Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

"Understood! I'm waiting. Leave it to me."

"Well, I leave it to you. May you have a good victory soon. Has Daozu communicated with you about this matter?"

"No." Shangluo replied.

"Then we will do it ourselves. The Romans bombed us horizontally, and we bombed us vertically. This is our natural disaster, so we have to rely on ourselves. Now, it is winter."

"Correct."

"I will have the White Sea Palace in the Arctic move south to serve as the flagship for this operation."

"Isn't this the place where you are in seclusion, Senior Brother? I remember there is also a scientific expedition mission."

"Once the order to subdue demons is issued, the Baihai Palace, as part of the imperial army, should be the first to respond. This is related to the fate of the country, a matter of great importance - because there can only be one sun in the sky! There can only be one sun in the sky, the Ming Dynasty. Even if the Qin Dynasty, the Han Dynasty, and the Tang Dynasty all survive, we will never give up the mandate of heaven. The former king will always be the former king and will never run away again. If he really runs away, it will be like the Heavenly Father killing the Heavenly Brother, and rituals and music will collapse."

"I see."

After briefly explaining the details of the cabinet order, Zhu Xianxun hung up the phone.

【He felt a sense of crisis.】

"Don't mention him, even I feel a sense of crisis. I am really not afraid of anything except the return of my ancestors."

【For example? Can you give an example? 】

"Let me ask you, would you stop Zhuge Wuhou from marching north? Would you stop Yue Fei from raising an army? Guan Erye showed his power in Jingzhou and fought with Qin Qiong who was heading south! What should we do? Should we side with Emperor Zhaolie or Emperor Taizong of Tang?"

[It's really spicy! 】

"The six Romes that the Romans split into were themselves split horizontally. If Xu Fu pulled the First Emperor back, we would also be split vertically. The Qin Dynasty is not the most difficult to deal with. At most, 'Qin Shi Huang sent money'. But even this makes people very nervous - who knows what the First Emperor will bring back? Maybe he can bring back Bai Qi, Wang Jian, and Meng Tian together. They are all gods of war who have taken the elixir of immortality. I don't know how to fight them."

[Ah, as expected, no matter where I am, I am the most difficult enemy to deal with. But here, it is not a big problem? All we need to do is to suppress Xu Fu? ]

"What I'm afraid of is that there are more immortals than just him. Now the four great celestial masters are indeed standing on the side of Daming, and they are all Song people. Even if they remain neutral, at least they will not pull the old Zhao family back."

[So your senior brother's decision is really correct. We have to cut the Gordian knot quickly. It's not impossible to deal with one Qin, but if all of them get up to take a breath, it will be a lot of fun. Then you can.】

"That's wonderful! Actually, Old Qin is easy to deal with. Apart from paying money, not many people really want to work for Qin Shi Huang. But there are many other options! I don't know whether to lead the way for Prime Minister Zhuge or for Emperor Taizong of Tang. It seems that leading the way for Emperor Gaozu of Han is also good. Oh my, so many good things, we are really... really blessed. I say, do you want this blessing?"

[No, no, no, no. Rome has already been torn apart horizontally. If it is torn apart vertically once more, it will be chopped into pieces. But if you say so, is Japan going to be destroyed? Tsk, I want to destroy them, but it has nothing to do with them.]

"I can't do anything about it. Who told them to found a country in the place where the immortal, no, the demon Xu Fu was hiding? They really have bad luck and were born in the wrong family. When Xu Fu went there, their country didn't exist. Now the court wants to quell the demons, and under the majesty of heaven, it doesn't care about crushing eggs. I can only promise not to kill or injure people unless necessary. But the court's eternal foundation and the dawn of our ascension are more important than anything else. When the nest is overturned, the eggs will find a way to survive on their own."

[So, according to your senior brother's instructions, you are going to start spreading the message, right? ]

"Yeah." Shangluo nodded and dialed Fu Yuanshan's number.

"What did they say on the other end?" Fu Yuanshan answered the call immediately. He had been waiting next to the phone.

"The order to subdue the demon has been issued."

"I knew it. It looks like the king's army is going to be dispatched this time. I will ring the token and order the five sects of the Dao League to come to the king's defense. Let everyone bring their magic weapons. To begin with, we will set up a net to trap everyone and not let even a fly out. Then, how many troops will be dispatched this time?"

"The emperor said, call up 50 heavenly soldiers and 20 seamen."

"Then we must issue a royal order to Beiting and Nanyang, mobilize the 72 armies in Beihai and Nanhai, and join forces with the princes to defeat the demons and kill the monsters. Then, give the order, Marshal."

