The gods began by supporting Guo Jing to become emperor

Chapter 336 Song Que Becomes King and Feeds the Devil with His Body

Yangzhou.

The city walls were mottled, the air was filled with the smell of blood, and the afterglow of war shrouded the city. Since the death of Yang Guang, the city had lost its former glory. Without a unified and stable regime, even the core place connecting the north and south of the Grand Canal could not play its role.

The death of Yang Guang announced the end of the Sui Dynasty, and Jiangdu was occupied by Li Zitong. It was no longer a hub for communication between the north and the south. The once prosperous city's business declined and everything was in ruins. The people in the city fled, leaving behind a half-dead city.

"Brother Song, how is Yangzhou City?"

Song Que stood on the top of the city wall, looking at the river in the distance, and said slowly, "The hub between the north and the south, the lifeline of the Grand Canal, is rare in the world."

Su Ming stood beside him, looking far away, and suddenly asked, "Not long ago, Chao Gongcuo of Nanhai led his entire faction to surrender, and Pegasus Ranch also sincerely surrendered. Now the Song clan has become a powerful force in the world, and it is possible to defeat the enemy without fighting. What are your plans next, Brother Song?"

Hearing this, a trace of doubt flashed in his eyes, and he replied in a deep voice, "Of course, we should rest the army and then march north to conquer the world in one fell swoop and restore the Han Dynasty."

Su Ming smiled and said, "No, this is not the most important step. If a person does not think ahead, he will have immediate worries. If the name is not right, then the words will not flow. Brother Song, do you understand what I mean?"

Song Que's eyes froze for a moment, then he laughed, "It was Song Que who was negligent. It's time for me to be crowned king and establish a country."

Yu Wenzhi, who occupied Guanzhong, proclaimed himself emperor, Li Yuan of Hedong dared to call himself the King of Tang, and Xiao Xin, Lin Shihong and others proclaimed themselves emperor despite the great disapproval of the world. However, Song Que is still the Duke of Zhennan until now, with neither the title of king nor the throne.

Now, he has basically unified the south, which is a foundation for him to be emperor, but Song Que's ambition is to unify the world, so he will be king first, and then ascend the throne to be emperor after entering Guanzhong. Before, he occupied Shuzhong and was focused on accumulating strength, so he had no time to take care of other things. He did not become king until he occupied the south because he fought too fast.

In the process of sweeping across the south, his civil and military officials received many rewards, but they hoped that Song Que could go one step further. Only if Song Que went one step further could they be promoted to higher positions and gain greater wealth and glory.

"Without your guidance back then, the Song Clan wouldn't have reached where it is today. Over the past few years, you've worked hard for our Song Clan and I'm grateful for that. When I become king, I'll definitely appoint you as prime minister to assist in military and national affairs. I hope you won't refuse." As he spoke, Song Que bowed to Su Ming.

Su Ming smiled and helped him up. "Brother Song, you are too kind. I am not interested in the government. I am not qualified to be the prime minister. I do not want to be involved in the heavy workload."

If other people heard what Su Ming said, they would be shocked. This was the prime minister, second only to the emperor, holding great power and being treated with respect by all other officials. This was an official position that many people dreamed of but could not get, yet he actually refused.

Song Que frowned and said solemnly, "Sir, if you have any other request, please feel free to ask. Song Que will definitely do it for you if he can."

Su Ming explained, "No, being a marquis or a prime minister is not what I want. You and I are both great masters, and we should know the future of martial arts. When Brother Song becomes the ruler of the world and fulfills his wish to restore the Han Dynasty, I should also retire and pursue the supreme path. This is what I pursue."

"However, Brother Song is the ruler of a country, so it may be difficult for him to focus on the pursuit of breaking the void."

After hearing these words, Song Que's expression was inexplicably complicated. "If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight. To bear the disgrace of the country is to be the master of the country; to bear the misfortune of the country is to be the king of the world. Since I set my mind on restoring the mountains and rivers of the Han Dynasty, martial arts is no longer my pursuit. In life, there will always be losses. Song Que understands what you mean, sir."

"However, if you do not want to be a military advisor, you can be a national advisor. You do not need to participate in politics and can just be a figurehead. Everyone in the Song family knows what you are capable of. If the new dynasty does not have you, those people below will say that we are unfair in rewards and punishments. I hope you will not refuse."

"Okay, I agree to this."

……

In the 620th year of Daye ( AD), Song Que, Duke of Zhennan, proclaimed himself king in Yangzhou. Since the Lingnan where he was located originally belonged to the Wu Yue region, he named his country Wu. He appointed Pei Ju, the former assistant minister of the dynasty, as prime minister and Su Ming, a Taoist priest, as national teacher, and announced this to the world.

Outside Yangzhou city.

The morning light broke through the clouds, shining the first ray of golden light. The halo moved with the clouds, extending across the city, spreading over the fluttering flags and over the thousands of soldiers lined up waiting.

