In the twenty-ninth year of the Jiajing reign, mechanical engineering doctorate Chen Yuan transmigrates into the son of a craftsman, opening his eyes to the desperate scene of Japanese pirates massacring a village.
Bound to the Industrial Value System, he builds a flintlock in three days and turns the tables on the enemy. But for his “frivolous and ingenious contraptions,” Xu Jie impeaches him in open court: “This boy must be eliminated, or he will throw the court into chaos!”
A history of black-tech domination:
Seven days to defy heaven: A water-powered spinning machine transforms Jiangnan’s textile industry, while cement roads stretch straight to the northern frontier. Before the Confucian traditionalists have finished cursing, the silver in the national treasury has already tripled.
Steam fever: Ironclad warships crush the Portuguese galleons. In the Battle of Malacca, the Ming dragon banner flies across the Southern Seas. Yan Shifan clutches a stolen gunpowder formula and laughs maniacally: “With this divine weapon, the Yan faction will last forever!” He has no idea that explosives made with impure ingredients have already been buried beneath the Yan residence.
A leap in civilization: While the Jiajing Emperor is absorbed in the Golden Elixir Path, Chen Yuan’s academy of science and engineering has already lit electric lamps. Wang Yangming’s disciples clutch A New Interpretation of Investigating Things and Extending Knowledge, crying out in trembling voices: “This is the concrete manifestation of the School of Mind!”
When the poison-fire bombs of Jurchen shamans burn down the Liaodong defenses, and descendants of the Jianwen Emperor plot a restoration by telegraph, Chen Yuan holds the Heavenly Art Compendium and raises the first arc lamp in the Fengtian Hall. “Your Majesty, it is time for Newton’s laws to forge this Ming throne!”
