Chapter 1023 The Great Yan Emperor!

The old Pixiu still stood in the center of the main hall, its aura enough to slightly distort the surrounding view.

Its existence straddled the line between spirit and substance.

The Yan Kingdom preserved and continued the Pixiu lineage better than the Chu Kingdom had initially. Otherwise, how would the Great Yan's Pixiu and Pixiu Beasts have been cultivated?

Long ago,

the Pixiu had become one of the Great Yan's totems, combining itself with the nation's destiny early on.

As the Great Yan swallowed mountains and rivers and expanded its territory, the other three great nations fell one after another. As the Great Yan was about to unify the world, signs of national fortune surged forth, replenishing this old Pixiu's body, allowing it to regain its "vitality."

The reason why the white-clothed woman named "Ling" was able to cultivate so many Pixiu after entering the Imperial Beast Bureau was not only due to her precise and unique methods but primarily a natural consequence of the old Pixiu's spirit being strengthened by the national fortune.

The Emperor still sat there,

seemingly pondering, hesitating,

or perhaps simply not bothering to offer any guidance.

Eunuch Wei and the red-robed eunuch continued to stand quietly,

while the masters of the Secret Agency and the red-robed eunuchs above the hall held their breath.

Here,

was Yanjing,

the Imperial Palace,

here,

was before the Son of Heaven.

Here, the Emperor possessed supreme authority.

After a long silence,

the old Pixiu "spoke":

"Consider that you have agreed."

The old Pixiu turned to leave.

The Emperor didn't call it, still not responding;

the old Pixiu reached the doorway,

outside,

it began to rain.

However, the raindrops and the flames on the old Pixiu's body did not clash; they coexisted naturally. The so-called incompatibility of water and fire did not exist here.

The old Pixiu paused,

turned its head,

its huge, majestic eyes looking again at the Emperor sitting high above;

on the day of the late Emperor's funeral,

because Xue San had meddled with the restrictions on the black pill furnace, the then "aged and weakened" Pixiu spirit was able to briefly escape, coming from outside the Spirit Hall to personally bid farewell to the late Emperor.

It had even revealed the secret that when the late Emperor's body was failing and approaching its end, it had proactively offered to extend his life but was rejected by the late Emperor.

Other emperors of the Yan Dynasty did not have this opportunity.

Only the late Emperor could make this Pixiu spirit willingly offer its assistance.

Now,

in the old Pixiu's eyes,

the Emperor before it had a seven or eight percent resemblance to the late Emperor in his brow, but in other aspects, he lacked the late Emperor's unique flavor.

It couldn't quite put its finger on what it was,

but perhaps,

although it was of ancient origin and of a lineage so high it seemed to come from the heavens,

when facing the late Emperor,

though it always stood tall and held its head high,

the late Emperor's mere glance

had instantly filled it with a sense of trepidation, as if it were attending the Son of Heaven.

However,

it didn't experience the corresponding emotion in the presence of the current Emperor.

But to say that it therefore looked down on him,

that didn't seem to be the case either.

Because it had already finished its "instructions,"

logically speaking,

it should return, to lie beneath that pill furnace again, but yet, it stopped.

Not only did it turn its head,

but it also turned its body,

facing the Emperor again.

"Understood?"

The old Pixiu asked again.

Much talk

meant a lack of confidence.

Compared to the fear it felt in its heart when facing the late Emperor, this sense of anger;

when facing this Emperor, there was no fear, but the Emperor's way of hiding his heart in the depths also left it without a bottom.

While you couldn't see through him,

it was very likely that

he had already seen through you.

The Pixiu wasn't human,

and for a long time, it had been in a half-broken, half-fragmented state;

it was a pity that Yao Zizhan, whom the Emperor had brought back to Yanjing, wasn't qualified to be here at this moment.

Otherwise, with Yao-shi's literary talent and attentiveness, he would surely be able to provide a detailed explanation:

The late Emperor was a heroic ruler who pioneered and advanced, eliminated malpractices, broke through barriers, and cleaved mountains and rivers for the Great Yan.

