Chapter 0001: The Gentlemen of All Ages

... ...

Tao Qian frowned: "What nonsense, who are you referring to..."

"Wipe your ass." Seeing the discomfort on the old man's face, the potter simply spoke on his behalf

Tao Qian shook his head, expressing strong disapproval: "The young man is usually idle and lazy; how can he understand the major affairs of the state? Warfare is extremely perilous, and regarding the conflict between Dong Zhuo and the various lords, it is still difficult to determine who will win or lose... In my opinion, it is acceptable to join the alliance to attack Dong Zhuo, but one should not invest too much effort. I will respond to Yuan Shao's call to attack Dong Zhuo, but I will not send troops; I will observe the outcome from the sidelines, avoiding offense to either side, which will surely ensure my safety"

Historically, Tao Qian also seemed unable to escape this fate. In his later years, he could not withstand the pressure from the powerful neighbor Cao Cao, who ruthlessly slaughtered most of the population of Xuzhou. After his death, his legacy could not be passed on, and he ended up making a significant contribution to Liu Xuande's ambitions.

The Governor of Xuzhou during the late Eastern Han Dynasty, one of the warlords of the east, was barely on par with figures such as Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and Gongsun Zan... He was the originator of the widely known story "Three Yieldings of Xuzhou"

Upon hearing Tao Shang's question, Tao Qian appeared quite surprised and exclaimed, "You rascal, why are you suddenly concerned about matters of state?"

The matter appears to be significant on Tao Qian's side

Come here with me, old man

Tao Qian's two sons seem like otherworldly beings who do not partake in the mundane affairs of the world; they show no interest in current politics, the lives of the people, or the vicissitudes of officialdom. Instead, they are quite knowledgeable and proficient in various eclectic studies such as composing poetry, appreciating the beauty of nature, hunting with falcons and dogs, and engaging in cockfighting and insect contests.

To find oneself without toilet paper in the restroom is indeed one of life's greatest misfortunes

However, history is cruel. The provincial officials during chaotic times and those in a peaceful world are entirely different matters. Apart from civil and military achievements, factors such as the ability to choose sides, a strong hand, an unyielding character, and the courage to take risks... many elements can determine success or failure, honor or disgrace.

... ...

Failing to timely scout the enemy's situation, one inadvertently fell into the hands of the old man; this is the first lesson that Tao Shang learned after arriving in this era. Do not underestimate the old man as a mere cadre; those of advanced age can also be adept in criminal investigation.

What is even more chilling is that, at this chaotic time when heroes are emerging across the land, Tao Qian, as the lord of a province, does not concern himself with the welfare of the country and the people, nor does he seek to punish the traitor Dong Zhuo in the name of loyalty to the nation, but instead is here quarreling with his own son over the issue of toilet paper

Tao Qian was born into the ranks of the students of the Imperial Academy. He later passed the examination for outstanding talent and subsequently served in military positions under General Huangfu Song and the Inspector of the Capital. From a modern perspective, this represents a pure blend of academic achievement and social potential, indicating a future of limitless possibilities

Therefore, whether it is a matter of having no choice or forcing the issue, we must strive and fight for it

Cough, cough... No need to discuss this matter, just talk about this matter! That's enough! Tao Qian, fearing that the child might have second thoughts, quickly changed his words

Are you sure? Tao Qian is somewhat obsessive-compulsive.

At this point, Tao Qian cast a dissatisfied glance at Tao Shang and said, "But do you know that it was a secret letter sent to me by the Grand Master of Ceremonies, Zhu Jun! It is of great importance and utmost seriousness, yet you used it to wipe that... that... what was it called again?"

Indeed, the potter has arrived in this era, and today marks the fourth day since then

The pottery merchant feels like he is about to go crazy ... ? ... How unreliable was the previous owner of this body ?

You insolent wretch! Come here and meet your demise! Tao Qian rested his feet for a moment, then, gripping his cane, made his way towards the locust tree where Tao Shang was hiding.

A dynasty without facial tissues is simply devoid of morality

Unworthy son, how dare you act in this manner

What should be the next step? ... How can I continue to survive here ...

Tao Qian's expression and tone left Tao Shang quite perplexed

Thus, he casually took the silk document written by Tao Qian from the front hall for convenience

Alas, the practice of benevolence is akin to righteousness, and the awareness of shame is akin to courage. It can be said that your father has not taught you in vain all these years, but it is just...

