Kays Translations

Chapter 236: Requesting His Majesty to return to the Imperial Capital

Yuan Zhao closed his eyes and pondered for a long time before finally making up his mind:

“Your Majesty, the chances of successfully attacking the old city of Anyang are very low. Anyang will certainly be well-prepared.

However, if Your Majesty truly wishes to attack Anyang, it is not entirely impossible. Once we enter the borders of Anyang, we can launch a surprise attack, which will have a high chance of success.

We don’t need to attack the entire Anyang—just targeting Anyang’s current auxiliary capital, Dingshan City, will suffice. As long as we capture Dingshan City or force its surrender, that will be enough. Afterward, we can use Dingshan City as the boundary: the northern part of Dingshan City will remain under Li Xian’s jurisdiction, while the southern part will be under our control.

This way, we can also establish a direct connection between Luliang County and Wuyang County, the imperial capital, which will benefit Your Majesty’s control over Wuyang County and the entire Great Xia Kingdom. Of course, it will also help boost Your Majesty’s reputation.”

Li Xian, Xu Ren, and the others never expected that not only did Yuan Zhao fail to dissuade the emperor, but he even proposed a strategy. Although he appeared to be advising caution, he was actually inciting the emperor, offering detailed tactics, and guiding the new ruler on how to wage war.

Why did Yuan Zhao do this? The answer was simple. If they succeeded, it would be great—they would eliminate the major threat of Anyang. But if they failed, the emperor would suffer setbacks and become easier to control!

Yuan Zhao’s true intention was to “control the emperor to command the nobles,” just like the Wang family. To achieve this, the best scenario would be to have a weak emperor. The Third Prince, that puppet emperor, was only twelve years old and was completely under the Wang family’s control.

For the Yuan family to manipulate the newly enthroned emperor, who had a complex mind, they needed him to experience failure—only through setbacks and defeats could they gain a firmer grip on him.

In reality, the likelihood of failure was high. Even if they succeeded, they would suffer heavy losses. This way, the new emperor would have no choice but to rely on the Yuan family for support.

But before the troops even reached the borders of Anyang County, a fast-riding messenger arrived from the rear:

“The First Prince has also entered the imperial palace and proclaimed himself emperor!”

What?!

Yuan Zhao and the others were shocked. This First Prince truly was… an impatient and straightforward man. However, this development did not significantly impact Yuan Zhao’s plan.

—

In Anyang, a plane slowly landed, bringing the latest news.

Li Xian immediately convened a meeting with his ministers.

“The Wang family has retreated, taking the Third Prince, Xia Guang, the puppet emperor, with them as they fled.”

“The Crown Prince Xia Shu, has gained the support of Nanyang County and Songzhou County and has proclaimed himself emperor. Shortly after, he left Wuyang City, leading a grand army eastward. At present, his army is highly disciplined, indicating they come with hostile intent.

Additionally, after his enthronement, the Second Prince sold out the Kong family, conferring the title of ‘King of Culture’ upon the Third Prince, assigning him control over Nanyang County, where the Kong family resides.”

“The First Prince, Xia Xu, re-entered Wuyang City after the Second Prince’s departure and also held a grand enthronement ceremony. His ceremony was even more extravagant, and he declared that the Second Prince was cowardly and unfit to rule because he abandoned the imperial capital. He also stated that the Third Prince was too young to inherit the throne.”

These three pieces of information made Li Xian, Xu Ren, and the others fall into deep thought.

Li Xian chuckled, “Karma truly works fast. Previously, Kong Xiang betrayed the Yuan family, expelling them from the imperial capital. Now, the Second Prince has also betrayed the Kong family, assigning their home territory, Nanyang County, to the Third Prince.

The Second Prince had barely left before the First Prince proclaimed himself emperor. Now, this kingdom has three emperors and multiple separatist regimes. Haha, what a chaotic mess!”

At this moment, Xu Ren suddenly spoke: “Young Master, an opportunity has arrived.”

