194: He ascended the throne, established the reign title "Hui," quelled the rebellion, and solidified the foundation of the new dynasty.

The gilded tiles of the Hall of Supreme Harmony shimmered in the morning light. Xu Tianchuan, leading the brothers of the Heaven and Earth Society, was hanging a new flag on the flagpole outside the hall—a bright yellow banner embroidered with the character "Hui." It had been sewn overnight with gold thread by Shuanger. When the wind blew, the flag unfurled, appearing even more grand than the dragon flags of the Qing Dynasty. Wei Xiaobao, wearing his newly made Dragon Robes, paced back and forth at the hall's entrance. The hem of the Dragon Robes was so long that he nearly tripped over himself, causing the nearby palace attendants to chuckle secretly.

"Brother Hui! These Dragon Robes are too heavy!" Wei Xiaobao tugged at his collar with a miserable expression. "They're ten times heavier than the cotton robes I used to wear. And this hat—it's pressing down so hard my neck is sore!"

Xie Hui walked over, helped him smooth out the wrinkles in the Dragon Robes, and suppressed a smile. "How could being an emperor be easy? Just bear with it. I'll change you into something more comfortable once the coronation ceremony is over. Shuanger made you some Sesame Cakes and put them in the small universe. If you get hungry later, you can sneak a few bites."

"Brother Hui really does treat me best!" Wei Xiaobao's eyes lit up. He was about to reach for the key to the small universe in his robe when he saw Jianning running over, carrying a cloth doll. The doll also had the character "Hui" embroidered on it; she had made it together with Shuanger.

"Wei Xiaobao! You look so ridiculous in those Dragon Robes!" Jianning laughed so hard she doubled over. "Sister Shuanger said I have to kneel to you during the coronation, but I won't! I'm going to stand right next to you and watch the commoners cheer with you!"

Xie Hui nodded helplessly. "Fine, you can stand beside him, but don't say a word. Don't embarrass the New Dynasty."

AKe and Longer also approached. AKe held a schedule for the coronation ceremony, which was written out clearly: "Brother Hui, the civil and military officials are already waiting outside the hall. The leaders of the Heaven and Earth Society, the Divine Dragon Cult's former members, and Wu Sanguis Former Troops are all standing in the front row. The Fake Empress Dowager, Mao Dongzhu, has also arrived, saying she wants to pay her respects to the new emperor to stabilize the hearts of those in the palace."

Longer added, "Tiger Wang is leading his former troops to guard the palace gates to prevent anyone from causing trouble. He just sent word that the commoners outside the city heard about the establishment of the New Dynasty and have swarmed the city gates, wanting to see what the new emperor looks like. It’s a very lively scene."

Xie Hui nodded and said to everyone, "Follow the procedure. Wei Xiaobao, remember, don't panic when you walk toward the dragon throne. I'll be right there with you. As long as I'm here, no one will dare to speak out of turn."

The coronation ceremony began, and the sound of bells and drums echoed from the Hall of Supreme Harmony to the outskirts of the city, with the commoners cheering along. Supported by Xie Hui, Wei Xiaobao walked up the Vermilion Steps one step at a time. When he sat on the dragon throne, his hands were still shaking. He tried to sneak a Sesame Cake from his robe, but Xie Hui glared at him, and he quickly pulled his hand back.

Xu Tianchuan stood in the middle of the hall and announced loudly, "The new emperor ascends the throne! The dynasty name shall be 'Hui'! We honor Xie Hui as the Regent Prince, to oversee all court affairs!"

The civil and military officials and the leaders all knelt in succession. Mao Dongzhu, wearing the court attire of the Empress Dowager, also knelt. Her eyes were filled with a sense of security—she knew that following Xie Hui was much safer than following the Kangxi Emperor. This 'cooperation' had not been in vain.

Just as the ceremony ended, a soldier ran in frantically, holding a secret letter. "Regent Prince! This is bad! Lord Zhang, a former official of the Qing Dynasty outside the city, has arrived with five hundred troops. He says he wants to 'purge the sycophants' and rescue the Kangxi Emperor!"

Xie Hui took the secret letter; the handwriting on it was crooked and filled with threats. He sneered, "He still dares to come and cause trouble! Longer, take two hundred former members of the Divine Dragon Cult and rendezvous with Tiger Wang's men to flank them from the side. AKe, come with me to the city gate to see just how capable this Lord Zhang really is!"

