The Unwritten Sentinel of Lingnan

Those who marched north were inscribed in the annals of history. Those who stayed behind lived on in the soil. While other time travelers seize thrones, recruit legendary generals, and conquer the realm, Chen Shaohuan, transported to the late Southern Liang dynasty, busies himself with only three things: planting grain, keeping ledgers, and surviving. When Hou Andu urges him to swear brotherhood, he replies, "Let me finish this farmland accounting first." When Chen Baxian calls him north to earn military merit, he answers, "Let me harvest this autumn crop first." He does march when Hou Jing crosses the river; he stays behind when the imperial city is restored; and when rewards are distributed, he ranks third from the bottom. His comrades rage at his lack of ambition: "Don't you want your name to go down in history?" Chen Shaohuan points to the mountains and rivers of Lingnan and says, "I do not want a single line in the history books. I want three million mouths on this land to have one more full meal." He once believed that being transported through time gave him the power to rewrite history. But only when he is forgotten by the records does he come to understand—some men are not born to hold the pen, but to stand guard through the night. When dawn breaks, his name appears nowhere in the chronicles, yet Lingnan endures.