Chapter Two, the nation is broken but the mountains and rivers remain

The following should be: "The beacon fires have burned for three months, a letter from home is worth a fortune. My white hair is even shorter from scratching, I can hardly hold up my hairpin." This is purely the tone of middle-aged and elderly people, while Pei is still in his youth. Not to mention children, he hasn't even married a wife yet. If he were to recite these four lines, who would believe they are his own original work!

Even if one entrusts their fate to the heavens, there is always a glimmer of hope. Even if one is slain by the Hu cavalry on the road, at least it would be a swift end. Ultimately, the night has deepened; during the day, one dares not escape. At this moment, taking advantage of the absence of stars and moonlight, one should at least attempt to flee. In special circumstances, running away is also a form of resistance against fate.

Pei sneered, "If one must die, then so be it; what use is there in fearing?"

However, that official continued to pull him aside: "General Hu has issued an order that all captured princes, nobles, and court officials must go to pay their respects. Can Wen Yue still walk?"

In fact, he is also afraid, but considering that death is imminent and inescapable, what significance does that fear hold?

As he spoke, he reached out to pull Pei Gai. Pei Gai struggled to push him away and asked, "What time is it?" The official smiled wryly and replied, "Wen Yue, you have been in a deep sleep for half a day. The sky has just brightened, and the Hu cavalry will soon invade the city. The nobles have all been rendered helpless, and the army has been annihilated in an instant—now we have all become prisoners under the Hu invaders!"

Pei coldly sniffed: "What difficulty is there in writing poetry!" What is the greatest advantage of being a time traveler? Many time travel novels have made it abundantly clear that it must be plagiarism, plagiarizing the articles and poems of later generations, pretending to be extraordinarily talented—I'm a humanities student, and I can't create guns or cannons. If I can't even manage to plagiarize, wouldn't that be a laughingstock for the predecessors of time travelers?

However, which piece should I copy?

In a country where such individuals serve as prime ministers, it is only natural for it to meet its demise. Upon reflecting on this, Pei could not help but curl the corner of his mouth, revealing a faint, cold smile.

Shi Le waved his hand, seemingly saying something, but the distance was too great to hear clearly. Soon, two Hu soldiers ran over, one on the left and one on the right, lifting Pei Gai and taking him directly into the main tent, where they promptly shoved him to the ground. Pei Gai struggled to sit up again, maintaining his previous posture, and cast his fearless gaze once more towards Shi Le

What should be done? The soldiers of the Jin army, mostly rural simpletons, are completely unaware of what they should do in the absence of a commanding leader, passively awaiting the arrival of death. Meanwhile, those officials and dignitaries... perhaps still fantasize that if captured, even if reduced to slavery, there remains a chance for survival... Only Pei clearly understands what will happen once the dawn breaks! Perhaps still fantasizing that if captured, even if reduced to slavery, there remains a chance for survival... Only Pei clearly understands what will happen once the dawn breaks!

Thoughts swirling in his mind, his footsteps quickened, bringing him closer to the South Gate. Suddenly, a strong smell of blood assaulted him, causing a spasm in his stomach, nearly making him vomit. His steps faltered, and he was forced to reach out to the shadow beside him for support—his hand met something soft, leaving him uncertain whether it was a living person or a corpse, sending a shiver down his spine. He hurriedly withdrew his hand, but lost his balance and fell in the opposite direction. His steps faltered again, and he was forced to reach out to the shadow beside him for support—his hand met something soft, leaving him uncertain whether it was a living person or a corpse, sending a shiver down his spine. He hurriedly withdrew his hand, but lost his balance and fell in the opposite direction.

