The Song Emperor!

In 1067, Emperor Yingzong of Song died, and the Northern Song court stood at a pivotal moment in history, one that would determine the dynasty’s fate.

At the time, the Song court faced enormous tribute demands from the Liao dynasty and Western Xia to the north. Within the court, civil officials held sway, the bureaucracy was bloated, the military and government were exhausted, and uprisings broke out across the land.

That year, Zhao Tuo transmigrated to the Northern Song, becoming Zhao Xu, the newly enthroned Emperor Shenzong, who held no real power.

The good news: he had become the ruler of the Northern Song, seated in Bianjing.

The bad news: Yingzong’s reign had left a deficit of tens of millions of strings of cash. The realm’s wealth had been exhausted, and only extraordinary measures could save it.

The bad news: Empress Dowager Gao wielded power above him, while Han Qi, Fu Bi, Wen Yanbo, Sima Guang, and others dominated the court below. Factional strife was rampant.

The road to restoring the Song was long and arduous, with schemes and stratagems lurking at every turn.

Worse still, Emperor Shenzong seemed to have only nineteen years left to live.

Could reform really save the Great Song?

No. Kill!