Chapter 286: Triumphant Return with Captives

The aftermath of the Battle of Jin Prefecture faded gradually as the great army pulled camp and headed east, dissipating into the dust and wind along the way.

Yet an intangible shock called the Great Chen's military might spread in all directions at a speed surpassing a relay horse.

The column stretched ten-odd li.

Black armor and red flags, the troops' gear vivid and sharp.

Although they had endured bitter fighting, the soldiers' faces showed little fatigue, instead brimming with the tenacity and pride forged in blood and fire.

Their steps were uniform and orderly, striking the ground with a deep, resonant rhythm like the earth's heartbeat.

At the front of the column flew a huge imperial banner embroidered with the character 'Chen' and dragon patterns, snapping in the spring sunlight and pointing the way.

Chen Wen rode a divine black warhorse, positioned in the central army.

He did not wear the full ceremonial robes of imperial regalia, but remained in a practical field uniform, merely overlaying a dark gold-embroidered cloak that added a touch of dignity.

His gaze calmly swept over the roadsides.

Many who had heard of the royal army's triumph brought elders and children, offering food and drink, gathering on both sides of the official road, looking forward.

Their eyes were filled with awe, gratitude, and a hope akin to rebirth.

Long live Your Majesty!

Victory to Great Chen!

No one knew who started it, but a shout like mountains and seas erupted, shaking the wilderness.

Chen Wen gave a slight nod, greeting the people along the road.

Such a simple gesture often evoked an even more enthusiastic response.

He could clearly feel streams of warm, vigorous energy arising from those once-numb, desperate faces, gathering into the unseen and merging with the ever thicker, majestic Fortune Momentum within him.

This feeling was more tranquil than the domain aroused during the Battle of Jin Prefecture, yet its foundation ran deeper.

It was like trickling streams converging into a river.

Where the people's hearts turn, there the Fortune Momentum gathers.

He silently reflected, gaining a deeper, albeit vague, understanding of this force's nature.

But whenever his thoughts settled, the 'information fragments' obtained from the faceless leader that day would surface like a phantom.

'Node', 'deviation', 'clearing agreement', 'variable'...

These fragmented, meaningless terms were like icy thorns piercing deep into his consciousness.

They seemed to point toward a truth beyond his comprehension, unsettling and profound.

Opposing the Iron Crow Army and its master might not be merely a struggle for world supremacy.

This seemed to involve some greater, colder 'rule'.

He shook his head, temporarily suppressing these chaotic thoughts.

For now, it is not the time to investigate deeply.

He first needed to handle the benefits brought by this great victory, to lay the foundations of Great Chen more firmly.

After several days' march, the majestic walls of Bianliangcheng finally appeared on the horizon.

On the city towers, banners fluttered and armored troops stood in rows.

Beneath the city walls, a dense crowd had long been waiting.

Led by Zhang Cheng and Wang Ru, the civil and military officials left to guard Bian Liang, all in formal attire, stood solemnly on either side of the imperial way.

Further out were countless Bian Liang residents who had come spontaneously to welcome the victorious army.

When the familiar imperial banner bearing the character 'Chen' and the emperor's guard came into view, the city above and below erupted in earth-shaking cheers.

Boom—boom—boom—

The deep war drums thundered.

Whooo—

The mournful horn blast shot straight to the clouds.

The sounds intertwined, playing a majestic march belonging to the victors.

Chen Wen reined in his horse, his gaze sweeping over the familiar city, the excited crowd, and the officials bowed beneath his feet.

At this moment he truly felt that the road beneath his feet was the right one.

In an age of chaos, what is needed is an iron fist and power capable of ending the turmoil.

And all he has done is pulling this wounded land back onto the proper course.

Amid earth-shaking cheers and drum music, the troops slowly entered Bianliangcheng.

On either side of the imperial street, a sea of heads surged.

Your Majesty!

It is Your Majesty!

Long live Your Majesty!

The cheers rose like waves, each higher than the last.

Many commoners were so moved that hot tears filled their eyes.

They had endured too much war and dynastic change, growing accustomed to fear and numbness.

But this young new emperor, shortly after ascending the throne, personally led the campaign and returned with a decisive victory great enough to awe the four barbarians.

This let them see a long‑absent hope called stability.

Chen Wen sat on his horse, accepting the worship of the myriad people.

His countenance was calm, yet his heart was not without turbulence.

This weighty expectation is a responsibility he must bear.

After entering the city, the ceremony was not yet over.

