This was an ordinary mud-brick house with a wooden beam structure, roughly twenty square meters in size. The whitewash on the yellow mud walls had peeled off in places, revealing the earthen base and straw beneath. Against the walls stood several wooden shelves, each neatly stacked with rolls of bamboo scrolls. There were quite a number of them, and some scrolls, shiny from frequent handling, not only had a polished exterior but also showed wear on the hemp strings binding them. On the far end of the shelves were a few delicate wooden boxes, likely used for storing books.
In the center of the room was a mat with a low table on top. On the table's corner lay two or three brushes and scattered bamboo strips, carving knives, and other stationery items. Beside the table stood a rustic clay jar, tilted slightly, with two or three silk scrolls sticking out.
Fei Qian sat cross-legged behind the desk, his gaze unfocused, lost in thought.
The original Fei Qian of the Eastern Han Dynasty had fallen gravely ill and, on the brink of death, had miraculously recovered. But no one knew that his soul had been replaced by a Fei Qian from the future.
The Fei Qian from the future was a low-level office worker in a modern city, a so-called professional workplace slacker. His face wasn't thick enough, and his heart wasn't black enough, so he just muddled through day after day, never climbing the ranks. During a celebration for a new boss, he drank too much and was barely conscious on his way home. When he woke up, he found himself in the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Or, more accurately, the Three Kingdoms era.
Though it wasn't quite the Three Kingdoms yet. The Three Kingdoms would only officially begin after the Battle of Red Cliffs, after Cao Cao death and Cao Pi declared himself the ruler of Wei, Liu Bei of Shu, and Sun Quan of Wu. Right now, according to the era name, it was the first year of Guangxi.
The Yellow Turban Rebellion had just ended, and Luoyang had been in chaos for a while. Emperor Ling of Han had just died, and the imperial palace was in disarray. Emperor Ling had wanted his son Liu Xie to succeed him, but instead of entrusting this to the high-ranking officials, he had left it to the eunuch Jian Shuo, the Commandant of the Western Garden.
Emperor Ling had thought Jian Shuo, as the leader of the Western Garden's Eight Commandants, could maintain order. But in reality, Jian Shuo wasn't as powerful as he seemed.
Jian Shuo and He Jin had long been rivals, accumulating much hatred between them. Now, with the opportunity to carry out Emperor Ling's final wish and also eliminate He Jin, Jian Shuo thought it was perfect and plotted to kill He Jin.
He Jin's sister was Emperor Ling's empress, and Empress He had a son named Liu Bian. The He family naturally wanted Liu Bian to ascend the throne, not Liu Xie, so they clashed head-on with Jian Shuo.
Unfortunately, Jian Shuo overestimated his own capabilities. His plot to kill He Jin was leaked, and not only did he fail to eliminate He Jin, but he also lost his own life. Overnight, everyone associated with Jian Shuo, including his immediate family, was slaughtered. The Jian residence was drenched in blood, and heads piled up in the marketplace.
Subsequently, He Jin installed Liu Bian as emperor, with the era name Guangxi. He Jin's sister, Empress He, was promoted to Empress Dowager He. However, there was still the previous Emperor Ling's Empress Dowager Dong in the palace. One mountain couldn't hold two tigers, let alone two empress dowagers in one palace. So Empress Dowager He set a trap and found an excuse to eliminate Empress Dowager Dong, allowing the He family to reach the pinnacle of power as imperial relatives.
But what happened next left Fei Qian puzzled. He Jin made a terrible mistake—he summoned Dong Zhuo to the capital!
While anyone with a bit of knowledge about the Three Kingdoms knows that Dong Zhuo's arrival marked the complete collapse of the Eastern Han imperial authority, Fei Qian couldn't and didn't dare tell anyone.
The pile of heads in the marketplace had taught Fei Qian a vivid lesson: this was the feudal society of the Eastern Han Dynasty. There were no trials, no reprieves—one wrong move, and it was off with your head.
So Fei Qian could only ponder in secret. Although his knowledge of Three Kingdoms history wasn't extensive, thanks to modern TV dramas and games, he had a general idea.
Right now, the entire Han Dynasty could be summed up in one word: chaos!
