Chapter 14

"In today's chaotic world, the regions of Liangzhou and Youzhou are in constant rebellion, the Yellow Turbans have risen again in Qing and Xu, and bandits are rampant everywhere. The tide of displaced people, which had subsided somewhat, has reappeared. If we choose a suitable place and raise the banner, especially if you, Zigao, can show some skills, I believe it won't be difficult to gather a large army," Huang Zhong analyzed.

Zhang Hao nodded and said, "Yes, that's a plan. However, I'm putting direct rebellion as the last option. It's not that I'm worried about failing; I can acquire a large amount of grain and advanced weapons from the world I was reborn into, and with such conditions, we will surely succeed.

"However, if we rebel directly, it will be difficult to attract talented people in the early stages, as the Han Dynasty's reputation still resonates deeply. Talented people will inevitably be lost in the battles, which will also be a loss for our future conquests of other worlds.

"Moreover, the Han Dynasty is already riddled with problems. If we add more fuel to the fire, I fear that the entire Han will be engulfed in flames. In recent years, the barbarians have lost their respect for the Han. The Qiang have already rebelled in Liangzhou, the Wuhuan are taking advantage of the chaos, and the Xianbei and Xiongnu are also restless. I fear they will take advantage of the situation. Although the change of dynasties inevitably leads to suffering, I deeply detest the barbarians taking advantage of the chaos.

"Therefore, I am hesitant about direct rebellion and am looking for a better way. If we build up some strength first, it will be much better when we act."

These were Zhang Hao's true thoughts. It wasn't that he was being overly sentimental or overly concerned about the people. He genuinely disliked the barbarians and did not want innocent civilians to be overly affected. If there was no other way, so be it, but if there was a better way, he hoped to minimize the involvement of the innocent.

There were also other reasons he didn't mention.

Huang Zhong suggested that Zhang Hao show some skills, but at this point, what skills could he show? Apart from the time portal, he had no other extraordinary abilities. Perhaps the time portal was mysterious enough, but he wasn't sure if it could play a significant role.

Furthermore, although this world seemed to have some differences from history, such as individual strength, the overall plot should not be much different. Understanding the plot was an advantage for Zhang Hao as a穿越者 (穿越者 means "time traveler" or "穿越者" in this context). By cleverly using the plot, he could save a lot of time and effort.

Because of these considerations, Zhang Hao put direct rebellion as the last option.

Rebellion is not a simple matter. Besides money and grain, it also requires people. Adequate preparation is necessary to ensure success.

In fact, Zhang Hao had few options.

He had already considered and ruled out the option of joining others. After comprehensive consideration, the best way to maximize benefits was to compete for the world himself. Although the harvest of temporal energy would be delayed compared to directly influencing Emperor Ling, it would be the most beneficial for Zhang Hao's future development.

Competing for the world also had different options. One was direct rebellion, and the other was to infiltrate an organization and become an official. Having a territory to build up strength and acting when the time comes.

This was the most successful way throughout history and could fully utilize Zhang Hao's various advantages.

However, for Zhang Hao, this method still had problems to solve, namely his identity.

In this era, becoming an official was easy in some ways and difficult in others. The current recommendation system meant that you needed someone to recommend you to become an official. And at the beginning, you could only be a minor official, and how long it would take to rise was uncertain. Unless you were already famous.

Clearly, this did not apply to Zhang Hao.

Zhang Hao had considered buying an official position. He had heard that during Emperor Ling's reign, the sale of official positions was public. In many穿越小说 (穿越小说 means "time travel novels" or "穿越小说" in this context), many protagonists chose this path.

However, after discussing with Huang Zhong, Zhang Hao found that the so-called sale of official positions was very different from what he had imagined.

Ordinary people, such as wealthy merchants, could only buy minor positions or empty titles. It was very difficult to become a county magistrate or governor directly.

During Emperor Ling's reign, the sale of official positions involved existing officials who needed to pay to advance, which was why it was called the sale of official positions. On one hand, Emperor Ling needed money for his various schemes, and on the other hand, he was trying to undermine the aristocracy.

Therefore, for someone like Zhang Hao, who had no identity or reputation, buying a high-ranking official position was extremely difficult.

Even if Emperor Ling was willing, other aristocratic officials would not accept it.

Despite the high difficulty, this was still Zhang Hao's preferred choice.

If he rebelled directly, aside from other shortcomings, it would be very difficult to find suitable officials.

