The State of Qin is one of the weakest of the Seven States, and Duke Xiao knows it. Determined to restore the state to its former glory as one of the Five Hegemons that it held during the reign of his ancestors, Duke Xiao sends an announcement for men of talent to aid him in strengthening Qin.

Wei Yang, a young scholar from the Legalist School, responds to the Duke's call, setting the State of Qin onto a course that will one day make it the country known as 'China.' Marquis Hui of Wei is dealing with the collapse of his state. The peace his father signed twenty years before is about to be broken, and the Seven States are now at war. To make matters worse, all of them have their sights set on Wei.