If you're made a fake emperor, why did you change the country's name?

The Liang River has a wide surface and a gentle current.

The river breeze, carrying a damp coolness, caressed the kneeling people on both banks.

Zhao Yu stood on the makeshift altar, with sacrificial offerings of three kinds of animals in front of him and the Minister of Rites, whose face was deathly pale, behind him.

His gaze swept across the crowd and across the riverbank.

Everything seemed normal, except for that inconspicuous little hill in the distance.

The hill was not high, and the terrain was not treacherous, so it could not hide many troops.

What will Zhao Yu's backup plan be?

"Your Majesty, the auspicious time has arrived," the Minister of Rites said, his voice trembling.

Zhao Yu withdrew his gaze, nodded, picked up the sacrificial text, and prepared to begin.

But just before he opened his mouth.

"Pfft!"

A muffled thud, like a sharp weapon piercing flesh, suddenly broke the silence of the ranks.

Beside Zhao Yu, a captain of the Imperial Guard responsible for protection actually held his long sword to his own neck and slashed it forcefully!

Blood gushed out, splattering onto the faces of several imperial guards nearby.

The captain had a strange and fanatical smile on his face as he fell straight down.

The change came so quickly that everyone was stunned.

"It has thorns..."

Before the word "guest" could even be uttered, another anomaly occurred!

"For His Majesty's sake! Eliminate the evil spirits!"

From the crowd, a dozen or so imperial guards launched an attack simultaneously.

Instead of charging at Zhao Yu, they went berserk, brandishing their weapons and rushing towards the unarmed civilians!

"what!"

A piercing scream instantly shattered the solemnity of the sacrificial ceremony.

The people were terrified, having never seen anything like it before. They were thrown into chaos and scattered in all directions.

The once orderly line was instantly thrown into disarray.

Zhao Yu frowned.

The attack was a suicide bombing, but he wasn't the target.

This is an attempt to divide the battlefield and plot something else.

"Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor!"

Meng Qianshan's eyes were bloodshot with rage. He drew his sword and roared, ordering the imperial guards around him to intercept him.

But the crazed Imperial Guards didn't bother fighting them at all; their goal was clear: to create the greatest chaos.

The screams of the people, the cries of the children, and the sharp sounds of clashing weapons mingled together.

The sacrificial site was transformed into a living hell in the blink of an eye.

In the chaos, Zhao Yu's people were constantly scattered, leaving only a handful of people struggling to hold on.

Just then, a thick layer of white mist rose from the calm surface of the Liang River without warning.

The fog spread extremely quickly, enveloping the entire riverbank in just a few breaths, isolating the chaotic scene from the outside world.

With visibility obstructed, the sense of panic intensified in the fog.

Zhao Yu stood on the altar, coldly observing everything.

He didn't move.

Because he felt that the real show was just beginning.

Sure enough, from the direction of that small hill in the distance, came the sound of neat and uniform footsteps through the mist.

A group of people slowly walked out. The person in the lead was wearing a dragon robe and a flat crown. His face was exactly the same as Zhao Yu's!

In the mist, two identical emperors gaze at each other from afar, separated by a chaotic crowd.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

The fleeing people stopped in their tracks, staring blankly at the scene.

The Imperial Guards, who were engaged in fierce fighting, also slowed down their movements, their faces filled with bewilderment and astonishment.

Two emperors?

Which one is true?

"Hehehe..."

Zhao Yu let out a low laugh, his face full of a smug grin.

"You vile beggar, do you really think I'll let you perform your sacrifices in peace?"

Zhao Yu's voice carried a morbid sense of pleasure.

"Today, in this very place, will be your final resting place!"

Beside him, Eunuch Hai stood expressionless, while Master Hu stood with his hands behind his back, looking like a hermit sage.

"You audacious scoundrel, how dare you impersonate His Majesty!"

With a roar like a thunderclap, Meng Qianshan, along with his son Meng Baishan, led a team of elite soldiers and fought their way through the chaos to Zhao Yu.

