The Six Arts of the Gentleman in the Bright Moon of Qin Dynasty

Chapter 1234 Xuanwu Passes Away [The Finale]

"I thought your father was a flower similar to the True Martial Emperor in the Great Thousand World, but I never expected that I was actually a deliveryman, all for the sake of your birth!"

Yan Yan's speechless rant.

Just like with the Seven Star Dragon Abyss back then, he thought he would be the master of the Seven Star Dragon Abyss sword, but who knew that he was just a transit point, and Shao Siming was its true master.

At best, I am just a sword servant used to nurture the sword.

Now even his son is like this; he's truly destined to be a working-class man.

He toiled and struggled his whole life, only to accumulate such a vast fortune, all for the sake of Zhenwu's descent into the world.

"If there truly are immortals and gods, you really can't bear to see him suffer even a little bit!" Yan Yan looked up at the heavens speechlessly.

The so-called chosen one, the chosen one of destiny, it's all a scam, a way to deceive oneself into accumulating enough capital and resources for the birth of Zhenwu.

Before everything was even clear, they all believed they were the only chosen ones, spending half their lives building a vast empire, only to have it all fall into the hands of their son.

"Father doesn't seem happy?" Little Yun'e, now a beautiful young woman, stood beside Yan Yan, teasing her newborn brother.

"I suspect I've been set up!" Yan Yan said helplessly, revealing his thoughts.

Xiao Yun'e was stunned, then smiled and said, "Even if there really is such a divine emperor in heaven, then Father Emperor might as well think of it this way: even if he is an emperor, he still has to call you Father Emperor. You can beat him up whenever you want!"

Xiao Yun'e seemed to have thought of something, and a smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.

If there truly is an emperor in heaven named Zhenwu, and my younger brother is his reincarnation, then wouldn't I be able to legitimately and legally defeat a divine emperor?

You should discipline your younger brother early on!

If what Father Emperor said is true, and this younger brother is the reincarnation of the Heavenly Emperor, then his cultivation and growth will be very fast. If he cannot be suppressed when he is young, then he may really be unable to defeat him in the future.

Yan Yan thought about it and realized that it was indeed true.

Even if he really is the reincarnation of the True Martial Emperor, so what? He's still his own son, and he has to be beaten to grow up.

"Wah~" As if sensing the unfriendly gazes of its two closest relatives, the newborn baby burst into tears.

"You..." Yan Lingji and Dugu Yanzhi didn't know what to say to this father and daughter.

When the only son in a family is born, they would cherish and protect him. But you and your daughter started planning how to beat him on the very first day he was born. Is there any son or brother in the world who is more miserable than him?

With the birth of the young master of Bingzhou, the whole world seemed to become much calmer and less restless.

At least the officials in Bingzhou have calmed down and stopped contacting people they shouldn't have or having any other thoughts.

Tell your parents to stop contacting them.

……

Time does not stop flowing because of someone's arrival or departure.

Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.

"His Majesty seems to be a bit harsh on the eldest son!" An Qisheng looked at Xiao Zhenwu, who was being punished by standing, with heartache in his eyes.

He could recite the Six Classics at three and read the works of a hundred schools of thought at five. If such a genius were his son, he would be laughing in his dreams. But what he saw instead was Yan Yan constantly finding various reasons to teach the eldest son a lesson.

"A sapling won't grow straight if it's not pruned!" Yan Yan said calmly.

"I suspect that Father Emperor, you just want to beat me up!" Although Xiao Zhenwu was being punished by standing, his face was full of resentment.

"You put wasabi in my teacup, do you think you should be punished?" Yan Yan was speechless.

He and his son seemed to be born at odds.

Since he was old enough to understand, I've never heard a single word from him. I always contradict him. If I tell him to go east, he insists on going north or south. He doesn't even give me a chance to do the opposite.

"It's all because Father Emperor had someone stew my pet turtle last night!" Little Zhenwu said indignantly.

"Just tell me, did you eat it or not? Did it taste good?"

"..."

An Qisheng also fell silent. Even an upright official finds it hard to settle family disputes. Indeed, it's better for him to just watch the show.

Perhaps this is the unique way this father and son interact.

At least compared to other imperial families I've heard of, this father and son were more humane.

"Your father is gone, you don't need to stand as punishment anymore!" An Qisheng kindly reminded Yan Yan after he left.

Before three breaths had passed, Yan Yan suddenly reappeared, his face full of murderous intent, holding the Seven Star Dragon Abyss sword that had already been drawn.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Zhenwu immediately turned and ran.

"Go ahead and don't come back for dinner today if you dare!" Yan Yan threatened, cursing, when he couldn't catch up with him.

"What has the eldest son done this time?" An Qisheng asked curiously, then realized why he had said "again".

