[From the start, a dead end becomes a way through]
A modern history PhD was transmigrated and reborn as an orphaned member of the Southern Qi imperial clan, at a moment when Xiao Luan was slaughtering her clan and the northern frontier was under attack. Was there no way forward for a woman in a chaotic age? I entered the game as its player and vowed: In this world of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, I will be the one moving the pieces. The warlords on every side will fall into my hands and serve as my vanguard! I governed twice as regent, returned power, ascended the throne, founded the Zhou Dynasty, and began the Changning era!
[Record of Warlords and Founding Heroes]
◆ Xiao Luan (Emperor Ming of Southern Qi): My biological father and a stepping-stone to power. I used his influence to stabilize the court, then calmly tightened the net once my foundation was secure.
◆ Xiao Yan (Emperor Wu of Liang): A valuable ally through marriage. I used the power of Jing and Xiang to strengthen my foundation and expand trade routes. We were allies in bed, and a means of keeping each other in check.
◆ Chen Baxian (Emperor Wu of Chen): A blade I forged with my own hands. I taught him strategy, and in the end, he swept the realm clear for me and secured the Central Plains.
◆ Gao Huan (Taizu of Northern Qi): My weapon for keeping the northern frontier in check. I supplied him with arms and trade, setting him against Yuwen Tai so they would exhaust each other while I reaped the rewards.
◆ Yuwen Tai (Taizu of Northern Zhou): Commander of the northern campaign. I granted him the great authority of the Eight Pillar States and supplied him with advanced weapons, so he could clear the north for me and return power once his mission was complete.
◆ Yang Zhong (Taizu of Sui): A bulwark on the northern frontier. I taught him methods for training troops and expanding territory, making him the border guardian I relied on most.
[Final Charge and Guiding Principles]
As I lay dying, I summoned Yang Jian (Emperor Wen of Sui) to my bedside, took his hand, and entrusted him with the realm:
The land is now at peace, and rules for the ages are in place. All you need to do is preserve this prosperous Changning era.
I will not establish an empress or take consorts. This is how I will lead by example, breaking with old ways and creating new ones. Future rulers need not copy the form, but must follow its spirit.
The realm belongs to all, and the worthy alone should rule. This is the unchanging foundation of a state that will endure for generations! The heir to the throne must be chosen for virtue, regardless of whether they bear the surname Xiao. Thus ends a thousand years of hereditary rule.
