The Turmoil of Ming Paper Money

During the Yongle reign, the devaluation of paper money plunged the realm into chaos. Lin Yuan, son of a Hanlin Academy scholar, is drawn into a conspiracy over the currency system that could determine the fate of the Great Ming after his father dies under mysterious circumstances. From the strange dealings of the Yufeng Bank to the secret records of Cien Temple, from a deadly chase at the Jubao Gate docks to the Dragon Palace treasure hidden among the reefs of Turtle Island in the Southern Ocean, he struggles to survive amid pursuit by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, rebellious princes, and feuding noble houses, armed with half a jade pendant and a broken imperial seal.

The alluring and calculating Liu Yan, the morally ambiguous Su Mingyue, the bold and dashing Xu Qingyao, and the gentle, clever Jiang Wanqing: these extraordinary women join him on his journey, and affection quietly blossoms amid the maelstrom of power struggles. When the treasure known as “Water Dragon Chant,” left behind by Shen Wansan, comes to light, Lin Yuan discovers that he is descended from the Shen family. And behind the currency crisis lies an astonishing game of chess that has been in motion since the days of Zhu Yuanzhang. Paper money is more than currency: it is the key to controlling the realm.

As the Crown Prince’s ambitions, the Prince of Han’s schemes, and the Song family’s long-hidden plans gradually come to light, can Lin Yuan unlock the secrets of the paper currency and reshape the Great Ming’s financial order? In this tangled world of money and power, how will he protect the people he loves and write his own tale of an underdog’s rise?