... ...

The potter was helpless; a modest gentleman educated in Confucianism is truly different. Just saying the word "shit" seems as if it were a matter of life and death for him... It makes it seem as if he were about to eat shit.

After carefully observing the elderly gentleman before him, the potter could not help but sigh inwardly

Certainly, throughout the long river of history, heroes come and go, and the fate and whereabouts of minor figures like Tao Shang are truly not worth the effort of historians to investigate... Moreover, it may not even be possible to uncover them.

Everything happens in threes. Therefore, no matter what, on the fourth day, I absolutely cannot endure it any longer; no advice will be of any use.

This is a splendid era, yet it is also a brutal one. Although there is chaos and turmoil everywhere, with bones scattered along the roads, it is also a time when heroes emerge, regardless of their origins

In fact, Tao Qian indeed achieved this. Two years ago, due to the remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Xuzhou, Tao Qian was appointed as the governor of Xuzhou, a position equivalent to that of a provincial leader in later generations. Given his character, had the world been peaceful, he would undoubtedly have accomplished great things.

The awareness of the body and fragmented memories still linger somewhat in his mind. After three days of contemplation, he learned that this body is named Tao Shang, his father is named Tao Qian, he has a younger brother named Tao Ying, and his mother passed away several years ago

As the son of a provincial governor, Tao Shang is merely mentioned in historical texts, and his fate remains a mystery, leaving one to wonder whether he is alive or dead, and whether he lost an arm or a leg, all of which have become enigmas... If he had sufficient talent, he might even have been included in the world's top one hundred unsolved mysteries, warranting an official investigation

Unbeknownst to many, dragons give birth to dragons and phoenixes give birth to phoenixes, yet the children of the old Tao family cannot even find the entrance when digging a hole

What is the crime of using the official document of the Xuzhou Inspector to open the anus

This year marks the first year of the Chuping era, during which the various lords of the Guandong region intend to support Yuan Shao as their leader! Their ambitions are directly aimed at Dong Zhuo in Luoyang, and the counties across the land are responding in succession! ... Localities are raising righteous troops in great numbers ...

The child will not dare to do it again in the future. Tao Shang openly admits his mistake.

Tao Qian was unaware of the significance of his official documents; he only knew that a person who had lived in the twenty-first century since childhood had to scrape the toilet with a toilet token for three consecutive days... How terrifying this is

The pottery merchant believes that this is cheap and that the father is somewhat involved in trivial matters

"The secret letter from the Grand Master of Ceremonies, Zhu Jun, to me, do you wish to know its contents?" Tao Qian inquired once more

After Tao Qian turned forty, he finally had two children. In the Eastern Han period, this could be considered a late blessing of children. It might be an exaggeration to say that the old man spoiled the two children, but he certainly had a protective instinct. As long as they were not excessively wasteful, the old gentleman generally would not lose his composure and would personally take action

Although educated under Confucian thought, these two children do not engage in actions that are harmful to heaven and reason; however, they are also completely unrelated to endeavors of striving for progress and improvement.

Father, regarding the Anti-Thief Alliance in Guandong, I believe you must attend, and it should not be done half-heartedly

Father, do you really want to go or not? The merchant was not very willing to listen to nonsense; this old man was dragging on and not getting to the point after a long time

A way of life that is greatly envied by future generations ... a way of living that merely involves eating and waiting for death

Tao Shang truly does not understand where his intelligence is lacking; what is there to not comprehend about such trivial matters? ... And still asking me how many sentences I can understand!? You have only said one sentence in total!

You are a provincial governor, and I am your son. Son asks about your career, is it very remarkable? ... If your career is not good, how can I be a second-generation official?

A modern person uses toilet paper every day, and the pottery merchant is also exasperated

Having barely shaken off Tao Qian's pursuit, Tao Shang arrived at the crevice of the rockery in the back garden, curled up inside, sighing deeply and intermittently, with an expression of indescribable loneliness and desolation on his face

This elderly man, who shares a father-son bond with himself in this era, has a way of speaking that is quite elaborate when it comes to trivial matters; however, he ultimately lacks boldness. In this turbulent society, it is indeed difficult to possess the courage and decisiveness to govern a territory, and there remains a slight deficiency in character.

