Liu Sandao, the son of a butcher, joined the frontier garrison in search of a way to survive. But his streetwise, roguish manner got him tossed into the army's mess hall, where he became the camp's most hated troublemaker. He knew nothing of poetry or books and had no skill in martial arts, but he understood the dark workings of the human heart and was a master of scheming his way to a living.
In the strictly hierarchical northern frontier camp, surrounded by powerful enemies, he used the lowly wisdom of turning people against one another and profiting amid the chaos. Starting from a scheme targeting bandits, he used the pots and ladles of the mess hall as a fulcrum to shift the deadlock at the border. He outwitted Blackwind Stronghold and first showed his mettle, then tread carefully among arrogant commandants, down-and-out strategists, the daughter of a disgraced official, and forces from the martial world.
This is the tale of a warlord's rise, born of kitchens and intrigue. He has no extraordinary talent and no noble patron to favor him. All he has are the cold, practical rules of survival forged in desperate circumstances. How will Liu Sandao use the methods of a streetwise rogue to rise from an insignificant, low-ranking soldier and enter the game of power, stirring the world into turmoil as the empire teeters on the brink of collapse?
Watch as he:
Uses calculation as a blade to cut through the dangers of the human heart;
Uses self-interest as bait to weave a vast military network;
Carves out a place for himself between the court and the martial world.
"The Ruffian" is set in the year of the Bingwu Horse and tells the grassroots legend of Liu Sandao, the son of a butcher, who rose from being a ruffian in the border army. The author's writing is vigorous and vigorous, and he vividly outlines the tense situation at the border and the treacherous people's hearts. The protagonist Liu Sandao is not a traditional hero. His business intelligence is intertwined with ruthless determination, and he survives step by step amid conflicts in the military camp and border conspiracies. The plots are intertwined, from outsmarting Heifeng Village to the secret battle of Yehuji. It not only involves bloody bravery on the battlefield, but also focuses on the game of people's hearts. The supporting characters, such as Zhao Wubing's plan, Sun Ba's jealousy, and Qin Hongyu's hiding, are all full of flesh and blood. The writing style is rough and fierce, the dialogues are vivid and smokey, and the texture of the times can be seen in the details. The hero's road in troubled times starts from the kitchen and opens a journey paved with blood and chance.