Extending the Tang Dynasty's Legacy

Zuo can mean a nation's destiny, or the imperial throne. In 961 AD, the Southern Tang was beset by turmoil. The foundation laid by Liezu Li Bian had passed into the hands of its young ruler, Li Yu. Famous for his poetry, the heir ascended the throne in Jinling, inheriting the Tang legacy and adopting the Jianlong era name. Yet within a hundred days, Han Xizai was dismissed, Lin Renzhao fell under suspicion, Pan You was driven from court, Zhang Ji seized control of the central government, and the vital defenses along the river were entrusted to fools… After enduring repeated court intrigues, the beauties of the imperial harem finally dried their tears and settled on a policy of preserving the status quo: composing poetry and enjoying the scenery in their retreat south of the Yangtze. After the former crown prince Li Hongji died, Li Congjia, a modern-day librarian specializing in ancient texts, had his soul transported into Li Yu's body and embarked on the arduous path of reviving the Southern Tang. At midnight, I hear iron-shod horses; by lamplight, I am ashamed of my fur coat. For forty years, I have been a guest who left the ancestral temple; above the clouds, nine thousand leagues high, gulls cry at the moon. Who can reclaim these rivers and mountains? Let others speak of spring blossoms and autumn moons. Let us see the flash of swords and Wu hooks. When next spring's Cold Food Festival draws near, we shall launch the fierce warriors of Jinling in their ships. The jade crown of state hangs over Yanshan! I will reclaim Yan and Yun! But why do my old ministers look like this? A fiery soul from a thousand years in the future, forced to carry on the Southern Tang's national destiny, vows to forge the soul of the Tang anew across these half-lost lands and the mountains and rivers of China. Thus, the Tang legacy shall endure.