Longzang

Chapter 1207 Great Kindness
In early summer, the imperial edict from the Tang Dynasty was finally issued throughout the land. Emperor Jing passed away, and his youngest son, Jiade, succeeded him, establishing the reign title Zhaoning and the honorific title Emperor Zhao.

According to ancient custom, this edict had many problems. Emperor Jing had nine sons and seventeen daughters. His eldest son was already over thirty years old, but Emperor Jing was in his prime at the time, so he did not mention the matter of establishing an heir.

However, the decision not to establish the eldest son as heir, but instead to establish a young son who was not yet five years old, is quite intriguing. After all, besides the eldest son, there were four other sons who were all over fourteen years old and of marriageable age.

However, at this time, the Prince of Jin was regent, wielding immense power, and all the civil and military officials were singing his praises, with not a single dissenting voice.

The nine kingdoms each had their own difficulties. Those without difficulties had ambitions and basically had no time to participate in the internal affairs of the Tang court. They simply sent congratulatory messages one after another and then sent envoys with some gifts to do some superficial work.

Emperor Zhaoning's enthronement ceremony was scheduled for the first day of the sixth lunar month, which is the extreme of summer and symbolizes the blazing fire, signifying prosperity and the flourishing of the dynasty.

During the grand ceremony, officials in their finest attire, in crimson, purple, and green, stood according to rank, their jade belts and golden crowns gleaming. A million imperial guards, their banners fluttering in the wind, stretched from the main hall to miles away! A continuous stream of bright yellow light rose from the earth, illuminating everything around them as if coated with gold.

Most of the seven million residents of the capital city left their homes and stood in designated squares and streets to watch the ceremony.

They were just ordinary mortals, and although they couldn't see the grand spectacle of the main hall, they could see the bright yellow sky filled with smoke and mist, swirling around the palace and overflowing the capital. Moreover, the auspicious beasts that occasionally passed by in the sky—the blue phoenix flitting about, the qilin treading on the clouds, the white crane circling, and the vermilion bird flapping its wings—still excited them greatly.

Before long, a golden light shone brightly in the eastern sky, and a clear and melodious dragon roar broke through the air, resounding throughout the heavens. A golden dragon emerged from the clouds and stopped above the imperial palace, coiling its body, which was a hundred miles long, and remained there.

A true dragon has descended to earth; the auspicious time has arrived!
Then, colorful beams of light continuously spewed from the earth, falling into the sky, where they transformed into countless raindrops of flowers. Among them, fairies played music or danced, while countless star lords and celestial officials appeared and disappeared, circling around the four directions as if to protect and guard them.

Mortals who witnessed this sight were utterly dumbfounded, their eyes unable to take in the countless gods filling the sky.

As the cannons roared, officials shouted "Long live the Emperor!" ninety-nine times in a row, their voices shaking the heavens and the earth.

After the officials finished their court audience, the drums and music began, solemn and heavy, with a sound of war. The founding emperor of this dynasty rose from the army, conquering the world with just a long spear and achieving unparalleled feats. Therefore, his descendants who succeeded him used the military music of the Great Tang Dynasty to celebrate their reign.

At the height of the Tang Dynasty's power, countless elite troops, wielding halberds and clad in heavy armor, marched forward in unison to the strains of military songs, defeating powerful enemies, capturing fortified cities, and achieving victory in every battle.

Although the nation is currently in decline, upon hearing the fierce and valiant tone of this military song, discerning individuals still have to say: the glory of our ancestors still lingers.

Amidst the clash of weapons, a faint cry suddenly rang out!

The young Emperor Zhao, sitting on the huge dragon throne, was already exhausted from the heavy crown and robes and the long ceremony. When he was hit by the military music, he was so frightened that he burst into tears!

The officials who were qualified to stand in the main hall all turned a blind eye and a deaf ear, as if they were no longer in this realm.

The army sounded three times, and Emperor Zhao also wept three times.

……

"...At this time, the world is at peace, and there is no war. This is because the feudal lords fear your power and cherish your virtue, and are grateful for the kindness of the former emperors of the Great Tang. Now that Your Majesty has ascended the throne, the most important things should be to offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth, to worship your ancestors, and to comfort the soldiers of the world..."

Today is Emperor Zhao's first morning court session. The white-haired Grand Chancellor, the head of the civil officials, is making his first memorial. The most important matters of state are sacrifice and war, and these are the two things the old Chancellor was referring to.

After he finished his long and eloquent speech, a childish voice rang out from the dragon throne: "Granted."

