Loan Wusheng

Chapter 233 The Kings' Reactions, Seclusion and Cultivation

When the Emperor of the Great Han Dynasty ascended the throne, the world trembled.

The news of Zheng Jun's ascension to the throne quickly spread throughout the entire country.

Everyone was shocked by the news.

Although two people in the South also declared themselves emperors, the Great Zhou Dynasty's control over the South was not strong. It was normal for the two top aristocratic families, Xiao Luan and Lu Meng, to declare themselves emperors.

But the North has always been the Li family's private territory.

Zheng Jun, a commoner, declared himself emperor in the capital, a momentous event that shocked the world!

This further enraged the princes of the Li clan!
Chuzhou, which was closest to Zheng Jun, received the news on the third day after Zheng Jun ascended the throne. The king was immediately alarmed and summoned his ministers for a meeting.

Inside the Chu King's palace, the crowd was filled with righteous indignation!
"Your Majesty, does the traitor Zheng think that our Zhou dynasty has no one to rely on?"

A burly, powerful general, his face flushed with anger, momentarily resembling Guan Yu, before shouting, "Your Majesty, this humble general is willing to be the vanguard, charge into the capital, and capture this traitor alive for you!"

"That's right, that's right!"

A pale-faced young man standing nearby was also shouting, looking like he had everything under control: "This scoundrel is blinded by greed. Your Majesty should send troops to punish the wicked and execute the traitor Zheng. Then you can ascend the throne in the capital. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

An old general, deep in thought, said, "Southern Liang is invincible, but Northern Han might be able to fight."

"..."

The dozen or so experts from Chuzhou who had reached the Tongqiao realm each expressed their opinions, but most of them remained silent.

Because they had already begun to notice some problems.

Li Hong, sitting on the throne, was flushed red, looking at these people with a sense of helplessness.

"I summoned you here not to cause trouble!"

After taking a deep breath, King Li Hong of Chu roared, "That Liang traitor Xiao Luan has four Yuan Dan cultivators, doesn't that Han traitor Zheng Jun have one too? Have you all lost your minds?! What kind of terrible idea is this?! The three Yuan Dan cultivators who have fallen in the world today were all lost at Zheng Jun's hands!"

Upon hearing King Li Hong of Chu's angry shouts, everyone felt extremely embarrassed.

They assumed that His Highness the King of Chu had summoned them to incite public anger and to give Zheng Jun a piece of his mind.

After all, His Highness the Prince of Chu is a descendant of the Divine Martial Emperor. Although he is only the Divine Martial Emperor's illegitimate son, his talent is extraordinary and he is bound to achieve great things.

They believed that with Zheng Jun's usurpation, His Highness the King of Chu had something important to do: to directly restore the rule of the Zhou Dynasty, refuse to recognize the false emperor 'Jinglong,' and succeed his brother as the third emperor of the Great Zhou, thus reviving the Great Zhou.

As for the Yongchang Emperor who came back from the dead and landed in Jiaodong County?
Unfamiliar, a fake.

After all, Emperor Yongchang's political life had already been lost at the gates of Daliang City in Jinzhou. Not to mention that the guy from Jiaodong County couldn't distinguish between truth and falsehood, even if it were true, he was already a dead man in the eyes of all the lords in the land.

The four kings of Qi, Wei, Han, and Yue would not tolerate his existence, and the Cai family's investment in Zheng Jun had been a great success. The eldest daughter of the Cai family had already become the Empress of the Han Dynasty. Perhaps the only ones who could continue to be loyal to Emperor Yongchang were the remnants of Yue Guogong Shu Weiyuan's troops stationed in Pengzhou.

The King of Chu was well aware of this situation.

In this situation, his elder brother was no different from any other minor lord in the land, and his predicament was even more pathetic, worse than Zhang Bengong in Yizhou.

After all, he was facing a combined attack from four princes and seven Yuan Dan Martial Saints.

His subordinates all felt that they had a chance to become the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, which would allow them to advance further, but only he knew that his situation was not much better than that of his imperial brother.

In the south there was the Xiao Liang dynasty, and in the north there was the Zheng Han dynasty.

I'm caught in the middle, in a very awkward position.

