I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1101 The Fourteenth Province of the Great Han Dynasty
In the face of absolute power, all schemes and tricks are meaningless.

Just as Xun Yu said before.

At first, the officials in Luoyang were somewhat uneasy, saying things like the Tang emperor was going too far and that a country cannot be without a ruler for a day.

But soon they discovered that as long as the court system designed by Su Yao was followed, even without the emperor’s personal approval, officials in each province and ministry would perform their duties and the government affairs would still operate in an orderly manner.

In fact, due to Su Yao's awe-inspiring presence, everyone was on edge, and mid- to high-ranking officials dared not engage in verbal sparring with the emperor as they used to. Consequently, some matters were handled more efficiently.

As time passed, the fervor surrounding the Great Ceremony was only just beginning.

The first to respond were naturally the surrounding areas of the capital region.

Su Yao's figure soaring through the sky was already deeply imprinted in their hearts. In this era where almost everyone, from the emperor to the common people, was superstitious, the shock of seeing someone riding a divine bird flying in the sky was unparalleled.

When the officials and common people of Chenliu, Yingchuan, and Henan witnessed His Majesty and the Tang King descending together on a divine beast, their direct experience of being "the Son of Heaven" and "a divine being descended to earth" instantly overwhelmed all the dogmas in the classics and scriptures.

Auspicious congratulatory messages from all over the country flew to Luoyang like snowflakes.

In the two capitals and the surrounding provinces of Yu and Yan, the powerful families and common people expressed that the court should follow the will of Heaven and reward the Tang King generously, so as to establish a foundation for the dynasty to last for ten thousand generations.

This trend spread rapidly. In the Ru and Ying regions, many aristocratic families who had made a fortune from early investments in the Western Regions Development Company expressed their support for Yuan Shao's proposal to reward the Tang King handsomely, making him equal to the emperor. Meanwhile, the border soldiers of Bing and You provinces, grateful for the illustrious military achievements and generous rewards brought by Su Yao, jointly submitted a petition, their voices fervent. Many local officials even reported auspicious omens from heaven, signifying the Tang dynasty's replacement of the Han dynasty.

Even in the Qi-Lu and Jing-Xiang regions, which have always been regarded as important centers of culture and education and strictly adhere to etiquette, subtle changes have occurred. Some young scholars have begun to publish articles in the "Great Han Monthly," citing ancient stories of sage kings abdicating and the Duke of Zhou acting as regent, arguing that extraordinary achievements deserve extraordinary rewards, and attempting to find a basis for Su Yao's extraordinary status within the framework of traditional Confucian classics.

Of course, dissenting voices were not absent. Represented by the remnants of Prince Fu's faction, a few leaders of the Liu clan, some upright officials, and Confucian scholars from remote counties far from commercial centers and unaffected by the western campaign, they still upheld the "great righteousness between ruler and subject," criticizing Yuan Shao's arguments as "a path to disaster," and warning that "powerful ministers who threaten the emperor will not last long." However, their voices grew increasingly weak amidst the surging tide of public opinion and vested interest groups, and were even denounced as "pedantic" and "out of touch with reality."

This grand ceremony has transcended the scope of court debates and become a nationwide expression of public opinion and a declaration of interests.

Su Yao and Wan Nian, who were at the center of the public opinion storm, didn't care at all.

They had been away from the capital for half a month at this time. Starting from Luoyang, they traveled eastward, visiting almost one prefecture per day. They first went to Liang, then Ying, and then traveled through Nanyang, Jiangxia, Lujiang, Jiujiang, and other places south of the Yangtze River. There, they met Lu Kang, the current governor of Jingzhou, and Wei Ming, the governor of Yangzhou. Then they went straight to Qingxu, crossed the Bohai Strait at the Donglai coast, and rested for a day in Xiangping, Liaodong. After that, they went southeast and arrived at the capital of Lelang Prefecture, which is the later Pyongyang.

"Your humble servant pays respects to Your Majesty and the King of Tang!"

The local prefect, Tian Chou, and General Taishi Ci of Lelang, along with local civil and military officials, hurriedly paid their respects, their eyes filled with shock, fear, and unease. Just like Su Yao's countless previous visits to various places, due to the limitations of distance, they had no idea that Su Yao had returned to the capital or about the divine bird. The sudden sight of Su Yao arriving with His Majesty was an unparalleled visual and psychological shock.

When Wan Nian explained the recent events, including the reasons behind the Great Rites Controversy, everyone was even more shocked and confused.

