Loan Wusheng

Chapter 231 One Battle to Defeat Two Kings, His Fame Shakes the World
You're riding a horse!

Even though Prince Li Shen of Jin usually appeared to be a kind and gentle Confucian scholar, he almost couldn't help but curse at this old scoundrel surnamed Zhao for his lack of martial ethics!

'That old scoundrel!'

Prince Li Shen of Jin had a face as dark as iron, his knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white, and his eyes flashed with a deep-seated hatred that pierced Zhao Wei.

He suppressed his anger, lowered his voice, and tried his best to speak in a calm tone: "Prime Minister Zheng, do not be fooled by this old scoundrel's sweet words. This villain is an ungrateful wretch!"

"How did Father Emperor treat him in the past? And how is he repaying Father Emperor now? This man has the eyes of an eagle and the gaze of a wolf; he has the appearance of betraying his master. He must never be followed!"

Having said that, Li Shen continued to leverage his advantages: "I am a descendant of the Divine Martial Emperor. If I surrender, the world will be shaken! What could be more proper than the Divine Martial Emperor's descendant personally surrendering, or 'Han replacing Zhou'? If I surrender, it means that the Mandate of Heaven is with Han, the Mandate of Heaven is with the Prime Minister, and the Zhou dynasty's fate is sealed!"

Zhao Wei stood calmly to the side, saying nothing.

He has already wagered all his resources: the six counties of Longzhou.

but……

Zhao Wei added, "Please rest assured, Prime Minister, I am all alone and have come and gone in a hurry. My Zhao family is willing to move to Suzhou to educate the border people for you. As for myself, I am willing to study and manage my household, not to participate in political disputes, but only to pass on education and teach people to understand principles."

obviously.

Zhao Wei meant that he would not participate in the new dynasty's political affairs; he simply wanted to establish an academy and educate the people.

The Zhao family could leave directly from Longzhou and go to Suzhou to provide relief to the border residents.

With Zhao Wang Li Bi dead, Zhao Wei believed that Suzhou, with its gates wide open, should now belong to Zheng Jun.

Thus, Zheng Jun now controlled Lanzhou, Suzhou, Guanzhong, Longzhou, and most importantly, Shenjing.

As long as we conquer Ping and Yi prefectures in the south and win over Liang prefecture in the west, the fate of the world will be sealed. In any case, we will enjoy two hundred years of prosperity and glory, and history will surely record us as a nation in a tripartite balance of power.

Seeing this, Zheng Jun could no longer hold back.

He felt like he was the human resources manager, and the Prince of Jin, Li Shen, and the Zhao family patriarch, Zhao Wei, were both employees who had come for interviews.

This feeling is especially wonderful, particularly when one's choice is one that could determine the life or death of both parties.

but……

In truth, Zheng Jun had already made up his mind.

Upon thinking of this, a cold glint flashed in Zheng Jun's eyes, and his azure-gold true essence surged out like a raging sea, heading straight for Prince Jin, Li Shen, with overwhelming force!

Seeing Zheng Jun launch the first attack, Zhao Wei was not surprised at all, as if everything was expected. The wolf-hair brush in his hand moved like a dragon and a snake, and the ink-colored true essence condensed into a murderous character 'Extinction' in the void, forming a pincer movement with Zheng Jun's attack, blocking all of Prince Jin's retreat routes.

"Damn it!"

Prince Jin, Li Shen, suddenly narrowed his eyes. Seeing two fierce attacks sweeping towards him, he immediately roared, and his true energy surged like an angry dragon, weaving into a thick barrier in front of him, forcefully resisting the two surging killing intents. At the same time, he said in a low voice with a gloomy look in his eyes, "Zheng Jun, are you really not going to reconsider?"

"boom--!!!"

The moment the three Yuan Dan realm true essences collided, a pitch-black rift a hundred feet wide suddenly split open in the sky!
As the aftershocks reverberated, Zheng Jun coldly snorted, "What's there to consider?"

Zheng Jun did not think that Li Shen's surrender would bring anything.