The chaotic era has unfolded, allowing the potters to seize the opportunity, without any loss at all

In the eyes of the pottery merchant, this matter is not significant; it merely involved using a piece of your silk cloth to wipe oneself, and it will be returned to you later

Is it really a fight? This is not a game with real knives and guns. Who has the leisure to live a good life and would want to risk their life by going out with their head on the line?

The current potters do not wish for this outcome, as it is too tragic

After considering his words carefully, Tao Qian sighed and said: "Zhu Jun has a considerable friendship with my father. He has come with a secret letter to inform my father that the various lords in the east are currently spreading proclamations to suppress the bandits, and their military strength is quite formidable. He wishes to request my father to raise troops in response, to assist the court and protect the ruler and the country"

The more pressing question is what kind of fate awaits the owner of this body I currently inhabit, which remains entirely unclear

... ...

Among modern individuals, many are familiar with the history of the late Han dynasty, not to mention that Tao Shang was a seasoned editor deeply immersed in the publishing industry for many years

Father, if you do not wish to speak, let us discuss something else

Today, the Xuzhou Inspectorate is destined to experience an extraordinary day

It is solely because the esteemed governor of the province, Tao Qian, has set aside official duties for half a day to focus on disciplining his son

In fact, upon reflection, it makes sense. They indeed have the conditions for it; if the second-generation rich do not squander their wealth, would it not undermine the talent of their parents who worked hard to earn it?

Suddenly, a figure flashed by, and the potter hurriedly emerged from behind the tree, fleeing towards the backyard.

I do not want to go

Shaking his head and not wanting to think about him, the merchant Tao continued to inquire: "Father, Zhu Jun's secret letter urges you to raise troops to attack Dong Zhuo. Do you really want to go or not?"

One does not seek fame, yet not even a fart is left in the annals of history, directly dismissed as a mere fart by others; such an ending is something that anyone with a modicum of self-respect would find hard to accept

Compared to other regional governors and warlords, Tao Qian was the type of person who admired prominent figures and exhibited the demeanor of a gentleman. Regardless of whether this action was good or bad, it indicates that this old man still harbored an upward-spirited heart, eager to achieve something, and can barely be considered someone with a sense of purpose

In this period of pursuit and concealment, Tao Qian's temper, worn down by the passage of time, has nearly dissipated... Perhaps it is also because the chase has been too exhausting, the old man did not hastily resort to violence, but instead allowed Tao Shang to accompany him to the front hall of the residence

In chaotic times, the outcome for external vassals is a path that leads to darkness, with the unfortunate end being the destruction of their families and the loss of their lives

Father, you mentioned that the Grand Master of Ceremonies sent you a secret letter; what did it say? Tao Shang quickly shifted the topic, as he did not wish to continue discussing this matter with Tao Qian, for it was not something pleasant, and there was little point in bringing it up every day.

On ordinary days, Tao Qian would slightly touch upon matters related to the court's political affairs with his two children, and they would shy away... However, today, Tao Shang unexpectedly took the initiative to inquire, leaving the old man Tao somewhat unaccustomed.

What is even more frightening is that for the external vassals of the peaceful world, a poor outcome may result in a lack of promotion, at worst leading to a transfer to another position, or in a more unfortunate scenario, resignation and returning to one's hometown to enjoy a life of ease

On ordinary days, the elderly man, who is gentle and refined, exudes the demeanor of a sage. However, today, for reasons unknown, he has replaced his walking stick with a zhangba snake spear, relentlessly pursuing his eldest son, Tao Shang, throughout the courtyard. He seems determined not to rest until he has unseated this son with a single thrust of his spear.

However, if one were to truly speak of it, if it were oneself, the potter would feel that he should also agree with Tao Qian's thoughts

The pottery merchant nodded.

People from two different eras have completely different perspectives. What Tao Qian cherishes as a treasure, Tao Shang treats as something to be discarded. This represents a generational gap that cannot be bridged. Tao Shang truly has no need to argue with Tao Qian; directly admitting fault is, in fact, the most effective solution.

You ungrateful child, you are indeed hiding here! Come out, old man commands you!

... ...

Although Tao Qian was old, he was not foolish; it took him only a moment to find the place where Tao Shang was hiding... A teenager playing hide and seek with a nearly sixty-year-old man was still a bit too inexperienced.

In fact, this matter is neither too big nor too small... It depends on the perspective from which it is analyzed

However, Tao Qian's eldest son, Tao Shang, has indeed been somewhat wasteful today

Tao Qian, having grown old, truly found it difficult to keep up with the lively young lad in his adolescence. After chasing for a while, he leaned his cane against the ground to take a rest, panting heavily as he began to curse.

