History professor Ye Fan is unexpectedly transmigrated after cursing Emperor Chongzhen in class, becoming the young emperor's tutor. On the very night Zhu Youjian ascends the throne, he dreams that seventeen years later he will hang himself on Coal Hill! One is a professor with knowledge of the future and a sharp tongue; the other is a despairing emperor terrified of the noose. They hit it off at once. They purge the eunuch faction, seize corrupt officials' wealth, build guns and cannons, and lift the maritime trade ban... Ye Fan takes Chongzhen on a wild ride, transforming the Great Ming into an empire with overflowing granaries and tributary nations flocking to its court. With the seventeen-year deadline drawing near, Ye Fan runs off, leaving behind a note: “Your Majesty, I cut down the tree you were supposed to hang from. Shall we go conquer the stars and seas next?”
