Chapter 1: The High Gates of the Prime Minister's Residence

The autumn wind rustled, and the weather turned cool.

On the streets of Kaifeng, people hurried along. Whether merchants or commoners, there were no smiles on their faces. Living in such troubled times, it would be strange if anyone could still smile.

A son was taking his father's coffin out of the city for burial, only to be stopped by the gate guards. If he didn't pay the tax, he couldn't leave. Taxing the dead—truly unheard of!

All the money had already been spent on the funeral, and he was deep in debt.

Unable to pay the tax, the son could only weep as he dragged his father's coffin back, not knowing what to do. He cried all the way, and though the people around pitied him, none dared say a word!

At a roadside tea stall sat an old woman in her seventies, with a bowl of clear water in front of her. Her hair was completely white, a smooth stick lay by her hand, and she carried a large, tattered bundle on her back.

Across from the old woman sat a young boy, at most eleven or twelve years old, tall for his age but extremely thin, with hardly any flesh on his bones. His cheeks were sunken, and his eyes were unusually large, giving him a somewhat comical appearance. But if you looked closely, those eyes held a depth uncommon for a boy his age, as if he was weighed down by heavy thoughts.

He had reason to worry, because he did not belong to this era... The boy's name was Edward Clark, and he was a mortuary makeup artist. Just hearing about this profession would make many people shudder and keep their distance. Especially girls on blind dates—once they found out, it was as if they'd seen a ghost; they wouldn't say another word and would flee in panic.

Edward Clark couldn't help it. He came from a single-parent family; his father didn't care about him at all. He dropped out of school early, and if not for the mortuary master who took him in and taught him the skills of cosmetic restoration for the dead, he might have starved to death. Edward Clark wasn't one to wallow in self-pity. You win some, you lose some. He had been in the business for years and had some savings. The only reason he kept at it was out of respect for his master.

Once his master retired in a couple of years, he planned to go into business and say goodbye to the mortuary for good!

This was Edward Clark's long-standing plan.

But he never imagined that fate would grant his wish ahead of time—and in such a special way: by sending him back to ancient times!

What a rip-off!!

At this very moment, Edward Clark just wanted to look up and sigh, "Let me go back! I'd rather never find a wife and spend my whole life in the mortuary than end up in the Five Dynasties!"

That's right, Edward Clark had arrived in the most chaotic, darkest period—the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms!

As his memories merged, Edward Clark finally learned that the current dynasty was Han, and the era name was Qianyou.

Just from these two pieces of information, even most history buffs might not know what period this was, but Edward Clark knew exactly.

Working at the mortuary, it was hard to make friends. In his spare time, Edward Clark's favorite thing was reading. From early martial arts magazines to classic literature and official histories, and then to online novels, he read almost everything.

With so much knowledge, Edward Clark would join book clubs to discuss history and debate with other fans. His deep expertise and well-cited arguments always amazed people... As it turns out, reading more books is indeed beneficial. Edward Clark immediately figured out that this "Han" was the fourth dynasty of the Five Dynasties, the Later Han, founded by Emperor Gaozu Samuel Bennett!

After Samuel Bennett ascended the throne, he died soon after. Judging by the timeline, the current emperor was Samuel Bennett's son, Henry Bennett, also known as Emperor Yin of Han.

The Later Han had only two emperors, lasting less than four years in total, and was soon replaced by the Later Zhou of William Harris.

When it comes to the Later Zhou, more people might be familiar.

William Harris reigned for three years and passed the throne to his adopted son Abraham Carter. Emperor Shizong of Zhou was both a civil and military genius, highly accomplished, and hailed as the greatest ruler of the Five Dynasties.

If only Abraham Carter had lived longer, he might really have unified the realm, reclaimed Yan and Yun, and established a golden age rivaling the Han and Tang dynasties.

Unfortunately, Abraham Carter died young, allowing George Walker to seize the opportunity, don the yellow robe, and found the Song dynasty... As Edward Clark sorted through the historical timeline in his mind, he realized the young emperor Henry Bennett was just a fleeting figure, and that Old Guo was the real deal.

And as it turned out, he discovered a glimmer of hope: he was actually distantly related to the founding emperor of the Later Zhou, William Harris. This time, he and his grandmother had come to the capital to seek refuge with the Guo family and ask for their help.

...

William Harris's father, Charles Harris, once served as a regional governor under Li Keyong. At that time, Edward Clark's grandfather and Charles Harris served together at court and were on very good terms. Moreover, Edward Clark's grandmother was the daughter of Guo Jian's cousin, and the two families often corresponded and looked out for each other.