The Southern Liang regime, with Emperor Xiao Luan, Chancellor Wang Maohong, General Wang Chuzhong, and Grand Commander Xie Du'an, were all Yuan Dan Martial Saints.

The Zheng-Han regime in the north, whose emperors Zheng Jun, Lu Zhenglin (Prince An), Cai Kang (Prince Ning), and Zhao Wei (Prince Qing) were all Yuan Dan Martial Saints.

Although they may not necessarily conform to the proper etiquette between ruler and subject, there may be internal struggles.

But no matter what, they will always be united in the face of external enemies.

What the fuck.

He could easily handle four Yuan Dan Martial Saints, but if something went wrong and he was attacked from both sides, he would have to deal with eight Yuan Dan Martial Saints in one go!

This is much more difficult than what happened to Emperor Yongchang of Jiaodong Commandery!

Emperor Yongchang only needed to deal with the seven Yuan Dan Martial Saints: the King of Qi, the King of Wei, the King of Han, the King of Yue, the two patriarchs of the Yang family, and Duke Wei Bohu of Guo.

In any case, King Li Hong of Chu understood.

The one who would establish the dynasty would be chosen from among Zheng Jun, Xiao Luan, Prince Qi Li Shu, Prince Yan Li Gao, Prince Wei Li Fang, and Emperor Yongchang.

As for Zhang Bengong, himself, Li Hun of Liangzhou, and Lu Meng, the emperor of the Great Wu who occupied the southeast coast, they were all just minor warlords who were temporarily separatist and could not amount to anything. They were just temporarily kings and hegemons.

Of these six men, King Li Hong of Chu actually favored his elder brother, King Qi, and his younger brother, King Yan.

Zheng Jun and Xiao Luan have many Yuan Dan cultivators, but the benefits are not evenly distributed, which may lead to backstabbing.

The King of Wei, cooperating with the King of Han, might create a rift in their pursuit of the throne, and the two elders of the Yang family are not to be underestimated.

Although they have many Yuan Dan, they are not of one mind.

Although the King of Qi and the King of Yan did not have many Yuan Dan, they were united in their efforts and worked together as one.

King Qi had Wei Bohu, and King Yan had Wang Chengdong.

These are all loyal ministers.

The King of Qi commanded an army of over 600,000 and occupied the most prosperous lands in the land.

Although the King of Yan only had 300,000 troops, they were among the most elite forces in the land, having fought against the Northern Rong and Eastern Yi for many years.

Most importantly, the Prince of Yan was even sitting on the sidelines watching the two tigers fight. In recent years, apart from sending troops to occupy Wuguang County in Bozhou under the pretext of "rebellion", he had no intention of taking any other action and had been accumulating strength, which was enough to show his great ambition.

These points alone are enough for Zheng Jun, Xiao Luan, and Li Fang to learn.

King Li Hong of Chu took a deep breath, looked at his ministers, and asked, "I summoned you here not to discuss whether to attack Xiao Liang or Zheng Han, but rather..."

"I wish to become a vassal state. Whom do you think I should send my envoy to?"

Damn it, I have no claim to the throne, but I'll take the blame for wiping out my entire clan.

That damned Great Zhou Dynasty, I don't care anymore.

They might as well close the door and live a life of debauchery.

Upon hearing King Li Hong's words, the officials of Chu Province looked at each other in bewilderment.

what?
Your Majesty, are you afraid before the battle even begins?
Have you already started considering who to vote for?

You are the son of the Divine Martial Emperor! How could you do this?
"Let's form an alliance with the Han Emperor. We have no grudges against him, and we even sent him jewels to befriend him before, without any conflict."

"No! The Han emperor usurped the Zhou throne. Your Majesty is a descendant of the Divine Martial Emperor. If you form an alliance with Han and become a vassal state, how will the people of the world view Your Majesty? It is the right path to seek peace with the Liang emperor!"

"You old fool, you are truly a stupid pig! The Han emperor usurped the Zhou throne, so wasn't the Liang emperor a traitor too? Our army fought several major battles with the Liang army, even winning a great victory, causing the Liang emperor to suffer heavy losses. How could the Liang emperor let it go? Moreover, the Liang emperor has allied with Eastern Wu, and now, besides us, the only other direction for expansion is the Liu family. The Liu family has not yet become enemies with him, so why would the Liang emperor do this?"