Chaos everywhere! The Yellow Turban Rebellion, followed by the chaos in Luoyang's palace, then Dong Zhuo's Liangzhou soldiers causing havoc, and finally, nationwide chaos…
Fei Qian was grateful that the original Fei Qian had left him with the identity of a reserve official, which allowed him to stay at home and avoid being caught up in the recent chaos in Luoyang.
In the Han Dynasty, officials were recommended by local governors, known as "recommending the filial and incorrupt." Those recommended could go to the capital to take a written exam, which tested their knowledge of classical texts and official documents. Those who passed the written exam would then undergo an interview. Successful candidates would remain in the capital and be given the title of Lang, waiting to be assigned to local positions as vacancies arose.
This Lang title had saved Fei Qian during the recent chaos in Luoyang, as he hadn't been caught up in the turmoil. But this identity might not be enough in the future.
Dong Zhuo was about to enter the capital, and his Liangzhou soldiers wouldn't show the same restraint as the Luoyang soldiers. Fei Qian also remembered that Dong Zhuo eventually forced everyone in Luoyang to move to Chang'an, leaving a trail of corpses and burning Luoyang to the ground…
Fei Qian shuddered.
Should he try to stop Dong Zhuo from entering the capital?
Ha, an insignificant reserve official trying to tell the Grand General what to do? Besides, Fei Qian remembered that He Jin was killed before Dong Zhuo even arrived. Why bother currying favor with a dead man?
Or should he try to save He Jin?
But how? He couldn't even get close to someone like Cao Cao or Yuan Shen, let alone the Grand General. Should he stand outside He Jin's residence and shout, "Grand General, your life is in danger! Please listen to me!"? He'd probably be cut down by the guards before he even got close.
In the Han Dynasty, you couldn't just meet anyone you wanted. Social interactions required equal status and proper etiquette. Sudden visits were considered extremely rude, and the host could simply refuse to see you. Typically, you had to send a name card to request a meeting and bring appropriate gifts like ducks, pheasants, geese, or lambs, depending on the host's status.
As for gold, silver, or jewels, those were exchanged privately after the meeting. No one would dare bring such items openly—it would be a grave insult, worse than a slap in the face. Even the notoriously corrupt Ten Attendants wouldn't dare do such a thing.
When Fei Qian first arrived, he almost made a fool of himself by not fully integrating the original Fei Qian's memories. Fortunately, he used his recent illness as an excuse to cover his confusion. Otherwise, he would have turned friends into strangers and strangers into enemies.
Yuan Shao, born into a family of high officials, was a prominent figure. Even Cao Cao was the son of Cao Song and grandson of Cao Teng, a eunuch who had served four emperors and was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Feiting. Back then, marquis titles were highly prestigious—even the famous Li Guang never achieved one, while Cao Teng was the only eunuch to be enfeoffed!
To put it in modern terms, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao were top-tier princelings, higher in status than the sons of regional governors. How could someone like Fei Qian, a mere intern in the government, expect to meet them?
He couldn't even get close enough to hug their thighs—
Fei Qian sighed.
Suddenly, his stomach growled.
Fei Qian instinctively glanced around to make sure no one was there, then slightly turned and let out a few loud farts.
Fei Qian sighed again. He'd eaten too many beans today, and his body was reacting naturally.
"Misleading," Fei Qian thought, recalling modern TV dramas and novels. "It's all misleading!" In Three Kingdoms TV dramas, even the lowly soldiers were shown eating bowls of white rice. But in the year he'd been here, Fei Qian hadn't had a single decent meal of white rice. At best, he ate millet, barley, or wheat; at worst, it was just beans—lots of beans. And eating too many beans led to frequent farting…
During the recent chaos caused by He Jin and Jian Shuo, even millet and barley were in short supply, forcing him to eat beans every day and endure constant flatulence.
That wasn't even the worst part. There were no phones, no computers, no Baidu, no online novels! Only two meals a day, and lighting lamps was too expensive, so he had to go to bed as soon as it got dark. The long nights were spent hungry until dawn… Thinking back to his early days in the Three Kingdoms, Fei Qian couldn't help but shed a tear. It had been a real struggle.
