In the twenty-fifth year of Wanli, the Ming Dynasty was prosperous on the surface, but there were turbulent undercurrents underneath.
In the Forbidden City, the struggle over the country's origins pitted the emperor and the civil servants against each other; above the court, the chief minister's power was divided between the ruling and opposition parties, and party strife began to emerge; in the far northwest, the Mongolian cavalry repeatedly violated the border; and on the southeast coast, the ships of Western colonists have begun to show their fangs...
The story begins with a bizarre theft of a "glazed lamp". This rare treasure, which symbolizes imperial power and auspiciousness, was implicated in a border murder case. Xiaoqi Lingyun, a young Jin Yiwei, was ordered to investigate the case. In the process of pursuing the truth, he met Su Lan, a medical girl who was proficient in Western learning but whose life experience was a mystery. He also reunited with his former classmate Xu Guan, an editor of the Hanlin Academy who is now deeply involved in party disputes.
From the turbulent capital city, to the war-torn Korean battlefield, to the Jiangnan City Boss Company with hidden murderous intentions, the fates of the three young people are closely intertwined because of this glass. They gradually uncover a huge conspiracy that can overthrow the dynasty, and make difficult choices between loyalty and betrayal, faith and love.
This is a magnificent picture depicting the transformation of the Ming Dynasty from prosperity to decline. It is also a heroic epic about ideals, protection and redemption.
