Dream of the Red Chamber: I Shall Rule the Realm

The illegitimate son Jia Heng is driven out of the Rongguo Mansion. Through military merit, he rises from a low-ranking officer to the Marquis of Dingbei, only to uncover a shocking plot by the Rong Mansion to ally with the Retired Emperor and restore his rule. Princess Ning'an is ordered to assist with salt administration, and the two meet at a salt field in Yangzhou, where a bowl of corn porridge brings them together. He leads iron cavalry to storm the Tatar royal camp, while she wields the imperial seal to root out century-old abuses. He opens maritime trade and brings in fine crops from the West; she establishes schools for women and teaches the people to farm and weave. From the windswept northern frontier to the misty rains of Jiangnan, this legendary couple, mighty enough to secure the realm by arms and save the world through learning, lay the foundations of a flourishing Ming dynasty with the people’s very lives as their bedrock. Atop Mount Zhongnan, the twin stars fall and return to the clouds. Only the Records of the Nation’s Founding remains, declaring: “This was no achievement of kings, nobles, ministers, or generals, but a blessing for the people and the realm.”