Longer nodded and turned to run out. Tiger Wang's voice soon came from outside the hall as he led his former troops toward the city gate. AKe followed Xie Hui toward the city gate, clutching a small copper key—one she had used before to crack mechanisms. She was afraid there might be traps at the city gate and had prepared in advance.

At the city gate, they saw Lord Zhang on horseback, holding a blade and shouting toward the city walls, "Wei Xiaobao, you rebel! Hand over the Kangxi Emperor immediately, or I will trample the Forbidden City!" The soldiers behind him held the dragon flags of the Qing Dynasty, each looking fierce, yet none dared to charge forward.

Xie Hui stood atop the city wall and shouted down, "Lord Zhang, the Qing Dynasty is finished. The people are all hoping for a good life under the New Dynasty. Do you still want to throw your life away for the Kangxi Emperor? I'll give you a choice: drop your weapon and surrender, and the New Dynasty will still let you be an official. If you don't surrender, you'll die here today!"

Lord Zhang sneered, "I will not associate with rebels! Brothers, charge!" As he spoke, he spurred his horse forward, but the soldiers behind him didn't move. They had long since lost the will to fight; the Qing Dynasty's pay was low and often embezzled. The leaders of the New Dynasty had said that being a soldier in the future would mean having enough to eat. Who would still want to risk their life?

Longer and Tiger Wang charged in from the side at that moment. The former members of the Divine Dragon Cult held their blades high, and Wu Sanguis Former Troops held their crossbows, instantly surrounding Lord Zhang's soldiers. Seeing he was surrounded, Lord Zhang panicked. Just as he tried to flee, Longer threw a rope that entangled his horse's legs. The horse fell to its knees with a thud, throwing him to the ground.

"Take him!" Xie Hui shouted. Two soldiers rushed forward and bound Lord Zhang. Seeing their leader captured, the remaining Qing soldiers dropped their weapons and surrendered. Tiger Wang stepped forward with a smile and patted one of the Qing soldiers on the shoulder. "It would have been better if you'd done this sooner! Following the New Dynasty means having food to eat and silver to take; it's ten times better than following the Qing Dynasty!"

When they escorted Lord Zhang back to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Wei Xiaobao was sitting on the dragon throne, holding the Imperial Seal and eating a Sesame Cake. Seeing Xie Hui return, he quickly hid the cake. "Brother Hui! Is it settled? I heard the sounds of fighting outside just now and thought something had happened to you!"

"It was a small matter," Xie Hui said, pushing Lord Zhang into the center of the hall. "This old fellow wanted to rebel. How do you say we should deal with him?"

Wei Xiaobao rubbed his chin, coughed twice in imitation of Xie Hui, and said, "Lock him up! Make him eat spoiled food every day so he knows the power of the New Dynasty!"

Xie Hui nodded and had the soldiers take Lord Zhang away. He then addressed the officials, "From now on, anyone who dares to rebel against the New Dynasty will be dealt with like this! But as long as you work hard, the New Dynasty will never mistreat you. The commoners will have enough to eat, and you will receive high salaries!"

The officials nodded one after another, and many of their concerns vanished. Mao Dongzhu then stepped forward and bowed to Xie Hui. "Regent Prince, the Kangxi Emperor is still at the Temple of Heaven. Should we bring him back? The eunuchs and palace maids are all afraid of him; keeping him there is a hidden danger."

Xie Hui thought for a moment. "Bring him back, but don't mistreat him. Just keep him under house arrest in the rear palace. He is, after all, the former emperor. Treating him well will make the commoners feel that the New Dynasty is benevolent, making it less likely for unrest to occur."

Longer nodded. "I'll see to it immediately. I'll send the former members of the Divine Dragon Cult to the Temple of Heaven to bring him back quietly without alarming the people."

By the time the official business was finished, it was already noon. Shuanger led the palace attendants in bringing the prepared dishes into the Hall of Supreme Harmony—there was braised pork, steamed fish, and Wei Xiaobao's favorite Sesame Cakes, filling the entire table. Jianning pulled Shuanger to sit beside her, while AKe and Longer also found seats. The officials and leaders ate in the courtyard outside the hall, and the scene was as lively as the New Year.

"Sister Shuanger, the braised pork you made is so delicious!" Jianning said with her mouth full of meat, her voice muffled. "It's even better than what the imperial chefs make! You have to make it for me every day from now on!"

