Chen Wang transmigrates into the third year of the Tianbao era, becoming a penniless scholar on the verge of starvation outside Luoyang.
Desperate to survive, he rushes into a tavern and writes out a poem. One performance of "Bring in the Wine" leaves the whole room stunned, and earns him ten silver taels. Before he can even celebrate, a hearty laugh rings out from downstairs: "What a line, 'Heaven gave me talents, and they must be put to use!' I am Li Bai. I must see which kindred spirit has put into words all the frustrations in my heart!"
From that moment on, public humiliation becomes part of his daily life.
And things get even more ridiculous. Du Fu comes to visit, and Chen Wang casually recites "Gazing at Mount Tai." Du Zimei is instantly shaken: "I only drafted this poem last night. How have you already finished it?!" From then on, Li Bai and Du Fu are both haunted by the same question: This poem is clearly in my style, so why have I never written it?
Armed with a vast store of Tang poems and a mouth full of modern quips, Chen Wang carves out a place for himself in the literary world of the High Tang. But when he finally reaches Chang'an, he sees the suffering beneath the prosperous age: land grabs, powerful clans running rampant, and border garrisons growing dangerously independent. The fuse of the An Lushan Rebellion has already been lit. Simply scraping by won't save anyone.
Copying poems can earn him literary fame, but it can't carve out a way to survive.
Ten years later, An Lushan raises his forces, and the realm falls into chaos. Chen Wang raises a red flag in Hebei, rallying people with the slogan "Overthrow the landlords, divide up the land." Li Bai and Du Fu both pledge themselves to his cause. The Poet Immortal takes up his brush to celebrate the workers and peasants, while the Poet Sage devotes himself to building a better life for the people. The literary friends of old have become comrades in revolution.
The Tang court is rotten to the core, and so are the rebels.
The people must decide the fate of this world for themselves.
