Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao-Chapter 655 - 360: Ascension to the Throne_2
The old man's cloudy eyes looked at Lu Xun with excitement on his face. He said tremblingly, "It's the Crown Prince himself, the very image of before, just with a much more mature demeanor."
Lu Xun looked at the old man in surprise, wondering if someone had arranged this behind the scenes; his own identity needed no verification from others.
"I had the good fortune to see the Crown Prince and the Empress bestow alms, so I remember your appearance. You have finally returned," the old man said with a sigh.
Only then did Lu Xun recall that he indeed had dispensed alms with his mother. At that time, several cities in the north suffered from floods, and numerous refugees poured into the Capital City. As the Crown Prince, he had rarely left the palace, but on that occasion he did, to offer porridge to the refugees. That was also the first time he had contact with the lives of the common people. Their suffering was deeply etched in his memory.
"Are you one of those refugees from back then?" Lu Xun asked curiously.
"Exactly. If it weren't for that bowl of hot porridge from Your Highness back then, I'm afraid I would have been long dead in the Yellow Springs by now. All these years, I've been praying for Your Highness's boundless good fortune. Never would I have imagined that in this life, I'd see you return to the old capital. Surely, the Empress in the Yellow Springs would be proud of you," the old man said excitedly, his face flushed, gripping Lu Xun's arm tightly with his gaunt hands.
Lu Xun's arm ached from the old man's grip, but he chose not to pull away. This was the will of the people, and with such citizens, his place could be secure.
At the same time, he felt a sense of guilt. These citizens were so simple and sincere that they would willingly open their hearts to their rulers for even a bit of kindness. But how could they know that the source of the turmoil was the Lu Family?
"Rest assured, old man, I have returned, and Great Chu has returned. The days of peace will also return," Lu Xun said softly, a promise to the old man and a spur to himself.
After bidding farewell to the enthusiastic citizens, Lu Xun continued forward with his large entourage. It wasn't long before he saw the once familiar palace. Although ravaged by war, the once resplendent Imperial Palace had become somewhat dilapidated. Thankfully, because the Capital City's renown remained unextinguished, many a hero chose to make it their capital, which had allowed most of the palace to be preserved.
"It's been a long time," Lu Xun said softly, looking up at the high palace walls with a sigh.
His feelings for this place were extremely complicated. On one hand, it was his home, where he had spent his childhood, yet he didn't like it at all. There was a time when the thick palace walls loomed like a towering mountain, always pressing down on his youthful soul, making him feel suffocated and oppressed.
But it was only after leaving what he thought was a prison that he realized all his memories were here. He and the Imperial Palace were inseparably intertwined.
"Your Majesty, the palace still has some damage. We can slowly repair it after you ascend the throne," a middle-aged man said obsequiously.
The man was the current Chief of Staff of the Public Works Department, who retained his position due to his diligent work, surviving the reigns of several Emperors. Lu Xun had kept him on after taking over the city, for capable ministers were not abundant.
"There's no need. The world has just settled, and the people need to recuperate. It's not worthwhile to exhaust the people and waste resources on such vanity projects. Just leave it as is!" Lu Xun said softly. Having seen the hardship of the common folk, he could empathize and thus had no desire to initiate grand constructions.
"You don't have to flatter me intentionally. I need men with genuine talent and ability under my command. As long as you can do your job well, you won't miss out on anything you deserve," Lu Xun said, looking at the middle-aged man's anxious expression.
The man, upon hearing this, was overjoyed as if he had heard heavenly music. His face immediately showed a relieved expression. He had feared that Lu Xun would dwell on the past, but now this statement signified a bright future for his political career.
Lu Xun saw this and smiled lightly. He was buying loyalty with his endorsement. With the world newly stabilized, and due to the chaotic situation before, many officials had served under several Emperors. If he were to get rid of all these people at once, the Imperial Court would be left unmanaged. The young people he had cultivated still needed more experience before they could step up.
