Shang Lu gasped heavily. Today’s Zhao Zhen made him feel a bit startled.
At this mont, his legs were shaking, and the hand holding the sword was numb; the cut on the part between his thumb and finger was bleeding.
Shang Lu’s mind was in a daze. He wasn’t lying down, but he had no strength left.
“Kill!!!”
The sounds of fighting rang in his ears.
Shang Lu looked around and suddenly noticed sothing strange.
He squinted his eyes and gazed into the distance.
On the faraway hill, countless figures appeared suddenly. They wore armor, sat on warhorses, and had a murderous air.
‘Where did these troops co from?’
Shang Lu felt a fright in his heart.
He looked at Zhao Zhen.
Zhao Zhen also heard the sounds of horses galloping; he knew reinforcents had arrived.
“The Xiang people and the Jing people didn’t get along, and it was indeed partly my fault.”
“But at the start of the campaign, I promised the Jing people that if we won this battle, high officials in the Imperial Court would include Jing representatives. With that promise, I gained fifty thousand troops.”
“Cough, cough…”
Zhao Zhen coughed, and a spot of red blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
He turned his head to look at Shang Lu and smiled. “Brother Lu, you taught this.”
Shang Lu blanked for a mont.
But when those fifty thousand troops charged into the area, the two sides who had been locked in a stalemate suddenly shifted.
The situation reversed, and the Western Xiao forces retreated step by step.
In the dim thunderstorm, Shang Lu saw with his own eyes how one soldier after another fell into pools of blood.
Shang Lu let out a long sigh, as if drained of his last bit of strength.
His knees gave way, and he knelt on the ground.
He knew the great cause was lost.
…
In the late spring of the 18th year of Xinglong,
at the Battle of Ying River, Western Xiao was defeated by Da Xiang. The Emperor of Xiao was captured, eighty thousand troops were taken prisoner, and Da Xiang started from Dongyu City, advancing directly into Western Xiao, passing through Dong’an Pass to reach the royal court.
In the month of Huai Xu of the 18th year of Xinglong,
Zhao Zhen led his troops into Ximing City, reached the royal court of Western Xiao, and sat on the Dragon Throne.
The constant wars over a sexagenary cycle finally ca to peace.
From then on,
The world was united!
Standing before the hall of Western Xiao,
Zhao Zhen, clad in armor, looked toward the distant sky.
His gaze grew distant, as if seventy years had passed in the blink of an eye.
Suddenly, Zhao Zhen’s face turned pale.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Green Plum.
The Green Plum was shrunken and blackened.
What he saw before him suddenly turned dark.
After stumbling a couple of steps, Zhao Zhen fell down.
The blackened Green Plum rolled away, moving farther and farther from him.
In a blur, Zhao Zhen suddenly heard shouts around him.
“Soone, quick! Soone!!”
“Summon the imperial physician!”
Zhao Zhen closed his eyes and fell completely unconscious.
…….
When Ximing City was breached,
the Mortal Dynasty’s Fortune suddenly surged.
Mountains and rivers seed to rise and widen at that mont, as great power descended upon the Mortal World.
That day, bells rang in temples all across the Mortal World; all the people, without exception, heard the sound.
Heaven sent sweet rain, and all living things grew.
The great shift of the Human Dao for a thousand years concluded then; history books would turn to a new page, a magnificent chapter.
…….
Before the joy of the great victory faded,
news of Prince of Xiang’s severe illness reached Shangjing City first.
Zhao Wushuang learned of it and was terrified.
He beca afraid.
He realized Zhao Zhen’s serious illness might be hard to overco.
If Zhao Zhen really died on the way back, Shangjing would surely plunge into chaos!
His brothers likely used this to stir trouble; a palace rebellion was probable soon.
As the Crown Prince, he was in the center of all attention; no matter how clever he plotted, he might not avoid it!
He needed to prepare quickly.
Now it wasn’t about whether he wanted to take the throne—it was whether he could survive!
“Please don’t die…”
Zhao Wushuang prayed in his heart. He truly didn’t want to be pulled into these conflicts. He hoped Zhao Zhen would return to re-establish the Crown Prince, so he could leave this Imperial Palace for good.
…….
News of the army’s triumphant return spread throughout the land.
In Qingshan City, people banged gongs and drums, sharing the news in every street and alley.
“They won the war?”
Ping’an blinked and turned to his mother.
Wang Sanniang nodded. “Yes, they won. No more wars after this.”
She couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.
Wang Sanniang recalled when she was young; during the Jing Era, there were forced drafts of n for the army. Ping’an was seven now, and in a couple more years, if the war hadn’t ended and those drafts repeated, Wang Sanniang feared she couldn’t protect Ping’an.
“Peace at last…”
Wang Sanniang blinked; a tear fell from the corner of her eye.
Ruyi wiped away her mother’s tears and asked, “What are you thinking about, Mother?”
Wang Sanniang patted her head and said, “Thinking about your father.”
Ruyi understood and leaned closer. “Mother, let’s burn so paper money for Father later.”
Wang Sanniang paused, then nodded.
Ping’an, standing in front, heard his mother and Elder Sister talking about their father. He froze, as if wanting to ask sothing, but seeing the tear marks on his mother’s face, he held back.
Ping’an wasn’t like Ruyi; he didn’t even know what their father looked like.
He might have seen him at age one, but it wasn’t in his mory.
During the wars of disaster, their father died because of the fighting.
Ping’an turned to his mother and asked, “Will there be wars in the future?”
Wang Sanniang thought a mont and said, “No, there won’t.”
Ping’an nodded; he accepted that since his mother said so.
But Ping’an, who had read many books, understood that wars never truly end; at best, it would be a short peace later.
Ping’an sighed; he wished he could be like his Elder Sister, knowing just a little.
Sotis, understanding is worse than not knowing.
…….
After his serious illness, Zhao Zhen didn’t rest in the royal court of Western Xiao. Instead, he imdiately set out, dragging his sick body back to Shangjing.
After several days of travel, he finally arrived.
Seeing Zhao Zhen return, Zhao Wushuang felt the big rock in his heart settle.
Before he could go to greet him, the Chief Eunuch summoned him to court.
Less than an hour after returning to Shangjing, Zhao Zhen gathered all officials for an audience.
Zhao Wushuang hurried over, and upon raising his head, saw Zhao Zhen sitting upright on the Dragon Throne.
All officials were present, and the officer in charge of rituals called out, “Mountain shout!”
The officials paused briefly, then quickly knelt and shouted, “Ten thousand years!”
The ritual officer called again, “Mountain shout!”
“Ten thousand years!”
“Shout once more!”
“Ten thousand years!”
The officials knelt, bowing to the Son of Heaven.
In the Imperial Court, it was utterly silent; the kneeling officials didn’t dare rise; a strange atmosphere spread.
So quiet you could hear a pin drop!
Zhao Zhen looked at the officials below. After a long silence, he finally said slowly, “Rise.”
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