In a world full of several hundreds of empires, large and small, when it came to military force on land, the Ning Empire was said to be unequalled. With strong elite troops from all four borders and depositories sweeping across the land in all directions, they were able to stick their flag in the ground, claiming any land they desired. However, inevitably, there were some people who were dissatisfied with their lack of military prowess when it came to the coastal border regions. Hence, a young man stepped forth, brandishing his weapons and led the troops to the seas. Shen Leng: If the day comes that I have to fight hard for my people, I am more than willing.
Chapter 1 Volume - Strength in numbers Prologue
The Ning Empire had always held Daoism in high regard, ever since it was established hundreds of years ago.
Daoism promoted benevolence and magnanimity. However, not a single emperor of the Ning Empire throughout hundreds of years was truly benevolent or magnanimous. For example, when the current emperor, Li Chengtang, deployed 120,000 elite troops on the southern border to sweep across the Nanyue Empire, he said......"Do you know why the Great Ning Empire is called the Great Ning Empire? That is because as long as the Great Ning Empire is around, everybody would be free from worry."
The reason behind wiping out the Nanyue Empire was because a few of their goats crossed the border and nibbled on three cabbages in one of the vegetable farms on Great Ning Empire's side of the border.
Wasn't it absurd?
Whether it was absurd or not, the emperor of the Nanyue Empire knew best. However, there was no medicine for regret.
Three cabbages, 120,000 elite troops. Just like that, an empire with 300 years of history was wiped out.
If only the emperor of the now vanquished Nanyue Empire, Yang Yu, who was currently confined in a small courtyard in the Eighth District Alley of the capital, could foresee his current predicament, he probably would have slaughtered all the goats in the Nanyue Empire, including sheep and cows.
His Majesty displayed the Li imperial family's unreasonable nature without restraint. In the words of a Daoist spiritual master on Mount Dragon Tiger: A circling dragon reveals its dragon claws from time to time, instilling fear that was hard to forget.
The strange thing was that, a couple of years ago, Zen Buddhism from the western regions started flourishing in the Great Ning Empire. The empress became one of the devout believers. She even tried to persuade the emperor, telling him that Zen Buddhism focused on being merciful, and doing good. She also explained to him about karma, convincing him to listen to what the senior monk preached.
Li Chengtang said, "I know for a fact that Daoism belongs to the Great Ning Empire. If I don't protect it, who would? Anything that comes from outside of the Great Ning Empire......I have absolutely no interest in it. If there is really karma, you should get struck by lightning."
Ever since then, the empress had never stepped foot into the temple; she only burned some joss sticks and candles within her quarters in the palace.
Twelve years ago, for some reason, it was the previous empress' last time stepping into a Daoist temple. Ever since then, she started to become a believer of Zen Buddhism instead.
At that time, Li Chengtang was not the ruler - the person at the throne was his brother Li Chengyuan.
Twelve years ago, on an ordinary day, with nothing peculiar or strange happening, Emperor Li Chengyuan vomited a lot of blood out of the blue. He passed away shortly after, and the entire imperial court of the Great Ning Empire was thrown into chaos. That was because the emperor had no sons.
The senior secretary suggested that since the emperor had no sons, they should pick one of the princes to succeed to the throne. However, the oldest prince was only seven or eight years old. It was extremely clear what his intentions were.
Nonetheless, the senior secretary had substantial power and authority. A third of the officials in the imperial court were his allies. Even the empress did not dare to voice her opinions.
Nobody expected that on the very day that they escorted the selected crown prince from Jiangnan to the capital, the great general Pei Tingshan, who was stationed in Dongjiang, brought 9,000 weapons with him and traversed outside of the capital. This great general, who had been leading the troops for twenty years, and lost count of the number of people he had killed, set up a pavilion outside the city gate. He carried a sword and sat cross-legged. He only said one sentence.
"If Prince Liu is not here, we will not withdraw our weapons."
Prince Liu is the current emperor, Li Chengtang.
80,000 warriors in the capital did not dare to make a move. Were they really afraid to make a move?
Everyone knew that Prince Liu had made a name for himself in the military when he was younger.