"Why not? The Liu family of Pingzhou are descendants of the Xia dynasty's ancestor. Now that the world is in chaos, they naturally have the desire to restore their ancestral traditions. Emperor Liang might very well launch a campaign against them..."

"Descendants of the Xia Ancestor? It's been three thousand years, who still remembers that? Besides, Liu of Pingzhou is a descendant of the Xia Ancestor's cousin, not the Xia Ancestor himself! Moreover, compared to the Xia Ancestor thousands of years ago, Your Majesty is a son of the Divine Martial Emperor. Compared to the Liu family, aren't we a greater enemy?"

"..."

The officials of Chuzhou started arguing again, chattering like sparrows, giving King Li Hong of Chu a headache.

Just then, a slender strategist stepped forward, bowed to King Li Hong of Chu, and said to everyone present, "I have something to say, please listen carefully."

Upon hearing the words of the lean strategist, a burly man with a thick beard immediately retorted with displeasure, "Xun Teng, what insights could you possibly have, you mere youth? Get down here immediately, this is not a place for someone like you who is of external origin!"

The aura of the Tongqiao burst forth, but the thin, externally powerful strategist named Xun Teng was not intimidated at all. Instead, he fearlessly said, "You are all seniors. In the battle, I am not as good as you seniors, but in terms of the current situation, you seniors are not as good as me."

"you!"

The burly man with the thick beard was about to get angry when he saw King Li Hong of Chu raise his hand and say, "Continue."

Upon seeing this, Xun Teng immediately spoke up: "Neither the Emperor of Han nor the Emperor of Liang would want to border each other now... Therefore, in my humble opinion, Your Majesty's choice to serve one as a vassal will only exacerbate the conflict between the two, causing our Chu region to suffer more attacks."

"Those who surrendered to the Han were attacked by the Liang; those who surrendered to the Liang were conquered by the Han."

Upon hearing Xun Teng's words, King Li Hong of Chu nodded and looked at Xun Teng with some surprise: Did he really have such a wise and resourceful person under his command? Weren't they all just fools and brutes?

After taking a deep breath, King Li Hong of Chu said, "If we do not make a choice and go with the flow, we will likely suffer from being attacked from both sides sooner or later. Choosing one side to become a vassal is to avoid this situation. Xun Teng, what is your intention?"

"Your Majesty, I believe that we should send envoys to both Han and Liang at the same time and submit to them simultaneously," Xun Teng said. "Han and Liang should have a tacit understanding, since they are both emperors of different surnames. Now that the Zhou dynasty has not been destroyed and there are still kings in the Central Plains, Han and Liang will not go to war directly. Therefore, it is most appropriate to let my Chu region serve as a buffer zone and establish ourselves here."

"Your Majesty only needs to submit to both the south and the north at the same time to quell the chaos, allow these counties to recuperate and rebuild, and observe the outcome... If the Han Emperor unifies the north, then submit to Han; if the Liang Emperor unifies the south, then submit to Liang."

Upon hearing Xun Teng's words, King Li Hong of Chu took a deep breath, nodded immediately, and said, "In that case, we will follow your plan and send envoys to Han and Liang!"

After saying that, Li Hong looked at Xun Teng and suddenly said, "If this is not done properly, I will kill you first!"

"Your Majesty, rest assured, if this plan fails, I will commit suicide to atone for my sins!"

……

In Linzi, Qingzhou, the four kings of Qi, Han, Wei, and Yue gathered together and received news of Zheng Jun's declaration of himself as emperor at the same time. Some of them were immediately furious and enraged.

The King of Wei, in particular, could be said to have his dissatisfaction written all over his face!

King Wei, Li Fang, slammed his fist on the table and rose abruptly, his eyes bloodshot and his hair bristling. He roared, “That lowly commoner Zheng Jun! How dare this peasant from Heishan County presume to declare himself emperor?! What is he?! When I was inspecting Bozhou, I passed through Heishan County, and it was nothing but a desolate, backwater place, where you couldn’t even find a decent warrior! And now this scoundrel dares to ride roughshod over everyone in the world?!”

