First published by Yale University Press in 1981,[1] it examines how a number of seemingly-insignificant events in 1587 might have caused the downfall of the Ming dynasty.

Major figures discussed in the book besides the emperor are Grand Secretaries Zhang Juzheng and Shen Shixing, the official Hai Rui, the general Qi Jiguang, and the philosopher Li Zhi.

The chapter ends with the death and subsequent condemnation of Grand Secretary Zhang for controlling the Emperor and the government for his own personal gain.

Through his personal history, Huang illustrates that the typical career path to becoming a Grand Secretary was primarily academic, through the civil service exams and the Hanlin Academy, as opposed to government experience.

The second production was in 2006, after Woo and the Towards the Republic screenwriter Zhang Jianwei (張建偉) had rewritten the script by adding a considerable amount of Kun opera and other elements.