Chapter 71

Days passed, plain, boring, occasionally with some troublesome things.

The wheat in the fields grew tall, headed, filled, and then turned yellow.

Liu Xiu held a sickle, cutting wheat in the fields, one sickle down, the wheat stalks fell down neatly, the wheat ears were heavy, emitting the fragrance of sunshine.

He straightened his waist, wiped his sweat, looked at the golden wheat waves, and felt a little more at ease.

With grain, the heart is not panicked.

But this ease was soon broken again.

The New Dynasty Emperor Wang Mang, engaged in some "reform," making the world a mess.

Money became less and less valuable, taxes became heavier and heavier, and more than half of the harvest in the fields had to be handed over.

Powerful families took the opportunity to annex land, and the people were displaced.

Liu Xiu's family's dozens of acres of land were finally not kept, and were "bought" by a powerful family surnamed Zhang in the county with a few dou of moldy millet.

Liu Xiu stood at the edge of the field, looking at the land that once belonged to his family, now with the boundary marker of the "Zhang" family inserted, his chest felt uncomfortable.

He wanted to curse, wanted to cry, wanted to rush up and smash the boundary marker.

But in the end, he just squatted down, grabbed a handful of soil, and held it tightly in his palm.

The soil was hot, with the temperature of the sun, but his heart was cold.

"Xiu'er, let's go."

Eldest brother Liu Yan didn't know when he came, standing behind him, his voice low.

"In this world, if you don't rebel, there's no way to live."

Liu Xiu didn't look back and didn't say a word.

He stared at the soil in his hand for a long time, before slowly letting go, the soil leaked through his fingers, fell to the ground, silently.

"Have you thought about it?" Liu Yan asked.

Liu Xiu stood up, patted the dirt on his hands, and looked into the distance.

On the horizon, the sunset was like blood, dyeing half the sky red.

He took a deep breath and slowly spat out two words:

"Let's do it."

22 AD, October, Wancheng.

Liu Xiu raised his army, riding a cow to the battlefield.

25 AD, Luoyang.

Liu Xiu sat in the newly renovated front hall of the Southern Palace, holding a scroll of bamboo slips, but his brows were furrowed enough to crush a fly.

He had been on the throne for almost half a year, reviewing memorials until midnight every day, and had to get up for court after sleeping for less than two hours.

Although the Red Eyebrow Army surrendered, there were still a bunch of separatist forces in the world, this one claiming emperor, that one claiming king, none of them were easy to deal with.

This emperor, it's really not a job for a human.

He put down the bamboo slips and rubbed his throbbing temples.

Footsteps came from outside the window, very light, very steady.

He didn't need to look up to know who it was.

"Lihua, why are you here?" he asked.

Yin Lihua brought a bowl of porridge and placed it gently on the desk,

"Your Majesty, it is late, it is time to rest."

Liu Xiu looked up at his wife.

Under the lamp, her face was gentle, her eyes clear, just like when they first met on the streets of Wancheng.

At that time, he was still a poor scholar, and she was already a beauty famous in Nanyang.

He stood in the crowd, watching her carriage pass by, and that sentence "Marrying a wife should be Yin Lihua" flashed through his mind.

At that time, he only felt it was wishful thinking, but he didn't expect it to really come true.

"I'm not hungry." Liu Xiu said.

"You have to eat even if you're not hungry."

Yin Lihua pushed the porridge in front of him,

"You haven't eaten well for the past few days, if you go on like this, your body will collapse."

Liu Xiu was helpless and picked up the porridge bowl.

The porridge was millet porridge, boiled thick, with red dates added.

He took a sip, and the warmth flowed from his throat to his stomach.

"Is there any news from Deng Yu?" Yin Lihua asked.

"Not yet."

Liu Xiu shook his head, "That brat Wei Xiao is slippery, can't win if we fight, won't talk if we negotiate, difficult to deal with."

Yin Lihua didn't ask anymore, just watched him drink the porridge quietly.

