Ice-cold cola splashed into the glass. Two thin slices of lemon were dropped in. When the bubbles finally settled, Wen Mang lifted the cup and took a huge gulp.
"Ahhh—perfect!"
August in Luo City was peak summer. Outside the window, cicadas screamed without pause, trees drooped lifelessly, and heat steamed up from the pavement like a warning label. This was the city's calling card.
At times like this, drinking an icy cola in an air-conditioned room was absolutely one of life's greatest pleasures.
Of course, it would be even better if the editors from Site 13 weren't constantly hounding him for updates!
After graduating, Wen Mang had gone south to Shanghai, thrown himself into the grind, and after several brutal rounds of survival-of-the-fittest, exited the battlefield in disgrace.
Fortunately, the video-editing skills he'd picked up over the past two years were enough to keep him from starving. After quitting his last job, he simply went back to his hometown to lie low for a bit—and maybe earn some cola money by editing videos on the side.
Wen Mang wasn't a rookie when it came to video editing. After returning home, he spent a week polishing a new video to completion:
"A Strategic Analysis of Shu Han's Chances at Unifying the Realm."
History and culture videos didn't cost much to produce. The source material was familiar territory, and he'd chosen the ever-popular Three Kingdoms era—perfect for testing the waters.
Everything was ready. All that was left was to upload.
"Whether I get to drink cola every day from now on depends on this one upload!"
He packaged the video, excitedly waving his arms as he selected "Upload to Site 13."
And then—perhaps because joy invites disaster—his swinging arm knocked the cup over.
Lemon cola went flying everywhere.
Keyboard. Mouse. Monitor. All soaked.
"Oh NO—!"
Wen Mang lunged forward in despair. This computer was basically his entire worldly possession!
After a frantic cleanup and multiple checks confirming the computer was still alive, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The video was still uploading.
Wiping his hands, cup in hand, he headed to the kitchen to wash up.
What he didn't see, as he left the study, was a faint blue glow flickering across the computer screen.
[Coordinates locked…]
[Deviation calibrating…]
[Deviation confirmed… Anchoring time… confirmed]
[Anchor time: AD 209]
[Anchor target: Zhuge Liang]
...
Winter, the fourteenth year of Jian'an.
Jiangling County, Jing Province.
After a long day buried in paperwork, Zhuge Liang finally looked up from his desk and asked calmly,
"Zilong, are you hungry?"
General Zilong—upright, dignified, holding a military treatise as he read—smiled when he heard this.
"If the Strategist is hungry, I can have some soup noodles brought in right away."
Zhuge Liang, only twenty-eight this year, chuckled and shook his head.
"I'm fine. If we count the time, my lord should be back soon. We can wait."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a hearty laugh rang out from outside.
"Kongming!"
Liu Bei strode in, tall and imposing, the gust of wind he brought with him making the flames in the brazier sway violently, nearly going out.
"Just as you predicted! Second Brother sent word—Nanjun will fall any day now!"
"The Strategist truly is my lucky star!"
In his excitement, Liu Bei couldn't help recalling everything that had happened over the past two years. It all felt like a dream.
Last year, Cao the traitor's army of eight hundred thousand had pressed down on him, chasing him from place to place until he thought death was certain. And yet—
Third Brother roared at Dangyang Bridge and sent the enemy fleeing.
Kongming went to Jiangdong and debated the scholars into submission, forging an alliance.
And finally, Zhou Yu burned Cao Cao's ambitions to ash at Red Cliffs with a single fire.
Now, barely a year later, he controlled four commanderies of Jing Province. Guan, Zhang, and Zhao were renowned across the land. Kongming's brilliance shook Jiangdong. Yi Ji had even come to serve under him.
And today—news from Second Brother Guan Yu: Cao Ren, who had been stubbornly defending Nanjun, was showing signs of exhaustion. Victory was close. Cao Cao's forces would be driven north of the Yangtze once and for all.
The only concern was that Admiral Zhou had recently been struck by a stray arrow during the siege…
"Prepare wine and dishes!" Liu Bei waved his hand grandly. "Tonight, I will speak with the Strategist until dawn!"
Tonight, Kongming belonged to him. They would sleep on the same couch, feet touching, and talk through the night!
Jiangling County was only a temporary residence and not very large. Once the three of them sat down in the side hall, and a brazier and folding screen were added, there was no room for anyone else.
According to tradition, even a small banquet required a few words before eating.
Liu Bei was well practiced. He raised his cup toward Kongming and Zilong.
"For me to have achieved even this small foundation—it is all thanks to the Strategist's wisdom and Zilong's valor. May we continue in unity and restore the Han!"
The moment his words fell—
A rectangular curtain of light suddenly unfolded in midair before the three of them.
All three froze, stunned speechless.
"Th-this…" Liu Bei stammered. "Could it be the former emperors of the Han, moved by our cause, sending down an auspicious sign from Heaven?"
It didn't matter what they thought.
The light screen shifted, soft music began to play, and a man's voice followed:
[Gentlemen! Brothers! Sisters! I'm Wen Mang. You could say I'm a Shu Han fanboy. Today, let's chat about Shu Han's chances of unifying the realm—from a strategic perspective.]
[As everyone knows, Shu Han began in AD 221 when Liu Bei declared himself emperor in Chengdu, and ended in AD 263 when Liu Shan surrendered to Wei. The dynasty lasted forty-three years.]
[Two years after Shu fell, Wei collapsed. Seventeen years later, Wu followed. The Three Kingdoms all lost in the end, and China entered the Jin dynasty—a time of Five-Stone Powder, chaos of the Five Barbarians, Sixteen Kingdoms, Northern and Southern Dynasties… an absolute mess not worth remembering.]
The voice wasn't fast. Some of the words were hard to grasp, but with the maps changing on the screen, Liu Bei, Zhao Yun, and Zhuge Liang quickly understood the core truth:
Liu Bei would become emperor.
Liu Shan would lose the country.
And soon after—Wei, Shu, and Wu would all perish.
Liu Bei's face was a portrait of utter confusion.
I, Liu Xuande, loyal minister of the Han—become emperor?
Who is trying to frame me?!
The Son of Heaven still lives—would I become a traitor to history?!
His thoughts tangled like knotted silk, impossible to unravel.
Zhuge Liang, however, remained clear-headed. With a sweep of his sleeve, he cleared the table, fetched paper and brush, and rapidly ground ink.
He neither fully understood nor fully trusted what the light screen said—but he could record it first and ponder it later.
Zhao Zilong did the same.
Seeing this, Kongming felt deeply gratified. Later, the two of them could compare notes and verify details together.
Still… this Jin dynasty—whose house was that?
His mind raced.
After Red Cliffs, Sun Wu was already a formidable power. The screen said the lord would proclaim himself emperor in Chengdu—meaning they would eventually take Yi Province as their base.
Liu held Jing and Yi.
Sun Wu ruled Jiangdong.
Cao Cao dominated the north.
The realm would indeed be divided into three.
Then where did this Jin dynasty come from—able to destroy all three houses in such a short span?
Before he could think further, the screen shifted topics again.
[When it comes to Shu Han's chances of unification, most people believe everything was lost after Ma Su lost Jieting.]
[But in my view—Sun Wu lost its chance even earlier. From the moment Sun Quan sent Guan Yu's head to Cao Cao.]
Liu Bei: !!!
He had already sensed that his own death would eventually be mentioned—but he never expected to hear of his second brother's beheading first.
My second brother… invincible under Heaven…
…was he?