The Great Chen Imperial Family

For the past month, Chen Cuo had risen early every day. And the moment he got up, he looked toward the bronze mirror beside his bed.

In the mirror, heavy dark circles showed beneath the eyes of his still somewhat youthful face.

"I transmigrated and became a pretty boy, but even the young can't keep staying up late. It'll shorten my life."

He had always been a light sleeper. Even a change of surroundings could leave him tossing and turning half the night. Now he had changed not just his surroundings and bed, but his entire era. Restful sleep was even harder to come by.

Besides...

"Ugh. This blasted Gourd ended up underneath me again. No wonder it dug into me all night."

With a sigh, Chen Cuo pulled a palm-sized black Gourd out from beneath him.

“This thing ought to be some kind of cheat. It has that bizarre ability to draw things into dreams, and not long after I got it in my Previous Life, disaster struck out of nowhere...”

As his thoughts wandered, he shook his head and laughed.

"Too bad I landed in the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Strange as the Gourd is, all it can do is force me to dream. It can't affect reality. Still, those books in my dreams might be useful. Plenty were written during the Sui, Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties. But here I am in the Northern and Southern Dynasties, with no way to check whether they're accurate. If they're wrong, wouldn't I make a fool of myself by copying them?"

A friend from his Previous Life had given him the black Gourd.

The friend had suddenly called Chen Cuo over and, the moment they met, thrust the Gourd into his hands. He started talking about myths, the mind, building consensus, and the like, but before he could finish, a notification came in and he hurried away.

Chen Cuo had meant to ask him about it later. Before long, however, disaster struck, separating them forever. There was no one left to give him an answer.

"He's in the modern world, and I'm in ancient times. A divide between past and present would be more accurate."

He sighed. Remembering his past life was his way of finding a little pleasure amid the bitterness.

"That guy said this Gourd belonged to Patriarch Chen Tuan. I thought he was talking nonsense, but now it might not have been complete rubbish. After all, his main field at that research institute was the Northern and Southern Song."

Rustle, rustle...

While he was thinking, footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by a voice as clear as an oriole's song—

"Lord, are you awake? Shall I come in and help you dress and wash?"

"No need," Chen Cuo said, shaking his head. "Have breakfast prepared."

"Yes, my lord."

Hearing the person outside walk away, Chen Cuo breathed a sigh of relief.

These days, he had another name: Chen Fangqing.

Chen Fangqing was no nobody. His name appeared in the history books. Granted, he got only a few lines, but anyone who made it into the annals, even as little more than a name, was no ordinary person.

Chen Cuo had been here for a month without leaving his residence, but he had learned just how illustrious his family was.

His family had produced a founding emperor—

Chen Baxian!

He was the founding emperor of Southern Chen, the last of the southern dynasties—Liu Song, Qi, Liang, and Chen—during the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

Chen Fangqing's grandfather was named Chen Xiuxian, the younger brother of Chen Baxian. That made him a member of the imperial family.

Just before Chen Cuo arrived, the original Chen Fangqing had been made Marquis of Linru County. Perhaps he had been too young and too excited: within days, he had dropped dead, giving Chen Cuo his chance.

As for where Linru County was, Chen Cuo had no idea.

“Some historical transmigration novels start their protagonists off as emperors, but most start with a frontier grunt or a poor family's son. They claw their way up for half the book, more than a million words, before they barely reach the fringes of power. Compared to them, my starting line is pretty high. The trouble is, Southern Chen was a short-lived Dynasty, destroyed by the Sui when it unified the realm. Am I supposed to defy fate like those protagonists? But even Southern Chen's founding emperor, its best fighter, is gone. What can I do? Revitalize its industries?”

He had no confidence in that.

The emperor of Southern Chen was no longer Emperor Gaozu Chen Baxian, but his nephew, Chen Qian.

Chen Cuo's knowledge of history was ordinary at best. He had vaguely heard of Chen Baxian, and he knew of Chen Shubao, the fallen ruler who "still sang the Song of the Rear Courtyard." As for the other emperors, he knew nothing. But since the Sui Dynasty eventually unified the realm, he was at least glad to know that, barring outside interference, Southern Chen's fortunes probably held no surprises—a steady decline.

Unfortunately, Chen Cuo himself was an outsider who had fallen from the sky. Before transmigrating, he had barely been in a few fights, let alone commanded troops in battle. Inventing things was no strength of his, either. Reversing the nation's fate looked like a long, hard road.

Lost in thought, Chen Cuo put on his robe and stepped out of his room.

People of the Southern Dynasty certainly loved luxury. From the furnishings inside to the carved beams and painted rafters outside, everything would have earned top marks in later ages. Cool silk draped over his body, wonderfully comfortable. And customs were open enough that no one said much about him baring his chest and stomach.

Chen Cuo's residence was only average for the banks of Qingxi Creek. Its front and rear courtyards together covered roughly the area of a football field. Even so, it took him a while to walk from his bedroom along the garden path and winding corridor to the main hall.

He had just sat down when a clear voice sounded nearby—

"Please wait a moment, my lord. Breakfast is ready."

The speaker was a young woman in a Yellow Shirt. Her skin was snowy white, her features lovely, with a hint of allure about her brows. She was the one who had spoken from outside his door.

Chen Cuo nodded and asked her to fetch a book from the shelf. He opened it idly to pass the time.

The woman summoned several others and gave them instructions to bring in the food. She carried herself with easy poise, and Chen Cuo nodded inwardly as he watched. No wonder the former Chen Fangqing had taken a fancy to her.

Her name was Cui Ju. Though young, she was already in charge of the residence's maidservants. Chen Fangqing's mother had sent her here, and she commanded considerable respect in the household. Even the original Chen Fangqing had not dared scold her casually, treating her with unfailing courtesy.

