I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 315 Last Will
Emperor Pingyuan fought his way towards King Xuan while fighting the enemy.

Gu Ci was about to step forward when he was stopped by King Xuan, who said, "I will come."

Gu Ci nodded and turned to fight Wan Shi.

King Xuan strode toward Emperor Pingyuan, and the soldiers along the way made way in understanding.

Emperor Pingyuan killed a soldier from the Northwest Army with a backhand and then raised his long sword to stab King Xuan.

King Xuan went to meet him, and in just a few moves he knocked away the Flying Dragon's Roar Sword. With a sweep of his longsword, the crown fell to the ground.

Emperor Pingyuan's hair was disheveled, and he was forced to kneel on one knee on the ground.

King Xuan asked, "Will you surrender or not?"

Emperor Pingyuan sneered, "I'd rather die than surrender!"

King Xuan struck Emperor Pingyuan on the back of the neck, knocking him unconscious, and then carried him all the way to the Dayu Palace.

Gu Ci slit Wan Shi's neck with a single stroke and followed behind King Xuan.

Everything in the Dayu Imperial Palace was as usual. Under the supervision of the Empress Dowager, the eunuchs and palace servants were all dutiful and did not panic at all.

Granny Shi entered the hall and reported, "Empress Dowager, His Highness Prince Xuan requests an audience."

The Empress Dowager, fingering her prayer beads, announced, "Summon them!"

Granny Shi went to announce the arrival, and a moment later, Prince Xuan strode into Cining Palace, dropped the book on Emperor Pingyuan he was holding, knelt down and bowed, "Your son greets Your Majesty!"

The Empress Dowager looked at Emperor Pingyuan, who was lying on his back on the ground.

Granny Shi hurriedly stepped forward to check the person's breathing, and after confirming that the person was still alive, she nodded to the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, "No need for formalities."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," King Xuan stood up. "It's been many years. How is Your Majesty's health?"

The Empress Dowager ignored Prince Xuan's greeting and asked with a stern face, "Prince Xuan, are you planning a rebellion?"

King Xuan sighed, "My mother is still the same as always. No matter what happens, she always thinks it's my fault."

The Empress Dowager, stung by the attack, grew even more solemn. "Treason and rebellion, and you still dare to argue?"

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. Your son is not plotting a rebellion, but rather restoring order to the country."

The Empress Dowager frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

King Xuan took out a roll of bright yellow silk from his sleeve.

The Empress Dowager's lips trembled. "What is this?"

"Before his father passed away, he sent someone to deliver his last will to the Northwest," Prince Xuan said, unfolding the silk and handing it to the Empress Dowager. "The will stated that if any future emperor is immoral, I may take his place."

The Empress Dowager carefully examined the writing and the imperial seal on the silk, confirming that they were genuine. Only then did her straight back slump. "It turns out that Emperor Gaozu had foreseen this all along."

King Xuan suddenly asked, "Does Mother still blame her son?"

The Empress Dowager, her previous coldness gone, looked at Prince Xuan with gentle eyes and said, "I don't blame you. Do you blame your mother?"

King Xuan shook his head, "Your subject knows that Your Majesty is also trying to uphold legitimacy."

"That's good," the Empress Dowager said, her eyes filled with tears. "Since Emperor Gaozu has decreed, I will no longer interfere. But I beg you, please leave a bloodline for your elder brother."

King Xuan assured, "Mother, rest assured, your son will not go so far as to exterminate them all."

"The Princess Consort is still on her way to Luoyang. I entrust the Empress Dowager with the task of making arrangements for the inner palace."

"Rest assured, I will take good care of the inner palace," the Empress Dowager promised. "I will also personally take care of the eldest and second princes in Cining Palace."

Still not believing him, King Xuan curled the corners of his mouth, "Mother, please do as you please. I have matters to attend to in the court, so I'll take my leave now." "Go ahead."

King Xuan didn't even glance at Emperor Pingyuan lying on the ground. He strode out of the palace and headed straight for the Hall of Diligent Governance.

