After reading some CN kingdom building novels, I realized that authors like to use someone from privileged class as the main character like wealthy landlord, high-ranked soldier, royalty, noble, etc. Maybe it's because it would be easier to arrange the plot or something, but I remember that peasant uprising is a thing right? Why is it so hard find CN kingdom building novel that use farmer as the main character? Or maybe it's buried because no one read them. If any of you try to write kingdom building novel, what kind of main character would you make? and how do you arrange them to conquer the land?
A rebellion plot could be exciting, but for it to succeed, the times would need to be troubled. That would tend to a serious tone to match the serious setting. I would probably pick someone from towards the bottom of the privileged class. Since I like the premodern setting with supernatural elements, I'm not in the mood to overturn it. I would use engineering & other modern knowledge to try to out produce. my opponents.
There is something authors don't want. Wasting time on thinking how to launch an MC from farmer boy across the class divide to ruler(noble) reach. Nobody really wants to do it. What's it really like when an author pulls an MC of "humble" origins? 1. Its a funny little footnote long after they spent offscreen time on reaching a completely different level of status in a society with royalty. 2. It was speedrun with a cheat. It can be pulling a sword from a stone, rubbing out a wish granting genie from a lamp, marrying a princess, becoming the top isekai boss after killing a demon king or whatever and assuming rulership,........ 3. They were in disguise so well, sometimes they didn't know it. Angelic beauty was actually a lost princess?! Noo~ What? Noo~. 4. A resourceful mentor went fake it til you make it on them. Somehow it works. Merlin with Arthur (you can call it legit, but the kid was railroaded into it as well), Tizzy/Tisdale made it so "coincidentally" the protag was "Orcus". I honestly liked how it went in SC-SC2. James Raynor gets the idea to be a rebel with a cause(even if Jimmy can't keep his cause straigth like a drunk can't follow the straight line) from Arcturus Mengsk and is rebelling against his former boss, succeeds and in doing so shifts all ruling responsibility onto his very capable second(Matt) in command + Mengsk's kid (Valerian). That's a character starting out from space boonies, was military, criminal, rebel twice over, and while he had a good heart, made it through all the scraps and wars, kept his men together, he had neither ability nor desire to rule squat. At least he was good on delegation and making capable people take over at the end. Because you know how it looks when you just play SC1, BroodWar expansion, then go to SC2? Mengsk is introduced as Sons of Korhal liaison, turns out to be leader as you play through campaigns, and declares himself Emperor of newly made Dominion after toppling the old Confederacy regime. I had no idea for quite a time Mengsk was from fallen nobility, was actually regaining said status and then some, and that's it. I can't recall a single peasant kid solidly taking over onscreen an area and people, and managing all that. You could say Hataraku Maou Sama has that, but its honestly just Maou's backstory. We see some flashbacks and that's it. If you go through fics, you'll notice a trend. 90% StarCraft self inserts/original charas are Zerg or Protoss, isekai is family of status (merchant, low to high noble, chief family,.... never just peasants), Dragonball protags are Saiyan or gods or of Freeza's race,....... Lot of authors don't wanna bother with ordinary humans. They'll take damn goblins over that. Either with a racial gimmick (like Pokemon style evolutions in that trash light novel. Protag was called Rou) or just to show how miserable it is being a goblin (Goblin Kingdom? Still evolutions, but a lot slower last I checked). Goblin Slayer shows everything post Batman style training titular GS went through and well after he is famous and wealthy enough to have all his fancy items (the scrolls, complete equipment set with spares besides helmet,.....). Magi (manga) could have gone this way. Except Alibaba didn't want to rule even his birthright of Balbadd. He is a great guy, but while he participates in others kingdom building as a helper sometimes, until the very end he doesn't rule.
There are several like that. From orphans, librarians to farmers. The reason why there’s so many noble beginnings. Is because among many is the resources, background and ability. A commoner with the knowledge of how to make soap will be laugh at. While a noble will be given the benefit of the doubt because nobles are seen as educated and powerful. Being able to build Bessemer plant from a commoner would take years if not decades. While a noble could start building one that day. Don’t get me wrong. I love the build up, but sometimes the pace can be nerve racking. The opposite is true too. Time skipping is a cheap and underhanded trick. That usually ruins a novel. But hey what do I know https://www.novelhall.com/code-zulu-alpha-nerd-in-the-apocalypse-10650/
Time skipping can be done well, or even great. Its time travel that ruins everything touching upon it.
You're basically looking for historical novels and historical novels rarely get translated on NU. I haven't really looked into this kind of book specifically, but I'm sure there are tons out there that would meet your requirements. Alternatively, you can check out Chinese television where these stories are not all that uncommon. The most popular peasant rebel I can think of are Liu Bang, Zhu Yuanzhang, and Mao Zedong. Obviously these are real people so their stories aren't going to cater to power fantasy, but that's sort of what you're asking for.