E'e's Diary: A Survival Guide to the Late Han Dynasty

My name is Liu Mu. I used to be an army medic, but an accident sent my soul back to the end of the Eastern Han dynasty, and left me with a scar on my left cheek. Her name is Wang E. She’s a young lady who pinches every penny, always carries a ledger, and remembers even the details of my contract: “A thousand coins a month, not one less.” In the sixth year of Guanghe, outside Zhuo Commandery, she was handing out porridge when a riot broke out among the refugees. By chance, we met Liu Bei and Guan Yu. After interrogating bandits at night, I uncovered the secrets of the Way of Great Peace and earned Gongsun Zan’s trust. Under Chu Liang’s plans, bandits across Youzhou rose up in seven counties, and flames of war spread everywhere. Xuande, Yunchang, and I seized the opportunity to strike at their lair, cutting off their supplies at the source and defeating them in a single battle. Before long, Zhang Ju rebelled, Chu Yan attacked, and Zhuo Commandery fell. E E lost her family and home. She and I nearly froze to death in the bitter cold, but Zhang Fei took us in at his estate. By a twist of fate, I unwittingly brought about the Peach Garden oath of brotherhood among five men. I joined my sworn brothers in recruiting troops and raising the banner of rebellion, defeating Zhang Ju and restoring Zhuo Commandery. My eldest brother was rewarded for his achievements with an appointment as magistrate of Zhuo County. I then used a clever plan to befriend Lü Bu. Our brothers’ fame grew, and our influence steadily expanded. Who could have guessed that our patron, Gongsun Zan, would suddenly be assassinated, turning the tide overnight? We had no choice but to lie low and retreat into obscurity. Later, we met a Taoist priest who showed us the way. I went alone to Liaoxi, rallied the Wuhuan, and defeated the Eastern Xianbei. I trained an elite cavalry force for my eldest brother Xuande and carved out a domain of our own. From then on, the greater situation was in our hands. My eldest brother’s rise to greatness was assured. Restoring the Han for a third time was no longer a foolish dream.