Chapter 2

The Eldest Young Master of the Chen Family

    “Hey! Ugly! Are you dead in there or what?

    “You didn’t come out for three days and nights. I’ll have someone come and collect your corpse now.”

    ‘Ugh, why can’t I move? Where am I?’

    “The master has returned. The general has summoned you to dine at the main house today. Hurry up and get ready!”

    After delivering the message, A’Pa, the servant of the second furen, left immediately without even opening the door to check on the person inside.

    ‘Here we go. Don’t tell me I’ve actually transmigrated after dying, like in those novels I used to fantasize about. This could be fun! Please, let me be a wealthy young master or a skilled martial artist—abracadabra... Ow!!!’

    Having read plenty of transmigration novels, Chen Luxian was hardly shocked by the prospect of waking up in another world. He had even secretly wished for it. However, as soon as he heard A’Pa’s words, he realized that his new life was probably not one where he was gifted with miraculous powers or divine treasures.

    Before he could wallow in disappointment, memories from the original owner of the body flooded his mind, making him cry out in pain.

    It seemed that the heavens were no longer favoring him—had he truly lost his position as God’s favorite child?

    After a while, as the headache subsided, Chen Luxian opened his eyes to see an old, dusty, and grimy room. The scene before him was far from what a former mafia heir, born into luxury, would expect.

    The original owner of this body was ‘Chen Lu,’ the eldest son of General Chen Rizhong of the Da Qi Kingdom. He was the firstborn son of First Furen, Fu Changle. She had been chosen for the general by his mother, the elder matron of the Chen family. Fu Changle was the daughter of a tribal leader who had pledged allegiance to Da Qi. Even though she was sent to the capital as a political hostage, her distinguished status and striking beauty made their marriage the envy of many.

    However, General Chen had already been in love with someone else at the time, and that woman had married another man while he was away at the border. It was only after her betrayal that General Chen agreed to marry Fu Changle, though he did not love her.

    After marrying the main wife he did not care for, the general also accepted concubines offered by nobles to forge alliances. Among them was the third concubine, Fang Meihua, sent by Minister Tang, a close friend and head of the Ministry of Rites[1]. Knowing that the general couldn’t let go of his past love, Minister Tang deliberately sent Fang Meihua, whose appearance and demeanor were remarkably similar to that of the general’s former lover.

    Unsurprisingly, Fang Meihua became the general’s most favored concubine. When Fu Changle gave birth to Chen Lu, her health began to decline. As a soldier, General Chen was rarely home to oversee matters within the household, leaving the affairs of the harem neglected. Fang Meihua, emboldened by her favored status, grew increasingly audacious, often bullying the other concubines—and even the First Furen, Fu Changle.

    Things worsened after the elder matron of the Chen family passed away. With no one to protect her, Fu Changle’s condition deteriorated further. By the time Chen Lu was five years old, she succumbed to illness. Not long after, General Chen elevated Fang Meihua to the position of the second wife, entrusting her with managing the household.

    Initially, the decision to promote a concubine was met with resistance from others in the Chen household. However, with both the general’s parents deceased, no one was left to oppose his decision. Fortunately, Fang Meihua’s new status as the Second Furen did not equal the prestigious rank of the First Furen, which Fu Changle had received as a royal grant from the Empress.

    General Chen had six children in total. Chen Lu, the eldest son, was born to Fu Changle. The second child, a daughter, was Fang Meihua’s firstborn. The third and fourth were fraternal twins, also born to Fang Meihua. The fifth, a daughter, was the child of the second concubine, while the youngest, a son, was born to the fourth concubine.

    After Fu Changle’s passing, Chen Lu’s life became no different from that of a servant. Initially, he still lived in the Eastern Wing, befitting the status of the eldest son and heir of the general. However, whenever General Chen was away, Fang Meihua always had him moved to a remote area at the back of the residence, claiming it was his own request. The general, who rarely had time to concern himself with household matters, never questioned her.

    Though Chen Lu lived a harsh life, he wasn’t entirely without support. A servant who had once been loyal to Fu Changle took care of him as best as they could. Still, life was far from what one would expect for the heir of such a prominent family.

    When Chen Lu turned ten, the servant passed away from illness. From that moment on, his life descended into true hell.

    Fang Meihua’s eldest daughter grew jealous of Chen Lu’s striking appearance, which he inherited from his mother, as well as his sharp features reminiscent of his father. One day, out of spite, she poured boiling water on Chen Lu’s face and pressed his head into a floor littered with broken teacup shards. From that day forward, Chen Lu became known as the “ugly one” of the general’s household.

    Naturally, General Chen, who rarely returned to the estate, was kept in the dark. On the rare occasions when the general returned and summoned everyone to dine together, Chen Lu, who had since taken to wearing a veil, would tremble in silence whenever he saw his father.

