Chronicles of the Song Dynasty Sword Heroes

In the seventh year of the Jiayou era of the Great Song, the forty-first year of Emperor Renzong Zhao Zhen’s reign, a major event shook the entire nation.

What happened?

Bao Zheng, courtesy name Xiren, the Great Song’s pillar of state, Grand Academician of the Dragon Diagram Pavilion, and Prefect of Kaifeng, was regarded by people throughout the realm as an incorruptible judge. Lord Bao had died!

Throughout his life, Lord Bao was honest and upright, steadfast and impartial, fearless in the face of power, indifferent to wealth, loyal to his sovereign and country, and loving toward the people as if they were his own children. He answered to his ruler above and to the common people below, and was truly “a white jade pillar holding up the sky, a purple-gold beam spanning the sea” for the Great Song!

That said, although Lord Bao earned the respect of many, he also made plenty of enemies. Corrupt officials, treacherous courtiers, and petty villains in particular hated him to the core.

Lord Bao’s death threw the court into turmoil, while the martial world was swept up in even greater upheaval...