The fact that the sons of the Divine Martial Emperor surrendered does generate some buzz, but that's about it!

Li Shen's surrender brought him no real benefit, only prestige and reputation.

Would the other princes, upon learning of the King of Jin's surrender, also tremble with fear and rush to surrender as well? Probably not.

Moreover, after killing the King of Zhao and the King of Jin, he intended to establish an independent state. Regardless of whether the King of Jin surrendered or not, he could not change the fact that he would be regarded as a "traitor who usurped the Zhou throne" by the loyalists of the Zhou dynasty.

If that's the case, why go to the trouble of trying to persuade the Prince of Jin to surrender?

If Zhao Wei were not an option, Zheng Jun might have considered it.

But now that Zhao Wei has arrived, Zheng Jun has no other option.

Zhao Wei was completely different from Li Shen; Zhao Wei genuinely brought six counties from Longzhou with him.

Such sincerity is enough to show that he is truly sincere.

"It's not that easy to kill me!"

Li Shen roared fiercely, his eyes bloodshot, his true energy surging like boiling water, and he unleashed a series of techniques. With his left hand forming a hand seal, the illusory image of bamboo slips flew out from his sleeve and transformed into four golden patterns representing 'loyalty, filial piety, integrity, and righteousness,' which forcefully withstood the blade energy that Zheng Jun was about to strike.

With a swift tap of his right hand, the jade sword formed the characters "诛" (zhū, zhū) and "戮" (lù, lù), which struck directly at Zhao Wei's face, causing the latter's dark true essence to falter!
Above the city of Haodu, three streams of Yuan Dan realm true essence collided like raging waves, tearing through the clouds with their shockwaves.

After several fierce battles, Li Shen felt a metallic taste in his throat and knew that he would be defeated if he fought again. He looked to his left and right, and after making a move to deflect an attack, he immediately bit his tongue and spat a mouthful of blood onto the bamboo slip. His true energy surged, and he shouted sharply, "A wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall!"

After speaking, a burst of blue and white light appeared, and Li Shen shot eastward like lightning. But Zhao Wei scoffed, "Why should the Prince of Jin tarnish his reputation as a gentleman?"

Four jade pens were already suspended in the four directions of east, west, south, and north. As the pens moved, the void seemed to be frozen by splashed ink, forcing the escaping light to reveal its true form.

Zheng Jun showed no mercy, slashing horizontally with his Dragon Abyss Blade. The hundred-foot-long azure-gold blade light cut off the path through the clouds, and he sneered, "Today, this crumbling wall will be your burial ground!"

Li Shen was forced to turn around, his eyes filled with despair.

Zheng Jun possessed an extremely strong ruthless and murderous aura, while Zhao Wei, that old scoundrel, was also a Confucian scholar and was well-versed in Confucian methods. The two of them joined forces...

Today, I fear that I will indeed meet a difficult end.

but……

Facing the two men surrounding him, Li Shen's eyes flashed with a cold light, and he suddenly shouted sharply, "Zheng Jun! Do you really think Zhao Wei is of one mind with you? The 'Virtue Sect' Dharma form he seeks is to educate all people, surpass imperial power, and even to call himself the Heavenly Master, Earth Master, Imperial Teacher, and Teacher of Man! Today he helps you kill me, but tomorrow the two of you will surely turn against each other because of the struggle for imperial power—at that time, how will you face yourself?!"

Li Shen's roar was like a thunderclap, each word piercing the heart. Zheng Jun's attack faltered slightly upon hearing this, but the blade remained sharp, his azure-gold true essence surging: "A dying attempt to provoke, only to become a laughingstock!"

Li Shen dodged hastily, his Confucian robe torn, yet he still shouted fiercely, "Zheng Jun! Today you used his power to kill me, but in the future, when his 'Virtue Sect' has reached its full power, he will surely use the name of education to override imperial authority! At that time, will you be the ruler, or will Zhao Wei be the ruler?!"

Upon hearing this, the battlefield fell silent, and even the generals who were watching from afar changed their expressions drastically.

