My Days as a God in Ancient Times
o0o
Chu Qiuzhe thought the idea of pretending to be an immortal was truly ingenious.
“Please, Your Highness.” Chu Qiuzhe smiled slyly like a fox. “But let me make this clear first: those with impure intentions cannot enter. Even if you manage to get in, remember not to reveal what you see to anyone.”
There wasn’t much to hide anyway. His brother had driven off with all the cars from the garage, leaving it completely empty. The main door was tightly shut, blocking any view of the outside.
However, to prevent this handsome prince from violently breaking down the door, it was necessary to give him a warning.
“Your Highness,” Chen Cuzhi tried to stop Lan An as he approached the light screen.
Lan An turned back, looking down upon all with a determined gaze. “If there is truly food behind this door, I will fulfill my duty and bring it back so everyone can have a full meal today.”
The people knelt en masse, loudly praising the prince, their voices full of vigor, a stark contrast to their previous state of weakness from hunger.
Tsk tsk tsk, Chu Qiuzhe clicked his tongue repeatedly. The royal family truly knew how to win people’s hearts.
After telling everyone to rise, Lan An strode into the light screen and disappeared.
In an instant, Lan An felt the temperature drop. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a strange room.
The room was square, filled with sacks, and had a tightly closed door.
Years of holding a high position had honed his vigilance. He touched the smooth walls, unable to tell what they were made of—seamlessly crafted and airtight.
But how could such an enclosed space be as bright as daylight?
Looking up, Lan An saw the source of light. What is this thing?
Knowing the people were waiting, he didn’t dwell on it. He casually grabbed two sacks and turned back.
Returning to the familiar place, Lan An still found it unbelievable. How did that man do it?
Looking over, he saw that man gazing at him with a half-smile.
Yet, Lan An felt—perhaps mistakenly—that the man’s gaze was somewhat frivolous.
It wasn’t just frivolous. Chu Qiuzhe was already fantasizing about Lan An’s strong, muscular arms. Each sack weighed 100 jin (~50kg), and this prince casually carried two with one hand.
Two hundred jin (~100kg) and his body didn’t even tilt. Remarkable, truly remarkable. Chu Qiuzhe was already imagining the prince holding him effortlessly in the near future.
“Your Highness.” Chen Cuzhi hurried forward, worriedly eyeing Lan An and the sacks.
Lan An swung his arm, and the sacks instantly tore apart, spilling white rice everywhere.
The people cheered and knelt again, but this time, they were kneeling to their “Male Immortal,” Chu Qiuzhe.
Someone started chanting “May the Male Immortal enjoy eternal blessings and longevity equal to the heavens!”
“May the Male Immortal enjoy eternal blessings and longevity equal to the heavens!” The resounding chants were even more overwhelming than the previous praises for the prince.
Pfft—cough, cough... Chu Qiuzhe nearly choked on his own saliva. This is so damn awkward!
“Stop, stop!” Chu Qiuzhe raised his hand to halt this feudal behavior and said seriously “From now on, no kneeling when you see me, and absolutely no bowing.”
Such words were shocking in this era, even leaving Lan An astonished.
Being revered by thousands was a dream for many, yet this man didn’t care for it?
He didn’t seek wealth or status. So what exactly did he desire?
Everyone has desires. Lan An refused to believe he was completely without them. Even so-called Buddhas and Bodhisattvas sought incense offerings.
Chu Qiuzhe felt like he had unlocked mind-reading, seeing through Lan An’s thoughts. “I only wish for everyone to have a heart full of gratitude. If someone is in trouble in the future, I hope you’ll help however you can.”
Ding, ding, ding... The system continuously notified him of gratitude points being collected.
Chu Qiuzhe felt elated. “Remember my words. In the near future, I believe everyone will be blessed.”
And indeed, years later, this county produced many philanthropic families, becoming the happiest place in the country—but that’s a story for another time.
“The Male Immortal is truly righteous!” Chen Cuzhi was deeply moved.
Chu Qiuzhe waved it off casually and said to Lan An “Your Highness, please continue moving the supplies. So many people are waiting to eat!”
Lan An: “...” He turned and left without a word.
Chu Qiuzhe had no idea his words had shattered the good impression Lan An had just built.
“You, come here. Let’s talk.” Chu Qiuzhe beckoned Chen Cuzhi. “Is your prince a royal prince or from an outside family?”
This wasn’t a secret. “He’s a royal prince, the emperor’s youngest brother, and the current regent.”
Chu Qiuzhe nodded. “What’s his name? How old is he? Has he married?”
Chen Cuzhi didn’t understand why the Male Immortal was asking such well-known facts but answered truthfully. “His Highness is Lan An, thirty years old this year, and unmarried.”
Not bad, not bad. A man stands firm at thirty, yet in ancient times, being unmarried at this age surely hinted at some issue.
Looking at Lan An's sturdy build, he figured there shouldn’t be any problems in that regard. So the reason he hadn't married... hehe!
Chu Qiuzhe was thrilled and excited, pulling Chen Cuzhi aside to ask endlessly.
The two of them chatted away without a care in the world, while Lan An, the center of their conversation, was busy moving back and forth like a donkey tied to a millstone.
Chen Cuzhi, after all, was grateful for the prince's favor in the past. He felt concerned but didn’t know how to speak up, so he had no choice but to answer Chu Qiuzhe's questions with gritted teeth.
Once he had gathered enough information, Chu Qiuzhe finally asked the most important question "How do people here view the love between men, like the fondness of Duanxiu or the passion of Longyang?"
Chen Cuzhi was dumbfounded. Connecting this to their earlier conversation, he immediately grasped Chu Qiuzhe's implication. So, their prince might be ready to blossom late in life?