Yan Ze’an also stood up: “Young Master, with the chaos caused by the Third Prince, we can declare ourselves kings without proclaiming imperial rule. From now on, you will need to appear as the ‘King of Anyang.’”

The people around them stood up one after another, urging him to seize the opportunity. The merchant representatives were the most enthusiastic.

Li Xian turned to Ling Zhifeng and asked, “If I proclaim myself king now, will there be any danger?”

Ling Zhifeng immediately took out his divination tools. After a long while, he finally reached a conclusion:

“A mid-high fortune. It won’t yield the best results, but it also won’t bring disaster.”

“Just a mid-high fortune?” Li Xian was somewhat dissatisfied.

Li Yuanming quickly reassured him: “Young Master, this is already quite good. As the saying goes, ‘a dragon that rises too high will regret it.’ In the face of great upheaval, a mid-high fortune is actually the best—it’s the least conspicuous. If you received a top fortune or a supreme fortune, it would attract too much attention, and eventually, things might turn against us, turning good fortune into misfortune.”

Li Xian slowly nodded. “Alright, then. Prepare two imperial edicts—I will proclaim myself king, and Xia Qingqing will be my queen.”

Xu Ren then added: “After proclaiming kingship, immediately announce the news to all of Anyang. Also, notify Beichen Yuqing at the front lines to prepare military defenses in case the Second Prince, also the new emperor, suddenly attacks.

Furthermore, inform Yan Zhengqing, who is guarding the southern region, to be on guard against a joint attack from Dongyuan County and Nanyang County. If necessary, he can adopt a defensive strategy, trading space for time.”

One command after another was issued.

When the orders finally reached Beichen Yuqing at the front lines, the new emperor was leading an army of 100,000 elite soldiers and 300,000 civilians in a grand march back to Anyang.

Although the the new emperor had suffered significant losses in this war, they still claimed to have an army of 100,000. With the civilians they had gathered from Wuyang County, their procession stretched for over a hundred miles.

“Such an army, such people, will surely defeat Anyang!” The newly enthroned Second Prince was full of confidence. “Beloved minister (Yuan Zhao), you suggested that all the common people raise flags and pretend to be soldiers. Wouldn’t that scare Anyang so much that they flee in panic?”

What kind of ridiculous idea was this! Yuan Zhao almost rejected it without thinking. But upon reconsideration, this “ridiculous idea” was actually quite brilliant. The new emperor had just ascended the throne and was eager to establish his authority and secure a decisive victory, so it was understandable for him to have such thoughts. Moreover, the young emperor was hot-blooded, and opposing him at this moment was not advisable.

However, Yuan Zhao had two other reasons for not opposing it. First, such an order would alienate the people and cause the new emperor’s already fragile public support to completely collapse, making it easier to control him. Second, if the people raised their flags, Anyang would undoubtedly launch an indiscriminate attack, giving them a major political burden—the accusation of massacring civilians.

Although in the cultivation world, ordinary people were not highly valued, and powerhouses were the real focus, for a nation and its government, commoners were indispensable. If Anyang were labeled as a butcher of civilians, that would be quite an interesting turn of events!

With this in mind, Yuan Zhao fully supported the new emperor’s “ridiculous idea.” “Your Majesty is wise. Once Anyang sees our 400,000-strong army, they will surely flee without a fight.”

Beside them, Yue Qingfeng wanted to object, but after a few words, he was silenced by the emperor, who even grew displeased.

Unable to do anything, Yue Qingfeng glared fiercely at Yuan Zhao, filled with countless sighs in his heart. Truly, people could not be compared. Yuan Zhao was even younger than the new emperor, Xia Shu, yet he had Xia Shu wrapped around his finger, while Xia Shu willingly ignored all correct advice.

When the new emperor led his army across Anyang’s border, all the commoners suddenly raised their flags. These people did not know the real situation; they had only been told that doing so would enhance the emperor’s prestige, force Anyang to back down, and prevent unexpected conflicts. As a reward, once they returned to Luliang County, each of them would receive ten taels of silver!

