Film and Television: The Collector Who Rampages Across the Heavens

"I've met you? Perhaps. I'm just a lowly taxi driver under the command of the Prince of Yueyang. How could I possibly have met you, Marquis Changqing, at some point?"

Ren Ruyi said indifferently that she no longer cared about this disciple she had taught since childhood, after seeing that he was already enjoying extreme wealth and comfort.

"You little taxi driver, sir, you are too kind. With your superb martial arts skills, you would be at least a general in my hands."

Li Tongguang sighed softly, his hands gripping the chair. "If I had met you before, I would have asked the Prince of Yueyang for a talent like you. A man of both courage and wisdom is most suitable to serve as a general in the army. It's a pity that even if I survive today's turmoil, the Prince of Yueyang will probably take away my military power."

"It's already a miracle that I'm still alive, even though I've lost my military power."

Ren Ruyi rose and left the inner hall, leaving behind the words, "Marquis Changqing, please rest well. I'll take my leave..."

As dawn broke in the distance, the sounds of fighting within the palace ceased. Countless charioteers began clearing away the remains of corpses and severed limbs after the bloody battle. The surviving imperial guards who surrendered were disarmed and driven out of the palace.

Dangdang Dangdang!

The golden bell tolled six times; this was for the civil and military officials attending the morning court in Andu. Su Li stood in the corridor, toying with the emperor's seal in his hand, with the beautiful and charming Consort Chu beside him.

"How are you going to deal with this mess? Are you going to just ascend the throne?"

Su Li glanced at her excited and charming face and shook her head slightly: "It would be too ugly to rush to the throne. Let's support the Third Prince first and eliminate some unstable factors before we talk about it."

Consort Chu was taken aback, then laughed. The Third Prince was still a baby who hadn't even finished learning to speak. Even if he ascended the throne, he would only be a puppet. In the end, the real power in the court would still be in the hands of his lover.

"Will you be residing in the palace permanently from now on?"

Consort Chu extended her fair hand from her sleeve and grasped Su Li's left hand. With seductive eyes, she whispered that since Li Zhenye ascended to the throne, their secret meetings had become easier and more relaxed. Thanks to Su Li's constant care, she appeared younger and more beautiful every day.

"I can't stay permanently, but I can come often."

Su Li patted the back of her hand. He felt that his current behavior was somewhat similar to Dong Zhuo's usurpation of power during the Three Kingdoms period, treating the princes as puppets and corrupting the court—a typical villain.

However, his status also gave him a certain prestige. He was also a member of the royal family, and his father and Emperor An, Li Sun, were brothers. This relationship was perceived as a power struggle within the imperial court. With this fig leaf in place, his control over the court could be much more stable.

Consort Chu smiled beautifully and leaned closer, saying, "I'm so happy!"

Su Li reached out and gently hooked her nose, teasingly saying, "There will be things that will make you even happier in the future."

After the twelve tolls of the golden bell, the civil and military officials of Andu began to attend court. Su Li, who was absent, personally sent troops to invite them. Some high-ranking officials and nobles had never been to the front lines until their deaths. As they walked through the palace square, which was littered with corpses and severed limbs and stained with blood, their faces turned ashen, and countless people vomited and fainted from fright.

In the main hall of Zhengyang, where the morning court was held, countless armored soldiers stood, holding swords and knives, their eyes resolute and cold as ice, their strong and imposing bodies as solid as iron, covering both the inside and outside.

Su Li stood below the throne, his gaze calmly sweeping over the assembled civil and military officials, including Li Tongguang. He looked at everyone and slowly began to speak:

"My ministers, what happened last night was merely a matter of eliminating treacherous officials to cleanse the court. I had no choice but to do so, because I have received accurate information and evidence proving that the late emperor was poisoned entirely by Li Zhenye, who is on the throne. He poisoned his own father for the sake of the throne; he is worse than a beast. How can such a person be emperor?"

With a wave of his hand, the guards in red robes distributed the evidence they had prepared to everyone.

"Furthermore, my father, the Prince of Yueyang, died while conquering Beipan. There are unknown secrets hidden in this. Li Zhenye, who escaped, knows the specifics. Unfortunately, we have not yet caught him. However, the late emperor's trusted chief eunuch has already told us the truth. Coupled with the death of Empress Zhaojie caused by Emperor An, this father and son are treacherous people in cahoots."

Looking at Su Li performing on stage, Li Tongguang stepped forward and asked with a playful tone, "So, Prince Yueyang, you're doing this to avenge your father and punish traitors for the country?"

