A master of comedy!

Chang'an, the Imperial Palace.

As the first rays of dawn rose, the ministers at the court assembly were already dressed in their finest attire, holding their tablets, and standing respectfully in the Golden Palace.

Some people even started to doze off.

The old emperor had been indulging in pleasure and neglecting state affairs for many years, not attending court for a long time, which made the ministers happy to have some free time.

But ever since the war broke out in Luoyang, the old emperor, who had not attended court for a long time, suddenly became diligent and never missed a court session.

"My esteemed ministers, regarding the Battle of Luoyang, is there anything further...?"

On the dragon throne, the old emperor, though his hair was white, had a loud voice, bright eyes, and was clearly still very healthy.

But before he could finish speaking, a eunuch rushed in from outside, carrying a sandalwood box.

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! A messenger has arrived with urgent news..."

The eunuch stammered, his hands trembling as he held the sandalwood box.

"What was delivered?"

The old emperor frowned and sat up straight instantly. The words "Luoyang" undoubtedly touched a nerve with him.

"It's here..."

The eunuch took a deep breath and opened the box.

The room erupted in uproar. Even the dozing old ministers were instantly wide awake, their cloudy eyes filled with shock.

The old emperor was suddenly jolted, as if struck by lightning; the tassels on his crown trembled, and an unusual flush appeared on his face.

"The Celestial Immortal, alone, entered Luoyang but was no match for the scoundrel Zhou Sheng. He was beheaded, and Zhou Sheng deliberately sent the head to the capital to flaunt it—"

"puff!"

Before the eunuch could finish speaking, the old emperor coughed up a mouthful of blood, so angry that he fainted and fell off the high dragon throne.

"His Majesty!!"

In an instant, chaos erupted in the Golden Palace.

……

He lived to be seven years old, on the seventh day of the tenth month.

The Battle of Luoyang, which had attracted worldwide attention, has finally come to a conclusion.

Tongtian Daoren and Prajna Shenshen plotted to lure the enemy away from their mountain stronghold and seize Luoyang City under cover of night, but Zhou Sheng had already anticipated their plan and turned the tables on them.

Yu Zhensheng, the grandmaster of the Yinxi lineage, led nearly a hundred Yinxi practitioners to help him. He had been living in seclusion in Xunyang for twenty years and had actually broken through to the Earth Immortal realm.

The monk Prajna fled, and three immortals from the Great Xuan realm perished.

Even worse, Da Xuan's biggest trump card, the Tongtian Daoist who had survived six heavenly tribulations, was killed in battle. Zhou Sheng beheaded him and hung his head on the gate of Luoyang, chilling the hearts of the entire army.

It is said that after that, many cultivators who came in response to the Gathering Immortals Order quietly fled.

Afterwards, Zhou Sheng voluntarily handed over the head, which was then sent back to the palace by express courier for His Majesty to decide.

Upon seeing the severed head, the old emperor was both shocked and enraged. In the end, he vomited blood in court, fainted, and collapsed, causing an uproar among the court officials.

Three days later, the army outside Luoyang withdrew on its own initiative. The more grand the arrival, the more humiliating the departure.

It is said that many soldiers escaped during the retreat, and of the 400,000-strong army, only 200,000 remained.

In this battle, the Longhua Sect achieved an incomparably glorious victory.

Following this battle, war broke out across the land, with rebels emerging in various regions, attacking cities and seizing territories like wildfires that threatened to ignite a prairie fire.

But perhaps it was fate, or some kind of divine protection, that just when everyone thought the Great Xuan Dynasty was doomed, Crown Prince Li Yi stepped forward.

While the old emperor was in a coma, he took over the administration of the country. He first stepped forward to stabilize public sentiment, and then personally went to the prison to invite Yang Dingbang out. Despite the opposition, he chose to hand over the remaining 200,000 troops to Yang Dingbang.

At the same time, he heavily relied on Bao Ying, promoting him to deputy director of the Xuanqiong Division and appointing him as the right prime minister. He vigorously rectified officialdom, investigated and confiscated corruption, and provided gold, silver and grain for Yang Dingbang's army.

