Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 1: Rising at the Rooster's Crow, Unveiling a New World
"Oh oh oh-"

In the fifth year of Zhongping, on the seventh day of the third month, at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), in Anxi County.

The faint morning light shone on the county magistrate's residence, and the loud crowing of a rooster awakened the sleeping Liu Bei.

"Second brother, third brother, wake up."

"Today, it's either us crushing others or others crushing us. We absolutely cannot be crushed. We are the strongest."

"Arise! Let us roll together, roll to the pinnacle of life, roll to brilliance and glory, roll to a new world."

A voice full of sunshine and vitality echoed through the earthen house, and the double swords reflected the morning light, highlighting Liu Bei's resolute and handsome face.

On the earthen pit, Guan Yu rubbed his sleepy eyes, looking helpless: "Brother, it's only Mao Shi (5-7 AM)!"

While Liu Bei was asking questions, he had already dressed himself neatly: "Have you not heard that Zu Ti and Liu Kun rose at the crack of dawn to practice their martial arts? I only asked you two to get up at dawn, which is far inferior to Zu Ti and Liu Kun!"

Guan Yu asked in bewilderment, "Brother, who are Zu Ti and Liu Kun? I've never heard of them before?"

Liu Bei solemnly scolded, "I told you to read more books, but you wouldn't listen. Zu Ti and Liu Kun were both generals of Jin."

"A Jin general?" Guan Yu stroked his long beard, his eyes even more bewildered: "I have read the Spring and Autumn Annals thoroughly, but I have never heard of these two people."

Zu Ti and Liu Kun were not the Jin generals recorded in the Spring and Autumn Annals, but the Jin generals recorded in the Book of Tang. This Jin was not the same as that Jin, but Liu Bei did not intend to explain further. Instead, he kicked Zhang Fei, who was sleeping with his eyes open, and shouted, "Third brother, your butt is on fire and you're still sleeping!"

"Aiya!" Zhang Fei rolled to the ground, flailing his arms frantically. "Brother, I'm terrified of fire! Quick, save me!"

Liu Bei kicked Zhang Fei again, exclaiming with exasperation, "Sleep, sleep, all you do is sleep! If you were like this when you were in command of troops, your head would have been ripped off long ago!"

Zhang Fei lowered his head dejectedly, glancing furtively at Guan Yu, his eyes conveying a plea for help.

Guan Yu also lowered his head, indicating that he could not help.

Noticing Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's subtle movements, Liu Bei gripped his swords upside down and reprimanded them earnestly: "In this chaotic world, heroes are rising up everywhere. We are just ordinary people. If we cannot put in ten times, a hundred times, or a thousand times the effort, how can we compare to the centuries of accumulation by powerful families?"

Zhang Fei muttered under his breath, "I'm just from a butcher's family. I never intended to compare myself to the powerful clans that have accumulated wealth over centuries."

Seeing Liu Bei's glare that looked like he was about to punch someone, Zhang Fei quickly changed his tune and recited: "Being of humble origins is not a disgrace; being able to bend and stretch is what makes a true man. Brother, I've memorized it perfectly, and I'll work ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times harder right now."

Then, Zhang Fei slipped out of the earthen house like a wisp of smoke, afraid that Liu Bei would grab his ear and scold him again.

Guan Yu followed closely behind, shouting, "Third brother, second brother is here!"

Seeing the two fleeing into the courtyard, Liu Bei also strode out and practiced swordsmanship in the courtyard.

As a transmigrator without a system, Liu Bei often felt immense pressure. In the late Han Dynasty, where social status was extremely important, someone like Liu Bei, born into poverty, could not compare to the accumulated wealth and connections of powerful and influential families even after twenty years of hard study.

For example, Cao Cao, relying on his family background, was able to enter Luoyang as a Gentleman of the Palace at the age of twenty through the recommendation of filial piety and incorruptibility. Later, he successively served as the Northern Commandant of Luoyang, the Magistrate of Dunqiu, the Gentleman of the Palace, and the Chancellor of Jinan. Although he did not accept the position of Prefect of Dongjun and returned to his hometown due to illness, Cao Cao was still able to be selected as one of the Eight Colonels of the Western Garden a few months later.

The governor of Dongjun could be dismissed at will, and the emperor could enter the western garden at will. This is the power of family background!