That was why there were the two Kings of the North and South, and the great achievements of destroying the Three Jins in the east and pacifying the royal court in the west.

The current Emperor was an enlightened ruler who managed affairs with insight and nurtured things silently, managing the world;

although the Regent King led the Jins Dong Army in the main force of several hard battles, which time was there not the court's support of hundreds of thousands of troops in the rear and massive, uninterrupted logistical support?

When facing a heroic ruler, you knew what he was thinking and what he was going to do, but you would still feel fear because of what he thought and did.

When facing an enlightened ruler, you didn't know what he was thinking or what he was going to do, but you vaguely felt that you had become a chess piece, already held in his hand or placed in a certain position on the board.

The Pixiu spirit turned back after leaving,

prompting the Emperor to let out a clear laugh:

"Heh heh heh..."

The old Pixiu just stared at him;

its stubbornness wouldn't allow it to lower its head. Over the years, it had personally witnessed how many generations of Great Yan emperors had ascended the throne and died in this palace, witnessing their entire lives.

"I can order it to be announced that in the inner cabinet, there must be another empty chair, with a memorial tablet placed on it, inscribed... Pixiu."

There was a very clear sense of mockery in the Emperor's words.

"Emperor, do you think I'm teaching you how to do things?"

The Emperor tilted his body slightly,

spread his hands,

and said:

"Otherwise?"

The old Pixiu raised its head again,

and said:

"It is your Ji family's ancestors teaching you how to do things."

"Heh heh heh..."

The Emperor laughed again,

throughout history,

why did the ministers below restrain and deal with the Son of Heaven? The most commonly used weapon was the "ancestral family law."

Of course,

this thing was really useful on weak emperors;

but the problem was,

in front of heroic or enlightened rulers,

they often considered themselves the creators of future generations, they believed that they were the ones who set the ancestral family law for the future rulers, so how could they be tripped up by this kind of rhetoric?

This time, the Emperor spread out both his hands,

and asked:

"Where are they?"

The old Pixiu revealed a smile,

it didn't laugh, but the change in emotion was very clear and obvious.

"I'll take you to see them."

"Good."

The Emperor finally stood up, he took a step and walked downwards.

The Eunuch Wei and the red-robed eunuch in front of him instinctively wanted to stop him, but as the Emperor gradually approached, the two highest-cultivated eunuchs in the Great Yan palace could only silently retreat.

The Great Yan's momentum of swallowing Zhuxia (all of China) had already been established. Looking at the world, only the Great Yan could be called the Son of Heaven.

In this process, although the Regent King had been conquering the north and south, and the aura of the number one person in the military was constantly being added, how could the Great Yan Emperor, who was about to become the master of Zhuxia, not have his own blessings?

Eight hundred years ago, there was the Great Xia,

eight hundred years later,

he would become the first emperor to once again unify the world.

An Emperor for all time,

a living Emperor for all time,

this kind of majesty, this kind of spirit,

outer court ministers didn't even dare to disobey the slightest imperial will, let alone these domestic servants?

The next scene,

which occurred in the Imperial Palace,

seemed a little... too bizarre.

A Pixiu walked in front,

an Emperor wearing a dragon robe walked behind,

the periphery,

the surroundings,

were red-robed eunuchs following.

Fortunately, this palace had become a forbidden area since the passing of the Grand Elder, so what happened today was destined to become a secret within the Great Yan Imperial Palace.

As the Son of Heaven and the Pixiu moved forward,

Eunuch Wei personally "cleared the way" in front, dismissing all idlers and forbidding any eunuchs or palace maids from approaching.

Finally,

the Pixiu stopped in another building.

To be precise,

the ancestral temple of the Great Yan Ji family was right next to the previous pill furnace palace, attached to it.

The Pixiu's huge body stopped in front of the gate.

Ji Chengjue climbed the steps,

as he climbed the stairs,

the old Pixiu's voice kept coming:

"You can't kill him; killing him will cause internal strife in the Great Yan."

"But you can watch, watch him, seek death himself."

"As long as he can die justly, so that the people of the world have nothing to say, then his subordinates will naturally have nothing to say."