    When General Chen asked about Chen Lu’s condition, Fang Meihua fabricated a story, claiming that Chen Lu had contracted a severe skin condition that left his face covered in rashes. She explained that the treatment required the use of hot water, which had unfortunately caused scarring.

    As usual, the general accepted the explanation without further concern. He merely instructed Fang Meihua to take good care of his eldest son before leaving things as they were.

    From that point on, Chen Lu was relentlessly bullied. He often went without sufficient food, and his half-siblings, as well as Fang Meihua’s children, would gang up on him or even target the children of the other concubines.

    Chen Lu endured this mistreatment until he was twelve years old, when the fourth concubine gave birth to another son. With the birth of a new rival, Fang Meihua shifted her attention to the fourth concubine, leaving Chen Lu somewhat out of the line of fire. However, her children continued their abuse.

    By this time, General Chen had been dispatched to distant battlefields and spent most of his time at the military camps. As a result, he rarely returned home.

    When Chen Lu turned fourteen, he resolved to no longer be a target for his siblings. He began seeking books to expand his knowledge and secretly trained in martial arts, using manuals he found in the family’s library. However, despite years of effort, his progress was minimal.

    Eventually, word of his training reached the ears of Fang Meihua’s eldest son. Having been raised to covet the position of family heir, the second son of the Chen family viewed Chen Lu as a threat and sought to sabotage his training.

    During this period, the main household began sending items to Chen Lu that were said to “enhance his inner fire,” including food and a fireplace—odd gestures of care that were entirely out of character. Chen Lu, unaware of the dangers, accepted these offerings. After continued training for some time, an imbalance in his internal energy occurred, leading to an overload of the fire element within him, which ultimately resulted in his death.

    While his father was still away on the battlefield, he died quietly and alone in the remote part of the estate.

    “Sigh… Chen Lu, oh Chen Lu, why did you have to die like this? Those people… ugh. Well, never mind. I’ll live your life for you from now on. Anyone who wronged you, I’ll avenge. Everything that was yours, I’ll take back.”

    After calming himself, Luxian reflected on everything and set his new goals. But first, there was the matter that the servant had come to summon him earlier. The servant said the master of the house had returned and had called everyone for a meal. That likely meant General Chen, the father of this body’s original owner, had returned from the battlefield and was gathering his children as usual.

    Realizing that his current appearance was far from presentable, Luxian decided to bathe and change. He was also curious to see for himself just how "ugly" the original owner of this body was rumored to be.

    Living in such a dilapidated building at the back of the estate meant there was no mirror. Luxian had to rely on the reflection in the water jar instead.

    The image staring back at him left him stunned. This wasn’t ugly at all—it was flawless beauty! The face was perfectly proportioned, soft, and delicate. It was hard to define: not entirely masculine, yet not feminine either. In his modern world, this person would undoubtedly become a celebrity. Even the handsome Dr. Chen couldn’t help but admire the features of his new body, though they were marred by scars from boiling water burns and broken porcelain.

    “How could anyone call this ugly? Are they blind or what?”

    Satisfied with his reflection, Luxian went off to find clean clothes and bathing supplies. Although he wasn’t accustomed to the setup, his extensive reading of novels and watching historical dramas helped him figure things out.

    Since the weather was cold, Luxian lit a fire to heat water for his bath. Fortunately, the rundown residence still had a tub for soaking, even if it was old and nearly falling apart. Thankfully, he knew how to use the fire-starting tools, which made the task easier.

    After undressing from his nearly threadbare clothes, Luxian stepped into the warm water he had carefully prepared. It was then that something unexpected left him speechless.

    “Don’t tell me… a Ger…”

    As the warm water touched his lower body, Luxian blurted out an exclamation. He sensed something unusual about the lower half of his body but couldn’t immediately pinpoint what it was. Suddenly, fragments of the original owner’s memories surged into his mind again.

    When Fu Changle, the original owner’s mother, was alive, she once told her son mysterious stories about her tribe. According to her tales, in the “Heavenly Firefly Tribe,” there were men who could conceive children—a divine blessing said to bring great fortune. Anyone who married such a man, identifiable by a crescent moon-shaped birthmark, would be blessed with lifelong happiness and prosperity.

    At the time, young Chen Lu had listened innocently, not fully grasping the story. Among the people of Zhongyuan, homosexuality was frowned upon, and even fewer believed in the idea of men being able to conceive.

    The beliefs of the Heavenly Firefly Tribe were considered mere myths. While there were indeed boys born with crescent-shaped birthmarks, they typically married women and had children year after year. With this, who would believe that such men could conceive?

