Chapter 737

The thought that he might be assisting a sovereign unparalleled in history, perhaps never to be surpassed, and participating in and witnessing an epic undertaking sweeping the entire continent, sent a surge of Rexue rushing to Zhao Wenyuan and Guo Poyun’s heads, leaving them trembling with excitement.

Zhao Wenyuan bowed first, his voice trembling with emotion: “Your Majesty’s ambition shines brighter than sun and moon! Though I am unworthy, I vow to exhaust every ounce of my strength to aid Your Majesty in establishing this immortal legacy! As for Yongzhou, I shall coordinate closely with General Guo to stabilize the realm and mobilize resources as Your Majesty’s steadfast rear!”

Guo Poyun dropped to one knee outright; the battle-hardened general’s eyes glowed with fervor as he boomed: “Your Majesty! I am a crude soldier, unaware of too many grand principles! But I know this: following Your Majesty means fighting the most exhilarating battles and building the greatest achievements! Unifying the continent!”

“Hahaha! Just hearing it makes my blood boil! Your Majesty, rest assured—Tiance is safe in my hands! My men and I stand ready at your call, to sweep away every obstacle before you!”

The two ministers’ attitudes made their absolute support clear. Li Chen looked at them and nodded slightly: “With you two loyal ministers, I have no worries. I entrust the affairs of the realm to you.”

Leaving the imperial study and passing through the stern palace gates, afternoon sunlight fell upon them.

But Guo Poyun did not leave immediately. He stopped, tilted his head to gaze at the crystal-clear blue sky, his gaze distant, as if recalling something.

Seeing this, Zhao Wenyuan asked curiously: “General Guo, what’s wrong? Still thinking about what Your Majesty said?”

Guo Poyun slowly exhaled a long breath, his tone carrying a rare complexity and deep emotion: “Minister Zhao, I’ve just been struck by a strange sense of unreality. Your Majesty’s ambition is so grand, so immense, it makes this old man feel as if he’s dreaming.”

He paused, his voice lowering further: “Do you think, before my old bones are buried in the earth, I’ll have the fortune to witness the day Your Majesty truly unifies the continent?”

He didn’t wait for Zhao Wenyuan’s reply, continuing as if speaking to himself: “If that day ever comes, when I reach the afterlife and meet the late Emperor, I’ll have much to tell him.”

“I’ll tell him that the prince he once dismissed—the one he thought ordinary, unfit for great deeds, the Sixth Prince—is now the undisputed supreme ruler of this continent! His achievements dwarf those of every past emperor! He is the true sovereign of ten thousand ages!”

In his words, the brashness of court was gone, leaving only boundless sighs, pride, and a near-reverent anticipation.

Zhao Wenyuan listened quietly beside him, not interrupting, for he knew Guo Poyun’s emotions mirrored his own—and those of countless ministers who followed the Emperor—lost in the grand, thrilling vision of shaping history.

Li Chen did not rush to depart for Yongzhou or the Eastern Sea.

Though the system task was vital, completing it posed no real challenge to his efficiency.

Far more important to him was the stability and development of Tiance itself, especially his sister Li Si’s cultivation progress, which required time to mature—he could not rush it.

After the Dala Kingdom became a vassal state, all subsequent coordination and arrangements were handled behind the scenes by Chancellor Zhao Wenyuan; Li Chen merely needed to assign specific officials to liaise—no need to manage every detail personally.

Before leaving the capital and setting out once more, Li Chen decided to spend some time conducting a discreet, undercover tour of the capital.

He knew that no matter how thorough his ministers’ reports, data on paper could never match what one saw with one’s own eyes.

Many details and the true pulse of the people often lay hidden within the bustling alleys and the ordinary scent of daily life.

“Consider it a brief respite—a stroll through the city,” Li Chen changed into an unassuming blue scholar’s robe, suppressing the imperial aura that once made others dare not meet his gaze, blending seamlessly into the ceaseless tide of the capital’s crowds like an ordinary noble youth.

Walking along the broad, level Zhuque Avenue, he was met with an unprecedented scene of prosperity.

Shops lined both sides of the street, their banners fluttering; merchants from across the continent, dressed in wildly differing attire, haggled in accented Tiance official speech. Goods filled every corner—from ice marrow of Jibei to pearls of the Southern Sea, from western spices to eastern silk—all available.

Even more satisfying to Li Chen was the spirit of the common folk: the gaunt, malnourished faces of the past were now rare; replaced by citizens dressed neatly, with ruddy, healthy complexions.