One Bowl at the Start, a Broken Rope at the End

A massive meteor from beyond the heavens hurtles toward the area outside the Forbidden City, igniting the gunpowder stored at the Wanggongchang Arsenal in Beijing. The resulting chain of explosions brings disaster.

The earth-shaking blast is felt as far away as Nanjing, at the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. A wisp of green smoke rises from the coffin inside the tomb at the southern foot of Zijin Mountain, and Zhu Yuanzhang’s spirit drifts out, accidentally possessing Zhu Shier, Zhu Youjian’s personal eunuch.

From then on, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Youjian investigate the Three Great Cases of the Ming dynasty, the Palace Coup, the Red Pill Case, and the Palace Transfer Case, piece by piece. They crush Wei Zhongxian’s eunuch faction, weaken the Donglin faction, reorganize the army, and implement policies that benefit the people.

Together, they restore the struggling Ming dynasty to strength. Zhu Yuanzhang and Chongzhen, Zhu Youjian, rebuild the Ming dynasty.