Breaking the Deadlock in Dasheng

Modern engineer Shi He transmigrates into a poor scholar in the fictional dynasty of Dasheng. An essay proposing flood-control measures unexpectedly draws him into the imperial court. With powerful enemies pressing in from the north and corruption rife at home, he rejects empty talk and tackles the crisis with practical action. Armed with modern knowledge, he starts in a barren northern county where he has been banished. He makes cement to build sturdy walls, improves farming tools and irrigation, and establishes workshops to boost trade, turning a dead wasteland into the thriving “New Northern Prefecture.” His success threatens the vested interests led by Qian Yong, Vice Minister of Revenue, and attacks both open and covert follow. The Crown Prince recognizes his talent and gives him full support, while the beautiful and mysterious Eldest Princess repeatedly makes overtures to him. As Shi He rises step by step on the strength of his infrastructure projects and becomes a rising star at court, he gradually uncovers the Eldest Princess’s treasonous conspiracy lurking behind her dazzling facade, as well as the profound helplessness behind the old Emperor’s tacit approval of his reforms. The dynasty’s entrenched problems run deep, and the confrontation between the great families of the north and south is on the verge of erupting. Caught between gratitude to those who recognized his talent and loyalty to the dynasty, on one hand, and a revolutionary truth and the promise of a better future, on the other, Shi He holds the technology and the hearts of the people needed to change the era. His choice will determine whether this land finds a new beginning or descends into even greater turmoil.