That's a pretty ruthless move.

Even if the Prince of Jin had died on the spot, those words would have been enough to leave a thorn in the hearts of the Prime Minister and the Prince of Qing!
After the Prince of Jin finished speaking, he felt extremely relieved.

comfortable.

Previously, Prince Li Shen of Jin only knew that Zhao Wei was a Confucian, Taoist, and martial artist like himself, but he did not know what Zhao Wei was thinking.

Only after listening to Zhao Wei's words did I realize that Zhao Wei was rallying the 'Dejiao followers'.

What he himself wanted to unite was actually the 'Sage of Emptiness'.

Although both belong to Confucianism and Taoism, they are two different paths and do not conflict!

However, some conditions are similar, so there might be a specific order to them, which is quite troublesome.

So, Zhao Wei is actually going to kill him?
What a despicable person!
Therefore, Prince Li Shen of Jin said such a thing in order to annoy Zhao Wei.

Now that I've said it out loud, I naturally feel better.

Even if I die on the spot, it doesn't matter.

Zheng Jun glanced at Zhao Wei and saw that his expression was normal, but the attack of the jade pen in his hand had subtly slowed down by a bit, obviously embarrassed by Li Shen's revelation.

Seeing this, Zheng Jun's mind raced, and he suddenly burst into laughter: "The Prince of Jin is indeed concerned for me. Unfortunately, the Dharma Minister of the 'Lord of the World' must be able to embrace the will of all people and the strengths of all schools of thought! If Lord Zhao can truly educate the border regions, I will certainly treat him with the respect due to a teacher!"

Before he finished speaking, the Dragon Abyss Blade suddenly slashed down, its energy transforming into a hundred-foot-long azure dragon that hurtled straight at Li Shen's face.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wei understood immediately.

Zheng Jun's seemingly humble statement, "Treat them with the respect due to a teacher," actually contains a hidden warning: under imperial power, even education must bow down.

He immediately understood, and the four jade pens suddenly merged together, working in conjunction with Zheng Jun's sword strike to block Li Shen's retreat. He said in a deep voice, "The words of a traitor are not enough to disturb the Prime Minister's ears!"

After saying that, Zhao Wei suddenly lowered his voice again, speaking in a voice that only the three people suspended in mid-air could hear, and said, "Moreover, the reason I came here today to get rid of you is not only to restore a bright and clear world, but also to clear away obstacles."

“If you don’t die, I can only take the path of ‘the followers of the Virtue Sect,’ a path that is obscure and uncertain, with a bleak future… But if you die, wouldn’t the path of ‘the Saint of Emptiness’ also be an option for me?” Indeed, that is the case.

This is also why Zhao Wei did not have a fierce conflict with the Prince of Jin before.

Zhao Wei initially had no intention of competing with the Prince of Jin.

Prince Li Shen of Jin was a member of the royal family of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Both brothers are Yuan Dan.

If the princes of the Zhou dynasty were to unite, Zhao Wei would have no choice but to act like a nice guy and prioritize humility.

However, after learning that Zheng Jun had killed the King of Qin and ambushed the King of Jin from afar, Zhao Wei changed his mind and decided to come and see if he could kill the King of Jin.

If so, it means that you can switch between the two paths.

Of the forty Yuan Dan Martial Saints in the Central Plains, the King of Qin and the King of Zhao are both dead, leaving thirty-eight. Among them are Confucian and Taoist Yuan Dan, besides Zhao Wei and King Li Shen of Jin, there is also a top-tier aristocratic Yuan Dan Martial Saint in the South, Wang Maohong.

Wang Maohong was also a Confucian and Taoist alchemist.

It is said that Wang Maohong had long been making arrangements in Jiangnan, recruiting many disciples, and was known as 'Master Wang'.

Zhao Wei didn't need to say more about what path he wanted to take.

Prince Li Shen of Jin occupied the first position with the title 'Xu Ming Sheng'.

Wang Maohong recruited disciples and opened schools in Jiangnan, promoting "moral education among the masses".