Of course, the outcome of this irresponsible father is also very clear to Tao Shang. After the old man passes away, he will hand over this land of Xuzhou to Liu Bei, causing this territory to fall into an endless struggle among the heroes such as Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Lü Bu, and Yuan Shu over the course of several years

Although the potter does not have an excessive obsession with cleanliness, he considers himself a clean person

Whether one is alive or dead, whether one is good or bad, the historical records have not mentioned it at all, which is truly a source of sorrow

... ...

I can almost understand everything. Dong Zhuo's misrule has led to a coalition of various lords to oppose him. Among the crowd, Yuan Shao can be proposed as the leader of the alliance

The pottery merchant hid behind the locust tree in the courtyard, sighing helplessly: "Father, can we discuss this amicably?"

Moreover, it is worth noting that during the Eastern Han period, most people were still writing on bamboo slips. In such chaotic times, silk and satin were exceedingly precious... especially that piece on Tao Qian's desk, which contained confidential matters... This young man actually used it for... that? How audacious!

Pah

Tao Qian's old face turned red, and for a long time, he didn't know how to utter such disgusting words from his mouth

At this point, Tao Qian paused and said, "How much of what I just said can you understand?" It was evident that he had little confidence in Tao Shang's comprehension ability

Tao Shang said softly: "Father, you are truly a cunning old fox"

However, regardless of the outcome, time will inevitably pass, and life must continue. After all, the life of this body is the life that one is currently living, even though all of this feels unreal, as if it were a dream.

In the morning, the potter urgently needed to use the toilet but struggled to find any facial tissue... It is indeed the case that during the Han Dynasty, there was only printed paper, and there was no facial tissue, only something used for wiping. This was called toilet paper.

Tao Qian's expression became awkward, revealing a sense of dilemma: "In principle, Dong Zhuo's usurpation of power and his tyranny over the court are indeed acts of great treachery. We, having received the grace of the state, should respond to the call in this time of crisis, mobilizing troops to support the emperor and eliminate the bandits... However, Dong Zhuo's power is too great, and he has the merit of supporting the emperor. Now he has already attained the position of Prime Minister. We, the local governors, have only been in office for a few years, with limited troops at our disposal, and there are numerous bandits in our regions. Moreover, soldiers are instruments of violence..."

In his previous life, he was a seasoned book editor, but after falling asleep while proofreading one night, he inexplicably found himself in this era, entering the nearly seventeen-year-old body.

Tao Qian stroked his already graying beard and angrily shouted at the locust tree where Tao Shang was hiding: "This is the good deed you have done yourself! I have already been lenient by striking you twice! How can I discuss such immoral and disgraceful actions with you? ... ... Unfilial son! Your behavior is simply scandalous ... ... Just wait until I have rested enough, and I will deal with you! ! ! " Simply scandalous ... ... Just wait until I have rested enough, and I will deal with you! ! ! "

In his old age, Tao Qian had children and treated the two boys as if they were his heart's treasures, indulging them greatly. Little did he know that such indulgence would lead to the development of bad habits.

Yet unbeknownst to others, Tao Qian has always harbored a great pain in his heart, which is the fate and future of his two sons

Tao Qian's jaw nearly dropped in astonishment: "You actually know that Yuan Benchu's reputation has long been established and he could be the leader of the alliance... Truly, heaven has blessed my Tao family"

Ceramic merchant: "... ..."

While agreement is one thing, whether it can actually be done is another matter

This person Tao Shang is basically not very clear, but who Tao Qian is, is as clear as a mirror in his heart

This is the thing that was wiped! Tao Qian felt a sense of relief

In a society where people devour one another, adhering to conventions ultimately leads to death, especially for someone like Tao Qian, who is a regional governor caught in a precarious position.

The potter's mouth twitched, revealing a sense of helplessness

The potter was immersed in complex thoughts, momentarily still not fully aware of his surroundings. In an instant, from the crevice of the rockery, a slightly pale old hand slowly reached in and unexpectedly grasped the potter's shoulder.

Governor Tao is fifty-eight years old this year

Upon arriving at the front hall, Tao Qian sat down, panting heavily. After taking a sip of water to calm his emotions, he finally spoke slowly: "Do you know about the confidential letter that you just stole from me..."