Inside the prefectural governor's mansion, Tian Chou and Taishi Ci listened intently to the Empress's brief account of the reasons for the "Great Rites Controversy" and Su Yao's glorious achievements in the western expedition, especially his capture of the Parthian King, his being honored as the "King of Kings," and his riding the divine beast Griffin to travel a thousand miles a day. They remained stunned for a long time. The hall fell silent, save for the howling sea breeze outside the windows.

Tian Chou's hands trembled slightly beneath his official robes. He swallowed hard, trying to process the information that far exceeded his expectations. Lelang was remote and isolated from news. Although he knew that the Tang Emperor's western expedition was unstoppable, he never imagined that it had achieved such an unprecedented feat, and that it had triggered a massive uproar in the central government regarding the system of official titles.

"Your Majesty is wise, His Highness Prince Tang is truly awe-inspiring..." Tian Chou's voice was slightly hoarse, "Such an unparalleled achievement cannot be rewarded with ordinary rites. However... the matter of the 'Great Rites Deliberation' concerns the foundation of the nation and affects the entire world. We, your humble servants, are situated in a corner of the East Sea and have limited knowledge. We dare not presume to comment on the central government's important policies. We only hope that Your Majesty and Prince Tang will make their own decisions, and we will certainly obey without question."

Tian Chou is only in his early twenties and is not a conservative or cautious person.

However, after Su Yao promoted him to the position of Prefect of Lelang County, he quickly realized the responsibility of local governance, which was not something that could be done well by his past wandering swordsmanship.

Lelang County is located in a remote area of ​​the eastern coast. Although it was established during the reign of Emperor Wu, it was still a multi-ethnic region with little Sinicization, and its core control area was still in the plains.

Therefore, he instinctively chose to observe cautiously regarding the storm sweeping across the country in Luoyang, fearing that the unwarranted opinions of local counties might interfere with His Majesty and the Prince of Tang's decisions, or even bring unnecessary attention or pressure to Lelang, thus drawing it into an unpredictable vortex.

In contrast, Taishi Ci's reaction was much more direct. He was well aware of Su Yao's strength, and after seeing the Tang King able to control beasts and fly, he even felt it was somewhat only natural.
The moment Tian Chou finished speaking, Taishi Ci immediately knelt on one knee, his voice booming: "This humble general only knows to be loyal to the Tang King and His Majesty! The Tang King's achievements are unparalleled, and his prestige shakes the four seas. Whatever rewards the court may bestow, this humble general will wholeheartedly support them!"

Su Yao laughed heartily and stepped forward to help Taishi Ci up: "General Ziyi, you are a man of few words, and I greatly admire you." He turned to Tian Chou, his gaze piercing: "Zitai, you need not worry. The so-called Great Rites Controversy is merely to allow the people of the world to reach a consensus and understand one principle—"

He paused, then his voice suddenly rose: "My ability to rise to where I am today, to reunify the world, to lead His Majesty on journeys of a thousand miles a day, to subjugate the Kushan Empire, to capture the Parthian King alive, and so on, is not based on empty titles, but on genuine military strength and achievements!"

"Those who gossip behind my back all day long think they have a great right, but in reality they don't understand at all that times have changed. They are an absolute minority. What I want to build is an unprecedentedly vast empire, a great dynasty that far surpasses all previous dynasties. The people of my Han Dynasty will go to all corners of the world. The old etiquette and the old order, if they cannot adapt to this new era, will only be swept into the dust of history."

He walked to the entrance of the hall and pointed towards the vast sea to the south:
"Just like this Lelang Prefecture, back then I defied public opinion and insisted on stationing a large army here, sending you all to guard the border and expand the territory. Many people didn't understand, thinking it was a waste of resources and manpower. But it doesn't matter, His Majesty and I are here today to give you wealth and honor. Your hard work over the past two years is finally going to pay off—"

Su Yao turned to look at everyone, glanced at Wan Nian, and saw the Empress slowly rise and solemnly announce:

"The Emperor and the Prince of Tang have decided that, effective today, Haidong Prefecture shall be established here, with Lelang City as its capital. It shall govern all the lands south of the Mazi River (Yalu River), restore the former territory of the four commanderies of the Han Dynasty, and expand the territory of Han and Wa. Tian Chou shall be promoted to Governor of Haidong Prefecture, and Taishi Ci shall be promoted to General of Haidong, in charge of the military and political affairs of the prefecture. They shall be granted the authority to wage war within the prefecture!"

(End of this chapter)