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The guest room in the Xiangyang inn, though not particularly spacious, was decent enough. It consisted of a main hall and two bedrooms—one larger and one smaller. The outer area served as a reception space, while the inner rooms were for sleeping. The furniture was adequate, though naturally, such accommodations didn't come cheap.
Fortunately, Fei Qian had not only brought money from home but also received a portion from Cui Hou. If it were just a matter of paying for lodging, he could easily afford to stay for a year or more.
However, an inn room was still just an inn room. It was fine for temporary stays, but for a long-term residence, he needed to find a place of his own.
So, these past few days, Uncle Fu had been out looking at properties recommended by locals.
Since Fei Qian planned to settle in Xiangyang, finding a suitable place to live was a priority. Whether renting or buying, it would be more cost-effective than staying in an inn for an extended period.
It wasn't that Fei Qian was inconsiderate of the elderly, but the scar on his head hadn't fully healed yet. Though it wasn't a serious issue, Uncle Fu absolutely refused to let Fei Qian accompany him to look at properties, insisting that Fei Qian wait until he had found a few good options before joining him.
As a result, Fei Qian spent most of his time wandering near the inn, chatting with the innkeeper and staff, or striking up conversations with street vendors…
Even so, Fei Qian managed to gather a fair amount of information about Xiangyang.
Today, however, Fei Qian didn't go out. Instead, he sat alone in his room, pulling out paper and brush to organize the information he had collected over the past few days.
As Fei Qian had observed during his journey, although Xiangyang hadn't yet become the focal point of the Three Kingdoms struggle, numerous factions were already lurking beneath the surface.
Present-day Xiangyang was like a deep pool of water—calm on the surface, but with countless undercurrents churning beneath.
After some thought, Fei Qian wrote down "Xiangyang" and then added "Nanyang" above it and "Jiangling" below.
It seemed as if the land around Xiangyang was blessed by the heavens, with abundant water sources and fertile soil. From Xiangyang as the center, stretching north to Nanyang and south to Jiangling, even ordinary farmers could at least secure a basic livelihood. This was also why the Yellow Turban Rebellion, led by the Zhang brothers, failed to incite much unrest in this region.
Thus, the Xiangyang area remained relatively unscathed by the Yellow Turban Rebellion, preserving its productive capacity and material supply.
However, precisely because of its prosperity, a unique phenomenon had emerged—clan bandits.
Clan bandits were more common in the south. In the north, frequent harassment by the Xianbei and Qiang tribes made such groups less prevalent. Clan bandits were essentially private armed organizations formed by local clans or village networks, bound by familial or communal ties. In simpler terms, they were local strongmen who gathered their own militias.
Around Xiangyang alone, there were more than fifty such clan bandit groups!
These organizations could put down their weapons and work as farmers, but at a moment's notice, they could take up arms and raid villages as bandits.
It seemed that people like Zhang Liao, who were familiar with military affairs, were more aware of such dangers. Thankfully, Zhang Liao had been thoughtful enough to arrange an escort for Fei Qian. Otherwise, if Fei Qian had traveled alone, he might have truly "gone on his final journey."
Fei Qian felt deeply grateful to Zhang Liao for ensuring his safe arrival in Xiangyang…
However, that debt of gratitude could be repaid later. What troubled Fei Qian most at the moment were the influential families of Jing and Xiang—
Just listing the more prominent ones, there were the Kuai, Cai, Pang, Fei, Ma, Xiang, Huang, Lai, Wen, Li, and Xi families… Fei Qian realized that if he tried to write them all down, one sheet of paper wouldn't be enough.
These families were interconnected through marriages and alliances, forming a dense web that enveloped the Jing and Xiang regions.
These local gentry families, combined with those who had fled south due to the Yellow Turban Rebellion or the conflicts between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, made the region feel like a small pond overcrowded with fish, with more fish constantly trying to squeeze in…
Fei Qian felt that untangling the complex relationships among these families would be a monumental task, requiring at least a year or two of effort. So, he decided to rely on his knowledge from the future—focus on the main contradictions and set aside the secondary ones for now…
On the paper, Fei Qian circled the Kuai, Cai, and Pang families. After some thought, he added the names "Sima" and "Zhuge" next to them…
Then he wrote down "Liu Biao, Liu Jingsheng."
Based on the information he had gathered, Liu Biao had recently been appointed as the Governor of Jing Province and had likely already established connections with the Kuai and Cai families. He had also dealt with some local clan bandits, which allowed him to take control of Xiangyang.
However, Nanyang was still in Yuan Shu's hands, and now that the Prefect of Nanyang had died, the court couldn't immediately send a replacement. Didn't this mean Yuan Shu had free rein in Nanyang?
Moreover, the group of defeated soldiers at the city gate a few days ago were reportedly a force Liu Biao had sent to Nanyang. Fei Qian speculated that their mission might have been related to Yuan Shu, but since he wasn't directly involved, it was just a guess.
To the north, Yuan Shu had a firm grip on Nanyang, making it difficult for Liu Biao to extend his influence there…
To the south, in Jiangxia, there was Huang Zu, a long-standing prefect who had governed Jiangxia for many years. With his reputation, popular support, and military strength, he was a tough nut to crack. From what Fei Qian knew of future events, it wasn't until Huang Zu's death that Liu Biao managed to extend his influence to Jiangxia…
Therefore, it seemed that Liu Biao was still in urgent need of capable people. If Fei Qian approached him now, it was unlikely that Liu Biao would ignore him. In fact, Liu Biao might even offer him a minor official position, given that he didn't have many capable subordinates at his disposal…
But should Fei Qian take such a position?
There were pros and cons to both options—accepting the position had its benefits, and declining also had its advantages.
Fei Qian couldn't make a decision immediately…
After all, the wound on his head hadn't fully healed, and it wouldn't be appropriate to meet Liu Biao with a bandage on his forehead. It was better to think things through carefully before making a move…
This matter wasn't as simple as it was for someone like Yuan Shao, who could resign from one position only to be appointed to a higher one. If Fei Qian became an official in Xiangyang and was aligned with Liu Biao's faction, his future opponents would include the fierce and scheming Liu Bei, the formidable and ambitious Cao Cao, and the ever-scheming Sun Quan, who would stab him in the back at any opportunity…
Just thinking about it made the difficulty level seem maxed out…
Why is it that when others time-travel, they get the easy mode, where they can effortlessly dominate, while I'm stuck with the hellish difficulty level?
Fei Qian couldn't help but feel a deep sense of resentment. Still, he decided to first submit two letters of introduction. It was always good to pay respects to the local authority when arriving in a new place. The only question was when he would be summoned…