Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Jiang Che had been the emperor for sixty-one years, so he naturally understood what Jiang Changsheng meant.
“That stinky brat…”
Jiang Che instantly guessed that it was Jiang Qing’s doing. He instinctively felt angry, but soon after, he felt gratified.
He had been waiting for Jiang Qing to do this. Over the years, he had been obsessed with the pursuit of longevity and had almost forgotten his original intention.
He had also experienced such pain before, so he was gratified by Jiang Qing’s actions. At the very least, it meant that Jiang Qing had become ambitious and had his own opinions, unlike the idle crown prince back then.
However!
When he was about to let go, he suddenly felt very unwilling.
At that moment, he understood Emperor Shuntian’s thoughts.
Humans were ultimately contradictory. Very few people could truly understand what kind of person they truly were.
Jiang Che took a deep breath and looked at the two glasses of wine in front of him. He knew that he had to make a choice.
Ji Wujun, Bai Qi, Huang Tian, and Hei Tian all stared at him, curious about his choice.
Jiang Che stretched out his hand and touched the wine cup named Hegemony. However, just as he was about to touch it, he hesitated and finally grabbed the Thousand Autumn Wine.
He looked up at Jiang Changsheng and said, “Ancestor, can you give me another five years? After five years, I will give in.”
The gap between an emperor and a retired emperor was still huge. If he was not the emperor, his power would naturally decrease.
Jiang Changsheng said, “Alright.”
It was only five years. He believed that Jiang Qing could afford to wait.
Jiang Che felt as if a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
Jiang Changsheng said, “There’s nothing wrong with pursuing longevity. Even though I can’t help you, I won’t stop you. However, you are the Emperor. Don’t forget the people and the country.”
Jiang Che drank the Thousand Autumn Wine in one gulp and praised, “Good wine. This wine is not as bitter as you say.”
All matters pertaining to the imperial power were paid for in wine.
Then, Jiang Changsheng asked about his pursuit of longevity. At the mention of this, Jiang Che’s interest was piqued and he talked non-stop. Jiang Changsheng listened with relish.
Bai Qi sighed with emotion. Who would have expected that Great Jing’s next emperor would be decided so easily?
Ji Wujun thought of more things. Although the Dao Ancestor was not the Emperor, he had more power and prestige than the Emperor. This was not something that could be brought about by strength alone. He believed that as long as the Dao Ancestor gave the word, the people of Great Jing would be willing to follow him and overthrow Jiang Che’s rule. This was the most terrifying thing.
The path that the Dao Ancestor took was a path that none of the previous Martial Emperors had taken. He did not have to bear the luck of an emperor, but he could still protect the country.
However, only the Dao Ancestor could do that.
If it were any other Martial Emperor who had done so much and lived in a Luck
Dynasty for a long time, their luck would have long fused with the Luck Dynasty. However, the Dao Ancestor was omnipotent and could actually reject integrating with a Luck Dynasty. She could not imagine how he did it.
Four hours later, Jiang Che returned to the palace.
Jiang Qing sent someone to keep an eye on him and waited uneasily. However, he could not ask the Dao Ancestor, as it would make him look rash. However, according to his subordinates, the Emperor seemed to be very happy.
Why was he so happy?
Could it be that the Dao Ancestor used a pill for longevity in exchange for imperial power with his father?
Jiang Qing let his imagination run wild.
After returning to the bedroom, Jiang Qing told Concubine Yu the news of his concession in five years.
Concubine Yu turned pale with fright and said, “Why should you give in?”
Jiang Che said, “It’s time to give in. I no longer have the intention to be the Emperor. Right now, I am merely occupying the position of Emperor for my own selfish desires.
“But you are the Emperor. You have the final say in Great Jing.”
“I am the Emperor of Great Jing, but Great Jing does not belong to the Emperor.”
Jiang Che shook his head and walked into the inner hall.
Concubine Yu was stunned as she recalled those words.
She revealed an expression of admiration and immediately followed.