The poor commoners were thus used as pawns and even placed at the very front. They were told it was to “prevent unexpected incidents,” but in reality, it was to ensure that unexpected incidents did happen.

As they approached Anyang’s secondary capital—Dingshan City, the former administrative center of Zhongshan County—the commoners requested to enter the city to rest. More precisely, those leading the request had been arranged by Yuan Zhao.

Like Anyang, Dingshan City had no walls. It seemed that a single charge could breach it. However, over ten thousand ordinary guards blocked the entrance. A young officer at the front shouted, “No entry into the city! Otherwise, you will be treated as bandits!”

From a distance, Beichen Yuqing narrowed his eyes, watching the “new emperor’s” carriage and troops while calculating in his mind.

In front of Dingshan City, over 300,000 commoners were furious, loudly condemning Anyang for being unjust and failing to care for them. These people had traveled over 300 kilometers from Wuyang City and were indeed exhausted.

However, no matter what, Dingshan City could not allow these 300,000 people inside. This was an enormous crowd, and no one knew if elite troops were hidden among them. In reality, under normal circumstances, the new emperor’s forces should not have stopped at all but instead marched straight past Dingshan City.

“If they stay, they must have ulterior motives! Just as Xu Ren predicted.” Beichen Yuqing sneered. “All commanders, prepare for battle!”

“Gong Fuxiang reporting! The air force of 200 men, 20 airships, and 80 aircraft are ready!”

“Yin Hairui reporting! 2,000 engineers, 500 cannons, 200 machine guns, 50 sniper rifles, and 500 motorcycles are all in position!”

“Yang Yishan reporting! 50,000 regular soldiers and 5,000 elite troops, fully prepared!” Yang Yishan, once a minor gate officer, had risen to the rank of a top commander due to his outstanding abilities.

Beichen Yuqing glanced around and nodded slightly. “Very good.”

Then, looking at the increasingly agitated commoners, he revealed a cold smile. “Anyang’s policy of neutrality has made some people think we are easy to bully. This is perfect. Anyang needs an example to make a statement!

Pass my order: give all civilians ten minutes. If they do not leave in ten minutes, they will be treated as bandits!

Those who blockade the city will be dealt with according to Anyang’s laws!”

Yes, Yuan Zhao’s plan was clever, but he had forgotten one crucial thing—Anyang was different from other places. Anyang was a nation ruled by law! Anyang’s legal code clearly stated that blockading a city and disrupting public order were strictly prohibited, with well-defined consequences.

Anyang was not afraid of accusations of killing civilians—because they were breaking the law! And Anyang had already established a reputation as a law-abiding nation.

A cultivator at the Golden Core stage floated in the sky and proclaimed loudly, “Fellow citizens, you are in violation of Anyang’s laws. You have ten minutes to leave immediately. Otherwise, we will take strict legal action!”

Below, someone shouted angrily, “What nonsense laws! Stop talking nonsense. I’m tired and want to rest, eat, and stay at an inn. I have money, plenty of it!”

A chorus of agreement erupted below. Indeed, many of those following the new emperor were quite wealthy.

The Golden Core cultivator listened to the chaotic voices and the crude curses below and snorted coldly. “Anyang’s law states that those who blockade a city and disrupt normal life, after being warned three times without repentance—shall be executed!

Ten-minute countdown begins.”

This was the law of Anyang. While Li Xian had borrowed some concepts from another world, in this cultivation realm, the most effective method remained decisive slaughter.

“Kill? Ha! I dare you to try! We have 300,000 people—flattening Dingshan City would be effortless! If you know what’s good for you, step aside, or we will destroy you!”

The Golden Core cultivator above stopped speaking and simply began the countdown.

Time ticked away second by second, and tension filled the air. Some more clear-headed commoners, as well as the cautious and timid ones, prepared to leave. But at this moment, Yuan Zhao secretly advised the emperor, “Your Majesty, press the army forward. Do not let these lowly commoners escape, or all our previous plans will be for nothing.”