Therefore, he needed to set a standard to let everyone know his stance so that the Imperial Court could smoothly transition. After all, he was still young and had plenty of time to slowly sort out the realm.
As he walked into the Imperial Palace, he saw a crowd of people kneeling en masse. Lu Xun looked closely and found many familiar faces among them, all Palace eunuchs and maids.
An older eunuch suddenly leaped from the crowd, kneeling before Lu Xun and kowtowing as he said, "Master, at last your servant has awaited your arrival."
"Is that Steward Li? How did you end up like this?" Lu Xun had recognized the man before him as the former Chief Eunuch, but now he lacked his former glory, clothed in tattered garments, his somewhat aged face also full of scars.
"Master, after the Former Emperor passed away, this old servant did not wish to side with the traitors and was thus exiled to hard labor. Had Your Highness not revitalized the Fortune and Destiny of our land, returning to the old Capital, I fear this humble life of mine would have been lost." Steward Li wept bitterly, a sight filled with sadness.
"Now that the bitterness has passed, sweetness comes. Steward Li, continue to help me manage the Eunuchs, as you know I do not take pleasure in these mundane affairs," Lu Xun said with a light chuckle.
He examined Steward Li's changing expressions with interest. He was no longer the naive child of the past. If Steward Li still assumed he could fool him as before, Lu Xun would make sure he regretted it.
Chen Xiong, clad in armor, emerged from the Imperial Palace with an impressive bearing and saluted, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Palace has been cleared. What should be done with these eunuchs?"
Lu Xun looked at his friend with a smile, and since there were others present, he didn't show too much familiarity. He softly said, "These are all veterans of the Imperial Palace. I believe none harbor ill intentions. Let them be released; after all, this vast palace needs caretakers."
Chen Xiong's mouth revealed an almost imperceptible smile and readily agreed. He ordered the soldiers to release the detained eunuchs and then stood by Lu Xun's side as they walked toward the Golden Palace. Civil and military officials under Lu Xun had already been waiting there for quite some time.
As Lu Xun stepped into the grand hall with which he was once so familiar, he suddenly felt as though he was in a different world. There was a time when he had listened here to his father addressing state affairs, thundering in anger, and balancing the powers of various factions. Now, everything and everyone had changed, and that familiar, affectionate face he had grown used to was nowhere to be seen.
Amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd, Lu Xun slowly moved forward, ascending to the throne at the highest place in the grand hall. At that moment, choruses of "Long live the Emperor" echoed through the hall.
Everyone looked to Lu Xun with anticipation; their lord was ascending the throne, and all present would become the new nobility of the land, masters over the nation's fate.
Many among them were of humble beginnings and would have faded into obscurity if not for Lu Xun. Yet, having found a wise ruler, they became dragons soaring in the sky, each making their mark. Now that the dust had settled and the great task accomplished, it was naturally time to recognize and reward their contributions.
Lu Xun looked over the disorderly assembly and quietly rubbed his forehead. Scenes like this would accompany him for the rest of his life, part of the duties and work of an Emperor. Luckily, Lu Xun now had enough confidence and the mental fortitude to face it all,
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When Lu Xun formally ascended the throne and proclaimed it to the heavens and earth, the True Dragon of Human Path that lurked over Great Chu cheered again, its overwhelming pressure reemerging, making the Demons and spirits who had taken advantage of the chaos to rise wail incessantly.
But in the face of the overarching trend, those who went with it would prosper, while those who resisted would perish. The Demons and evil spirits, though reluctant, had no choice but to hide themselves in the wilderness. Otherwise, the suppression of Human Path's Fortune and Destiny, coupled with the City Gods in each town, would ensure they had nowhere to run.
At the same time, beneath the Nine Serenities, the Great Chu Dragon Court also radiated a sky-reaching glow. Lu Zhang and Lu Chengqian, looking at the Dragon Court whose Fortune was surging, revealed smiles that had long been absent from their faces.
