Chapter 1: A Life Born in Chaos and Family Origins In 871 AD, the late Tang Dynasty teetered on the brink of collapse under the pressure of regional warlordism. War raged, and the people struggled to survive in dire straits. In Chongkan, Puzhou (present-day Chongkan Town, Tongnan District, Chongqing; some say his birthplace was Zhenyuan in Bozhou, now Luyi County, Henan; others say Chongkan in Western Shu, now Anyue County, Sichuan), a seemingly ordinary place, a life destined for greatness arrived—Chen Tuan. Chen Tuan was born into a family with a rich and distinguished tradition. The Chen family had flourished in the area for generations, always upholding the ancestral precept of combining farming and scholarship. Within the family…