"Indeed, I am utterly loyal to Da'an. To prove my innocence, I am willing to support the Third Prince's ascension to the throne. What do you, my ministers, think?"

Su Li looked at the crowd. The red-clad guards on both sides all had one hand on their swords, seemingly posing an invisible threat.

The civil and military officials looked at each other, wondering what they might be thinking. Even if they were, they dared not speak up. The court had already been purged when Li Zhenye took office, and now, apart from the clever ones, there were no more tough guys left in this Zhengyang Hall.

"Since there is no objection, there is no better time than today. We will support the Third Prince to ascend the throne and become emperor."

After Su Li finished speaking, she stepped aside. Two rows of palace maids and eunuchs entered the main hall of Zhengyang with their hands at their sides and bows. Under the sunlight, Consort Chu slowly walked over, carrying the infant Third Prince, and placed him on the throne.

The baby seemed confused about the situation and burst into tears.

"The new emperor ascends the throne, and all his ministers kneel in obeisance!"

At the head eunuch's shrill shout, all the civil and military officials, including Su Li, knelt down to welcome the new emperor.

Looking at the kneeling civil and military officials below, Consort Chu felt a surge of power, as if she held the reins of authority and looked down upon the world. Overwhelmed with pride, she answered on behalf of the Third Prince: "No need for formalities, please rise..."

Only after the civil and military officials had risen did she begin to issue the imperial edict that had been prepared in advance.

"The Duke of Qingguo has rendered great service and is now promoted to Prince Changqing. He is granted a thousand taels of gold, transferred to the position of Minister of War, and appointed Right Chancellor to replace Yang Xuer, who is also granted the title of Grand Secretary..."

The next step was to promote all those who were at odds with Su Li to high positions. For example, Li Tongguang was directly granted the title of Prince, but all his military power was confiscated.

Li Zhenye's men cannot be killed indiscriminately for the time being, but they can be sidelined and dealt with gradually later.

The civil and military officials involved all kept their eyes down, listening silently without daring to voice any objections. They knew that the imperial edict was entirely Su Li's doing, but they still dared not protest.

If they were angered, this prince might very well use the emperor's name to send them to meet their ancestors.

This was a reshuffling of power, and Su Li undoubtedly became the biggest winner, holding both military and political power. The Imperial Guard needed to be rebuilt, the Feathered Guard was dismantled, and the Blood Wolf Army outside the city was suppressed by an imperial edict. By rewarding them with money, wine, and meat, he directly won the hearts of the lower-ranking soldiers.

Even if the high-ranking generals had other ideas, there was nothing they could do. Sending troops now would be tantamount to rebellion, and the lower-ranking soldiers could easily capture them and collect the reward without Su Li even lifting a finger.

The upheaval in the Anguo court spread to the other eight kingdoms at an extremely fast pace. Upon learning of this, everyone from the emperor to the officials rejoiced. This fierce and powerful nation was now embroiled in a power struggle, which would bring some peace for a while. Otherwise, if it became too strong, it would wage war year after year, causing immense suffering to the other countries.

However, they were unaware that the newly appointed Zuli was also a warmonger, determined to end the chaos of the nine kingdoms and bring peace to the world.

With great power in his hands, Su Li's days became extremely busy. He confiscated military power in various places, installed his cronies, and crushed those who refused to submit with his Tiger Warriors and Blood Wolf Army.

Militarily, he established military academies and built a new intelligence organization, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which directly obeyed his orders and monitored all officials. In practical matters, he built roads, smelted steel, manufactured military equipment, and cultivated fertile land. He brought seeds and various advanced technologies from modern times and spread them all over the land of Anguo.

In order to consolidate his rule and strengthen central authority, it was necessary to reform the court system. The civil and military affairs were separated, with the cabinet in charge of political affairs and the military establishment of the Wuge (Military Guard) directly connected with the emperor. The two checked and balanced each other, and the Zhuyiwei (Red-Clad Guard) and Jinyiwei (Embroidered-Clad Guard) acted as the eyes and ears of the emperor, which greatly protected the imperial power.

Su Li also arranged marriages with the powerful nobles of western, central, and eastern Saudi Arabia. In fact, he had another plan in mind: to abolish the names of the three tribes and merge them into one. However, some of the powerful nobles in Anguo belonged to the feudal system and had a lot of land and troops under their names. If these people made any moves, it would easily cause war to break out everywhere in Anguo. To weaken the power of these people, it was necessary to do so on the battlefield.

Winter has passed and spring has arrived. Saplings are renewed and everything is taking on a new look.

