In the 388th year of the Great Sheng dynasty, the new emperor is still a child, powerful ministers hold sway, and corrupt officials infest the court. The realm is in turmoil, bandits rise everywhere, and foreign powers on the borders eye the land hungrily, often crossing over to burn, kill, and pillage. The people have no food to eat and suffer beyond endurance; they can barely survive. Rebel armies rise up across the land. The court ministers care only about their own interests, fighting for power and profit. Only the virtuous prince takes the initiative and requests permission to lead troops in suppressing the rebellions. But the army is short of soldiers, so they begin recruiting. Finding new recruits grows harder and harder, and before long the whole thing changes... Recruitment turns into forced conscription, and soldiers become cannon fodder.
