[Three Kingdoms] Xu Du's Marketing Master

[Mostly daily life, a little political intrigue, pure romance]

A native's take, grounded in history. Can we give Guo Fengxiao a chance at a happy ending?

In the third year of Xingping, Xu County was busy building a palace to welcome the emperor, and Guo Jia had just arrived with his wife, Deng Jie, to seek refuge with Cao Cao.

Guo Jia quickly became a new favorite, and everything he said and did was scrutinized. Before long, Xu County became Xudu, and its residents got used to finding amusement in the couple.

The locust-flower cakes are delicious? Strip every tree in town bare!

The wine is getting rave reviews? Everyone rushes to brew their own "Cao Gong special," and before the emperor even reaches Xu County, grain prices have already risen.

Guo Jia has flowers moved in the back garden for his beloved wife. Xun Yu plants flowers out front to welcome the emperor, only for the locals to follow suit and move them to their own homes. Cao Cao breaks down: That's my money!!!

A scandalous incident, an affront to public decency, leaves Xun Yu and his son-in-law Chen Qun so traumatized they wish they could gouge out their own eyes. Only Chen Changwen is left shouting, "What sort of behavior is this!!!"

After witnessing Guo Jia's ruthless side, Deng Jie seeks a way to survive in turbulent times. She uses political strategy to protect herself, resilience to safeguard her love, and compassion to help others, turning Guo Jia's offhand joke about being "allies in troubled times" into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

[Crossover] This story shares characters with Xue Man Guguan's A Guide to Working in the Three Kingdoms, but the stories do not interfere with each other's original plots.

[Adaptations of Historical Events] Welcoming the emperor, the Intelligence Bureau, the campaign against Lu Bu, taking in Du Shi, Zhang Fei abducting Xiahou, the Belt Edict, the deaths of Yu Ji, Sun Ce, Xu Ta, Xu You, Guo Tu, Hua Tuo, and Zhou Buyi, the friendship between Cao Chong and Zhou Buyi, the campaign against the Wuhuan, and Deng Ai's name change. Apart from Guo Jia becoming a military adviser earlier and the Belt Edict taking place six months earlier, everything follows the historical timeline.

[TAG 1] No rivalry between women, no tortured romance, no abuse of female characters. Women support one another, the male lead wins over male supporting characters, and the female lead wins over female supporting characters.

[TAG 2] A slice-of-life story, truly slice-of-life. No heart-pounding battles or political intrigue, just an abundance of romance and a platter of sweet little treats.

[TAG 3] The historical ending is preserved. Starting from Chapter 40, there are a few bittersweet moments, alternating between sweet and angsty until the end. The IF line has a happy ending, with Cao and Guo's post-Red Cliffs camaraderie echoing through the story (I made this huge platter of dumplings just for that vinegar).

[TAG 4] Starting from Chapter 78, the story follows them from their first meeting to their first almost-kiss, and then concludes. Bonus chapters will drop at random after mid-December.

[Link to New Story]

1. One Guo Jia Short of Going from the Back Row to the Throne. The characters share names but have different settings. If you're not into romance, this one's for you: less romance, more career-building.

Deng Jie has been raised from childhood as the family's sole hope of restoring the Nanyang Deng clan: she is to enter the palace and become empress.

When she comes of age, it is the sixth year of Zhongping. The Deng family learns that Liu Hong has little time left. To prevent Deng Jie from entering the palace only to end up guarding his tomb, her father, an assistant administrator in Yingchuan Commandery, pulls out all the stops to arrange a marriage with the down-on-their-luck Guo clan of Yangzhai.

A girl of marriageable age meets a young man in his early twenties, but instead of a love match, they end up in this ridiculous situation. Most people would find it hard to speak of.

But Deng Jie is perfectly at ease. "I've always only wanted to be like Empress Hexi, opening schools and government posts to women throughout the land. Becoming empress is secondary."

Guo Fengxiao is even more astonishing. "You don't know how your Deng clan fell into decline? In this vast world, military power still rules. Why not let me help you become emperor, Madam?"

2. Can You Farm Your Way Through the Three Kingdoms?

A historical farming story. The recluse Hu Zhao and Zhang Wang of the Yellow Turbans build a haven from the chaos together, heal the wounds left by the Partisan Prohibitions, befriend the Seven Sages of Jian'an, and nurture the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove.

Filling in the cut Guo Jia-related storylines from this novel: the 192 storyline with Guo Jia, Deng Zhao, and Xun Wei in Henei, and the 210 storyline about Guo Jia, Deng Jie, and Guo Xun living in seclusion on Mount Luhun. An obscure novel, updates will be slow and not on the recommendation list.

Theme: Love is a remedy for mutual salvation