The newly enthroned emperor was so arrogant that he seemed ready to soar into the sky, unable to distinguish right from wrong, thinking only of revenge. He immediately gave the order for Yue Qingfeng to lead the army forward.

Yue Qingfeng took a deep breath and looked at Yuan Zhao, who stood beside him with a smug expression. “Yuan Zhao, you are putting His Majesty on the fire and roasting him!”

Yuan Zhao chuckled. “General Yue, don’t dawdle and delay military operations. Opportunities are fleeting—hurry up.”

“Uncle… cough cough… Grand Commandant, hurry up. Don’t waste time!” the emperor urged impatiently.

“Brat!” Yue Qingfeng muttered under his breath. It was unclear whether he was cursing Yuan Zhao or the emperor. Attacking Anyang now was an incredibly reckless move for Xia Shu, who had just ascended the throne and had an unstable foundation. But things had already reached this point, and there was no way to avoid it—he could only grit his teeth and charge forward.

The so-called army of 100,000 had actually dwindled to just over 80,000, yet they still marched forward in a mighty formation. Their armor gleamed, their weapons glowed with a chilling aura, and they slowly formed a crescent-shaped encirclement around Dingshan City. Their strategy was clear: drive out the common people and seize the city!

As the army advanced, many civilians realized what was happening, but it was too late.

“Forward! Forward! No retreat! If Anyang won’t give it to us, we’ll take it ourselves! Let those stingy Anyang people regret it!”

“Go in! Go in! We have an army of 100,000 protecting us—Anyang wouldn’t dare resist!”

“Everything we seize is ours—it’s all ours!”

…

Spurred on like a tidal wave, the 300,000 civilians from Wuyang County who had followed the new emperor became blinded by greed. Finally, under the lead of some individuals, they launched an assault on the Dingshan City guards standing in their way.

In this celestial realm, even among commoners, skilled individuals were not uncommon. Cultivators at the fourth or fifth level of the Qi Refining stage were frequently seen, and occasionally, there were even Foundation Establishment stage practitioners.

This charge quickly overwhelmed the city guards. How could ten thousand soldiers possibly stop 300,000 frenzied civilians?

In the blink of an eye, a large number of civilians broke through the blockade and surged into Dingshan City.

From a distance, Bei Chen Yuqing’s lips curled into a chilling smile. “Before destruction comes madness! Since you’ve chosen this path, don’t blame us for being ruthless.

All troops, heed my command—attack!”

At the same time, Yuan Zhao, standing beside the new emperor, gazed at Dingshan City in the distance with a mocking smile. Dear brother, oh dear brother, let’s see what you do now?

Doing nothing was not an option—Dingshan City would be destroyed. But stopping them meant war, and slaughtering civilians was a crime that many had been crushed under before.

Of course, Yuan Zhao’s goal was not just this. A more important reason was his desire to see what kind of battle strategy Anyang would adopt. Everyone was eager to find out how Anyang, the hub of industry and weaponry, would fight!

Suddenly, Yuan Zhao narrowed his eyes. He saw a swarm of black dots appearing in the northeast of Dingshan City. There were many of them, moving extremely fast.

“Aircraft! Those are aircraft! At least sixty of them!” Yuan Zhao quickly calculated in his mind. “What are they planning to do with so many planes?”

As he watched, the sixty-plus aircraft began descending, their speed steadily increasing.

With a deafening roar, the planes lined up in formation and charged directly at the rioting civilians from Wuyang City. What happened next was a scene that Yuan Zhao would never forget for the rest of his life.

All sixty aircraft simultaneously opened fire. Their cannons, with a caliber of 30mm, fired at a rate of 500 to 600 rounds per minute. The planes swooped down and rained death upon the civilians below.

From Yuan Zhao’s vantage point, he could only see a line of planes in the sky. Fire erupted, and instantly, the ground was awash with blood, severed limbs flying everywhere.

