Zhao Heng, a modern graduate student in history, transmigrated after an accident. When he awoke, he found himself in the Zichen Hall of Bianjing during the Northern Song dynasty, having become the new emperor of the Great Song. Just as he tried to use his knowledge of history to rule this vast empire, he was horrified to discover that this world had long since strayed from the familiar course of history. Invisible “rules” enveloped the court and permeated every street and alley.
“After nightfall, do not remain in the streets for longer than the time it takes an incense stick to burn.” “Do not look directly at the ‘palace attendants’ in the shadows of the palace walls.” “On the third day of each month, offer silk cloth bearing a particular pattern at the Imperial Ancestral Temple.” These eerie rules hung over everyone like swords, their origins unknown, yet all knew the price of breaking them: at best, inexplicable misfortune; at worst, bodily mutation into a mindless, flesh-eating “walking corpse.”
As the Son of Heaven, Zhao Heng must tread carefully through the palace, remember every taboo that could determine his own survival and that of the imperial family, and face the growing panic and social collapse caused by the increasing numbers of “walking corpses” beyond the palace. Meanwhile, the Liao and Western Xia in the north are watching like hawks, repeatedly threatening the borders while the Great Song struggles with internal crises, hoping to seize the increasingly scarce resources needed to survive in a world transformed by the rules.
Upon the dragon throne lies a terrifying tale of rules, every step fraught with danger. Across the vast realm lie the apocalyptic shadows of rampaging zombies and the threat of foreign enemies. Zhao Heng must find a balance between obeying the rules and breaking free of their constraints. Using the wisdom of a modern soul to resist supernatural forces, he must stem the spread of mutation among his people and outmaneuver his foes to repel foreign invasions. In this Northern Song apocalypse, at once familiar and strange, he must carve out a path to survival worthy of an emperor.
