Cunning Three Kingdoms

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The night sky of the Han Dynasty was dazzling with stars.

It was a sight that Fei Qian could never have seen in his previous life. The shimmering Milky Way was embedded in the deep blue-black canopy of the sky, and the countless stars, whether large or small, seemed crystal clear, utterly mesmerizing.

The night was deep, but Fei Qian still couldn't sleep. The events that had unfolded recently had taken him completely by surprise...

The surroundings were quiet, except for the gurgling sound of the creek flowing down from Lushan. The water danced cheerfully before Fei Qian's eyes, flowing endlessly into the distance.

Fei Qian casually picked up a stone and tossed it into the water with a soft "plop." Then he tightened the cloak around him.

His mood was complicated. He had vaguely anticipated that something like this might happen, but he hadn't expected it to come so quickly and so suddenly, leaving him completely unprepared.

The sound of light footsteps came from behind. Fei Qian turned and saw Pang Tong, also wrapped in a cloak, approaching.

When Pang Tong saw Fei Qian, he chuckled and said, "Now you know why I can't sleep at night, huh?"

Well...

Fei Qian nodded, somewhat helplessly. "Yeah, now I know."

It turned out that the new guy, Xu Shu, snored—and he snored like a freight train...

Fei Qian's wooden cabin, though sealed with straw and mud between the planks, couldn't compare to the soundproofing of modern concrete structures. So, every night when Xu Shu started his "train symphony," Pang Tong, living in the adjacent room, naturally suffered...

Generally, intelligent people tend to overthink, and their minds are more active than average. This makes them more susceptible to disturbances at night, waking up at the slightest noise. So, with Xu Shu's thunderous snoring, Pang Tong had fallen into a vicious cycle: the more he wanted to sleep, the louder the snoring seemed, and the louder the snoring seemed, the more impossible it was to sleep.

As for Zao Zhi, he lived farther away, and at his age, he was in the phase of life where sleep was most precious. Plus, he spent his days running around in the fields, so by the time he returned to his cabin, he could sleep through anything, even a thunderstorm...

Only Pang Tong suffered.

Well, now Fei Qian was suffering too.

Fei Qian felt helpless about the situation. After all, he knew that snoring wasn't something a person could control. It wasn't like he could ask Xu Shu to sleep with his mouth stuffed every night...

Fei Qian couldn't help but speculate maliciously. In his past life, he remembered that Liu Bei had eagerly shared a bed with Zhuge Liang upon meeting him, but he didn't seem to do the same with Xu Shu. This, Fei Qian thought, must have been because of Xu Shu's super snoring. Of course, Xu Shu's burly appearance didn't help either...

Fei Qian patted Pang Tong's shoulder and said, "Tomorrow, I'll think of a way to help you get a good night's sleep..."

Fei Qian was thinking of building a soundproof wall for Xu Shu. Though it might take up a lot of space in Xu Shu's room, it would at least solve part of the problem.

Of course, in the Han Dynasty, there were no soundproofing materials like foam, but based on the general principles, he could use materials like cotton, hemp, and paper to simulate sound absorption. As long as he could reduce the decibel level of Xu Shu's snoring, it should be bearable...

"Really? That's great!" Pang Tong was overjoyed. After days of suffering from the sound waves, all he wanted was a good night's sleep.

Pang Tong's problem was relatively easy to solve, but Fei Qian's own troubles were not so simple.

He remembered how, during the Liu-Cai marriage alliance, he had lamented that it was purely a political marriage. He hadn't expected that he would soon be in a similar situation.

Perhaps he should ask Pang Tong for his opinion?

After all, Pang Tong was a native of the Han Dynasty and a member of an aristocratic family. Fei Qian wanted to know how Pang Tong viewed such political marriages.

"Shiyuan, have you ever thought about who you would marry?"

"Me?" Pang Tong pointed at himself. "Isn't it a bit early to ask that? Maybe in a few years."

Fei Qian said, "But it's only a few years away. I'm not asking about you getting married now, but in the future. What kind of person would you want to marry?"

"Well, of course, she should be gentle, understanding, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She should respect her in-laws, love her siblings, be good at needlework, and know how to cook delicious meals..." Pang Tong went on and on.

Fei Qian rolled his eyes, thinking to himself, "Pang Tong, are you describing a woman or a goddess?"

Fei Qian interrupted Pang Tong, pulling him out of his unrealistic fantasy, and asked, "Shiyuan, what if you couldn't choose your spouse, and your family arranged a marriage for political reasons? What would you do?"

"Arranged by the family?" Pang Tong blinked. "Then I'd marry her." If the family arranged it, what else could he say?

"Ah? What if she didn't meet any of the criteria you just mentioned?"

"Well..." Pang Tong shook his head casually. "I'd still marry her."

"Why?"

Pang Tong looked at Fei Qian as if he had become stupid. "Isn't it obvious? If the family arranged it, there must be other factors at play. It's not just about you; it's about the family's interests. It's not up to you to decide."

"But wouldn't it feel uncomfortable or strange to marry someone you've never met?"

"Pfft..." Pang Tong sneered. "What do you expect? Do you think you can meet every woman in the world?"

Was I being too idealistic? Or were my modern sensibilities just out of place in this era?

Fei Qian smiled bitterly to himself. What Pang Tong had said was probably the most correct attitude for someone in the Han Dynasty.

Aristocratic families! This was what aristocratic families were like.

When family interests clashed with personal interests, it was always the individual who had to yield. Everything was for the sake of the family, everything revolved around the family's interests...

This was the most correct approach in the Han Dynasty. After all, in ancient times, from childhood to adulthood, as long as you were part of a family, you received its protection and privileges. Naturally, when you grew up, you had to give back to the family.

Moreover, Pang Degong's words still echoed in Fei Qian's ears. Yes, even if he didn't consider the family, just for the sake of the principles he pursued, sacrificing some of his modern ideas about marriage was nothing...

Pang Tong let out a big yawn and said, "Why are you asking so much about marriage today? Are you getting married?"

"Uh... sort of..." Fei Qian felt there was no point in hiding it, so he admitted it. "So? Are you surprised?"

"Why would I be surprised? Isn't it normal? Besides, you're already so old and still unmarried. I was starting to wonder if there was something wrong with you... Hey, don't walk away! You haven't told me who you're marrying yet... Hey!"