Northern Song: Starting by Intercepting Zhao Ji's Throne

Transmigrating into the most inconspicuous and idle prince of the Northern Song dynasty, Zhao Si has only a single night to reverse his fate. He is caught between Empress Dowager Xiang, who favors Prince Duan (Zhao Ji), and Zhang Dun, the chief councilor of the New Party. Lacking any political foundation or loyalist faction, his only asset is a copy of the History of Song, detailing the empire's future rise and fall. To secure his position, he weeps before the late emperor's coffin to establish a reputation of filial piety, secures his stepmother's support to stabilize the court, and invites the Empress Dowager to administer the government to dispel suspicion. Using overt stratagems, he breaks through seemingly hopeless deadlocks. With benevolence and filial piety as his shield, and political maneuvering as his spear, Zhao Si advances methodically through the treacherous partisan struggles between the New and Old factions. From the solemn white mourning halls of the Funing Palace to the fierce political clashes in the Affairs of State Hall, from the intricate intrigues of Bianjing to the iron cavalry and warfare of the Northwest, he refuses to be a mere conservative ruler. In an era defined by the poverty and military weakness of the late Northern Song, he aims to carve out a path to survival and rewrite the destiny of the Great Song for a millennium to come.