In the third year of Yongxi of the Great Han, in the twilight of the dynasty, natural disasters occur frequently and aristocratic families monopolize power. Externally, barbarians harass; internally, hidden forces such as the old feudal domain of Youyan and the Palace of Yama harbor treason. Twenty-two-year-old female emperor Liu Qingyuan struggles to support the shattered rivers and mountains. Chen Fan, a modern omnipotent genius, dies suddenly and crosses over, reduced to a poor scholar from a humble family in the chaotic times of famine. He saves the orphan A Shi and they travel together to take the imperial examinations. A poem "Hardships of the Road" spreads across prefectures and counties, shocking the imperial palace. The female emperor dispatches the dark guard Shen Jinglan to hide and investigate, confirming his character and talent. Chen Fan rebukes pedantic scholars all the way, crushes heroes in the examination arena through dimensional reduction, and is appointed as the top scholar in the palace examination. Relying on modern knowledge of agronomy and military industry, he crafts the palm thunder and maneuvers between court power struggles and Jianghu murderous intent.