Inside the Hall of Diligent Governance, the ministers who had been summoned to the palace waited anxiously. Upon seeing Prince Xuan, before they could even open their mouths to question him, they were caught off guard by the edict of Emperor Gaozu.

King Xuan sat on the dragon throne and asked, "Do any of you have any further objections?"

Gu Liu and Gu Ci exchanged a glance; even they were unaware of the will.

Yin Wei was the first to react, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects!"

With one person taking the lead, the rest knelt down one after another, saying, "Your Majesty, we pay our respects!"

King Xuan's gaze swept over the kneeling crowd and landed on the standing Grand Tutor Zhang and his son.

Knowing his fate, Grand Tutor Zhang was unwilling to bow and scrape, saying, "My Zhang family only recognizes Emperor Pingyuan as our master."

“Very good,” King Xuan ordered, “Drag the Zhang family father and son away and behead them.”

The Northwest Army guards who were standing outside the door entered the hall, dragged Zhang Taifu and his son out of the hall, and with a swift stroke of their swords, their heads fell to the ground.

The remaining ministers who had served Emperor Pingyuan were trembling with fear.

“I am a military man and do not like verbal battles. If you ministers are right, I will listen to you even if you point your fingers at me and curse me. But if anyone harbors evil intentions and tries to harm the country and its people for their own selfish reasons,” Xuan Wang pointed to the Zhang family father and son outside the hall, “this is your lesson.”

"Your Majesty's teachings will be obeyed."

"The north has just experienced war, and the people need to be comforted," King Xuan said to Gu Liu. "You and the cabinet should select capable and responsible officials as soon as possible to take up positions in Qin, Jin, Ji, Yu, and Shu provinces to settle the people as soon as possible."

Gu Liu and the cabinet ministers received the decree.

King Xuan looked at Gu Ci and said, "Quickly compile a list of the fallen soldiers and distribute their pensions in full. If anyone is found to have embezzled funds, do not inform me; execute them immediately!"

Gu Ci accepted the imperial decree.

Under the suppression of King Xuan's 300,000-strong army, the noble families of Luoyang became extremely obedient, turning against the tide and siding with King Xuan one after another.

In order to make a good impression on the new emperor, the Ning family directly implicated their in-law, the Zhao family.

"The Zhao family sided with Emperor Pingyuan back when the late emperor was still in power, following the path of the traitor Tang Zheng," said the head of the Ning family. "I have also heard that the traitor Tang Zheng and his son are currently hiding in the Zhao family!"

Upon hearing this, King Xuan immediately ordered Gu Ci to send troops to surround the residence of Zhao, the Minister of Personnel. Sure enough, they found Tang Zheng and his son in a secret room.

Fearing that Tang Zheng and his son would escape again, Gu Ci broke their hands and feet and locked them deep in the prison, where they were personally guarded by soldiers of the Northwest Army. Then he hurriedly went out of the city to welcome the Princess Consort's convoy.

Not wanting to fall behind his son, King Xuan immediately rode out of the palace, leaving behind a group of eunuchs and palace servants who watched his figure disappear into the distance.

Twenty miles outside Luoyang, tens of thousands of Northwest Army soldiers escorted a convoy that stretched as far as the eye could see as slowly moving forward.

Tang Zhao leaned against the carriage and slept one nap after another, his whole body aching terribly.

"Bear with it a little longer, we'll be in Luoyang soon," Princess Xuan advised. "Things are not stable outside right now, so it's best to be careful in everything you do."

Tang Zhao nodded, yawning repeatedly, and was about to take another nap when he suddenly heard a familiar horse neighing.

Red ears? Tang Zhao perked up immediately, opened the carriage window and leaned out to see Gu Ci galloping towards them on horseback.

Tang Zhao pushed open the car door and jumped out amidst the exclamations of Princess Xuan and the Crown Prince's wife.

Gu Ci bent down, his right arm firmly supporting Tang Zhao's waist as he helped her onto the horse. The two of them left the caravan and disappeared in an instant.

Princess Xuan laughed and scolded, "He's really forgotten his mother now that he has a wife."

“Although my second brother doesn’t remember Mother, Father does,” Ming said, pointing into the distance. “Look, Mother, Father has come to pick you up.”