I, Jia Wenhe

It was the final years of the Han dynasty, with war on the horizon, when Jia Sheng arrived from another world. Trapped in a laboratory, an electric arc split the sky. His soul was torn away, and when he awoke in shock, he was on a road in Luoyang. He was Xu, born to a humble family, but his mind held knowledge of materials science. Memories from two lives collided within him, and he waited for the moment to show his brilliance. A visitor asked his host, “Look at this chaotic age: great clans hold unchecked power, and the common people are left in misery. How will Jia Sheng find his place?” The host smiled. “He once entered the Cai household and suffered humiliation while tending the cauldron. Then he understood the importance of wealth and power. So he made glass, clearer than ice and jade. The people of Luoyang competed to buy it, leaving the great families scrambling to empty their purses. Once he had earned a fortune, he traveled far to Qiongya, built a city, and trained troops. He fortified the walls with cement and forged blades from steel, waiting for the winds of change.” The visitor asked again, “The Yellow Turbans have rebelled, the Central Plains are in turmoil, Sun Ce has risen in Jiangdong, and Yuan Shao dominates Hebei. How will Jia Sheng break this deadlock?” The host sighed. “He recruited Wenruo and Yuanhao, joined forces with Yunchang to bring Hansheng into the fold, and took Ziyi with him to recruit Gan Ning. He led troops to save Yuzhou and broke the bandit camp with catapults. Refugees flocked to him like a river. He conquered Jiaozhi in the south and took control of the islands across the sea. In the east, he brought the Shanyue under his sway and stood against Sun Ce’s arrogance. When the armies clashed at Guandu, he secretly seized Jingzhou and Xuzhou, making his position unshakable. When Gao Gan summoned the Hu tribes and their cavalry rode south, he made peace with Mengde and joined him in defeating the Hu barbarians. He marched north from Changli, destroying the Wuhuan and driving off the Xianbei. His reach extended thousands of li northeast, to the frozen skies, and the Three Han kingdoms bowed and entered the imperial fold.” The visitor exclaimed, “He contended for the Central Plains, forced Cao Cao to hold on to Bingzhou, and established the state of Hua through treaty. What a feat! Then he had Kongming pacify the southern tribes and take Bashu, while Zhou Yu sailed mighty ships to explore distant reefs. By then, the realm was united and the world at peace. Could Jia Sheng’s achievements compare to those of Guan Zhong and Yue Yi?” The host fell silent for a long time, then said, “It was more than achievement. With the wisdom of another world, he eased the suffering of the people and expanded the borders of Huaxia. That is the wonder of transmigration, and the good fortune of a chaotic age. Those who read this story will see his heart, his ambition, and a different vision of the final years of the Han.”