Elegance of a Great House

Elegance of a Great House is a historical time-travel novel by Fu Tian, serialized on Qidian.com starting in 2009. The book runs about 3.37 million characters; after completion, Yuanfang Press published a print edition under the "Fantasy Realm Series" label. At the start, Fang Jie, a modern man, dies by accident and is reborn in the Zhang family, a prominent Kaifeng house of the Yongle era of the Ming dynasty, as Zhang Yue, an overlooked youth of the third branch and a collateral nephew of Duke of Ying Zhang Fu. At that time the aftershocks of the Jingnan Campaign have not yet faded, Zheng He's treasure ships are setting sail, the Zhang family is already a distinguished house of merit, and yet the third branch is suppressed everywhere within the clan. Zhang Yue has no system and no portable space; all he can rely on is a modern man's vision and a smattering of historical knowledge. He stands out in the clan school, responds coolly to floods, goes to the capital as a commoner and advances step by step, earning degrees and entering officialdom. Thereafter he serves in local posts and governs civil affairs, takes part in great events such as the move of the capital, the northern campaigns, and the suppression of the White Lotus sect and the rebellion of Prince Han Zhu Gaoxu; he opens the sea ban, promotes maritime trade, and suppresses Japanese pirates; with the Yongle Emperor, the Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi, and the Imperial Grandson Zhu Zhanji he is both minister and friend. The book unfolds along three threads—court maneuvering, the rise and fall of the family, and the life of the common streets—and meticulously depicts the ritual hierarchy, the examination system, and the food, clothing, and daily life of the Ming at its height; female figures such as Du Wan and Princess of Chenliu Zhu Ning are also vividly drawn. The story ends with Zhang Yue retiring after success and drifting on the rivers and lakes with his wife and children; its scope does not seek kingship or domination but excels in the steady growth and sense of duty to family and country of a scion of a great house.