Kang Xi ascended the throne at age 8 after Shun Zhi abdicated to become a monk following the death of his favorite concubine. With the help of Grand Empress Dowager Xiao Zhuang, Kang Xi overcame a fierce power struggle against Ao Bai and eventually took control of the country himself. Later he would defeat rebellious former Ming generals Wu Sangui, Shang Kexi and Geng Jinmao, annex Taiwan, and triumph over Ge Er Dan. During his rule of 61 years, the longest in Chinese history, the country enjoyed unprecedented growth and prosperity.
Yong Zheng was Kang Xi's 4th son, a hard-working and principled man oftentimes misunderstood as heartless and cruel. His succession to the throne was marred and undermined by controversy propagated by some of his own brothers. The country's treasury was nearly empty at the end of Kang Xi's reign and restoring it was only one of the many challenges Yong Zheng had to face prior to and during his own rule. With political motivations abound, can Yong Zheng come out on top against 8th Prince and his supporters? Or, will internal turmoil threaten the country's stability and direction?
