When I opened my eyes, I had become Xiao Jingheng, the seventh prince of the Great Zhou dynasty, banished from the capital. In my previous life, I was a professor of history, well versed in the classics, but I never expected to transmigrate into the Records of Great Zhou, a book I had annotated myself. Right now, this body is lying on a hard bed at a post station in Qingzhou. The cold winds of the northern frontier howl outside, while the court looks on with cold indifference. Great Zhou seems peaceful on the surface, but the borders are constantly under threat, the imperial clan is locked in endless infighting, floods plague Jiangnan year after year, and the people starve in droves. After the late emperor died, the Crown Prince ascended the throne. I was banished a thousand miles away for offending the powerful minister Pei Yuanzhao. Officially, it was a chance to gain experience; in truth, it was exile. But I know that ten years from now, the realm will descend into chaos and the warlords will carve it up, while I am supposed to die in a winter snowstorm. Now that I’ve been given another life, I’ll start here in Qingzhou, proceed one step at a time, recruit worthy talent, train a new army, promote agriculture and commerce, and quietly lay out my plans. I won’t just survive this endgame. I’ll turn it around and claim the throne. With the realm as my chessboard and my life as the stake, this time, I will rule the world.
