Financial practitioner Zhu Yaofei time-travels to become Chongzhen's Crown Prince Zhu Cilang. It is March 14 in the 17th year of Chongzhen, and the Great Ming has only four and a half days left before its nation falls. He uses Taizu's dream-prophecy to persuade Wang Chengen, wins over Wu Xiang to bind Wu Sangui through marriage, recruits soldiers with land, silver, and options, cleverly forces nobles and eunuchs to donate military provisions, suppresses officials rushing out of the city to surrender, forces Chongzhen—who stubbornly refuses to move south—to submit via military remonstrance, takes control of the military power in the capital, and plans to escort the emperor and empress from the Tianjin sea route south to Jiangnan, waiting for an opportunity to complete the restoration of the Great Ming.