Chapter 387: The Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty Submits

Chapter 387: The Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty Submits

"I have come here at the behest of the Tai Xuan Emperor to meet with Emperor Gu."

"The ongoing war between our two empires has brought suffering to the people of Nanxing Province. The Emperor cannot bear to see the people suffer, and thus, he is willing to lead the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty to surrender to your empire!"

Nangong Chuan stated his intentions directly.

His words brought a subtle smile to Gu Yang's face.

After all, if the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty was willing to surrender, it would be the best outcome.

If an empire were to pour all its resources into a war, even the mighty Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty would have to pay a tremendous price.

On the contrary, if the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty surrendered, the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty would avoid many troubles.

"If the Tai Xuan Emperor truly has such thoughts, I will gladly accept. Ending the war between our empires will spare the people from further suffering. In truth, I did not wish to launch this war rashly. However, a great calamity is approaching, and for the Eastern Domain to weather this calamity, we need sufficient strength. If the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty can ascend to a divine empire, it will have a better chance of leading the human race of the Eastern Domain through the disaster!"

Gu Yang spoke with a righteous demeanor.

His words made Nangong Chuan sneer inwardly.

Despite his noble-sounding speech, everyone knew the real reasons.

However, knowing the truth did not change the situation.

Nangong Chuan could not afford to offend Gu Yang, especially when the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty was already in a weaker position. Offending Gu Yang would only bring more trouble to the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty.

Therefore, Nangong Chuan bowed and said, "Emperor Gu, your concern for the people is admirable. The Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty is willing to surrender, but we do have one condition, which we hope you will agree to!"

"What condition is it? As long as it is within my power, I will agree!"

Gu Yang nodded.

He understood that the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty would not surrender without a condition. As long as the condition was reasonable, he would be willing to agree.

After all, the surrender of an empire was worth a significant compromise.

"It's simple. We only ask that Emperor Gu hand over Wang Junze to the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty for punishment. If you do, the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty will surrender to your empire!"

"Wang Junze..."

Upon hearing this, Gu Yang's smile vanished.

Nangong Chuan noticed the change in his expression.

"The Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty has always valued Wang Junze, but he betrayed us, angering both gods and men. If we cannot punish him, we will never find peace. If Emperor Gu can hand him over, within three days, the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty will declare its surrender and allow the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty to take control of the entire Nanxing Province!"

Silence filled the hall.

After a moment, Gu Yang shook his head. "I cannot agree to this!"

"Why... Why would Emperor Gu refuse such a beneficial arrangement for the sake of a mere traitor?"

Nangong Chuan's brow furrowed. He did not understand why Gu Yang would reject such a mutually beneficial arrangement. Sacrificing a minor figure like Wang Junze to end the war and secure the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty's surrender would be a win-win situation for the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty.

He had assumed that Gu Yang would readily agree, but now he realized he had been too optimistic.

"Traitor? Duke Chuan, the one you call a traitor has never been a traitor. From the beginning, Wang Junze has always been part of the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty!"

Gu Yang's words sent a shock through Nangong Chuan.

He had never expected that Wang Junze had been part of the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty from the start.

With this revelation, many of Nangong Chuan's previous doubts were suddenly clarified.

If this were true, everything made sense.

However, what shocked Nangong Chuan even more was the ambition of the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty.

Wang Junze had joined the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty decades ago, back when the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty was just a small kingdom.

A mere kingdom!

Yet, it had already extended its influence into an empire.

This act revealed the true extent of their ambition.

Gu Yang continued, "General Wang has rendered great service to the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty, so I cannot agree to Duke Chuan's condition. Perhaps you could propose another one."

Nangong Chuan's expression shifted.

Finally, he took a deep breath. "I cannot make this decision alone. I must consult with the Emperor."

“Then I leave it to you, but we must act quickly. After all, the war between the two dynasties has yet to end, and every moment we delay means more cultivators will lose their lives!”

Gu Yang gave the other party a deep look and said coolly.

Nangong Chuan could hardly miss the threat underlying those words.

Thus, after leaving the imperial palace, Nangong Chuan immediately relayed the message back.

