Chapter 99: Too Unexpected
The Emperor of the Yufu Kingdom was about to say something when his mother covered his mouth, preventing him from making a sound. His mother’s grip was so strong that the child was almost unable to breathe.
Yu Fu glanced at the Empress Dowager of the Yufu Kingdom and his expression softened. “Why aren’t you leaving since Master has spared your lives?”
The Empress Dowager of the Yufu Kingdom left dejectedly with the Emperor. At this moment, she did not dare to say anything. Their backer had become his servant in the face of the strong. How would they dare to say another word? Wasn’t that courting death?
Only by living could one have endless possibilities. If one died, then everything would be over. There would be nothing left.
“Go and arrange for someone to make the Yufu Kingdom belong to the Great Empress of the Northern Kingdom. The sooner the better. Let this transition go smoothly and not have any wars…” Li Yuanqing instructed Yu Fu and asked Ma Xinyuan to handle this matter.
On this day, Zhaoyang was discussing important matters with the ministers in the main hall. She planned to reduce the taxes of the Northern Kingdom by a third.
The ministers all had their own opinions and felt that they could reduce it appropriately. However, reducing it by a third at once was too much. This was because the country’s expenditure was too huge. If they were to go to war with the Yufu Kingdom, the current treasury would not be able to support the annual military expenses.
There was also the free Martial Arts Academies. All of these required money, but the taxes had been waived. Where could they get money?
No money was a big deal. It was difficult to survive.
The royal court was in an uproar. As soon as Zhaoyang mentioned tax relief, the Ministry of Revenue started to complain. The Ministry of War also spoke up. In any case, there were difficulties and they all had no money.
Zhaoyang rubbed her forehead. She had a headache. At this moment, she saw someone stumbling into the hall like a gust of wind.
“Your Majesty, it’s a joyous occasion, a joyous occasion. The Yufu Kingdom has surrendered. They send the surrender letter. They are willing to submit to the Northern Kingdom and give their country and imperial city to the Northern Kingdom. This is a joyous occasion!”
It was the messenger in charge of delivering the message. His words stunned everyone in the royal court.
These two countries had a tense relationship. Even their troops were at the border. There was no war yet.
Why did the Yufu Kingdom surrender? Even if they surrendered, the most serious outcome would be that they would become a va.s.sal state of the Northern Kingdom. How did it suddenly become that they had to hand over their land?
“Your Majesty, there’s a trap!” The Chancellor of the Right was the first to jump out. Since ancient times, the Northern Kingdom had never encountered such a thing. There was no war between the two countries, but a country had surrendered. If this wasn’t a trap, what was?
“That’s right, Your Majesty. This must be a scheme of the Yufu Kingdom. You must be careful!”
“Your Majesty, the Yufu Kingdom is cunning and has the Yufu Mountain as its backer. You must be careful!”
…
There were all kinds of comments. No one believed what the messenger said. After all, it was too unbelievable. However, Zhaoyang had a strange expression. Counting the days, it had been some time since Big Brother said those words. This, this, could it be…
“They submitted a letter. Did anyone check on this?”
“The surrender letter is here, along with their jade seal and the register of the national treasury, as well as the household registration of the entire country, the granary, and all the minerals. There are specialized books…”
The messenger specially handed Zhaoyang a wooden box. When she opened it, she saw that it was a letter of surrender covered with the Yufu Kingdom’s Imperial Jade Seal. Even the Imperial Jade Seal of the Yufu Kingdom was brought here. All of this felt like a dream. No, Zhaoyang didn’t even dare to dream about it.
The Yufu Kingdom, which was even stronger than the Northern Kingdom, had actually become the territory of the Northern Kingdom just like that?
This, this, this…
Great Empress Zhaoyang, who was suppressing the excitement in her heart, could not help but rub her temples. She muttered to herself in a low voice. “Big Brother! Is this true?”
Zhaoyang immediately walked to the highest point of the hall and started giving orders. It didn’t matter what others said. Since her brother dared to go alone to seize the Yufu Kingdom for her, there was no reason for her not to send someone to test the waters. Therefore, she immediately ordered Qin Feng to bring a hundred thousand troops to the Yufu Kingdom to investigate.
At this moment, those ministers were extremely worried and begged bitterly, saying that there was a trap. They wanted Great Empress Zhaoyang to think twice. She couldn’t get excited and fell into a trap.
Unfortunately, the domineering Great Empress Zhaoyang seemed to be possessed. She did not listen to anyone and insisted on sending Qin Feng. She did not say anything. She only went up the Full Moon Tower and looked towards the Wilderness.