Without hesitation, the father and son flanked Zhao Yu, their long swords pointing directly at Zhao Yu on the opposite bank.

Their choice was made without the slightest hesitation.

Zhao Yu's smile froze for a moment, then turned even colder.

"Meng Qian'an, you old scoundrel, do you want to be buried with this beggar?"

Just then, a figure in white descended from the sky, appearing as if in a fleeting moment, and silently landed between the two groups of people.

It was Shen Miaochu.

After landing, she first looked at Zhao Yu, then at Zhao Yu on the opposite bank.

A fleeting look of realization crossed that stunningly beautiful face.

"I see... No wonder two imperial stars appeared in my divination at the same time."

She spoke softly to herself, her voice not loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

These words made the atmosphere at the scene even more eerie.

The true emperor, and his double.

All eyes were involuntarily drawn to her, awaiting her judgment.

A flash of greed crossed Zhao Yu's eyes when he saw Shen Miaochu appear.

"Consort Shen, you've finally arrived! Come quickly to my side; that beggar was merely a substitute I found!"

His tone was certain, as if he was convinced that Shen Miaochu would choose him.

However, Shen Miaochu did not move.

Her gaze passed over Zhao Yu and landed on the Taoist priest with an otherworldly air behind him.

In that instant, Shen Miaochu froze, as if struck by an invisible bolt of lightning.

Her lips moved, her voice trembling uncontrollably.

"Master...Master?"

"What are you doing here? Weren't you... critically ill?"

Master Hu's expression changed, and finally turned into a sigh.

"Miaochu, your teacher is not ill."

He avoided Shen Miaochu's gaze and slowly said, "Back then, I let you enter the palace for your own good, and also for the future of our Taixu Temple."

"What do you mean?" Shen Miaochu's heart began to sink.

Master Hu raised his hand and pointed at Zhao Yu in front of him.

"This is the true Son of Heaven, destined by Heaven. Miao Chu, come here."

The color drained from Shen Miaochu's face little by little.

She seemed not to have heard clearly, or perhaps she couldn't believe it, and asked another question.

"Then...the antidote you told me about three years ago..."

When the antidote was mentioned, a hint of guilt appeared on Master Hu's face, but it was quickly replaced by a more determined emotion.

He believed he had done nothing wrong.

"Master is doing this all for your own good! His Majesty Zhao Yu is destined to unify the world. If you marry him, you will become the Empress, the mother of the nation!"

"Master! I don't like him!" Shen Miaochu interrupted him directly, her voice sharpening.

Does it matter whether you like it or not?

Master Hu's tone became stern.

"The important thing is that you marry him, and your future is limitless!"

More importantly, as the Holy Maiden of Taixu Temple, you should contribute to the interests of Taixu Temple!

Only when you become Empress can our Taixu Temple become the greatest sect in the world!

Shen Miaochu stared at him blankly.

She suddenly felt that the master she had respected for more than 20 years had become an absolute stranger.

It turns out that her admiration and filial piety for more than 20 years, and her three years of compromise, were all just a pawn he laid out for the benefit of the sect.

Seeing that she didn't move, Master Hu's tone became more and more firm, even carrying a hint of an unquestionable command.

"I did nothing wrong! Miaochu, stop thinking about it and come here quickly!"

Shen Miaochu smiled.

That smile carried an unspeakable sorrow and disappointment.

"Master, you're right."

She spoke softly, but her voice was exceptionally clear.

"I should indeed think about myself and the future of Taixu Temple."

A relieved smile appeared on Master Hu's face.

Zhao Yu also puffed out his chest proudly.

But Shen Miaochu's next words instantly froze their smiles on their faces.

"That's why I can't choose him."

Shen Miaochu turned around and walked step by step to Zhao Yu's side, standing shoulder to shoulder with Meng Qianshan and his son.

She looked at Master Hu on the opposite bank and spoke each word with unwavering resolve.

"Because he is not as good as Zhao Yu, who can attract the worship of countless gods and Buddhas!"

"What?!"

"you!!!"