The Beautiful, Strong, and Wretched One Doesn't Want to Sacrifice Himself to the Dao

[Coming soon: A Scion of an Aristocratic Clan's Survival Journal in the Eastern Jin] *(Updates will be slow.)* Jiang Rou followed his father into battle at twelve, was granted a marquis title for military merit at eighteen, and took charge of the Great Yong dynasty at twenty-five. He kept governing until he was thirty-three, when his strength finally ran out. He deposed emperors and beheaded officials. Blood ran like a river down the Imperial Avenue, and countless people pointed at him and called him a traitor. But his conscience was clear. He reclaimed lost territory, drove out foreign invaders, restored people's livelihoods, and eliminated corruption, extending the dynasty's life. What had he done wrong? He only regretted dying too soon. His unfulfilled ambitions and unfinished work would have to be carried on by those who came after him. Looking back on his life, he had done his best. He only lamented that he had so few family ties, alone in the world. His elder brother's political views clashed with his own, so they stopped speaking. When they met, they acted like strangers, as cold as if they had never known each other. His eldest sister lived at home as a widow, her heart dead and gray. Nothing could reach her, yet she still resented what had happened long ago. His youngest brother was fiery and proud, and in the end, they drifted farther and farther apart, with nothing left between the brothers but polite distance... All that had come before was now nothing but a passing cloud. But he never expected that in just five short years, the government would collapse along with the man, foreign invaders would sweep south and break through the capital, and the civil and military officials would flee like stray dogs. The realm was shattered, its fate blown about like willow catkins in the wind. Reborn, Jiang Rou sprang up in fury. Lie flat? Slack off? Not a chance! He'd get right back to work! [Advance warnings] 1. A fictional setting combining various elements, mainly inspired by the Two Jin dynasties and the late Han. 2. A story about sibling bonds and absurd political machinations (and yes, I'll write my ridiculous schemes with a straight face). 3. Married with no children before being reborn; unmarried with no children after being reborn. 4. There will be a few unrequited crushes (the protagonist won't reciprocate, and they'll be mentioned only in passing). 4.1. The protagonist's type: sickly, beautiful and tragic, a stunning beauty, universally adored, with plenty of heartbreak. If that's not your thing, let's not hurt each other's feelings! * Synopsis for the upcoming story: The Central Plains fell, and the people fled south. A dynasty battered by wind and rain clung to life in Jiangdong. The Han army launched several northern campaigns, only to fail at the brink of victory. What should you do to survive after transmigrating to the Eastern Jin? Xie Zhuo answered through his actions. Nepotism, all the way: rely on his father, uncle, brother, and sister. His father was a famed Eastern Jin general and scholar. His uncle was an outstanding statesman, a refined and influential chancellor in the Jiangzuo region. His cousin was a master of northern campaigns and the very picture of grace, while his cousin was a renowned genius whose name would be remembered for centuries. Born into the Xie and Wang clans was his good fortune. Living a life of wealth and leisure seemed pretty nice, too. But when northern horsemen trampled the realm and the land fell, could he really just stand by? A northern campaign! I want to fight a northern campaign! A soul from two thousand years in the future cried out with heartfelt conviction. * "My father is Xie Shang. My uncle is Xie An, my cousin is Xie Xuan, and I also have a cousin named Xie Daoyun." "My family is the Xie in the line, 'The swallows from the halls of the Wang and Xie clans of old now fly into ordinary people's homes.'" "Me? I'm a disgrace to transmigrators, a lazy fish who just eats and waits to die." The three-foot-tall Xie Zhuo said confidently. [Currently chewing through the source material...] Theme: In this world, loyalty and filial piety are the foundation of a person's life.