The Human Emperor

Many common folk from the other countries had followed their sovereigns in entering the interior of the Great Tang, many of the shepherds slaughtering their livestock so that they could hawk the meat in the markets.

The cold wave had just passed, and the Great Tang didn’t have many sheep or cattle. But the Hu sold their sheep and cattle at extremely fair prices, and they had an endless stream of customers.

And with the silver the Hu obtained from selling the meat, they bought up steamed buns, pastries, tea leaves, silk, porcelain…

The Tang people and the Hu had completely different lifestyles, and the Hu found this sort of lifestyle extremely interesting.

Though the marketplace had people from all countries, all of them speaking different languages, there was a harmonious mood in the air, and no conflicts or quarrels popped up.

The Hu had fierce personalities, and they were prone to resorting to weapons at the slightest conflict.

This had been the case for numerous dynasties, and the conflicts had been without number.

But that was then and this was now. That incomparable war had truly won the respect of the Hu.

In the space of a single day, all of the Hu seemed to have been tamed.

Whoosh!

The messenger bird flapped its wings, flying over the streets of the capital. At a certain restaurant in the southern part of the city, it turned and flew past the balcony, toward a youth of unusual bearing.

Wang Chong extended his hand to receive the bird. After glancing through the letter it had delivered, he smiled and put it away.

A voice came from the side. “How is it? Did everything in the court go smoothly?”

Not far from Wang Chong, Xu Qiqin, dressed in a white gown, appearing like a fairy out of a painting, looked at Wang Chong and smiled.

“Mm, everything went according to plan. The sovereigns of the other countries have been made Kings, and the Governors have been appointed.”

Wang Chong smiled, hiding nothing from Xu Qiqin.

“The other countries are all very subdued toward you after the Youzhou war. So long as you are present, the other countries will probably not dare to rebel. But to have the other countries completely integrate with the Great Tang is no easy task.

“After all, they have different customs, and as time passes, quarrels will inevitably appear. This is unavoidable.

“If the Great Tang wishes to truly subdue these countries and unite the world, this will be a heavy burden that will take many years to achieve,” Xu Qiqin calmly said. Though she was a woman that did not possess any prodigious martial arts, when it came to politics and military affairs, she was able to be of great aid to Wang Chong.

Perhaps because she was a woman, she was always able to see through the current situation and see the possible dangers in the future.

“Yes, it’s unavoidable.”

Wang Chong waved his sleeve and softly smiled.

“Besides having the sovereigns made into Kings and appointing Governors, I have also ordered for the armies of the other countries to be reduced by half and to be scattered amongst the various Tang armies.

“There are several phases to this plan, and this is only the first step. There will be a second step and third step, and in the end, the countries will not have their own armies. Even if they do, they will be on a much smaller scale.

“In the future, the countries will integrate. This is the general trend, and no matter how long it takes, it will be done.

“In addition, I have already ordered the Bureau of Revenue and Bureau of Personnel to take impoverished families from various areas and send them to the bordering countries. The Bureau of Revenue will pay the travel expenses, and if they are willing, the Imperial Court will provide them a certain number of cattle and sheep for free. Once they have developed their herds to a certain level, the Imperial Court will purchase their livestock and sell them in the Central Plains.”

Wang Chong spoke with a natural persuasive force in his voice.

Xu Qiqin’s eyes flashed as she looked at Wang Chong, a hint of admiration within them.

On this continent, Wang Chong did not possess the greatest amount of experience, but his insight and observational abilities were incomparable amongst the famed generals of the continent.

Through his feat of uniting the world under the Great Tang Empire, Wang Chong had already cast all the other renowned generals and officials into the shadows.

Pop! Crack!

As the two were speaking, firecrackers burst out, accompanied by the raucous cheers of the crowd.

The pair stopped their conversation and turned their heads to look outside.

Large crowds packed the street, and there was a festive mood in the air.

Wang Chong and Xu Qiqin looked down just in time to see a fireworks team passing by.

“Wow! Such pretty fireworks!”

“Tanghulu! I want to buy a tanghulu!”

