The Underworld Descends: I, the King of Hell, Judge the Emperors of Ages

Su Qingyou, a modern university student majoring in history, dies unexpectedly and transmigrates into the primordial underworld. Taking the place of the former Yama, she becomes the first female King of Hell in Chinese history. She commands the laws of the underworld and the Heavenly Dao's judgment, wielding the Mirror of Judgment to uncover truth and falsehood across the ages and the Soul-Calming Seal to determine the good and evil of the dead. She vows to overturn one-sided histories and fairly judge the merits and faults of every Chinese emperor according to the Heavenly Dao. The souls of emperors from every dynasty break the cycle of reincarnation and arrive randomly in the underworld to face the Heavenly Dao's final judgment. Zhu Yuanzhang is the first to appear. Su Qingyou impartially judges his extraordinary achievements in driving out the Mongols and restoring China, while also detailing his crimes of slaughtering meritorious officials, imposing harsh laws, and ruling through suspicion and bloodshed. Their merits and faults balance out, and she delivers her verdict in the underworld. Zhu Di arrives next. She judges his seizure of power in the Jingnan Campaign, his five northern expeditions, and the achievements of the Yongle era, along with his slaughter of Jianwen's former officials and the persecution of innocents. When Zhu Yuanzhang hears about the Jingnan rebellion, he flies into a rage and tries to kill Zhu Di. Su Qingyou forcibly stops him with the authority of Yama and the Heavenly Dao, sparking the underworld's first clash between emperors. Afterward, emperors from across the dynasties arrive one after another, including Qin Shi Huang, Liu Bang, Zhao Kuangyin, Kublai Khan, Li Shimin, and Wu Zetian. Each receives an independent judgment in their own chapter. When Qin Shi Huang learns that Liu Bang brought down the Qin dynasty, he furiously kills Liu Bang's soul in front of everyone. Su Qingyou defies the heavens to revive Liu Bang, upholding the underworld's rules of judgment and striking awe into emperors across the ages. Once all the emperors of the orthodox dynasties have gathered in the underworld, Zhu Yuanzhang summons the souls of Empress Ma and Zhu Biao, while Li Shimin summons those of Empress Zhangsun and Li Chengqian, greatly strengthening the orthodox emperors' faction. Wang Mang, Cao Cao, Li Zicheng, the Southern Ming's regional emperors, and other unorthodox warlords grow resentful. They secretly join forces and plot to overthrow the orthodox order, intending to challenge the emperors of every dynasty and seize power.