Zhao Wei's level of education for the "Moral Cult followers" was far inferior to that of Wang Maohong, who had clearly gone much further down this path than Zhao Wei.

This is awkward; we're stuck here.

Now that he has the opportunity to destroy the Prince of Jin and take away the 'Xu Ming Sheng', Zhao Wei is naturally extremely happy.

Seeing that his attempt to sow discord had failed, Li Shen, in despair, burned away all his life essence. The four blood-red seal characters 'Propriety, Righteousness, Integrity, and Shame' reappeared around his body, and his jade sword burst forth with dazzling white light, as if he were about to pour out all his life's cultivation: "Then let's perish together!"

"Total destruction? That's just like throwing an egg against a rock."

Zheng Jun sneered, and suddenly raised his left palm. The gilded dragon halberd shot out, its tip wrapped with the power of the four mantras 'Execute, Slaughter, Cleave, Annihilate,' and crashed fiercely into the blood-red seal script!
Zheng Jun intends to use the supernatural power developed by Prince Li Shen of Jin to kill Li Shen.

Let him die from his own supernatural powers.

"boom--!"

The two forces collided with a deafening roar, and the shockwave caused half of Li Shen's body to explode instantly, with blood and flesh flying everywhere!
Just as he staggered backward, Zhao Wei's dark true essence attacked like a venomous snake, precisely penetrating his dantian and completely suppressing his primordial core.

Li Shen groaned and collapsed to the ground, powerless to resist.

"Descendants of the Zhou dynasty will not accept this humiliation!"

Li Shen's face contorted, and a blinding white light suddenly burst from his fingertips, forcibly pulling the remaining Yuan Dan out of his body!
The surface of the Yuan Dan was covered with cracks, and its aura had completely dissipated. It stared intently at the two of them and roared, "Die!"

"boom!!!"

The Yuan Dan exploded in mid-air, and the violent true essence swept in all directions like a tsunami.

Unfortunately, since the Yuan Dan was already shattered, it could not unleash its full power in its self-destruction.

Not to mention, with Zheng Jun and Zhao Wei present and stationed there, they directly sealed off this space, preventing the aftershocks of the self-destruction from spreading out.

Li Shen understood this situation. His self-destruction was not for the purpose of dying together with others, but simply because he did not want to suffer the same fate as his younger brother, Prince Zhao, Li Bi, who was disfigured by having his neck severed and his head displayed to the public.

"boom."

Zheng Jun swung his Dragon Abyss Blade, cleaving through the air currents, only to see Li Shen's mangled body disintegrate inch by inch in the golden light, eventually turning into countless fragments of bamboo slips scattered across the sky, each piece imprinted with blood-red seal script, falling like rain.

Zhao Wei flicked his sleeve to disperse the aftershocks, and sighed as he looked at the debris on the ground: "This wicked king who disgraced Confucianism and Taoism is finally dead."

With a sigh, Zhao Wei immediately turned to Zheng Jun and cupped his hands, saying, "Congratulations, Prime Minister! This battle has resulted in a draw against two kings, enough to shake the world and leave a mark on history! After this battle, the world will know that the destiny of the Han Dynasty has been decided."

After saying this, Zhao Wei paused for a moment, then took the opportunity to say, "The world is not yet at peace, and a sage ruler is needed to govern it. I am concerned for the well-being of the people and hope that the Prime Minister will quickly ascend the throne and become emperor to bring peace to the world. If you insist on abdicating, I fear you will lose the hopes of millions, which is not in accordance with the will of Heaven or the peace of our ancestors."

Zheng Jun was inevitably somewhat surprised upon hearing this.

Zhao Wei was the first to urge them to go through with it.

However, there's no need for that.

"There is no need to persuade me on this matter. I have long harbored the desire to become emperor."

Zheng Jun said, "A true man should be born into this world with a three-foot sword, and achieve unparalleled feats like those of the Xia Ancestor, the Wei Emperor, the Yu Emperor, and the Zhou Emperor. How can we be afraid and not move forward?"

Three times he declined and three times he refused?

