The Phoenix's Cry Across the Nine Heavens: The Legend of Empress Xianmu

In the eighteenth year of Jian'an, heavy snow falls on Xudu. Cao Cao’s three daughters enter the palace. Cao Jie takes the place of her eldest sister Cao Xian, who was originally destined to become empress. She had volunteered to her father, choosing to become the sharpest nail driven into the heart of the Han dynasty. The entire court believes she is merely another Cao family pawn, to be moved at someone else’s whim. No one knows that on the day Cao Jie was born, a phoenix circled above Ye City and refused to leave. Only through fire could it be reborn.

She is a “displaced one” in history.

She hides Empress Fu, who should have died in palace intrigue, in a secret chamber. She secretly smuggles the orphaned child of Noble Consort Dong, whose entire clan should have been executed, out of the palace. She sends Guan Yu, who would have died at Fancheng in 219, away early with a secret letter. She uses the phoenix’s life-blood and her own years to forcefully prolong Zhuge Liang’s life, who should have fallen at Wuzhang Plains, then, when he wakes, tears into him until he comes to his senses: “You never stop talking about the great Han. Have you ever looked at how the common people live?”

The number of people she saves keeps growing: the heroes who once served Lü Bu, promising talents of Jiangdong who died young, every name in the Xudu court that should have met its end. She asks none of them to repay her. She sets just one condition: “If one day I smash the imperial jade seal, you must obey me.”

They all agree. Zhuge Liang, Zhou Yu, Lu Su, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Wei Yan, Jia Xu, Xu Chu, Dian Wei, the entire Xun family, the Cao clan... Everyone except Cao Pi.

Her brother seeks the throne. She smashes the seal and berates him in the great hall. Cao Pi tries to imprison her, but the entire court stands before the hall with blades drawn.

The Three Kingdoms unite, and the Han dynasty rises again.