[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-peace-decree":3,"chapter-the-peace-decree-the-peace-decree-chapter-549":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Peace Decree",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2328724,4553,"Chapter 549: Emperor! (This Volume Ends)","the-peace-decree-chapter-549",549,"\u003Cp>Nan Hanwen’s proposal had been carefully considered: with the world in turmoil and the Ying state having already chosen and proclaimed its new emperor, it had stirred up a great wave of upheaval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Wanxiang forced Ji Zichang to burn himself alive and usurped the imperial title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now his son continues to hold the imperial title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the Prince of Qin remains merely a marquis, holding the post of Grand Marshal of the Red Emperor’s Army—implicitly already falling a step behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nan Hanwen’s memorial cited two reasons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, the bloodline of the Red Emperor has been severed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it was Ji Zichang and others who fought desperately to break those chains; if Li Guanyi still operates under the title of Grand Marshal of the Red Emperor’s Army, then all Ji Zichang’s, Ji Yanzhong’s, and even Qu Hanshou’s efforts would have been in vain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The prestige of titles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is also a tremendous force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tide of momentum: the Ying state still controls nearly half the realm, still possesses the realm’s foremost general—Yuwen Lie, He Ruo, Qin Yulong—and other top commanders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It still maintains the morale and logistical capacity for battles involving millions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Jiang Wanxiang is dead, the aura left by this monarch still creates an illusion: that the Ying state remains at its peak. With such public sentiment, if the Prince of Qin does not ascend as emperor, he will appear inferior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if this thought is only faint, lingering subtly in people’s minds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even the slightest thing, against the vast scale of the realm, becomes a force powerful enough to sway all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After submitting his report, Nan Hanwen stood with his head bowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence fell over the hall. The civil and military ministers of the Tiance Prefecture and Qilin Army held their breath, all eyes fixed on Li Guanyi—the title “Huang,” nearly universally recognized across the realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To them, in this age, it carried extraordinary meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was not merely a strategic choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For those who had walked this path, reached this point, it was an indescribable, elusive, yet undeniably real state of heart—what could prove these ten years of journey? What could validate this tumultuous tide?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only this one character.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Yan Daqing felt a momentary daze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From nothing to something, building this glorious realm step by step through chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten years—opening the realm!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How magnificent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Master Pojun—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No need to mention him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Daqing cast a glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Pojun’s lips now could easily hang the Tiger Roar Battle Spear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had the atmosphere not been so solemn, this strategist, so focused on grand trends, might have leapt to his feet, laughed aloud to the heavens, then rushed back to write letters to the elder generations of the Pojun lineage, eager to paste this “petty man’s triumph” right onto their faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That would have been a gross breach of decorum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Yan Daqing and the others also felt tension and dread: they feared Li Guanyi still clung to his friendship with Ji Zichang, still refused to accept the imperial title—or believed the realm was not yet unified, and thus unfit for such a title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This worry did not last long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Prince of Qin’s voice fell: “...Agreed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nan Hanwen snapped his head up, heart leaping with joy. The Li Guanyi who had always cared little for fame or rank rose, his sleeves swirling as he said: “Do as you all wish.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guanyi looked at the familiar faces before him and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We cannot retreat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one great stone in their hearts—the Prince’s unusual gentleness, so unlike a warlord of this age—had finally been set down. The man standing here was truly the emperor who had forged this realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A ripple stirred in their hearts, then surged into a faster, blood-pounding excitement, their skin seeming to burn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They stepped forward in perfect unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, solemn and grave, they clasped hands in salute and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We receive the edict of Our Emperor!