Southern Chen Will Not Settle for Mere Survival

In the second year of Liang Shaotai, Chancellor Chen Baxian was appointed commander of all military forces within and beyond the capital. Leading his troops on campaigns north and south, he largely crushed the rebel forces within Liang.

In the eighth month of the following year, Chen Baxian was made Grand Preceptor and granted the Yellow Battle Axe, along with other special honors.

On the fifth day of the ninth month, he was promoted to Chancellor, took charge of the imperial government, and was enfeoffed as Duke of Chen. He was granted the Nine Bestowments and permission to appoint his own officials.

On the third day of the tenth month, he was promoted to Prince of Chen.

On the sixth day of the tenth month, Emperor Jing of Liang, Xiao Fangzhi, abdicated in favor of Chen Baxian, Prince of Chen. The Southern Liang dynasty fell, and Chen Baxian declared himself emperor, ushered in the Yongding era, and named his state Chen. He became Emperor Wu of Chen.

In the third month of Yongding’s second year, Chen Baxian sent men to kill Xiao Fangzhi.

The Chen dynasty lasted thirty-two years under five emperors. It had its worthy rulers and its foolish ones. It once raised an army with grand ambitions, striving to campaign north, but ultimately returned without success.

In the end, all it could do was gaze north toward the Central Plains and lament its regrets.

One year before the founding of Chen, Chen Keyuan had quietly fled back to his hometown to avoid the rebel troops.

Little did he know that when he next ventured into the world and fought for his place, he would find himself in a land of warhorses and clashing weapons, with ambition enough to swallow the world!