A modern youth, Zhang Jiafeng, time-travels to become a seventh-rank magistrate in the borderlands of the Great Qian dynasty, turning a poor county into a prosperous paradise using modern technology. Yan Yu, the emperor on an undercover inspection, and Crown Prince Yan Yangtian witness his extraordinary talent and summon him to the capital. Zhang Jiafeng carries out industrial reforms, reforms the tax system, defeats foreign enemies, renders monumental achievements, and marries Princess Yan Yu. However, his achievements overshadow the ruler, arousing the emperor's deep suspicion. Repeatedly offering to resign and deliberately self-tarnishing only to seek seclusion, the emperor agrees on the surface but secretly intends to eliminate him. While playing a game of wits and self-preservation with the suspicious monarch and protecting his family and commoners, Zhang Jiafeng embarks on a lengthy game of chess between sovereign and subject.