I Only Want to Be King

In late Qing Guangdong, the life of Zhu Hongyuan, the second son of a wealthy merchant, took a strange turn when he was fifteen: fragments of memories from another age began surfacing in his mind. He quietly absorbed this "revelation," and a year later, with astonishing foresight, persuaded his father, who had extensive dealings with the West, to set sail for Europe.

Ten years of hardship transformed the young man into a shipowner who roamed the seas. From sailing out alone to commanding a fleet of five merchant ships, Zhu Hongyuan drew strength from Europe's raging storms, and his vision had long since transcended the limits of his age. In 1816, news that his father was gravely ill summoned him back to his homeland. As his father watched from his deathbed, he divided the family estate with his brothers and fulfilled his duty as the second son of the Zhu family.

After completing the mourning period, he married his childhood sweetheart and welcomed a son. Yet that distant, mysterious continent, Africa, remained the promised land that haunted his dreams. The modern memories deeply rooted in his heart and the maritime power he had built over the years pointed toward one grand dream. Entrusting his infant son and family estate to others, Zhu Hongyuan once again assembled his fleet and resolutely sailed toward the next stop on his destiny: Africa.

In early 1820, his fleet reached the scorching southern coast of Tanzania. On this land of turbulent winds, where colonial powers were quietly extending their reach, how would an Eastern sea king with knowledge ahead of his time use his wisdom, wealth, and courage to carve out an age of legend among Africa's wild plains and shores? What sparks would his dream ignite on this ancient continent? An epic adventure spanning three continents was about to begin.