"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor proclaimed:"
"I have inherited the sacred succession, honored Heaven and upheld the ancestors, shouldered the destiny of the Human Race, and governed the four quarters. I have worked diligently and cautiously, remaining vigilant day and night. It has now been forty-eight years."
"Now that I have reached old age, the realm is peaceful and the people prosper. Is this due to my ability? No."
"I know my virtue is meager. Fortunately, brilliant talents have emerged one after another. They have wielded their sharp blades at the front, devised strategies behind the scenes, coordinated the realm, treated the welfare of the Nine Provinces as their own, and made the heart of the world their heart. They safeguarded the state before danger arose and brought order before chaos erupted. This is my fortune, and also the fortune of the Human Race."
"Wan'an has a son named Chen Luo. He follows the virtue of Sage Confucius, enlightens the world through literature, and has opened the Human Race's fourth Heaven-Reaching Great Dao. First came the Martial Dao, and then the mortal world. As long as the Human Race endures, the Great Dao shall remain eternal."
"I recall three words from Chen Luo that were deafening and soul-stirring—"
"First: Though my position is low, I dare not forget my worries for the nation!"
"Second: The rise and fall of the world is the responsibility of every common man!"
"Third: If it benefits the nation, I shall stake my life on it; how could I avoid danger for the sake of fortune?"
"Now there is Feng Bugui of the Tiger Clan, who plotted to usurp the clan first and provoked war in the Southern Wilderness afterward, foolishly seeking to unify the Southern Wilderness and gaze north toward Shenzhou, bringing