I Popularized the Pokemons in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 124: Xiao Qiao, Da Qiao, and Cai Wenji!

Yangzhou

"Husband, why are we going to Luoyang all of a sudden?"

Madam Qiao frowned as she watched her husband hurriedly packing his belongings.

Seeing his beautiful wife's puzzled expression, Qiao Rui quickly explained.

"Madam, you may not know, but His Majesty is going to hold a Pokémon Contest in Luoyang.

"If you make it into the top sixteen, you will be granted an official position.

"And if you reach the top three, you will be directly awarded a high-ranking position with a salary of 2,000 shi!"

Qiao Rui's face was full of longing.

Two thousand shi!

For someone of his background, this was unimaginable wealth and status.

Qiao Rui's family was not poor— they belonged to a local noble clan.

However, in the Eastern Han Dynasty, success in officialdom was controlled by aristocratic families.

People like Qiao Rui had wealth but lacked status.

If he had anything to be proud of, it was his stunning wife and his two beautiful daughters.

But now, he had a chance.

He could elevate his family's status and secure titles for his wife and children.

---

"What is Pokémon?"

Madam Qiao asked curiously.

"To be honest, I don't know exactly, but I heard they are fairy beasts!"

"Some even say that the giant creature that brought rain to the sky that day was a Pokémon. But I don't know if that's true or not."

Qiao Rui was honest with his wife.

"Madam, I must go to Luoyang.

"Otherwise, I will never forgive myself."

For men, career is always the most important thing.

And in ancient times, being an official was the highest achievement.

Seeing that her husband had made up his mind, Madam Qiao said no more.

---

At that moment, two little girls ran into the room.

"Father, we want to go to Luoyang too!"

"Yes, Father! Take us with you!"

"We've never been to Luoyang before!"

"We also want to see what Pokémon look like!"

The two sisters, Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, looked at their father anxiously, afraid that he would refuse.

Looking at his adorable daughters, Qiao Rui hesitated.

Though they were still young, their beauty already surpassed their mother's.

Even though they were not yet fifteen, countless families had already sent marriage proposals.

Qiao Rui treasured them deeply, treating them like precious gems.

Now, seeing his daughters begging him with their big, hopeful eyes, he couldn't bear to say no.

---

At the same time, in Wu County, Yangzhou, a young girl named Cai Yan—who would later be known as Cai Wenji, one of the greatest female scholars in history—was returning to the capital with her father.

Before this, her father, Cai Yong, had been forced to flee to Jiangdong after being framed.

If history had followed its original course, he would have remained in exile for at least twelve years.

However, due to Lin Yu's intervention, Emperor Ling of Han, Liu Hong, had learned in advance that the Han Dynasty was destined to fall.

For reasons unknown, the Emperor pardoned Cai Yong's crime and summoned him back to Luoyang to assist in editing historical records.

Thus, Cai Wenji, still a young girl, joined her father on their return to the capital.

---

Of course, they were not the only ones heading to Luoyang from Yangzhou.

Another traveler was Sun Jian's son, Sun Ce!

However, he did not go directly to Luoyang.

Instead, he traveled to Xuzhou first to meet up with his father before heading to the capital together.

The figure he saw soaring in the sky that day had left a deep impression on him.

For a powerful warrior family like the Sun clan, this Pokémon Contest was an opportunity they could not ignore.

But the Suns were not alone.

---

Another notable noble, Yan Baihu, also set out for Luoyang.

At this time, he was not yet a bandit, nor had he established his 10,000-man army.

But when he heard about the Pokémon Contest, he immediately gathered his servants and set off.

Among Yangzhou's aristocratic families, the Lu, Zhu, Gu, and Zhang clans all sent representatives to Luoyang.

None of them planned to participate, but they were curious and wanted to see the event firsthand.

---

There was one more traveler—a ten-year-old boy, setting out alone with only his servants.

This young boy was Lu Su.

His father, Lu Kui, had died when he was very young, so Lu Su was raised by his grandmother.

His father had once been Governor of Yuzhou, making Lu Su a child of nobility.

Thanks to his wealth and generosity, he was deeply respected by the people.

Even at a young age, he was already forming connections with scholars and warriors.

With his sharp intuition, he felt that he must go to Luoyang.

Even if he was too young to compete, he knew that if he did not go, he would regret it.

---

Yuzhou

In Xuzhou, Yuzhou, the wealthy merchant Mi Zhu was already on his way to Luoyang.

Accompanied by a large entourage of servants, he had only recently received the news.

The Pokémon Contest had spread across all thirteen provinces of the Han Dynasty.

Mi Zhu hadn't even left Yuzhou yet!

It wasn't his fault.

This wasn't the first time he had tried to buy an official position.

In the past, he had given large tributes to the eunuchs and ministers in court.

But what did he get?

Nothing!

Even with his immense wealth, he had no powerful connections.

And in the Eastern Han Dynasty, wealth alone was not enough to guarantee safety.

But now, there was an opportunity.

For the first time, wealth wasn't the only path to power.

And Mi Zhu was determined to seize it.

So, he sent his slaves and maids back to Xuzhou and took only his strongest retainers, traveling light and fast.

---

But Mi Zhu was not the only one heading to Luoyang from Xuzhou.

Among them were:

Chen Deng

Zhuge Xuan

Zhuge Jin

These men came from noble families, and though they had influence, they also wanted to see the competition.

At the same time, from Liangzhou, Jingzhou, Yizhou, and Jiaozhou, powerful figures also set out.

Among them were:

Xun Yu, Guo Jia, Zhong Yao, Chen Qun (Yuzhou)

Li Ru, Niu Fu, Zhang Ji, Zhang Xiu, Li Jue, Guo Si (Liangzhou)

Taishi Ci, Kong Rong, Zang Ba (Xuzhou)

Huang Chengyan, Pang Degong, Cai Mao, Kuai Liang, Huang Zu, Huang Zhong, Wei Yan (Jingzhou)

Shi Xie (Jiaozhou)

Gan Ning, Zhang Lu, and Zhang Ning, the Saint of the Five Pecks of Rice Sect (Yizhou)

Even those already in Luoyang rushed to prepare for battle.

---

The first Pokémon Contest in history was about to begin—

And the greatest warriors and scholars of the era were coming to claim their destiny.