A contemporary academic finds himself thrust into the frail body of Zachary, a terrified puppet ruler trapped under the iron thumb of the ruthless Empress Dowager. Surrounded by duplicitous eunuchs and facing foreign invasion along the northern borders, he knows a passive monarch will not survive the month.
Drawing on centuries of geopolitical history and industrial engineering, Zachary secretly manufactures advanced metallurgical weapons and reorganizes royal logistics. By turning economic trade into economic warfare, he systematically outmaneuvers the scheming dowager, breaks external blockades, and consolidates undisputed imperial command over seven warring realms.