Although he had never seen the prince show even the slightest interest in any woman or man, who’s to say their prince wasn't just emotionally reserved?
Moreover, this handsome man before him truly had an unparalleled appearance.
Feeling a bit excited, Chen Cuzhi answered "In the military camps, there are men who become sworn brothers and live together. It’s uncommon among civilians, but the law doesn’t forbid such relationships."
Even those in high positions had male concubines in their harems!
"That's good." Chu Qiuzhe was relieved. He patted Chen Cuzhi on the shoulder, signaling, You're quite sensible. I approve of you.
"I can't bear to watch this anymore" Xiao En complained repeatedly. "Your intentions are as obvious as Sima Zhao's!*"
Chu Qiuzhe grinned cheerfully. "Don't worry, I still want to stand on my own two feet again. I'll definitely work hard to complete the task you gave me."
Saying this, he glanced toward Lan An again. The grain outside the light gate had already piled up like a small mountain, yet Lan An remained calm and worked swiftly.
Hmm, his stamina seems quite impressive too.
Lan An seemed to sense something. That burning gaze was simply too intense to ignore.
"Why are you staring at me?"
Chu Qiuzhe openly stared back. "If you weren’t looking at me, how would you know I’m looking at you?"
"Twisted logic!"
At that moment, the sound of urgent hoofbeats approached. Soon, three men in black short coats squeezed through the crowd.
The three glanced around before approaching Lan An and saluting. "Your Highness, mission accomplished."
Joy flashed in the eyes of both Lan An and Chen Cuzhi, they knew exactly what this meant.
Chu Qiuzhe could tell these three must be warriors or soldiers. "If it's good news, share it! Let me be happy too!"
The three exchanged hesitant glances, unsure of this strange man's identity and whether they should respond.
"The grain stolen by the mountain bandits has been recovered," Lan An announced to the townspeople.
It was indeed great news. The people finally had something to look forward to. Relying solely on the handsome man’s aid wasn’t a long-term solution.
Chu Qiuzhe finally let out a sigh of relief. He wasn’t lacking money or food, but continuously purchasing large quantities of grain over time would inevitably attract attention.
"How long will it take for the supplies to arrive?" As long as they could get through this period, his mission would be considered complete.
One of the warriors noticed something unusual. It seemed the commoners held this strange man in high regard, and even the prince didn’t object to him. So, he simply replied "General Lu is currently escorting the grain. It will arrive within a month at most."
The villagers began whispering excitedly. One month—if they could endure just one more month, everything would be fine.
Lan An nodded, signaling them to leave. He still had to continue working like a laborer...
"Uh... Your Highness?" The warriors exchanged confused glances and then turned to Chen Cuizhi. "Mr. Cuizhi? What’s going on here?"
Chen Cuizhi glanced at Chu Qiuzhe and helplessly explained the situation and Chu Qiuzhe's identity.
After hearing the explanation, the three warriors eagerly volunteered "Sir, the three of us are strong. Let us handle the carrying!"
"Fine, fine." Chu Qiuzhe wasn’t unreasonable. "Your Highness, take a break and let them do it. No need to keep the villagers waiting."
Lan An wasn’t masochistic enough to insist on laboring, so he told Chen Cuizhi "Arrange for some people to cook this batch of grain mixed with coarse rice so that everyone can have a full meal."
Chen Cuizhi took the order and left to make arrangements.
Chu Qiuzhe wheeled himself over to Lan An. "Your Highness, do you still think I’m a liar? Do you still want to cut off my head?"
Liar or not, Lan An thought to himself, this man did bring food. For the moment, he wasn’t sure how to deal with him.
"Call me 'Male God' just once!" Chu Qiuzhe teased.
Lan An moved his lips but couldn’t bring himself to say it. He instinctively knew that the term "Male God" wasn’t meant literally.
Instead, Lan An pointed at the large characters on the grain sack. "What does 'Northeast Rice' mean?"
The topic shift was so abrupt that Chu Qiuzhe almost laughed in frustration. He replied softly "It’s just rice from the northeast! Would Your Highness like to try some?"
He had already discussed with Xiao En about the writing on the packaging. Since there was no way to trace it, he wasn’t worried about being questioned. He could always have them destroyed later.
Lan An turned away, unwilling to engage further.
Chu Qiuzhe quickly grabbed Lan An’s wrist. "Your Highness, is it really that hard to call me 'Male God'?"
Lan An clenched his fist, his forearm trembling slightly. His sharp, eagle-like eyes glared down at Chu Qiuzhe. "Let go!" he barked.
If looks could kill, Chu Qiuzhe thought, he’d be dead by now.
The atmosphere grew tense. Chu Qiuzhe regretted forgetting how reserved ancient people could be. He reluctantly let go but grabbed Lan An’s wrist again the next second.
"You’re injured?" Chu Qiuzhe's eyes widened in shock.
His palm was suddenly covered in blood. Lan An’s black clothes had hidden the bleeding on his arm.
o0o
Duanxiu – This refers to the affectionate relationship between Emperor Duan (in some historical contexts) and his male companion, symbolizing a tender, loving bond between men.
Longyang – This refers to the love story of Lord Longyang and his lover in Chinese history, which is known for its passionate and deep emotional connection, often considered a more intense or romantic form of male affection.
*Sima Zhao's refers to a Chinese idiom rooted in history. Sima Zhao was a historical figure known for his clear ambition to seize power, even though he tried to hide it. This saying means that someone's intentions or goals are so obvious that they can't be concealed, just like how Sima Zhao's intention to take control was very apparent. So, Xiao En is complaining that Chu Qiuzhe's intentions are too obvious and cannot be hidden anymore.