Lacking both strength and courage, devoid of any charisma, and even now suffering from a muddled memory, I can hardly recognize even the faces around me... In just a few hours, dawn will break, and the Hu cavalry will surely launch their final assault. I will vanish like a fleeting drop of water in the long river of history... No, there won't even be a fleeting moment, and I might die in a manner too painful to describe. Pei lacks the dashing demeanor of the distinguished figures of this era. Although compared to Wang Yan and the others, who are crying with swollen eyes, these two nameless young officials in front of me still possess some courage, daring to face death... No, there won't even be a fleeting moment, and I might die in a manner too painful to describe. Pei lacks the dashing demeanor of the distinguished figures of this era. Although compared to Wang Yan and the others, who are crying with swollen eyes, these two nameless young officials in front of me still possess some courage, daring to face death... And they even have the mood to compose farewell poems here...? But what are they saying! "When in power, one cannot escape blame," "To die for the country is to show my loyalty," as if they are martyrs who have fought for the nation until their tragic sacrifice!

Shile could not help but laugh, and he spoke in quite standard Chinese: "The late Duke of Julu is a person I have always respected, but unfortunately, he was harmed by treacherous officials. I did not expect to see the descendants of the Duke today—now you are captured by me, becoming a prisoner. Are you terrified?"

When Pei was pulled up by this unknown acquaintance, amidst the cruel laughter of the surrounding Hu cavalry, he staggered to his feet and then wobbled to the front of the enemy general's tent. There, he saw a row of officials almost filling the area in front of the tent, all wearing either the Jin dynasty's Jin Xian crown or the cage crown, dressed in court robes or pleated trousers, adorned with sashes and seals. However, the vast majority of these officials had their faces covered in dust, their crowns askew, their robes tattered, sitting on the ground, with some even lying flat on the ground, trembling incessantly.

He should have died, but inexplicably, his soul traversed nearly two thousand years into the past. The original owner of this body was almost powerless, even his horsemanship was terrible; he had fled into Ningping City by carriage. However, just before entering the city, the axle broke and the wheel shattered, throwing him down. As he turned around, wanting to grit his teeth and get up, he suddenly saw a round object whistling towards him, directly into his embrace. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a bloodied and mangled head... Truly, he must have been so frightened that he rolled his eyes back and fainted. When he opened his eyes again, the body had already changed hands.

Fortunately, in the previous life, I was not a master in literature and history, but I had some foundation. Pei pondered for only a few seconds before raising his hands high and reciting in a melodious voice: "The country is broken, yet the mountains and rivers remain; in the city, spring brings deep grass and trees. Moved by the times, flowers shed tears; hating separation, birds startle the heart..." Well, these four lines will do; I cannot continue to copy, or I will surely give myself away.

Although I cannot recall their names, they are likely similar to this foolish Pei Gai in this lifetime, merely a group of idle aristocrats who spend their days indulging in poetic musings. How could Pei Gai, who is engulfed in darkness and trapped in despair, not let out a near-desperate sneer upon hearing such nonsense

The man with the yellow beard, after inquiring about his name, strode into the tent and spoke a few words beside Shi Le. Shi Le suddenly turned his head, his eyes flashing like lightning, sweeping across the room. Wherever his gaze fell, the Jin officials bowed their heads, not daring to look up, including the fellow who had been reciting "The dead nation sees my steadfastness" beside Pei Gai just the night before. Only Pei Gai widened his eyes, boldly meeting the Hu general's gaze, standing in stark opposition.

Although several hundred years have passed, and the styles of poetry and grammar differ significantly, the "Poet Sage" remains the "Poet Sage," and the renowned works continue to be renowned. Even the leading poets of this era would surely feel a sense of awe, let alone these two minor figures

Two young officials were scolded by him until their faces turned red. One of them stammered and could not speak, while the other glared and argued: "Do we not wish to save the country? However, being out of office, we cannot engage in its governance—at the moment of death, we can still calmly recite poetry, which is far superior to your state! If you too could compose poetry, living up to your past literary reputation, it would show that you are unafraid of the barbarian invaders, undaunted by death, and not driven to madness on the spot!"

In fact, there was an opportunity to die back then; it is unknown who dragged him into the city, allowing him to temporarily escape the arrows of the Hu cavalry. Then, during the night, he managed to sneak away, and damn it, it is again unknown who brought him back to life. But what significance does this hold? In the end, does it not still lead to an inevitable death?