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Prince of Qin merely nodded. Nan Hanwen stepped forward, bowed, and said: “Then, regarding the state name, the reign title, and other matters, this old minister shall consult with the ministers and present the decisions to His Majesty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they exited the hall, Yan Daqing exhaled deeply. Though it was deep autumn and the air outside was cold, his back was drenched in sweat; the wind sent a chill down his spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yan Xiang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Passing scholars bowed respectfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Daqing nodded to the officials and scholars as they passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His bearing was refined and clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One hand behind his back, he walked calmly—truly serene and elegant. Officials and scholars remarked that perhaps because no wars were being fought, the granaries and treasuries were filling with grain and silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or perhaps because Master Wen Qingyu was absent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Yan Daqing had grown noticeably more patient lately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid all these eyes, Yan Daqing walked into a quiet side path, found himself alone, exhaled, then suddenly clenched both fists and pulled them sharply downward—his calm, gentle face finally cracked open into wild, ecstatic joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha!! Emperor!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After ten years, have we truly reached this point?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thrilling! Thrilling!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The usually gentle, jade-like face of the young man now bore the same fiery, unrestrained spirit of his youth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To stand among the finest of the world!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Daqing—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Super-ultra-incredibly refreshed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And Jiang Yuan? What is he but a man riding on his ancestors’ legacy? Our Emperor forged his own imperial destiny—this is a founding emperor. In the annals of history, few can stand beside him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha, thinking back, ten years ago in Jiangzhou City, I fought him. Though I got beaten badly, I still landed blows on him—recorded in history, Yesuanshiyizhuangya …”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hardships of leaving home in youth, the years of warfare—he had already seen with his own eyes what Li Guanyi’s realm had become. For Yan Daqing, it was enough. He had been repaid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that one character—the dignity it brought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vast, overwhelming grandeur it carried, leaving no room for doubt—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was also profoundly exhilarating!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost like returning to youth, seeing the vast wind sweep across the river, the waters stretching endlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Daqing’s whisper cut off abruptly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still held his fists in the youthful, excited pose, frozen, staring ahead—Master Pojun, the Prince’s chief strategist, dressed in fine robes, his pupils faintly purple, gazed at him with serene composure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Daqing: “…………”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to explain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could explain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he saw the handsome, purple-eyed strategist studying him from head to toe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then his lips curved into a subtle smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned and walked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just these three simple actions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Yan Daqing felt as if he heard his Dao heart shatter—his lips twitched, his whole body dimmed. He felt his years of cultivated image crumbling in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had once privately mocked Master Pojun for always smirking, acting wild and unrestrained, lacking the grace of a true scholar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just now, that smirk of his—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Wen Qingyu could have pulled it off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had judged others, only to be caught by his secretly teasing friend in this very moment. Yan Daqing was being beaten by his own morality and shame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In another direction, Master Pojun thought happily:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, Yan Daqing has this habit too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tsk tsk tsk, he beat me here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good, good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire Qilin Army was steeped in a special, charged emotion—events like 【Founding Emperor】【Ascend to the Imperial Throne】 seemed grand in history books, but to participate in one firsthand carried a profound sense of grandeur and destiny.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if each of them had become a figure from history itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One could almost imagine how future generations would view them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merely thinking of it brought an indescribable exhilaration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nan Hanwen and the others had planned a grand coronation, matching the pomp of the Ying state’s new emperor—but the Prince of Qin ordered everything simplified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nan Hanwen and the others found this reasonable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Zhao raised a second wish: she simply wanted Li Guanyi to ride with her across the wilds. Both possessed supreme martial skill, and rode the finest steeds among the dragon-horses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They galloped without pause until the river’s end, where the vast sun stretched across the horizon, the scenery wide and open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guanyi and Li Zhao stood before the river. Li Zhao tossed a wine flask to Li Guanyi, who caught it, lifted it to his lips, and drank deeply, his bearing calm and noble. Li Zhao watched his profile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her fingers curled behind her back, tapping lightly against herself—as if urging herself to do something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet she seemed unable to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After several such attempts, she finally asked, as always, with her usual “carefree” tone:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Guan Yi, how is this wine?