The protagonist transmigrates to the late Northern Song dynasty, starting out in a village in Huangzhou, on the western route of Huainan. Struggling to survive at the bottom, he uses modern knowledge to improve farming and irrigation, gets caught up in the forced labor of the “Flower and Stone Gang,” and begins building his wealth from scratch. His path through the imperial examinations is fraught with hardship. He debates Li Gang and plants the seeds of reform. In Bianjing, he designs “Green Sprouts Law 2.0” and takes part in flood control on the Yellow River, but is hunted after exposing corruption. In military affairs, he improves the Shenbi crossbow, trains heavy cavalry, and proposes a “joint land-and-water warfare” strategy. During the Jingkang Disaster, he forms the “Eight Character Army,” fights the Jin forces in a bloody battle, rescues Princess Roufu, and falls in love with her as they flee south. Later, he proclaims himself emperor in Xiangyang, issues new policies, establishes a military academy, and implements the “Horse Preservation Law,” entering fierce military and economic competition with the Jin and Western Xia. During the Shaoxing era, he launches a northern campaign against the Jin, allies with the Mongols to destroy them, conquers Western Xia, and advances political reform. He convenes the Lin’an Assembly to establish a new system, improves printing technology, and rebuilds academies. In the end, he creates a very different Song dynasty.
