Transmigrating to the Three Kingdoms: The Qiao Sisters of Jiangdong

[I have a day job, so updates will be between 11 p.m. and midnight.] Qiao Mu must be one of the unluckiest people to transmigrate into the Three Kingdoms era. One day, she wakes up as a mute slave kept by a powerful clan, unable to speak and with a lowly status. She has the schemes and foresight of someone who has transmigrated, but all she can do is stay quietly in the huge manor and wait to die. One day, Qiao Mu is bullied again by a young member of the clan’s collateral branch and shoved into an icy pond in the middle of winter. She crawls out like a water ghost and lies on the bank, wringing the water from her clothes. In her heart, she has come to hate this “man-eating” feudal age. As hypothermia leaves her dazed, Qiao Mu hears a voice from the bridge. A young master stands there, handsome as a painting, poised and dignified, dressed in a snow-white brocade cloak with a blue-and-white jade pendant at his waist. His voice is cool as he asks: “What’s your name?” Qiao Mu doesn’t want to die a wrongful, nameless death in the Eastern Han and Three Kingdoms era. If she does, she’ll never get home. She struggles to her feet, bows, then points at the place where the young master is standing. Bridge. Her name is Qiao Mu. The handsome young master, with his jade-like face and ink-dark brows, walks down from the bridge, takes off his cloak, and gives it to Qiao Mu. The gold and silver threads along the hem are smeared with mud, but the soft, delicate brocade brings her a rush of warmth. This is the first time Qiao Mu meets Zhou Yu. The young master has yet to come of age, but he already carries himself with the dignity and refinement of a noble adult. Standing above her, he says, “From now on, I’ll call you Xiao Qiao.” After becoming Zhou Yu’s maid, Qiao Mu can finally catch her breath from the endless daily labor. The young master is no ordinary sparrow. He’s exceptionally clever, and in the years to come, he’ll make his mark amid the upheaval of war. Qiao Mu silently stays by Zhou Yu’s side. The Qiao trees of Jiangdong grow lush and green, born at the right time and destined to die in an age of turmoil. Leaves fall in the bamboo grove, and steam curls from the hot tea. Qiao Mu raises a jade-green cup, the color of tea, above her head and offers it to today’s guest. The young general is full of youthful spirit, with sword-straight brows and bright, starry eyes. Yet his passionate gaze is as warm as the spring sun, gentle and sincere. Qiao Mu has lost count of how many times Sun Ce has come by this week. His gaze always lingers on the mute girl for a long time. “Do you have an older sister?” Sun Ce takes the cup, the corners of his lips lifting as he asks with effortless confidence. Qiao Mu shakes her head. Sitting at the low table with Zhou Yu, Sun Ce lets a hint of sharpness show. He leans toward her and says with delight, “Then you should be called Da Qiao. From now on, I’ll call you Da Qiao.” Zhou Yu sits watching, gentle and graceful. A flicker of sadness passes through his eyes, but he conceals his loneliness as though nothing has happened. Qiao Mu looks up in confusion, and for the first time, her numb expression cracks. The books never said that Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao were the same person to them. And why does she have to be both? [Reader’s guide] 1. Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao are the same person in this story. 2. The historical figures here are very different from their historical depictions, so don’t expect historical accuracy. 3. One-on-one romance, with the male lead undecided. Whoever the heroine falls for will be the male lead. 4. I’ll add more if I think of anything. Blurb written on November 27, 2024. Theme: The mighty Yangtze flows ever eastward