Lord of Law

Cai Li, the tyrant of the Great Xia Dynasty, once ruled the land with an iron fist, only to be betrayed by his trusted aides and die with bitter regret. Reborn at the very beginning of his reign, he carries the memories of his past life and boundless remorse, determined to change his fate. This time, he will not establish his authority through slaughter. Instead, he will wield the classics of Legalism as a weapon, enforcing strict laws to restrain both himself and his subjects. At court, he faces the powerful ministers who once betrayed him; among the people, he must quell the resentment stirred up by his harsh laws. When old enemies kneel in the tribunal, and those closest to him break the new laws, Cai Li must choose between personal loyalties and the law of the land. This is the transformation of a tyrant into a wise ruler, and one man's struggle against the rotten system of an entire dynasty. Amid the tangle of power and law, can Cai Li truly realize his ideal of governing the country by law, or will he ultimately become a tyrant in the guise of a wise ruler?

Theme: Ideals above all