Chapter 1

At the end of the Warring States period, the State of Qin swept through the six rival states to unify China, but due to its harsh laws, it fell after only two generations.

Gaozu Liu Bang overthrew the tyrannical Qin, defeated Xiang Yu, and established himself as emperor, inheriting the Qin system, which is historically known as the Western Han.

After Emperor Ping's death, Wang Mang deposed the young emperor and took control. Fortunately, Emperor Guangwu restored the declining empire, allowing the Han Dynasty to continue for nearly two hundred years, known as the Eastern Han.

In the late Eastern Han period, during the reigns of Emperors Huan and Ling, extravagance and luxury were rampant, and the imperial treasury was depleted, leading to the sale of official positions to fund their pleasures.

At the same time, the power of the imperial relatives and eunuchs grew unchecked, with their family members spread throughout the empire, oppressing the people and causing chaos in the countryside.

When Emperor Ling died, his thirteen-year-old son, Liu Bian, succeeded to the throne. His mother, Empress Dowager He, and her brother, General He Jin, controlled the government. He Jin planned to eliminate the eunuchs but was instead killed by them, plunging Luoyang into chaos.

Seizing this opportunity, Dong Zhuo led his army to the capital, deposed Emperor Liu Bian, and installed Duke Dong, Liu Xie, as the new emperor.

A year after his deposition, under Dong Zhuo's coercion, Emperor Liu Bian, the Prince of Hongnong, committed suicide at the age of fifteen. His mother, Empress Dowager He, was also forced to drink poison and die.

The He family's machinations ultimately benefited Dong Zhuo.

Tragic and lamentable.

In the first month of the fourth year of the Zhongping era, in the North Palace of the Han Palace in Luoyang, the Fangling Garden was covered in snow.

On a bridge over a pond, a young boy, seemingly around ten years old, wearing a sable fur coat, leaned on the railing, frowning as he watched the fish swimming beneath the ice. Suddenly, he let out a slight sigh.

From an outsider's perspective, the young Emperor Liu Bian was innocent and pitiable, worthy of sympathy, but as the person involved, it was a different story.

Indeed, this well-dressed young boy was none other than the young Emperor Liu Bian, who had only a few years left to live.

"Ah—just a few days too late."

Looking at the fish in the pond, Liu Bian murmured softly.

He didn't know why he had been transported to this era. Was it because he shared the same name as this young emperor?

Thinking about the fact that he had only four or five years left to live, the young boy couldn't help but sigh.

To be honest, waking up to find himself as a historical prince, and one who would become emperor, was like the perfect opening in a novel.

But becoming this Liu Bian...

That was like a disastrous start.

Fortunately, there was still a chance. According to the information Liu Bian had gathered, it was only the fourth year of the Zhongping era, 187 AD. If historical records were accurate, his licentious and extravagant father, Emperor Ling, would die in two years. After that, the final and most intense conflict between the scholar-officials led by General He Jin and the eunuchs in the palace would erupt. Before that, he still had a chance to turn things around.

For example, he could gain the favor of his decadent father and be officially designated as the crown prince.

Unfortunately, that opportunity had already passed.

"Lord Shi."

As Liu Bian was deep in thought, one of the eunuchs standing below the bridge approached him with a smile, respectfully and flatteringly urging him, "The weather is still cold at the beginning of the month, and the wind is strong today. The cold might seep into your body. Why don't you return to the palace to enjoy the snow?"

"..." Liu Bian didn't move, turning his head to glance at the eunuch before continuing to watch the pond.

The eunuch's face stiffened, but he didn't dare show any displeasure. He stood beside Liu Bian with a troubled expression. The other eunuchs standing below the bridge whispered to each other, and words like "frivolous behavior" and "lacking dignity" could be heard.

The eunuchs called Liu Bian "Lord Shi" because he had not been raised in the palace but was instead fostered by a Daoist named Shi Zimiao. The reason was that before Liu Bian's birth, Emperor Ling's other princes had all died young. Liu Bian's mother, now Empress He, feared that her son would also die young, so she had him fostered by the Daoist Shi Zimiao and called him "Lord Shi," hoping that the Daoist's magic would protect him.

Ten years had passed, and Liu Bian grew up healthy in Shi Zimiao's home. In recent years, Emperor Ling had been exhausted from his numerous concubines and his health had declined. Therefore, he had Liu Bian brought back to the palace.

Upon seeing Liu Bian, Emperor Ling was disappointed, thinking that he was frivolous and lacked the dignity of an emperor, making him unsuitable to inherit the throne...

Isn't that just nonsense?

A child sent out of the palace to be raised by a Daoist, living like a commoner, and only brought back to the palace after ten years to learn of his true identity—how could he not be proud and show off?

In short, Liu Bian had been neglected, but the responsibility for this undoubtedly lay with Emperor Ling and Empress He.

This was also why Liu Bian had sighed about being "a few days too late." He had been brought back to the palace at the end of the previous year, before "he" arrived.

These few days made a big difference. Liu Bian had already thought about what would happen next. For example, his decadent father, disliking him, would entrust the eunuch Jian Shuo to kill He Jin and install Duke Dong, Liu Xie, as emperor.

Of course, Jian Shuo's role wasn't significant because he would eventually be betrayed by the Ten Attendants and handed over to He Jin. The real issue was that Emperor Ling never officially designated Liu Bian as the crown prince. It was Liu Bian's mother, Empress He, and his two uncles who placed him on the throne. In other words, his claim to the throne lacked legitimacy, which is why Dong Zhuo dared to depose the young emperor and install Liu Xie.

If Liu Bian had been officially designated as the successor by Emperor Ling, Dong Zhuo might not have dared to take such a risk.

Fortunately, there were still two years before the palace coup in Luoyang, leaving room for a turnaround.

This disastrous start, which the historical Liu Bian couldn't overcome, might be different for this soul from the future.

If he could, like Emperor Guangwu, restore the Han Dynasty and save the empire, there would be no Three Kingdoms, no loss of fifty million Chinese people over a hundred years, and perhaps the disaster of the Five Barbarians' invasion could be avoided.

Although he was not the real Liu Bian, he was still Han, proud of the strong Han. Since he had inexplicably arrived at the most turbulent end of the Han Dynasty, he would do his utmost to save the empire, restore the Han Dynasty, and benefit the people, making the Han Dynasty as prosperous as it once was!

Of course, he also needed to find her, the woman with the most tragic fate, beloved by countless young men in later generations—Cai Yan, also known as Cai Wenji.

Calculating the time, she should not have been married yet—

No, regardless of whether she was married or not, he would bring her to his side, by any means necessary!

To see her sweetness, to taste her saltiness, the path to restoring the Han Dynasty and stabilizing the country must have this woman by his side to make his life worthwhile!