The empire is in mortal danger. Hai Rui and
his allies bought her time, but now it is spent. Endless war. Mass starvation.
Bleak omens. Addled by mercury and aided by sycophants, Emperor Jiajing is
squandering the last remnants of the treasury.
Minutes to midnight, Hai Rui is ordered to the
capital. He alone is prepared to fight the rot at its source. In the Forbidden
City, such bravery cannot go unpunished. It will be down to Hai Rui’s allies –
foremost the honourable Crown Prince – to initiate the endgame.
This is it. No more hiding. No more
half-measures. Now it is time to rescue the once-mighty Ming, or join in the
plunder as it descends in flames to a hell of no return.