In the twenty-ninth year of the Jiajing reign of the Great Ming dynasty (1550), the 42-year-old Altan Khan was waging war in every direction, while the 43-year-old Jiajing Emperor was still cultivating in the Western Garden.
That is where the story begins. Its central theme is patriotism. Even if the court turns against me, I will still love my country.
It is difficult for anyone to accomplish much before the age of thirty. There have been young people who achieved greatness early, but they are few and far between.
Everyone wants to see talented young people shine, so I have invented their stories and even given them magic and special abilities.
Ninety percent of the people in this novel are historical figures, included so they won't be forgotten. But I can't portray good people as bad, or bad people as good, so I have to consult a great deal of historical material.
In 1550, the Great Ming was entering the early phase of the Little Ice Age, and severe droughts struck across the land. This was the timing.
The Great Wall in the north could not keep out the northern nomads, and the southeastern coast could not fend off the wokou pirates. This was the terrain.
The Great Ming had been established for 182 years. The wealthy had spent generations accumulating fortunes, while the poor needed generations to repay their debts. The people of the north suffered from Tatar invasions, while coastal residents endured pirate raids. At this time, rebellious sects of all kinds sprang up across the land. This was the human factor.
The court's institutions continued to function normally. Rewards and punishments may not have been perfectly clear-cut, but procedure was followed to the letter. Many things cannot simply be blamed on one person's inaction, such as that of the Jiajing Emperor.
The Great Ming must carry on, no matter how many hardships it faces. We have no savior god to come to our aid, so we can only fight back with all our might!
