ave but he's so adorable aaaa. MC was already a seasoned policeman before he died and his demeanor actually reflects that! It's refreshing how mature he is about life. Romance is definitely slowburn since MC was a womanizer in his past life and has never seen men that way (rip ML lol) but the focus... more>> is on the plot anyways rather than the romance. The plot is excellent btw, love the constant history lessons and ancient china trivia. You can clearly see that the author did their research from how detailed their paragraphs and notes. The translator deserves credit too for their great translation and footnotes!! Especially impressed by the fact that despite being a YY novel, the world is pretty realistic and reasonably gritty.

bonus points: memorable side characters, moderately realistic settings and characterization <<less

Up until chapter 40 I can say it is a nice story.

If you like political and military danmeis you will absolutely like/love this, the MC is competent but no to a unrealistic point, he’s just intelligent.

the ML is cute kinda possessive AND it’s younger than the MC so it’s a nice change.

so far so good