Chapter Four: The Blueprint Lottery

Liu Yao picked up the ancient book. “Blueprint Lottery Device—what on earth is this thing?” He flipped the pages back and forth, searching for anything unusual, but nothing stood out.

“I am not a thing.” At that moment, five bold characters appeared on the page.

Liu Yao’s eyes widened at the bizarre sight before him. “Ahhh!” he cried out in terror, and flung the ancient book from his hands.

After a while, he remained in a state of panic, staring warily at the book lying on the floor.

“Phew!” Liu Yao took a deep breath. “Calm down, calm down. I’m not scared at all. I’ve already experienced being reborn through time—what's a talking book compared to that? Calm down, calm down!” He kept encouraging himself, trying to steady his nerves. Step by step, he edged closer to the book, and with trembling hands, picked it up again. The cover still read “Blueprint Lottery Device.”

“Phew! It must be a side effect of my poisoning—my eyes are playing tricks on me.”

“You are not seeing things.” Once again, five large characters appeared.

Liu Yao shuddered, but this time he resisted the urge to throw the book away. He whispered, “You can understand what I’m saying?”

“Yes.” Two characters appeared.

“How did you appear?” Liu Yao asked.

“Your blood yesterday triggered my awakening.”

Liu Yao muttered to himself, “So the legends about blood recognizing its master are actually true. It seems I really was poisoned yesterday, but the ancient book saved me, and the small changes in my body are thanks to it. But how did I get poisoned in the first place?”

He pondered for a long while, then a flash of insight struck him. He remembered the palace maid he saw yesterday—a stranger, certainly not one of Empress Dowager Dong’s people. He hadn’t paid attention at the time, never imagining he’d be targeted for harm even while with the Empress Dowager. “Ha! To command palace maids so freely, and with interests conflicting with mine, there can only be one person—Empress He. Well done, truly well done. I hope you’ll be able to withstand my wrath in the future.”

Liu Yao forced down his anger. It wasn’t the time yet. Even if he went to the Han Emperor now, it would be useless—there was no evidence of poisoning left on him, and the maid who poisoned him was probably buried somewhere unknown.

He stopped thinking about it and turned his attention back to the ancient book. “What are you exactly?”

“I am the Blueprint Lottery Device.”

“Obviously, I know you’re the Blueprint Lottery Device. I’m asking what you do,” Liu Yao said impatiently.

“Through me, you can draw for blueprints to manufacture various items.”

Page (1/3)

“Blueprints? What kinds of things?” Liu Yao was now quite excited. In the era of the Three Kingdoms, technological advances could greatly influence the course of history.

“Everything imaginable…”

Liu Yao’s mouth twitched. That answer was no better than saying nothing. “Can I draw now?”

“Yes. Upon first awakening, I grant you two chances. In the future, you will have one draw every New Year’s Day, and chances can accumulate.”

“What do I need to do?” Liu Yao asked, his face alight with anticipation. He could hardly wait.

“Silently recite ‘Start’ in your mind, and then recite ‘Stop’ when you wish to end.”

“Alright, I understand. Then—Start.” No sooner had Liu Yao spoken than the images on the book’s pages began to shift at lightning speed. The changes were dizzying; he couldn’t make out anything displayed.

“Damn, so it’s all down to luck? Heaven help me—Stop.” Liu Yao silently recited.

The next moment, a white light shone from the page and then faded. The book returned to its original appearance. Liu Yao slowly opened the first page of the ancient book, and a blueprint appeared before him.

“This is—this is…” Liu Yao stared blankly at the bold words: “Ferrari Manufacturing Blueprint.”

“What the—!” Liu Yao couldn’t help but curse, then glared furiously at the book. “You really weren’t kidding about ‘everything imaginable.’ Even this exists? Ferraris are certainly impressive, but how am I supposed to build one? Even if I somehow managed, what about gasoline? I know there are oil fields in Youzhou, but those are buried dozens or hundreds of meters underground. Do you expect me to bash my head against the earth?”

The lottery device ignored Liu Yao’s complaints. “Please proceed with the next draw.”

Utterly disregarded, Liu Yao was left frustrated, but could only resign himself. “Alright, let’s start again! Heaven, please help me—though I’ve never paid you much respect, if you bless me this time, I’ll burn incense to you every day. Stop!”

The light faded, and Liu Yao, full of hope, opened the device’s second page: “Distilled Liquor Technique Blueprint.”

“This—this is it!” Liu Yao was astonished, then overjoyed. He knew that wine in the Eastern Han era was of poor quality—murky, low in alcohol, tasting more like vinegar. He had considered brewing wine to earn money and lay a foundation for his future. But reality was far from ideal; as an archaeology major, he had no idea how to brew wine, except perhaps drinking it. He wouldn’t even know what ingredients to use.

“The host has used up all lottery chances. Please look forward to the next draw.” Another line appeared on the ancient book, which then transformed again into a tattoo, imprinting itself on Liu Yao’s arm.

Liu Yao touched the tattoo, feeling a sense of unreality. Yet the blueprint in his hand told him everything was true. Some plans, it seemed, needed to begin.

The next morning, Liu Yao went to greet Empress Dowager Dong. “Grandmother.”

Page (2/3)

“Ah, Yao’er, are you feeling well? Any discomfort?” Empress Dowager Dong’s face was full of concern.

“I’m fine, Grandmother. I feel strong enough to wrestle an ox now!” Liu Yao flexed his tiny arms.

She smiled warmly at her grandson’s antics. Little did she know that, although Liu Yao’s words were somewhat exaggerated, there was truth in them. Thanks to the lottery device’s enhancements, Liu Yao could now lift the heavy desk in his study with one arm. Such desks weighed twenty or thirty pounds—of course, he was still far from the legendary strength of top warriors, but at six years old, who knew what he might achieve in the future?

“Grandmother, I need your help with something today.” He pulled a blueprint from his sleeve and handed it to her.

Empress Dowager Dong examined it. It depicted the equipment needed to brew distilled liquor. “Oh? Yao’er, why are you playing with such things? These are menial tasks. You should be studying diligently with your teacher, not wasting time on distractions.”

Liu Yao understood her concern. “Grandmother, don’t worry. My teacher says I’m clever—I already recognize most characters. These are just things I dabble in during my free time.”

“Oh?” Empress Dowager Dong was surprised, a bit skeptical. “Yao’er, you mustn’t lie. I will ask your teacher about this.”

“Grandmother, how could I lie? It’s what my teacher said.” Liu Yao squeezed out a few tears for effect.

As expected, Empress Dowager Dong was defeated by his tears. She hugged him tightly. “Don’t cry, my child. I believe you. I’ll arrange for someone to make the items you need.”

Nestled in her arms, Liu Yao allowed a hint of smugness to surface.

“Ah, Grandmother, as long as you trust me, but please hurry!” Liu Yao pleaded, eyes shining with urgency.

“Alright, alright, I’ll make sure it’s done quickly.” Empress Dowager Dong was utterly powerless against her grandson.

Sure enough, within a few days, all the necessary equipment was ready. Liu Yao began brewing his own liquor. Despite the blueprint’s guidance, his lack of expertise meant it took him half a day to finish.

“Phew!” Liu Yao wiped sweat from his brow. “Finally done. Now, all that’s left is to wait.”

He looked at his handiwork with satisfaction and nodded.

“If this works, I can ask my teacher to start large-scale production—my first real income.” Liu Yao was already plotting his next move.

Page (3/3)