After the trip to Longqi Mountain, Jiang Che became even crazier. He wantonly asked his armies to hunt powerful ferocious beasts for him. For this, he also issued generous rewards, causing every martial artist to go crazy.
Great Jing set off another hunt for the Great Wilderness.
When Jiang Changsheng learned of this, he merely smiled and continued with his leisure life.
Jiang Qing had also received a promise from Jiang Che. He only needed to wait for another five years. Therefore, he began to help Jiang Che as a show of filial piety.
Time passed by quickly.
Three years passed in the blink of an eye.
It was the 64th year of the Taihe Era, during summer.
Jiang Changsheng was cultivating when a line of words suddenly appeared before his eyes.
“In the 64th year of the Taihe Era, the Zhang Ying you marked was successfully reincarnated and born in the Qi Kingdom.”
Why was Zhang Ying dead?
Jiang Changsheng was secretly surprised. As Zhang Ying had helped the Amazing Fate Chamber of Commerce build a good relationship with Great Jing, his status in the chamber of commerce had advanced by leaps and bounds. Even in court, he had a pivotal position. Even though his talent was not good, he could rely on many resources to extend his lifespan. Moreover, he was protected by so many martial artists when he went out.
He did not bless Zhang Ying with incense points. Even though the two of them had a good relationship, it was built on benefits and he did not owe Zhang Ying anything.
He thought for a moment before sending a voice transmission to Li Jun in the capital to ask him for help in the investigation.
Li Jun was now the commander-in-chief of the White-robed Guards, so it was easy to find him.
In less than seven days, Li Jun came to visit Jiang Changsheng.
“Two months ago, the Amazing Fate Chamber of Commerce built a branch in the Great Wilderness. They wanted to build a city in the Great Wilderness to accommodate adventurous martial artists and carry out all sorts of transactions. However, they were attacked by a mysterious ferocious beast on the way and all the martial artists of the Chamber of Commerce, including Zhang Ying, were wiped out. This matter was suppressed by the Crown Prince and the Amazing Fate Chamber of Commerce made adjustments before making it public.”
When Li Jun mentioned this, he could not help but sigh.
He had a good relationship with Zhang Ying, mainly because he knew how to conduct himself and was extremely popular.
“Speaking of which, there have been more and more ferocious beasts around Great Jing recently. I wonder if it will cause a huge disaster,” Li Jun said worriedly before he glanced at Jiang Changsheng.
Jiang Changsheng said, “Ferocious beasts have their own race. They are not random wild beasts. Humans will always usher in calamities when they hunt so many ferocious beasts. This is a must. There will be times when you will have a headache in the future.
The implication of his words was that he would not interfere.
Even though Great Jing was powerful, its people still needed to train themselves. He would only take action when Great Jing was in danger.
Hearing this, Li Jun’s heart tightened. It seemed like something big was about
to happen.
The two of them chatted for a while before Li Jun left.
Bai Qi lamented, “No wonder Zhang Ying hasn’t sent a gift for a long time. It turns out he’s dead. What a pity.”
She missed the delicacies that Zhang Ying had given her.
Jiang Changsheng did not think much of it and closed his eyes.
Two years later, it was the 66th year of the Taihe Era.
The Emperor announced to the public that he was prepared to cede the throne. And in the spring of next year, the Crown Prince, Jiang Qing, would ascend the throne.
The moment the edict was released, the public was in an uproar.
No one expected the Emperor to cede the throne. Since ancient times, the throne of Great Jing had been handed over to the next emperor once the previous emperor died. Right now, the Emperor’s body was still in excellent condition, so it should not be a problem for him to live for another few decades.
However, due to the Crown Prince’s good achievements over the years, the commoners and the officials had no objections and merely lamented.
Over the years, the Emperor had built a group of palaces in the north of the capital called the Ancestral Palace. It occupied a vast area and was second only to the palace in the capital. He was prepared to bring all his concubines to the palace and give up his position. Naturally, he could no longer stay in the imperial palace.
