In the year 1572 AD, there were still 72 years to go before the fall of the Ming Dynasty and the loss of its lands.

At this time:

Wokou pirates ravaged the southeast,

The Tartars threatened the northwestern borders,

Local warlords grew stronger through annexation,

The military and administration were exhausted,

And the common people suffered.

The Longqing Emperor had just passed away.

It was at this moment that Shi Yue transmigrated into the body of Zhu Yijun, the future Wanli Emperor, who would later become infamous for not attending court for thirty years.

The good news:

Zhu Yijun had not yet ascended the throne — he hadn’t had a chance to ruin state affairs.

The bad news:

Zhu Yijun had not yet ascended the throne — and the power struggle was already underway:

Feng Bao, head of the Directorate of Ceremonial, sought to be the spokesperson of imperial power.

Grand Secretary Gao Gong wanted to sideline the emperor and strengthen the Cabinet.

Vice Secretary Zhang Juzheng was determined to implement his new policies and take control of governance.

His only supposed ally, his own birth mother Lady Li, constantly punished him with kneeling and forced him to write self-reproach edicts.

A crumbling empire loomed ahead, and the heart of power was a battlefield of intersecting ambitions and blades.

With the fate of the nation at stake and the makings of a wise emperor, what path will he choose?