Zhao Yan, a modern history buff, unexpectedly transmigrates into the body of Song Jiang, the doomed man who writes a rebellious poem at Xunyang Tower. Regretting the fate of the heroes of Water Margin and understanding the chaos at the end of the Northern Song, he resolves to change his destiny. He will no longer be the “Timely Rain” who longs for imperial amnesty and ends up abandoned by all. Instead, he will make Liangshan his base, gather the courage of all 108 heroes, and conquer the world.
First, he breaks the court's siege, then gathers rebel forces from across the land. He alternates between fighting Fang La and joining forces with him, ultimately uniting the South through sheer force. Then he leads a northern campaign, recovering the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun and shattering the Liao Dynasty's century-long supremacy. He strikes west against Western Xia and conquers Dali in the south, bringing the snowy highlands and the lands of Jiangnan into his domain. Turning east, he crushes the rising Jurchen and marches on Goryeo, forcing it to submit. He also sends a fleet across the sea to establish a permanent foothold in Japan and project his power across the East China Sea. Advancing south into Southeast Asia, he brings countries such as Zhenla and Champa into the tributary system, forging a vast empire spanning East and Southeast Asia.
From Liangshan bandit to founding emperor, Zhao Yan, once known as Song Jiang, ends the corrupt rule of the Northern Song with an iron fist and establishes the Great Liang Dynasty. He renames the era Tiansheng and ushers in a whole new age of prosperity for China. This is an epic of political intrigue, war, loyalty, and betrayal. See how Song Jiang, reborn into a new life, turns the tide and writes a different kind of heroic legend.