"If he dies, his subordinates will inevitably cause trouble, and the world that has just been conquered will also be in trouble."

"But this is not a problem; you just need to spend a few more years readjusting the world."

"Those people want him to die because if he lives, they will have no chance at all."

"We are watching him die because even if he dies, those mice can't stir up any trouble in the face of the current Great Yan."

"You have this ability, and Great Yan also has this ability to protect this world."

"In any case, it's much better than having two suns in the sky next, better than him being alive, better than his proud and fierce generals having a backbone."

"Without him, you are still you, Great Yan is still Great Yan. The Ji family will replace Xia and establish a great dynasty. A hundred years later, the people will no longer call themselves Xia people but Yan people, and the world will no longer be called Zhuxia but Yantu (Yan land)."

"He should die."

The Emperor

finally stepped onto the steps and arrived at the gate of the ancestral temple.

"Go in, Emperor, and listen to what your ancestors will say."

Ji Chengjue reached out, opened the door of the ancestral temple, stepped across the threshold.

Behind him,

Eunuch Wei and the red-robed eunuch stood on either side, while the other red-robed eunuchs began to form a formation.

The old Pixiu exhaled a wisp of white air between its nostrils, looking disdainfully at the people in front of it,

and said:

"How could I be detrimental to the Great Yan Emperor?"

Wei Zhonghe's sleeves, two strands of refined green light were constantly flowing,

and said loudly:

"Disrespect to the Emperor is a great crime."

"I am not a slave of the Emperor's family." The old Pixiu said proudly.

Wei Gonggong revealed a smile at the corner of his mouth,

and said:

"You aren't even worthy of being a slave."

The old Pixiu patted the ground with its two hooves, and a terrifying aura directly suppressed Wei Zhonghe.

At this moment,

the surrounding red-robed eunuchs collectively exerted their strength, forcibly weaving a large net from above, suppressing the Pixiu's aura.

The old Pixiu didn't fully exert its strength,

but as a warning,

hummed,

and said:

"Wait until the Emperor finishes seeing his ancestors before we talk."

Wei Gonggong raised his hand, and everyone withdrew their magic.

The next moment,

everyone sat cross-legged.

Outside the ancestral temple,

the wind and rain didn't stop while people were silent!

...

The Emperor, who stepped inside, found that everything in front of him had changed the moment his second foot stepped in.

Here,

was not a solemn ancestral temple,

but instead, it had become an elegant waterside pavilion,

it was the scenery of the back garden.

In the pavilion in front,

a person was sitting with his back to Ji Chengjue, that person's back view was very familiar.

The sound of silk and bamboo music came from nowhere, lingering and melodious;

the fragrance of sandalwood wafted from nowhere, lingering and refreshing.

Ji Chengjue looked down,

sorted out the dragon robe he was wearing,

whether it was seeing the old Pixiu in the previous palace, or following it all the way to the ancestral temple, or even now being in this illusory and true realm,

the Emperor's face

had always been filled with composure.

After confirming that the dragon robe on his body had no wrinkles,

the Emperor took off the crown on his head,

held it in his arms,

and began to walk forward, going halfway around and entering the pavilion.

Without looking at the person sitting there,

the Emperor first sat down opposite him,

then placed the crown on the side of the small table,

then put both hands down, and raised his head slowly and calmly.

The appearance of this person in front of him

finally appeared clearly in the Emperor's sight.

There was no surprise,

because it was him.

Ji Runhao, dressed in plain black and white clothes,

looked at his son sitting in front of him,

and said:

"Is the crown heavy?"

The Emperor shook his head,

reached out, and fiddled with the twelve strings of white jade beads in front of the crown,

and said:

"It's not heavy, it's just cumbersome."

Then,

the Emperor continued:

"After a while, I'm going to take the time to change this crown. Does blocking the face make it seem mysterious and unpredictable in front of the ministers?

Deceiving oneself is meaningless.

After me, future rulers shouldn't wear crowns; wear caps instead."

Ji Runhao nodded,

and said:

"It's good to change it. I don't like it either."

The Emperor asked:

"Why is it you?"

Ji Runhao pointed to the teapot simmering beside him,

the Emperor sat there, unmoving.

