Time travel + conspiracy + reform + war + Ming Dynasty
Zhu Biao, a graduate student in the Department of History, opened his eyes and became Prince Yiwen of the Ming Dynasty. He was only one year away from the sudden death recorded in history books.
Zhu Yuanzhang summoned him late at night and handed him the "I am here in person" gold medal: "Your second brother is in Shaanxi... Not very peaceful." He was assassinated on the way out of Beijing, and the evidence pointed directly at the King of Qin. Zhu Biao knew that a fork in the road of history had arrived.
He patrolled Shaanxi to capture the king, rectify the official administration, and presented the "Prince's Guard Customs", which caused huge waves in the court. Zhu Yuanzhang overcame all objections and gave full support. The power of the vassal king was locked into a cage, and Zhu Biao officially supervised the country.
However, the national treasury is empty and reforms cannot be carried out without money. Against all odds, he enlisted the female sea merchant Shen Yunshu to open sea trade; improved firearms, trained a new army, and defeated the Mongols in the Hetao; promoted new agricultural methods, and gradually consolidated the world's warehouses.
Hongwu died and Zhu Biao succeeded him, with the reign title "Jianwen". A comprehensive revolution began. During Zheng He's seven voyages to the Western Ocean, his treasure ships traveled thousands of miles; flintlock guns were mass-produced, and the new army was powerful; a whip method was implemented, and silver poured in.
But the reform has entered the deep water zone: the remnants of the vassal kings are counterattacking, the princes are vying for the throne, Confucianism and practical knowledge are competing, and the Portuguese fleet is coming from the east... Zhu Biao is struggling to balance expansion and contraction, ideals and reality.
When the prosperous age he created reached its peak, the elderly Zhu Biao made a surprising decision: to follow the example of Yao and Shun, and to become the crown prince. He wanted to see if the seeds he planted could continue to grow in another style.
This is a lonely and great experiment of reform. This is the story of a time traveler who tries to use his own power to reverse the fate of an empire.
