On a snowy night before the spirit altar, his ailing father is still alive, his uncle is forcing his way into the family storehouse, the engagement is about to be broken off, and everyone in the residence is waiting for the Shen family's main branch to fall into chaos first.
Shen Yan opens his eyes on the most chaotic night at the Duke's residence. What awaits him is not wealth, but an emptied treasury, relatives tearing into one another, a marriage alliance on the verge of collapse, and a hidden supply route from the old frontier that could drag the Shen family into the abyss.
To survive, he must first seal the storehouse, audit the accounts, and protect his ailing father and the funeral hall, then gradually take back control of the people, money, grain, and transport routes. To keep the Shen family from being devoured without a trace, he must leave the vermilion gates and get a feel for grain prices, transport guilds, brokerage contracts, and the pulse of officialdom in Tokyo. But as he follows one old account after another, he discovers that the Shen family's troubles are merely the first crack in the prosperous Great Song.
From a snowy night in Bianjing to estates in Hebei, from the bustle along the Bian River to supply routes for the frontier armies, from rotten family accounts to policies debated at court, Shen Yan's task is not merely to protect his family name. Before the realm descends into chaos, he must carve out a chance of survival for himself, his family, and this age.
