When the head of General-in-Chief He Jin was thrown out of the palace gates, rolling to a stop in front of Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, both men were momentarily stunned.
It wasn't that they were afraid of seeing a severed head. Both Yuan Shao and Cao Cao had blood on their hands, and to them, killing a person wasn't much different from slaughtering a chicken.
The problem was that General-in-Chief He Jin, a man who stood second only to the emperor in the entire Han Dynasty, the supreme commander of the empire's military, had been beheaded like a chicken—without an imperial edict, without a formal accusation, and without any explanation!
From atop the palace walls, someone shouted, "He Jin has rebelled and has been executed! All accomplices are pardoned! Leave now, or face death!"
The dozen or so guards waiting outside the palace gates immediately panicked. A few of them, unsure of what to do, even dropped their weapons and prepared to flee.
Cao Cao, after a brief moment of shock, quickly regained his composure. Seeing the guards about to scatter, he drew his sword, rushed forward, and stabbed the first guard who turned to run. Raising his blood-stained sword high, he shouted at the remaining guards, "We have failed to protect our general, and that is a capital offense! Our only hope of survival is to avenge him!"
Yuan Shao, jolted into action, also drew his sword and roared, "The eunuchs have murdered a high-ranking official! Those who wish to punish the wicked, join us!" He charged at the palace gates, hacking at them wildly, regardless of whether his blows had any effect.
Cao Cao, along with the remaining guards, followed suit, attacking the thick palace gates with their weapons.
As he struck, Cao Cao whispered to Yuan Shao, "We've been set up. Yuan Shu still hasn't arrived with the troops, which is highly suspicious. Our only chance now is to fight our way out. We must call for Wu Zizhu to bring reinforcements!"
Yuan Shao and Cao Cao had come as He Jin's personal guards, but now that He Jin had been killed, they would inevitably be held responsible for failing to protect him. If they retreated now, believing the eunuchs' promise of pardon, it would be tantamount to betraying their master for the sake of survival—a stain that would haunt them for the rest of their lives.
Who would want to associate with someone who fled at a critical moment? That's why Cao Cao immediately killed the fleeing guard to intimidate the others and reminded Yuan Shao that they had likely been betrayed. Yuan Shu's absence was highly suspicious, and their only way out was to kill those responsible for He Jin's death to mitigate their own culpability.
Yuan Shao, with his sharp political instincts, worked seamlessly with Cao Cao. Regardless of how He Jin had died—whether murdered or officially executed for treason—their only hope was to pin the blame entirely on the eunuchs and position themselves as avengers of justice. Otherwise, even if they escaped home and used their official status or family influence to avoid punishment, they would forever be mocked and scorned, unable to hold their heads high.
For Yuan Shao, a man of humble origins who had only recently glimpsed the possibility of rising to power, this was worse than death! His eyes red with fury, Yuan Shao tore off a jade pendant from his belt and shoved it into the hands of a nearby guard. "Take this to General Wu and tell him to bring his troops and fire oil equipment here immediately! Go, now!"
"Damn those eunuchs!" Yuan Shao's eyes burned with rage. He had finally escaped the control of the eunuch Jian Shuo and, under He Jin's lax oversight, had begun to truly command a unit of the imperial guards. Just as he was starting to taste the sweetness of power, his path to advancement had been cut off. How could he not be furious?
Since Yuan Shu couldn't be relied upon, they would call for Wu Kuang, also known as Wu Zizhu, to bring troops! It didn't matter whether the eunuchs had justifiably killed He Jin or not—they had ruined Yuan Shao's future, and now they would pay with their lives!
At that moment, the setting sun bathed the palace walls in a blood-red glow.
************
Although Fei Qian hadn't drunk to the point of losing control, he had consumed enough to feel the effects of the alcohol. His reactions were sluggish, and his eyelids grew heavy with sleepiness. As the maids helped him to his bed, he collapsed onto it, too tired to move.
He felt soft hands undressing him and gently wiping his face and hands with warm, damp cloths. The sensation was like a gentle breeze, so soothing that he couldn't help but sigh in contentment.
Fei Qian, thoroughly pampered and relaxed, didn't even want to lift a finger. The faint fragrance in the room, combined with his drowsiness, made his eyelids feel as if they were glued together. He struggled to keep them open, catching only glimpses of two or three figures swaying before him. Before he could see clearly, sleep overtook him, and he fell into a deep slumber…
Where is this?
Fei Qian suddenly stood up and looked around. He was back at his office desk.
"I… how did I get here? Wasn't I in the Three Kingdoms?" Fei Qian muttered to himself. The vast office space was empty except for him. "...Where is everyone? Ah, I think I'm on duty today…"
Fei Qian felt his head spinning, and it was hard to breathe. "Did I… fall asleep? What time is it…? Where's my phone?"
He rummaged through the cluttered pile of documents on his desk, finally finding his phone. Just as he was about to check the time, the phone suddenly rang with a shrill tone, startling him so much that he nearly dropped it.
