[Synopsis]
Fifteen years of diligent study, then top marks in the imperial examinations, only to see his golden title shattered in the palace and himself exiled to the wilderness!
In the Great Qian dynasty, powerful clans dominate the land, and the imperial court is controlled by the emperor and the great families, who regard common-born scholars as no better than weeds. Gu Ping'an, a commoner from Jiangnan, stunned the realm with his Ten Proposals for Pacifying the Frontier, only to be framed by the empress and her powerful ministers and charged with deceiving the throne and cheating in the examinations.
Before Taihe Hall, he smashed the golden title bestowed upon him by imperial decree, staining the white snow with blood, and vowed to sever all ties with this rotten dynasty!
Exiled to the desolate frontier of Western Shu, he was forbidden from ever entering the passes again.
If the books of the sages could not save the world, and the court had no place for common-born men, then he would cast aside his brush and take up arms, carving out a bright new world with the blade in his hand!
From a lowly condemned soldier to the overlord of the frontier commanding a hundred thousand cavalry; from a dirt-poor nobody trampled by the world to an unparalleled warlord who made the empress and the great families tremble.
See how this common-born top scholar, his title shattered, questions the world with his blade and tramples this rotten age of prosperity!
[Key Highlights]
Ultimate comeback: From a common-born top scholar at rock bottom to an overlord of the frontier who overturns the realm, his path of revenge and rise to power is deeply satisfying.
Power struggles: The empress, great families, frontier armies, and foreign tribes all contend for power. The protagonist carefully advances at every turn, building a formidable force of his own.
Blood-pumping battles: He casts aside his brush and takes up arms, proving his way through martial strength. There is no saintly compassion, only satisfying vengeance and an iron fist, with a hard-fought journey of growth.
Confidantes: The cool and aloof Princess Changning, the spirited female frontier general... The bonds forged amid blood and fire bring warmth and support along the road to revenge.