"Pour tea." Ji Runhao said.

Ji Chengjue responded:

"How can there be a reason to employ the Son of Heaven?"

"I am also the Son of Heaven."

"Who is the current Emperor?"

"I am still your father."

"Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Parent, Teacher, Sovereign and Minister come first, then father and son."

"Hahahaha..."

Ji Runhao laughed,

sighed,

and scolded with a smile:

"Little beast."

After scolding,

Ji Runhao personally reached out and picked up the teapot, and began to pour tea.

After pouring two cups of tea,

Ji Runhao glanced at his son sitting in front of him,

pushed the first cup of tea in front of his son,

and said:

"Please, the current Emperor, drink first."

Ji Chengjue reached out, picked up the teacup, took a sip, and put it down.

Ji Runhao picked up the teacup,

his body slightly tilted,

and said:

"You asked me earlier, why I am here, and why you saw me first.

You clearly came in to see your ancestors. Why was I alone sitting here waiting for you?

Here,

is the ancestral temple.

That Pixiu spirit brought you in.

The ancestors have long returned to dust, including me.

Here, are the ancestors you want to see, hear, think, and hear about.

You can see whoever you want to see;

therefore,

why I appear here,

is because,

at this moment,

the person you want to see most is me."

A light breeze blew into the pavilion, causing the curtains to sway slightly.

Two generations of Great Yan Emperors

sat face to face,

silent with each other,

for a long time.

Ji Runhao reached out to pick up the teapot,

the Emperor reached out first, picked up the teapot, and poured him more tea.

Ji Runhao said:

"You mustn't."

The Emperor was unmoved.

"By the way,

how is that Xiong family fourth child from the Chu Kingdom?"

"He's about to be finished. He's already lost to the point where he has nothing else to lose."

Ji Runhao nodded: "I knew it would be like this. Since he chose that path, it means that from the beginning, he severed the thought of being a person in this life.

Life is a hundred years,

being an Emperor has to start from being a prince;

if you aren't the crown prince from the start, you still have to go through a battle between brothers to seize the throne;

even if you are the crown prince from the start, if your father lives a little longer, I'm afraid that by the time you actually sit on that position, there won't be many years left.

And those who ascend the throne at a young age aren't necessarily more relaxed;

there are too many relatives of the empress, powerful ministers, and so on that you want to get rid of, and you still have to spend time learning how to be a good emperor, which is another big task.

Being an Emperor,

the hardest thing is that time waits for no one;

what's even harder is that even when you know that time waits for no one, you still have to wait for the sake of the bigger picture.

Chengjue,

you have done very well,

I didn't choose the wrong person."

"If you could have died sooner, instead of stubbornly holding on, I could have done better." The Emperor said.

Ji Runhao looked at his son,

and said:

"What I said is what you want to say, which is what you think. Why are you arguing with yourself? Is it fun to deceive yourself with your heartfelt words?"

Ji Runhao slowly stood up,

and continued:

"I left you with the worst Great Yan, but at the same time, I also left you with the best Great Yan.

I never cared about the achievements and faults of thousands of years.

I am very gratified

because my son, my successor,

doesn't say it on the lips,

but in his heart, he also sees me that way."

The Emperor's eyes turned cold,

and said:

"You are destined to be overshadowed by my glory."

"Which father would be angry that his son is stronger than him?

Dad,

is happy to be a part of his son's glory."

There was another period of silence.

Ji Runhao said:

"We've been chatting for so long, don't you have anything to ask?"

The Emperor didn't speak.

"Yes, my son is now the Emperor. The Emperor should naturally make decisions independently. Where is there a need for, and where can he tolerate those chattering long-tongued women nagging in his ear?

But son,

this is a bit interesting.

You hate me so much,

why did you want to see me first after coming in?

It would be fine if you wanted to ask me something.

But you didn't ask any serious questions.

Could it be that you just wanted to see me?"

"Ji Runhao!"

Ji Runhao was still standing with his back to the Emperor;

at this moment,

the waterside pavilion outside began to distort. Immediately afterwards, figures wearing dragon robes began to appear.

