In the first year of Qianlong's reign, the Forbidden City was undergoing major repairs, the Tailing Mausoleum of the late emperor was about to be completed, and all the world's famous craftsmen were admitted to the capital.
Lu Mo, a descendant of a long-established woodworking family in Suzhou, possesses the unique skills passed down from his ancestors. He has a seamless mortise-and-tenon joint, can turn wood into a tool, and can hide secrets in his heart. He originally wanted to live a stable life guarding a wooden workshop, but was forced into the palace by an imperial edict and became a humble craftsman in the Construction Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The red walls are tall and the rules are like knives.
The golden nan is used by the emperor, and every inch of wood is a matter of life and death; the mortise and tenon joints hide power and conspiracy, and if one mistake is made, the clan will be punished.
There are factions in the manufacturing office, eunuchs and powerful officials are restraining each other, there is an undercurrent of corruption in the timber industry, and the secrets of the imperial mausoleum are rife with murderous intent. Some people took away his skills, some harmed his life, and some wanted to use him as a pawn and push him into the vortex of the struggle for imperial power.
He holds a chisel in his hand, with craftsmanship as his armor and mortise and tenon as his edge.
Don't cling, don't flatter, don't cut corners, don't cut down on materials. With a pair of calloused hands, you can maintain your craftsmanship among the dragon throne, the palace and the mausoleum.
He originally just wanted to work steadily and protect his family.
But unexpectedly, he was spotted by Lin Che, the powerful eunuch, and was involved in a shocking situation.
Woodenware can carve mountains and rivers, and woodcraft can fix people's hearts.
Even a small carpenter can stir up troubles in the Forbidden City with just one gouge and one gouge.
From a small craftsman in the south of the Yangtze River to a royal master, from being cautious to being careful every step of the way.
In this deep palace, the emperor is supreme.
But what supports the majesty of the world is, after all, the ingenuity of every piece of wood, every tenon, and every chisel.
