The Commoner's Rise to Power: From Desolate Village to Imperial Tutor

Penniless, bullied by the village tyrant, and shut out of the imperial exams: this is Shen Yan's situation from the start.

A worm-eaten fragment of a book and a chess game laid by his ancestors three hundred years ago are his only trump cards.

He swears brotherhood in blood, outsmarts corrupt officials, schemes at court, and puts down rebellions on the battlefield.

From a commoner in a desolate village to a man with power over all the realm, he gets only one thing right:

He does not court the powerful or covet high office. With the humble schemes of a commoner, he turns back a kingdom on the brink of collapse.