Indeed, there is always a reason why someone is pitiful, even a child.

"He plucked the golden eagle that was presented to me as tribute from the Western Regions, leaving me bald!" Yan Yan said angrily.

An Qisheng fell silent.

Only Xiao Zhenwu would do something like this; no one else would have the guts.

"Doesn't Your Majesty think that the eldest son's martial arts progress is a bit too fast?" An Qisheng changed the subject.

"That's perfectly normal. The Taoist, Confucian, Mohist and other schools of thought all sent their old fogies to teach him all sorts of weird martial arts, and even some legendary lost martial arts!" Yan Yan wasn't surprised.

Xiao Zhenwu's talent is even higher than Xiao Yun'e's. Except for not being born with the true energy of a grandmaster, his comprehension is maxed out, and he is not lacking in the nourishment of rare and precious materials.

Even a pig can take off if raised like this.

“But we’re all getting old!” An Qisheng sighed.

Since the birth of Xiao Zhenwu, Yan Yan, Shao Siming, and others have begun to show the marks of time, and black hair has started to appear on their heads.

"I've seen all the sights, so let me die if I'm going to!" Yan Yan said nonchalantly.

Immortality and longevity were not what he sought.

At least he did what he was supposed to do, saw the scenery he was supposed to see, and changed what he was supposed to change. There was nothing more he could do.

An Qisheng nodded. Over the past ten years, he has gradually delegated authority to the younger generation, allowing them to grow and become capable of handling things independently.

Perhaps, in a few years, they can indeed retire behind the scenes and live a life of leisure.

Ten years later, the elders of Bingzhou, such as An Qisheng, Li Ren, Luo Bing, Dian Qing, and Gongsun Nu, all chose to retire, and later talents such as Meng Tian and Cao Can took over, becoming the new Three Dukes and Nine Ministers of Bingzhou.

"In the end, he didn't outlive her!"

In the Qinian Palace, the aged Ying Zheng, supported by Fusu, walked outside the main hall, gazing towards the north. "Uncle was indeed a martial arts master, and lived a long life," Fusu murmured.

“Tonggu, Yaoqing…” Ying Zheng turned to look at Li Si and Li Yao.

"Your Majesty!" Li Si and Li Yao rushed forward, their eyes bloodshot, also sensing an ominous premonition.

"Fusu is still young, you must bear with him. The Qin state is in your hands!" Ying Zheng grasped Li Si and Li Yao's hands, and then placed Fusu's hand on top of them.

"Although Tonggu said he would die before me and even be buried with me, I am not Duke Mu and cannot do something like having a meritorious official buried alive with me."

"Fusu, you must also remember that in the future, whether you want to reorganize the court or eliminate dissidents, you must always maintain a humble attitude towards these ministers who have accompanied Qin through the most difficult times, and give them a peaceful retirement."

"Don't let the saying 'Peace is established by the general, but the general is not allowed to enjoy peace' happen to the Qin state. If you don't know what to do, just look at how Bingzhou did it!"

Ying Zheng spoke slowly and deliberately, as if he were making arrangements for his own death.

"I originally intended to wait until after my death for Fusu to succeed me, but I want to go to Bingzhou to take a look, so... beat the drum and summon all officials!" Ying Zheng ordered.

As the drums sounded, Qin's civil and military officials rushed from their respective offices to Qinian Palace.

This time, however, they were unable to enter Qinian Palace, but instead stopped in the square below Qinian Palace.

"From this day forward, I abdicate in favor of Crown Prince Fusu!" After all the civil and military officials had arrived at their positions, Ying Zheng took Fusu's hand and walked from the main hall to the outside, announcing the abdication and succession to the court.

The Qin officials were shocked and in uproar. Although they had expected that Fusu would be the sole heir, they did not expect him to ascend the throne so early, even though Ying Zheng had entrusted Fusu with the responsibility of overseeing the country in recent years and rarely managed state affairs himself.

However, the fact that the king abdicated while still alive was still beyond their expectations.

"Go, I will personally crown you as emperor!" Ying Zheng released Fusu's hand.

Fusu bowed and, led by his attendants, arrived at a side hall of Qinian Palace. He then discovered that Ying Zheng's decision was not impulsive but rather that the imperial robes had been prepared long ago.

"Your Majesty was prepared long ago!" Li Si and Li Yao personally helped Fusu change into the imperial robes, one on each side.

"Why does Father Emperor want to go to Bingzhou?" Fusu asked, expressing his doubts.

"Go and ask for a final lifeline for the Crown Prince and the Qin Kingdom!" Li Si and Li Yao sighed.

Ying Zheng considered everything for the Qin state, even going so far as to enter Bingzhou on his deathbed just so that Yan Yan could step in and correct Fusu's reckless behavior.