In the tenth year of Yongyou, a grand royal ceremony took place on the streets of Andu. Su Li married Chu Yue, the daughter of the Duke of the First State of Shaxi. The ceremony was quite grand, with the dowry alone stretching as far as a street. The people along the way all received sweets, melons and fruits, as well as newly made wedding candies.

"Ready?"

Su Li, dressed in a festive groom's attire, had his clothes adjusted by three maids. Without turning his head, he spoke to the Imperial Guards who entered.

"Yes, the three hundred carefully selected elites will ensure that none of those remnants are left alive. At the same time, we will also take action against those behind the scenes in the Sand Central region."

The Imperial Guard, his eyes flashing with murderous intent, spoke respectfully.

"Go do it, don't let me down."

Throughout history, there have always been loyalists who would put up a final stand. Although Su Li did not bring about a new dynasty, he was not the biological son of Emperor An, Li Sun. Those who had suffered losses hated him with a passion, and assassination attempts against him were frequent.

Who is Su Li? He values ​​his life more than anything. Without exception, all assassins were severely punished. Even if his supporters left no trace, he would fabricate evidence and eliminate them all. This method has been used to purge political enemies time and time again.

So far, the people who are most afraid of his assassination are not himself, but rather the nobles whose interests have not yet been greatly harmed.

The night was dazzling, and the moon shone brightly. In the main hall where the wedding ceremony was to take place, civil and military officials stood on both sides, silently watching the newlyweds holding hands in the middle. The one sitting at the head of the table was Duke Chu, who was the only elder of the two present.

"I bow to Heaven and Earth!"

"Bowing to the parents a second time!"

"Alright, you must treat Chuyue well from now on. She has given you everything, facing this prince who holds the power of a country at such a young age."

Duke Chu patted Su Li's hand heavily and said in a serious, low voice.

"Don't worry, Father-in-law, I'll take care of Chuyue."

After the couple finished their mutual bows, Chuyue, whose head was covered with a red cloth, was led back to her room by a maid. Su Li and his trusted subordinates drank wine one by one, and only returned to their room after seeing off the civil and military officials.

Red candles burned, and various pastries and fruits were laid out on a round table covered with gold-threaded red cloth. A slender woman dressed in festive red clothes sat gracefully on the bed.

"You may all leave."

Su Li waved her hand, and the two maids serving on either side said yes, gracefully leaving the bridal chamber and closing the door behind them.

"Alright, Chuyue, now it's just the two of us in the room, so we don't need to cover our heads anymore."

"Please get it for me."

Chu Yue's tone lacked its usual cheerfulness, and instead carried a touch of girlish delicacy.

Su Li found it somewhat amusing, but she still walked over and reached out to remove the red veil, revealing her pretty face, which was both genuine and joyful. With simple makeup, she looked even more exquisite, the only thing that remained unchanged was her long ponytail.

"Are you hungry? Come and have something to eat!"

Chu Yue unceremoniously reached out and took the pastries from his plate, stuffed them into her mouth, and also poured herself a glass of wine and took a sip.

"Today was exhausting. I was busy from morning till night and wasn't even allowed to eat."

"Eat more..."

"Your Highness, assassins have attacked. The Imperial Guards are dealing with them."

"Maintain vigilance..."

"yes!"

Chu Yue leaned into his arms and sighed, "How many waves have come this month? It's been a constant stream of assassinations."

"We haven't killed enough. Don't worry, a bunch of small fry think they can turn the world upside down."

Su Li casually toyed with her long ponytail.

Not long after, a report came from outside that all twenty-six assassins had been eliminated and the mastermind behind them had been identified. The Tiger Army and the Embroidered Uniform Guard jointly went to arrest them.

"Did you hear that? It's all over... let's go to the bridal chamber."

Chu Yue opened her arms and was embraced by Su Li. The two were already very familiar with each other, so there was no need for prelude, and they started immediately.

Nothing was said that night. The next morning, Su Li went to the morning court. In his plan, An Guo needed to recuperate and build up military strength in the next few years in preparation for unifying the world.

Of the nine kingdoms in the world, An, Wu, and Chu are the strongest, while the rest are small kingdoms. However, even a lion needs to go all out to catch a rabbit. If Su Li does not want to suffer a sudden defeat, he needs to improve his internal strength. The border army will also stop provoking.

For a time, the world was filled with the joy of a peaceful and prosperous era. Thanks to Zuli's various inventions, games such as mahjong, chess, football, and horse racing quickly became popular in the nine countries, along with plenty of enjoyable wine, soap, spices, and so on.

