The Ming Dynasty’s Crisis

In the final years of the Yongle reign of the Great Ming, the tribes of the northern grasslands invade again. The old emperor, Zhu Di, personally leads another campaign but fails to eliminate the enemy’s main forces. Meanwhile, Esiku, the great khan of the grasslands, pays lip service to the Ming while secretly joining forces with Chen Youliang’s descendants to build up their strength. Their aim is to unite the tribes and invade the Central Plains once more. With foreign enemies at the gates, the old emperor still cannot make up his mind about the succession, driving the struggle between the Crown Prince and the Prince of Han for the throne ever fiercer. The martial arts factions under each side are drawn into the conflict as well. With internal and external crises mounting, Yang Rong, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, and others set an astonishing plot in motion to resolve the dangers facing the imperial palace, the court, the martial world, and the grasslands all at once. The slightest misstep could plunge the Great Ming into irretrievable ruin!