Recaps

Liu Xie, a starving refugee who had transmigrated into the Three Kingdoms era, tried and failed to catch a fish near Ye City. Downstream, adviser Ju Shou learned that Cao Cao had taken Emperor Xian to Xuchang, then noticed Liu Xie struggling in the river.

• Liu Xie lost a carp after local children threw a stone into the river and went five days without food.
• Liu Xie reflected on his failed hopes of using his modern knowledge to rise in the chaotic Three Kingdoms era, then returned to spearing fish.
• Ju Shou read a secret report saying Cao Mengde had taken Luoyang and escorted the emperor to Xuchang.
• Ju Shou regretted that Yuan Shao had ignored his advice to bring the emperor to Ji Province and predicted Cao Cao would use the emperor's authority.
• Ju Shou saw Liu Xie repeatedly fail to spear fish and fall into the water.

Ju Shou recognized Liu Xie’s exact resemblance to Emperor Xian and devised a plan for him to impersonate the emperor in Yuan Shao’s service. Liu Xie rejected the offer, but Ju Shou held him back and introduced himself as Yuan Shao’s adviser.

• Ju Shou recognized Liu Xie’s face but doubted he was the emperor after watching him clean and roast fish.
• Ju Shou realized Liu Xie could impersonate Emperor Xian and offered him wealth and glory, but Liu Xie refused.
• Liu Xie explained that he wanted only to survive and did not want to become a powerful man’s pawn.
• Ju Shou proposed making Liu Xie emperor, but Liu Xie tried to leave, fearing the danger.
• Ju Shou held Liu Xie by the shoulder and introduced himself as an adviser to Yuan Shao.

Liu Xie agreed to impersonate the Son of Heaven for Ju Shou and demonstrated that he could convincingly command him. In Ye City, Yuan Shao learned Cao Cao had taken Emperor Xian of Han to Xu County, and Guo Tu argued that this might not be a disadvantage.

• Ju Shou told Liu Xie that Cao Cao had taken the Son of Heaven and persuaded Liu Xie to impersonate the emperor.
• Liu Xie accepted Ju Shou's offer, gave his name as Liu Xie, and ate the grilled fish Ju Shou had prepared.
• Liu Xie ordered Ju Shou to kneel to test his imperial performance, then set off with him for Ye City.
• Yuan Shao learned Cao Cao had taken the Son of Heaven to Xu County and planned to reestablish the imperial court.
• Guo Tu told Yuan Shao that Cao Cao's control of the emperor could make him a target, while Yuan Shao could benefit from acting without imperial constraints.

Ju Shou brought Liu Xie, disguised as the Son of Heaven, to Yuan Shao’s residence in Ye City. Yuan Shao accepted him as Emperor Xian, and Liu Xie claimed he had escaped Cao Cao’s control and endured great hardship.

• Yuan Shao’s advisers Tian Feng and Guo Tu argued over Cao Cao taking the Son of Heaven, and Yuan Shao asked for Ju Shou to be summoned.
• A guard reported that Ju Shou had brought the Son of Heaven to the residence, so Yuan Shao and his officials went to meet him.
• Yuan Shao recognized Liu Xie and bowed to him, and the gathered officials followed his lead.
• Yuan Shao asked why Liu Xie had come from Xu County, and Liu Xie claimed Cao Cao had intended to control him and that he had escaped after enduring hardship.

Liu Xie’s convincing performance persuaded Yuan Shao to welcome him as the emperor, but Ju Shou then revealed in private that Liu Xie was an impostor. Yuan Shao agreed to use the false emperor to cast doubt on Cao Cao’s authority, and the chapter ended with them preparing to meet Liu Xie again.

• Liu Xie tearfully won Yuan Shao’s support, and Yuan Shao vowed to punish Cao Cao as officials chanted for his death.
• Ju Shou stopped Yuan Shao and led him to the study, where he revealed that Liu Xie was a refugee impersonating the emperor.
• Yuan Shao angrily confronted Ju Shou, who argued that the impostor could make people doubt whether Cao Cao held the true emperor.
• Ju Shou assured Yuan Shao that Liu Xie’s identity could be concealed and fabricated evidence could support his story.
• Yuan Shao accepted Ju Shou’s plan, warned him not to act without permission again, and went with him to meet Liu Xie.

Liu Xie deceived Yuan Shao by posing as a compliant, greedy commoner while agreeing to impersonate the emperor, but Ju Shou remained wary of him. Yuan Shao then told his advisers that the emperor was resting and kept Liu Xie from meeting them.

