Giten Engi ~To Aru Sakushi No Sangokushi~ - Chapter 1

Guang He 4 (180 AD) Spring, Luoyang

“Hmmm, so you are the child prodigy that people are talking about, huh? I see… looking closer at your face, you look really smart.”

“I’m very happy to receive your compliment.”

“I’m not complimenting you.”

“…”

Of course, I know that, but in this situation, I am unable to express it, so I, the child prodigy, continued to bow silently.

There will always be a huge gap between a worker and an employer, wider than the ocean and taller than the mountains. In summary, there is no mercy regarding the disparity in position.

What is going on at the moment? To put it simply, I am here for a job interview.

I’m not sure how to explain it, but I recently decided to get a job. And now, because I ignored my parents’ and others’ advice, I’m being looked down upon by Hen Jin “The Butcher’s Son,” a skilled artisan and the chamberlain in charge (temporarily) of the area where I want to work, who also happens to be Her Majesty the Empress’ brother. And right now, he’s using his power over me mercilessly.

Why is this going on? This is referred to as a “special high-stress interview.” The distinction between a regular high stress interview and a special high stress interview is that the tension is directed at your physical body. In summary, if the interviewer dislikes the applicant, there is a strong possibility he will be killed or charged with a crime he did not commit.

Hmmm? That’s really harsh? Well, it’s only natural, because getting a job in this era is a matter of life and death!

Aside from that, the interviewer’s expression tells me I’m not welcome, and the tone of his voice indicates that he’s plainly suspicious of me.

It’s not comfortable to be assessed in this manner, but since I don’t know how he feels, I must be patient.

I’m sure he is aware that he has a reputation among the people as a despicable person who used his sister’s position to achieve power, which is why he is despised by the eunuch faction, including the Ten Attendants and other famous families*.

It is not an exaggeration to suggest that, despite being a palace attendant, he remains isolated within the imperial court. I’m sure he never thought that a child from a famous family, who is rumored to be a prodigy, would approach him and offer his services.

So I’m sure he thinks my presence here today is a mistake, or that someone hired me to deceive or bother him. So it’s understandable for him to be suspicious of a child from a notable family who says “I’m here to serve you” rather than “I’m here as a representative of a prominent family”.

And most likely, when I agreed to work here, he ran a complete background check on me, but when he didn’t notice anything wrong that would indicate that I was deceiving him, he opted to see me and confirm it with his own eyes.

It’s understandable that he won’t uncover any evidence that I’m deceiving him. Even my parents and friends warned me not to visit this location and discouraged me from applying for a job here.

For me to come this far and be here, I’m sure he realizes that, while he is wary of me, he is also interested in me. Otherwise, he would not have bothered to meet me and would have simply handed me the appropriate documents and left me alone.

Overall, I can say that my approach was effective when he agreed to meet me in person.

Looking back, I can’t help but cry since my ten years of hard effort had finally been rewarded.

“Hey, hmmm, how can I put this? Stop staring at me with those strangely clear eyes of yours” .

“Yes, I apologize for that.”

He Jin appears curiously uncomfortable stating something as silly as “Stop staring at me with those clear eyes of yours,” but because the boss’s instruction is absolute, I must comply. By closing my eyelashes and lowering my head slightly, I obliged with his absurd request.

As I closed my eyes, I remembered what had happened ten years earlier.

…

Something weird happened one day in the summer of 2018, as I celebrated my 35th birthday.

The day before, as usual, I arrived at the office at 4:00 a.m. and worked on various chores. Recently, a long-time employee resigned, the new employee who was meant to fill the vacant position fled, and a colleague was rushed to the hospital after going into labor. As a result of the large number of workers who were absent, the department where I worked was understaffed.

Even in such circumstances, a skilled salesman will struggle to complete the task. Also, every time I finish an assignment, I am immediately assigned a new one, and I am not allowed to take time off because I am told that if I do not complete my work on time, it will harm both the company and the salesperson’s credibility. It’s all well and good if my compensation increases, but due to the recession, my salary has remained the same, which is why we have so few workers in my department. Overtime pay also doesn’t exist. That’s why I spend my entire day working to make ends meet.

Around 11:30 p.m., I realized that my present work would soon be over, so I decided to take a break. I grabbed a beer from the company fridge, wished myself a happy birthday, and drank from the can. After then, I felt an ache in my back and the next thing I knew I was a five-year-old child.

You don’t really understand what happened? Neither do I. But what happened to me was neither a dream nor an illusion.

At first, I can’t comprehend what was going on. I assumed I must have fallen asleep on the floor. But when I glance around, it appears that I am in a regular bed, lying on a board with a futon on top, or something similar. And all I remember is having a peculiar discomfort in the back of my head.

After checking a few things. I discovered I was a five-year-old child living in ancient China.

I don’t mean to brag, but when I found out that I had been reincarnated, I quickly planned what I was going to accomplish and I immediately put it into action. I recognized the value of academic qualifications (academic faction) on this time period, so I used my parents’ influence to gain admission to the academy in Luoyang. What about the Seiryuu faction?Or the Dakuryuu faction? They don’t matter. (Although the political factions and the academic factions may seem similar, they are quite different).

I used the knowledge and experience I had, even if it was vague, and I started doing muscle training, I also learned how to handle the spear and bow, and at the same time I made our household prosperous. Because of this, I was given the title of “prodigy”.

My title of “prodigy,” while it sounded amazing, isn’t that unique, considering that in this day and age, most people exaggerate things to the point of giving them titles like “The Three Kings” or “The Eight Men of Talent.”

And that concludes my reminiscence. I may share more details about my childhood, but that’s all for now.

…

“Hmmm. You seem brave, and you have martial arts skills as well.”

“…”

It is inappropriate to speak back to your superior when they have not asked a question, so I continued to bow silently.

“Your grades at the academy are not only impeccable, they’re perfect. You are also talented in both literary and military arts. So why do you want to serve me?”

Finally, we have reached the major point of this interview: the confirmation of my motivation for applying for this position. In this era, getting a government job is based on connections, such as the recommendation of people from the same city, called “Kyoukyorisen,” or the recommendation of a fellow student from the same academic institution, called “Xiaolian.” So it’s common knowledge that people who want to work in places where they have no connections or who can prove their background are seen as people with ulterior motives.

However, there is more to it than meets the eye. I’m not claiming to be a spy or anything; I’m simply a regular person whose main ambition is to get ahead in life.

“Well, I will answer your question now, Your Excellency. Please forgive me for any discomfort I may have caused in what I am about to say.”

“I don’t care. In fact, this will save us both time. It will also be better than being wrapped in smoke and mirrors.”

Yes, I understand your feelings. After all, people from prominent families are always looking for formality and grandeur in whatever they do, so it can be difficult to understand what they are saying. Looking at the circumstances, it appears that He Jin is already fed up with the imperial court’s regulations and traditions.

This will be highly beneficial to me because what He Jin said will significantly lower my chances of getting accused of using offensive words. With that I will not fail at this!

“Thank you for your generous words. I will now answer your questions.”

Now, He Jin, listen carefully to what I have to say!

Note:

1. A eunuch is a male who has been castrated. In Ancient China, they were imperial servants and were common as civil servants.

2. The Ten Attendants also known as the Ten Eunuchs were a group of influential eunuch in the imperial court. Even though they are called the Ten Attendants there are actually 12 of them.

3. Luoyang is the capital city of Ancient China.

4. Seiryuu lit. trans. to Azure Dragon and Dakuryuu lit. trans. to Muddy Current

5. Kyoukyorisen or Town and Village Election, Xiaolian or Filial Piety