In contrast, Liu Bei, an orphan, was just a small blade of grass. The good thing of being recommended for the civil service was not his turn. Even though he was a time traveler who worked hard for more than 20 years, he could only barely keep up with the reputation of Emperor Zhaolie of Han. If it were someone with less perseverance, he would have given up long ago.

But Liu Bei didn't want to give up. He had already logged into the account of Emperor Zhaolie of Han, so he had to be an emperor and enjoy himself to make his life worthwhile!

Liu Bei, who had experienced the era of exams from childhood to adulthood, also started taking exams at the age of three in the late Han Dynasty. Liu Bei not only took exams himself, but also dragged others to take exams with him.

After encountering Zhang Fei, who was naked, in Zhuo County, Liu Bei dragged Zhang Fei to study the classics. Zhang Fei's parents even happily sponsored Liu Bei with money, which caused Zhang Fei to hate studying from a young age. Whenever he felt irritable while studying, Zhang Fei would take a long bamboo pole and poke at pigs, a habit he maintained for more than ten years.

After Guan Yu committed a crime in Hedong, he originally intended to go to Liaodong to avoid trouble. When he passed through Zhuo County, he was spotted by Liu Bei. After confirming Guan Yu's identity, Liu Bei also made Guan Yu read books. At first, Guan Yu was unwilling, but after Liu Bei dragged Zhang Fei along and gave Guan Yu a good beating, Guan Yu chose to admit defeat.

Guan Yu also deeply abhorred reading. Whenever he felt irritable while reading, he would take a woodcutter's knife and chop bamboo. Eventually, he even studied horizontal chopping, diagonal chopping, and dragging chopping techniques, hoping to be able to split the top bamboo in a thicket of bamboo with just one stroke. He never tired of this.

People like Jian Yong, Qian Zhao, and Gongsun Zan were also drawn into Liu Bei's schemes, but these people all had some family background and couldn't win against Liu Bei. They were also reluctant to break their friendships, so they all used the excuse of studying to leave for distant places.

To prevent Guan Yu and Zhang Fei from using this as an excuse to run away, Liu Bei swore brotherhood with them in front of the wooden statue of Guan Yu in Zhang Fei's peach garden. When Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were puzzled, Liu Bei made up a story, saying, "This is Zhao Gongming, the God of War and Wealth!"
Liu Bei stopped practicing his sword dance at dawn and instead prepared breakfast for Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

This was always the happiest time for Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

Because Liu Bei really couldn't get used to the rice and flour of this era, he had also made a lot of "delicious food" that was edible over the years, the most common of which was steamed buns made from fermented flour.

Although it was far inferior in taste to French sugar-free bread, it could still be considered a delicacy in the late Han Dynasty. Even in the Southern Dynasties, bread made from fermented flour was only used during temple sacrifices.

"Brother, you can read, you can practice swordsmanship, and you can even steam buns. As long as there are steamed buns, I'll follow you for life." Guan Yu swallowed the steamed bun like a date being swallowed whole. If it weren't for the fact that his body and hair were gifts from his parents, Guan Yu would have cut off his long beard, as it was really affecting his eating.

"Me too!" Zhang Fei's eating manner was almost identical, as if he wanted to stuff the steamed bun directly into his mouth.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei ate heartily, and Liu Bei was also in a good mood. Only after eating and drinking his fill did he have the energy to continue rolling.

Since neither of them held a position in the county, they could easily: rise at dawn to practice martial arts, eat and read at dawn, practice riding and archery at mid-morning, eat and read at noon, practice swordsmanship and spear fighting at 1-3 pm, eat and read at 5 pm, practice endurance at 5 pm, and go to sleep to recharge at 7 pm.
Although Liu Bei had official duties in the county, he would accompany Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to roll up the scroll after finishing his official business. In order to avoid wasting time, Liu Bei also implemented a process for official business, which made the county magistrate, assistant magistrate, clerk and scribe suffer.

Yang Hong, the magistrate of Anxi, petitioned the chancellor of Zhongshan more than once to transfer Liu Bei away. However, after the Yellow Turban Rebellion, local officials were already overcrowded and could not be transferred away at will.

Today, Yang Hong was overjoyed.

This is because the imperial court issued an edict that all those who have made military achievements and become senior officials should be eliminated!

　50,000 words released! 16,000 words updated daily.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)