The Han Dynasty Cauldron: A Puppet Emperor's Art of Turning the Tables

His soul transmigrated into Liu Xie, Emperor Xian of Han. It was a hellish start: powerful ministers ruled, and the realm was in chaos.

Others transmigrated to the Three Kingdoms era to recruit famous generals, seize provinces, and vie for supremacy.

Liu Xie thought that was far too small-minded.

He didn't want to divide the realm into three.

He wanted one set of tracks for every carriage, one script for every book, the stars traveling the same road, and the whole cosmos beneath one sky.

So he laid down three rules for his nine-year-old self:

First, use science to explain miracles and seize the right to survive from beneath Dong Zhuo's blade.

Second, use institutions to crush political scheming and found a new dynasty amid the rival warlords.

Third, use technology to elevate civilization and find a new home before the sun burns out.

While Liu Bei was still fretting over his banner as a kinsman of the Han imperial house, and Cao Cao was still reciting, “Like morning dew”...

Liu Xie's imperial examinations had the common-born masses buzzing with excitement, his “Heaven-Shaking Thunder” was aimed at Guandu, and his envoy was sailing toward Rome with the Universal Code.

Years later, white-haired Liu Xie watched a starship launch from Chang'an and smiled at Zhuge Liang beside him:

“Master Kongming, you spoke of dividing the realm into three at Longzhong. Let me take you to see what ‘the realm’ truly means.”

From puppet emperor to Heavenly Khan, then guide to an interstellar civilization.

On this road, there was only one thing to do: flip the table.