[History, officialdom, top student, imperial examinations, Ming Dynasty]
In the final years of the Wanli reign, Chen Moquan, a poor boy from Jiangnan, honors his father's dying wish and studies hard in the family's Book and Ink Shop. He enters a village school at the age of ten, then unexpectedly inherits an antique family pillow called Guanlan. Sleeping on it grants him knowledge from future generations, making it easy for him to master the classics and the techniques of the imperial examinations.
At thirteen, he takes the county exam ahead of schedule and gets caught up in a cheating scandal. But with his true talent and help from a benefactor, he turns the tables. From then on, he uses the pillow to delve into the classics and build his reputation by helping his neighbors.
During the Tianqi reign, he holds fast to his principles amid factional strife. He overcomes every obstacle in the examinations and becomes a jinshi. Starting as a county magistrate, he cleans up official corruption, solves the crisis in the grain transport system, and strengthens coastal defenses, eventually rising to become a high-ranking provincial official.
With the ancient pillow as his wings and knowledge as his blade, Chen Moquan rises step by step from an orphan of humble origins amid the chaos of the late Ming Dynasty, writing a stirring legend of protecting the nation and turning the tide.
