In the seventeenth year of the Zhenyuan era, 801, Emperor Dezong is in his final years, and undercurrents churn through the government. The eunuch faction uses “palace markets” as a pretext to amass wealth and wield power, while command of the Shence Army has fallen into eunuch hands. The three military governors of Hebei rule as independent powers: they pay lip service to the court while secretly forging weapons and colluding with foreign enemies. Grain shipments along the Jiangnan canal repeatedly go awry, with frequent reports of sunken grain boats and rumors among the people of “water ghosts claiming lives.” Conflict between the court and the provinces, and the struggle between justice and corruption.
