Chapter 3: The Barbarians Approach the City

At this moment, it is certainly not the time to think about such matters; I fear that if I ponder for even one-tenth of a second longer, my mind will surely relocate. Thus, A Fei quickly shouted: "We are not spies from the Dongyi; we are tenants of Lord Zhang from the county. Just ask Lord Zhang, and you will know."

"Not adhering to the rules and not fleeing, could it be that the county lord harbors thoughts of martyrdom for the country?"

In consideration of the county magistrate's feelings, Young Master Shi suddenly sheathed his long sword and changed the subject, saying, "Just now, soldiers in the city captured these two individuals. They claim to be your brother's tenants and do not know where your brother is. Could he possibly come out to identify them?"

Ah Fei was there, wallowing in self-pity, wishing he could just die on the spot—anything would be better than spending a lifetime eating wild vegetables and then dying unexpectedly in the chaos of war—when suddenly someone grabbed his arm and pushed him down to the ground. He was young and weak, and immediately knelt down. Slightly turning his head, he saw that Old Wang next door was also being pressed to the ground, held down by two people whose attire was not much different from that of the old soldier at the entrance.

Throughout Chinese history, there have been numerous Han dynasties or Han states, such as the Western Han, Eastern Han, Shu Han, Cheng Han, Later Han, Northern Han, Southern Han, and so on. Apart from the first three, even the names of the emperors from the others might be difficult for anyone to recall accurately. As for the era names, there are at least three hundred, possibly even over five hundred. Except for the Ming and Qing dynasties, where one emperor corresponds to one era name, and certain periods of prosperity or turmoil—such as the Zhenguan Reign or the Jingkang Humiliation—are relatively easier to remember, it would be quite impressive if one could recall even twenty of the remaining era names. However, whether fortunate or unfortunate, the era name Zhongping happens to be firmly lodged in his memory.

But this is not the worst part; if one were to be reborn into certain prominent families, perhaps the chances of survival would be higher. For instance, the Sima family in Hanoi, the Sima "Bada"—it seems that none of that large group of brothers perished in the turmoil, and they lived exceptionally well. But why did I have to be reborn into a rural tenant farmer's family!

Strangely, after I answered his question, the child seemed as if he had been struck by a spell, standing there motionless, only shedding tears. It was quite amusing; why did he react so strongly upon hearing the era name "Zhongping"? Did he have a grudge against those two characters? Young people are inherently curious, and I was just about to ask him why he was crying when suddenly, a loud shout rang out: "Take him down!"

Of course, there are not completely no opportunities. As the saying goes, "To seek power, one must commit crimes and then be pacified." Take for example Zhang Yan (Chu Feiyan), who controlled Changshan; after being pacified, he became a high-ranking official. The problem is that the best opportunity has already been lost. You had to seize such an opportunity during the turmoil of the Yellow Turbans. If you join after the major Yellow Turban forces have been defeated, you will either be suppressed by the old bandit leaders for a lifetime without the chance to rise, or you will be crushed into meat paste by the new warlords' continuous campaigns. The problem is that the best opportunity has already been lost. You had to seize such an opportunity during the turmoil of the Yellow Turbans. If you join after the major Yellow Turban forces have been defeated, you will either be suppressed by the old bandit leaders for a lifetime without the chance to rise, or you will be crushed into meat paste by the new warlords' continuous campaigns.

In other words, the year I arrived will soon usher in the era of the late Han and the Three Kingdoms, characterized by great chaos and the struggle of warlords.

Thus, in the era that A Fei has traversed to, if it can be said to be only three points terrible, then the identity he has crossed into is utterly ten thousand points terrible, so terrible that it cannot be worse... If he survives, he must thank the collective blessings of all the gods, deities, and Allah for their divine intervention.

"Just right," the young man said to the local soldiers holding A Fei and Old Wang, "I was just about to pay a visit to the county magistrate, so let’s take them along to the county office."

Which Master Zhang? What is his full name? The one asking the question is a young gentleman.