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guanyi replied: “Good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From the taste, it must be expensive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zhaowen couldn’t help laughing: “Ha! You’re still the same—yet that’s exactly what makes you you. Lately, I’ve been a little worried.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice paused, then relaxed as if shedding a burden: “I feared you’d refuse to claim the throne or imperial title because of your bond with Emperor Ji Zichang, and instead march forward step by step until you defeated Ying Guo… If that happened…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice paused again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had intended to say: if that were the case, Li Guanyi, as the Supreme Commander of the Red Emperor’s Armies, would face a new problem—under such vast momentum, men’s hearts would inevitably yearn to restore the Red Emperor’s lineage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only now, before this final battle, must the title of Heaven and Earth be settled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then can you break the enemy state, exterminate your foes, offer sacrifice to Heaven and Earth, and once again forge the great achievement of unifying the realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her memory, Li Guanyi had always been somewhat gentle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So her voice paused, and she merely laughed lightly: “I even thought of using my second wish to persuade you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guanyi gazed into the distance and said: “Has anything changed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I haven’t changed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But now that I’ve come this far, even stopping would be betrayal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guanyi drained his wine, flipped onto his horse, and galloped across the open wilderness. Li Zhaowen stood frozen, then smiled freely and followed after him. She seemed still curious as he brought her back to Jiangnan Prefecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He carried the wine to a certain place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There, in a quiet, open space, stood row upon row of engraved stone steles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zhaowen, as always, wore a smile—but when she saw the names carved upon the stones, her expression gradually turned solemn. Li Guanyi reached out and touched the inscriptions, his voice calm, speaking to the first stele:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My father, Li Wanli, roamed the land seeking peace, slain by traitors.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My mother, Su Zhangqing, when I was young, was poisoned by Fei poison—its outbreak could kill me outright. She transferred the poison into her own body and entrusted me with her Phoenix Form.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Twenty years ago, during Chen Guo’s Great Sacrifice, they both perished.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was three. My aunt was seventeen. We began wandering the world—and wandered for ten years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guanyi walked forward, whispering: “This is Zu Lao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zu Wenyuan, Zu Lao, taught me portions of the Calculus Scripture and set the Jiangzhou City scheme ten years ago. I, Brother Yue, Marshal Yue, Wenmian—we all left that city. But Zu Lao never returned.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Wang Tong, in one debate, exposed the academic cliques and gatekeeping of the Xuegong masters, allowing disciples to step onto the world and truly bring the Hundred Schools into the realm—his heart failed, his life ended that year. I was still fighting in the Western Regions when he died.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General Gu Daohui, endured humiliation and finally exploded himself using demonic sect secrets to block Jiang Su…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Qu Hanshou—I still remember his old-school arrogance at first…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then he threw himself into the lake.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grandfather Ji Yanzhong—my martial arts began with the moves Brother Yue taught me, with that first Red Dragon Form. And Brother Yue’s arts came from Grandfather Ji Yanzhong… He died fulfilling his promise to Ning and Ji Zichang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Langwang, Divine King Chen Chengbi—he needs no mention. You and I both know his martial prowess. In the end, he turned his own life into a blade, cleaving through the chaos and shattering Jiang Wanxiang’s overwhelming tide.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He died, his body never recovered.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Old Living Buddha kept his promise, returning my uncle’s corpse and weapons, then sat in final meditation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chen Tianqi, Chen Guo’s foremost general one hundred and eighty years ago—exhausted and died of old age before the stone stele on the Turkic steppe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ji Zichang, Chang Wen, and Sister Wenwan…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guanyi walked step by step, naming each departed soul. These were not mere stones, not just names—each person he named had done deeds he himself had witnessed, each worthy of being called a hero of their age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They appeared in Li Guanyi’s life like meteors, leaving some mark upon him, then walked their own paths with calm finality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, he reached the front, where a massive stele stood, its surface too crowded to hold all the names—those who had fallen since the start of the Wandering Army until now. So many names, they could not fit—so steles had grown into a forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zhaowen watched Li Guanyi standing before the great stele.