"Ah, yes, boss. Okay, okay…"
Modern communication was too convenient. A leader could issue orders remotely, leaving the subordinates exhausted. Fei Qian clicked his tongue. Although he had agreed politely, he was cursing inwardly.
Didn't I just send out a group report? Why do I need to send another one separately? If you're not going to read the group messages, what's the point of having the group?
Grumbling aside, he still had to get the work done. Fei Qian turned off the screensaver and prepared to retrieve the data.
Suddenly, a voice came from behind him: "Is this what you do for a living?"
Fei Qian jumped in fright and looked around. "...Who's there? Who are you?"
"I am you."
From behind Fei Qian emerged a man dressed in wide robes and a tall hat, with a silk belt around his waist. He looked exactly like Fei Qian, only much younger.
"You… you… me… me…" Fei Qian stammered in shock.
The young man in Hanfu looked around curiously, reaching out to touch the objects in the office. "Such strange things! Is this… paper? White as snow, tough as silk, light as air—such a treasure! How much does it cost?"
"This… this is just copy paper. We buy it by the box in the office… I don't know how much a single sheet costs. Maybe a few cents?"
The Hanfu youth looked both surprised and displeased. "How can such a treasure be so cheap? You truly live in a land of plenty."
"A land of plenty? I wake up earlier than a rooster, sleep later than a dog, eat worse than a pig, and work harder than a donkey… Ah, I'd rather be in the Three Kingdoms!" Fei Qian complained bitterly.
"You dislike this place?" The Hanfu youth seemed puzzled. "Compared to fleeing to the barbarian south, which is better?"
"Of course… ah, I'm just trying to survive. Yangzhou isn't at war, after all…"
The Hanfu youth suddenly grew angry, stepping closer to Fei Qian and demanding loudly, "A true man should live with no shame before heaven and earth! How can you cling to life so cowardly? Tell me, what is your ambition?"
Fei Qian felt the youth's voice reverberating through the space, growing louder and louder, while he himself seemed to shrink smaller and smaller. Finally, the only thing left in the world was the voice shouting, "—What is your ambition?"
Fei Qian woke with a start, sitting up on the bed and looking around in a panic. A dim lamp flickered, casting shadows on the ancient furniture around him.
"This… this is the Three Kingdoms…" Fei Qian murmured to himself, realizing he was drenched in cold sweat.
The maid sleeping at the foot of the bed was also awakened. She quickly got up and supported Fei Qian, asking softly, "My lord, are you unwell?"
Fei Qian forced a smile. "No, I'm just thirsty. Do you have any water?"
"Please wait a moment, my lord." The maid, suspecting nothing, assumed Fei Qian was simply thirsty from drinking too much. She bowed and went to fetch water.
Fei Qian put on his outer robe and, under the dim light of the lamp, stepped outside. He looked up at the starry sky, something impossible to see in modern times, and sighed deeply. "What is my ambition? What do I really want to do? In this era, with a thousand years of knowledge, how should I act?"
The night was deep, and the surroundings were silent except for the chirping of crickets.
"Were you here to remind me?" Fei Qian whispered. "Perhaps you're right. A true man should live with no shame before heaven and earth… In my past life, I was suffocated by frustration. Should I choose a path of frustration again now?"
Suddenly, a commotion broke the silence of the night. Shouts and the neighing of horses echoed from a distance, disrupting the peace of the manor. Many people in the manor were awakened from their sleep, hastily putting on clothes and rushing out to investigate. Torches were lit, and voices called out in confusion.
Fei Qian, following the noise, took a few steps forward when he ran into Cui Hou, who was also hastily dressing and looking around. Fei Qian quickly greeted him.
Cui Hou hurried over and grabbed Fei Qian's hand. "Brother, don't panic. I've already sent guards to secure the area. If bandits come, we'll ensure your safety."
Fei Qian subtly withdrew his hand and pointed in the direction of Luoyang, where the noise was coming from. It was too far to see anything clearly, but a faint red glow flickered in the distance. "Is that… Luoyang?"
Cui Hou listened carefully, his face filled with confusion. He strained to look toward Luoyang. "That red light… could it be a fire?"
"Brother Cui, is there a river nearby?"
"Ah? The Luo River isn't far." Although unsure why Fei Qian was asking, Cui Hou pointed in the direction of the river.
"It's too dark to travel easily. If there are bandits, they'll likely follow the sound of the river. Send some men to check along the riverbanks." In ancient times, most people suffered from night blindness, so traveling at night often required following landmarks like the sound of water.
Cui Hou praised, "Brother, you're absolutely right!" He then turned to gather some men to search along the river. Fei Qian quickly stopped him, suggesting that Cui Hou should stay in the manor to coordinate while he himself would lead the search, accompanied by a few skilled guards.
Cui Hou agreed and, after repeatedly urging Fei Qian to be careful, opened the manor gates and let him lead the search party out.
The guards, holding torches, spread out to protect Fei Qian on both sides. Clearly experienced, they moved like a net toward the riverbank. In the deep night, the torchlight reflected in Fei Qian's eyes, as if a fire had been lit within him.