The soldiers "none were able to escape," while Wang Yan and others were subjected to Shi Le's "order to have them killed by being pushed against the wall"

Who would have thought that Pei Gai's pretentious behavior would attract the attention of a bearded man? The man stepped forward, raised his whip, resting it on his shoulder, and in a somewhat halting Chinese, asked: "Who are you?" Pei Gai, with his neck stiffened, did not look at him, but continued to gaze ahead, casually replying: "I am Pei Gai, the Cavalry Regular and Marquis of Nanchang."

They have escaped, yet Pei suddenly raised his right hand and gave himself a sharp slap on the face—what time is it, and you still have the mind to engage in a war of words? You still have the mind to recite Du Fu's "Spring View"? ... It would be better to quickly ponder, aside from surrendering to the Hu, what other slim chance of survival remains ...! ... Surrendering to the Hu is truly not my wish ...! Moreover, it is not as if you can simply say you surrender and the other side will definitely spare you ... still, it would be better to quickly ponder, aside from surrendering to the Hu, what other slim chance of survival remains ...! ... Surrendering to the Hu is truly not my wish ...! Furthermore, it is not as if you can simply say you surrender and the other side will definitely spare you ... ...

As he gazed at the South Gate ahead, he managed to rise but dared not straighten his body. He was forced to bend at the waist, trying to lower his center of gravity, and thus he slowly advanced forward, half shuffling and half dragging himself. The ground beneath him was damp and slippery, with a stench that penetrated to the core, nearly causing him to faint. Pei struggled to maintain clarity of mind as he trudged forward amidst the pools of blood and piles of corpses

Since death is inevitable, one should not lose dignity before dying. One cannot simply lie on the ground and weep like those useless bureaucrats before me. If begging for mercy could grant me life, it might be worth a try to plead a few times, but for someone like Xin Pei, who understands the course of history, such actions would be utterly futile.

Of course, he could not possibly remember the original texts of the "Book of Jin" or "Records of the Zitong," but only retained a general idea. He claimed that Wang Yan completely distanced himself, stating that the reason for this defeat had nothing to do with him at all, saying, "I have never had the ambition to hold an official position since I was young." Furthermore, he also advised Shi Le to proclaim himself emperor, hoping to curry favor with Shi Le in order to evade death

Left and right is death, so why not take the plunge and fight for it? Even if one relies on fate and hopes for divine intervention, it is still better than completely surrendering to death

The sound of chaotic hoofbeats came from not far away. He raised his eyes to see several torches flickering as they approached. Just as he was about to lower his body further and stop his movements, waiting for the Hu cavalry to pass, suddenly, a hand emerged from the pile of corpses and grasped his ankle. Pei was caught off guard, his body leaned forward, and his face directly hit the ground. Logically, he had pressed his body very low, and even though his head was not far from the ground, by sheer coincidence, his forehead happened to collide with some hard object—whether it was a broken shield or a shattered helmet—he only felt a buzzing in his head, and time seemed to come to a halt.

In his previous life, it could not be said that he was exceptionally prosperous, but he could barely be considered to have had a smooth journey. He lived for nearly thirty years, without suffering from any major illnesses or encountering significant hardships, following a routine of studying, graduating, and finding employment... At that time, he had no desire to start a family, and his salary was sufficient to ensure a modestly comfortable life for himself... However, inexplicably, he was struck head-on by an eight-wheeled truck that should not have been driving into the city during the day while he was on the crosswalk. He still remembers that his last thought was:... However, inexplicably, he was struck head-on by an eight-wheeled truck that should not have been driving into the city during the day while he was on the crosswalk. He still remembers that his last thought was:

Pei Gai, styled Wenyue, is the second son of the late Duke of Julu, Pei Wei, who was posthumously honored with the title "Cheng." He attained the position of Sanqi Changshi purely through his father's influence and was granted the title of Marquis of Nanchang. He is a figure so minor that he is hardly remembered, a character whose name is almost nonexistent in historical records.