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stele was enormous; Li Guanyi stood before it, making him seem even slighter. He had to raise his head to take in all the names. Yet alone before the vast monument, he looked strangely desolate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ministers and officials, heroes of the realm—all saw the sovereign’s majesty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a man’s character and nature are not forged in a single moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dignity of a founding emperor was shaped over these ten years, by the arrival and departure of each departed soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zhaowen seemed to see blade after blade falling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carving away the carefree young herbalist who once laughed freely, seeking only peace, a half-roasted goose, and a day of quiet—into the man he was now. Li Guanyi gently set down his wine flask. The wind stirred the leaves, their rustling like voices of the dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Prince of Qin’s sleeves and white hair stirred slightly. He stood there in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just for this one instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zhaowen suddenly understood the meaning of the four characters: “Solitary and Sole.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guanyi poured the wine onto the ground, whispering: “All of you, the realm is now pacified. The Western Regions are subdued, the Turks scattered, the Southwest has joined us. Though the land is vast, only Ying Guo remains.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It won’t be long. We will defeat our final enemy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then, fulfill the promise we made.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When peace returns, I will come back here and drink with you all!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guanyi poured the wine, turned, and his gaze was no longer the fierce courage of youth, nor the confident, piercing intensity of a warrior riding the winds—it was gentle, tranquil, yet unshakably resolute. Back turned to the steles, he whispered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I cannot lose. I will not stop. He who travels a hundred miles is half-way at ninety. Now that I’ve come this far, how could I retreat? I cannot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I must shatter this chaotic age.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I must bring peace to the realm!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zhaowen watched Li Guanyi, and suddenly seemed to release something. She sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her fingers loosened, her face still wore that calm, free smile:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course. Your eyes now hold no room for other feelings.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Very well. Let’s wait until peace returns, and speak slowly then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zhaowen clasped her hands behind her back, fingers entwined, murmuring:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm. I won’t be like them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I won’t abandon you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Old Astronomer tipped back his head and drank, lying atop the upper floor of the wooden pavilion, on the glazed tiles, gazing at the Prince of Qin and the steles. He sighed: “Conquering the Southwest, pacifying the Western Regions, breaking the steppe—such achievements, such territory, already surpass the deeds of the old Red Emperor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you win in the end, it won’t be enough to call it unifying the Central Plains.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One realm under one state, the four seas unified.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All beneath heaven is the sovereign’s land; all at the edges of the earth are his subjects.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With such spirit, such achievement—does he deserve to be first in the annals?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond the Northern Pass—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Shitong and Xue Tianxing were overjoyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had learned the Prince of Qin would soon ascend the throne. Amid the great struggle of the realm, after countless battles, they longed to take the field, to earn glory—but the First Divine Archer, Gao Xiang, still held the Northern Pass, his prestige towering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They could only remain here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their hearts filled with regret, with sorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that the Prince of Qin claimed the throne, all their pent-up bitterness vanished, replaced by an indescribable exhilaration—yet news arrived from the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Shitong glanced at the message, and his smile froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The message contained only one line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Divine General Gao Xiang has moved】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, a chilling cold rose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Divine General Gao Xiang—the true First Divine Archer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the joint campaign to slay the Great Khan, he shot one arrow that severed the Great Khan’s Form from his destiny, causing a momentary hesitation in his aura—then Li Guanyi and Jiang Su struck together and killed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Divine General may not be the strongest on the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he could make Jiang Su’s threat level explode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Xiang and Jiang Wanxiang were like brothers in youth, then broke apart, vowing never to fight side by side. Now that Jiang Wanxiang is gone, Divine General Gao Xiang has finally stepped onto the battlefield of chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Shitong and Xue Tianxing knew the terror of this man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They knew what Jiang Su would become with Gao Xiang guarding his flank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their faces grew grave. At that moment, the second part of the Changfeng Lady’s intelligence arrived: Li Guanyi’s state name, honorific title, and reign era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, the exhilarating news of the Prince of Qin’s ascension and the threat of Divine General Gao Xiang’s return rose together in Yuan Shitong and Xue Tianxing’s hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Joy and dread—like the wind before a storm, the realm trembled with impending pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They looked at the message.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Retaining the old title, Li Huiguan establishes the founding dynasty as—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Qin】!