95: Chapter 95 Ascension to the Throne

With the assistance of the Martial Dao Sect, the Black Tiger Gang's army swept across the world like autumn winds scattering fallen leaves.

In just one year, all ten provinces of Great Qing fell under your control; small-scale local resistance, under the joint suppression of firearms and Grandmasters, could not even stir up a ripple.

With the world initially pacified, the old order was completely shattered, and a new center of power was rebuilt in the capital.

Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, officials gathered, with the Hall Masters and Venerable Protectors of the Black Tiger Gang, as well as the surrendered Elders of the Martial Dao Sect, filling the hall.

Everyone was waiting for the new Emperor's ascension.

Everyone naturally wanted to support Wei Feisen for the throne, as he was the leader of the Black Tiger Gang.

However, when the yellow robe was brought before Wei Feisen, he kicked the tray over.

"What kind of Emperor would I be? I spend my days either killing people or Cultivating, where would I find the time to deal with the petty affairs of those peasants!" Wei Feisen cursed loudly in the main hall, then turned and walked up to you, his eyes instantly becoming fanatical and pathological.

"Wanwan, this world is the betrothal gift I conquered for you." He knelt on one knee, completely ignoring the shocked gazes of those around him, "You should be the Emperor. If you want this world, I will give you the world. If you want to Cultivate, I will accompany you to hollow out Daliang Mountain."

The main hall fell into dead silence.

You looked at Wei Feisen kneeling before you, rubbed your temples, and felt a headache coming on.

Your original intention was to manipulate things from behind the scenes while focusing on finding an Opportunity to Cultivate.

Out of helplessness, and because you were indeed slightly interested in how to reshape this world.

"Fine." You sighed, "I'll do it."

The following month, you officially ascended the throne in the capital.

You abolished the Great Qing dynasty name and changed the name to "Great Li".

On this day, wearing a black Dragon robe and a crown with twelve beaded tassels, you walked step by step up the white jade stairs and sat on the Dragon throne that represented supreme power.

You became the next Empress of this land, the first in nearly five hundred years since that legendary Empress.

Five hundred years ago, an Empress named "Huang Tian" emerged; it was rumored that she attained the Dao through martial arts, possessed unfathomable strength, and suppressed the world for a hundred years with a single sword. She later founded a nation and became Empress, but at the peak of her reign, she suddenly disappeared mysteriously, leaving behind an eternal enigma.

Some said she died of Qi Deviation, while others said she shattered the Void Realm and ascended to become an Immortal.

Now, you have retraced her path.

After ascending the throne, you did not indulge in the extravagance of imperial power, but instead began to rectify the imperial court with thunderous methods.

For the corrupt officials left over from the previous dynasty, you directly dispatched elite forces from the Black Tiger Gang to confiscate their assets and execute their entire clans, turning the capital into a river of blood; the stench of blood at the vegetable market execution grounds did not dissipate for a month.

As for the treacherous local landlord militias and small-scale rebellions, you did not send anyone to negotiate; you simply used artillery to scour the ground and iron cavalry to trample them into submission.

Under absolute violent suppression, peace was quickly restored on the surface within the territory of Great Li.

Subsequently, you began to implement policies to benefit the people, combining the memories of your past life.

First, equalizing land distribution and exempting taxes: you confiscated the land of all rebellious landlords and annihilated Schools, distributed it to landless farmers per capita, and announced a three-year agricultural tax exemption.

Second, promoting high-yield crops: using the knowledge from your past life and the foundation of the merchant guilds, you promoted Champa rice on a large scale in the south and tested drought-resistant crops in the north.

Third, abolishing the caste system and establishing public Schools.

At first, the common people were skeptical of these policies; after all, crows are black all over the world, and no one believed that an Emperor would truly give away land for free.

It was not until the first group of old farmers who received land touched their land deeds with trembling hands, knelt on the ridges, wailed, and kowtowed in the direction of the capital until their heads bled.

It was not until the autumn harvest season, when golden wheat waves and heavy rice ears filled the rice jars of the common people.

The hearts of the people were completely won over.

Just over half a year later, the empire of Great Li had completely stabilized. The common people were moved to tears of gratitude, and in the civilian population, they even began to build living shrines for you, honoring you as the "Saintly Heavenly Empress".

However, you did not stop there.

You knew deep down that secular imperial power was but a passing cloud; your true goal was to find the path to the Cultivation World and to Breakthrough to the Realm of an Earthly Immortal.

To free yourself from the complicated government affairs, you established the "Imperial Secretariat".

Through imperial examinations and exceptional promotions, you recruited a large number of talented civil officials and handed over all daily affairs of the nation to the Imperial Secretariat.

You were not afraid of them undermining your authority.

Because in your hand, you held the most terrifying violent organization in Great Li—the Black Tiger Division.

The Black Tiger Division was improved from the core framework of the original Black Tiger Gang and reported directly to you. All of Great Li's elite armies, firearms manufacturing bureaus, and powerhouses above the Grandmaster level were under the jurisdiction of the Black Tiger Division. You appointed Wei Feisen as the Grand Commander of the Black Tiger Division; this sharpest of blades was held only in your hand.

Civil officials were responsible for governing the world, while the Black Tiger Division was responsible for deterring the world.

After completely freeing yourself, you began to seclude yourself in the deep palace, earnestly Cultivating the Green Vessel Hundred Forging Record and the Taixu Visualization Method, attempting to touch the barrier of the Earthly Immortal Realm.

At the same time, you closely monitored all movements at Daliang Mountain.

That mountain, which hid the Immortal Cave of an Immortal Cultivator, was the key to your Breakthrough.

You did not dig secretly as you did in your past life; instead, you directly mobilized the state apparatus.

You issued the highest-level bounty: all capable people in Great Li could go to Daliang Mountain to search for treasure. If they could find the legendary "Immortals Abode", they would be directly enfeoffed as a King of a different surname, with hereditary rights, and rewarded with one hundred thousand gold!

Under heavy rewards, there must be brave men.

Today, Daliang Mountain gathered hundreds of thousands of laborers, Jianghu wanderers, tomb raiders, and even regular troops. The entire mountain was almost turned upside down, with countless cubic meters of earth being transported out every day; the bustle was comparable to the construction of an imperial mausoleum.

Just like that, time passed for another four years amidst your Cultivation and waiting.

In these four years, your cultivation became deeper and deeper, and the Protective Aura of a Great Grandmaster already showed signs of a qualitative change, but you were still separated from the Earthly Immortal Realm by a thin layer of paper.

As for Daliang Mountain, although many Ancient Tombs and relics from previous dynasties were unearthed, the true Immortal Cave of an Immortal Cultivator remained nowhere to be found.

Until early autumn in the fifth year of Great Li.

A rare torrential rain swept across the entire Central Plains, and this rain fell continuously for three full months.

The sky seemed to have a giant hole, with dark clouds hanging low, lightning flashing, and thunder rolling; the entire capital was shrouded in a oppressive mist of water vapor.