Clothing was another issue. Long robes with wide sleeves might look elegant in TV dramas, but in reality, they were a hassle. Short sleeves were considered barbarian attire, usually worn by laborers or hunters. Someone like Fei Qian had to wear formal Han clothing whenever he went out to meet people—three layers: an inner garment, a middle layer, and an outer robe. And he had to make sure the left lapel overlapped the right, with the ties fastened on the right side. The biggest problem? No underwear! Walking around really did let the breeze reach sensitive areas. Fei Qian had made plenty of mistakes with clothing at first, like thinking the right lapel should overlap the left. Thankfully, his old steward, Uncle Fu, caught and corrected him in time.
Uncle Fu had been the family steward since Fei Qian was a child. Fei Qian's parents had died of typhoid fever five years ago, leaving him in Uncle Fu's care. Though technically a steward, Uncle Fu treated Fei Qian like his own family.
When the original Fei Qian fell seriously ill with typhoid, everyone was afraid of catching it. Only Uncle Fu stayed by his side, personally caring for him. When Fei Qian "recovered," Uncle Fu was overjoyed.
When the modern Fei Qian first arrived, his odd behavior was noticed by Uncle Fu, who gently guided him. Uncle Fu believed that Fei Qian had walked through the gates of hell and spent too long in the underworld, losing some of his yang energy and forgetting certain things. But being alive was a blessing, and everything else could be worked out.
Fei Qian had a strong ability to adapt, something he admired about himself. He treated his robe-like clothes as a skirt, ate coarse grains as if they were rustic meals, stopped being a phone addict, went to bed early, and adjusted to two meals a day. But there was one thing he couldn't adapt to or solve through sheer willpower.
How to survive in this world?
Now that He Jin had made a fatal mistake by summoning Dong Zhuo, the Han Dynasty was on the brink of collapse. Warlords would rise, and the people would suffer. Although Fei Qian wasn't entirely clear on the specifics, he remembered a poem from his school days, likely written by Cao Cao: "White bones lie exposed in the wild, a thousand miles without the crow of a rooster."
Cao Cao's army had even resorted to cannibalism during their most desperate times!
Forget the future—even Luoyang was about to descend into chaos. Surviving wouldn't be easy.
Luoyang was no longer safe. Where should he go next? What path should he take?
Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu were both disasters waiting to happen, squandering their advantages. Sun Jian was still playing his "Little Conqueror" game, but he'd soon meet his end, and his son Sun Ce would follow suit. Cao Cao didn't even have a territory yet—he'd have to flee and become a fugitive before starting his rise as a warlord. Liu Bei, after beating up a local official, was still on the run, possibly hiding with Gongsun Zan. And then there were Liu Yan, Liu Yu, Liu Biao, and a host of other minor figures…
Which of these potential allies could he rely on? Cao Cao's faction was the strongest, but Fei Qian had no reputation or talent. How could he compete with geniuses like Guo Jia, Xun You, or Chen Qun, whose intelligence scores were off the charts? The pressure would be immense. Plus, Cao Cao was about to become a fugitive for years. Joining him now might mean being sold out—Cao Cao was notoriously suspicious and self-serving.
What about becoming a warlord himself? With no money, no food, no territory, and no legitimacy, who would follow him? Dreaming about recruiting legendary figures like Dian Wei, Zhao Yun, Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei was just that—a dream. Reality was far harsher.
Fei Qian felt his thoughts were tangled by the current situation. No matter how much he pondered, he couldn't find a clear path. "Sigh, I'll just take it one step at a time. First, find a way to leave Luoyang. The rest can wait."
Fei Qian rubbed his aching head.
Just then, an elderly man quietly entered the room, smiling warmly at Fei Qian with a look of deep affection. He bowed slightly and said, "Young Master, Young Master Cui is here."
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A/N: This is a new Three Kingdoms story. While it draws inspiration from *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, it isn't a direct adaptation. After all, *Romance* leaves many mysteries and details unexplored. Join us on this journey through the Three Kingdoms, where we'll witness heroism, beauty, intrigue, and genuine emotions.