Su Qiao, a bold new jinshi in the early Hongwu reign, discovers a bizarre ability: he can communicate with the spirits of future Ming emperors, including the despairing Chongzhen who watches his dynasty crumble. Armed with knowledge of impending disasters, rebellions, and the fatal flaws of imperial policy, Su Qiao adopts a radical strategy. He deliberately provokes the fearsome founding emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang, with outrageous and seemingly suicidal memorials.

From demanding the confiscation of noble estates to criticizing the sea ban, Su Qiao courts execution at every turn. However, Zhu Yuanzhang, privy to the same terrifying visions of the future through these spiritual links, realizes that Su Qiao's 'treasonous' words are actually the only path to saving the Great Ming. Instead of ordering executions, the emperor finds himself promoting this madman who dares to speak the unspeakable.

As Su Qiao continues his daily dance with death, shocking the court and baffling his peers, he inadvertently carves a path to becoming the most influential Prime Minister in history, all while trying to prevent the catastrophic future he has seen.