Chapter 309

"……Yuan Shikai."

The corner of his mouth twitched, Zhao Si fell silent again.

The plot of BYD is truly too abstract; this is already who knows how many times he's been left speechless, every segment he watches makes him feel awkward……

"The keywords for chapter one are 【extreme】, 【kneeling】, 【cutting】, 【equality】."

"The keywords for chapter two are 【extreme】, 【sacrifice】, 【freedom】."

"The keywords for chapter three are 【extreme】, 【slaughter】, 【elbow strike】, 【father and son】."

"……Only this fourth chapter is damn 【abstract】, 【suturing】, 【awkward】!"

Zhao Si couldn't even complain: you're really good at suturing! Even the history books have you suturing them completely!

Just the historical figures Zhao Si can recognize include: Cao Cao, Cao Mao, Gao Cheng, Yuan Shan Jian, Empress Dowager Cixi, Guangxu Emperor, Empress Dowager Xiao Zhuang, Kangxi Emperor, Yongzheng Emperor, Xuantong Emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang, Shunzhi Emperor, Dorgon, Liu Bei, Liu Shan, Zhuge Liang, Nurhaci, Zhang Xianzhong, Li Zicheng, Yuan Shikai……

There are even foreign figures like Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Ferdinand Magellan……

And that's only what he can see; who knows how many more he hasn't noticed?

Complex composition, overly abstract, making it awkward!

"Damn it! Come on! Keep coming!"

"I'd like to see just how abstract you really are!"

Zhao Si wore an awkward expression, and he fiercely clicked to continue the game……

【"I… I…"】

【The young emperor trembled with fear, but the monkey, impatient, pointed at his nose and cursed.】

【"I I I! Dog-foot I!"】

【The young emperor was left stunned by the scolding, and only after a moment did he angrily shout, "ape bandit!"】

【"Since ancient times, no state has avoided destruction; I have long been prepared! Why bother pretending to be benevolent and righteous as some Grand General of Conquering the Barbarians? Come on! If you have the ability, kill me!"】

【Damn it!】

【The monkey already had a bad temper, and on top of that, it had come to deal with the rebellious emperor; now, after being yelled at by the young emperor, it instantly exploded with rage.】

【The monkey fiercely rushed forward and punched the emperor three times!】

【Of course, it definitely didn't use much force; otherwise, with its strength, one punch would have sent this guy flying to the paint shop……】

【But the monkey's three punches still managed to frighten the shouting young emperor; after all, he was a pampered soul raised deep in the inner palace, and no matter how hot-tempered, he'd be cowed by fists.】

【After taking the three punches, he just burst into tears……】

【Crying? Crying counts as time too!】

【The monkey gave no face, and right then started driving people away!】

【The young emperor momentarily lost his composure, only sitting limp on the ground, sobbing, while the Grand Empress Dowager helplessly sighed.】

【She glanced at the unruly monkey, chose her words carefully, and said, "This… this… this ape… this ape god……"】

【Although the monkey has no proper name, as a Daoist cultivator it's acceptable to address it respectfully as "ape god."……】

【"What for?"】

【The monkey looked at her impatiently; although it didn't want to say much to these people, the other party being seventy or eighty-year-old frail elders, it still gave them a bit of face.】

【The Grand Empress Dowager sighed, "I want the ape god to understand, but I don't really grasp the general's meaning…… Could it be that the general has already decided to abdicate and take the throne?"】

【"Abdicate? No such thing!"】

【The monkey pursed its lips: "Master only told me to drive out your imperial family and the palace ladies and eunuchs; nothing else was mentioned."】

【The Grand Empress Dowager asked again, "Then where are we supposed to live after we go out?"】

【"Anywhere, as long as we don't go back to the imperial palace!"】

【The monkey sneered, "This time the emperor plotted rebellion; Master not killing your whole clan is already an extraordinary mercy…… After you leave, just find any livelihood; from now on, no one is allowed to live in this imperial palace."】

【"Old one…… I understand."】

【The Grand Empress Dowager silently lowered her head, then helped up her grandson who was still crying on the ground, and step by step began to pack their belongings……】

【Not long after, the people of the capital watched in astonishment as eunuchs and palace ladies kept streaming out of the imperial palace, and they couldn't help but gossip.】

【"What's going on?"】

【"I heard the emperor rebelled, so the general drove him out……"】【"Tsk! Really addle‑pated, to rebel and end up on the general's head……"】

