Zhu Zhanji, a food delivery rider in a modern city, is deeply fascinated by Ming history and especially longs for the eventful life of the Imperial Grandson. One day, during a break between deliveries, he complains about his life and how different it is from the Imperial Grandson's life in a drama. He is then unexpectedly involved in a car accident. When he opens his eyes again, he has transmigrated into a newborn in the Prince of Yan's household: the future Xuande Emperor, Zhu Zhanji.
From a warm swaddling blanket to the courtyards of the prince's mansion, Zhu Zhanji begins his life anew in the Ming dynasty with a modern soul. From an early age, he displays extraordinary intelligence and wins the affection of his grandfather, Zhu Di, who personally teaches him both scholarship and military strategy. At age three, a sign-in System activates in his mind. Each daily sign-in brings him a powerful skill, and his very first reward is the Golden Bell Shield and Iron Shirt. From then on, he trains tirelessly in the mansion's practice yard, progressing from enduring blows with wooden sticks to withstanding iron rods. A martial arts master also guides him in incorporating his protective techniques into his fighting style, making him a celebrated young prodigy in Beiping.
In the first year of Jianwen, the Jianwen Emperor strips the princes of their power and drives Prince Xiang to his death. Zhu Di pretends to be mad to protect himself, and although Zhu Zhanji is young, he understands the art of concealing his intentions. The following year, the Jingnan Campaign breaks out. Zhu Di leads his army south, and Zhu Zhanji accompanies him, gaining experience and witnessing the clash of arms. In the fourth year of Jianwen, the Yan army captures the capital. Zhu Zhanji enters the Nanjing imperial palace with his father, Zhu Gaochi. Under Zhu Di's careful guidance, he studies the classics and statecraft every day, using his modern way of thinking and the System to make an early impression amid the turbulent court. He must not only inherit the Ming empire, but also use the System to rewrite history and forge a legendary era of his own.
