Jiuxi

Chapter 1036 [Glorious Era] (Finale)

It was midsummer in the capital of Jing State.

Rounds of purges were taking place in the city. Those Jinglian nobles who had bullied and oppressed the Qi people, the Qi dignitaries who had been accomplices and lackeys, and many Jing army soldiers who had wielded swords to slaughter the Qi people were being dragged to the city's vegetable market to be beheaded after being reported by their own forces and examined by the Qi army officers and soldiers. A few of those who were extremely evil were sentenced to death by slicing.

On one side is liquidation, on the other side is appeasement.

For those ordinary people in the north who were also struggling for food and clothing, including even some Jinglian people who were of low status and ignored by everyone, the officials of Qi State, under the instructions of Lu Chen, distributed land and relief food to them to ensure that they could survive.

Similar situations continued to occur in Dadu, Xijing, Shangjing and even every town captured by the Qi army.

If Lu Chen's military talent and the Qi army's superior firearms were the fatal blow that defeated the Jing army, then Qing Yu Huaijin's escape to the west with the remaining elite of the Jinglian clan was the last straw that broke the camel's back.

From then on, it was difficult for the Jinglian people to organize even a decent resistance, but the people taken away by Qing Yu Huaijin were like sparks that could potentially start a new prairie fire in the far west thousands of miles away.

It is difficult to determine right or wrong.

The situation was very good. Lu Chen finally managed to spare half a day and led a group of trusted civil and military officials to the northern suburbs of Dadu.

This was once the most coveted royal hunting ground by the Jinglian nobles, but now it is covered with lush grass and trees and rarely visited by people.

A few miles north of the hunting ground, a cemetery lay quietly in the mountains, with an unnamed tombstone standing in front of it.

Lu Chen looked at the tombstone and fell into long contemplation.

Standing next to him were the civil officials of the Great Qi Dynasty, headed by the newly appointed Yanzhou Governor Yao Chong, and more than ten generals including Li Chengen, Xu Gui, and Liu Yin.

Lu Chen took two wine cups and a wine pot from Qin Zilong, placed the cups next to the tombstone, filled them up, picked up a cup, and sat directly on the ground, looking at this inconspicuous tomb and said, "Brother Wei Zheng, I'm here to see you."

The summer breeze blows, and there is a rustling sound in the mountains and fields, as if in silent response.

"You and I have never met before, but it seems like we have known each other for a long time."

Lu Chen held the wine cup and said slowly: "I once asked your loyal servant Du Zhong, but unfortunately he knew very little about your story when you were young. Later, I went to Dujia Village in Cuiping County and found some elders to ask about the past forty years ago. I was able to piece together your life, but I still couldn't fully describe the ups and downs of your life."

"Everyone says that I am the pillar of Da Qi, and they all praise my unparalleled achievements, but they don't know that every time I think of you, I feel a little guilty. I did defeat the Jing army and saved Da Qi, and even destroyed Jing now, but this is not my own achievement. Too many people have sacrificed everything for this goal, including their lives. I just happened to be in a lucky position, standing on their shoulders to achieve these achievements."

"You are different. From the time you survived the slaughter of the Jinglian people at the age of nine, until you gained a foothold in Dadu at the age of twenty-seven, you had no external forces to rely on for a full eighteen years. Even after you gained the trust of the prince of Jing, you were still alone, without even a confidant to share your thoughts with. Even so, you still accomplished a feat that most people in this world would not even dare to think about, destroying the foundation of the entire Jing Kingdom by yourself."

"I admire you very much."

Different from his previous wise and intelligent image in front of his confidants, Lu Chen seemed a little nagging today.

All the civil and military officials knew that this was probably one of the few moments when the King of Qin showed a soft heart, so they all listened quietly and no one dared to break the atmosphere.

"Many years ago, people started talking about the Northern Expedition. Some were full of loyalty, while others had selfish motives. You may not believe it, but I didn't have a strong determination to do so at first, because I thought it was too difficult. It required the right time, right place, and right people, but the reality was that too many people would hold us back."

