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

Today is a rare grand court assembly in Huangzhou Prefecture. Civil and military officials stand in rows in the Huangzhou Prefecture government office.

The head of the literary class was Prime Minister Hu Weiyong, followed by Minister of Commerce Shen Wansan.

The leader of the martial arts troupe was Ni Wenjun, followed by Chief of Police Zhou and Chief Inspector Wu Hong.

In addition, three seats were set up on the left side of the court, where three people sat, the leader of whom was Yuan Sanjia, who was known as the third best in the world.

The second is Chahan Temur, the Prince of Ruyang of the Great Qian Dynasty, who is now the Dean of the Huangzhou Military Academy. The third is Bai Wenjing, the Dean of the Medical School!

He wasn't originally qualified to sit here; in terms of political status, he was just the dean of a medical school. But don't forget, he also had the identity of Master Chen Jie.

This identity qualifies him to sit here.

The three men sat upright, while the officials below them stood in rows.

Just then, Chen Chun ran in and shouted, "My lord has arrived!"

A sound rang out, and then Chen Jie slowly approached. Everyone's eyes were on him. Chen Jie walked steadily, step by step, toward the highest position of power.

At this moment, the city lord's mansion, which used to be quite ordinary, suddenly became incredibly solemn. A warm breeze blew in from outside, making everyone very excited.

At this moment, Chen Jie stepped onto the red bricks and walked towards the highest point of power, where he sat on the throne that symbolized power.

Chen Chun, now playing the role of a eunuch, said, "Ministers, if you have something to say, speak up now; otherwise, leave the court."

Upon hearing this, a person suddenly appeared from the crowd and knelt down with a thud. Chen Jie looked and saw that it was Meng Siyuan, the chief steward in charge of etiquette.

He claimed to be a descendant of the Second Sage, and was a scholar who came to rely on Chen Jie after Chen Jie came to power.

Because of his profound knowledge of Confucianism, he was given a sinecure and spent the rest of his time teaching Confucianism at Huangzhou University.

This time, Hu Weiyong informed him in advance. He was quite interested in supporting a new emperor, since Confucius and Mencius often aspired to imperial power.

At this moment, Meng Siyuan knelt down and said, "My lord, this old minister has something to report."

Chen Jie looked at Meng Siyuan and said, "Mr. Meng, you may rise and report this."

"No, no, my lord, this time I must kneel down to plead. If my lord does not agree, I will remain kneeling forever."

Chen Jie looked at him and said, "Why bother, Mr. Meng? Just tell me, and I'll agree as long as it doesn't touch on the root of the problem."

Meng Siyuan said, “My lord, now the world is in chaos, the land is in ruins, and heroes are rising up everywhere, but none of them are the true rulers of the nation. They are all just monkeys in crowns, which is not a blessing for the world. The world is in turmoil, and the people are displaced and suffering unspeakably. We need a wise ruler to lead the people and restore the glory of our Han and Tang dynasties.”

"Our lord's virtue is renowned throughout the world, and his prestige extends to the five lakes. People all over the world are hoping that our lord can lead them to a better life."

"Therefore, I, your humble servant, dare to request on behalf of the people that Your Majesty be promoted to King of Han, so as to demonstrate the might of the Han dynasty!"

As Meng Siyuan spoke, he knelt down on the ground. Chen Jie immediately pretended to be helpless and said, "Ah, Mr. Meng, no! What virtue or ability does Jiu Si have to become the King of Han? No, no!"

Upon hearing this, Meng Siyuan burst into tears, crying out, "My lord!"

Chen Jie almost lost his composure; this old guy's acting skills are impressive.

At this moment, Meng Siyuan said with tears in his eyes, "My lord, this old minister is not advising you to ascend the throne for one person, but for the sake of three generations of fishermen and the starving people of the two lakes, seeking a savior for the world."

"If my lord continues to refuse, then all the rice from Jiangnan will turn into mud from the hooves of barbarian horses, and all the ancestral halls in Jingchu will become stench and filth!"

"My lord, please grant this old minister's request."