    But Chen Luxian believed it. After all, in the dozens—if not hundreds—of novels he had read in the past months, such characters were commonly referred to as “Ger.”

    Dr. Chen’s thoughts grew slightly muddled. As a doctor, he knew such things were medically impossible in the modern world he came from. He concluded that he must have transmigrated into a parallel universe, or perhaps stumbled into some ancient mystery that historians had yet to uncover.

    Despite this strange revelation, the original owner’s memories didn’t leave him particularly worried.

    “So… how do people here feel about LGBTQ+ issues? If I turn out to be a Ger, will they think I’m a freak?” Luxian muttered as he bathed.

    “One thing’s for sure: the people of Qi Kingdom probably wouldn’t be very accepting. Did you ever realize you were different from others, original body owner?” He grumbled as he scrubbed the grime from his back.

    “And how does childbirth even work? Like laying an egg or something? …Why am I even wondering about this? It’s not like I plan to have kids with anyone…”

    He continued muttering to himself until he finished bathing.

    At the Dining Hall of the Main Residence…

    By the time Luxian arrived, everyone who was supposed to be there was already seated, except for him—the eldest son. Fang Meihua cast him a disapproving look, while the eldest daughter, Chen Fangru, wasted no time in criticizing him.

    “Why are you so late, eldest brother? Don’t you know Father is waiting? Do you think being the eldest son means you can disregard proper manners?” Chen Fangru sneered as soon as she saw him.

    “Greetings, Father,” Luxian said, bowing politely. Having absorbed both the original owner’s memories and knowledge from historical novels, he had no trouble with the formalities of the situation.

    “Mm, sit down,” General Chen said nonchalantly, paying little attention to his daughter’s words.

    Chen Fangru frowned, clearly displeased, but said nothing more.

    “Father,” Luxian began after sitting down, “as my younger sister mentioned, my lateness is a breach of etiquette, and I deeply regret it. However, as my residence is quite far at the back of the estate, I often have difficulty arriving promptly. Now that you’ve returned, and we’ll likely have more family meals together, I humbly request your permission to move back to my original quarters.”

    Luxian’s words caused everyone at the table to freeze. The second and fourth concubines, along with their children, knew exactly why Chen Lu had been moved to the back of the estate, but they were too preoccupied with their own survival to concern themselves with him.

    Meanwhile, Fang Meihua and her three children were visibly furious. If Luxian moved back to his original quarters, it would become much harder to oppress him. His status as the eldest son—stripped of its significance—would be restored, and he would no longer be seen as a worthless outcast relegated to the back of the estate.

    As for General Chen Rizhong, he saw no issue with the request. After all, the quarters in question were originally assigned to the eldest son, and there had never been any reason for him to ask for permission in the first place.

    “Of course, you may return,” the general said indifferently. “That residence is yours. Why would you need my permission? It was never appropriate for you, as the eldest son, to live at the back of the estate. Fang Meihua, please arrange for Lu’er to move back. He’s already seventeen, isn’t he? Find him a maidservant to stay in the adjacent room as well.”

    The general’s casual words left Fang Meihua and her second son seething. Having a maidservant as a concubine meant the possibility of children, which would further solidify Luxian’s position as the heir. How could Fang Meihua allow that?

    Even though her own fifteen-year-old son already had three concubines.

    Though her teeth were clenched in frustration, Fang Meihua forced a smile and replied,

    “Yes, my dear.”

    The meal continued in silence for a while, with no one daring to bring up the subject again.

    “How are things at the border, my dear? You’ve been away for three years. The children and I have missed you greatly,” the fourth concubine eventually broke the silence.

    “Yes, my dear,” the second concubine chimed in. “I heard we’ve won the war, but it was a hard-fought battle with heavy losses on our side. They say one of our generals was shot off his horse. Are you alright, my dear?”

    General Chen nodded. “Yes, it’s true. The Eastern General, the Fourth Prince, was gravely injured. Both his leg and his left arm were severely fractured when he fell. The military doctors said the damage was too extensive for them to treat, and moving him at the time would have worsened his condition. That’s why I led the troops back first. He’ll likely return to the capital in a month or so.”

    Broken leg, broken arm from a fall off a horse? That shouldn’t lead to permanent disability... unless, of course, medical knowledge in this era is insufficient.

    Hmm... What if I open a clinic? I could become a mysterious and highly skilled miracle doctor! That sounds fun!

    While others at the table continued their conversation, Dr. Chen’s mind wandered far from his usual composed and professional demeanor. He was already envisioning his potential career as a divine doctor. Fortunately, Luxian still had his veil on. Otherwise, everyone would have been stunned by the childlike grin spreading across his face, like a toddler seeing a shiny new toy.

[1] The Ministry of Rites, or Li Bu, oversees royal ceremonies and rituals within the imperial court.