After hesitating for a long time, he finally took action. Relying on his well-nourished physique, he could barely see even at night. He made every effort to muffle his footsteps while sprinting towards the southern gate. Once he exited the southern gate, as long as he could blend in with the pile of corpses and pass through the patrol route of the Hu cavalry, he would soon reach the banks of the sandy river. Although he was unaware of Pei's situation in this life, he had learned to swim before his crossing. Escaping into the river might allow him to snatch a remnant of life.

Pei let out a long sigh and closed his eyes again—he had completely failed, unable to escape, and had ultimately become a captive of the Hu people... But how did I come back? Let me just lie down among the corpses; after all, who is so concerned? Alas, none of this is important. What matters is, if what the other party said is true, why should I awaken... ? It would be better to die right here... Alas, none of this is important. What matters is, if what the other party said is true, why should I awaken... ? It would be better to die right here...

When he finally regained consciousness, Pei first felt that every part of his body was in pain. He struggled to open his eyelids, and under the bright daylight, he saw a familiar face—one of the young officials he had encountered the night before attempting to escape from Ningping City, who had even recited a farewell poem in front of him. However, upon seeing him awake, the official's eyes were not filled with the joy of reunion, but rather with confusion and helplessness, as he slightly curled his lips and said: "In these times, dying is a blessing; why must you awaken?"

Pei should spit a little saliva into his palm, and he tried hard to wipe the bloodstains off his face—unfortunately, his lips were dry and his tongue parched, making it difficult to produce much saliva, which would likely only smear his face further—then he re-tied his headscarf, adjusted the Jinxian crown on his head, bent his knees, and slowly sat down, placing his hands together horizontally on his knees—by the standards of this era, that sitting posture could be considered absolutely proper

Thus he burst into a furious tirade: "What difference is there between you and Wang Yifu? In life, you are of no benefit to the country, and even in death, you pose no harm to the barbarian invaders—what is this talk of sacrificing for the nation?!" He ultimately retained some fragmented memories of his body, and he was still fundamentally familiar with the phonetics and grammar of this era.

I am doomed, and if I don't die, I will be left disabled...! ... Rather than being disabled, it would be better to die!

The official was pulling Pei to sit at the back side of the crowd. Pei couldn't help but lower his head to look at himself; his front was covered in congealed blood, making it nearly impossible to discern its original color. He then touched his face, which also seemed equally filthy, with a large bump swelling on his forehead, causing excruciating pain. However, at this moment, knowing that death was inevitable, he instead became calm—after all, he should have died in his previous life. To have the chance to traverse time... perhaps it was heaven's way of allowing him to experience the unimaginable terror and tragedy that could not be conceived in times of peace before his end, to capture a fragment of historical dust, allowing him to linger in this final moment.

Upon hearing this poem, the two young officials were taken aback, exchanging a glance before turning back to deeply bow to Pei. Then, they turned and fled—indeed, this poem was far superior to their own, a thousand times better; what more could be said? They hurriedly retreated.

Wherever his gaze fell, he saw the large tent door flung open, and faintly discerned several Jin officials kneeling inside the tent, bowing respectfully towards a high-nosed, deep-eyed Hu chieftain—likely Hu Shuai Shile. Engaging in conversation with him were probably Sima Fan, the King of Xiangyang, Sima Zun, the King of Huarong County, and others like Chancellor Wang Yan. Pei also vaguely recalled the words recorded in historical texts, where Wang Yan spoke to Shile: "Present the reasons for calamity and defeat, stating that the blame does not lie with oneself; moreover, he claimed to have no interest in court affairs since his youth, and thus advised Shile to assume a title of honor, hoping to secure his own safety."

Take Wang Yan for example; his treacherous demeanor after being captured was utterly repulsive. Nevertheless, Shi Le ultimately took decisive action against him.

... ...