• Liu Xie recognized that Yuan Shao knew he was an impostor and bowed to him as a commoner.
• Yuan Shao ordered Liu Xie to keep pretending to be the emperor, promised him wealth, and arranged for him to learn imperial etiquette.
• Liu Xie privately reflected that he needed to play the emperor for others and a shortsighted refugee for Yuan Shao, then fell asleep.
• Ju Shou warned Yuan Shao that Liu Xie's quick change in manner seemed suspicious, but Yuan Shao dismissed his concerns.
• Yuan Shao joined his advisers in the council hall and said the emperor was too exhausted to receive visitors.

Yuan Shao ordered a proclamation declaring Cao Cao a traitor and announced that the Son of Heaven would establish a new court in Ye City, unaware that his own emperor was an impostor. Liu Xie woke, considered how his impersonation could change history, and then welcomed Ju Shou and a meal.

• Ju Shou received praise for bringing the Son of Heaven to Ji Province, while Guo Tu and Feng Ji mocked him and Tian Feng rebuked them.
• Yuan Shao announced plans to proclaim Cao Cao’s treason and establish the imperial capital in Ye City, and he ordered Tian Feng to write the proclamation.
• Shen Pei warned Yuan Shao that Cao Cao might have an impostor emperor, making Yuan Shao uneasy because his own Son of Heaven was fake.
• Liu Xie woke in the separate residence, realized his impersonation could alter the course of history, and decided to focus on staying alive.
• Ju Shou arrived with maids carrying food, and Liu Xie invited him to dine.

Ju Shou prepared Liu Xie to impersonate the Son of Heaven as Yuan Shao announced the emperor’s arrival in Ye City and denounced Cao Cao. The proclamation shook the realm, while in Xu County the genuine Son of Heaven honored Cao Cao and yielded control over official appointments to him.

• Ju Shou told Liu Xie he had one month to learn the Son of Heaven’s conduct and gave him a volume of the Daily Conduct Records to study before the Heaven-Worship Rite.
• Yuan Shao circulated Tian Feng’s proclamation, accusing Cao Cao of holding the Son of Heaven captive and summoning Han loyalists to Ye City.
• The proclamation spread across the realm and confused people who had recently heard that the Son of Heaven would establish his capital in Xu County.
• At a banquet in Xu County, the Son of Heaven praised Cao Cao, appointed him Minister of Works with the duties of General of Chariots and Cavalry, and offered to reward the other officials.
• Cao Cao declined the Son of Heaven’s offer to distribute rewards immediately, saying he would prepare a list of officials’ merits for the emperor to approve.

Yang Biao challenged Cao Cao’s control over imperial appointments, but the emperor sided with Cao Cao, leaving Yang Biao defeated. A dispatch then revealed that Yuan Shao had proclaimed the emperor was in Ji Province and denounced Cao Cao as a usurper, prompting Cao Cao’s fury and leaving the court to question the emperor’s legitimacy.

• Yang Biao accused Cao Cao of disrespecting the emperor and trying to seize control of the Han court, while Yang Xiu unsuccessfully urged his father to stop.
• Cao Cao asked the emperor whether he acted selfishly, and the emperor declared that Mengde was selfless, silencing Yang Biao.
• Yang Xiu apologized to Cao Cao on his father’s behalf, and Cao Cao resumed the banquet while Yang Biao sat in despair.
• A guard delivered a dispatch, which Xun Yu read before handing it to Cao Cao.
• Cao Cao erupted in anger after reading that Yuan Shao had called him a traitor and claimed the emperor had escaped to Ji Province.
• Xun Yu explained that Yuan Shao had called on Han officials to pay homage to the emperor in Ye City, and the court turned to the emperor seated before them in confusion.

Yuan Shao claimed that the emperor was in Ji Province, undermining Cao Cao’s authority and alarming the emperor. Yang Biao encouraged the emperor to find hope in the rivalry between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, while Cao Cao’s advisers warned that Yuan Shao’s prestige would make his lie difficult to discredit.

• The emperor feared Yuan Shao’s claim would make him seem like a false emperor, but Yang Biao argued that the rivalry could give him room to restore the Han.
• Yang Biao invoked the examples of Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Guangwu, and the emperor vowed not to give up; Yang Biao and Fu Wan swore to follow him.
• Xu Chu arrived with guards and escorted the emperor back to his chambers on Cao Cao’s orders.
• Cao Cao cursed Yuan Shao’s proclamation, while Cheng Yu suggested that an imperial edict could refute it.
• Xun Yu and Xun You explained that Yuan Shao’s family prestige and reputation would lead many people to believe his claim despite the truth.
• Yang Xiu warned that Yuan Shao’s proclamation would make lords less willing to obey the emperor’s edicts in Cao Cao’s name.

