The story takes place in the fictional dynasty **Dayong**.
Dayong was founded for more than 170 years. The country was once very prosperous, but now it is in the final stage of "peace on the surface but hollow on the inside":
- **Shuoyuan Royal Court is in the north**, the cavalry is fierce, and they go south all year round to test the border;
- To the west of ** there are tribes from Hehuang and other tribes, which sometimes surrendered and sometimes rebelled. They were the source of soldiers and battlefields for the border troops;
- **The southeast is the lifeline of salt, iron and water transportation**, with huge wealth, it is also the most likely to breed collusion between officials and businessmen;
- **The Capital of the Capital** Power is concentrated, and the inner court, clans, clans, and Taiwanese admonishers are restraining each other. Everyone is using "imperial power" to do their own business.
On the surface, Emperor Dayong is still the "Emperor Chengning" who has been in power for many years, but he lives in seclusion and has been ill for a long time. The courtiers have long been accustomed to "seeing edicts but not seeing people, hearing edicts but not hearing voices."
The real problem is: the position of emperor is still there, but the person sitting in the position may not always be the same. **
This is not a simple "change of dynasty", but an "imperial power replacement project" that lasts for decades and is jointly maintained by countless people:
- The seal is genuine;
- The year number is real;
- It's true that Zhongshu's family is running smoothly;
- The ancestral rituals are also true;
- But "the emperor himself" may not be true.
This puts the entire world into an extremely dangerous state:
The imperial court is still functioning, so most people are unwilling to ask for the truth; but once the truth is revealed, the legitimacy of the entire Dayong will be shaken. **