The Crown Prince certainly didn't intend to attack Luoyang again, but rather to attack the various rebel groups outside of Luoyang.

This tactic quickly proved effective. Yang Dingbang lived up to expectations, capturing 42 cities and annihilating 26 rebel groups within three months, thus suppressing the raging fire that was about to spread.

This also made the world realize one thing: the Great Xuan wasn't incapable of fighting, but rather Zhou Sheng of Luoyang was exceptionally skilled. They couldn't defeat Zhou Sheng, but they could easily crush ordinary rebels.

As for Luoyang, the Crown Prince sent Bao Ying as an envoy to negotiate peace. After several months of reasoned arguments, a temporary agreement was finally reached.

The imperial court ceded more than twenty prefectures in the Central Plains, including Luoyang, almost ceding the entire heartland of the Central Plains, and promised not to relocate the local people, as well as to send a lot of gold, silver and grain.

In exchange, both sides agreed to a truce, cease hostilities, and agree to a ten-year period without further fighting.

In addition, Jinse, the leader of the Longhua Sect, must accept the imperial court's investiture as the King of Hua, with the Central Plains as her fiefdom and the country named Hua. She must still acknowledge to the outside world that she is a vassal state of the Great Xuan.

"I never imagined that one day I, Bao Ying, would sign a decree ceding territory and paying reparations..."

After signing and affixing his seal, Bao Ying gave a wry smile.

However, despite saying that, he knew in his heart that if it were someone else here, they probably wouldn't even have the chance to sign.

He had to swallow his pride and rely on their past friendship to finally reach an agreement.

Otherwise, look at those fierce Longhua cult members, each one of them wishing they could devour him, clamoring to massacre Chang'an and kill the emperor. Only Zhou Sheng could keep them in check.

"Brother Bao, are you really sure?"

Zhou Sheng looked at him and suddenly asked.

Bao Ying stiffened slightly, but looked calmly at Zhou Sheng and sighed, "His Highness the Crown Prince has shown me great kindness. If I were to abandon him, would I still be the Bao Ying you know?"

Zhou Sheng once asked Bao Ying to help him create a new golden age together, but Bao Ying ultimately refused.

Everyone has their own ambitions, and he doesn't force anyone.

"Uncle Bao, you're really stubborn. What's so great about the Li family that makes them worthy of your loyalty?"

Yang Ying said from the side, her voice full of regret.

"My loyalty has never been to the Li family, but to my own heart. Loyalty and righteousness are timeless principles."

Bao Ying's voice wasn't loud, but it had an indescribable infectiousness, just like when he was still young and inexperienced, yet he was willing to tirelessly work for cases of injustice that had nothing to do with him.

Yang Ying was filled with respect.

Looking into those youthful eyes, which had become resolute and courageous through the crucible of war, Bao Ying couldn't help but sigh softly.

"Xiaoying, your father has realized his mistakes and deeply regrets neglecting you all these years. He often calls out your name. Are you really not coming back with me?"

Yang Ying's eyes trembled slightly upon hearing this, but she ultimately shook her head.

"Some things, once missed, can never be made up for."

"Uncle Bao, just like you said, I am also true to my heart."

Once she has chosen a direction, she will never waver!
Bao Ying nodded, a hint of regret in his eyes.

The Battle of Luoyang further enhanced the reputation of the Asura General, making him a rising star in the Longhua Sect.

Da Xuan has lost another good general.

"Brother Zhou, take care."

Finally, he looked at Zhou Sheng with a complex gaze, as if he wanted to say a lot, but in the end it all boiled down to two simple words.

Watching Bao Ying's retreating figure, Zhou Sheng sighed softly.

Taking Luoyang is easy, but governing it is difficult.

Next, Luoyang must be governed to a prosperous state in order to activate that dragon vein.

If Bao Ying won't help him, who else can he turn to?
Just then, someone presented a visiting card with a line of elegant handwriting on it.

"Can the Black-Clad Dragon King of the Longhua Sect volunteer himself?"

The signature at the end of the document gave Zhou Sheng a jolt.

"Yao Guangxiao".

...(End of this chapter)