He grew angrier with each word, his true energy overflowing uncontrollably, causing the several singing girls serving in the hall to tremble in fear: "Once I conquer Bozhou, I will slaughter this Black Mountain County! All those with the surname Zheng, regardless of age, will be torn apart by chariots! I will let them know that a lowly commoner is a lowly commoner, how dare they usurp the foundation of my Great Zhou!"

After saying that, King Wei, Li Fang, took a deep breath, looked at King Han, Li You, and couldn't help but chuckle: "Fifth brother is quite composed. I heard that my niece Zhao Wan is now a so-called imperial concubine of the Han court?"

Upon hearing this, King Li You of Han's face darkened.

Although he and the King of Wei were brothers, ever since he lost Pengzhou, his elder brother had been deliberately making sarcastic remarks and trying to suppress him, which made King Li You of Han very impatient. Just as King Li You of Han was about to say something, he saw that the King of Qi had already opened his mouth.

Fourth brother, be careful with your words.

Qi King Li Shu lightly tapped his jade cup to interrupt, a hint of impatience flashing between his brows: "Now that the traitor Zheng has already achieved the Great Perfection of the Primordial Elixir and has successively beheaded the kings of Jin, Zhao, and Qin, what's the use of saying these angry words now?"

After saying that, King Qi added, "This Zheng traitor is indeed despicable, but he is not our greatest enemy at present."

The King of Yue remained silent, only drinking.

Upon hearing King Qi's words, everyone present understood who their true enemy was.

It was the Donghai troops of Jiaodong Commandery. Emperor Yongchang had already conquered two commanderies and looked like he was about to sweep across the land.

As the last survivors of the battle, they naturally knew that Emperor Yongchang had not died, but had escaped at the cost of Yuan Dan.

At that time, they believed that Emperor Yongchang was no longer a threat after losing his Yuan Dan, so they did not deliberately search for Emperor Yongchang Li Ji. However, they never expected that he would return in glory!
Although Emperor Yongchang, Li Ji, is said to have recovered his Yuan Dan strength, he is alone and should not be a major threat.

However, the people present felt that Li Ji was a much greater threat than Zheng Jun!

Even if Zheng Jun had two more Yuan Dan Martial Saints under his command, they wouldn't be as threatening as Li Ji!

The reason for this is quite simple.

Firstly, Li Ji was, after all, the legitimate crown prince and the rightful heir to the throne. If he did not die, the Li imperial family would be somewhat illegitimate.

Secondly, and most importantly.

He returned with his troops from the East China Sea and landed in Jiaodong County.

What does this mean?
This means that their elder brother intervened.

The people of the land may not know this matter, but they are very clear about the reasons behind it.

As the sons of Emperor Shenwu, they naturally knew about the deeds of Emperor Shenwu's sworn brother.

This uncle, surnamed Song, was a hero of Yunzhou. He was chivalrous in his youth, generous with his wealth and righteousness, and spent money like water to help those in need. People at the time called him "the number one hero of Yunzhou".

Back when Emperor Shenwu was still struggling and had fallen on hard times, he was stranded in Yunzhou. Upon learning of this, he did not hesitate to help him with all his resources, not only providing money but also taking care of him personally. Emperor Shenwu was deeply grateful for his kindness and swore brotherhood with him, vowing to live and die together.

Later, when the world was in turmoil, Song Shibo had already occupied Yunzhou, commanding tens of thousands of soldiers, and his power shook the northern frontier.

However, remembering his past promise, he abandoned his family business and joined the Divine Warrior, saying, "How can a man in this world betray his promise? Now that the world is in turmoil, only the Li family can bring peace to this chaotic world."

He then led his troops to fight alongside Shenwu in his campaigns to the south and north, charging into battle and repeatedly achieving great feats.

After the unification of the world, Emperor Shenwu intended to bestow upon him the title of king, but he declined the title and entered the East Sea with his peak Yuan Dan cultivation. He secluded himself in the East Sea for decades and severed all ties with the Central Plains.