Although we may never need it, we can't live without it.

Once Ying Zheng dies, Fusu will be the most powerful emperor in the world, and no one except Yan Yan will be able to restrain him.

This is also why Ying Zheng abdicated early; he wanted to know if Fusu could still maintain his original intentions after taking control of such a vast empire.

The abdication ceremony and the succession ceremony were held simultaneously without prior notice to the public, but they were still grand. Fusu was granted the throne and, under the auspices of Ying Zheng, received the homage of all the officials, marking the official start of the Second Qin Dynasty.

Afterwards, Ying Zheng left Xianyang under the escort of his guards and headed to Bingzhou.

"I thought you would come to the palace to see me first!" Yan Yan said with a smile as he looked at Ying Zheng, who dared to come to the Northern Ye Royal City with only a few guards.

"Your mausoleum is not as luxurious as mine!" Ying Zheng smiled as he looked at the imperial mausoleum built in Bingzhou.

"Your damn competitive spirit! You've been fighting your whole life, and you still refuse to admit defeat?" Yan Yan shook his head with a smile.

"I was wondering, if I had invited you when you first emerged from seclusion, would things have been different?" Ying Zheng asked Yan Yan.

"Perhaps!" Yan Yan nodded.

If Ying Zheng had come to invite him when he had just completed his apprenticeship, he probably would have had a hard time refusing, or rather, there would have been very few men in all of China who could refuse Ying Zheng's invitation.

"Unfortunately, there are no 'what ifs.' We are all just people being pushed forward by the times!"

Ying Zheng got the answer he wanted and said with a smile.

“There are many people who are pushed forward by the times, but very few who can shoulder the entire era and leave their own mark on it,” Yan Yan said with a smile.

Ying Zheng looked at Yan Yan, and they smiled at each other.

"I must take my leave now. I entrust China to you, sir. Whether Bingzhou destroys Qin or Qin swallows Bingzhou, China will ultimately belong to the Chinese people!"

Ying Zheng left the Northern Palace and returned to Xianyang. Soon after, news of the First Emperor's death spread throughout Xianyang, shaking the entire nation and causing widespread mourning.

"The Military Intelligence Bureau has a secret report that the First Emperor actually died before leaving Bingzhou. In order to prevent further turmoil in Qin and Bingzhou, he had Hei Bai Xuan Jian and Zhang Han conceal his death until he returned to Xianyang and announced his passing," Mo Ya whispered in Yan Yan's ear.

Yan Yan gazed in the direction of Xianyang for a long time without speaking, and finally just quietly poured out a cup of clear wine.

……

"Father, do you think that China has truly achieved unification? Is it truly a unified nation?"

Xiao Zhenwu looked at Yan Yan and asked.

"What do you want to say?"

"I don't want to be an emperor, I want to cultivate Tao!" Little Zhenwu said.

"Are you itching for a beating?" Yan Yan decisively drew the Seven Star Dragon Abyss from his waist.

“I’m not cut out to be an emperor. Besides, if Qin and Bingzhou cannot be merged, the world will never be unified, and future generations will never have the concept of complete unification.”

Yan Yan fell silent.

There are many ancient countries and great powers in the world, but none have been as eager to unify as China once it was divided!

If Bingzhou and the Qin state had remained in this state, perhaps future generations would not have had the concept of unification, and given human laziness, the lower limit of future generations would only be infinitely lower.

"So you deliberately waited until now, until all the founding ministers had passed away, before revealing your true intentions?" Yan Yan said, looking at Xiao Zhenwu.

Over the years, the veteran officials have all retired, and new talents have been emerging, but no one would dare to beat up Little Zhenwu.

"Suit yourself. Bingzhou will be in your hands sooner or later. Whatever happens, it's all yours!"

Yan Yan sighed, did not refute, and silently walked back to the inner palace.

"Thank you, Father!" Little Zhenwu bowed and watched Yan Yan leave.

However, on this very day, a shocking piece of news spread throughout the land: the Xuanwu Emperor, Empress, Princess, and Eldest Princess had disappeared without a trace after entering the imperial mausoleum.

Rumors circulated that on that day, dragons and phoenixes danced in the sky above the imperial tomb, cranes circled, the heavenly gates opened, and golden-armored generals appeared, seemingly guiding the emperor to ascend to heaven.

Then a mysterious voice rang out, "Lord Longyang, I have arrived!"

Some conspiracy theories suggest that Crown Prince Zhenwu, fearing he wouldn't outlive Emperor Xuanwu, secretly murdered his father.

But the result was that Emperor Xuanwu disappeared without a trace, and his imperial tomb vanished overnight.

It leaves only endless imagination for future generations.

[The End]

(End of this chapter)