A Mayfly’s Journey

Life is a journey against the current, and all people are but mayflies upon it.

The former emperor died, and the crown prince, only three years old, succeeded him. The first year of his reign was named Tianqi.

On the second day after his succession, the new emperor mysteriously vanished. With the support of Empress Dowager Shentu, Shentu Gong, Grand Minister of the Pavilion, took charge of the court as a duke.

“With the emperor missing, the people’s hearts cannot be settled. I pray for peace and prosperity throughout the realm.”

The era name was changed to Taikang, and the empress dowager ruled from court.

In the third year of Taikang, Empress Dowager Shentu died. As regent, Shentu Gong established the Six Guards of the Capital, enfeoffed nine of his relatives as marquises in key locations around the capital, and appointed his trusted followers as the Eighteen Divine Generals to bring order to the realm.

In the twelfth year of Taikang, a sixteen-year-old youth returned to the capital...

That year, the capital would see the arrival of heroes from every quarter.