If all of this was true, then there was only one possibility—her big brother had made a move.
However, she could not even imagine how her brother had attacked. How did he destroy a country?
However, Zhaoyang did not have to wait long. Five days later, General Qin Feng sent news that he did not encounter any ambush or killing in the Yufu Kingdom.
On the contrary, after he entered the Yufu Kingdom, a disciple of the Yufu Mountain quickly led him into the Imperial City. He also counted the books and lists of tributes from the Yufu Kingdom bit by bit. They were actually correct. Especially when Qin Feng walked into the national treasury of the Yufu Kingdom and saw that it was filled with countless coins, food, cloth, and so on. He was overjoyed!
With a wave of his hand, he turned these 100,000 soldiers into people who were transporting money, food, and cloth.
Of course, Qin Feng was exceptionally careful on the way back because he was worried that there was a trap. After all, no one dared to dream of such a beautiful thing.
The Yufu Kingdom was so powerful. How could they surrender just like that? He was worried that they would be ambushed after letting down their guard on the way back. Unfortunately, he was thinking too much.
There was even a jaw-dropping scene on the way.
That was when the soldiers of the Northern Kingdom were transporting the national treasury of the Yufu Kingdom back. On the way, they encountered a sneak attack and robbery. The leader was even a Martial Saint.
When Qin Feng was entangled, someone came to save him. The person who saved him was actually a disciple sent by the Yufu Mountain. They said that they were under the orders of their Old Ancestor to specially escort the people from the Northern Kingdom.
The Martial Saint who had robbed him was quickly eliminated by the people of the Yufu Mountain. In the end, Qin Feng brought these coins, supplies, and treasures and went straight to see Great Empress Zhaoyang.
When these 100,000 soldiers entered the Imperial City of the Northern Kingdom, they caused an uproar.
This was because there were countless carriages dragging the treasures that had been acc.u.mulated by the Yufu Kingdom for hundreds of years. All of them were sent to the Northern Kingdom. Even when they arrived at the Imperial City, the courtiers of the Northern Kingdom could not believe that all of this was true.
It was only when there were so many coins that the national treasury could not hold them all that the ministers cried and laughed, praising the prosperity of the Northern Kingdom.
Only Great Empress Zhaoyang looked at the countless treasures with teary eyes. All of this was a gift from her big brother to the Northern Kingdom. This gift was really too heavy.
The Yufu Kingdom’s surrender was especially huge.
The entire Imperial City was in an uproar. After all, many people had never seen such a scene in their lives.
Surrender without a fight.
In the past, when the seven great clans were destroyed, Great Empress Zhaoyang was still a princess and had brought back countless treasures. She set up the Martial Arts Academies with those treasures.
The Martial Arts Academies of the Northern Kingdom were opened all over the country. Later on, it became her fastest-growing trump card. Although the seven great clans had acc.u.mulated a lot of treasures and filled the poor treasury back then, the treasures of the Yufu Kingdom were worlds apart from that.
It was almost more than anyone could imagine.
The convoy that was transporting the treasures dragged on for three days and three nights. The convoy could not be seen from the beginning to the end. The convoy stopped at the entrance of the Imperial City. There were so many that even the treasury of the Northern Kingdom could not accommodate them. It was to the extent that they had to specially transfer a place to store these things.
On the other hand, the citizens of the Northern Kingdom were watching from the streets and alleys. They treated it as a legend and were all in high spirits. They knew that it was because of the Northern Kingdom’s powerful Guardian that the Yufu Kingdom surrendered. They sent countless treasures and even incorporated their own territory into the Northern Kingdom.
All of this made everyone think that they were dreaming. It made the commoners even more excited.
This was because they had a sense of pride. The pride of being born as citizens of the Northern Kingdom, the pride of being able to be protected by the Guardian.
In the Wilderness Valley, w.a.n.g Shun was also excitedly telling Li Yuanqing about what had happened in the Northern Kingdom.
“Your Highness, you don’t know how lively it is outside. The Guardian of the Northern Kingdom is really a legend. He relied on his own strength to make the entire country leap up and become the overlord of a region, annexing the Yufu Kingdom. Some people say that our Guardian is about to become a G.o.d of the human world. He must have already stepped into the Spirit Transformation realm…
“This is a phenomenon that has never happened in this land for thousands of years. The Northern Kingdom is really lucky to have such a guardian. How proud is that!”
w.a.n.g Shun poured a cup of tea for Li Yuanqing. Li Yuanqing could feel the heartfelt pride in his voice.