The planes were incredibly fast, crossing over the rioting crowd within seconds. Then, as they turned back, bombs began to rain down.

The stunned civilians had no idea how to intercept the “slowly” falling bombs with flying swords or spells. They could only watch in horror as the bombs descended…

BOOM—!

The earth trembled violently as explosions sent thick plumes of smoke billowing into the sky. These were massive aerial bombs, heavy and devastating. Corpses were flung like ragdolls, limbs scattered through the air.

Gunfire, screams, explosions, and the roar of aircraft blended into a nightmarish cacophony. The ground itself seemed to tremble under the onslaught.

But the battle wasn’t over. The planes turned back, and behind them, twenty more flying war machines—traditional battle artifacts—arrived. These war machines were even more formidable, armed not only with machine guns but also with rapid-fire cannons designed to target large crowds. Every shot inflicted massive casualties.

“They… they’re actually slaughtering the civilians!” The young emperor’s lips trembled. He could hardly believe that Anyang had truly done this!

Even Yuan Zhao was stunned. He stared at the empty corridor now running through the civilian ranks, at the smoke curling in the sky, at the falling debris. For a moment, he was utterly speechless.

As for the civilians, they had long been scared out of their wits.

But just then, Yuan Zhao felt his heart lurch violently.

A loud humming noise filled the air, and then, twenty aircraft suddenly appeared above the army. Before they could react, the slaughter began.

Seeing planes in the distance had not been as terrifying, but now, up close, Yuan Zhao finally realized just how fast they were. Even a Golden Core cultivator flying at full speed on a sword couldn’t catch up.

Machine guns roared, and aerial bombs landed unimpeded under their cover, igniting blinding explosions. The ground trembled, and soldiers screamed. In the face of such intense attacks, only those at the Foundation Establishment level or higher had any hope of survival. The lower-level Qi Refining cultivators were shredded to pieces.

The planes quickly passed, but on the ground, they left behind a “black and red carpet.” With just one wave of attacks, the crown prince’s remaining army of 80,000 had lost 7,000 to 8,000 soldiers.

This brutal massacre finally shattered the morale of the war-weary troops from Wuyang City.

Compared to the power of machines, Qi Refining cultivators were ultimately too weak. Their Foundation Establishment leaders desperately tried to hold the ranks, but the damage was irreversible.

The earth trembled again as grotesquely designed war chariots rolled in. These vehicles were armed with flamethrowers, machine guns, and seated Foundation Establishment experts.

More than 500 war chariots advanced steadily, their weapons spitting fire as they mowed down the civilians and soldiers from Wuyang City like wheat being harvested.

Whenever a skilled fighter tried to attack the chariots, sniper fire picked them off. Many died without ever knowing what had hit them.

Behind the chariots came Anyang’s main army—50,000 elite soldiers. Unlike ordinary troops, these soldiers were fully equipped with artifact armor, rifles, flying swords, and talismans. Their cultivator-strengthened bodies allowed them to carry over a hundred kilograms of ammunition and equipment.

When these elite troops arrived, they completely blocked the retreat of the emperor’s defeated forces. Moving like cold, unfeeling machines, Anyang’s soldiers advanced in perfect formation, executing three-stage attacks.

Whether it was talismans, flying swords, or machine guns, every attack was coordinated seamlessly, forming an impenetrable barrage.

Like a flood crashing against a dam, Anyang’s troops methodically pushed forward, crushing the emperor’s soldiers and civilians like straw. There was no mercy. No surrender. Only slaughter.

When the common people are blinded by greed and instigated to become pawns, when both sides enter into war, the outcome is already determined and unchangeable.

On the battlefield, there are no civilians—only soldiers. On the battlefield, there is no mercy—only victory or death.

Buzz…

The sky once again echoed with a humming noise; the aircraft had returned after reloading its ammunition and was unleashing its firepower once more.

A dive… machine gun strafing… aerial bombs blooming into explosions… another blood-red carpet slowly formed. The wails of the dying resounded throughout the heavens and earth!