Their appearances were extremely similar to those in the ancestral temple portraits.

Some could even be identified at a glance as to which Emperor of the Great Yan they were.

"Boy, my Great Yan is about to unify Zhuxia, and my Ji family's centuries-old wish is finally about to be fulfilled. Now is the time to make a painful decision to seek the longevity of the Great Yan!"

"When the birds are gone, the good bow is put away. That's how it should be; it should be for the sake of this world!"

"He had rebellious intentions early on. If he were willing to hand over military power, my Ji family wouldn't be like the Zhao family, born of concubines in the Qian Kingdom. How could we have no tolerance for others?"

"He chose this path himself, so it was destined to become the root of chaos in the Great Yan, whether in this life or the next!"

"Don't be a woman's benevolence!"

"You and him have long been benevolent and righteous. You haven't let him down, and sit down and sit here, everything, see fate!"

"He is seeking his own death, eliminating the source of turmoil, isn't this destiny?"

"The Jin Kingdom is long gone, the Chu Kingdom has also fallen, and the Qian Kingdom has collapsed. Even without him, it will take more effort. Without him, there are still my Great Yan children, who can still whip this world!"

"When I fought to the death with the barbarians, wasn't what I sought and planned to protect this Great Yan? Today, the atmosphere of my Great Yan is what we all wish for, what are you still hesitating about!"

These figures wearing dragon robes were all emperors of the Great Yan Dynasty.

Some died in battle, some wasted their lives, some reigned for a long time, some reigned for a very short time, some worked hard to govern, and some were somewhat absurd.

But at this moment, they were all standing from the perspective of the Great Yan, from the perspective of the Ji family, and were demanding that the current Emperor listen.

No matter what they were like in life, now, what they wanted was consistent.

"His disloyal heart has long been obvious, so why are you deceiving yourself? You are the Emperor, how can you be bound by the righteousness of the martial world?"

"If he doesn't rebel, will his son not rebel? The world that has finally been stabilized, even for the sake of the people, should be ignored at this time!"

"He took off his royal clothes and chose to die as a martial world person. What does it have to do with you or Great Yan?"

"This is fate, destiny!"

"Those clowns, do they think they still have a chance to make waves? We'll flatten them all together afterwards!"

"Hey, my grandson, like me, is a little fat."

Ji Chengjue, sitting in the pavilion,

looked at the front and saw an elderly emperor wearing a dragon robe, constantly putting red pills in his mouth and chewing, while looking at him with a smile.

His fatness was not fatness, but the puffiness caused by taking pills before death.

Facing these ancestors' questions and demands,

Ji Chengjue sat there steadily all the time,

but most of his gaze was on the back view of the person standing in front of him, blocking most of his sight.

Ji Runhao had his hands behind his back,

the crowd in front of him

were indeed Ji Chengjue's ancestors, but weren't they also Ji Runhao's ancestors?

But at this moment,

Ji Runhao let out a loud shout:

"Have you all chattered enough!"

For a moment, the scene suddenly became quiet.

But what followed was a burst of angry shouts:

"Presumptuous!"

"Junior, how dare you disrespect your ancestors!"

"Arrogant!"

"It's turned upside down, it's turned upside down!"

"Without me dying in battle, how could there be today's Great Yan?"

"Hahahaha..."

Ji Runhao laughed loudly:

"The Great Yan I took over was one where powerful families were everywhere, and government orders couldn't leave the capital!

The Great Yan I took over was one where the desert barbarians were recuperating and about to rise!

The Great Yan I took over was one where the Three Jins dared to show their fangs!

Respect you,

and can call you ancestors.

Disrespect you,

can call you a... waste!

The image of Great Yan's rise was created by me, Ji Runhao!

The pattern of Great Yan's unification of Zhuxia was managed by my son!

Before us, father and son,

what were you doing!

Dying in battle, leaving chaos in the court!

Indulging powerful families, making them threaten the imperial power!

Trusting relatives of the empress, making the government昏庸!

Great Yan is still the same Great Yan,

the children of Great Yan are still the same children of Great Yan,

the Great Yan iron cavalry is still the same Great Yan iron cavalry.