When Nangong Zhu learned of this, he was enraged but felt helpless.

As Gu Yang had said, if Wang Junze had been a loyalist of the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty from the beginning, the dynasty would never hand him over.

After all, if the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty did so, the news would surely spread and damage its reputation.

Trading a hero's life for a temporary peace, while justifiable, would still leave a stain on their record.

Given this, Nangong Zhu was left with only two options:

1. Surrender directly.
2. Fight to the bitter end.

However, if Nangong Zhu decided to fight to the bitter end, he wouldn’t have sent Nangong Chuan to seek peace with the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty.

These two choices were, in reality, a single path for the Taixuan Empire: surrender.

Only surrender was possible.

When Nangong Zhu’s message came through again, Nangong Chuan sighed inwardly but felt a strange sense of relief.

He wasn’t surprised by this outcome.

After all, in his view, the Taixuan Empire no longer had the standing to fight the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty to the end.

If they chose to fight, the Taixuan Empire would be destroyed.

Even if they surrendered now, the Taixuan Empire would still face ruin, but at least the Nangong clan’s lineage could be preserved.

The next day, Nangong Chuan returned to the imperial palace.

This time, upon seeing Gu Yang, he got straight to the point.

“The Emperor has sent a message. The Taixuan Empire will submit, but the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty must not harm the Nangong clan and must guarantee their lineage. If Emperor Gu can give this assurance, the Taixuan Empire will surrender!”

“No problem!”

Gu Yang nodded immediately.

“The Nangong clan will be granted the status of a non-royal duke, with the right to receive court stipends but without military power. As long as the Nangong clan does not rebel and threaten the foundations of the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty, I will ensure their eternal survival!”

With that, Gu Yang personally drafted an imperial edict, solemnly affixed the imperial seal, and handed it to Nangong Chuan.

“With this edict as proof, once the Nanxing Province is under the control of the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty, I will grant the Nangong clan a fief!”

“Thank you, Emperor Gu!”

Hearing this, Nangong Chuan finally broke into a relieved smile. He took the edict with both hands, carefully read its contents, and felt the weight of his worries lift.

With this edict in hand, it was as if the Nangong clan had been granted a pardon.

As long as the Nangong clan did not rebel, the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty would not exterminate them.

Moreover, being granted the status of a non-royal duke with their own fief, though without military power, ensured the Nangong clan's elevated status.

Of course, compared to being the rulers of an empire, a non-royal duke was a far cry from their former glory.

But regardless, this outcome was still favorable.

If the Taixuan Empire had been defeated, they would not have received such treatment.

Not to mention the question of whether they would even have survived.

Thus, Nangong Chuan readily agreed and left the imperial palace, returning to Nanxing Province after several days. He relayed Gu Yang’s message verbatim and handed over the edict to Nangong Zhu.

Nangong Zhu, upon seeing the edict, also breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank you, Duke Chuan, for your hard work!”

“Your Majesty, you speak too much. It’s all for the Nangong clan!”

Nangong Chuan shook his head slightly.

Nangong Zhu smiled bitterly. “From now on, Duke Chuan need not address me as 'Your Majesty.' After today, I, Nangong Zhu, am merely the head of the Nangong clan, no longer the Emperor of the Taixuan Empire.

Think of the Taixuan Empire, which has endured since the Primeval Era, and how it has come to an end in my hands.

When I face our ancestors in the Netherworld, I will bear the blame!”

“Such is the way of the world. No dynasty lasts forever. Even the mighty Taiyi Divine Dynasty eventually fell apart.

The Taixuan Empire, though it has endured since the Primeval Era, has finally reached its end.

Your Majesty, by securing a chance for the Nangong clan to survive and continue their lineage, you have done what you could. I believe the ancestors of the Nangong clan will find comfort in the Netherworld.”

Nangong Chuan’s words brought a better expression to Nangong Zhu’s face.

The next day.

Nangong Zhu convened a court assembly and directly announced the surrender of the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty.

Upon hearing this news,

the entire Nanxing Province was shaken.

Many forces had not expected the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty to surrender so readily.

