The Ming dynasty is at its zenith. All under heaven bow towards the Forbidden City, where the Celestial Emperor and his servants grace the earth. Yet rot festers deep in the palace…Emperor Jiajing has sealed himself away, more interested in Taoist magics than the Dragon Throne. In his absence, the corruption of ambitious men grows unchecked.

Among such shameless villains stride the Yan, a ruthless clan whose lustful grasp on the state ever tightens. Few dare stand against them, but heaven's mandate calls for balance, and a humble clerk named Hai Rui rises to answer.

Across land and over water, forces awaken, stirred by the shadows emanating from the halls of power. No one knows if or when the peace of the Great Ming will collapse. Perhaps the cracks can be healed. Perhaps fate can be appeased. Or perhaps the old saying holds true: a realm long united, must divide...

Liu Heping is an acclaimed screenwriter, novelist and historian influential for his realist approach to the historical and contemporary transformation of China. His pioneering historical drama, Da Ming Wang Chao 1566, sold nearly a million copies and was later broadcast as a TV series. In 2014, his TV drama All Quiet in Peking gained a cumulative 400 million online views in one month of release. Wen Huang is a Chicago-based writer and translator. His memoir about growing up in Xian in the 1970s, The Little Red Guard, was a Washington Post Best of 2012 pick. He started translating Chinese non-fiction works in 2005, and since then his translations have been published by Pantheon, Harper Collins and Amazon. In 2007, he was the recipient of a PEN Translation Fund Award. His writings have appeared in The Paris Review, Harper’s Magazine, The Asia Literary Review and Words Without Borders.