This is truly a pitiful situation for both the common people and the scholars! Starting from the Yellow Turban Rebellion (at this time, the main forces of the Yellow Turbans should have been defeated, and it was only to celebrate this that Emperor Ling changed the era name to Zhongping), until the Battle of Red Cliffs, the northern banks of the Yellow River experienced years of warfare, resulting in the loss of more than half of the population. Given my own lack of strength, courage, foundation, and wealth, it is normal to perish amidst the chaos; merely surviving through it would be a miracle.

The barbarians are primarily focused on plunder; they may not necessarily venture deep into our territory. Even if they do penetrate our borders, I fear that the local troops, when summoned for aid, would not dare to concentrate solely on besieging the city. It suffices to weaken their morale, and they will naturally retreat. As he spoke, the young gentleman drew his long sword from its sheath with a sound of "clang." "Although I have not yet come of age, I began practicing martial arts at the age of seven. A mere three or five barbarian soldiers would not be able to approach me easily. If the county magistrate does not permit me to defend the city, then I shall abandon it at any time. I only fear that I may be accused of fleeing before the enemy..."

The Eastern Yi during the Han and Wei dynasties refers to the northeastern region and the Korean Peninsula, where various foreign tribes such as Fuyu, Waima, Goguryeo, and the Three Han resided. Among these, the Three Han are the direct ancestors of the later Korean people, while Waima, Goguryeo, and others can be considered collateral ancestors shared between the Koreans and the ethnic groups of Northeast China

A Fei did not call out; his mind was racing rapidly, repeatedly calculating—"Eastern Han, Eastern Yi... What Eastern Yi is there in the Eastern Han? It's not like the Shang or Zhou..."

The young man who was stopped by A Fei looked at him with great curiosity—this child was dressed in rags and somewhat resembled a barbarian. Under normal circumstances, someone of this sort daring to block his path would warrant a swift draw of the sword, delivering a lesson that he would not soon forget. However, to his surprise, before he could even draw his sword, the child first made a polite bow and then, starting with "May I ask," proceeded to ask a series of rather sophisticated questions. It was strange; this little rogue seemed as if he had genuinely received an education.

Because the end of this era coincided with the beginning of a great age, at that time the old emperor died, and the young emperor was supported by his uncle to ascend the throne and change the era name. However, not long after, his uncle was assassinated, and a warlord entered the court to seize power, issuing another decree to change the era name. Before the year was over, the warlord deposed the young emperor and installed his brother as the new emperor, marking the third change of the era name. The names of those three era changes were completely forgettable to A Fei, who only remembered that in certain SLG games, for convenience, this year was still referred to as the era of Zhongping.

The county magistrate need not worry; my family owns a warehouse in the county, and there are still twenty able-bodied men willing to assist the county magistrate in defending the city," the young man—Master—comforted the county magistrate, saying, "But I wonder where the county captain is? How many soldiers are still in the county?"

Young Master Shi curled his lips and said: "I fear that even if we search thoroughly among the barbarians, there will not be an army of one hundred thousand, this must be an exaggeration without a doubt. Since the county magistrate is not present, I request that the county magistrate entrust the responsibility of defending the city to me, Shi. I will certainly ensure the defense of this city for the county magistrate."

To bring the conversation back, even after the Sun family occupied Jiangdong, they were still looked down upon. The so-called humble origins actually refer to small and medium landlords, who occupy the lowest tier of the ruling class. Below them are urban commoners, wealthy peasants, and middle peasants. At the very bottom of the ruling class are tenants and servants—yet they find themselves at the very lowest level of this hierarchy.

However, during the Han and Wei periods, forget it; commoners were destined to be cannon fodder. Do not believe the nonsense that Liu Bei and his brothers, or Sun Jian and his sons, were all commoners: Liu Bei was so poor that he wove mats and sold sandals, yet he somehow had the opportunity to study under the great scholar Lu Zhi. If it weren't for his old classmate Gongsun Zan looking out for him, could he have earned his first pot of gold? Or rather, could he have become the first official? Guan Yu was a date seller, and Zhang Fei was a pig butcher; the stories about them in books are mere legends. Do not believe the nonsense that Liu Bei and his brothers, or Sun Jian and his sons, were all commoners: Liu Bei was so poor that he wove mats and sold sandals, yet he somehow had the opportunity to study under the great scholar Lu Zhi. If it weren't for his old classmate Gongsun Zan looking out for him, could he have earned his first pot of gold? Or rather, could he have become the first official? Guan Yu was a date seller, and Zhang Fei was a pig butcher; the stories about them in books are mere legends.

