It’s hard to break a phoenix’s destiny

Chapter 676: Too Close to See

When Liu Yao finally returned to Chang'an as the victor of the Han Dynasty, the scene was already completely different.

Flags were waving, gongs and drums were beating, and even the road leading into the city was splashed with clean water and paved with yellow earth. It was an extremely grand and lively occasion.

Officials kneeled to greet him at the city gate, as well as the old officials who followed Liu Cong to Pingyang. It was a huge crowd, and it looked very spectacular. In addition, Liu Yao had a very good reputation in Chang'an City. After the people of Chang'an "prayed for rain" three years ago, they had a deep affection for Liu Yao. Moreover, since then, the weather has been good, the grain output has increased, and everyone has food to eat, and the taxes have been reduced by more than half. With the reduced burden of life, all walks of life will naturally prosper.

The doors of Chang'an City were not locked at night, which also gave the impression of prosperity and dance.

From ancient times to the present, wars have always been the actions of rulers, and the lives of ordinary people are nothing more than eating, drinking, defecating, urinating and sleeping, simple and torturous day after day.

Now, their favorite Liu Yao had become the new emperor of the Han Dynasty, so they naturally had to go out of the city gate to welcome him. They all knelt outside the city gate, carrying the old and the young.

Liu Yao was still riding his tall horse, wearing cold armor, full of murderous intent. Three years of fighting had already made him more mature and steady, and he also had the majesty of a ruler. Even after a glance from a distance, the people kneeling outside the city gate had already shouted: "Long live the emperor, long live the emperor!"

Logically speaking, Liu Yao should have shown a satisfied expression at this time, and should even wave his hand or nod to let everyone stand up.

But Liu Yao did not do so at all. He was even anxious as he searched among the crowd for the figure he was most familiar with. Strictly speaking, they had only not seen each other for half a year, but it seemed like several years. Especially at this time, he was a little afraid to face Yang Xianrong, but he was extremely eager to see her as soon as possible.

The news of Yang Xianyong's death had already been passed back to Yang Xianrong, and she must have been extremely sad. But that was how war was, countless people died in front of them every day, and those who were still alive had to grit their teeth and live on. But this was her eldest brother, the eldest brother she relied on the most.

Liu Yao killed so many people in a rage that many people around him advised him to kill less, otherwise his anger would send him to hell in the future. But Liu Yao didn't care, he just wanted to avenge Yang Xianyong.

He rushed into the battlefield several times, and the blades of dozens of long swords had been bent. He had long been exhausted, but deep in his heart he was extremely afraid. He was afraid that Yang Xianrong would cry, and he was afraid to see her sad.

But he also wanted to be with her and hold her tightly.

There were people outside the city gate, but there was no sign of her.

He rode his horse forward, but his way was blocked by the crowd.

Everyone was shouting, but he just wanted to go home quickly to see what was going on.

Yang Xian Kandi, who had been following him, immediately stepped forward and said to him, "Your Majesty, I will go back and take a look first."

"Okay." Liu Yao nodded, because he still had a lot of things to deal with.

"Your Majesty, we will go back first." Yuan Jianshuo, Zhang Heng and others were already Liu Yao's close followers, but at this time they were also eager to return home. They just said hello to Liu Yao, followed Yang Xiankang, left the main force, and entered Chang'an City from the side.

In fact, as early as the moment Liu Yao announced his ascension to the throne as the new emperor in Chibi, the palace in Chang'an City was already preparing to welcome his return. Someone had already notified Yang Xianrong and others, and they were also being arranged to move into the Chang'an Palace one after another. Especially since Yang Xianrong was Liu Yao's legal wife, she naturally had to be taken care of first-class. Liu Yao's personal followers had rushed back early to help Yang Xianrong and others move from the General's Mansion into the palace.

Liu Yao also wrote a letter and sent a message to Yang Xianrong, asking her to rest assured and wait for his return. Now, there was nothing she could say, she could only face it.

Liu Yao sighed deeply, cheered himself up, greeted the officials and people who came to welcome him, and then was surrounded by them and led into the newly decorated Chang'an Palace.

There were many things to deal with next, such as officially writing the country's name and reign title into the book, the style of his seal, the style of his dragon robe, the positions of the ministers in the hall, the order of reporting... These were trivial but very necessary, and every matter needed to be handled by him personally.

All the new and old ministers in the hall looked at Liu Yao eagerly, waiting for his edict and waiting to kneel down and worship him.

So this is what it feels like to be an emperor.

Liu Yao couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Didn't those who became emperors also die in the end?

Standing in the hall, he ordered his father Liu Yuan and other ancestors to be honored as emperors, officially made Chang'an the capital, and rebuilt the Guangshi Hall and Ziguang Hall. He made his wife Yang the empress, his son Liu Futian the crown prince, and all his other sons and clan members kings. He repaired the ancestral temples, the altars of grain, and the southern and northern suburbs. He inherited the Jin virtue with the water virtue and changed the country's name to Zhao. He worshipped the color black, Maodun matched the sky, Liu Yuan matched the God, and pardoned everyone in the country except those who committed serious crimes.

Everyone knelt down and bowed to Liu Yao with a pious look on their faces, expressing their approval of everything he said. But at this time, someone raised an objection: "Your Majesty! It is absolutely not allowed to make my wife Yang the queen!"

"Why?" Liu Yao clenched his fists.

"This woman was the queen of the previous dynasty, and she gave birth to a child for that fool emperor... How can she be the noble queen of our great Han Empire?" Seeing Liu Yao's unfriendly expression, the person who spoke was a little timid, but still said it.

"Then who do you think should be the queen?" There was no emotion in Liu Yao's voice, and there was even a hint of smile on his face.

"...The daughter of Guanglu Dafu is exactly 28 years old, of noble birth and good-looking. She should be able to become the queen." The man spoke again.

"Really?" Liu Yao looked at the people kneeling in the hall, "Do you think so too?"

Some people looked up at Liu Yao, some nodded, but some shook their heads, and it seemed that they had different opinions and were waiting for Liu Yao's decision. However, the nominated Guanglu Doctor Cui Shixian smiled and nodded to thank the person who spoke.

"Liu Xie, do you really think so?" Liu Yao had already walked down from the dragon throne and stood beside this person. "You are my clansman and the prefect of Chang'an. You should understand my intentions better, right?"

"That must be it." Liu Xie immediately lowered his head.

"Yes, do you really understand?" Liu Yao suddenly drew out the long sword from his waist and thrust it straight into Liu Xie's heart. The moment Liu Xie died, he did not understand why he died.

Liu Yao moved very quickly. After pulling the sword out of Liu Xie's body, he directly stabbed it into the heart of Guanglu Doctor Cui Shixian. He only had time to scream "Ah" before he fell down with his eyes wide open, without a sound.

At the same time, Guo Jin, who had been promoted to the chief of the imperial guards, stood behind Liu Yao with a small team of people. Liu Yao only said one sentence: "Cui Shixian disobeyed the order of the new emperor. His entire family must be executed. No one should be left alive."