"I know this method is not easy, but let's try our best. They say the Ten Attendants are notorious for their corruption and influence the emperor, but they have a good reputation in the sale of official positions. Let's see if their abilities are as legendary as they are said to be."

Zhang Hao shared his thoughts with Huang Zhong, who admired Zhang Hao's benevolence and thorough consideration and naturally agreed. The two then discussed their plans.

In the fifth year of Zhongping, 188 AD, at the end of April.

Zhang Hao and Huang Zhong, along with a dozen others, packed their belongings and set off for Luoyang.

Long-distance travel, especially in this era, was an extremely arduous task. Although they had learned to ride horses during the past month at Huang Zhong's estate, their skills were far from those of Huang Zhong and his companions.

Huang Zhong had suggested taking a carriage, but Zhang Hao had refused. After riding for half a day, Zhang Hao was somewhat regretful but still gritted his teeth and persevered. This was not without benefits; at least his horse-riding skills improved.

The law and order in this era were lax, and Huang Zhong and his group stayed at relay stations along the way, which were usually reserved for officials. With some money, they could stay there without any issues.

Huang Zhong had already obtained a travel permit for Zhang Hao, which he had likely paid for. This made things easier for Zhang Hao.

Although the roads were not safe in this era, perhaps because Nanyang was the imperial hometown and not too far from Luoyang, the journey was relatively peaceful. They did not encounter any bandits, and the ancient capital of Luoyang was already in sight.

Looking at the magnificent city from a distance, Zhang Hao was quite impressed. Although it could not compare to modern cities, building such a city with the technology of this era was truly remarkable. The historical atmosphere was especially impactful.

The roads around Luoyang were wide, befitting a capital city. There were many people and carriages coming and going.

Zhang Hao rode his horse, looking around, somewhat like a country bumpkin entering the city.

After paying the city gate tax, the group entered Luoyang. The city could accommodate over a million people, and its planning was extremely reasonable. The surrounding area was shaded by trees, and the buildings were beautifully constructed, all of which were enough to impress newcomers.

Upon arriving in Luoyang, they decided to stay at a private inn, as the official relay stations might not be suitable. The inn was spacious, so Zhang Hao directly booked a courtyard.

After settling in, Zhang Hao and Huang Zhong, along with a few others, went out to gather information. They needed to know where the Ten Attendants, such as Zhang Rang, lived. Buying an official position was not a simple matter; they needed to find the right channels.

The residences of the Ten Attendants were quite impressive, and Zhang Hao also took a distant look at the imperial palace. He paid special attention to the Western Garden, the official place for selling positions. After listening to passersby and directly asking the eunuchs in charge of selling positions, Zhang Hao had some ideas about how to proceed.

After that, he relaxed and toured the famous city. Unfortunately, Zhang Hao did not encounter any famous people, or perhaps he did not recognize them.

While enjoying the local food in teahouses and taverns, Zhang Hao noticed that many scholars were discussing the rebellion of Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun with anger and frustration. This was a significant event after the rebellion in Xiliang.

The entire Youzhou was being ravaged by Zhang Ju, Zhang Chun, and the Wuhuan. Many officials, including those with high ranks, had been killed. The court was known to be short of funds, which was why there was talk of abandoning Xiliang.

These scholars and students were worried about the state of the country, and some were angrily criticizing the eunuchs for their misrule.

Then someone announced the latest news: Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun, along with the Wuhuan, were no longer as rampant and could no longer ravage Ji and Qing. The general Gongsun Zan was fighting them and was said to have the upper hand, which raised the spirits of those present.

Zhang Hao listened with great interest because he was concerned about Youzhou and Xiliang.

Due to his identity, Zhang Hao knew that if he wanted to buy an official position with a territory, he should look for a place that no one wanted to go. Many people wanted to be officials, but few would want to serve in a region in rebellion. This was Zhang Hao's opportunity.

The official institution for selling positions, the Western Garden, under Emperor Ling, was not an option. Similarly, there was little hope from the likes of the Grand General He Jin and other aristocratic families, who needed people with reputation, which Zhang Hao clearly was not. He could only hope the Ten Attendants were effective.

At least the Ten Attendants had a good reputation in this regard.

As for the eunuchs, buying an official position might tarnish their reputation, but did Zhang Hao have a reputation to begin with?

That night, Zhang Hao returned to the modern world, selected some precious 'treasures' he had bought, and prepared them as funds for buying an official position.

He checked the messages on his phone left in the modern world, replied to a few friends, and called his parents. Then he returned to the Three Kingdoms world. Due to the time rate, it was more suitable to rest here...

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