However, Emperor Shenwu knew very well that his sworn brother had stolen the secrets of heaven from the East Sea, completed the steps of condensing the Dharma form, and ultimately stole the fortune of the East Sea Dragon Clan, condensing the 'Stealing the Secrets of Heaven' Dharma form. Thus, he established a mansion and temple on the summit of Penglai, calling himself 'True Lord of the Upper Cave Subduing Dragon'.

Only occasionally can fishermen from Qingzhou see sword lights soaring into the sky and dragon roars faintly amidst the vast expanse of the East China Sea.

Now, the Divine Emperor has passed away.

But the True Lord of the Upper Cave is still alive. Since this uncle sent his elder brother back, doesn't that prove something? The uncle might be supporting his elder brother in seizing the throne?
This naturally made them somewhat uneasy, so they wanted to get rid of their eldest brother as soon as possible so that their uncle could find someone else to support.

Zheng Jun becoming emperor did not mean that their qualifications to be emperors were stripped away; they could still compete with Zheng Jun for supremacy.

But if Li Ji becomes emperor, then the rest of them will truly have no chance.

Upon realizing this, King Qi immediately took a deep breath and said, "Although Uncle is a highly skilled Dharma Master, we are currently in the midst of the struggle for supremacy, and he cannot directly take action. This is our opportunity! Quickly eliminate Li Ji of Jiaodong Commandery, and then we can join forces to return to the west and launch a campaign against Zheng Jun!"

Upon hearing this, the King of Wei and the King of Han ended their dispute and nodded in agreement.

However, a strange light flashed in the eyes of the King of Yue.

He seemed to have figured something out.

Is this "Shangdong Fulong Zhenjun" really as selfless as the rumors suggest?

not necessarily.

According to historical records, this "Shangdong Fulong Zhenjun" seemed to be no different from the Divine Martial Emperor, and was also a powerful regional lord. How could he so easily give up the "Lord of the World" Dharma form in the end?
Moreover, after going to the East Sea, even if it was to condense the Dharma form, why did they sever ties with the Central Plains for the next few hundred years, never interacting with each other again?
But why are they now so blatantly interfering in the conflicts of the Central Plains?

All of this made the King of Yue think of a terrible thing.

The 'Shangdong Fulong Zhenjun' cultivated no other Dharma form.

What he's cultivating is 'stealing heavenly secrets'!

The Venerable Master Faxiang devoted his entire life to pursuing a higher realm.

So, could this "Shangdong Fulong Zhenjun" be trying to use this ability to scheme for something else?
The King of Yue pondered this to himself, but he did not say it aloud.

The more chaotic the situation, the more advantageous it is for him.

He would never reveal any of this.

Chaos is the ladder to success!
……

Apart from the Li clan princes, the various forces acted differently, but none of this affected Zheng Jun's mindset; these external reactions, big or small, did not influence him.

Meanwhile, in the imperial palace, Zheng Jun was drafting a plan regarding the officials of the various departments in the central government of the new dynasty.

Zheng Jun referenced the official system of the Ming Dynasty, and what he wanted was a system similar to that of the Jiajing Emperor.

Small matters are not discussed in meetings, while big matters are discussed in small meetings.

He doesn't neglect his spiritual practice in his daily life.

As for sending troops to conquer, Zheng Jun did not want to continue the war except for the campaign against Suzhou.

After all, Zheng Jun also wanted to take a break recently so that the people under his rule could catch their breath and he could focus on consolidating his cultivation level so that he could break through to the peak of the Yuan Dan realm as soon as possible and directly obtain a Dharma form of the 'Lord of the World'.

That would terrify the other feudal lords, leaving them utterly baffled.

This made them wonder why they were able to condense the Dharma Image of the 'Lord of the World' when they had not met the absorption conditions of the twenty states' ley lines.

For Zheng Jun, this is indeed more important now.

Expanding territory is not the biggest problem.

He only needs to maintain his current base, using the six prefectures of Lanzhou, Guanzhong, Suzhou, Bozhou, Xuanzhou, and Longzhou to support his cultivation.

In the process of cultivation, one can gradually discover one's own supernatural abilities.

