The Weight of the Keel

"The wonders of the world cannot be obtained without laboring the people and harming the money; however, the extreme laboring of the people and the harm of the money can also reveal the insignificance of the human heart." In the 18th year of Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty, the Forbidden City was finally completed. However, on the eve of the relocation of the capital, one of the main load-bearing nanmu pillars of Fengtian Hall was discovered to be deflected by less than three millimeters due to slight subsidence in the foundation. A ninth-grade deputy envoy of the Ministry of Industry's Maintenance Office, Zhong Zhong, became the scapegoat of this "big hole". In order to "righten" this keel weighing tens of thousands of kilograms before the Winter Solstice Heaven Sacrifice Ceremony without demolishing the main hall or disturbing the Holy Master, it is necessary to use the only arithmetic knowledge, humble connections and understanding of the nature of wood and stone to gain a chance of survival within thirty days. This is not a battle between gods and immortals, this is a desperate race about levers, pulleys, officialdom's buck-passing and the dignity of a humble family.