Three Kingdoms: I Told You I'm No Hidden Dragon, So Why Are You Still Kneeling?

Shen Yan transmigrates into the chaotic final years of the Han dynasty, wanting nothing more than to be a penniless scholar who can keep his head down and stay alive.

Powerful local families force him to join their private army and escort provisions. He's so broke he can't even afford to run away, so he buys a coffin on credit and plans to fake his death. But just as the lid closes, Liu Bei arrives with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, kneeling before the coffin and begging him to explain the state of the realm.

Shen Yan: “I'm no wise man. I just want to stay alive.”

Liu Bei: “The fact that you speak to me from within a coffin must have profound meaning!”

Shen Yan casually tells Liu Bei to set up a soup kitchen, register refugees, and stop charging recklessly. He only wants to stall the powerful families and save his own skin. Instead, Liu Bei really does turn the soup kitchen into the foundation of popular support, Guan Yu really does come up with the brilliant delaying-saber tactic after hearing “don't just hack away,” and Zhang Fei really does turn shouting at people into a battlefield formation that strikes fear into the enemy.

Even more absurdly, a golden book appears before Shen Yan's eyes:

Teach the way of governing to one destined to be an emperor, and receive the Heavenly Book of the King’s Aide in return.

Teach martial arts and stratagems to one destined to become a Martial Sage, and receive the Martial Sage’s Dragging Saber Technique in return.

Teach battlefield intimidation to one destined to be a fierce general, and receive...

From then on, the more Shen Yan tries to keep a low profile, the more people believe he's a hidden dragon; the more he tries to run away, the more warlords kneel and beg him to stay; the more he insists he knows nothing, the more the world believes he's unfathomably wise.

The powerful families want to capture him, the county commandant wants to recruit him, the Yellow Turbans want to seize him, the warlords want to invite him, and destiny wants to push him forward.

Shen Yan breaks down: “I keep telling you I'm not a hidden dragon. Why are you still kneeling?”