PFC Chapter 1 Dispute
Chapter 1 Dispute
In the afternoon, in the Chongren Hall of the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace, the sound of cicadas emanated from the paulownia trees, seemingly arguing incessantly. Liu Xiao sat on a mat, having long abandoned any royal etiquette, his mind gradually drifting into a state between sleep and wakefulness.
The Book of Songs says: "The phoenix cries, on that high hill. The parasol tree grows, facing the morning sun." Crown Prince Liu Qi of the Han Dynasty especially loved this line, believing it to be auspicious, so he had parasol trees planted in the Eastern Palace. However, Liu Xiao hated this tree intensely, simply because the constant chirping of cicadas from it always disturbed her sweet dreams.
Liu Xiao, the only son of the King of Ji, one of the three kings of the Han Dynasty, is not a person of this world, but a visitor from another world. His memories of his past life began to awaken when he was seven years old, and now he has awakened about 70-80% of his past life experiences.
Liu Xiao, in his previous life, was an ordinary person in the Blue Star, China—an unlucky ordinary person. An ordinary family raised an ordinary child. He attended an ordinary junior high school and then an ordinary high school, studying humanities with all his might to get into an ordinary university, choosing the damned major of history. After graduation, AI became rampant, devaluing academic qualifications. Humanities students were almost wiped out. His parents passed away one after another, leaving behind only a house bought on installment for his future marriage and a son who, amidst the turbulent social climate, had completely lost interest in marriage. Fortunately, heaven rewards the diligent. Liu Xiao finally managed to get a menial job—through connections and gifts…
Liu Xiao had only been working for a few days when he got into a fight with his boss because of his constant targeting. He ended up with a two-week trial period for his "iron rice bowl" job. After leaving the job, Liu Xiao was even more desperate. He had paid the fine, lost his job, and even his social insurance and housing fund were revoked.
Just as Liu Xiao was getting drunk and preparing to face the company in court, he tragically discovered that he had time-traveled.
This life was quite comfortable. In their youth, his parents had roamed the martial world together, and while they weren't exactly chivalrous, they were certainly notorious troublemakers. When things got tough, they had no choice but to return home and inherit the throne. After their marriage, the two became even more loving, and soon their only son, Liu Xiao, was born.
The King of Ji discovered that his son was exceptionally intelligent from a young age, telling everyone he possessed seven or eight tenths of his own youthful brilliance. Under Liu Xiao's guidance, the king openly lavishly renovated his palace, displaying extravagance in a competitive display of wealth. Secretly, however, he quietly cultivated his strength, fortifying the border defenses, training fierce soldiers, and recruiting talented individuals. Even the Southern Xiongnu, who had submitted to him a few years prior, outwardly obeyed the emperor's edicts, but in reality, they had long been supported and sidelined by the King of Ji.
Now, Liu Xiao is nine years old and has been summoned by the Emperor of Han to study at the Mingde Academy in the capital. Of course, ostensibly for education, he is actually a hostage, a fact tacitly understood by both sides.
Now living far from home, Liu Xiao, under the deliberate corruption of the emperor and other forces, has not only failed to behave himself but has become even more "eccentric." His actions include, but are not limited to, snatching courtesans at night, stealing imperial wine, sending people to relieve themselves in front of the emperor's father-in-law's house at fixed times and locations, and writing and selling fan fiction about the emperor's father-in-law and the censor-in-chief. He is a notorious troublemaker in the capital.
Today, Crown Prince Liu Qi invited Liu Xiao and Prince You's heir Liu Yuan to play chess in the Eastern Palace. Prince You's heir Liu Yuan was a fondness for wine. He somehow obtained a pot of the renowned "Pillow River Mountain" wine, and the three of them drank several cups in the Eastern Palace.
Liu Yuan, the heir apparent of the Prince of You, was thirteen years old, and Liu Qi, the crown prince, was eleven. However, Liu Xiao was only nine years old. After drinking just one cup, his face became flushed and he coughed repeatedly, which drew laughter from the other two.
After finishing their drinks, the two men, still in high spirits, started playing Liubo, a board game. Liu Xiao watched from the sidelines, but perhaps due to the effects of the alcohol or the processing of too many memories from his past life, his eyelids began to droop, and he drifted off to sleep. Just as Liu Xiao was in a half-awake, half-asleep state, disturbed by the annoying chirping of cicadas and the constant buzzing in his ears, a rustling sound jolted him awake.
Liu Xiao looked up, but the scene before him instantly dispelled his sleepiness. Chess pieces bounced and splashed on the ground, along with beads of blood from Crown Prince Liu Qi's nose.
Prince You's son, Liu Yuan, gradually changed his expression from anger to terror, an emotion that quickly spread to Liu Xiao's face. Crown Prince Liu Qi, his face contorted, swung the chessboard again, aiming it at Prince You's son, Liu Yuan's, head.
"Your Highness, wait!" The voice rang out, and the skilled eunuchs who had been secretly guarding Liu Qi appeared beside him.
But it was all over in the end. Liu Qi swung the chessboard, as if Zhao Zilong had picked up Liu Shan, King Arthur had pulled the sword from the stone, or a certain streamer with a stomach full of rage had been eating braised noodles. He smashed it down as if it were his destiny.
*Smack!* Ten thousand peach blossoms burst forth, splattering Liu Xiao's face. Prince Liu Yuan of the You King fell straight down, his eyes wide open, staring at the gushing blood flowing from his own head, completely lifeless, dying with his eyes wide open in disbelief!
In an instant, the palace fell completely silent. The three of them stood like wooden figures, like the phoenix trees that could be seen everywhere in the Eastern Palace.
Liu Qi turned his stiff head toward Liu Xiao, his face a mixture of anger, astonishment, and confusion, while he still gripped the chessboard tightly in his hands.
Liu Xiao's inner monologue: Bro, you can't smash me after you smash it, okay?
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through Liu Xiao's head, followed by a piercing pain as if steel nails were embedded in it.
"Ahhh!" After a scream, Liu Xiao's eyes rolled back and he completely fainted.
Liu Qi's inner monologue: The sky is falling, one person is crushed to death, another is scared to death, and it looks like another one is going to be killed tonight.
A wave of immense fear washed over Liu Qi in an instant. After all, Liu Qi was only an 11-year-old child. Clang! The chessboard fell to the ground, and Liu Qi fainted.
The cries of eunuchs and palace maids, the chaotic footsteps, and the blustering yet feeble reprimands mingled together, quickly plunging Chongren Hall into chaos. This chaos then spread like a virus throughout the Eastern Palace, then the Imperial Palace, and finally, as if sprouting wings, reached the residences of various princes and ministers. Outside the city, several fine horses had already galloped off in different directions. It was believed that in the near future, whether it was the King of You, the King of Ji, the King of Liang, or the neighboring Great Qian and Great Zhou, everyone would receive the news and begin their own actions. By the time the emperor ordered a news blackout, three or four versions of the story were already circulating among the people…
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
Deep within Liu Xiao's consciousness, the buzzing grew louder. Memories of his past life flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern—humiliation, resentment, unwillingness, and helplessness. Liu Xiao was enveloped in negative emotions. Suddenly, memories of his present life flooded in. He saw hope—the hope of changing the world and taking control of his destiny. The fantasy of conquering new territories and leaving a lasting legacy, planted in the hearts of every young person in China, was no longer just wishful thinking in this other world. The seed of ambition sprouted at this moment.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have completely merged your memories of your past and present lives. The Eternal Emperor System has been activated.]