Judging by the scraps of memory left in his mind, Chen Fangqing had been quite taken with the young woman. But his mother's authority had kept him from overstepping. After testing the waters several times and meeting only rebuffs, he had kept his feelings to himself.

Now that Chen Cuo had taken Chen Fangqing's place, he had to admit, looking at her, that she was a beauty.

He withdrew his gaze and turned his attention to the book.

Its title was The Travels of Zhou Youzi.

As he read, he could not help lamenting how much richer entertainment had been in his Previous Life. This travelogue claimed to recount the author's own experiences, yet it was full of tales of strange powers and spirits. One look was enough to tell him it was fake.

After one passage, Chen Cuo even laughed aloud and said to those around him, "This Zhou Youzi says he went into the forests of Ba-Shu and flattered a thousand-year-old tree demon in its lair just to stay alive. In the end, it still cut away half his heart. He was on the verge of death when a Daoist helped him escape. Doesn't that mean he has only half a heart in his chest now? Every page is utter nonsense!"

"Mind your words, my lord!" Cui Ju came over. "Have you forgotten? Mr. Zhou is coming to the Prince's Residence as a guest. You mustn't speak of him so casually. If you're curious, you can ask him yourself when he arrives."

Chen Cuo froze.

Seeing this, Cui Ju smiled. "My lord, the old madam ordered that travelogue placed here and specifically told you to read it carefully. Have you forgotten?"

Chen Cuo frowned and tried to remember.

After he transmigrated, Chen Fangqing had left behind fragments of memory, but they were scattered here and there, with no coherent whole and much missing. Nor could Chen Cuo summon them at will. He had to search through them as though looking something up in a library, following clues and spending time on the hunt. If too much was missing, there was nothing to find.

Now, no matter how hard he searched his memory, Chen Cuo found nothing relevant. He figured that piece was lost.

At the sight of his expression, Cui Ju sighed. "Daoist Zhou Youzi was once a sword-wielding young hero. When the late lord had to go north as a hostage, Mr. Zhou admired Gaozu's heroic spirit and volunteered to escort him. After they reached the north, he took his leave and went his own way. That was how their friendship began."

"So he has ties to our family, and he's coming to visit in the next few days?" Chen Cuo understood at once.

Chen Fangqing's father, Chen Tanlang, had been sent as a hostage to Northern Qi of the Northern Dynasties and had died there. Chen Fangqing and his elder brother, Chen Fangtai, had both been born before Chen Tanlang went north. Chen Cuo had also found in the memory fragments that, after going north and before his death, Chen Tanlang had fathered two sons with a concubine. They had supposedly been brought back along with his coffin, but Chen Cuo had yet to meet them or learn the details. He did not even know whether the story was true.

By Cui Ju's account, Zhou Youzi was a man of loyalty and honor. Why, then, was his book so full of mystical ramblings?

Cui Ju did not know what Chen Cuo was thinking. She continued, "After bidding farewell to the late prince, Mr. Zhou became trapped in Ba-Shu and had a chance encounter. An immortal Daoist passing by accepted him as a nominal disciple of the Immortal School. They say he is now one of the immortals, but he still remembers his old ties and wishes to visit the old madam. She takes this very seriously. That is why she told you to read his travelogue first, so you could appeal to his interests and try to secure an Immortal Opportunity for your elder brother."

"Where did all this news come from?" Chen Cuo asked, his face full of doubt. "How does our family know a Daoist took him as a disciple? Have they been exchanging letters?"

"That isn't something this servant would know." Cui Ju looked up and changed the subject. "Breakfast is here, my lord. Please eat."

Several servants carried in bowls and plates and set them out.

The aroma made Chen Cuo hungry, and he stopped pressing her. He could tell Cui Ju knew little; he would have to ask the old madam. But he had taken the original owner's place. Ordinary servants could be bluffed, yet he feared giving himself away to someone close to him. The old madam was Chen Fangqing's mother. Meeting her in person could easily expose him. He had to be careful. Otherwise, why would he have hidden away for a month?

I'll have to ask carefully, too. What if the original Chen Fangqing already knew? One question and I'd give myself away. Better take it slow...

With that thought, he was about to pick up his chopsticks when someone else arrived—

Amid hurried greetings, Chen Hai, the residence's steward, strode in and said to Chen Cuo, "My lord, the old madam has ordered you to go to the Prince's Residence at once. Mr. Zhou may arrive in the next day or two. You must be there to await him."

Chen Cuo nodded. No avoiding it, then. He picked up a piece of flatbread and said, "I'll go after I eat."

To his surprise, Chen Hai said, "My lord, this concerns your elder brother's chance at a blessing. Nothing can be allowed to go wrong. Don't eat. Let's go now."

Chen Cuo frowned. "Didn't you say he might come in the next day or two? We don't even know when. Why the rush? Besides, you've only just come to tell me. Surely you can give me a moment to get ready?"

Chen Hai cupped his hands. His tone was humble, but his words left no room for argument. "Mr. Zhou is an extraordinary man. We cannot slight him. If he arrives and you aren't there to welcome him in person, he may take offense. Then the blessing he might grant the prince could come to nothing! The old madam would be displeased, and that would be most unfortunate."

An instinctive feeling stirred in Chen Cuo, and his expression changed.

Well, now! If I've been summoned, I'll go. It's urgent, so I can understand skipping breakfast.

But do they have to make such a huge issue of it?

As he was thinking this, Cui Ju actually stepped forward as well and bowed. "My lord, the important matter must come first. Please eat when you reach the Prince's Residence. The summons is urgent; we cannot delay. If the old madam truly blames you, you know how serious that would be."