After all, this dynasty had lasted for millions of years, and the war between the two dynasties had only lasted a year or two.

Initially, everyone thought that the two sides would have to fight for at least a decade before gradually determining a winner.

But no one had anticipated

that the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty would surrender so quickly.

When this news spread, Nangong Zhu personally represented the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty and traveled to the Ancestral Province to meet Emperor Gu Yang.

In front of his ministers, Emperor Gu Yang directly appointed Nangong Zhu as Duke Nan, granting him a region of Nanxing Province as the fief of the Nangong clan.

Nangong Zhu, of course, bowed in gratitude.

With Nangong Zhu's submission, the fortune of the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty instantly disintegrated, with a massive amount of fortune flowing towards the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty, strengthening its fortune and making the embryonic form of the Ten-Rank Green Lotus increasingly evident.

The remaining small portion of fortune dissipated directly into the world.

Emperor Gu Yang was not surprised by this situation.

Even when a force surrendered, it was impossible to completely absorb all of its fortune; some would inevitably disperse.

Especially for an ancient imperial dynasty like the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty, this was even more so the case.

After all,

the territory of the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty was vast.

Even with its submission, it was impossible for all of its fortune to be absorbed by the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty. However, the majority of the fortune was still absorbed by the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty, saving it a significant amount of time.

"Truly worthy of an imperial dynasty from the Primeval Era. Even facing a great calamity and with its strength greatly diminished, the fortune it contains still rivals the majority of the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty's!"

"If it were at its peak, the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty's fortune would not be inferior to the current Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty!"

Emperor Gu Yang, sensing the change in fortune, was secretly astonished by the depth of the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty.

After all,

the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty controlled several provinces, with a territory several times larger than the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty.

Yet even so,

the depth of the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty at its peak was not inferior to the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty.

This showed that

the strength of an imperial dynasty's fortune was not solely determined by the size of its territory but also by the depth of its accumulation.

However,

all of this now belonged to the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty.

Next,

Emperor Gu Yang sent people to take control of the entire Nanxing Province, dismissing all officials who had previously served the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty and replacing them with his own people.

This was a necessary step.

After all, these officials had served the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty. Even though the dynasty had surrendered, there was no guarantee that there would be no hidden threats. Emperor Gu Yang needed to eliminate all potential risks to prevent future problems.

However, this also brought a significant drawback.

There was a shortage of talent.

Yes!

A shortage of talent!

The Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty expanded too quickly. Even though Emperor Gu Yang vigorously recruited talent, there were still significant gaps when it came to distributing them.

To address this,

Emperor Gu Yang held the Imperial Examinations to select talent from the provinces.

This examination was held quickly and concluded swiftly. Within just three months, the examinations in the six provinces selected one hundred thousand talents for Emperor Gu Yang.

Emperor Gu Yang personally met with them, carefully selecting and distributing them to the six provinces.

However,

the majority of these talents were sent to Nanxing Province.

After all, Nanxing Province had just come under the control of the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty and was in need of reconstruction. The one hundred thousand talents were sufficient to ensure the smooth operation of the entire province.

Six months later,

the entire Nanxing Province was completely under the control of the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty.

During this period, Emperor Gu Yang could clearly sense that the fortune of the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty was gradually improving. Compared to the time when the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty had just surrendered, the overall fortune of the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty had increased by more than ten percent.

"The next step is to focus on Yunhai Province and Beixing Province!"

"Once these two provinces fall under the control of the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty, even if we don't achieve the Ten-Rank Green Lotus, we won't be far off!"

Emperor Gu Yang thought to himself.

Based on the current situation, capturing the two provinces would not take too long.

With the fall of Nanxing Province, the remaining forces of the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty were concentrated on these two provinces. Additionally, the armies that had previously belonged to the Tai Xuan Imperial Dynasty were now under the control of the Shen Wu Imperial Dynasty, further increasing its strength.

Under such pressure, the two provinces would not be able to hold out for long.

In Emperor Gu Yang's view,

at most three to five years, and at least one to two years, the two provinces would inevitably fall. (End of Chapter)

Chapter end