Zheng Jun simply appointed Chen Jingzhong, Lu Chengbi, Yu Shen, Cai Mao, Lu Chenliang, and Zhao Siyuan to the cabinet to handle state affairs, while the officials of the other six ministries would temporarily assume their posts as usual. Zheng Jun then prepared to hastily go into seclusion for spiritual practice.

Needless to say, Chen Jingzhong and Lu Chengbi, from Kangle County to Shenjing City, although their cultivation levels were not high, Zheng Jun would still allocate resources to ensure that they became Tongqiao martial artists.

His joining the cabinet to assist in governance was inevitable.

Yu Shen, on the other hand, was given a major reward after he had made great contributions in the pacification of the Zhao King. He was first allowed to enter the cabinet to participate in important matters, and then he would be rewarded after his seclusion ended.

Cai Mao, his brother-in-law, was the young master of the Cai family.

Lu Chenliang and Zhao Siyuan are the outstanding young talents of the Lu and Zhao families in their time.

These three were all doing this to give face to the other three Yuan Dan Martial Saints, allowing them to participate in the empire's highest ruling class.

In addition, Zheng Jun also established a new army, the Longwu Guard.

This army was designated as the Emperor's Imperial Guard and was permanently stationed in the capital.

The Dragon Martial Guard was formed by imperial decree that the martial arts prowess of the eldest sons of powerful and influential families in various counties and prefectures under the rule of the Han Dynasty would come to the capital to form the Dragon Martial Guard to protect the Emperor of the Han Dynasty. At the same time, the imperial court would personally send people to instruct them in martial arts.

To put it bluntly, it's just about finding nobles as hostages to form a hostage group.

As for protecting the safety of the Han emperor?
In the entire Han Dynasty, the most capable fighter was Emperor Zheng Jun!
In short, after hastily handling some matters, Zheng Jun began to prepare for seclusion.

This is what he should be doing right now!

Inside the secret chamber of the Divine Capital Imperial City, Zheng Jun was enveloped in a cocoon of azure-gold true essence.

Four demon cores floated in front of him, these four demon cores came from the Crimson-Bearded Dragon King, the Nether Spider King, the Heavenly Wolf Demon King, and the White Crane Demon King respectively.

At this moment, the surface of the demon core was covered with cracks, and the violent demonic power was forcibly suppressed by Zheng Jun, turning into four streams of light of different colors, which flowed into Zheng Jun's seven orifices.

His body was enveloped in a continuous surge of azure-gold true energy, like waves crashing endlessly.

The demon core of the Crimson-Bearded Dragon King is Zheng Jun's first choice for refining.

Zheng Jun circulated his cultivation technique, using his own true essence as a guide to gradually peel away the dragon essence from the demon core and integrate it into his own body. During the refining process, Zheng Jun also felt a blazing power flowing through his body, as if flames were burning in his blood.

"The power of the dragon race is indeed domineering!"

Zheng Jun pondered to himself, then adjusted his breathing, guiding the power to his dantian, where it merged with his own primordial core.

However, after only hastily condensing a shape, Zheng Jun immediately began refining the demon core of the Nether Spider King, which emitted a cold and eerie aura, and the demon core of the Heavenly Wolf Demon King, which was full of violent and murderous energy.

"The power of the Heavenly Wolf is primarily for killing and conquest."

"Nether Spider Demon Power, primarily focused on perception."

The final demon core of the White Crane Demon King was also refined by Zheng Jun at the same time without hesitation, allowing this breeze-like power to circulate within his body.

This time, Zheng Jun actually intends to refine all four demon cores at the Yuan Dan realm at once!
Based on his previous experience refining the demon core of the Deer Demon King, Zheng Jun believed that he could still gain a lot of improvement in the process of refining these demon cores, especially these four.

The Crimson-Bearded Dragon King added pressure to the Yuan Dan, the Nether Spider King increased divine sense perception, the Heavenly Wolf Demon King increased ferocious killing power, and the White Crane Demon King added lightness and swiftness.

It was indeed a waste to refine this Yuan Dan demon core while still in the Tongqiao Realm.

Only by refining at the Yuan Dan realm can all the effects be truly maximized!
"It will probably take one or two years to completely refine this immense demonic energy and spiritual power... I hope that during this one or two years, the outside world will allow me to get through this period peacefully."

(End of this chapter)