Shen Mo suddenly transmigrates and finds himself a starving refugee beneath the walls of Beiping in the first year of the Yongle reign. He possesses the “Nine Yang Mystic Meridians,” yet can't fill his stomach; he is full of learning, yet can't earn a single copper coin.
He had hoped to use his knowledge of history to live a comfortable life of leisure and perhaps save the Great Ming from its tragic future along the way. But by a twist of fate, he steps straight into the dangerous waters of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
From then on, an unseen hand begins to shape the hidden side of Ming history.
Ji Gang sees him as a grave threat, while Zhu Di makes use of him but keeps him at arm's length. Among his confidantes are royal noblewomen and extraordinary heroines of the martial world. They are both his weakness and his armor.
He improves firearms, reorganizes the intelligence network, and builds the most powerful Embroidered Uniform Guard in history, rising to dominate the court. He tries to change the course of history, only to discover that the tragedy of Tumu Fortress will still unfold and the empire's twilight will still come.
When saving the empire from ruin becomes a distant hope, Shen Mo chooses to retreat behind the scenes and play the pieces himself. Dynasties rise and fall like the tides, but he will be the eternal reef beneath them.