Chapter 1028 Elixir

[I think you should calm down. You and your senior brother are too nervous about anything that might threaten the foundation of your rule. The resurrection of a saint like Zhuge Wuhou or King Wen of Zhou would be the most terrifying, because they have enough appeal. Even the great virtuous teacher Zhang Jue is terrifying. But the First Emperor is not terrifying. At most, he used his ambushed troops to start a civil war.]

“As long as he doesn’t send money.”

[Yes. As long as he doesn't pay, I think no one will follow Lao Qin to rebel against your Ming Dynasty. Since he is an internal enemy, those who have appeal should be the most terrifying. Those who have military power can think about how to deal with him - Zhuge Wuhou, you can only talk, not fight. But you can beat him back, the First Emperor. ]

"I don't think Zhuge Wuhou will fight with us either."

[Right. So the only one to fight is Qin Shi Huang. Hmm, maybe there's also Emperor Taizong of Tang?]

"Emperor Gaozu of Han is also a possibility. The personal charm of these two is too great. As long as they are revived, they will probably have followers all over the world within a few decades. With Liu Bang's level, I'm afraid he can win people over to his side over a meal - my goodness, the current party struggles are nothing, the struggle between Liu Bang and Li Shimin is the most terrifying. Just cutting sausages can make the court into sauce."

[Unless you strike first and prevent them from coming out? ]

"It's not impossible, but..." Shangluo shook his head. "To punish the criminals and bring peace to the people, to revive the fallen and to continue the extinct, this is the justice of the benevolent. In the past dynasties, there were temples dedicated to them. Now they are back, unless, as you said, we are like whack-a-mole at the beginning, hitting one by one. But

"It would be easier if we could really fight. But it is the most troublesome if we cannot fight. The First Emperor is not a threat to our foundation. We can just use force to deal with him. We don't know how many divisions the First Emperor has yet, but if we can't even deal with the First Emperor who can be dealt with completely by force, then if both civil and military forces come together, it will be a big deal. If the First Emperor fights, will you fight against Emperor Gaozu of Han? If you fight against Emperor Gaozu of Han, will you fight against Liu, Guan, Zhang, and Zhuge Kongming?"

[Why do I feel that this is a bit of a waste? The Yangtze River flows eastward, and the waves have washed away all the heroes of the past dynasties.]

"This is the crux of the matter." Shang Luo paused. "They... they are not enemies. They are our ancestors, and they are ourselves. I cannot regard them as enemies. I cannot draw my sword against Zhuge Kongming, absolutely not. And if they come back as competitors, then the entire Ming Dynasty will have to undergo a test of legitimacy - and this may be a good thing for all of us? I just hope that this will not turn into a real war."

[Although I don't quite understand the mentality of the Zhendan people, I think you should trust them. You treat them as your own people, isn't it because all of you are Zhendan people and you all have the same mind? You think they are the heroes of the ages, and they will also think you are the heroes of the world. The world of today is a golden age! If some of them disregard the peace of the world and start a war, they are not their own people - I believe that Zhuge Wuhou will not want to go to war with you, there is no need at all. ]

"Yes, indeed." Shangluo patted her shoulder, "You can say something useful occasionally."

【uh-huh. 】

"Then the only one we have to worry about is the First Emperor - because we don't lack thugs. Whether it's Bai Qi or Wang Jian, just fight. We can talk after the fight."

[That's right. The only ones we really need to fight are the First Emperor's family. Let the Zhu family worry about the rest. Anyway, no matter which family is the emperor, there must be a Heavenly Sovereign, right? ]

"Ahem," Shangluo coughed, "Isn't that inappropriate?"

【It's appropriate, very appropriate. You see, Daozu didn't say anything. Liu Xuande or Liu Ji, this is his old Zhu family's concern, you should only worry about Qin Shihuang who is now paying money - on the other hand, if you can't even beat Qin Shihuang, then let alone the ones who come after. Are you afraid of God Zhuge and God Guanyu! They really know how to borrow the east wind. 】

"Xu Fu. Thinking about it this way, it seems that the only problem left is Xu Fu. If Xu Fu is dealt with, everything else will be fine."

