Chapter 1, The Fallen Angel

Following behind this young man are two robust men of similar age, and judging by their demeanor, they appear to be the attendants of this scholar-dressed youth

Moments later, Liu He seemed to have made up his mind, and thus extended the silk cloth in his hand towards the flame of the oil lamp burning on the table, igniting the silk cloth in an instant.

The indoor lighting was dim as a bean, and Liu He was intently focused on reading the secret edict from the emperor addressed to his father

This frail young scholar, named Liu He, is a chamberlain beside Emperor Liu Xie of the Han Dynasty, and also the eldest son of Liu Yu, the current Grand Tutor and Governor of Youzhou, as well as the Marquis of Xiangben

Liu He, Tian Chou, and Xianyu Yin walked several more miles and finally discovered a small village with about ten households by the roadside, so they went there to find lodging

Looking at the imperial edict that had turned into a pile of ashes on the ground, "Liu He" stepped on it a few more times with force, finally revealing a satisfied smile.

Although he did not receive any money or goods from Liu, the kind-hearted old man Feng still prepared a meal of millet rice for the three of them, and also cooked some wild vegetables gathered from the fields, barely managing to fill their stomachs halfway

Under the dim light of the oil lamp, Liu He removed his long-sleeved official robe and took off his pointed-soled shoes. He then carefully extracted a piece of white silk from the hidden compartment of the shoe's sole and began to examine it closely under the light.

This is unacceptable; this secret message is utterly troublesome. Keeping it on me will not only bring misfortune to myself but will also endanger my father

Although the ancient figure Liu He has passed away, some fragments of his memories remain within the body. Therefore, when Liu He, who has traversed the turbulent currents of time and space, awakens at hetushu.com, he successfully takes over this new body and its memories, without causing significant suspicion among the two attendants beside him, achieving a remarkable soul connection across time and space

Young master, the sky is getting dark, and you have just recovered from a serious illness. How about we find a place to rest?

Suddenly, a strange word that absolutely should not exist in this time and space emerged from Liu He’s mouth—television

The puppet emperor Liu Xie had had enough of the ruthless Dong Zhuo and did not wish to live in the Chang'an palace in a manner worse than that of a beggar. At this moment, the envoys Tian Chou (courtesy name Zitai) and Xianyu Yin (courtesy name Minghui), sent by Liu Yu, the governor of Youzhou, arrived in Chang'an to pay their respects to the emperor. Thus, the young emperor whimsically appointed Liu Yu's son Liu He to return to Youzhou, hoping that Liu Yu could dispatch a special force from Youzhou to rescue him from the den of evil.

After reading the secret edict from the Emperor addressed to his father Liu Yu, a look of hesitation appeared on Liu He’s face

Liu's departure from Chang'an this time was due to the secret instructions of Emperor Liu Xie, as he was sent to Youzhou to request reinforcements from Liu Yu

Perhaps even Heaven felt that Liu He died too tragically and unjustly, so it arranged for him to descend into this time and space of the late Eastern Han Dynasty, and even allowed him to become a veritable "second-generation official"

The scholar in a dark robe gazed thoughtfully at the distant, misty mountains for a moment, then furrowed his brow and said: "Wuguan is the gateway from the Three Qins to Nanyang. Currently, it is guarded by the general Duan Wei under Dong Zhuo. If we wish to pass through smoothly, it is likely not as easy as we hope."

After dinner, the sky had completely darkened

After much persuasion, an old man surnamed Feng in the village took in the three individuals, thus sparing them from the danger of sleeping outdoors

The attendant, referred to by the scholar as "Brother Zitai," also spoke with a worried expression: "This person is a capable general under the command of the traitor Dong, both in civil and military affairs. When it comes to the skills of marching and fighting, he is not inferior to Xu Rong. It will likely not be easy for us to get through this without being discovered!"

The speaker, a tall and robust attendant with a loud and resonant voice, spoke with an accent from the Yuyang area of Youzhou, yet was not from the Guanzhong region.

Upon entering the courtyard, Liu He discovered that this household was left with only the old man. After inquiring, he learned that the old man's children had fled to Jingzhou before the Xiliang army retreated to Guanzhong. The old man's wife had also passed away earlier this year. Now, this courtyard was left with only the old man, who was living a very difficult life.

However, imperial envoys have always embodied both the majesty of imperial authority and the dignity of their status. When traveling, they are typically accompanied by a grand entourage, making their presence quite imposing. An envoy like Liu He, who only brought two attendants and traveled on foot, is truly unprecedented and unheard of.

The robust man known as "Brother Minghui" felt that the young man's explanation was reasonable after listening to it, and thus he felt somewhat reassured and ceased to speak further

On the official road from the western capital of Chang'an to Nanyang, three ordinary-looking travelers are trudging slowly through the damp and continuous autumn rain, stepping in the muddy ground with each foot sinking deeper and shallower.

What on earth is going on? How could people living in the Eastern Han Dynasty know about this thing called television?