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yuan” means the Great Beginning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reign era is named—【Shi】!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……………………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was late autumn, now winter. The Prince of Qin, Li Guanyi, ascended the throne, proclaimed Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The realm trembled. Songs of the Emperor’s majesty and deeds echoed everywhere—even the old shopkeeper of a Spring Revival Clinic in Yicheng took out his finest wine and got drunk for days with the fat tavern owner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for the hangover afterward, it would have been perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Voices of praise rang from all corners: “Long live His Majesty!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the simple yet solemn ceremony, Li Guanyi avoided everyone and returned alone to his usual residence—the courtyard of Murong Longtu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Grandfather’s courtyard stood an ancient tree. It was here that Murong Longtu once carved his wooden sword, left for countless springs and autumns, until it gained spiritual essence and became the divine weapon Longtu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guanyi sat beneath the tree, gazing up at the stars and moon. Faintly, he heard laughter and celebration—the people, after recent events, had allowed themselves brief respite before the coming war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt this was a good thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were searching for Li Guanyi, but Li Guanyi had hidden himself away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He held a jar of wine and a crude wine bowl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this place apart from the red dust of the mortal world, leaning against an ancient tree older than memory, he exhaled a wisp of white mist and drank alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Winter had come; snow fell from the sky. The Emperor of Qin held his wine, watching the snowflakes melt into the liquid. He raised his cup, toasting in solitude to departed friends. The year Tianqi Eighteen, even against the backdrop of thousands of years of history, was a stroke of profound ink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heroes blazed brightly, then faded one by one; the chaotic world, torn for centuries, returned to the old division of two halves—yet the greatest event of this year remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From our ranks rise the winds of the world; once stepping into the martial realm, time hastens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a flute and a sword, I lived my life; I bore the weight of reckless fame for two hundred years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The state of Ying fell as Jiang Wanxiang perished; all three armies sang the Chile Song; the sun and sky darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Murong Long Tu of Jiangnan cleaved heaven with a single sword, severing destiny, and ascended riding a dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world. The martial realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A moment of solitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guanyi drank alone, watching the world grow distant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor of Chen died laughing; the Emperor of Ying perished in Tian Shou; Ji Zichang burned himself alive; the Great Khan died in battle. The vast world had no rivals left—and lost many friends. The four directions and above and below now held only the Divine General Jiang Su, propping up the shattered realm of Ying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At twenty-two, the Prince of Qin ascended the throne as Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He founded a nation, holding half the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Posterity called him Taizu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his coronation, the world sang of his deeds; people searched for him in every corner—but never found the monarch who had achieved peerless glory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was winter, snow falling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sat alone in a courtyard in Jiangnan; white snow settled on his black cloak. The Emperor’s dark hair hung down, streaked with white at the temples. The annals record the Prince of Qin at his most vigorous—but his silhouette, now, was lonelier than ever before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Poets, drunk, dreamed of imperial grandeur, all brimming with spirit, declaring: “Imperial ambition and hegemony—all but laughter.” As if they had captured the very essence of heroism, spoken all the elegance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet in the annals, another answer often lingers: the youth of the world grows old; why do the heroes who forge an age always end up solitary, calling themselves “lonely” and “desolate”? Were all emperors always so sharp, so unfeeling from the start?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the moonlight, the Emperor of Qin upended the wine jar, filling the crude bowl with liquid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow fell. He whispered softly: “Let us drink together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cup touched his lips; in the falling snow, he tilted his head slightly, drinking calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before him lay the world, peace behind him lay humanity, the red dust. Peace lay before him—still worth a fight. But the friends beside him had gradually withered away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Imperial ambition and hegemony—all but laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not worth the span of a life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single drunkenness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of this volume)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>?? Please support the Divine Work Ranking event, friends~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>? Click the top-left corner of Qidian\u003C\u002Fp>",3795,"2026-06-20T19:20:36.387Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","bcca6973573391ebbae97e86c1779c40b113169d86c27de5eaefe06ef3de02fb","the-peace-decree-chapter-550","the-peace-decree-chapter-548",593,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-peace-decree-cover.jpg"]