Wife, you didn't really drug me, did you?

Become king!

Upon hearing these two words, everyone in the room was startled and immediately responded.

"Yes, my lord, it's time to declare yourself king!"

Several people spoke to Chen Jie together, and Chen Jie fell into deep thought upon hearing this. He looked at them and said, "To become king?"

Hu Weiyong said, "My lord, the situation in the world is now clear. Bao Qian in the north is no longer able to advance south, and he can only retreat to Dadu."

"This battle in the south will almost determine the future of the country. Now Zhu Chongba is in charge of Jiangnan and calls himself the King of Wu. His troops have become the royal army."

"Our lord's official rank is only that of a prefecture lord, which makes him far weaker than Zhu Chongba in terms of prestige. Moreover, we currently have at least five territories under our control. If our lord does not declare himself king, how should we deal with these five territories? We cannot appoint officials who have been sent out, since our lord is still a prefecture lord and they cannot surpass him."

"So now, the officials in charge of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, and Qinghai are all county magistrates. It's embarrassing to admit, and it's laughable!"

"As the ancients said, 'When the name is correct, the words will be proper.' If the lord does not claim the title of king, how can his name be correct and his words be proper?"

"This concerns the very foundation of the nation, therefore your subject Hu Weiyong kneels and begs Your Majesty to assume the title of King!"

As Hu Weiyong spoke, he knelt down on the ground, and Shen Wansan immediately knelt down as well, saying, "Your subject Shen Wansan also requests that Your Majesty be proclaimed King!"

Seeing Shen Wansan kneel down, Ni Wenjun, Zhou Chu, and even Wu Hong followed suit, saying, "Please, my lord, declare yourself king!"

Looking at these close ministers kneeling on the ground, and recalling Hu Weiyong's words.

Chen Jie fell silent. It was time for him to declare himself king. He hadn't declared himself king before because he was following the policy of building high walls, storing up grain, and delaying the declaration. At that time, Chen Jie had many enemies around him, including Tong Wei from Fujian, Tang Bao from Sichuan, and the King of Qi from Shanxi and Shaanxi.

Moreover, Bao Gan's power was still very strong at that time. If someone were to become king first, they would become Bao Gan's target.

Just like Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, who were the first to shout "Are kings and nobles born with special privileges?", they all ended up with a tragic fate.

Chen Jie did not want to do that, so he restrained his impulse to declare himself king and always referred to himself as the lord of Huangzhou Prefecture. Now that the enemies have been almost wiped out, Bao Qian's power is no longer enough to threaten him.

It's the perfect time to bestow the title of king. Moreover, as Hu Weiyong said, if he doesn't declare himself king, it would be detrimental to the entire power.

After all, without a legitimate title, one cannot rule the world. Only when the king has not yet declared himself king can the royal army pacify the land!

Once he understood the crux of the matter, Chen Jie's eyes lit up. Didn't he want to be king? He desperately wanted to; this meant he was only one step away from his ultimate goal.

king!
What man could resist such temptation?

Thinking this, Chen Jie took a deep breath and said, "Please rise, everyone. I agree to what you have said."

Upon hearing this, Hu Weiyong immediately stood up and said, "Your Majesty is wise."

The others stood up and shouted, "Your Majesty is wise!"

Chen Jie said, "Since I am to be called a king, I must have a title. What do you think I should be called?"

Chen Jie then looked at the people in the arena and asked.

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room was taken aback. Indeed, what kind of king should he be called?

Chen Jie had several options for becoming king. The first was his original identity. He was one of the four Dharma Kings of the Zoroastrian Church, so he could use the name of the Zoroastrian Church to declare himself king of the Song Dynasty!
Since Han Shantong was called Song back then, it would be reasonable for Chen Jie to be called Song if he continued the Zoroastrian sect.

However, the Zoroastrian sect is currently only a handful of people. Apart from Liu Futong, who is at the peak of the third level of the Melting God realm, the rest are not worth mentioning. Song cannot win over many people, and in the future, the Little Ming King can come and shamelessly claim legitimacy.

This toad crawling on my foot doesn't bite, but it's disgusting!
Therefore, the title "Song" is not acceptable.

Besides Song, Chen Jie could also be called Tianyuan, which would be a continuation of his old company brand. Peng Yingyu established the Tianyuan Empire, and Chen Jie was developed from Peng Yingyu's Southern Red Turbans. Inheriting Peng Yingyu's national title would be acceptable, but the Tianyuan brand has been ruined by Xu Shouhui, so there's no need for it.

Besides the development of this sect, it can also be based on the region. Chen Jie's current base is in Hubei, which has been the land of Chu since ancient times, so he can be called the King of Chu.

However, this title is too narrow and restrictive. Moreover, Emperor Qian Yuan originally gave him the title of King of Chu. If he were to choose the title of King of Chu now, what would the world think? Would it be possible that he was accepting Emperor Qian Yuan's reward?
Therefore, from any perspective, he was not fit to be the King of Chu.