[Xu Fu, Xu Fu, let's check.] Apollonia didn't know much about Xu Fu:

Rumor has it that Xu Fu asked Qin Shi Huang to give him money. No, that's not right. Rumor has it that Xu Fu asked Qin Shi Huang to give him 500 young boys and girls to offer as sacrifices to the Dragon King. Instead, Xu Fu fled to Japan with those 500 boys and girls. The original text reads: Xu Fu asked the Sea God for a longevity elixir. The God said, "Your Majesty, the King of Qin, is too humble to offer. You may observe, but not take." Xu Fu asked, "What should I offer?" The Sea God asked Qin Shi Huang to send him 1000 young men and women. Xu Fu brought , presumably as a bargaining chip. He was quite a nice guy.

"Yeah, I almost forgot. Everyone else was sending money to Qin Shi Huang, but he was the only one committing telecom fraud against him."

[It's fine if he cheated Qin Shi Huang, but why did he cheat the Dragon King? We agreed to offer the boys and girls to the Dragon King, so why did he take them away? 】

"Don't we have puppets?" Phaethon suddenly interrupted.

[Ah!] Apollonia reacted, [No wonder it looks so much like a human, it turns out to be used for offering sacrifices to the gods, just like steamed buns.]

"There's one thing I don't understand." Shangluo pondered, "He has already defrauded Qin Shi Huang. If he has lived to this day, he should have been immortal. Why is he now looking for the elixir of life? Qin Shi Huang was a victim of telecommunications fraud. Isn't it too late to look for the elixir of life now?"

[You mean, he is now collecting elixirs for some special reason? ]

"I don't know how this old monster has lived for so long, and I haven't seen him do anything in the meantime."

Suddenly, the sound of a clear bell rang in my ears.

"Hmm? Master Sa called me."

He picked up his phone and took a look.

[What's up? I can't read the message he sent you.]

"Let me go and check the troops. That's pretty quick, but why are we checking the troops at Yujing Terrace?"

Yujing Terrace is a complex of buildings built on the top of Zijin Mountain, including the "Ziwei Hall", the emperor's Mingtang. It is centered on the Mingtang. "The white jade capital in the sky, five cities and twelve towers", the common name of the capital city Yujing comes from this palace.

Yujing Terrace was built in accordance with the rules of Mingtang, with a round building on the bottom and a round top. The interior is divided into five areas: Qingyang in the east, Zongzhang in the west, Mingtang in the south, Xuantang in the north, and Taishi in the center. Taishi in the center is located under the round dome and is the place where the emperor receives the princes for pilgrimage.

[Which lord responded to the demon-subduing order? They were really quick. ]

"Wait, I'll call Phaethon."

Because it was official business, he had to go there now. She could only investigate the "traces" at Huitong Hall by herself - after all, compared with sending troops to attack Xu Fu, the criminal traces left by Xu Fu were not very important, and at most it was just collecting evidence to convict him.

Chapter 1029 Bochen

After making all the arrangements, he dispatched Grani to take him along the winding mountain road, through the five cities and twelve towers on Zijin Mountain, and send him to the gate of Yujingtai.

Fu Yuanshan was already standing there.

"Why so fast?" Shangluo got off the car and asked as he tied up Grani.

"Because the Demon Subduing Order is a talisman order, there is a talisman officer named Tianyi who is responsible for delivering the order. But it seems that a very important prince has come this time."

"Which way?"

"I don't know. But Master Sa is already inside, waiting for you to pass on the order. As for which group, it should be you who ordered it. Didn't you order 50 heavenly soldiers and 20 naval forces?"

"Are there any princes who need Master Sa to take care of them?"

As he was speaking, a red shadow flashed by and Fu Yuanshan covered his waist reflexively.

The Dragon King of Taiye Lake, "Miss Hong", appeared at the door: "Master Sa, please ask Shangluo to come in and pass on your order."

【Hmm??? Wait. Could it be. Could it be him?】

Ziwei Hall, under the dome of Taishi. Inside the golden dragon throne on the Danbi, there is a tablet with the word "Emperor" on it.

Under the Danbi, Shangluo and Sa Shoujian stood side by side, and the old man with white hair and dragon horns bowed in the hall:

"Bo Chen, Ao Zang, the Dragon King of the East Sea, respectfully wishes the Emperor His Majesty His Majesty."

"May your Majesty be well." Shangluo replied.

[It turns out that it is really the Dragon King of the East China Sea. ]

"Just announce the decree here." Master Sa reminded, "Is it an oral order?"

"Yes." Shangluo nodded and said to the Dragon King, "There is an order: Order Shangluo to be the Great Marshal of Demon Subjugation, raise 500,000 heavenly soldiers and 200,000 sailors, and mobilize the divine power to launch a massive attack. Even if it means sweeping away all the houses and flattening the three islands of Japan, the demon Xu Fu must be killed overseas! The emperor wants this demon dead."