The person in charge of this matter was the Crown Prince, Jiang Qing. He was very serious as he built the Ancestral Palace in an incomparably gorgeous and imposing manner, causing the people in the capital to praise his filial piety.
The next year, Jiang Qing ascended the throne and changed the era name to Changle.
In the 1st year of the Changle Era, when the new emperor ascended the throne, Jiang Che moved out from the imperial palace with his empress and concubines. As Jiang Che was still alive, the year was celebrated and there was no great funeral.
In the throne room.
Jiang Qing, who was dressed in a dragon robe, could not conceal his joy as he looked at the civil and military officials. He touched the armrest of the dragon throne and felt so comfortable.
The entire court looked at him with a smile. Most of them had watched him grow up, so they were gratified by his achievements.
It had to be said that although Emperor Taihe was old and muddle-headed, he had also forced out a wise ruler. This was also a good thing.
Chen Li chuckled and said, “Your Majesty, you have just ascended to the throne. Do you have any thoughts? At the very least, you can guide us.”
The officials nodded and spoke one after another. The atmosphere in the hall was pleasant because Jiang Qing was their good friend before he ascended the throne.
Jiang Qing took a deep breath and revealed a smile. “I have long had an idea. Dear officials, what do you think Great Jing lacks the most right now?”
As soon as he said that, the officials looked at each other.
What was lacking?
They really could not bring themselves to say it. In their opinion, the current Great Jing was unprecedentedly powerful, both in terms of civil and military, and their finances were not bad.
Chen Li seemed to have thought of something, and his expression slightly changed.
“Great Jing does not lack martial arts. Martial arts is now at its peak. Great Jing does not lack literature. Our literary culture is resplendent and there are as many chambers of commerce as there are forests. This makes the people not have to worry about food and clothing. However, Great Jing lacks something very important.”
Jiang Qing swept his gaze across the officials and slowly said, “That is joy! In my opinion, joy is indispensable. However, other than working, the people of Great Jing only practice martial arts and study. I want to promote the path of joy and make everyone in Great Jing happy. What is joy? Naturally, it is not the pleasure of being at a disadvantage. I want to create an unprecedented dynasty of happiness in Great Jing!”
Hearing this, the expressions of the officials changed and many of them thought to themselves, ‘Oh no.’
The more Jiang Qing spoke, the more excited he became. The first thing he had to do was to gather all the scholars and famous courtesans from all over the world to the capital city to hold a poetry and song gathering to celebrate the arrival of a new era.
Some people immediately objected, but they were suppressed by Jiang Qing.
Jiang Qing was not a child. He was the Emperor now. As long as he was determined, no one could stop him.
After a period of time, the Emperor’s words spread throughout the land, attracting constant criticism.
Some supported it, while others found it ridiculous.
When the news reached Jiang Changsheng’s ears, he shook his head and laughed. He was not surprised.
That was the nature of this kid.
Yu Yanyi of the Fuyue Family could not help but ask, “Dao Ancestor, are you not worried that he will become a fatuous ruler?”
Jiang Changsheng said, “Just this matter, how can he be considered an incompetent ruler? Did he ignore government affairs or commit nepotism? Did he allow vile characters to disturb the government?”
Yu Yanyi was stunned and could not refute.
Bai Qi smiled and said, “I think it’s pretty good. At least he has a goal to make everyone happy. Isn’t this a peaceful and prosperous time?”
Ji Wujun said, “That’s right. The Sacred Dynasty has two similar times. These times can increase the imprint and weight of the dynasty in people’s hearts.”
Yu Yanyi curled her lips and said, “Since the Dao Ancestor thinks there’s no problem, I’ll wait and see.”
Just as Jiang Changsheng was about to speak, a line of words suddenly appeared before his eyes.
[In the first year of Changle, the Zhang Ying you marked was successfully reincarnated and was born in the Great Wilderness.] Why was he reincarnated again?
Was he fated to become another Four Seas Sage?