In the ninth year of the Xiantong era, a severe drought struck Jianghuai, and locusts blotted out the sky.
For a thousand li, the land lay barren and not a grain could be harvested, yet taxes and levies tripled. Government troops killed innocents to claim credit, and regional armies let their soldiers plunder at will. The once-glorious Tang Dynasty had rotted to its core. Hell on earth could be no worse.
Chen Wang, a farmer's son, lost his family and home overnight.
His father was beaten to death by constables, his mother was driven to hang herself, and a local bully seized the little plot of land they depended on. From a humble farmer, he became a refugee struggling to survive amid the chaos.
He had no System defying the heavens, no foreknowledge from transmigrating, and no powerful clan to rely on.
With nothing but brute strength and a military manual left behind by a garrison soldier, he led desperate neighbors and villagers to build a fortified settlement at Mopan Mountain by the Huai River and put down roots.
He cleared fields and dug canals, stockpiled grain and trained soldiers, forged armor and made weapons, carving out a refuge amid the chaos.
Corrupt officials dare to come for our grain? Behead them!
Roving soldiers and bandits dare to raid us? Kill them!
High-ranking court officials offer riches to bring him under their control? He turns them down cold!
The General Who Shakes the Heavens invites him to divide the realm? He tells him to get lost!
He won't vie for the throne, declare himself emperor, or rebel. He has only one obsession in this life:
In this cannibalistic late-Tang world, whether nobles and generals are born to rule is none of my concern. I only want to protect the land beneath my feet and the people by my side, and build a safe haven where countless refugees can make a home and rebuild their lives.
Dynasties may rise and fall, and wars may rage on. As long as my Huai River stronghold stands, it will be home to the people!