Song Que was wearing a crown robe and a crown on his head. He climbed up step by step onto a high platform that was three feet, three feet and three inches high. On the platform stood a large cauldron with flames burning inside.

Shi Zhixuan, Li Jing, Lu Miaozi, Li Jing, and Song Lu stood in the audience, looking up at the man on the podium. He was the king of Wu and the head of the Song clan.

From now on, the Song family will truly turn the family into a country. Moreover, they are not stealing the world like the Sima family and the Yang family, but fighting for it with real swords and guns. The beginning of the establishment of a dynasty can foresee the future. An upward force has a strong cohesive force and strives for a common cause. All of them are beneficiaries.

"Under the heavens and earth, I, your subject Song Que, shall name my country Wu!"

The grand and high-pitched voice spread all over the place and reached everyone's ears clearly. From the soldiers to the ministers, all of them felt proud. At this moment, they created history and witnessed history.

"King Wu!"

"King Wu!"

As Song Que's voice fell, the loud sound spread from one step to the next, and when it reached the bottom, thousands of soldiers holding weapons bombarded the ground, and the armor on their arms made clanging sounds as they were swung. The shouting like a tsunami instantly rose to the sky and shook the whole city of Yangzhou.

Even though they were dozens of miles away, the merchants and common people on the official roads and rivers in the distance could hear it clearly. Originally, he felt that his life was in danger and he wanted to live one day at a time, but after hearing this shout that shook the sky and feeling the united will, his mind gradually calmed down.

After the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven, Song Que returned to Yangzhou City and ascended the throne in Yang Guang's former palace. This was where Yang Guang lived when he went to the south of the Yangtze River and he built many luxurious palaces there. After Yang Guang's death, it was occupied by Li Zitong and now has a new owner.

……

Song Que became king?
Upon hearing the news, the northern princes actually felt a little dreamy. The Song clan had unified the south, but he hadn't become king yet?

Yu Wenzhi, Li Yuan, Dou Jiande and others felt ashamed, and then they became extremely vigilant. Song Que proclaimed himself king in Yangzhou, and was only one step away from the throne. It was not that he could not be king, but that he had greater ambitions.

Yu Wenzhi, who obtained the imperial seal, felt like a thorn in his back. He was complacent about it before, but Song Que's successive victories and the unification of the south in just a few months made him feel an unprecedented crisis. In the fight for the throne, only one person can survive to the end, and the Heshi Bi in his hand is something that the other party must get.

Everyone can surrender, but he cannot.

After the court session, Yu Wenzhi once again approached the monks of Jingnian Zen Temple. In the Buddhist temple, Yu Wenzhi advised in a deep voice, "Master, if we continue like this, sooner or later we will be destroyed by Song Que. For now, the only way is to unite with other families and fight against Song Que together, so that we can have a glimmer of hope."

In front of the magnificent Buddha statue, an old monk knelt on a cushion and the sound of beating a wooden fish suddenly stopped. "Your Majesty, I don't understand what you mean. Please explain it clearly."

This person is the current abbot of Jingnian Zen Temple, Liaoran. He is a monk of the same generation as Liaokong who practices silent meditation.

"Okay, in that case, I'll say it straight. Only when Guanzhong, Hedong, and Hebei are united can we fight against the Song clan. This is not empty talk, but a fact. Once my Great Zhou is defeated and the Yuwen clan is killed and destroyed, you, the Buddhist sect, will not have a good time either." Yuwen Huaji's voice was cold and impolite.

Before, Yu Wenzhi would never dare to speak like this in front of the abbot of Jingnian Zen Temple. However, after the battle of Jiange, Buddhism was severely damaged, and several masters of Jingnian Zen Temple also died, so its strength plummeted. The Yuwen family also gained the dominant position in the cooperation with Buddhism, so his attitude naturally changed.

Monk Liaoran clasped his hands together and said, "Amitabha, your Majesty's words make sense, but even if the three places can unite, they can't get around one place."

Yu Wenzhi asked in confusion, "Luoyang? Isn't your Jingnian Temple in Luoyang? Can't you control the situation there? Wang Shichong wouldn't dare to disobey you, right?"

In his opinion, Luoyang is similar to the Buddhist base camp. Jingnian Zen Temple has been the leader of the white way for so many years, it is impossible that it cannot control the situation in Luoyang.

Monk Liaoran's face wrinkled even deeper. "Your Majesty, you don't know that Wang Shichong supported the former Sui Yue King as emperor and appointed himself as prime minister. There is also a strange force behind him. Our Buddhist sect can only influence some court officials and it is difficult to control the overall situation."

"Luoyang is the imperial capital that Yang Guang worked so hard to build. How could he allow Buddhism to grow so powerful? Over the years, both Yang Jian and Yang Guang have been suppressing our Buddhism in secret. Our Buddhism has moved northward, and the Heluo area is too far away to sustain."

