Immortality: Starting with a grave, I'm invincible when burying corpses.

Su Xiang followed Jun Huayang's example and sat down on the steps. When Jun Huayang asked him a question, he nodded quickly.

"I certainly remember that it was thanks to His Majesty's appreciation and recognition of our ideas that I have everything I am today."

Jun Huayang remained noncommittal to Su Xiang's remarks. He simply sat there, watching the children playing and frolicking on the side of the street.

Decades ago, Qi'an City established several government offices and assigned personnel to protect the homeless, ensuring they also had the right to live.

Decades have passed, and now there are very few beggars in Qi'an City, and it is rare for anyone to freeze to death on the street.

The dark alleys within the Sixth and Seventh Ring Roads have disappeared, replaced by bustling commercial streets.

Jun Huayang couldn't ensure everyone was well-fed and watered, but he did give everyone as many opportunities as possible to grow up.

The beggars who once roamed the outer city of Qi'an were adopted by a special department. After growing up, they became soldiers, craftsmen, or clerks in the city, working together to protect the present-day Qi'an.

Over the decades, under Jun Huayang's leadership, the imperial court provided assistance to millions of people who could not survive.

These people have now taken up arms and are fighting on the front lines to defend Qi'an City.

For these homeless people, Qi'an City is their home, and the Emperor of Daqi is the one they would protect with their lives.

It was these soldiers, who were almost like warriors to the death, who allowed the crumbling Qi'an City to hold out until now, while also blocking the attacks from the Southern Frontier and Qishan Road.

Even though the Datong Palace is no longer pure, they still practice many of the ideas proposed by Zhuangzi back then.

These ideas are flourishing in Qi'an City; all that's missing is time for the seeds to sprout and the flowers to bloom.

If Wan Shu hadn't met Meng Yan back then, but instead had spent more time exploring Qi'an City and taking a closer look at it now, perhaps she wouldn't have made the decision to let Datongdao rise up in rebellion.

Unfortunately, everything had already been meticulously planned out.

As the sun set, the golden sunlight shone on Jun Huayang, illuminating his slightly forlorn face.

"Actually, I have always known that your Datong Palace had ulterior motives back then and had its own schemes."

Su Xiang sat silently to the side.

"Back then, I was young and arrogant, and I thought too highly of myself. Even though I knew there was something fishy going on, I still chose to give you important positions..."

Because when I was young, I firmly believed that I was confident that I could make you serve me willingly, and that I had the ability to manage you. As long as you had talent, I was willing to use you.

As it turns out, your Datong Palace is indeed quite capable, bringing many changes to Qi'an City.

For a very, very long time, I believed that reform was the only way out for the Great Qi Dynasty.

It was precisely this idea that made me steadfastly push forward the reforms and support your reforms, even when my court officials were vehemently opposed and the country was in chaos.

Because only reform can save the Great Qi Dynasty. If my generation does not take this path, the next generation will still have to.

When they finally decide to leave, the path will only become more difficult, and the deep-seated problems must be resolutely addressed.

At that time, I already understood that even if this path was fraught with danger and littered with corpses, I had to keep going.

With another sigh, Jun Huayang looked up at the fading orange sun as it set behind the western mountains, under Su Xiang's complex gaze.

"That's what I thought, and that's what I did."

Despite immense pressure, I pushed forward the reforms and applied your excellent ideas from the Datong Dao to the governance of Qi'an City.

I know that the reforms will become a weapon, used by opportunists in their power struggles; this is unavoidable.

To minimize the impact, I deliberately guided your struggles, setting up a framework that you developed into a habit.

The struggles take place only in the imperial court and among the officials, while the common people in the city simply enjoy the consequences of your intrigues and deceptions.

Regardless of who wins or loses, it will be a good thing for the people.

His tone gradually became impassioned, but then abruptly turned sour, filled with resentment.

"I have thought about many things, but I never imagined that a full-scale rebellion would come so quickly, so quickly that I would not have time to further promote the reforms throughout the country."

Not long ago, everything was normal, and there was not much difference from the previous situation. I only needed a little more time to regroup and lead the entire Great Qi to a phoenix-like rebirth.

……

I never imagined that stars would fall from the sky, and that the falling fragments would coincidentally crash into the city, causing the deaths of hundreds of millions of people and destroying all my hopes.

All the savings and all the efforts were not even enough for disaster relief.

I have toiled day and night, never daring to slacken my efforts. I have worked tirelessly for a century, attending to every detail, yet I have personally led the Great Qi Dynasty to its demise...

I am not reconciled! I am not reconciled! By what right? By what right? By what right? What right do they have? What did I do wrong?

What do the lives of ordinary people mean to them?

We were so close to success! Everything was about to get better...

As the sun disappeared behind the western mountains, darkness gradually swallowed up the faint light between heaven and earth.

In the dim world, Su Xiang lowered his head and remained silent for a long time.

He also had no answer to this question.

Or perhaps he also wanted to ask those two people at Sixiang Mountain and Lingshan Temple what the reason was.

Is it really true that their luck is so bad?

Su Xiang coveted power and wealth, and he took many things he shouldn't have, and schemed against many people.

But Su Xiang did not forget that he came from a humble background, had once depended on his younger sister for survival, had been rescued by Qin Xiucai, and had studied under Zhuang Sheng.

While enjoying power, he also worked hard to make changes and create the beautiful future that Zhuangzi spoke of.

But all of this ultimately became a joke.

……

At this moment, Su Xiang sat beside Jun Huayang, watching the streetlights come on and dispel the darkness once again.

"Your Majesty, it's getting late."

Jun Huayang glanced at the brightly lit street, then looked at Su Xiang and said something as well.

"Yes, it's getting late."

"It is late, Your Majesty should return to the palace."

"I'm not going back. Tonight, I want to go and see the soldiers who fought so hard for me..."

As night fell, Jun Huayang stood up and glanced back at the bustling street, a glimmer of light in his eyes.

He lightly gripped the Qiming Sword at his waist, then turned towards the vast darkness in the distance.

"At least in the end, I want all my subjects who fought for me to see my face clearly... I want them to know that their emperor will always stand with them."

……

The 100th year of Qiming, the 7th day of the 11th month.

The last line of defense outside Qi'an City has been breached.

Troops from Southern Xinjiang and Qishan Road simultaneously stormed into the city.