Chapter 1: I'm Liu Xie, and I'm Starving to Death

October, Jian’an Year One.

Outside Yecheng, Jizhou.

A ragged, emaciated youth stood barefoot in the river, gripping a sharpened bamboo stick tightly. His eyes, nearly gleaming with intensity, were fixed on a plump green carp swimming nearby.

With utmost caution, he adjusted his stance, aligning the tip of the bamboo stick with the carp, ready to strike it down swiftly.

Just as he prepared to act, a stone suddenly flew through the air.

“Plunk!”

The splash startled the green carp, causing it to dart away instantly, disappearing like a flash.

“My fish! My fish!” The young boy, watching his prey slip away, nearly jumped in frustration. In haste, he lunged forward but lost his balance, falling straight into the water.

After struggling to climb ashore, he looked up only to see several children aged around five or six laughing uproariously at him.

It was clear they had thrown the stone moments ago.

“Quick, run!”

Sensing the murderous gaze from the youth, the mischievous kids scattered instantly, running off in different directions.

Left behind was the drenched young man on the riverbank, resembling a drowned rat.

“Those South Village brats bully me for being weak and helpless, daring to pelt stones right at my face! These damn little hooligans!” Watching their retreating backs, the youth gritted his teeth with hatred but could do nothing about it. With a long sigh, he lay down flat on the grassy bank.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to chase them; he simply lacked the strength.

For five whole days now, aside from a few sparse fruits, Liu Xie had gone without food.

Even the meal he thought was within reach just moments ago was ruined by those unruly children’s interference.

“Could it be that I, Liu Xie, am truly destined to starve to death in this tumultuous late Eastern Han era?”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me, heavens!”

Feeling the relentless pangs of hunger in his stomach, Liu Xie felt like crying, yet no tears came.

Yes, his name is indeed Liu Xie.

However, he has absolutely no connection whatsoever with Emperor Xian of the historical Han dynasty.

Originally, he was an ordinary university student majoring in history. One day, after waking up, he found himself inexplicably transported to the chaotic world of the Three Kingdoms era.

Initially, he was thrilled. Being a history enthusiast, particularly of the Three Kingdoms era, experiencing this age firsthand and interacting with its brilliant luminaries from Chinese history was his ultimate dream!

As a transmigrator armed with knowledge from the 21st century and awareness of historical events, achieving success and prominence seemed like a walk in the park. Even envisioning scenarios straight out of web novels, where he could gather talents, build his own power base, and establish a grand empire, didn’t seem entirely implausible.

But soon, he realized how wrong he was - catastrophically wrong.

Despite being transported to this time, he neither possessed any extraordinary, game-changing abilities nor had access to a cheat-like system. Moreover, he lacked any significant status or influence.

He found himself merely another common refugee amidst the chaos of war-torn times.

All those grand plans, altering history, wielding royal authority, and achieving dominance - it was all fucking bullshit!

He couldn’t even secure a decent meal!

To make a name for himself and showcase his intellect, one would need to interact with notable figures from history, right?

In reality, during this era where lineage mattered greatly, as a mere vagrant, he had no chance to even approach influential figures, let alone showcase his talents.

Moreover, the most crucial issue was that ancient times lacked modern conveniences like subways, cars, or airplanes. Amidst the chaos and warfare, if he dared to wander around aimlessly, there were only two possible outcomes:

Either he’d be forcibly recruited into the army as cannon fodder for their supplies,

Or perish at the hands of marauding bandits or rogue soldiers.

Thus, having been transported here for exactly five days now, Liu Xie didn’t dare venture beyond Yecheng’s vicinity; it was at least somewhat safe here.

Of course, entering the city itself wasn’t an option either.

Because he was a vagrant.

“I’m probably going to become history’s first transmigrator to starve to death,” Liu Xie stared blankly at the sky, wondering if he would meet the same fate as Duke Qi of Qi?

The sky was hazy and grey, mirroring the bleakness of his life.

But… how could he willingly accept such a pathetic end?

“Phew—”

Liu Xie took a deep breath, struggled to sit up, grabbed the bamboo spear nearby, and with unsteady steps, headed towards the small river. Determination returned to his eyes.

He was never one to give up easily; even if there was just a sliver of hope, he would strive to seize it.

If he failed to seize this opportunity, those children nearby would have no one else to blame but himself!

Meanwhile, not far downstream…

Downstream, not far away,

a middle-aged scholar dressed in azure robes sat on a riverside stone, fishing.

However, his thoughts were not focused on catching fish but rather on the confidential report he held in his hand.

“Luo Yang has fallen after all.”

After carefully reading the dispatch, the scholar sighed, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it into the river.

This secret missive had arrived just that morning.

It detailed how Cao Mengde captured Luo Yang and escorted the Emperor to relocate the capital to Xu County. During the journey, Han Sian attempted to seize control of the imperial procession but was defeated by Cao Cao, subsequently fleeing eastward.

The scholar cared little for Han Sian’s fate; he considered him merely a fool whose survival or demise would have no significant impact on the broader situation.

His true concern lay with the Emperor.

“Cao Mengde seized Luo Yang, capturing the Emperor once again. From now on, none can challenge him under the guise of righteousness.”

“If he uses the Emperor to command the feudal lords, how will they respond?”

“My lord, you truly made a grave mistake this time.” The middle-aged scholar’s face was filled with regret and helplessness.

His name was Ju Shou, and he served as an advisor to Yuan Shao, the current ruler of Jizhou.

Long before Cao Cao captured Luo Yang, Ju Shou had urged Yuan Shao to bring the Emperor to Jizhou. Being geographically close to Luo Yang, if Yuan Shao had acted swiftly, Cao Cao would never have had the chance to secure the emperor.

However, Yuan Shao heeded the advice of his general Chunyu Qiong, who believed hosting the Emperor in Jizhou could undermine his authority. Consequently, Yuan Shao remained idle.

This inaction provided Cao Cao with the perfect opportunity.

Luo Yang fell quickly, and the Emperor ended up in Cao Cao’s hands, subsequently being relocated to Xu County.

Ju Shou foresaw what lay ahead: just like Dong Zhuo before him, Cao Cao would manipulate the Emperor to command the other feudal lords.

“Well, well, it seems fate has decided,” Ju Shou sighed, shaking his head. Despite his foresight, without his lord’s acceptance, there was little he could do. He could only resign himself to the belief that everything is predetermined by destiny.

Ju Shou reeled in his fishing line, picked up the basket with his catch, and prepared to leave.

Just then, he heard splashing nearby.

Looking over, Ju Shou spotted a raggedly dressed young man struggling to spear fish in the water not far away.

However, the youth’s technique was abysmal; despite repeated attempts, he hadn’t caught a single fish and had stumbled several times in the water.

Despite this, the young man displayed remarkable perseverance, refusing to give up.

“A refugee?” With just one glance at his attire, Ju Shou deduced the young man’s status.

There were many such refugees outside the city, so it wasn’t unusual. Yet for some reason, the youth seemed oddly familiar, as if Ju Shou had seen him before.

As Ju Shou hesitated, contemplating whether to approach for a closer look, the young fisherman raised his head and met Ju Shou’s gaze.

Their eyes locked.

Initially stunned, Ju Shou’s eyes widened, leaving him utterly speechless on the spot.

“Y-Your Majesty?!”