Meng Siyuan knelt there, tears streaming down his face.

"Hey, Lao Zhou, what do those last two sentences mean? What does 'stench, stench, and filth' mean?"

Ni Wenjun then whispered to Zhou Chu behind him.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chu said, "How would I know? I'm still memorizing my lines, don't bother me."

Upon hearing this, Ni Wenjun said, "You'd better perform well. You represent us martial arts people, so don't embarrass us."

Zhou Chu wiped the non-existent sweat from his forehead and said, "That old guy's performance was too realistic. I was under a lot of pressure. When it comes to acting skills, I might not be able to beat those who have studied the Four Books and Five Classics."

"Damn it, how come we can't beat them?"

Ni Wenjun was unconvinced.

Zhou Chu said, "Why don't you do it?"

Ni Wenjun said, "Can't I cry?"

Zhou Chu said, "I don't need to cry, just recite the lyrics."

"Never mind, never mind, you're the younger one, you're quick-witted."

Ni Wenjun said with a smile, then continued to watch the old man's acting.

The old man kowtowed, and Hu Weiyong, seeing that the old man had finished his speech, gave Zhou Chu a wink.

Then Zhou Chu strode forward.

He knelt down with a thud: "My lord!"

The title "My Lord" drew everyone's attention, and then Zhou Chu said, "This humble general is a wild man from Mianshui, ignorant of etiquette and not understanding what Master Meng just said, but I am also a soldier."

"Now that the August flood season is approaching, our million-strong fleet is ready to set sail—if it has no name, it is a bandit! The Qianren warship is inscribed with 'Suppress the Han Traitors,' and Zhu Yuanzhang's proclamation is 'Punish the Disobedient.'"

"Are we, the loyal and brave young men, truly without a flag to fight to the death for?!"

After Zhou Chu finished speaking, Ni Wenjun looked at Wu Hong and asked, "What did he mean?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Hong laughed and said, "This is something you should have said. You couldn't memorize it, so you made Director Zhou take the blame. And you still don't know what it means?"

Ni Wenjun said, "It's too convoluted, all those classical Chinese phrases."

Wu Hongdao said, "The lyrics written by Prime Minister Hu are indeed difficult to pronounce, but in this kind of occasion, being too straightforward won't do. Look, there are historians recording it over there!"

Ni Wenjun looked over directly and, sure enough, there were records from historians.

He then straightened his clothes.

Upon hearing Zhou Chu's words, Chen Jie said, "This is indeed a difficult situation, but what virtue or ability do I possess to be king!"

Suddenly, Shen Wansan stepped forward and knelt down, saying, "My lord!"

Chen Jie looked at Shen Wansan and said, "Mr. Shen, you should also urge him to take the throne!"

Shen Wansan said, “I am in charge of the finances and grain in Hubei. Recently, Hubei and the surrounding prefectures have suffered a great disaster, and the people are displaced and the situation is unbearable. I was ordered to provide disaster relief. Although there is a shortage of money and grain, three thousand refugees from Jiangbei are being sent here every day.”

“I said that there is not enough rice for porridge, so we should cross the river to the north. Perhaps the emperor will provide porridge and we can save our lives.”

"However, the people cried out, 'We would rather be ghosts of the Han than slaves of the Han! Today, some refugees kneel outside the government office, not begging for porridge or rice, but seeking to assist in the ascension to the throne of the Han king and save the people!'"

As he spoke, Shen Wansan pointed outside and said, "The starving people are right outside the government office, requesting an audience with our lord!"

Chen Jie was a little confused by what he heard. He looked at Hu Weiyong, implying that these were also actors arranged by him.

Hu Weiyong shook his head slightly.

Just then, an old man entered the main hall. The old man was dressed in very dirty clothes, and his face was sallow and thin. He was obviously not from Hubei, because all the local old men had ruddy complexions.

At this moment, the old man entered, trembling. After looking at Chen Jie, he immediately knelt down and said, "My lord!"

