Shen Qingshu transmigrates as the unloved third son of the Prince of Shu. With his mother dead and his brothers bullying him, he faces a difficult life.
He awakens the Civilization Evolution System and sparks change by improving farming tools, building his livelihood through agriculture.
The curved-plow design is unveiled, shaking the prince's residence; the Dujiangyan irrigation system is completed, bringing him fame across the land.
He advances cautiously, secretly building his strength, until he earns his father's trust and gains autonomy over his fief.
The Empress grows wary of his achievements and summons him to the capital as a hostage, setting off a storm of political intrigue.
He poses as a carefree man of letters to escape trouble, but is exposed and forced to serve as a Hanlin Academician.
When the Nanman invade and his father is badly wounded, he knocks on the palace gates by night, pledging loyalty in exchange for military authority.
He returns to Shu with steel-armored troops, repels foreign threats, quells internal unrest, and gradually secures his foundations.
Industry and commerce flourish, steam engines roar, and an industrial empire quietly rises.
With the Empress weakened and the feudal lords in rebellion, the realm stands on the brink of collapse. He leads his iron army east.
He takes the throne through abdication, founds the New Sheng dynasty, and ushers in a glorious age upon which the sun never sets.
