Night Emperor
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Summary
Set during the Wanli era of the Ming dynasty, the story follows Ye Xiaotian, a lowly jailer in the Six Doors’ Xuan No. 1 Prison, a post inherited from his ancestors. He had intended to live a quiet life holding on to his iron rice bowl. But Yang Lin, an official awaiting execution, casts a blood-and-life curse on him, entrusting him with a family letter to be delivered to Guizhou. To keep his promise—and to earn the reward—Ye Xiaotian leaves the capital and heads west. On the way, he is swept into the Yang family’s internal strife and a whirlwind of pursuit, and eventually arrives in Hu County, Guizhou, with Xue Shuiwu and others.
In Hu County, he assumes the identity of the county’s assistant magistrate and contends with local tyrants and the county vice-magistrate. Through a series of seemingly trivial lawsuits, he gradually wins popular support and a reputation, and is step by step drawn into the complex game of Ming officialdom and the southwestern native chieftain system. Over time he acquires a string of nicknames: the Mad Assistant Magistrate, the Donkey Judge, and finally the Night Emperor. Told from the perspective of a minor figure and driven by street-smart wit, the novel weaves Ming institutions, the native chieftain system, local customs, and official intrigue into a vivid and emotionally charged legend. It depicts both the daily life of scholars and beauties and the clash of blades in political maneuvering. By turns humorous and perilous, with a lively narrative voice, it is one of Yue Guan’s most representative works after Returning to the Ming Dynasty to Be a Prince. In 2018, a web series of the same name, for which Yue Guan himself served as screenwriter, was broadcast, bringing the original novel a wider readership.
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- 喜欢明代背景、偏好官场权谋与市井智慧的历史小说读者
- 读过《回到明朝当王爷》，想继续追月关风格的老读者
- 看过2018年同名网剧、希望回到原著补齐删改情节的观众
- 做网络文学研究、想了解男频历史文类型套路的读者
Not a good fit for
- 不接受多女感情线、希望严格单女主或无感情戏的读者
- 偏好短篇轻阅读、对百万字级长篇耐心有限的读者
- 期待严格史实考据型历史正剧、排斥架空与戏说的读者
Reading tips
- 先读第一卷《西行之始》，把它当独立小故事看，判断是否喜欢叶小天的语感和行事逻辑。
- 按实体版十卷推进，每卷结束稍作停顿，别把三百余万字当成一次通读任务。
- 随手记下明代典史、土司、卫所等制度名词，读进去了会发现权谋逻辑其实非常清晰。
- 读完全书后可看同名网剧对照，注意剧中由作者亲自改编时删掉与保留的线索。
About the publisher
Shandong Publishing House of Literature and Art is a professional publisher focused on literature and art, with publications spanning foreign literature, classical literature, Western philosophy, and social sciences. Judging from the books in the database, it offers foreign classics such as The Brothers Karamazov, The Count of Monte Cristo, and Resurrection, classical Chinese literature including Dream of the Red Chamber: Complete in 2 Volumes, and Japanese literary works by Yasunari Kawabata such as Snow Country, The Old Capital, and Thousand Cranes. Its translator resources include Geng Jizhi and Zhou Kexi, while its author resources cover Chinese and foreign masters such as Cao Xueqin, Dostoevsky, Dumas, and Leo Tolstoy. In terms of publishing features, the house emphasizes the translation and popularization of classic works, balancing academic value and readability. Public information is limited; the above introduction is based mainly on the publishing directions reflected in the books in the database.
Contents
- Volume One: The Journey West Begins
- Volume Two: Seventy-Two Transformations
- Volume Three: Twists and Turns
- Volume Four: Triumph in Jinling
- Volume Five: A Contest of Wits
- Volume Six: Blocking Left and Striking Right
- Volume Seven: The True Coronation
- Volume Eight: The Path of a King
- Volume Nine: Stealing Heaven and Swapping Days
- Volume Ten: Ye Lang, Son of Heaven
FAQ
《夜天子》是穿越小说吗？
全书大概多少字，实体版有几册？
需要读过《回到明朝当王爷》才能看吗？
和同名网剧的差别大吗？
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