In the tenth year of the Hongwu era of the Ming dynasty.
Zhao Lun transmigrates into Ouyang Lun, the top-scoring candidate in the imperial examinations. To change his fate, he chooses to stay away from the imperial court and voluntarily heads to a remote little county on the northern frontier, where he quietly farms.
Three years later.
Zhu Yuanzhang tours the north. Remembering that his daughter and son-in-law are in a little county up there, he decides to pay them a visit, only to make one surprising discovery after another.
This remote border county has not one, but several smooth, paved roads. The people live in peace, prosperity, and happiness, and there are industrial parks and a science city...
Just as Zhu Yuanzhang is privately congratulating himself that his son-in-law has completely turned over a new leaf and become a capable, virtuous official, he learns that Ouyang Lun has been spending extravagantly, setting up toll gates to collect fees, bleeding the people dry, opening a trading exchange to amass a fortune, building an opulent county yamen, and colluding with the Oirat, the Tatars, and remnants of the Yuan dynasty...
Zhu Yuanzhang flies into a rage. “Such a greedy son-in-law? I must have him killed!”
Princess Anqing: “If Father insists on killing my husband, then please kill me along with him.”
Empress Ma: “Chongba, don't forget who supplied a million shi of grain.”
Zhu Di: “Father, the northern frontier would never be safe without Fourth Brother-in-law!”
Zhu Yuanzhang: “Insolent! Is this greedy son-in-law really beyond my reach?”