With these resources, the various agents of the Zhu Yiwei infiltrated the military and political circles of the Eight Kingdoms. The nobles indulged in singing and dancing, living a life of debauchery, and the scene of "the rich feasting while the poor freeze to death" became even more severe.

Anguo seized a large amount of wealth and continuously invented military equipment. Roads were built all over the country, and chariots, cavalry, arrows, and crossbows were all upgraded. Its strength became more and more obvious.

In order to encourage soldiers to fight bravely and the military and government to be willing to fight, some national policies began to change, and the system of granting land to soldiers based on military merit was popularized, leading to the development of a country that was more aggressive and powerful.

In the blink of an eye, it was the seventeenth year of Yongyou. Seven years had passed since Su Li's regency. Anguo was prosperous and the people were strong. The common people only knew Yueyang Wang and not Emperor An. The court was a monolithic entity. The stubborn elements from the Li Sun and Li Zhenye era had long been purged.

"The ministers were secretly conspiring to have you ascend the throne; wasn't that something you hinted at?"

In the back garden of the Yueyang Prince's Mansion, two or three children ran past laughing and playing. A three-and-a-half-year-old boy ran past them, slipped, and fell to the ground. Ren Ruyi picked him up, and the boy grinned and followed.

"The war to unify the world is imminent, and everyone must be of one mind. Although my supporters are now spread throughout the court and the country, in name, the emperor is always the most righteous. It is best to be careful."

Su Li looked at the woman who was as beautiful as a peach blossom and had a full and tall figure, and said, "Keep a close eye on the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Don't let anything go wrong when I ascend the throne."

"Don't worry, you are now the one everyone wants you to be."

Ren Ruyi rolled her eyes. She was in charge of assisting in the management of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and had been sharing Su Li's burdens since the twelfth year of Yongyou.

"We must never let our guard down; we must always be extremely careful."

Su Li stepped forward, put her arm around the woman's waist, picked her up, and carried her into the house.

"The weather is bright and sunny today, come with me for a more in-depth discussion."

Ren Ruyi was carried into the house without resistance. Over the years, who among them, or rather, who among them, didn't know each other well? If it weren't for the man in front of her being diligent and wise, he would have been a tyrant long ago, given his ways of playing around!

……

Summer of the seventeenth year of Yongyou.

At the repeated requests of the ministers of Anguo, Prince Li Shuli of Yueyang ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, with the reign title "Zhaowu". The seven-year-old third prince was confined to the deep palace. The latter, who only knew how to eat and drink, was in a daze and no one cared about his fate.

After ascending the throne, Su Li immediately ordered preparations for war in secret, mobilizing an army of 100,000 to attack Wu Kingdom. This old rival had not been at peace for the past seven years.

Although Empress Xiao Yan was pregnant after Yang Xingyuan's death, she gave birth to a daughter instead of a son. After a series of power struggles, she moved into the Empress Dowager's Palace with her daughter Yang Ya and stopped interfering in politics.

Prince Yang Xingyan was placed on the throne by the imperial family and became the first emperor with a limp. However, the Grand Secretary Zhang Song held great power and suppressed him. The open and covert struggle between the two never stopped.

The Six Paths Hall, which was once on par with the Zhu Yiwei, has collapsed beyond repair, becoming a name without substance. The deaths of Ning Yuanzhou and a large number of talented individuals have caused great losses to this intelligence organization of the Wu Kingdom, and it has never recovered.

"Yang Ying, I have good news for you. I am preparing to wage war against the Wu Kingdom. You can watch your own country perish."

Su Li gently traced the delicate cheek of the graceful beauty as she spoke to the former princess of Wu Kingdom.

"What's the use of telling me all this, Wu Kingdom..."

A hint of confusion flashed in Yang Ying's eyes. Since she came to Anguo, she had never returned to that land. It seemed that the royal family of Wuguo had also forgotten about her and had never asked about her.

"You know that our An Kingdom is now strong and well-equipped, and Wu Kingdom is no match for us. Once the war starts, it will be bloody and devastating. As the princess of Wu Kingdom, you have a responsibility to give those people in the midst of war a way to survive."

Su Li handed over the paper in her hand. Yang Ying took it and looked at it carefully. Her pretty face immediately turned ugly.

It was clearly written that they would use her name to attack the Wu Kingdom, and use a conspiracy to prove that the current Wu Emperor Yang Xingyan was not legitimate in his ascension to the throne. She would personally lead the An Kingdom army to avenge her brother.