Hearing this, Yu Wenzhi thought to himself, just look at what happened to Xiao Yan and you will know, who would dare to let you Buddhists go?

"I see. What about the other faction, Li Mi?"

Monk Liaoran continued to explain, "Li Mi is the Duke of Pushan County. He killed the former leader of Wagang and took over the Wagang Village. But according to rumors, the force behind Li Mi is the Demon Sect. It is not clear which sect it is. If not, how can he fight against Wang Shichong? Neither of these two families is easy to deal with. Your Majesty must be cautious."

"I see."

After occupying Guanzhong, Yu Wenzhi had been fighting a fierce battle with the Li clan. Then Su Ming emerged as a new force and he had to cooperate with the Li clan to deal with the Song clan. How could he have paid attention to the Heluo area? Now after hearing what Master Ran said, he just felt a headache. Neither Wang Shichong nor Li Mi could be easily taken down by the Yu Wen clan now.

If he were to take forceful action, he would inevitably arouse hostility from the other family. If the two sides joined forces, they would only fail. Although the land of Heluo is not large, Luoyang has well-trained soldiers and sufficient food, and should not be underestimated, otherwise he would have taken Luoyang long ago.

……

After Song Que proclaimed himself king, he did not rush to use military forces, but first rewarded his civil and military officials based on merit. Those who deserved rewards were rewarded, and those who deserved promotions were promoted. Li Jing and Kou Zhong also became generals in charge of the Wu army.

But what surprised everyone was that Song Que did not appoint a crown prince, and the position of queen was also vacant. This disappointed many people, but there was nothing they could do about it. Song Que was not an ordinary monarch and would not be controlled by them.

A king plus a grandmaster and a master of military strategy, this is not as simple as one plus one equals two. The deterrent power of a founding monarch is always extraordinary. When he governed Bashu before, he killed a lot of Song family's children, Song Que, not to mention that he is now the King of Wu.

On this day, an uninvited guest came to Yangzhou City.

The visitor was none other than Zhao Rumeng, the heir of Cihang Jingzhai. After entering Yangzhou City, she first found Master Song and said, "Amitabha, I am Zhao Rumeng from Cihang Jingzhai. Please introduce me to King Wu."

The moment Song Shidao saw Zhao Rumeng, a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes. After thinking for a while, he advised, "Miss Zhao, you should know what my father means. Why would you throw yourself into the fire and destroy yourself? I advise you to leave quickly so that my father won't know."

A look of compassion appeared on Zhao Rumeng's beautiful and fair face, and her temperament became more detached. "For the sake of the people and Buddhism, Rumeng has an obligation to do so. The King of Wu is the most powerful ruler in the world. I am willing to ask for peace from the King of Wu on behalf of Buddhism, to turn hostility into friendship and to reduce the killing. Please help me, sir." After saying that, she bowed deeply to Song Shidao.

Song Shidao knew that he should not meet the people from Cihang Jingzhai at this time, but he believed that there were many Buddhist temples in the world, and the destruction of Buddhism might be acceptable in Shu, but if it were implemented throughout the country, there would be endless troubles. Therefore, he decided to meet Zhao Rumeng.

Facing the beauty's plea, Song Shidao's eyes flashed with pity, and his heart softened. "Okay, I'll help you this time. I hope my father won't blame me."

Not everyone can resist the immortalization of Cihang Jingzhai. Song Shidao is not a master, and his spiritual power is not strong enough. In addition, he is peaceful by nature, so he is easily influenced by the other party. He becomes friends with the other party in just a few words.

……

The palace hall.

Song Que was wearing a dragon robe and a golden crown on his head. He was handsome and had a dignified temperament. At this moment, he was reviewing memorials.

Suddenly, a eunuch's voice sounded outside the door, "Your Majesty, the eldest son wants to see you."

"Bring him in."

Half an hour later, Song Que met Zhao Rumeng in the side hall and asked, "Are you the new successor of Cihang Jingzhai?"

Zhao Rumeng nodded and said softly, "Your Highness, Prince Wu, Rumeng is the successor of Cihang Jingzhai."

His gaze lingered on the other person for a few moments, "You are not as good as Shi Feixuan, and even worse than Fan Qinghui."

"Your Highness is right. Senior Sister Feixuan is a rare genius in the sect, and Master is the mainstay of the sect. How can Rumeng be compared with them?"

"Are you surrendering on behalf of the Buddhist sect?"

Hearing this, Zhao Rumeng looked up and saw a pair of sharp and majestic eyes. "Your Highness has unified the south and the empire is in sight. I, the Buddhist sect, am willing to lend a helping hand to Your Highness."

After she finished speaking, Song Que picked up the teacup and said calmly, "Your master has already said this, so there is no need to say it again."

(End of this chapter)