Reborn as Ying Ziye, the overlooked Eighteenth Prince, whose mother died young, he must tread carefully in the palace. An unexpected "food strategy" wins him the dependence of his little brother Hu Hai, creating their first adorable contrast.
He uses improved papermaking and movable-type printing as his calling cards, presenting them as skills imparted by an immortal in a dream to the First Emperor. The key is to make the technical details of the improvements and the clash with ancient ingenuity both compelling and entertaining.
Under the pretext of compiling an "Encyclopedia of the Great Qin," he recruits frustrated scholars from the Hundred Schools, including Mohists and Agrarians, and establishes the first secret base, the Workshop of Heavenly Craft. A romance could begin with a spirited Mohist female disciple or a sharp-witted palace maid.
He promotes new farming tools and blast-furnace ironmaking, cleverly crediting the achievements to the First Emperor and Li Si, while keeping out of the limelight to gain real benefits and prestige. The focus is on the reactions and power struggles among the factions at court.
Using a newspaper "circulated throughout the realm" as a cover, he builds an information network spanning the major commanderies and counties. His covert clashes with Zhao Gao and Li Si grow more frequent, creating tense yet humorous battles of wits.
Amid the treacherous palace struggles, he and the heroine face trials of life and death. Their feelings grow from mutual use to genuine affection, delicately portraying the struggle between power and true love.
