South Chen’s Forgotten Tales

Those who moved north were written into history books. Those who stayed behind lived in the land itself. While others transmigrate and seize the throne, gather famed generals, and dominate the realm, Chen Shaohuan transmigrates to the late Southern Liang and focuses on only three things: growing grain, keeping accounts, and staying alive.

Hou Andu wants to become sworn brothers with him, but he says, "Wait until I finish calculating this estate-farming account." Chen Baxian urges him to go north and earn merit, but he says, "Wait until I finish collecting this season’s autumn grain."

He goes when Hou Jing crosses the Yangtze; he stays when Tai City is restored; and when merits are distributed, he is third from the bottom. His brothers are furious that he is so unambitious: "Don’t you want to leave your name in history?"

Chen Shaohuan points to the rivers and mountains of Lingnan and says, "What I want is not a line in the history books, but three million mouths on this land being able to eat one more filling meal." He once thought transmigration had given him the power to rewrite history.

Only when he was forgotten by history did he understand: some people are not born to hold the pen, but to keep watch through the night. After dawn, there is no record of his name in the books, yet Lingnan still remains.