After the second wave of airstrikes, both the civilians and the emperor’s soldiers began to collapse mentally.

In the distance, Beichen Yuqing observed coldly, continuously directing his soldiers to advance, encircle, flank, and concentrate their firepower. This first large-scale mechanized battle allowed Beichen Yuqing to fully showcase his strategic prowess. The coordination between air and ground forces left soldiers, unaccustomed to this type of warfare, utterly disoriented. If trained soldiers were already struggling, then the common people fared even worse.

Greed had long faded, leaving behind only boundless fear. The same civilians whose eyes had gleamed with avarice just moments ago were now like stray dogs, blindly trying to escape, many ending up sprawling on the ground in the chaos.

Some of the more powerful individuals among them trampled over others as they fled, knocking down those in their way. Others, who were more cunning, immediately dropped to their knees with their hands raised in surrender.

Faced with these surrendering civilians, Anyang did not carry out a wholesale slaughter. Instead, the guards sealed their cultivation and detained them, awaiting trial.

In the distance, Yuan Zhao was also observing the battlefield. Though his troops were being annihilated like a collapsing dam, with deaths occurring every second, he appeared unconcerned, watching them perish with a cold gaze.

These soldiers belonged to the emperor and the Yue family, the imperial in-laws—they had no connection to the Yuan family. Thus, as Yuan Zhao watched them die, he secretly rejoiced. Without these soldiers, the Yuan family could fully control the emperor. Even the Yue family would no longer be able to resist the overwhelming power of the Yuans!

The war broke out quickly and ended even faster. In just half a day, Anyang’s 60,000 troops faced off against the emperor’s 80,000-strong army and 300,000 civilians. Despite the overwhelming numerical disadvantage, they achieved a decisive victory, turning the battle into a one-sided massacre!

In half a day, 150,000 people were slaughtered! This was no longer a war—it was a massacre.

For the first time, Yuan Zhao’s expression turned pale. Even in the greatest wars of the past thousand years, such as the one between Wei and Zhao, where millions of soldiers and laborers were mobilized, the highest single-day casualty count had never exceeded 100,000!

But now, in just half a day, 150,000 had been slaughtered! Just half a day!

At this rate, in another two hours—four at most—not a single remaining straggler would escape!

Everything had changed! Truly changed!

The smugness and confidence vanished from Yuan Zhao’s eyes, replaced only by fear of this new form of warfare.

Although the siege of Wuyang City had already demonstrated the immense potential of artillery in warfare and destruction, its effectiveness had been somewhat limited by the scarcity of shells. But Anyang was different—here, there was no limit to the supply of shells, bombs, and machine gun rounds.

Bullets fell like rain, artillery shells like hail, ceaseless and relentless.

The explosions continued. The machine guns kept sweeping across the battlefield. Whether advancing to fight or fleeing in defeat, none could escape death.

There was only one way to survive—kneel down, raise your hands in surrender, and wait for the guards to come and seal your cultivation before being detained.

Staring at the battlefield, where rivers of blood flowed, and at the advancing Anyang soldiers wading through the carnage, Yuan Zhao took a deep breath, struggling to suppress his shock. “Is this the change brought by industrialization? Is this the result of a nation prospering through industry and commerce?!” Yuan Zhao kept asking himself.

At that moment, an aircraft slowly approached, stopping before Yuan Zhao, the emperor, and their entourage. This aircraft was different from the others—it bore no cannons or machine guns. Instead, a few Golden Core cultivators stood guard aboard it.

At its center stood Beichen Yuqing, elegant and composed.

Upon seeing this, Yuan Zhao immediately stepped forward and shouted, “How dare Anyang attack His Majesty’s imperial guards! Are you rebelling?!”

Beichen Yuqing cast a cold, mocking glance at Yuan Zhao before turning his gaze toward the newly enthroned emperor. “Your Majesty, a nation cannot go a day without a ruler. Please return to Wuyang County and take control of the empire.”

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