The Ming Dynasty's Peerless Prince

In the fifth year of the Tianqi reign of tomorrow's Ming dynasty, Emperor Xizong Zhu Youxiao sat alone in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, weeping over the nation's dire straits.

"If the Ming dynasty is in peril, go to Three Changes Cave on Dragon-Tiger Mountain and seek King Huang!" Suddenly, a fierce wind swept through. The portrait of Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang split open, revealing a written edict inside.

And so began the legend of the Ming dynasty's prince who stood shoulder to shoulder with the emperor...

Hong Tian helped Zhu Yuanzhang seize Chuzhou, secure Jiqing, defeat Chen Youliang at Lake Poyang, and drive the Mongol Yuan forces to Lake Buyur... He laid the foundation of the Ming dynasty single-handedly, then withdrew from the world to seek immortality. With no way to repay him, Zhu Yuanzhang secretly bestowed upon him the title of Prince Who Stands Shoulder to Shoulder with the Emperor: King Huang.

He also concealed Hong Tian's achievements within the dynasty's foundations, in gratitude for his great kindness. Hong Tian should have become emperor, but he also mastered the Three Changes and excelled especially in the Way of Fire, so he was named King Huang. Huang means radiance, which is why the dynasty was given the name Great Ming. The reign title was Hongwu, Jiqing was renamed Yingtian, and the Hall of Heavenly Veneration was established, all in honor of his name.

This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.