Liu He is a member of the royal family and a relative of the *Tu* family, as well as the biological son of Liu Yu. It is indeed most appropriate for the young emperor to send him as an envoy to Youzhou.

Another attendant spoke up, saying: "Young Master, not far ahead is Wuguan. Tomorrow we will be able to exit the pass and enter the territory of Nanyang."

The strong man, upon hearing the words of the two, immediately showed a look of difficulty and said with a puzzled expression: "Since it is difficult to pass through Wuguan, why must the young master insist on forcing a way through? Our destination is Youzhou; isn't heading to Nanyang going against our objective? It would be better to return along the route I and Zitai took when we came to Chang'an through the northern desert."

Upon hearing these words, the scholar in the dark robe paused, wiped the beads of sweat mixed with rain from his forehead, and then turned to the attendant with a friendly tone, saying: "Hehe, I will follow Brother Zitai's arrangements completely"

A few days ago, Liu He, known as the "Angel," succumbed to illness after being caught in the rain and passed away on a damp and cold night. Meanwhile, Liu He, a graduate of the history department from a certain normal university in the later generations, tragically died of heatstroke while searching for a job in the hottest weather on record.

This Liu has such audacity, actually burning the secret edict from the Emperor to the Grand Tutor Liu Yu in the flames!

Liu held a piece of white silk inscribed with small seal script, carefully observing it while muttering to himself

It is worth mentioning that the majesty of the Han dynasty has long been trampled upon by Dong Zhuo, leaving not a trace behind. Not to mention that the young emperor is merely a puppet in Dong Zhuo's hands, even the beautiful concubines in the palace are at the mercy of this fat man, who can take them as he pleases, and can have as many as he desires

A young attendant in green clothing beside the scholar spoke with a face full of concern, urging him to reconsider

Last year, the warlords of the Eighteen Routes of Guandong convened at Suanzao to unite their forces against the traitor Dong Zhuo. As a result, Dong Zhuo, in a fit of rage, set fire to Luoyang, and then, taking the young emperor, the imperial concubines, and the court officials, relocated the capital to Chang'an. Now, this old scoundrel has become even more cruel and bloodthirsty, as well as increasingly arrogant and extravagant

Hehe, Brother Minghui need not worry. Although that Wei is strong, he cannot possibly guard the pass with the lowly soldiers every day. Our current disheveled appearance will not attract attention, so passing through will be quite easy.

Hehe, fortunately I studied the history of the Han and Three Kingdoms seriously back then, knowing the tragic outcome of Liu and this journey. Now I have burned this troublesome secret edict, let's see who dares to trouble me and my ancestors again

The reason for taking the long route to Nanyang this time is to confuse that traitor Dong, so that he will not become suspicious; otherwise, how could that old thief allow me to leave the palace? Furthermore, the road to the northern desert that you and Zitai have risked your lives to open up may prove to be of great use in the future, and it should not be easily exposed

The old man saw that Liu He held the highest status among the three, so he arranged for him to rest alone in the room that had once belonged to his son, while the other two were placed next door to Liu He, with the old man himself sleeping on the other side

Of course, Dong the Fat has now taken the adopted daughter of Situ Wang Yun as his concubine, and most of the time he still presses his corpulent body, comparable to that of a fat pig, onto the enchanting and beautiful Diao Chan.

The young scholar seems to have a very good temperament, speaking in a gentle and amiable manner. Although he holds the highest status among the three, he patiently explains to his attendant the reason for taking a detour to Nanyang Prefecture, and he addresses the other party as "brother" as soon as he opens his mouth, which clearly demonstrates his excellent upbringing

Since Dong Zhuo raised his army from Chang'an, the once prosperous and wealthy Guanzhong region has now fallen into desolation and ruin, not far from being completely empty.

Because the "Liu He" here is not the ancient figure "Liu He" who emerged from the city of Chang'an a few days ago, but rather Liu He, a time traveler from eighteen hundred years in the future!

The envoy dispatched by the emperor is referred to as the "Special Envoy of the Son of Heaven," abbreviated as "Heavenly Envoy." Of course, this "Heavenly Envoy" is not the "birdman" with wings on their back and a halo above their head as depicted in Western mythology

Among them was a slender and tall scholar dressed in dark robes. Although his face bore a hint of pallor, a sense of determination and persistence shone through his brows and eyes. Even though he walked with great difficulty, he showed no intention of stopping to rest.

Even the emperor lives in such misery today, so the so-called angelic outings are just as difficult and shabby, and that is just how it is

In the autumn of the second year of the Chuping era, a damp and chilly autumn rain fell upon the land of Guanzhong

Oh, is this the imperial edict? It doesn't look like the scrolls held by the eunuchs announcing the edicts on television

I went there! Fortunately, I received the body and knowledge of the bookworm Liu He; otherwise, who the hell would understand this convoluted seal script

Liu and Reng Xianyu Yin took out some copper coins from their pockets to give to the old man, but the old man refused the money and sighed, saying: "The inferior five-zhu coins minted by Master Dong are simply unusable; young man, you might as well keep them for yourself"

The reason is quite strange, or perhaps very miraculous