Inspired by the story of a young man from Xi'an who happened upon a brick bearing a fist print and dreamed of Emperor Wu of Han that night, this book imagines a journey back to the Han dynasty.
Zhang Lingyun is a spice maker. While gathering materials in a village, he buys a brick bearing a fist print from a local resident.
Believing it to be a meaningful artifact, he hands it over to a museum. That night, he dreams of Emperor Wu, who tells him the print belongs to Lady Gouyi and holds many memories for him.
To thank Zhang for recovering this precious object, the emperor rewards him with an experience that will change his life.
Zhang is sent back to the Han dynasty, where he becomes the recently deceased general Huo Qubing.
Brought back from the dead, he recovers Huo Qubing's memories with the help of one treasure after another, along with his extraordinary combat prowess and unparalleled ability to command vast armies.
With Emperor Wu's support, he wipes the Xiongnu from the pages of history and becomes the Han dynasty's greatest god of war.
Mysterious figures from outside this era also appear, secretly pulling strings behind the scenes...
I've often wondered how things might have turned out if history had gone one way or another. Now I've turned those ideas into this novel.
I've consulted sources as I wrote, but there are still plenty of anachronisms and mismatched timelines, not to mention all the fictional characters I've added. Just treat this as an unrealistic alternate-history yarn and enjoy it for what it is.
Everything in this book is fictional. There are no cars, no harem, and no System. It merely borrows stories and names from history and has no connection to real historical events. I mean no disrespect to those who came before us.
I don't write tragedies. The partings and deaths in this story are there only to fit the historical setting. These temporary farewells will make future reunions all the sweeter.
