[Three Kingdoms + Ensemble Cast + No System + Political Intrigue + Huo Qubing + Contending for Supremacy + Restoring the Han]
In the sixth year of Yuanshou, the twenty-four-year-old General of the Agile Cavalry, Huo Qubing, dies. Like a brilliant star of war, he appears for a fleeting moment, then vanishes.
Three hundred years later, before the lords gather to form an alliance, Cao Ren is ordered to investigate Dong Zhuo. After reaching Fufeng Commandery, he decides to rob the tomb of the Champion Marquis at Maoling for its food stores. The result is that he accidentally awakens Huo Qubing, who has slept for three hundred years.
After learning that the Han imperial house is in decline and traitorous ministers abound, Huo Qubing decides to rally the descendants of his old subordinates and prop up the collapsing dynasty.
In this turbulent age, there is Li Ru, who seeks a way forward for men of humble origins; Cao Cao, displaying all the traits of a great warlord; Liu Bei, a hidden dragon waiting to rise; and descendants of Crown Prince Liu Ju, who was caught up in the Witchcraft Disaster…
In troubled times, heroes emerge. But the Han has its General of the Agile Cavalry!
I initially started reading this book because of Huo Qubing; after all, he was a hero who became the bravest warrior in the army at eighteen, was ennobled at twenty-two, and died quietly at twenty-four—a truly regrettable end. After reading the first few chapters, I felt the author devoted a lot of space to political intrigue, which seemed quite interesting.
Without a rigid system, the novel combines political intrigue with a diverse cast of characters, each strategist, big and small, possessing their own stances and ideas—a truly rare find. Although large-scale battles haven't yet materialized, foreshadowing is already subtly present, leaping off the page. The intellectual duel between Xun Yu and Jia Xu, and the ultimate fate of Li Ru's schemes for the Han dynasty's rule, are just some of the key elements.
Well, the portrayal of Huo Qubing doesn't make him seem like a loyal minister who supported the Han dynasty, but rather a treacherous minister in a chaotic era. I don't understand how he came up with the idea of destroying the Han dynasty, but since he had such a thought, what's wrong with holding the emperor hostage and slaughtering powerful families, becoming a Huo Guang? Huo Qubing's idea of defeating the Han Dynasty was similar to Cao Cao's.
Huo Qubing himself is resurrected in the Shu Han dynasty and joins the anti-Dong Zhuo alliance with a small force of Xuanjia soldiers. No system, no plot holes, large ensemble cast, great read!!
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful