Zhu Linlang wakes from a dream to find himself Emperor Jianwen of the Ming dynasty, Zhu Yunwen. His fourth uncle, Prince of Yan Zhu Di, watches him like a hawk; the court's civil officials are greedy and corrupt; and the northern Oirat are poised to strike. He knows how the Jingnan Campaign ends in the history books: the imperial palace goes up in flames, and his fate remains unknown.
But this time, armed with a modern outlook, he is determined to defy fate and change history.
At court, he appears to heed the advice of Qi Tai, Huang Zicheng, and the other leading advocates of reducing the power of the vassal princes. In secret, however, he makes far-reaching plans. He uses the Embroidered Uniform Guard to gather evidence of the princes' crimes, turning the tables and taking the initiative. At the same time, he uses family ties to send Zhu Di letter after letter, ostensibly asking for advice on governing the realm, but really testing and disarming him, acting out a grand political drama of uncle and nephew bound by deep affection.
Beyond the borders, he prepares for trouble, secretly developing firearms and fortifying the northern defenses. He must guard against the princes' cavalry as well as the foreign Oirat.
Faced with a deeply entrenched system of corruption among civil officials, he cleverly sets one scheme within another, turning his opponents against each other. He keeps the corrupt scholar-officials and the vassal princes in check, gradually drawing the powers of the economy and military into his own hands.
Watch Zhu Linlang use modern wisdom to break through a historical deadlock, walking a tightrope between curbing the princes and maintaining stability, reform and conservatism, until he succeeds in reducing their power and ushers in a prosperous Ming dynasty, with all lands submitting and every state sending tribute!