"Bo Chen, I accept your order." Ao Zang bowed and said, "I am willing to immediately mobilize 20 sailors to serve as the vanguard of the Heavenly Army, step on the sea and waves, cleanse the world, capture the evil Xu Fu, and avenge the previous humiliation!"

[So there are 20 sailors]

"Ah? There's a personal grudge here?" Shang Luo blinked, "Would you please stand up and talk first?"

"Thank you, Lord Tian." Ao Zang stood up straight. His face was no different from that of a celestial being, except that he had dragon horns and a dragon whisker growing to his chest.

"Um, can I ask, what is the previous grudge between your Dragon Palace and Xu Fu?"

"That evil man Xu Fu asked the First Emperor for 500 boys and girls to present to the East China Sea. However, Xu Fu used cunning tactics to deceive those shrimp soldiers and crab generals, and brought 500 boys and girls to the Japanese island. Over the past thousands of years, 8231 people have been born. Now, the time to collect the debt has come. The 2381 million people on the island should return to the Dragon Palace of the East China Sea!"

Sa Tianshi looked at Shangluo: "So, I called you here. You decide, Shang Tianjun."

"This." Shang Luo covered his forehead, "So that's how it is. So... So the Dragon Palace's proposal is to take in all the people on the Japanese island? Can I ask first, what are they going to do with them?"

"I see that mortals have a short and bitter life, and suffer from birth, old age, sickness and death. These 80 million people should become shrimp soldiers and crab generals. The nobles among them should be transformed into noble sea elders, and receive the secret method of shedding their shells, so that they can cycle endlessly and live forever."

"It means that if you become a shrimp soldier or crab general, you will not die." Master Sa Tianshi explained, "Because shrimp soldiers and crab generals can shed their shells. The best among them can become lobsters. As long as they can shed their shells successfully every time, they can live as long as the heaven and earth and be immortal."

[Isn’t that still a lobster? ]

"It's Mr. Hai Lao," Ao Zang corrected. "The one next to him is Mr. Hui Ming, right? My respects."

[So you can hear me? That's polite!] Apollonia returned the greeting.

"Wait a minute. Wait a minute." Shang Luo raised his hand. "I say, Your Highness Ao Zang, is this in compliance with the law?"

"Of course there is a legal basis." Ao Zang replied, "According to the Great Ming Law, natural interest refers to things produced according to the natural properties of things, such as calves born by cows, fruits produced by fruit trees, and grains produced by land. Logically speaking, human beings are also considered interest. According to the Yongqing Law and Order Collection and other relevant civil law provisions, Longgong, as a creditor, has the right to ask Xu Fu for the interest generated by the 500 boys and girls."

"But, according to the Yongqing Law Collection, the buying and selling of human beings is prohibited, so it certainly cannot be calculated as interest."

"Your Majesty, what you said makes sense. But the law cannot be applied retroactively. When Xu Fu went to sea, it was still the Qin Dynasty. The Qin Dynasty allowed the sale of population as a commodity, and naturally allowed the calculation of population growth as interest."

[Wait, are you two going to start a lawsuit here? ]

Ao Zang replied: "As the Dragon King, it is reasonable for me to come to the Heavenly Palace to sue."

"Wait a minute." Shang Luo pressed his forehead. "I think there is still room for negotiation in this case. According to the current law, they have the right to defend themselves. Why don't we wait until the battle is over, and then I will go to court in Yujing, and you two can debate the case?"

"Of course." Ao Zang nodded, "Dragon Palace has never been afraid of lawsuits. We have wizards and lawyers."

"The court is a place for reasoning. Please don't use magic in court."

[I'm beginning to worry about the people on the island.] Apollonia privately chatted, [Who can represent tens of millions of people in court? Can a matter that determines the fate of an entire clan really be decided by the court?]

"The court can't do that, but the Heavenly Court will take care of it. Anyway, let's delay it for now, otherwise it will be embarrassing. I have my own way to deal with it later."

He looked at Ao Zang and said, "Your Highness the Dragon King, we didn't know each other before, right?"

"That's right. You live on the shore, and we live in the water. Although we serve in the same court, we don't visit each other often."

"Have you ever tried to collect the debt directly from Xu Fu before?"

"Of course we have to go. But the demon Xu Fu used the magic of ghosts and gods to set up a national lock formation, sealing the evil country inside the formation. No one inside can go out, and the Yaksha vanguard of my Dragon Palace can't enter. But recently, we have made some progress."

"Oh? What do you say?"