Chen Jie then looked at the old man and said, "Old man, what's wrong? Get up quickly." The old man said, "Sir, I heard that you refuse to ascend the throne, so I have dared to come and pay my respects."

Chen Jie asked, "Where are you from?"

The old man said, “I was originally a wealthy man from Hebei, and I lived a peaceful life. Who would have thought that the Qian Dynasty’s violent army would destroy my home and kill my relatives? I fled to Jiangnan to escape the war, but I encountered the bandit Zhang who levied exorbitant taxes. The little money I had was used to pay for the army’s expenses, and I even sent my little grandson to the battlefield, where he was eventually killed by the chaotic soldiers.”

"After a long and bumpy journey, I finally arrived in Hubei and saw the blue sky and hope. I have witnessed the chaos of war. In this chaotic world, ordinary people are like grass, and they can be overthrown at any time."

"This old man dares to ask Your Excellency a question: Can you grant the people of the world a peaceful life?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jie looked at the old man's trembling body and realized that his question didn't seem fake. He understood that what the old man said was true; the people of the world were suffering too much, and all they wanted was a peaceful life.

Chen Jie said, "Don't worry, old man. As long as I, Chen Jiu Si, am alive, the people under my command will live in peace."

Upon hearing this, the old man immediately knelt down: "Then on behalf of all the people, I beg Your Majesty to ascend the throne of Han!"

Chen Jie clenched his fist, almost agreeing.

At this moment, Hu Weiyong stepped forward, knelt down, and kowtowed, saying, "In the past, Emperor Gaozu wielded a three-foot sword to slay the white snake, not out of greed for the throne, but to relieve the world from its suffering! Now, my lord controls the waterways of nine provinces and wields ten thousand iron spears. If you are not the King of Han, where will the legitimacy lie? The rebellious people rise up not for wealth and glory, but only for the protection of the word 'Han'!"

"Today, the people of the world are all in favor of you, and they all wish for you to ascend to the throne of the King of Han. Do you, my lord, necessarily intend to go against the will of Heaven?"

"Your subject Hu Weiyong requests that Your Majesty ascend to the throne of King of Han."

Upon hearing this, everyone below immediately knelt down: "Your subject Ni Wenjun requests that Your Majesty ascend to the throne of the King of Han."

"Your subject Wu Hong requests that Your Majesty ascend to the throne of the King of Han!"

"Your subject... requests that Your Majesty ascend the throne as King of Han!"

Chen Jie then looked at the assembled civil and military officials, and then at the three people sitting there.

At this moment, Yuan Sanjia stood up and said, "Your subject, Yuan Sanjia, requests that Your Majesty ascend to the throne of the King of Han."

"Your subject Bai Wenjing requests that Your Majesty ascend the throne as King of Han!"

The Prince of Ruyang then looked around at everyone and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "Please ascend the throne of the King of Han!"

Looking at the court officials and the three elders, Chen Jie felt that the atmosphere was about right, and if it dragged on any longer, it would change its nature.

At this point, all he could do was sigh and say, "You've really put me in a terrible situation!"

As he spoke, Chen Jie sat down and said, "We will do as you all say."

Seeing that Chen Jie had agreed, everyone immediately knelt down as rehearsed, and at the same time, the drummers outside started playing their drums.

They shouted in unison: "Heaven's mandate is with Han! The people's hearts are with Han! Your Majesty's receiving this throne today is a blessing for all the people of the world. We, your subjects, will give our lives and never waver in our loyalty!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jie gently raised his hand and said, "All of you, rise!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The historian immediately recorded this in the historical records.

In the eleventh month of winter in the year Gengzi of the fifteenth year of the Zhizheng era, the ministers came to pay homage to Emperor Taizu and urged him to ascend to the throne of the King of Han. Emperor Taizu declined three times, but after being persuaded by the ministers again, he finally agreed to take the throne of the King of Han.

Emperor Taizu said: You have caused me great suffering. —Biography of Emperor Taizu of Han
After the matter of persuading him to ascend the throne was completed, Hu Weiyong immediately asked Yuan Sanjia to divine an auspicious day for his enthronement.

