On the adobe wall of the toilet in Jingzhou, a scrawled "wealth and honor" graffiti actually ignited the lifelong ambition of Zhang Juzheng, a prodigy from a poor family. As a teenager, he looked at the handwriting that was easily washed away by wind and rain, and made a vow: to hold the strongest authority, to correct the world's atmosphere, so that poor families would no longer be bullied.
From a "child prodigy" who was enlightened at the age of five and mastered the Six Classics at the age of ten, to a Beijing official who became a second-class Jinshi in the 26th year of Jiajing; from a forbearing young man who stayed in the Hanlin Academy to observe politics and witnessed the tragic death of Xia Yan, to the chief minister of the cabinet who teamed up with Feng Bao to overthrow Gao Gong and dominate the government; But this road hides too many unknown struggles: the deep master-disciple relationship with his mentor Xu Jie hides the temptation of power, the friendship with Gao Gong's colleagues eventually becomes a life-and-death game, and the "responsibility of a father-in-law" to Emperor Wanli actually leads to the bane of future liquidation.
He was the prime minister at the time of rescue, and he was also a powerful minister? Is he a reformer with original intentions, or a profit-seeker alienated by power? When Emperor Wanli's thunderous liquidation swept through, the Zhang family was in trouble, and the New Deal disappeared. This man who once stood at the top of the empire's power could not escape the "fate of a reformer" after all - did he achieve the era, or did the era finally swallow him up?
Under the dust of history, it is difficult to judge the merits and demerits. Only the thrilling power game and persistence of ideals still echo in time.