Shuanger nodded with a smile. "Alright, as long as you like it, I'll make it for you every day."

Wei Xiaobao held a large bowl and placed three pieces of braised pork into it, muttering, "Now that I'm the emperor, I'm going to eat the food Shuanger makes every day. I'll also have Brother Xu call all the brothers from the Heaven and Earth Society over to eat together!"

Xie Hui was drinking soup when he suddenly remembered something and said to Tiger Wang, "Is there any news from Li Da in Yunnan? Can his former troops there remain stable? We can't have any trouble."

Tiger Wang put down his bowl and quickly said, "A letter was sent yesterday. Li Da said everything is fine. The commoners all support the New Dynasty and have even taken the initiative to help build 'roads' (a new word Tiger Wang had learned; he wanted to say 'roads' but didn't get it quite right), oh no, dirt paths, so it will be more convenient for us to go to Yunnan in the future!"

Everyone was amused by him, and the atmosphere became even more relaxed. After finishing the meal, Xie Hui took Longer and AKe to the rear palace to see the confined Kangxi Emperor. The Kangxi Emperor, wearing ordinary cotton robes, was sitting by the window reading a book. When he saw them enter, he didn't even look up, his tone calm: "You've won. Do with me as you wish."

"We won't kill you," Xie Hui said, sitting opposite him. "The New Dynasty must be benevolent and will not kill people indiscriminately. But you must stay here. You cannot leave or contact your former officials, or else don't blame us for being unkind."

The Kangxi Emperor looked up at Xie Hui. "Can you really let the people live a good life?"

"Yes," Xie Hui nodded. "The New Dynasty will not impose exorbitant taxes. We will ensure the people have food to eat and clothes to wear. It won't be like the Qing Dynasty, where officials bullied the commoners. If you don't believe me, you can look out the window in the future and see for yourself if the people are living better than before."

The Kangxi Emperor didn't speak again and lowered his head to continue reading, which was taken as silent agreement. Walking out of the rear palace, AKe said in a low voice, "I just heard from the palace attendants at the gate that there's movement over in Russia. It seems they're sending troops to invade, claiming they want to help the Qing Dynasty restore its rule."

Xie Hui's heart skipped a beat—finally, the plot to campaign against Russia was approaching. He could use his modern military knowledge to establish the New Dynasty's prestige. He said to Longer, "Contact the former members of the Divine Dragon Cult immediately. Have them go to the border to gather intelligence and see how many troops Russia has sent and what weapons they're using. As for Tiger Wang, have him deploy two thousand former troops to the border to hold the pass first and prevent the Russian Army from entering."

Longer nodded. "I'll get on it right away. I'll make sure to get you news as soon as possible."

Returning to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, they found Wei Xiaobao napping on the dragon throne, his drool even dripping onto the armrest. Jianning sat beside him, poking his face with a cloth doll, laughing joyfully. Shuanger was organizing the newly received Memorials. Seeing Xie Hui return, she quickly handed them over. "These are Memorials sent from various regions. They all say the people support the New Dynasty, and some places even want to send representatives to the capital to bring gifts to the new emperor."

Xie Hui took the Memorials and flipped through a few pages, his heart filled with a sense of stability. The New Dynasty's Foundation was now secure. Next, as long as they dealt with Russia, the New Dynasty would be even more stable. Looking at the "Hui" flag outside the hall and then at The female protagonists around him, he suddenly felt that although he had encountered many dangers after transmigrating into the world of the deer and the cauldron, being able to have such a group of people with him and establishing a New Dynasty where the people could live in peace and prosperity made it all worthwhile.

Wei Xiaobao was poked awake and asked while rubbing his eyes, "Brother Hui, is it time for dinner yet? I'm hungry again."

Xie Hui nodded with a smile. "Come on, let's go have dinner. Shuanger made you Sweet and Sour Fish, your favorite."

As everyone walked toward the Dining Hall, the setting sun stretched their shadows very long. The "Hui" flag of the Hall of Supreme Harmony fluttered in the wind, as if blessing the future of the New Dynasty. Xie Hui knew that the upcoming campaign against Russia would be a tough battle, but with the help of those around him and the support of the New Dynasty's people, he would surely win, allowing the name of the "Hui" Dynasty to spread even further.