Wanli Zhaoming

In the sixth year of Longqing, the Imperial Star suddenly fell.

The blood shed by Japanese pirates in their massacre of a southeastern coastal city had yet to cool, while Tatar cavalry swept through the northwestern frontier in clouds of dust.

Powerful clans devoured farmland like ravenous tigers. The treasury was as leaky as a sinking boat. Beneath the glazed tiles of the Forbidden City, undercurrents had become towering waves

A soul from the future suddenly awoke inside the body of ten-year-old Zhu Yijun.

Feng Bao of the Directorate of Ceremonial wielded the vermilion brush, issuing edicts in the emperor's name. Grand Secretary Gao Gong sought to fracture imperial authority with the cabinet, while Senior Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng eyed the throne as he prepared his reforms.

And that was without even mentioning the figure behind the palace curtains: his birth mother, Empress Dowager Li, held a ruler in her hand and used an “edict of self-reproach” as a lock, forcing the young Son of Heaven onto the altar of Confucian propriety.

“Your Majesty, did you know? Grand Secretary Gao has secretly ordered the Six Offices to return the funds from the Imperial Treasury.”

“Eunuch Feng replaced half the eunuchs in the Palace of Heavenly Purity last night.”

“Mr. Zhang's reform proposal... contains a deadly move to strip the nobles of their military power.”

Before the dragon throne had even grown warm, countless poisoned blades had already been sent into the ninefold palace.

Would he be a puppet, a string in Feng Bao's hand?

A clay idol, sidelined by Gao Gong?

Or a jade seal in Zhang Juzheng's grand reform project?

Amid the verbal volleys of the scholar-officials, the young emperor suddenly swept the imperial desk to the floor. “The censorial officials have formed factions and dared to criticize the court. Starting today, send every last one of them to Xuanfu to repair the border wall!”

Before the Empress Dowager's ruler could fall, he declared with resounding force: “Mother, you want Your Son to write an edict of self-reproach? Let me first hold this entire court of nobles and the parasites of the realm to account!”