Following the Ming

Tebie BaiQidian2008

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Word count: 2.8M words

Summary

Li Meng, a modern veteran non-commissioned officer working for a financial escort company, transmigrates to the fifth year of the Chongzhen era in the Ming dynasty, into the body of a same-named soldier's son in the Xue family's thousand-household garrison at Lingshan Guard in Jiaozhou. To make a living, he boils salt by the sea and traffics in contraband salt, which draws him into conflicts with salt workers and local powers. Relying on modern military training and management experience, Li Meng starts from the illicit salt trade, gradually forms and expands the Jiaozhou Battalion, conducts military drills, improves firearms, and navigates military clashes and political struggles amid the chaos of the late Ming, ultimately changing his own fate and that of his era.

Editor's review

A typical late-Ming transmigration power-struggle novel. Its strength lies in starting from grassroots survival—boiling sea salt and smuggling private salt—before gradually unfolding the building of the Jiaozhou Battalion and the improvement of firearms, with a solid pace and credible detail. Suited to readers who enjoy historical nation-building and military construction; weaknesses include a long early buildup, functional characterization, and a thin romance line.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Fans of historical transmigration novels
Readers of late-Ming power-struggle fiction
Readers who enjoy military construction and firearm research

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer fast-paced power fantasy
Readers who value nuanced romance and character arcs

Reading tips

Read the first few chapters to grasp the protagonist's grassroots setup starting from salt smuggling before entering the military expansion mainline
Pay attention to the background chapters on salt administration and firearms, which help make sense of the plot logic
The book is long; read it in segments and focus on the Jiaozhou Battalion's construction and key battles

About the publisher

Qidian

Qidian is a platform whose catalogue brings together online literature, with about 45,000 titles in the library spanning categories such as male-oriented fiction, Eastern fantasy, xianxia and wuxia, science fiction, selected fiction and quality web novels. Representative titles include Reincarnation Paradise, War Soldier Leon, The Fairy Is Fierce (also known as Tai Mang), The Expert Is Right Beside Me, Dragon Herder, You Should Cross the Mountains Like a Hero, The Adventures of a Clever Girl and Summoning Heroes of All Ages in Another World, with themes extending from fantasy and xianxia to science fiction and adventure. Representative authors available in the library include Na Yi Zhi Wen Zi, Chi Gua Zi Qun Zhong, Guan Guan Gong Zi, Chenxing LL, Luan, Chen Mo De Ai, Piao Yi Dao Zhang and Dong Tian Bu Leng. Their works mostly appear as serialized web fiction aimed at readers who prefer long genre fiction. Public information on its founding background and scale is limited, so no inferences are made here; the description is based solely on the library's titles and categories.

FAQ

Which platform is Following the Ming published on?

It was first serialized on Qidian Chinese Network starting in 2008 and completed in 2009.

To what era does the protagonist transmigrate?

The fifth year of the Chongzhen reign, into the body of a soldier-household youth of the Xue family garrison at Lingshan Guard, Jiaozhou.

Does this book have a romance line?

It focuses on military power struggles and development; the romance line is very light.

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About the author

Tebie Bai Author

Tebie Bai is a Chinese web author known mainly for historical fiction. Public information about him is limited, and details such as his nationality and dates of birth and death are not available. Fifteen of his works are included in the library, with representative titles such as Shun Ming, Jinyi Dangguo, Daming Wufu, and Zhu Ming, most of which are set against the background of the Ming dynasty. His works are commonly categorized as history, historical fiction, alternate history, and male-oriented fiction, with some elements of Eastern fantasy, and they generally emphasize historical narrative and character development. Because biographical information about the author himself is scarce, readers' understanding of his writing style comes mainly from the thematic orientation and narrative approach of these works rather than from his personal experience.