At this moment, Chen Jie thought of the title Chen Youliang had chosen in history: Han!
Just then, Hu Weiyong stepped forward again and looked at Chen Jie, saying, "My lord, I think Chinese characters are more suitable."

"Chinese?"

Chen Jie was taken aback and looked at Hu Weiyong, because he didn't expect Hu Weiyong to choose this character, since it was exactly the same as the one in history.

At this point, Hu Weiyong said, "There are two reasons."

"Firstly: Our lord's ancestral home is Mianyang, which is the old land of Jingchu."

"In the past, Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang rose from Hanzhong, then became king of Bashu and Jingxiang, and finally ruled the world."

"Our lord now controls Wuchang and locks down the Yangtze and Han rivers, which coincides with the rise of Emperor Gaozu!"

"[Han] is not merely a name, but truly a gift bestowed by the earth's veins. To imitate Xu Shouhui's fabricated title of 'Tianyuan' is nothing more than the air of a bandit; to emulate Zhu Chongba's tyrannical granting of a kingship is to further betray the mandate of heaven!"

"Secondly: The Qianlong Emperor has allowed the barbarians to occupy the Central Plains for a hundred years, and the northerners call the southerners 'Han people.' This shame and hatred are etched into our bones!"

"If our lord raises the banner of Han, then the people of Jiangnan will regard our lord as their parents, and the people of the Central Plains will surely weep and follow him upon hearing the news."

"Zhu Chongba used the title bestowed by the emperor for his violent reign as his royal title. How could it compare to the character 'Han,' which is like thunder splitting the sky and directly calling forth the blood and spirit of the Chinese people?"

"With these two points, the title of king can be established. Please, my lord, ascend to the throne of King of Han!"

After listening to Hu Weiyong's words, Chen Jie pondered for a moment, then looked at Shen Wansan and the others and asked, "What do you all think?"

Shen Wansan said, "I think what Prime Minister Hu said is very true."

Ni Wenjun said nonchalantly, "Hehe, what's wrong with being called a king? As long as I can be called a king, that's fine."

Zhou Chu said, "Yes, we are roughnecks. We can kill people, but we are useless when it comes to titles and quotations. So please let the lord decide for himself."

Wu Hong smiled without saying a word.

Upon hearing this, Chen Jie looked up at the sky and said, "Han, good! Since that's the case, then I will revive Han for the sake of the people."

Upon hearing this, Hu Weiyong and the others immediately knelt down again and said, "Your Majesty, we thank you on behalf of all the people of the world!"

Several people stood up, and at this moment Ni Wenjun said, "Should we go out and put up a notice saying that from today onwards, we, the 94, will call ourselves the King of Han?"

"Notice?"

The group was completely dumbfounded when they heard Ni Wenjun's words. What are you talking about? This is such a big deal, becoming king, and you're posting a notice? Do you want to make the whole world laugh?

Hu Weiyong then laughed and said, "Commander Ni, becoming king is no easy task."

"First, we must summon all the ministers, and then collectively recommend His Majesty to become the King of Han. His Majesty must decline twice, and only after our earnest persuasion will he agree. Then we will offer sacrifices to Heaven and report to the King, and after that, we will establish the royal palace..."

Hu Weiyong pulled Ni Wenjun aside and explained little by little.

Ni Wenjun nodded in agreement. At this moment, Chen Jie said, "Don't make it so complicated. It's just being called a king, not an emperor."

Hu Weiyong said, “My lord, that’s not how it is. Becoming an emperor is a hundred times more difficult than this. Becoming a king is also not something to be taken lightly. Otherwise, how will the world view you? If you really issue a proclamation as Commander Ni said, you will be looked down upon by the world.”

Chen Jie said, "With a large army at my command and both civil and military officials on my side, how dare they look down on me?"

Hu Weiyong chuckled and said, “My lord, I know you are a pragmatist who prioritizes practicality. But my lord, the people of the world have not yet adapted to your methods. You must first become their king, their emperor, and then teach them how to do things!” “Otherwise, they will think you are heretical and will not accept it in their hearts, which will only cause trouble.”

"It's just a ceremony, it costs a little money, why make it so shabby? People will think we're broke and can't afford a grand affair!"

Chen Jie thought Hu Weiyong's words made sense.

Chen Jie had met some businessmen who had a lot of debt. They were in dire need of money, but they wanted a luxury car. They were even stingy with gas, but they couldn't live without a luxury car.

Because this is their entry ticket. Sometimes when they talk business with people, look at a car worth 100,000 or 200,000, people won't even talk to you about it.

But if you drive a luxury car, people will think you're capable and will be more willing to talk to you.

So sometimes, if you think you're putting on a show, everyone else will think you're putting on a show too. But if you don't put on a show, people will think you lack ability, which will cause a lot of trouble.

Chen Jie said, "Alright, you can handle these matters."

Hu Weiyong said, "Yes, I will go and make the preparations, and then find Mr. Yuan to determine an auspicious day, and that will be fine."

"By the way, my lord, you should summon your ministers tomorrow."

Chen Jie said, "Well then, the court will hold its morning court session tomorrow."