Martyrdom, martyrdom, martyrdom, martyrdom, martyrdom for the country! In an instant, the county magistrate's face turned as pale as Cao Cao on the stage.

"He is a cousin of the county magistrate, named Zhang, Zhang..." A Fei truly hopes that the words spoken by Old Wang next door are genuine, rather than mere rumors or empty boasts

Indeed, the owner of this elderly title is Liu Hong, the Ling Emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The first young emperor who succeeded him after his death was Liu Bian, the Shao Emperor, and the second was Liu Xie, the Xian Emperor. Liu Bian's unfortunate uncle was He Jin, and that warlord was Dong Zhuo

Even if I barely survive, do I really want to spend my entire life cooped up in this remote and impoverished place, gnawing on wild vegetables and tree bark? Others who have crossed over can forge steel, create cannons, and unify the world. Why is it that I, too, have crossed over but feel like a flea, barely able to jump half a meter high, and if someone were to strangle me, I wouldn't even make a sound?

How could he not be overwhelmed with despair and shed tears

This small county of Hancheng has only one main street, so it doesn't take long to reach the county office. The young man first took out a business card and handed it in. Before long, an official rushed out with his robe askew and cap tilted, grabbing the young man's arm: "Young Master Shi, why are you still in our county? Hurry, hurry!"

Before he could react, he heard the earlier inquirer, a young man, shout: "Who are you, and why have you taken these two?"

In another era, even as a commoner, due to various circumstances, there might still be a chance for upward mobility. For instance, during the late Qin Dynasty, if one could not become a village chief, one could at least serve under the village chief. Similarly, during the late Yuan Dynasty, one could try to find an ugly monk anywhere and seek to become his disciple. ... To take a step back, at least I can read and write, which is not comparable to the truly ignorant peasants. If I could find a few books to read, perhaps there would be an opportunity to take the imperial examination.

It is said that the family of the great general He Jin used to slaughter pigs, but He Jin's courtesy name was Suigao. Who among true butchers has a courtesy name? He Jin came from a butcher's background, which only indicates that his family ran a meat shop, and does not prove that he personally wielded the knife to sell meat

There is also Sun Jian, who came from a humble background and was often looked down upon by the prominent families. However, he became a county official at the age of around ten, truly a commoner without a roof over his head or a place to stand. Could one really have such an opportunity?

The young man broke free from the official's grasp, took a step back, and bowed deeply: "Why is the county magistrate in such a predicament? Is it due to the invasion of the Eastern Yi?"

The person who shouted "Take him down!" replied, "This young master is unaware that news has just arrived: the Eastern Yi have launched a large-scale invasion, having breached Hunmi County, and are heading this way. These two who entered the city last night do not appear to be Han people; they are likely spies from the Yi."

The official must be the county magistrate, who appeared utterly flustered and stammered in response: "Yes, yes, the news has just arrived, and the swift horse sent to the prefecture for help has only just departed... I fear it will be too late; before the prefectural troops can assemble, our county will have already been reduced to ashes"

This, this certainly would not dare to escape

"I am not a Dongyi, I am Han!" Old Wang from next door shouted.

The county magistrate gritted his teeth and said, "As soon as the report of the bandits' arrival came, he rode a swift horse, claiming he would personally go to the prefecture to seek help. This scoundrel... The local troops in the county number less than a hundred, yet it is said that the invading bandits who have breached Hunmi are spread across the mountains, numbering over one hundred thousand!"

Suddenly, the title of the last volume of "Records of the Three Kingdoms: Book of Wei" emerged in his mind—"The Accounts of the Wuhuan, Xianbei, and Eastern Yi"...! ... Damn, am I really going to end up as a barbarian!

"You, you..." The county magistrate looked at Young Master Shi with a suspicious gaze