In the early Han dynasty, for decades the Xiongnu cavalry swept south year after year to raid and plunder. The Han court could only exchange marriage alliances and tribute for a brief respite, and the humiliation of enduring this indignity was etched into the heart of the young Liu Che. Ascending the throne at sixteen, he refused to keep trading women and precious gifts for peace along the borders. He vowed to eliminate the northern threat and restore the glory of the Han Empire. Thus began a campaign against the Xiongnu that would span half his life, drawing him into endless bewilderment woven from power and warfare.