We'll have you impersonate the Crown Prince and create a prosperous era for the Great Qian Dyna

Next spring.

War broke out again.

This was the first time artillery was used on the battlefield.

Although firearms have undergone technological upgrades, they have not been mass-produced and therefore cannot pose an effective threat.

But that's enough.

The barbarians have lost their arrogance.

They took the initiative to signal a desire for peace and sent envoys to the Great Qian Dynasty.

When the envoy passed through the northern border, Zhou Tiancheng did not stop him; he simply arranged for someone to escort the envoy to the capital.

When the envoy arrived in Kyoto, he also met Zhou Rui.

When Zhou Rui heard that the other party wanted to stop the war, he didn't say much. He just turned his head and asked the escort personnel that Zhou Tiancheng had arranged.

"What did His Highness the Crown Prince say?"

The escorts spoke calmly.

"His Highness the Crown Prince said, 'Revenge for wrongs, and grievance for grievances.'"

Zhou Rui immediately nodded.

"Then drag the barbarian envoy away and tear him apart by five horses."

"The envoys I sent back then were torn to pieces by them, so we should return the favor."

A single sentence decided the envoy's fate.

He was dragged away and walked away in pieces.

Some people have expressed concern.

But many more people said it was satisfying!

You should know that back then, as officials of the Great Qian Dynasty, they were eager to stop the war, but what did the barbarian army do?

Those barbarian troops terrified them.

Now, they can finally get their revenge!

Zhou Rui ignored all of this and instead, out of curiosity, called Huang Chen over.

"How many children has His Highness the Crown Prince had?"

Huang Chen immediately gave his answer.

There are three in total.

"The Crown Princess gave birth to a son, and the two barbarian girls gave birth to a son and a daughter."

Zhou Rui smiled slightly.

"Let them enter Kyoto; I want to see this child."

"Speaking of which, the Crown Prince has been in the northern frontier for half a year. I'm afraid he hasn't seen these three children yet, and probably hasn't named them. Let me name them."

"I've already thought it through."

Huang Chen also subconsciously revealed a slight smile.

"Is His Majesty in a good mood?"

Zhou Rui nodded slightly.

"It's alright."

"I understand now. Without him, I'm afraid both Daqian and Beixia would be in the same situation now. I should be content."

"At first, I only wanted to be a carefree prince, but since becoming emperor, my mindset has changed. Now that he is capable of shouldering great responsibilities, I can finally take a break and help him take care of the children, shall I?"

"When Her Majesty the Empress passed away, she wanted to help Cheng'er take care of his child. She was still uneasy when she died, feeling that it was her dereliction of duty not to see Cheng'er get married and have children. It would be good enough if I could see my grandson."

Huang Chen opened his mouth, but didn't say the last word. He ordered his men to send Zhou Tiancheng's two sons and one daughter to the capital.

The fighting on the front lines was intense, but the battle was not progressing rapidly. Zhou Tiancheng had been steadily advancing.

Meanwhile, in Kyoto, Zhou Rui began his daily routine of playing with his grandson.

Watching the three children running around in the back garden, Zhou Rui's smile broadened considerably.

But only Huang Chen knew that Zhou Rui's health was deteriorating day by day.

The cause cannot be found.

After Zhou Rui fell asleep again, Huang Chen looked at his white hair and could no longer bear it, so he went directly to see the imperial physician.

The imperial physician gave a fearful answer.

"His Majesty has his own worries, and his health will not improve until these worries are resolved."

"He has a mental illness."

Huang Chen fell silent.

How could he not know what was on Zhou Rui's mind?

The Empress passed away long ago, and the only remaining Crown Prince also died. But the one who killed the Crown Prince was Zhou Rui's son, who was also the hero who saved the Great Qian Dynasty. Although Zhou Rui no longer harbored resentment and even prepared to leave the throne to Zhou Tiancheng, he felt guilty towards the Empress and the Crown Prince!

Thinking of this, Huang Chen couldn't help but feel sad, and tears welled up in his eyes.

But the next day, while serving Zhou Rui, he dared not reveal the slightest bit of his true feelings.

One autumn day, Zhou Rui sat by the garden, watching his three grandsons laughing and playing, and suddenly spoke up.

"Huang Chen, I understand what the Imperial Observatory means."

"But I had no choice, because during that time I kept dreaming about the Empress and the Crown Prince. They kept questioning me, asking why I didn't kill the fake one."

"But I dare not!"

"They are important, but the entire realm of Daqian is equally important!"

"If the barbarian army were to enter the Great Qian Dynasty and the Central Plains, those who would question me would not be the two of them, but the millions of people of the Great Qian Dynasty, and even the ancestors of the Zhou family!"

"I think the only option is to make things difficult for them."

Huang Chen was in tears.

"It is Your Majesty who is suffering!"

Zhou Rui smiled, shook his head, and turned to ask him.

Do you think I am a good emperor?

Huang Chen nodded repeatedly.

Undeniably, Zhou Rui was not good at teaching his son and did not handle the father-son relationship well, but he was ultimately serious and responsible towards the world.

Just like back then, the first thing he did after learning that the crown prince was absurd and incompetent was to consider passing the throne to Zhou Tianze.

In his heart, the Empress and the Crown Prince were important, but the world was equally important. Otherwise, he would not have prepared two imperial edicts for Zhou Tiancheng, nor would he have let Zhou Tiancheng go so easily.

Zhou Rui looked at Huang Chen and nodded, then smiled with satisfaction.

He heard a child cry and immediately changed his expression.

"Oh dear! Why are you crying?"

"Come here, let Grandpa Huang hug you."

He hugged his grandson and, just like an ordinary grandfather, made faces at his grandson.

Once his grandson calmed down, he smiled and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"I must say, taking care of a child is quite tiring."

"I recall when I was in the Prince's Palace, I personally took care of Cheng'er, and it was pretty much the same."

Huang Chen bowed respectfully.

"Your Majesty has worked hard."

Zhou Rui smiled.

"What's going on in northern Xinjiang?"

Zhou Rui provided the answer.

"Although the advance was not overwhelming, the Crown Prince has been steady and methodical, and the defeat of the barbarian army is just around the corner in the next year or two."

Zhou Rui breathed a sigh of relief.

Only when the barbarian army is gone can the crisis of the Great Qian Dynasty be completely resolved.

But things just happen so suddenly.

Zhou Rui passed away in the winter.

Many people found it abrupt.

Whether it was Zhou Tianze in Jiangnan or Zhou Tiancheng in the northern frontier, they both felt baffled.

Because in my memory, Zhou Rui always seemed energetic and healthy.

The two hurriedly returned to Kyoto, where Huang Chen gave them the answer.

"His Majesty had actually been having nightmares for a while now. He was carrying a heavy burden on his mind, and as time went on, his health deteriorated."

"Although he didn't say it, this servant knows that His Majesty is suffering!"

Zhou Tiancheng sighed.

"Uncle Huang, whether you believe it or not, I never intended to kill the Crown Prince; I just wanted to live."

Huang Chen nodded slightly.

"His Majesty did not blame you. He told me in the end that it was thanks to you that the Great Qian Dynasty would have ended up like the Northern Xia Dynasty today."

Zhou Tiancheng pursed his lips and remained silent.

Zhou Tianze stared blankly at the corpse, feeling neither sadness nor joy, just a sense of emptiness.

At this moment, Huang Chen glanced at him.

"His Majesty's intention before his departure was to pass the throne to His Highness the Crown Prince."

Zhou Tianze did not refute, but simply spoke calmly.

"I'll see him off."