A Ming Dynasty Legend

This novel portrays Yu Qian, a celebrated national hero in Chinese history. As a youth, he was hailed as the "minister who could save the times." As a middle-aged official governing the provinces, he was known as "Yu the Just." He defended Beijing as "Minister Yu," and after his death he was honored alongside Yue Fei as one of the two young guardians of the empire, "Yue and Yu." Yu Qian was an illustrious official for the ages, one of the "Three Heroes of West Lake" alongside Yue Fei and Zhang Huangyan.

The story begins in 1398, introducing the events unfolding at court before Yu Qian's birth and leading up to the hero said to be "capable of preserving the Ming dynasty's foundations for two hundred years." It follows Yu Qian's life in detail, from his birth in 1398 to his death in 1457, while reimagining and developing its protagonist. Through this retelling, the author strives to make the characters more fully realized, the events more dramatic, and the story more compelling.