Next, officials stepped forward to present their important matters, and the child's voice rang out from time to time, mostly saying "approved," but occasionally there would be further discussion. A young high-ranking official stole a glance, but could only see the dragon throne, hearing the voices but not the person.

The imperial court's ceremonial system dictates that the most honored person sits on a high, expansive dragon throne, displaying the grandeur of the empire. However, a child of just over four years old sitting on it is too small for the assembled officials to see clearly.

The reports submitted by the officials mostly indicated that the country was at peace, foreign tribes were lying low, and any minor disasters that occurred in various places had been dealt with early on.

After the domestic affairs were discussed, foreign envoys and feudal lords came to pay homage.

This system of ceremonies was also established by Emperor Taizu, who believed that no matter how important the affairs of the world were, they could not surpass the internal affairs of the Great Tang Dynasty. Therefore, only after the internal affairs were discussed could the matters concerning foreign tribes be addressed.

When Emperor Wuzu divided the land into nine kingdoms, he also included them as vassal states. According to the Tang dynasty's system, the rulers of the nine kingdoms were only of the first rank. At that time, although the combined territories of the nine kingdoms were larger than the Tang territory, most of them were remote and barren areas, and the key strategic points and passes were all controlled by the Tang dynasty.

Today, however, the fertile lands of the world have long been devoured by the nine kingdoms. The Tang dynasty is now confined to a small corner of the central region. If it weren't for the fact that no one dared to touch the place where the founding emperor rose to power and the place where the Martial Ancestor offered sacrifices to Heaven, the Tang dynasty would probably only have its capital and ancestral tombs left.

After the nine kingdoms, ninety-nine foreign states came to pay tribute, most of them dressed in strange and unusual clothes, and presented all sorts of bizarre gifts. Following them were a large number of military governors and regional military commanders, making it quite a lively scene.

However, none of the highest-ranking military governors actually came; some only sent envoys, such as the military governor of Zhenshan. Some didn't even send an envoy.

……

"Why is things so unsettled..." Wei Yuan frowned slightly as he looked at the numerous border reports floating in front of him.

These border reports mostly describe various conflicts on the border, with Qingming being bullied in most cases. There's one such incident every few days, which gives Wei Yuan a headache.

For example, Xiaoyu reported more than ten conflicts in the past month, many of which resulted in deaths. The latest one occurred about 900 li from the traditional border of the Jin Dynasty, where the Qingming Army lost three soldiers and suffered several hundred wounded.

Wei Yuan sighed, rubbing his forehead, feeling a deep headache. The Eastern Jin's western borders were currently experiencing a spring epidemic, compounded by the invasion of the local climate. The Qingming army, unaccustomed to the climate and water, would likely have fallen ill in large numbers… The Qingming troops were well-equipped and possessed fierce firepower, but in terms of physical constitution alone, their soldiers might not be stronger than the armies of the Nine Kingdoms. Especially the border troops of the Nine Kingdoms, who had endured countless hardships and had developed exceptional resistance to disease.

Xiao Yu was not an isolated case. Similar reports came from other places, and even from the Zhao territory. There were many reports, including from the Trade Office, saying that Zhao officials were protecting each other and that the Qingming people were being treated unfairly. They suggested that the Realm Lord send troops to punish them severely.

However, after reviewing the case, even Wei Yuan, with his thick skin, felt it was somewhat difficult to pursue the matter further. These officials in the trade office were all quite capable; their skin was even thicker than Wei Yuan's, and they had no qualms about distorting the truth without any hesitation.

Wei Yuan suppressed all these reports, then sighed, knowing that people were restless and wanted to go to war.

But after reviewing Qingming once more, he felt that fighting was not the most important thing at the moment. Suddenly swallowing up most of the Western Jin Dynasty and expanding its territory to thousands of miles in Yizhou, it was almost equivalent to another Qingming, and its population jumped from more than 200 million to nearly 2 billion.

Qingming is now like a giant python that has swallowed a water buffalo; the food in its belly far exceeds its own size, and it needs time to digest it slowly. Wei Yuan has been silent since killing Lü Changhe and swallowing the ten counties of the Lü family in Ganzhou, because he feels that it is time to digest it.

Most of the Western Jin Dynasty was undeveloped land, and ordinary people suffered greatly. The Lü family managed the area for a thousand years, making it slightly better than other parts of the Western Jin Dynasty, but the improvement was still limited.

In Wei Yuan's eyes, whether it was the Three Jin states or the Zhao and Qi states, their national strengths might be vastly different, but in terms of ordinary people, they were basically the same. Apart from having fertile land, they were all poor and had nothing.