Cao Cao sought a capable strategist after Yuan Shao’s proclamation threatened his standing, while the rival claims about the Son of Heaven’s location spread confusion across the realm. In Ye City, Liu Xie continued his exhausting training to impersonate the emperor and ended the lesson by refusing to practice any longer.

• Yang Xiu criticized Yuan Shao’s scheme, and Cao Cao rebuked him before asking Xun Yu to find a strategist.
• Xun Yu recommended Guo Jia, who served Yuan Shao but might be persuaded to join Cao Cao, and Cao Cao ordered Xun Yu to write him a letter.
• The Son of Heaven issued an edict from Xu County denying Yuan Shao’s claims, leaving people and rival lords uncertain about where the emperor was.
• Liu Xie practiced the Son of Heaven’s posture and walking in a dragon robe under Ju Shou’s supervision.
• Ju Shou scolded Liu Xie for drinking from a teapot and ordered him to continue practicing, but Liu Xie refused and demanded a rest.

Liu Xie learned that Yuan Shao planned to use the imperial seal to appoint himself Grand General and Yuan Shu Grand Commandant, while the Son of Heaven's Palace was completed. Liu Xie left his courtyard and began moving into the palace, which he regarded as a huge villa.

• Liu Xie asked Ju Shou when he could leave the courtyard, and Ju Shou told him to wait until the Son of Heaven's Palace was ready.
• Ju Shou reported Liu Xie's progress to Yuan Shao, who showed him an edict appointing Yuan Shao Grand General and Yuan Shu Grand Commandant.
• Ju Shou warned that appointing Yuan Shu Grand Commandant could worsen the brothers' rift, but Yuan Shao refused to change the plan.
• Yuan Shao ordered a thousand soldiers to guard the palace and appointed Zhang He as their commander.
• After the palace was completed, Liu Xie left his courtyard in a black carriage escorted by soldiers as Ye City's residents watched.

Liu Xie moved into the new palace in Ye City, where he appointed Yuan Shao Grand General and Yuan Shu Grand Commandant. Yuan Shao assigned Zhang He to command the Imperial Guard, and Liu Xie privately celebrated the chance to win over the overlooked general.

• Liu Xie watched the impoverished people of Ye City from his carriage and reflected on how war and heavy taxes made ordinary people suffer.
• Yuan Shao welcomed Liu Xie to the newly built palace, and Liu Xie agreed to issue an edict appointing Yuan Shao Grand General and Yuan Shu Grand Commandant.
• Yuan Shao showed Liu Xie the palace and described its servants and thousand Imperial Guard soldiers.
• Yuan Shao introduced Zhang He as commander of the Imperial Guard, and Liu Xie warmly received him while recognizing his future potential.

Liu Xie used his imperial status and concern for the common people to win Zhang He’s loyalty. Zhang He pledged to serve Liu Xie unto death, giving the emperor a trusted general as he sought to protect himself from Yuan Shao.

• After Yuan Shao departed, Liu Xie asked Zhang He to stay and talk instead of leaving to arrange the palace defenses.
• Zhang He explained that he had served Han Fu and then Yuan Shao, but declared his loyalty belonged to the Great Han and its emperor.
• Liu Xie praised Zhang He’s abilities and learned how he had risen from common birth by fighting the Yellow Turbans.
• Liu Xie spoke of the suffering he had seen among displaced people and declared, “The realm is the people, and the people are the realm!”
• Liu Xie addressed Zhang He as Junyi and asked him to help restore the Great Han, saying he did not trust Yuan Shao.
• Zhang He swore to serve Liu Xie unto death, and Liu Xie told him he trusted him.

Liu Xie gained Zhang He and his thousand imperial guards as his first force, while Yuan Shu debated exploiting the rival claims to the throne. An imperial edict from Ji Province arrived at Yuan Shu’s hall, leaving him wary of Yuan Shao’s intentions.

• Liu Xie reassured Zhang He that he would build strength and gather loyal Han officials before overthrowing the traitors.
• Yuan Shao issued edicts granting himself the titles of Grand General and Grand Marshal and conferring a title on Yuan Shu.
• Yuan Shu asked his advisers whether Yuan Shao’s emperor was genuine, and Yan Xiang and Yang Hong urged him to exploit the dispute between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao.
• Yuan Shu proposed finding someone to impersonate the emperor so he could rule in the emperor’s name.
• A courier delivered an imperial edict from Ji Province to Yuan Shu, who suspected Yuan Shao had issued it under the emperor’s name.