My father and son, two generations, have pacified this world and unified this Zhuxia.

You tell me,

you people,

are you all a bunch of trash!"

"Boom!"

Thunder rumbled, and heavy rain poured down.

...

The old Pixiu, who was lying prostrate outside the ancestral temple, raised his head and looked at the sky above him, which was constantly flashing with lightning, and his eyes showed contemplation.

And around him, all the inner palace eunuchs and Qi Refiners also felt shocked, this kind of scene was unheard of and unimaginable to them.

And at this time,

the door of the ancestral temple

was pushed open from the inside.

The Emperor stepped out,

the wind and rain outside

quickly wet his imperial boots,

the Emperor frowned slightly.

At the moment of frowning,

the lightning in the sky suddenly went out; the heavy clouds that were so thick that they were hopeless quickly dissipated;

even the sunlight

seemed to be eager to please and hurriedly shone down, as if competing to dry the Emperor's slight rain marks.

The old Pixiu opened his eyes wide, looking at this scene in astonishment.

He didn't understand, he didn't understand, he was very confused... even, he had clearly led the Emperor here before, but at this moment, when he looked at the Emperor again, he had a sense of blasphemy and damnation.

Since the collapse of Great Xia,

eight hundred years,

this world

has finally produced a true... Son of Heaven!

His footsteps,

his voice,

his gaze,

would penetrate the long river of history and divide the shackles of time;

even,

surpassing the limitations of his dynasty and country.

Those who have sincerity in their hearts,

look up,

cannot see any fancy gods, only see his figure.

At this time,

a group of Qi Refiners from the Qintianjian (Imperial Observatory) hurried over and knelt down in the distance,

the Qintianjian Supervisor knelt down and reported:

"Your Majesty, someone in the direction of the Great Lake in Chu is summoning the Great Yan's national fortune!"

The word "summoning" was used extremely well.

Could anyone borrow this national fortune?

Under the sky and within a country, normally speaking, only the Emperor's permission could split the national fortune. For example, Baili Jian borrowed a wisp of Great Qian's national fortune from the Qian Kingdom's official to open the Second Grade realm.

But in the Great Yan, there were two people... who could.

Because the sky of Great Yan, the sun and the moon coexist, shining together.

The old Pixiu, who had previously stated that he wanted to stop the Emperor and teach the Emperor to sit there and do nothing,

was trembling at this moment, not daring to raise his head, let alone say anything to stop him.

The Emperor stood on the imperial steps,

akimbo,

and said:

"From the time he was the garrison of the Cui Liu Fort, I was supporting him from behind.

He fought battles,

I gave him people, gave him money, gave him horses, gave him armor, gave him food...

It's been so many years,

I'm used to it.

He's the kind of person who doesn't know how expensive firewood and rice are;

never mind,

isn't the hard work of accumulating this family fortune just for use in times of need?

Qintianjian, listen to the decree!"

"Your subject is here!"

"Give it to him, give it all to him, don't be stingy, don't be reluctant.

If the family fortune is used up,

don't be afraid,

at worst, I'll earn it back with him."

"Your subject obeys the decree!"

Then,

the Emperor's gaze fell on the old Pixiu lying prostrate beside him.

"The Chu Kingdom has a Fire Phoenix spirit, and it's been around for a long time, so it's getting a little too big for its boots, treating itself as half a master, which is really ridiculous."

The old Pixiu's body began to tremble violently.

The Emperor pointed to Wei Zhonghe and the others kneeling below,

"They are my domestic slaves.

You,

at best, can be considered my domestic fowl!

What are you,

daring to look up, blinding your dog eyes!"

At this moment,

the Emperor said the sentence,

that the late Emperor had said to the old Pixiu in this imperial palace when he was dying:

"Livestock are still livestock after all!"

"Half of this national fortune is mine, and half of it was earned by him.

Human relationships are human relationships. It's rare that that Zheng kid dares to play so big and so freely this time, so we can't be too shabby, can we?"

"Wei Zhonghe."

"Your servant is here!"

"Slaughter this beast for me and help that Zheng kid, cheer things up!"