Dragon Guard Decree: Building an Empire Where the Sun Never Sets at Seven

When Nanjing falls, the bloodline of Jianwen is reduced to wandering, exiled souls. Lin Zhou’s soul enters Zhu Wenkui, who carries the Dragon-Guarding Decree and sets sail from the depths of despair, leading the remnants of his forces into the wilds of Boni. He makes camp among the coconut groves and turns the fragrance of soap into gold, using his knowledge of chemistry to overcome the struggle for survival. He forges blades with gunpowder and sends great ships through the waves, gathering sparks across the seas with his foresight. The former emperor Zhu Yunwen is both a shackle and a banner. Fang Xiaoru’s descendants return in tears and pledge their loyalty, while Zheng He’s treasure ships arrive bearing the mandate of Heaven. When the exiled prince raises an indigo dragon banner over the South China Sea, when corn and sweet potatoes transform China’s food supply, and when iron rails and steam shatter the old agrarian dream, a restoration that began in exile becomes a storm sweeping across the world. From camps in Borneo to the Hall of Heavenly Favor in Nanjing, from pirate lairs to vassal states on the New Continent, he gathers strength under the Dragon-Guarding Decree, breaks through with the blade of technology, and secures his reign through a policy of enfeoffment. As the embers of history die away and a new sun rises, witness how the heirs of Jianwen rebuild the world beyond the oceans, spreading China’s dragon banner across the seven seas and five continents.