Mining was primitive, resources were produced through small-scale workshops, and cities lacked basic infrastructure. Compared to the outer world, it was utterly primitive.

However, the various countries and powerful families far surpass Qingming in the industries related to cultivators, especially in the products related to high-level cultivators.

In the herb gardens of various grotto-heavens and secret realms, spiritual herbs abound. Beneath the mountains and within the earth's veins, countless precious materials are nurtured. The immortals' mental world, transformed from the illusory to the celestial realm, constantly absorbs the primordial energy of heaven and earth, transforming it into all sorts of wondrous treasures.

Moreover, an immortal often accumulates knowledge over hundreds or thousands of years; just a single period of time can create a huge gap between them and Qingming.

From the perspective of a mortal cultivator, the accumulation of immortals is terrifying. When the patriarch passed away, his body was buried in eight thousand miles of precious soil. Now, beneath the azure sky lies buried Lü Changhe, most of Xu Shuhe, and a dog's head. Although the precious soil is strangely shaped, by any estimate, it is two or three thousand miles long. Moreover, Xu Shuhe was buried vertically, so the precious soil is particularly deep. In other words, the foundation is exceptionally profound.

Beneath the ancestral mountain of the Lü family, there are essentially two immortals and an celestial object of unknown origin. It would take Wei Yuan decades to dig up even this small amount of material.

As Wei Yuan delved deeper into refining the Lü family's ancestral mountain, he increasingly doubted whether he had killed the three immortals too easily back then.

Apart from Xu Shuhe, who was nearing death and whose grotto-heavens were in decline, almost none of his grotto-heavens were thriving. Most of the creatures in them had already perished. In terms of combat strength, even a top-tier Imperial Realm expert could probably fight him.

The cause and effect of killing Xu Shuhe were explained very clearly. The whole Qingming was united, and Wei Yuan's years of efforts to enlighten the people finally paid off. With the strength of the masses, they crushed Xu Shuhe head-on.

However, Liu Miaoshi found it strange. While Lü Changhe seemed to have fallen victim to her scheme, upon closer reflection, something felt off; it had all been too easy. In the final moments, Lü Changhe was momentarily stunned, seemingly not expecting a sneak attack and only assuming it would succeed. How could an immortal, with their myriad manifestations of divine sense, not have anticipated this?

However, these things will only be known when the great power reveals its plans.

Looking at the vast sea of ​​official documents, Wei Yuan suddenly felt a surge of restlessness and a desire to travel and explore various parts of Qingming. Qingming was now too large, with too many people; it was no longer the Qingming of the past where he had to make decisions on everything personally.

Just then, Wei Yuan's heart stirred. Someone knocked on the door of his immortal abode and reported, "An old friend has come to visit."

An old friend?

Wei Yuan withdrew his divine sense from the bustling world and instructed, "Let him in."

A moment later, a thin old man appeared in the guest hall. Wei Yuan took the main seat, instructed a maid to serve him immortal tea, and then looked at the unfamiliar old man, saying slowly, "Fellow Daoist, you possess extraordinary abilities!"

The old man said, "I apologize for the offense, but the Realm Lord is currently at the height of his power and influence. Without this method, I'm afraid I won't be able to see him."

Wei Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, his voice turning deep, and said, "Master, what brings you here?"

The thin old man put his hands together and said, "I dare not presume to offer guidance, but I have a great act of kindness that I hope the Realm Lord will perform."

"What good deed is it?"

"Promoting Buddhism in the Western Jin and Qingming realms, expanding the Buddhist lands, and guiding sentient beings is the greatest act of good in this world. We hope that the realm lord will consider the greater good and the well-being of all people, and grant his permission..."

Before the old man could finish speaking, Wei Yuan immediately interrupted him: "No."

The old man seemed unsurprised. He chanted a Buddhist prayer and said, "The will of all beings is beyond the control of the realm lord."

Wei Yuan let out a cold laugh: "What, Master, do you want to test my Taoist magic? But let me put it bluntly, based on..."

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly realized that the old monk had passed away peacefully with a smile on his face!
Wei Yuan was taken aback. His divine sense erupted like a volcano, and with the help of the great formation, it swept across a range of thousands of miles in an instant!

In the counties and villages, many people seemed to awaken from a dream, their faces filled with joy. They clasped their hands in prayer, prostrated themselves, and bowed towards the Pure Land. In that single instant, countless people were converted!

(End of this chapter)