"Later, some people and events changed my mind. One of them was that Emperor Gaozong used himself as bait, willing to live a year or two less, in order to draw the ambitious emperor of Jing into the chess game. He was very different from the emperor I knew. Perhaps he could not be as cruel and heartless as others, but it was that little bit of human brilliance that made me determined to inherit his legacy."

"The second one is the old prime minister Li Daoyan. You must have heard of his name. Do you think he is the most typical treacherous prime minister? I thought so at first, but later I gradually discovered that although he has selfish motives, he is an extremely rare righteous person. In terms of his ability to understand the overall situation and take the overall situation into consideration, he can be called a prime minister of all time."

"And my father-in-law Li Tianrun and my uncle Xiao Wangzhi. They are not only my guides in the army, but also the pillars and pillars of the Great Qi. I have learned a lot from them, and I understand a lot of truths because of their teachings."

"There are some others, so I won't go into detail about them."

“You are actually the person who has the greatest influence on me.”

"That day, I first heard the news that the Jing Kingdom was in turmoil and the Emperor was seriously injured, and then I received the suicide note you left behind. You may not know how I was touched at the time."

"I only need to think about it for a moment to understand the ups and downs you faced. The 32 years of wind and rain did not wipe out your determination, but eventually turned into the most brilliant fireworks in the world."

"That's what a real man should do."

"At that time, I made a vow that I would conquer the north and destroy Jing in this life. I dare not compete with you for glory, just to bring you home."

At this point, Lu Chen poured the wine on the ground and said solemnly: "Fortunately, I have fulfilled my mission."

He stood up and bowed towards the nameless monument. The civil officials, military generals and battle-hardened warriors behind him saluted at the same time.

Lu Chen raised his head and looked at the clear and vast sky, his powerful voice echoing among the mountains and fields.

"For sixty years, the heroic spirits who have sacrificed their blood and lives to resist the alien race and save the common people will live forever!"

Countless voices around him responded to Lu Chen's declaration in unison.

"The heroic spirit is immortal!"

……

Another winter turns to spring.

The ninth day of the third month in the seventh year of the Yongning reign of the Great Qi Dynasty.

One year and ten months have passed since Lu Chen launched the Northern Expedition.

During this nearly two years, the mighty army of the Great Qi finally swept across the north and incorporated the vast land into its territory.

King Lu Chen of Qin took charge of both military and political affairs, and while he spared no effort to eliminate the remnants of the Jinglian clan, he also coordinated a group of capable civil officials to complete the initial reforms in the north. He left behind an army of 150,000 to garrison various places in the north, and personally led 100,000 Tiger Guards to the south for rest and recuperation.

It is a beautiful spring day and the streets of Heluo City are deserted.

A bright red carpet was drawn out from Chengtian Gate of the Imperial Palace, along the main street of the city, all the way north, and extended straight to the northern suburbs ten miles outside the city. The common people lined the streets to welcome them with great joy, and officials of all ranks in the capital gradually appeared to the north. At the front of the welcoming team, all the officials of the imperial court and the important military officials were in the line, and the leaders were the Empress Dowager Ning and the Emperor Li Daoming.

When the king's ceremonial procession, accompanied by the Seven Star Army, the first meritorious army in the Northern Expedition, appeared on the official road in the northern suburbs of Heluo, all the people involuntarily rushed forward. Although the soldiers responsible for maintaining order did not dare to let them go, no one looked resentful. On the contrary, they all had smiles on their faces that came from the bottom of their hearts.

Under the bright sunshine, Lu Chen rode his horse forward, looking at the crowd ahead with a smile on his face.

What was a little strange was that no one in the court, whether civil or military, came to greet him with courtesy.

The next moment, Queen Mother Ning took the expressionless Li Daoming and walked up to the temporary high platform step by step. She said to the man not far away: "King Qin, please come on stage."

Lu Chen was well prepared for this and calmly stepped off his horse and onto the stage.

A queen, an emperor, and a king stood on the stage under the gaze of all the civil and military officials in the court and the people of the capital.

Queen Mother Ning nodded slightly to Lu Chen, then looked at the Minister of Rites Wang An below and said without any hesitation: "Read it."

Wang An then spread out the imperial edict in his hand and read it aloud in the gentle spring breeze.