“It’s actually good to have a guardian, but Zhaoyang has to rely on herself. If there are too many people relying on external forces, they will be crippled and won’t be able to grow.” Li Yuanqing took a sip of tea and said something else. It was what he was thinking.
Helping Zhaoyang and the Northern Kingdom was just a matter of time. Everyone had their own path to take. Since Zhaoyang wanted to be the Great Empress back then, she had to bear some difficulties herself. Although he was her brother, he could only look after her. He could not take responsibility for everything.
“Your Highness is right. Such a powerful Guardian in the Northern Kingdom will definitely become stronger and stronger!”
w.a.n.g Shun felt that although His Highness’ words were harsh, they made sense.
When Zhaoyang came to see Li Yuanqing, she thanked him solemnly.
Li Yuanqing still said the same thing.
“You have to gradually adapt to the days without me. I can’t do everything for you! The Yufu Kingdom has sent so many treasures to the Northern Kingdom. If you still can’t manage a country well, then you can only blame yourself for making the wrong choice back then. I can’t help you either…”
Li Yuanqing felt that he had spent too much effort on the Northern Kingdom recently.
This was actually one of his internal demons. It was because Li Huanjun had entrusted him with something when he died that he had always been brooding over it. He lowered his head and did many things for the Northern Kingdom.
However, when the entire Yufu Kingdom came to surrender, he suddenly felt that he had returned to how Li Huanjun had lived back then, that everything in the Northern Kingdom was important.
That was what he hated the most back then, so he could not do this anymore. Li Yuanqing felt that he had returned to his original appearance and not like this. He placed the country as his priority. If he helped Zhaoyang resolve her troubles every time, then Zhaoyang would always rely on him and would never be able to grow up.
“Big Brother, I’ll listen to you! The Northern Kingdom’s treasury is extremely abundant, and there’s also an invisible Guardian who can intimidate the world. If the Northern Kingdom can’t become stronger under such circ.u.mstances, then I’ll be ashamed to be your sister.
“Thank you, Big Brother! I only hope that you will have the time to travel the world, be free, see all the prosperity and joy in the world, and live the life you want!”
Zhaoyang was very excited this time. Her brother had been in the Wilderness for many years. In the beginning, she had wanted to protect the Northern Kingdom for her brother. But later on, she realized that her brother had a secret, and he has become too powerful. Her big brother was always the one protecting her.
She was a little ashamed and unwilling to continue dragging her brother down. She hoped that he had his own path and goals.
Li Yuanqing smiled and touched Zhaoyang’s smooth hair. He didn’t dote on his sister for nothing.
“Go back first. I’ll get someone to go to Imperial City later. You can look for him if there’s anything. I want to use the remaining days to advance to the Spirit Transformation Realm. If I succeed, I’ll travel the world and become a true Human G.o.d…”
Li Yuanqing had actually studied it before. The Spirit Transformation Realm was also called the Human G.o.d. The reason why it was called the Human G.o.d might be because of the difference in the cultivation path of the Spirit Transformation Realm.
The Grotto-Heaven Realm is the cultivation of the body, but the Spirit Transformation Realm was more about the mental journey. It tested a person’s mental state, and the most important thing when traveling the mortal world was the mental state.
Therefore, Li Yuanqing felt that he could travel the world and sign in. He didn’t have many chances to meet Zhaoyang anymore. This was a good opportunity to explain his situation.
Zhaoyang nodded heavily. Her brother had already made up his mind. She definitely wouldn’t say anything else. She only hoped that her brother would get what he wanted.
Not long after Zhaoyang left, Li Yuanqing called Yu Fu over.
At this moment, Yu Fu’s brows were lowered and he looked pleasing to the eye. His hair was white, but his facial features were red and he looked to be in his forties or fifties. This was even because his face had aged from his injuries.
“Greetings, Master. I’ve already gotten the disciples of the Yufu Mountain to do what you instructed. In the future, the disciples of the Yufu Mountain will not dare to make an enemy of the Northern Kingdom.”
Yu Fu was feeling uneasy. Although he was the Old Ancestor of Yufu Mountain, he still could not see through his master.
He was a crippled crown prince, a person who had been sent to the Wilderness back then. How did he suddenly become so powerful? He was countless times stronger than the founding ancestor of the Northern Kingdom. So powerful that he could control himself and become his servant? What kind of fortuitous encounter did Master have?
“It’s not a big problem for the disciples of the Yufu Mountain. I want to ask you about your problem.”
Li Yuanqing’s words shocked Yu Fu. He did not say anything as he looked at Li Yuanqing’s dignified gaze.