【"I heard the emperor had his legs broken!"】

【"Well beaten!"】

【……】

【From this day on, the Great Shun emperor, his clan, and even the palace ladies and eunuchs were no longer allowed to reside in the palace.】

【Most of them could only go out to find work to keep from starving, while the few with money bought mansions in the capital and lived low‑key lives.】

【The emperor's family naturally wasn't short of money; after moving out of the palace, their lifestyle didn't deteriorate—everything they needed was still there—but they were all heartbroken, for they could never return to the familiar palace……】

【At the same time, the monkey also thoroughly investigated the wild gods who had conspired with the emperor to rebel, uncovering plenty of documentary evidence!】

【Their slogans were many, including but not limited to things like "Expel the Eight Banners, restore the Great Shun," "Oppose the West, restore the Shun," "Restore the ancient kingship," "Honor the emperor, punish the treacherous, heavenly punishment of national traitors,"……】

【In short, it all comes down to: overthrow the dynasty!】

【Faced with these heinous rebels, as the master's most loyal and filial disciple, the monkey certainly wouldn't go easy on them!】

【Soon, the monkey led the murderous Eight Banners elite troops to the lairs of those wild gods, capturing one, hanging one, capturing another, burning one…… stakes for burning, beheading platforms—whatever instruments of torture were ruthlessly arranged!】

【In short, it was all about being ruthless to relieve the master's worries.】

【Loyalty beyond words, filial piety moving heaven and earth—now both loyalty and filiality are fulfilled……】

【No one knows exactly how many wild gods the monkey killed, but in short, when it arrived chaos reigned, when it left the world was at peace, and it cut down everything it could.】

【In conclusion: the golden monkey lifts the thousand‑jin staff, the jade cosmos clears ten thousand li of dust!】

【Even though this monkey doesn't have the thousand‑jin staff, it still cleared the ten thousand li of dust!】

【……】

【When the monkey finished its work and returned to the Northeastern Shogunate, you saw the smug look on its face: "Praise me! Praise me!"】

【You laughed and praised it a few times, then opened the letter it had brought back.】

【The letter was written by the Grand Empress Dowager; its general meaning was asking when you would ascend the throne, so she could prepare the abdication edict.】

【By this point, she had nothing more to say, only wishing for an early abdication and liberation!】

【But you merely smiled and replied with a letter: "Abdication is naturally necessary, but there's no need for the succession."】

【"From now on, there will be no more Emperor of Great Shun, and I myself will not become any emperor; let… let the emperor's throne remain forever vacant."】

【……】

【Upon receiving your reply, the Grand Empress Dowager was greatly surprised: "I never expected you truly do not want to be emperor!"】

【That grandson's earlier actions simply erased the throne that ought to have been passed down through generations…】

【By now, the old lady no longer wanted to scold the grandson; having lived into her seventies and eighties, she had long let go, and all her thoughts finally amounted only to a helpless sigh.】

【Not long after, the Grand Empress Dowager issued the Edict of Abdication of the Shun Emperor in the emperor's name!】

【In the edict, the old lady, speaking in the emperor's voice, earnestly reflected on the various policies' harms and drawbacks since the founding of Great Shun three hundred years ago, ultimately acknowledging that the Mandate of Heaven no longer favored the Shun lineage…】

【"Since the people's will is clear and the Mandate of Heaven known, how could I, for the glory of one surname, go against the likes and dislikes of myriad subjects?"】

【Emperor of Great Shun, abdicate!】

【The Empress Dowager's Edict of Abdication of the Shun Emperor, under your direction, swiftly spread throughout the realm; even the newly conquered Eastern Victory Divine Continent and Northern Kuru Continent came to know that the Emperor of Great Shun had abdicated.】

【Thus, everyone awaited your proclamation of ascension, you who are the Regent Prince revered by the myriad people and the Great General Who Subdues the Barbarians; the time has come—if you do not ascend now, it would be impolite!】

【But you still did not heed the people's wish to take the throne; instead, you issued a statement.】

【"The Shun Emperor has abdicated, the imperial system is finished; from now on there will be no more emperor. I, Lin Liu, do not wish to be emperor—let the myriad people say no more!"】

【"Even if the Mandate of Heaven were upon me, I would still only wish to be the Great General Who Subdues the Barbarians!"】

【You once again emphasized the slogan from those years!】

【Thus, starting from your sixty‑ninth year, Great Shun drew to a close; the emperor's reign that had endured over the Southern Jambu Continent for untold thousands or tens of thousands of years also henceforth drew its perfect conclusion…】

【The abdicated young emperor also became the last emperor.】

【……】

(End of chapter)