The Prince of Zhenbei, Lu Zheng, guarded the northern frontier for a decade, bathing in frost and blood to repel foreign enemies and protect the peace of the Central Plains, only to be rewarded with an imperial decree granting him death. The treacherous chancellor Gao Song framed the loyal and righteous, while the muddle-headed emperor Xiao Yu indulged in luxury and ignored the suffering of refugees, leaving all civil and military officials daring to speak but not to act. Seeing loyal ministers framed and the people plunged into misery, the disheartened Lu Zheng led the frontier garrison to rise in revolt. The shattered dragon tripod tore apart the rift between monarch and subjects, and millions of ordinary people flocked to his side. A troubled-times war to overthrow the tyrant and bring peace to the realm thus begins.