• Soul Reborn: After the Yongle Emperor Zhu Di died in 1424, his soul transmigrated across more than four centuries and possessed the 18-year-old Guangxu Emperor in 1879, the fifth year of the Guangxu reign. He now faces the late Qing dynasty's crises at home and abroad.
• First Show of Strength: Using Guangxu's body, Zhu Di displays a forceful style unlike anything the court has seen before. He intimidates Cixi with his military strategy and begins building his own network of power.
• Building His Faction: Zhu Di secretly summons Beiyang Fleet officers and draws on his maritime experience from the Yongle era to advise them on naval development. He also promotes sidelined Han officials and assembles his own think tank.
• Culture Clash: Confronted with the vast gulf between modern technology and ancient understanding, Zhu Di eagerly studies 19th-century politics, military affairs, and technology with the help of ministers such as Zhang Zhidong.
• Power Struggles: Zhu Di yields on the surface while advancing behind the scenes. He places trusted allies in the Grand Council, uses the eunuch Li Lianying to pass along false intelligence, and begins weaving a vast web of power.
This story focuses on the shock of Zhu Di's soul transmigrating into Guangxu's body, and on how he quickly adapts to his new identity and begins laying plans to seize power. Through Zhu Di's eyes, it reveals the corruption of the late Qing court and the ambition of this iron-fisted emperor, determined to change the course of history.
