Set against the backdrop of Xu Da's northern expedition and Zhu Yuanzhang's ascension to the throne, this story is told through the eyes of Shen Linyuan, a young Captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Once an orphan from Huaixi, he was adopted by Zhu Yuanzhang and tasked with secretly keeping watch over the founding nobility. The story highlights the bold, rough-and-ready character of generals such as Xu Da and Chang Yuchun, as well as Zhu Yuanzhang's complex feelings toward his meritorious officials: both reliance and suspicion.
