Chapter 1

In April of the year 183 AD.

In a secluded part of Luoyang City, there was an old temple. In front of the temple, on a dilapidated dirt street, people in rough hemp clothing hurried by. Inside the temple, there was a hay stack, and a man was sleeping soundly in it, drool glistening at the corner of his mouth, occasionally smiling as if he was having a grand dream. He was wearing a T-shirt, jeans, and a pair of hiking shoes, which were completely out of place compared to the people outside. This man was none other than Qin Feng, who was a student at a drama college in 2011, just a month ago.

At this moment, a beggar in tattered clothes rushed in, with blood-stained bandages wrapped around his legs and arms. As soon as he entered, he excitedly shouted, "Big Brother Qin Feng, Big Brother Qin Feng, look what Big Niu bought today, and even got a few coins!"

Big Niu was a beggar in Luoyang City, often hungry and cold. But since he met Qin Feng, his life had changed dramatically, and he could eat and drink to his heart's content every day. To Big Niu, this was like living in heaven, so he greatly admired his Big Brother Qin Feng.

Today, Big Niu followed Qin Feng's advice and disguised himself as a severely injured beggar, which proved to be very effective. "Begging after pretending to be severely injured is so easy, and I even got a few coins. The other beggars would be so envious if they knew! This method of pretending to be injured to gain sympathy really works!" Seeing that Qin Feng was still sleeping, he threw the fake crutch aside and walked over quietly.

"Big Brother Qin! Big Brother Qin Feng!" Big Niu called softly as he approached.

In fact, Qin Feng had already woken up when Big Niu entered, but he was feeling depressed and didn't get up. Now, he sat up from the hay stack, shook his head, and some straw fell off. "Big Niu, you've already had some success so early?" he said idly, glancing at the sky outside.

"Hehe, Big Brother Qin Feng, you don't know. Today, Big Niu followed your new method, with blood-stained bandages and a crutch, and as soon as I lay down, people started giving alms. An old lady from a wealthy family, seeing how pitiful Big Niu was, even gave me a large coin! I bought two big pancakes and still have some left." Big Niu took out a few wuzhu coins and proudly handed them over.

Qin Feng just took one of the pancakes, took a bite, and couldn't help but curse his sudden arrival in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. When others time-traveled, they either had famous fathers or possessed famous people. But he had nothing, and this month had been nothing but bad luck. He took another bite of the pancake, but at least his appearance hadn't changed, and he didn't have to call strangers "father" or "mother," even if they were famous figures from the Three Kingdoms era.

It was just a pity about the good dream he had just had, about Diaochan, tsk tsk...

As he was reminiscing, many people ran past the entrance of the old temple, looking anxious and hurried.

Big Niu was curious and went out to check. After a while, he returned nonchalantly.

Qin Feng, eating the pancake and thinking about how to make a name for himself, casually asked, "What's going on? Why are all these people running?"

"Lord Cai Yong's mansion has a job opening, with only one position. The pay is quite good, so many people are going there!" Big Niu said. He also wanted to try, but since he couldn't read and was just a beggar, he knew he had no chance.

Qin Feng smiled slightly. Cai Yong was a great scholar, skilled in literature, mathematics, and astronomy, especially in music. Besides being well-versed in classics and history and excelling in poetry and prose, he was also a master of calligraphy, especially in clerical script. He was a towering figure in the literary world of the late Eastern Han Dynasty, equivalent to a modern-day academician.

Wait! He suddenly thought and asked urgently, "You said there's a job at Cai's mansion?"

"Yes!" Big Niu didn't understand why Qin Feng, who had been depressed, suddenly became energetic with bright eyes.

Qin Feng suddenly realized that if he could establish a connection with Cai Yong, it would be a shortcut to success...

He scratched his head, threw a piece of straw away, and stood up with a smile. After more than a month, he had gained some understanding of the Eastern Han Dynasty and didn't want to waste this great opportunity to time-travel. No matter what, he wanted to achieve something in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, and now...

Cai Yong was a top scholar, and his house was often visited by other great scholars. With his knowledge from 1800 years later, if he could show off his skills and catch the eye of these great scholars, it would be a way to make a name for himself! Besides, Cai Yong's daughter, Cai Yan, was a great talent of the Eastern Han Dynasty, as famous as Diaochan. If he could establish a connection with her, it would be worth coming to the Eastern Han Dynasty, hehe...

Big Niu, eating the pancake, saw Qin Feng's sinister smile and was afraid, asking cautiously, "Big Brother Qin Feng, what's wrong with you?"

"An opportunity has come!" Qin Feng, afraid of being too late, rushed out after saying this.

"Big Brother Qin Feng, wait for me!" Big Niu quickly put the money back in his pocket and chased after him, holding the pancake in his mouth.

...

"This is Cai's mansion! The home of the talented Cai Yan!" Qin Feng saw the grand red gate with the gilded sign "Cai's Mansion" and walked over.

At this moment, the entrance to Cai's mansion was crowded with people seeking the job, mostly commoners in rough hemp clothing. There were so many people that he couldn't get in for a while, and he couldn't help but say, "Damn, so many people, what's the attraction?"

The person in front of him, seeing him push his way in, was very unhappy and said, "Brother, do you understand the order of things? Don't push, and don't cut in front of me. If you want to cut, go to the back."

Qin Feng almost vomited the pancake he had just eaten. This person clearly misunderstood, and he thought to himself, "I'll go to the back, but if you were Cai Yan, I wouldn't mind. But if Cai Yan looked like you, I wouldn't be interested either."

Another person nearby, being kind, said, "Cai's mansion has a job opening. Lord Cai Yong is very kind and pays well. Moreover, if you have the heart, you can learn to read and write after entering Cai's mansion, which is a rare opportunity."

Qin Feng understood. In ancient times, being literate was a