From the youngest son of a scholarly family in Bianliang to a slave left helpless after his family is destroyed, he relies on his exceptional ability and intelligence to overcome one challenge after another, eventually earning the appreciation of Kublai Khan, founder of the Yuan dynasty. With patience and political cunning, he finds a way through every crisis. Skilled at using Han laws to assist Mongol rule, he works to bring Han and steppe cultures together and protect the classics and traditional arts of the Central Plains. He always puts the people's well-being first, achieving both his political ambitions and a leap across class boundaries.