Hence, the crown prince ran away, feeling crestfallen. He did not dare to step foot into the city gate.
Therefore, the secret secretary looked up to the sky and sighed deeply before cursing, "What a brute! So crude at handling matters, not refined at all."
Was there anything he could do?
No.
Twelve years ago, on the day that Li Chengtang was about to rush to the capital during the night, his wife had entered the Daoist temple. She met a Daoist devotee and did something that made Li Chengtang extremely furious afterwards. Later on, that very incident cost the empress' originally well-regarded and prestigious clan to meet with suppression for twelve years - not a single member of the clan could become a fourth pin official or higher. They were hard-pressed.
However, the empress had no regrets.
She clenched her teeth and persevered. She was not afraid of getting even the most malicious retribution.
That day, her only son turned one.
That year, the Daoist devotee from the Daoist temple sighed and lamented that the heavens was the one who decided his fate, not him. He lost what the empress had given him on a cold snowy night, and decided to leave the Daoist temple to head back home, reproaching himself every day.
Chapter 1 Volume - Strength in numbers Prologue
22/02/2024
Chapter 2 Chapter 1 - If I Were Strong and Powerful
22/02/2024
Chapter 3 Chapter 2 - I Want to Laugh
22/02/2024
Chapter 4 Chapter 3 - First-In-Command
22/02/2024
Chapter 5 Chapter 4 - I Underestimated You
22/02/2024
Chapter 6 Chapter 5 - Just A Name
22/02/2024
Chapter 7 Chapter 6 - A Finger and A Piece of Meat
22/02/2024
Chapter 8 Chapter 7 - I've Grilled A Fish Before
22/02/2024
Chapter 9 Chapter 8 - He Doesn't Have Any Other Future!
22/02/2024
Chapter 10 Chapter 9 - Restrict and Despair
22/02/2024
Chapter 11 Chapter 10 - Only Came Here to Kill
22/02/2024
Chapter 12 Chapter 11 - Did You Bring A Handkerchief
22/02/2024
Chapter 13 Chapter 12 - It's Still Early
22/02/2024
Chapter 14 Chapter 13 - A Problem With His Intellect
22/02/2024
Chapter 15 Chapter 14 - I'm Afraid You'll Get Hungry
22/02/2024
Chapter 16 Chapter 15 - He Is A Man
22/02/2024
Chapter 17 Chapter 16 - Entering The Camp
22/02/2024
Chapter 18 Chapter 17 - Lastly, I Want to Thank Master Cha Once Again
22/02/2024
Chapter 19 Chapter 18 - Not Bad, Not Bad
22/02/2024
Chapter 20 Chapter 19 - I Have A Favor to Ask
22/02/2024
Chapter 21 Chapter 20 - Desire To Kill Heightened, As The Wind Blew
22/02/2024
Chapter 22 Chapter 21 - Scary
22/02/2024
Chapter 23 Chapter 22 - I Won With My Own Ability
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Chapter 24 Chapter 23 - Not Too Shabby
22/02/2024
Chapter 25 Chapter 24 - Let's Make A Wager
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Chapter 26 Chapter 25 - Go According To Plan
22/02/2024
Chapter 27 Chapter 26 - I Need To Take Someone With Me
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Chapter 28 Chapter 27 - Follow Me In The Future
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Chapter 29 Chapter 28 - Just Go Then, Just Go
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Chapter 30 Chapter 29 - Changan City
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Chapter 31 Chapter 30 - Shameless
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Chapter 32 Chapter 31 - Liu Lang Dao
22/02/2024
Chapter 33 Chapter 32 - Could You Please Close A Little Later
22/02/2024
Chapter 34 Chapter 33 - Dao Shou
22/02/2024
Chapter 35 Chapter 34 - I Will Ward Off Evil For You
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Chapter 36 Chapter 35 - It's Great To Be Aboveboard
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Chapter 37 Chapter 36 - Bribe You
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Chapter 38 Chapter 37 - Worried and Troubled
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Chapter 39 Chapter 38 - Gratitude
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Chapter 40 Chapter 39 - Look For an Opportunity
22/02/2024