In the final years of the Eastern Jin, powerful clans ruled the land. Born into poverty, Liu Yu endured constant bullying and could only afford to bury his mother by selling straw sandals. By a twist of fate, he came to bear both the curse and the glory of Huo Qubing’s fabled sword, setting him on a rugged path through life.
Liu Yu first became entangled in a bloody gambling den brawl, then was hunted by salt smugglers. Yet he fought to survive, swore brotherhood with others in a mass grave, and joined the Northern Commandery Army. In answer to the aristocracy’s taunts, he let his actions speak for him: on a snowy night, he led a band of death-defying warriors to burn Huan Xuan’s imperial robes; by the Yellow River, he used the “Crescent Moon Formation” to crush the Xianbei cavalry; and before Weiyang Palace, he melted down the aristocratic clans’ land deeds, dealing a massive blow to their foundations.
Despite being betrayed by a close friend, falling out with his brothers, and facing threats from enemy states, Liu Yu carved his way through every obstacle to the throne. He broke the aristocratic clans’ monopoly on power and rose from humble beginnings to achieve an extraordinary reversal of fortune.
What a great book. Those who can focus on the Wei, Jin, north and south are all powerful gods. Liu Yu is actually not simple. However, the author's broad thinking has a new space. I have to like it!!