"… All the gods above and below are obedient, the earth is flat and the sky is perfect, and all nations are at peace. You should accept the command of God and cooperate with the imperial power. I have given you this position, and I will only follow the order of heaven and respectfully grant you the position. The history is actually in your body. If you hold on to it, the blessing of heaven will last forever. How funny!"

This is an abdication edict!
All the civil and military officials in the court listened attentively, only Wang An's ups and downs of voice were heard.

They obviously knew about this a long time ago. In fact, when Lu Chen set out for the south with the merit of destroying Jing, many ministers in the court played the harp and the flute, and those people at the moment were even more enthusiastic, with only a very few people looking gloomy.

After Wang An finished reading, he stepped aside solemnly.

There was silence.

Lu Chen bowed to the mother and son of the Tian family and said, "I am so humbled that I dare not take your honorable position."

After a short silence, a strong and upright voice sounded: "Your Highness the King of Qin has made great contributions to saving the country, governing the country in a proper way, enriching the people with skills, and helping the people with virtue. You are a role model for all ages! Now that the Great Qi has destroyed the two countries of Jing and Dai, and Shazhou has also taken the initiative to submit, it can be said that the world is unified and the four seas are subject to it. This is all the merit of the King of Qin! Therefore, please invite the King of Qin to ascend the throne and become the emperor!"

It was Xu Zuo who took over as the left prime minister of the current dynasty after Xue Nanting retired due to illness last year.

The other ministers were all jealous, and the generals immediately became noisy.

Lu Chen resigned again.

Afterwards, representatives of all the people came forward. These local sages recounted the tremendous changes that had taken place among the people in the four years since the implementation of the new policy, and with extremely earnest and sincere words requested Lu Chen to accept the abdication and ascend the throne.

Lu Chen declined three times.

At this moment, Empress Dowager Ning walked slowly forward, her face showing a bit of melancholy and sadness, but more of peace.

She stared into Lu Chen's eyes and said, "King Qin, the world is entrusted to you. I hope you can treat all the kind people in this world well."

Lu Chen understood the look in her eyes.

He turned his head and looked at the audience. The civil officials led by Xu Zuo and the military officials led by Li Chengen were all looking at him with sharp eyes.

And his loved ones.

Lin Xi was at the head, while Wang Chulong, Li Bingxue, Luo Jiujiu, Song Pei, and Gu Wan'er stood in a row. Lu Jiusi and Lu Xinyi, along with a large group of younger brothers and their only sister Lu Zezhi, looked at Lu Chen on the stage with great admiration and joy.

That was their husband, their father.

Lu Chen's gaze was looking further ahead. He looked at the majestic and powerful soldiers of Da Qi who followed his lead, and at the thousands of Da Qi people who were full of enthusiasm and hope. Finally, a smile appeared on his face.

He turned his head to look at Queen Mother Ning. He did not pretend to talk eloquently, but just repeated those two words again, two words that only the two of them could understand: "An Zhi."

Empress Dowager Ning was slightly startled, then she bowed with a smile.

This scene was like a spark splashing into an oil pan, instantly turning into a huge wave sweeping across the world.

"Long live!"

"Long live!"

"Long live!"

On that day, Lu Chen accepted the abdication edict from Emperor Li Daoming of Qi, and ascended the throne after repeated requests from officials and civilians. He named Li Daoming the hereditary Prince of Prime Minister, and set up his fief in Yuqing Prefecture in Qingzhou. He was allowed to report matters without calling himself a vassal, and to receive imperial edicts without bowing. He was also allowed to follow the Qi calendar and clothing colors in his fief, and to build a Qi ancestral temple to worship Qi.

As for all the ceremonials and courtesies accorded to Empress Dowager Ning, they must all be retained without the slightest disrespect.

He made Princess Lin Xi of Qin the empress, his eldest son Lu Jiusi the crown prince, Wang Chulong the imperial concubine, Li Bingxue and Luo Jiujiu the concubines, Song Pei and Gu Wan'er the concubines, and all the civil and military officials and the people of the world were rewarded.

The reign title was Datong.

The name of the country, Daqin!
……

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(The main text ends here. Some extra chapters will be updated next. Book friends can leave a message if there is anything they want to read~)

(End of this chapter)