The candle flickered in the hall, reflecting their shadows, cast on the wall, leaning against each other.

After drinking the porridge, Liu Xiu felt a bit more energetic.

He was about to continue reviewing the memorials, when suddenly, a commotion came from outside the hall.

Immediately after, the attendant rushed in, his voice changed.

"Your, Your Majesty! Sky... sky screen! The sky screen has appeared again!"

Liu Xiu's hand shook, and the porridge bowl almost overturned.

He stood up abruptly, walked to the hall entrance with big strides, and looked up at the night sky.

It's here.

Deep in the night sky, the starlight began to rotate, gather, like being stirred by an invisible hand.

Immediately after, a golden light pierced the darkness, spreading rapidly, turning into a huge light screen spanning the entire sky.

The galaxy shifted, the brilliance was dazzling, more spectacular and shocking than the previous few times.

Liu Xiu held his breath, his heart beating wildly.

He also had a faint expectation in his heart, expecting to be on the list.

He, Liu Xiu, re-established the Han Dynasty, revitalized the world, shouldn't he have a place on this list of "Greatest Emperors in History"?

He stared fixedly at the sky screen, his fists white.

The galaxy flowed slowly, condensing into a few ancient characters:

【Tallying the Ten Greatest Emperors in History · Sixth Place】

Liu Xiu's breath hitched.

It's here! Finally here!

The handwriting dissipated, and the image appeared:

A field, wheat waves rolling, a young man squatting at the edge of the field, pinching the soil, his brows locked. Below the image, a line of small characters appeared:

【Han Guangwu Emperor · Liu Xiu】

Liu Xiu: "!!!"

He froze in place, his eyes wide, his mouth opening and closing, opening and closing, unable to make a sound for a long time.

It's me! I'm on the list!

Sixth place among the ten greatest emperors in history! One place higher than Yang Jian!

An indescribable heat rushed from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, making his eye sockets ache and his nose stuffy.

He took a deep breath, trying to stabilize his emotions, but his hands were still shaking violently.

He held onto the door frame, staring fixedly at the sky screen, his ears pricked up high, afraid of missing a single word.

And on the sky screen, the voice of that later Immortal sounded again, with that familiar, teasing tone:

【Today, the sixth place we are tallying can be called the most "hacked" player in Chinese history.

Others fighting for the world is a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, his fighting for the world is meteorites falling from the sky;

Others being emperor is hiding the bow after the birds are gone, his being emperor is the monarch and ministers having fun together.

Some say he is the "Son of the Plane," some say he is the "Great Archmage," and some gave him the nickname "Strongest Koi of the Eastern Han."】

【He is — Han Guangwu Emperor · Liu Xiu!】

Liu Xiu: "..."

Hacked? Son of the Plane? Great Archmage? Koi?

These words... what do they mean?

But it sounds like they are praising his good luck?

He was pondering, and bullet comments were already floating on the sky screen, dense and colorful, moving slowly from right to left:

【Liu Bang (Han Taizu Gao Emperor): @Liu Xiu

Liu Xiu? This is my descendant, good, well done.

You can re-establish the Han Dynasty and revitalize the world, this achievement is even harder than mine back then!】

Liu Xiu was stunned, his eye sockets instantly red.

Gaozu! It's Gaozu Liu Bang!

That Gaozu who beheaded the white snake to revolt and lifted a three-foot sword to settle the world!

Actually... actually posted a bullet comment to praise him!

His lips trembled, wanting to reply, but his hands were shaking too much to type.

And on the sky screen, another line floated by:

【Liu Che (Han Wudi): @Liu Xiu Among the descendants, you are the one I admire the most!

I fought the Xiongnu in the north back then and emptied the family wealth;

You fought south and north, and still let the people rest and recuperate, this concentration, I admire!】

Liu Xiu's tears almost fell.

Wudi! It's Wudi Liu Che!

That Wudi who attacked the Xiongnu in the north and sealed the wolf at Juxu! Also praising him!