The most important link—the offering of captives and the report to the ancestral temple—has just begun.

On the square before the ancestral temple, the atmosphere was solemn and reverent.

Civil and military officials stood in strict order according to rank.

The imperial honor guard was arranged all around, with banners and flags blocking out the sun.

Chen Wen had changed into the formal imperial regalia, dark upper garment and yellow lower garment, the twelve symbols pattern displaying supreme authority.

He slowly ascended the high altar, facing the ancestral temple where the tablets of the Chen clan ancestors and his posthumously honored adoptive father, Chai Rong, were enshrined.

Ritual music sounded, solemn and lingering.

First to be performed was the rite of offering captives.

A batch of important officers and leaders of the Northern Han and Iron Crow Army captured in the Battle of Jinzhou were bound with ropes, escorted by brave guards, and knelt in the center of the square below the altar.

They hung their heads in dejection, their faces ashen, forming a stark contrast with the high spirits of the surrounding Great Chen soldiers and civilians.

Ministry of War officials stepped forward and loudly proclaimed the names, official posts, and crimes of these captives.

With each name read aloud, the surrounding soldiers let out suppressed low growls full of contempt and hatred.

The proclamation ended.

The Minister of War faced Chen Wen at the altar and bowed, saying:

"Your Majesty, in the Battle of Jinzhou our royal army displayed valor, capturing the enemy chieftain here; we respectfully offer them before the ancestral temple to comfort the spirits of our forebears in heaven and to display the might of Great Chen's military prowess!"

Chen Wen's gaze swept over the captives below, lingering a moment on those wearing the Iron Crow Army's attire.

Even after capture, their eyes retained an unsettling coldness and madness.

He raised his hand, his clear, ringing voice carrying across the whole field:

"Those who aided Zhou in his wickedness, who brought chaos to the world, today meet their just punishment—this is the clear manifestation of heavenly principle."

"Take them to the heavenly prison, hand them over to the authorities for strict supervision, and punish them according to law!"

"As ordered!" the guards responded in unison, driving the captives down like tigers and wolves herding sheep.

Their fate had long been sealed.

Next came the more central rite of reporting to the ancestral temple.

Chen Wen personally lit the incense and candles and presented the offerings.

Sandalwood smoke curled upward, accompanying his solemn prayer as it drifted into the depths of the ancestral temple.

"Forebears, the imperial father's heroic spirits above."

"Unworthy descendant Chen Wen respectfully reports before the temple."

"In the Battle of Jinzhou, thanks to the protection of our ancestors, the soldiers gave their lives, we have crushed the stubborn foe, gained abundant spoils, and the northern frontier is temporarily pacified."

"This is not the achievement of one Wen alone, but the world's longing for peace and the people's hearts' direction."

"Now we offer the captives here to comfort the ancestral spirits."

"Wen must indeed be diligent, uphold the state, protect the myriad people, and lay the foundation for a prosperous era of Great Chen."

"Please partake."

He bowed deeply, his demeanor solemn and sincere.

No matter how genuine his feelings toward the Chen clan ancestors deep down, the ritual itself is an important means of proclaiming the new dynasty's legitimacy and uniting the people's hearts.

He must do it flawlessly.

As the memorial text was chanted and the incense smoke swirled, a solemn and sacred atmosphere enveloped the entire square before the ancestral temple.

All participating civil and military officials and soldier representatives felt a sense of shared honor, belonging, and mission.

What they were participating in and witnessing was the path of rise of a newly born dynasty.

The ceremony lasted nearly an hour before ending.

When Chen Wen turned again to face his subjects, the setting sun's golden glow fell upon him, gilding his imperial regalia with a dazzling sheen.

He stood there, as if merging with Bianliangcheng and the myriad miles of rivers and mountains into one.

"Long live Your Majesty! Long live! Ten thousand times long live!"

The cry of 'Long live!' rose again, echoing through the clouds without cease.

Chen Wen slightly raised his hand, signaling everyone to rise.

His gaze swept over the cheering crowd toward the distant horizon.

Triumphant return and the offering of captives were merely a beginning.

Next, how to digest the huge benefits this victory brought, how to face new internal and external challenges, how to unravel the mystery weighing on his mind—these are the true tests of his time as Emperor of Great Chen.

Fortune Momentum flowed slowly within him, weighty and full of power.

Although the Growth Progress Bar was reset, the insights and deposits from that life-and-death battle made his foundation all the more solid.

The road is still long.

But at least now he stands upon another, higher starting point.