"According to the order!"

Hu Weiyong stood up, looked at the others, and seeing that they had nothing else to do, they took their leave one after another.

They'll be busy from now on, dealing with bank matters and also with Chen Jie's ascension to the throne.

After everyone left, Huang Wan'er and Su Yunjin arrived together shortly afterward. Huang Wan'er exclaimed excitedly, "Husband, you are going to be king!"

"Close the door!"

Chen Jie asked Huang Wan'er to close the door, and Huang Wan'er immediately did so, following behind Chen Jie and massaging his shoulders and back.

Su Yunjin then sat down next to Chen Jie and asked, "Husband, have you thought it through?"

Chen Jie said, "There's no question of whether to think it through or not. This world has fallen into my hands. If I don't take it, what will happen to the people? For the sake of the people, I must forge ahead."

Su Yunjin said, "Husband, once you've made up your mind, then go for it bravely. My sisters and I will always support you!"

Huang Wan'er then said, "Yes, yes, husband, no, we can't call you husband anymore, we have to call you Your Highness."

Chen Jie smiled but remained silent, looking at Su Yunjin and saying, "Yunjin, Wan'er, I have a task for you!"

Upon hearing this, the two looked at Chen Jie together and asked, "What mission?"

Chen Jie said, "Now that you've declared yourself king, the royal robes are yours."

Hearing this, Huang Wan'er said, "Don't worry, I definitely will..."

At this point, Huang Wan'er said, "I will definitely assist Yun Jin in doing things well."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jie said, "Thank you for your hard work."

Su Yunjin then stood up and said, "It's getting late, my husband should rest. I'll take my leave now."

Huang Wan'er's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and she looked at Chen Jie and said, "Husband, let me serve you tonight. I've learned something new..."

"Cough cough... Sister Wan'er, my husband is still injured. Let's wait until he's better."

Upon hearing this, Huang Wan'er looked at Chen Jie, her eyes filled with a hint of grievance.

Those eyes seem to speak volumes, is it really not good enough?
Chen Jie glanced at Su Yunjin. Actually, he was a little tempted to try out Huang Wan'er's fancy skills, since Huang Wan'er had quite a few.

Chen Jie looked at Huang Wan'er's appearance, then at Su Yunjin and said, "Hmm, no way."

As he spoke, Chen Jie raised his hand and tapped Huang Wan'er's palm three times, then turned around and put his hands behind his back.

Huang Wan'er's eyes lit up instantly. She understood this; she had read the storybook of Journey to the West.

At this moment, Huang Wan'er immediately understood and said with a wronged expression, "Then let's leave it at that."

Then she left with Su Yunjin. She left first, and Su Yunjin followed behind. As Su Yunjin closed the door, she said, "Don't think I can't understand your code. Take care of yourself."

Chen Jie blushed and said awkwardly, "I know, I know."

Su Yunjin turned and left, then said to Cuiju beside her, "My husband won't be keeping watch here tonight."

Cuiju immediately agreed and followed Su Yunjin away.

At the stroke of midnight, someone quietly opened the back door of Chen Jiu Si's bedroom and lit a candle...

Nothing was said that night, but the spring scenery was boundless. For details, please become an SVIP member!
Chen Jie got up and found Huang Wan'er still clinging to him. This woman is really crazy. She screamed all night. Your Highness, please continue!

He failed to become a prince and was almost drained dry by this vixen.

As he stood up, Huang Wan'er's head maid, Du Juan, entered and helped Chen Jie change his clothes.

Then she said, "Madam Su is waiting for you to have dinner, sir."

Chen Jieying said that at the breakfast table, Zhao Ya was eating a delicate pastry, but her mood was not very good. She had heard the noise when she got up in the middle of the night. If she were not pregnant, she would have definitely gone to find that vixen surnamed Huang.

I wonder if my husband is injured?

Su Yunjin ate her breakfast calmly. Her breakfast was very ordinary: steamed buns and pickled vegetables. She didn't seem like the most noble woman in the world.

As the two were eating, Chen Jie came over. Seeing the expressions on the two ladies' faces, he knew that they must have been too loud last night and offended them. However, Huang Wan'er must have done it on purpose yesterday, as she hadn't controlled her volume.

"Husband!"

The two rose and bowed, but Chen Jie said, "Ladies, there's no need for that, no need for that!"

Su Yunjin then looked at Chen Jie and said, "How is my husband's health? Should we call Master Bai?"

"No need, there's no need to trouble Master."

As she spoke, Zhao Ya said, "That vixen must have tormented you quite a bit last night, right?"

Chen Jie asked, "Is Ya Ya jealous?"

Zhao Ya said, "Who's jealous? If I weren't worried about your health, I wouldn't care about you two."

Chen Jie smiled and said, "Yes, yes."

Su Yunjin then said, "Have some breakfast. The carriage is ready. Today, a senior official is advising you to ascend the throne. You must proceed with caution."

"I understand, then I'll go to court!"

Chen Jie took a steamed bun and went out. (End of Chapter)