The Splendor of the Ming Dynasty: Zhu Jianshen

Court intrigue + romance + a slow-burn story.

Imprisoned as a youth, he faces death time and again.

The battle for the throne is a fight to the death.

Betrayed by the person he trusts most.

He falls in love with a woman seventeen years older than him.

He empowers eunuchs and establishes the Western Depot.

His campaigns nearly wipe out the Jurchen people.

His legacy is a controversial one.