The crowd was lively and bustling. Wang Chong spotted a child of three or four being raised up on his parent’s head, but his attention was less on the fireworks and more on the tanghulu stand by the side of the road.

The cold wave had thawed, and several months had passed since the war. The people had completely forgotten about this war and were completely immersed in the festive mood.

If one were only able to witness this scene, they might not even realize what the Central Plains had been through.

“In truth, it is the common folk that are the most blessed,” Xu Qiqin said with an emotional sigh.

Wang Chong nodded.

“That’s true. No matter what has happened or what will happen, their lives will never change too much.

“Whether it’s the matters the court discusses with the other countries or the farther-off threat of the Celestial God Organization, these ordinary people will know nothing about it and will never need to worry about it.

“They are immersed in the world before them. All they need to do is happily forget and experience the festive air.”

Wang Chong’s eyes became unfocused as he recalled his last life.

At the time, wasn’t he also one of these common people with few worries?

At the time, all he had needed to worry about was his daily meals. As for conflicts between countries and various secrets, they were beyond his ability to influence.

Wang Chong had made an indescribable realization. Though he had already lived a lifetime, he truly didn’t know much about the truth of the world.

Xu Qiqin didn’t know what Wang Chong was thinking. Her gaze seemed to be entranced by the blissful crowd.

“In truth, it’s best for them to live in the present. After all, there’s no telling what will happen in the future. Humans can only be sure about what is happening in the present. That’s why they can be so happy.”

Xu Qiqin sighed.

Xu Qiqin’s casual comment instantly caused Wang Chong to freeze.

Wang Chong turned his head and inspected Xu Qiqin’s face.

Xu Qiqin was still looking down at the crowds below and failed to notice his gaze.

Wang Chong carefully examined her face. In this life, Wang Chong had been almost completely focused on resisting Arabia, resisting An Lushan, and resisting the Celestial God Organization. He had grown accustomed to receiving Xu Qiqin’s support in planning and logistics.

But it was only now that Wang Chong suddenly realized that he had never before looked closely at Xu Qiqin.

Just like he recalled, Xu Qiqin was still as beautiful as a fairy. But her face was much paler and lacking in that healthy glow, and her aura was somewhat weak.

In addition, her inky brows were somewhat creased in worry. Just like him, she was seemingly worried about something.

Wang Chong felt incredibly moved.

Suddenly, he recalled that energetic and beautiful woman who had disguised herself as a boy and challenged him in the Kunwu Training Camp.

This whole time, Xu Qiqin had actually taken on many of his burdens, but she was not all hard and tough. In truth, she also hoped to be like the common folk of the capital, immersed in simple bliss.

But she would never say this in front of him.

He had been constantly working since his rebirth, and though he had saved a lot, he had also unknowingly missed a lot.

There were truly many dangers in the future: the Celestial God Organization, Heaven, and the army of otherworldly invaders. But perhaps it was as Xu Qiqin said—perhaps one could not always look into the distance and forget about those at their side.

If he continued like this, he would repeat his last life. Though he would get rid of many regrets, he would replace them with new ones.

When that time came, it would truly be too late for regrets.

“Qiqin.”

Looking at the woman by his side, Wang Chong felt endless affection swell up in his heart.

“What’s wrong?”

Xu Qiqin looked over at him.

“Will you marry me?” Wang Chong spoke in his softest tone.

“Ah!”

Xu Qiqin’s face froze, her eyes flying open. Time in the restaurant seemed to stop, but a moment later, Xu Qiqin understood, her face blushing.

Her gorgeous visage under the light of the morning sun made Wang Chong momentarily lose himself.

“Mm.”

Xu Qiqin turned her head and nodded, her voice almost inaudible.

…….

Boom!

The news that Wang Chong wanted to marry Xu Qiqin set off an uproar in the capital.

The imperial household, high nobles, great clans… all the people of the Great Tang, including the Great Generals, and even the sovereigns of the other countries, were stunned.

From a certain perspective, this matter swiftly drew more attention than even the Great Tang’s war with the alliance.

After ending that unprecedented war of empires, Wang Chong had become the most dazzling existence on the continent.

For the people of the Great Tang, Wang Chong was a true hero!