Yuan Shu flew into a rage when Yuan Shao appointed him Grand Commandant, then openly declared his intention to claim the throne. His advisers warned him against proclaiming himself emperor, but Yuan Shu insisted that the Imperial Seal, his lineage, and prophecies proved the Mandate of Heaven belonged to him.

• Yuan Shu read Yuan Shao’s edict naming him Grand Commandant and took the appointment as an insult from his half brother.
• Yuan Shu declared himself the Yuan Clan’s legitimate heir and future sovereign, prompting Zhang Xun to kill the courier who had delivered the edict.
• Yuan Shu revealed that a divination had foretold he would become emperor and said he would ascend the throne.
• Yan Xiang and Yang Hong warned Yuan Shu that proclaiming himself emperor would turn the realm against him.
• Yuan Shu argued that his ancestry, the Imperial Seal, and a prophecy proved he was destined to replace the Han, then dismissed Yan Xiang’s objections.

Yuan Shu became increasingly obsessed with claiming the throne, while Yan Xiang sought Sun Ce’s help to dissuade him. Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei traveled to Ye City to meet Yuan Shao, uncertain whether his Son of Heaven was genuine and hoping to obtain troops to retake Pei County.

• After Yuan Shu stormed out of a meeting, Yan Xiang told Yang Hong they needed to stop him and decided to ask Sun Ce to persuade him.
• Yuan Shu gazed at the Imperial Seal, declared himself destined to be the Son of Heaven, and summoned Zhang Pi to confirm his fate.
• Yuan Shu rejoiced at Zhang Pi’s prophecy, while Zhang Pi silently withheld that Yuan Shu’s reign would be brief.
• On the road to Ye City, Liu Bei worried that Yuan Shao might not let them leave if his Son of Heaven proved false, and Guan Yu explained the danger to Zhang Fei.
• Zhang Fei vowed to protect Liu Bei, while Liu Bei urged him to behave respectfully and explained that they needed Yuan Shao’s troops to retake Pei County.
• Guan Yu blamed the loss of Pei County on the three-surnamed slave and vowed to kill him once they had borrowed troops.

While fishing in the palace, Liu Xie lamented his confinement and considered recruiting Yuan Shao’s officials, especially Xu You. Guo Jia unexpectedly appeared to offer his respects, leaving Liu Xie stunned as a fish bit his baitless hook.

• Liu Bei reassured Guan Yu that they would reclaim Pei County, and the three brothers galloped toward Ye City to seek Yuan Shao’s aid.
• Liu Xie released a tiny crucian carp and reflected on his boredom, helplessness, and lack of a strategist to guide him.
• Liu Xie reviewed Yuan Shao’s trusted officers and considered trying to recruit Xu You, while ruling out several more loyal officials.
• Guo Jia appeared behind Liu Xie, introduced himself, and left Liu Xie dumbfounded when a fish tugged at his hook despite there being no bait.

Guo Jia visited Liu Xie after overhearing his conversation with Zhang He about the people and the realm, prompting Liu Xie to fear that Yuan Shao had discovered his plans. Guo Jia reassured him that he had told no one and had come only to ask what Liu Xie meant.

• Liu Xie recognized Guo Jia and tried to welcome him warmly, hoping to recruit him.
• Guo Jia said he had overheard Liu Xie's conversation with Zhang He in the pavilion and asked about the phrase “the realm is the people, and the people are the realm.”
• Fearing Guo Jia would expose his plans to Yuan Shao, Liu Xie gripped a hidden dagger but put it away when the young eunuch arrived with tea.
• After the eunuch left, Liu Xie asked Guo Jia whether Yuan Shao already knew about their conversation.
• Guo Jia denied acting on Yuan Shao's orders or telling anyone, explaining that he had come only out of curiosity and considered Liu Xie's wish to restore the Han Dynasty a blessing.

Liu Xie explained to Guo Jia that a ruler depended on the people, winning Guo Jia’s sincere admiration. Ju Shou then reported that Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei had arrived in Ye City and requested an audience, leaving Liu Xie stunned.

• Liu Xie revealed that he had nearly killed Guo Jia with a dagger but had refrained because killing him would not help him escape and he could not bring himself to take a life.
• Liu Xie answered Guo Jia’s questions with his Rivers and Altars Discourse, arguing that the people were a ruler’s true realm.
• Guo Jia bowed to Liu Xie in heartfelt respect, but Liu Xie told him to leave.
• Ju Shou arrived, and Guo Jia discreetly hid the dagger before telling him he had come to pay his respects.
• Ju Shou told Liu Xie that Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei had arrived in Ye City and were requesting an audience.

Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei arrived in Ye City to pay respects to Liu Xie and ask Yuan Shao for troops to retake Pei County from Lü Bu. Yuan Shao agreed to consider the request overnight, then escorted them to the palace, where Liu Xie was waiting to receive them.

• Liu Xie welcomed news of Liu Bei's arrival and ordered Ju Shou to bring the three brothers to the palace; Guo Jia stayed behind to meet them later.
• Guo Jia returned Liu Xie's dagger and cautioned him to be careful with his words and actions in the palace.
• Liu Bei told Yuan Shao that Lü Bu had taken Pei County and captured his wife and children, then asked to borrow troops to defeat Lü Bu and reclaim the county.
• Zhang Fei grew impatient with Yuan Shao's hesitation, but Liu Bei rebuked him and accepted Yuan Shao's promise to decide the next day.
• Yuan Shao agreed to escort Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei to meet Liu Xie, and Liu Xie waited in the palace hall.

Liu Xie met Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, acknowledged Liu Bei as an imperial uncle, and heard Liu Bei ask Yuan Shao for troops to retake Pei County from Lü Bu. After the audience ended, Guo Jia returned to speak privately with Liu Xie.

• Yuan Shao brought Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei to meet Liu Xie in the great hall.
• Liu Xie called Liu Bei his Imperial Uncle after hearing that Liu Bei descended from Liu Sheng, Prince Jing of Zhongshan.
• Liu Bei asked Yuan Shao for troops to drive Lü Bu from Pei County and rescue its people and Liu Bei's family.
• Ju Shou urged Liu Bei to remain in Ji Province and serve Liu Xie, but Liu Bei insisted he had to recover Pei County first.
• Liu Xie ended the audience and left Liu Bei and Yuan Shao to discuss the matter themselves.
• Guo Jia returned after the others left and told Liu Xie he had questions for him.

Liu Xie explained why he distrusted Liu Bei and challenged Guo Jia to reveal whether he served the Han or sought his own ambitions. He condemned the great aristocratic clans as the cause of the Han’s decline, leaving Guo Jia moved and questioning the depth of Liu Xie’s hatred.

• Liu Xie told Guo Jia that Liu Bei had ambitions of his own and could be used but not relied upon, so asking him for help would merely make Liu Xie someone else’s puppet.
• Guo Jia praised Liu Bei’s composure and bearing, then admitted he had lost faith in Yuan Shao and intended to leave his service.
• Guo Jia said he had planned to join Cao Cao, but Liu Xie asked whether he would serve the Han or seek advancement under a future emperor.
• Liu Xie called Guo Jia a scholar seeking to fulfill his aspirations and said he did not condemn him for choosing another lord.
• Liu Xie declared that he would purge the great aristocratic clans if he regained power and blamed their monopolies, wealth, and control for the Han’s decline and the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

Liu Xie explained his plan to use imperial examinations to break the great clans’ monopoly on office and give scholars from humble families a path to advancement. Guo Jia, moved by the vision, pledged to help Liu Xie restore the Han Dynasty on the condition that he establish the system.

• Liu Xie told Guo Jia that force alone could not overcome the great clans and that sweeping reforms were necessary.
• Liu Xie described examinations open to candidates regardless of birth and said officials would no longer be able to recommend candidates directly.
• Guo Jia realized the imperial examination system offered a path for humble-born scholars and broke down in tears of joy and grief.
• Guo Jia knelt before Liu Xie and pledged to help restore the Han Dynasty and crush the rebels.
• Guo Jia swore to serve Liu Xie until death and asked him to implement imperial examinations and open a path for scholars from humble families.

Guo Jia pledged himself to Liu Xie and advised him to wait for Yuan Shao’s enemies to create an opening, while secretly weighing whether to bring Xun Yu into a plot against Yuan Shao. A month later, Liu Xie attended Yuan Shao’s New Year’s Eve banquet, where the officials ignored him until Yuan Shao arrived with his followers.

• Guo Jia pledged his allegiance to Liu Xie after securing his promise to support imperial examination reform if he restored the Han Dynasty.
• Guo Jia advised Liu Xie to lie low because Yuan Shao needed the emperor’s name and would face opposition from other warlords, especially Cao Cao.
• Guo Jia burned the unopened letter Xun Yu had sent from Xu County and considered, then rejected, a plan to recruit him against Yuan Shao.
• A month later, Yuan Shao summoned officials and their families to a New Year’s Eve banquet in the palace in Liu Xie’s name.
• Liu Xie sat ignored at the banquet while Guo Jia sat near the entrance and Zhang He and Gao Lan guarded the palace gates.
• Yuan Shao entered the hall with Liu, Guan, Zhang, and his strategists, then apologized to Liu Xie for arriving late.