Why perform that stuff? Even a three-year-old knows it's just a gimmick. Zheng Jun was extremely confident and didn't want to pay attention to these three attempts to decline.

At most, it will just be an excuse used by people to explain the chaos that will ensue in the future.

If you cannot break through the realm above the Dharma Aspect, even the Dharma Aspect Emperor will eventually die. Even if you adhere to etiquette throughout your life, after your death, there will still be many heroes who want to dominate the world you left behind.

The Xia Ancestor, the Wei Emperor, the Yu Emperor, and the Zhou Emperor—weren't they all like this? Among them were those who declined the throne three times, yet in the end, their empires were still seized by people of different surnames.
There is only one way to ensure the stability of the country.

If you don't die, you'll be promoted!
Meanwhile, atop the city wall of Haodu in the distance, the head of the Guanzhong family looked ashen-faced.

The Prince of Jin's resolute act of shattering his own elixir completely crushed their last shred of hope.

The three family heads, Bai Mingde, Liang Rui, and Wang Chang, were deathly pale. Looking at the dark mass of Han soldiers outside the city and Zheng Jun hanging in mid-air, and then glancing at the broken bamboo slips of Prince Jin, Li Shen, on the ground, their last shred of hope vanished.

Bai Mingde said in a trembling voice, "The situation is hopeless... let's surrender."

Liang Rui closed his eyes and sighed deeply. The 'Eight Desolations Dragon Locking Formation' diagram that he had been tightly clutching in his hand slowly loosened, and the formation patterns dimmed.

Only Li Yannian, his eyes bloodshot, shouted fiercely, "My Li family has been loyal and righteous for generations. How can we kneel before traitors! Haodu City is high and its moat is deep. There are still more than ten thousand private soldiers. The Eight Desolate Dragon Locking Formation has not been broken. We will fight to the death!"

Having said that, he suddenly drew his sword and pointed it at the three men: "If you surrender, you will be traitors who betray their ancestors and forget righteousness!"

Li Yannian was panicked and desperate.

Upon seeing this, Wang Chang sneered and shouted, "Brother Li, the Prince of Jin is dead, and the Prince of Zhao has been beheaded. What 'loyalty' do you have? Do you intend to drag the entire city down with you?"

Before he finished speaking, a crimson light suddenly appeared from his sleeve, revealing that he had secretly communicated with Bai and Liang to capture and kill Li Yannian!
Seeing Wang Chang make his move, Bai Mingde also rolled up his sleeves and drew his daggers, aiming straight for Li Yannian's throat; Liang Rui crushed a jade talisman, and the remaining spiritual power of the Haodu Grand Array turned into invisible shackles, instantly imprisoning Li Yannian's true essence!

"you--!"

Li Yannian was filled with shock and anger, but before he could break free, Wang Chang's crimson light pierced through his chest.

As blood splattered everywhere, Li Yannian roared in agony, "Zheng Jun, even if you conquer Guanzhong, you can never steal the Great Zhou's land!"

Hearing Li Yannian's dying wails, Bai Mingde, Wang Chang, Liang Rui, and the others remained expressionless, only a faint shadow of gloom hung over them. Liang Rui immediately stepped forward, beheaded him, and then said calmly, "Exterminate his entire clan and surrender the city."

After saying that, Liang Rui sighed deeply, feeling uncertain about the future.

Although the Liang family had a martial artist named Liang Xun who had reached the Qigong realm, he had already surrendered to the Prime Minister when the King of Qin was defeated.

But Liang Rui was unsure whether his cousin could save the Liang family.

This has become Liang Rui's biggest wish.

Bai Mingde and Wang Chang, on the other hand, were unsure of what to do.

After all, they were not as good as the Liang family. Previously, none of their family members had surrendered, and they had no one to rely on in the Han army.

However, regardless of the circumstances, Zheng Jun's takeover of Guanzhong is a foregone conclusion.

Now, all we can do is prepare everything to welcome the prime minister, who is about to ascend the throne, into the city.

(End of this chapter)