A lightning strike at the library sent a history graduate student into the second year of Jianyuan, where he became Cao Shi, Marquis of Pingyang: the Western Han noble who, according to the history books, was frail, died young, and was married to Princess Pingyang.
Gazing at the snowy scenery of Chang'an beyond the carved window lattice, Cao Shi clenched his fists. Now that he had taken over the body of a great founding minister's great-grandson, he absolutely would not repeat the fate of dying young. He used modern wellness methods to nurse his depleted body back to health, while quietly taking stock of the marquis's estate, disciplining the servants, improving the silk shop's designs, and standardizing the management of the manors, firmly securing the foundations of the Marquis of Pingyang's household.
At court, currents of conflict swirled beneath the surface as Empress Dowager Dou and Emperor Wu of Han vied for power. Within the marquis's household, Wei Zifu, the future empress, was still a dancer, while Wei Qing, the future general who would fight the Xiongnu, was still an obscure horse slave. Drawing on his precise knowledge of history, Cao Shi brought Wei Qing into his service early, teaching him to read and study military strategy while quietly building a loyal inner circle. Taking advantage of a banquet at his estate, he cleverly arranged for Emperor Wu to meet Wei Zifu, gradually drawing closer to this mighty ruler.
He improved farming methods, proposed the beginnings of new salt and iron policies, and offered strategies to resist the Xiongnu... Using modern knowledge to breathe new life into the Han Dynasty, he transformed from the guardian of his household into an indispensable pillar of the court. Facing the suppression of the Dou clan and the ambitions of the feudal kingdoms, he planned with foresight and took every step carefully through the whirlpool of political intrigue. Accompanied by battle horns and the bells of Silk Road caravans, he witnessed Wei Qing and Huo Qubing sweep across the northern deserts, helping the Han Dynasty forge the glory of "Wherever the sun and moon shine, there is Han soil."