Yuan Sanjia performed divination on the spot and obtained an auspicious day, Jia Chen day, one month later!
Hu Weiyong immediately arranged various matters for the king, including the construction of the royal palace.

January is a very tight timeframe, but it's not impossible for Huangzhou Prefecture at present. They immediately produced it according to the highest standards.

Then things proceeded smoothly from there.

Once everything was arranged and everyone had their work assigned, Chen Jie said, "Announce my ascension to the title of King of Han to all the army commanders. If they have any objections, they can come to me. If they have no objections, I will issue them royal flags after I ascend the throne."

"Yes!"

Everyone immediately agreed and followed the others as they left the court.

Everyone got busy with their own things. Shen Wansan still had to prepare for the bank's plan, Hu Weiyong also had a lot to do, Zhou Chu had to arrange for capable people to take up important positions in various places, and Wu Hong also had to organize the intelligence from the secret agents.

For a moment, only Chen Jie was left idle.

At this moment, Chen Jie called out to Yuan Sanjia.

"Mr. Yuan!"

Yuan Sanjia looked at Chen Jie and said, "King of Han."

Chen Jie waved his hand and said, "It doesn't count yet since I haven't ascended the throne."

Yuan Sanjia said, "It's only a matter of time. What does it matter if it's a day earlier or later?"

Chen Jie said, "Hey, we need to be a little superstitious. Let me tell you a story. There was a rebel army called Li Zicheng. Before he started his rebellion, he consulted a fortune teller to ask if he was destined to be an emperor. The fortune teller said that he could be an emperor for eighteen years."

"Later, he indeed stormed the capital and forced the emperor to hang himself. He then became emperor. He came from a poor background and didn't know how to behave as emperor. He thought of his days as a commoner, when he loved celebrating the New Year the most."

"Now that he's the emperor, he's determined to make the people happy, so he announced that from the day he entered the city, every day would be New Year's Day."

"He lived through eighteen days of the New Year, and then he was ambushed and died a tragic death."

Chen Jie looked at Yuan Sanjia and said, "Look how accurate that fortune teller was. He was supposed to be emperor for eighteen years, and he really did only reign for eighteen days."

Yuan Sanjia said, "Hehe, Your Majesty's little story is quite good, but it's a pity it's made up."

Chen Jie asked, "How do you know I made it up?"

"Because there has never been a rebel leader named Li Zicheng throughout history, and secondly, if fortune-telling were credible, then something supernatural would happen."

Yuan Sanjia said with a smile.

Chen Jie asked, "Then Mr. Yuan's is also not allowed?"

Yuan Sanjia said, "My method is Guigu Qimen, how can it be compared with fortune telling? Of course, I am accurate."

Chen Jie said, "That's good. During this trip to Hangzhou, the Three Sovereigns gathered together. Did Mr. Yuan calculate the exact location of the Shennong Staff?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Sanjia looked at Chen Jiedao and said, "Hehe, so that's what you wanted to ask."

Chen Jie said, "This is what I care about most now, after all, it concerns my life and fortune!"

Yuan Sanjia said, "I've already calculated it, but you've been seriously injured these past few days, so I'm thinking of waiting until you're better before going."

Chen Jie looked at Yuan Sanjia and asked, "Where exactly is the Shennong Staff?"

"Wild Wolf Gully".

"What Wild Wolf Gully? My hometown is Mianshui County, Wild Wolf Gully is located at the foot of Daheishan Mountain?"

Yuan Sanjia said, "That's right, that's it!"

Chen Jie was shocked to hear this. He never imagined that such a magical artifact was hidden in the place where he had grown up.

Yuan Sanjia looked at Chen Jie and said, "That's why people say Mianshui produces talented people. It can even produce someone like you."

Yuan Sanjia said, "I've been there these past few days, but Wild Wolf Gully is too vast, and I have difficulty pinpointing its location. I'm afraid only you, the inheritor of the Four Seasons Celestial Phenomena Technique, could personally go there and find out the exact location!" (End of Chapter)