The Three Kingdoms: Starting as Liu Bei

[Synopsis]

When modern-day A Bei discovered he had transmigrated into Liu Bei at the end of the Han dynasty, during the Three Kingdoms period, he was devastated.

Who kept starting businesses only to fail, and was chased from place to place by Cao Cao? Liu Bei!

Who finally scraped together a bit of wealth after turning sixty, only to have it all burned to ashes in the Battle of Yiling? Liu Bei!

Who died miserably in Baidi City, only to be branded a negative example and endlessly criticized a thousand years later? Liu Bei!

Liu Bei's life in history seemed to be a vivid portrait of failure and futility.

Fortunately, he had transmigrated to a relatively early point in time. His new body was only fifteen years old.

That year, he had just arrived to study under the great Confucian scholar Lu Zhi.

That year, his future lifelong rival, Cao Cao, had just become the police chief of Luoyang's northern district. And Sun Quan, who would indirectly send him to his death, wasn't even a fertilized egg yet.

With no System, pocket dimension, or marketplace, A Bei could only rack his brains and change the course of fate one step at a time, upgrading the hellish script he'd been handed.

So, before the Peach Garden Oath of Brotherhood, A Bei first became sworn brothers with Cao Cao.

A Bei remained calm: "It's fine. You can call me brother, and I'll call you Cao the Traitor. We'll each use our own terms."

So, before Cao Cao and Sun Ce could make a move, A Bei first brought Zhang Liao and Taishi Ci into his ranks.

A Bei smiled: "Sorry, but knowing the script in advance means I can do whatever I want."

So, literacy classes, papermaking, blast-furnace iron smelting, cement kilns... He put it all into practice and created a paradise amid the chaos.

Gazing out over the vast land, A Bei drew his treasured sword and slowly recited the slogan that had resounded for eighteen hundred years: "Restore the Han, and return the capital to its rightful place!"

Please note:

1. This story mainly draws on official histories, but also borrows from some romanticized accounts. There are many original elements, and the protagonist's transmigration will cause major changes to the timeline. Think of it as a parallel world where the Han dynasty rises again for the third time.

2. The protagonist has no System, but he does have a massive cheat.

3. The author is not very learned, so the novel may have plenty of awkward passages. Readers, please don't take things too seriously.

4. The cover is from the Bishui Forum. Thanks to the wonderful artist who shared it.

[Blurb written March 3, 2023]

Theme: A spirit of loyalty and righteousness passed down through the ages