Chapter 764 The Empress Dowager's Visit
Gu Xu and Lu Shiyao sat side by side on the railing of the stone bridge, watching quietly as the coffin was slowly brought into the mausoleum and then buried with thick soil.
A complex and indescribable feeling surged in his heart.
He understood that this moment marked another end of his life - his second death in an interpersonal sense after his physical death.
From now on, in the eyes of the world, he will no longer be "Your Majesty", but "the late emperor", a late emperor who "died half way through his career".
"It would be great if I were a strong man in the ninth realm," he smiled and said with emotion, "With so many people remembering me, I'm afraid I can't even die if I want to."
"Actually, there are so many people who remember me. "Young master is only one step away from the ninth realm," Lu Shiyao said softly next to him, "How about giving it a try here and seeing if you can take this crucial step?"
"Is this okay?"
"If it were someone else, I'm afraid it really wouldn't be possible. But after all, the young master once ascended to the colorless sky and once transcended the level of mortal life. Although he failed to stay there successfully, he It has become different from ordinary people and cannot be judged by ordinary eyes."
"Sublimation..." Gu Xu muttered this word silently.
To this day, he still has not fully understood the existence of the "Colorless Sky".
With intuition, he vaguely felt that it might be a higher-dimensional world beyond the universe he was in.
If the "Colorless Sky" is compared to a library, then everything that happens in this universe is like the stories recorded in the books in the library. Beings in the Colorless Sky can read these stories at will and even rewrite them.
When Gu Xu returned from the "Colorless Sky", his mind was filled with complex and profound knowledge, and he also had many new insights into the avenue of heaven and earth.
Although he was unable to further understand these mysterious mysteries due to the fact that his life was about to end.
But he knew that once he fully understood these mysteries, he would definitely break through the shackles and reach an unprecedented level of power.
There was just one thing that made him very confused -
"Miss Lu, why do you know about the 'Colorless Sky'?" He stared at Lu Shiyao's beautiful eyes, There was a hint of seriousness in his tone, "I have never mentioned these things to you."
"Because I am not the real Lu Shiyao, just a longing in your heart!" Lu Shiyao said softly. Sighing, her eyes were as gentle as water, looking straight into his heart.
…………
Time passes.
After the wilderness world was silent in the haze of sadness for a long time, it finally gradually regained its vitality under the auspices of Zhao Yan, and everything began to go on the right track.
She sat at the desk that originally belonged to Gu Xu, reading memorials, summoning ministers, and handling government affairs just like he did during his lifetime. After all, she was once the King of Yan. Even though she still had some sadness hidden in her heart, her brows showed more of a calm and decisive demeanor.
Gu Xu had already anticipated that he might die, so he used the power of "karma" to modify the usage rights of the astrolabe.
Now, Zhao Yan can also use the power of the astrolabe to gain insight into the world.
This gave her a subtle feeling, as if she was looking at the world through his eyes.
However, Zhao Yan's road to governing the country has not been smooth sailing.
Youzhou, where the Yan Kingdom once was, is Zhao Yan’s hometown and the foundation of the Zhao family’s power.
During the lifetime of the late emperor, several of Zhao Yan’s distant relatives—Zhao Hui, Zhao Fu, and Zhao Tao—acted well-behaved, incorruptible, and even decent under Gu Xu’s tough tactics. He actively donated funds to build roads and bridges in poor villages and won some reputation.
However, with the death of the late emperor, the mountain pressing on their heads collapsed, and their true colors were gradually revealed.
Having been suppressed for a long time, they unscrupulously used the Zhao family's reputation to do evil in Youzhou. They occupy farmland, bully men and women, and run rampant in the countryside without any scruples.
These people are lucky and believe that the current Queen Mother, who is a member of the Zhao family like them, will definitely turn a blind eye to their evil deeds and even protect them. However, after Zhao Yan learned about the incident, she did not hesitate to order a thorough investigation and personally supervised the Youzhou case.
In the end, Zhao Hui and others were all sent to the gallows to pay tribute to the world.
After the news spread, the whole country was shocked.
No one could have expected that Zhao Yan would attack members of the Zhao family so ruthlessly.
And things are far from over.
Zhao Yan then announced an even more unexpected decision - she voluntarily gave up the title of "Gong of the State of Yan", officially changed Youzhou to "Daxia Youzhou Prefecture", and announced that Youzhou From then on, the state was no different from other provinces in Daxia and was no longer the private domain of the Zhao family.
Zhao Yan’s move undoubtedly shocked both the government and the public.
During the Daqi period, there were originally four great clans in Dahuang.
As early as the reign of Emperor Tianxing, the entire Lu family was executed for unwarranted "treason."
The Chen family and Shen family were confiscated in the first year after Gu Xu ascended the throne, and all their properties were taken back to the government.
Only the Zhao family, who was the founding hero of the country, was preserved and continued to receive the same treatment as before.
However, Zhao Yan resolutely deprived the Zhao family of its privileges and incorporated Youzhou into the local administrative system of Daxia.
Although this move caused dissatisfaction within the Zhao family, it won the sincere admiration of the people of Dahuang.
Zhao Changying once found his daughter and sighed sincerely: "Yan'er, do you really want to leave no escape route for yourself?
"You don't yet have the cultivation level that shocked the world like the late emperor. , but it has offended too many people. When the young master reaches adulthood, if a new saint or a true king-level powerhouse appears in the wilderness again, and stands on the opposite side of you, trying to settle things against you, how should you respond then? After all, your family is your only way out! "
After hearing his father's advice, Zhao Yan looked as usual, but her tone revealed unshakable determination: "After all, the existence of aristocratic families is no longer suitable for this era.
“If we want to make the wilderness operate efficiently and develop rapidly according to his vision, we must completely eradicate local clans, return local authority and resources to the court, and put them under the unified control of the central government.
"The Zhao family was kind to him, but he was too concerned about his old relationship to take action himself. But I can take his place and complete this unfinished mission.
"Besides, without him, the Zhao family would not exist in this world at all."
While speaking, Zhao Yan's thoughts could not help but drift back to thousands of years ago.
At that time, she was still a girl named "Xi" and witnessed her master descending from the sky, killing ghosts and monsters, and taking her on the path of spiritual practice.
However, shortly thereafter, the Master's figure finally dissipated in her arms like smoke - this scene became her eternal nightmare.
Because of this, after meeting him again in this life, she would insist on holding him tightly at all costs, lest he leave again and throw her into boundless loneliness.
Unexpectedly, he chose to go away after all, leaving her alone in this world.
"If Qing Yan grows up and can take charge of this country on his own, I will simply let him go and meet him again in another world." Zhao Yan often thought this silently when she was alone. With.
The world without Gu Xu would be too deserted and lonely.
Even if she is a fire spirit, she often shrinks uneasily in this endless dark night.
The "holy fire totem" on her body is the mark left by his own hands.
So she often hugged herself at night and felt the last warmth he left in the world.