A Year of Great Abundance!

A thousand banners hung limp.

Not a crow or sparrow stirred.

Meng Qiang lowered the hand pressed over his shoulder, cursed his bad luck, and sheathed his blade with a clang.

The Imperial Medical Bureau's physicians had waited for some time. They led both parties into the courtyard for treatment.

Liang Qu still could not move and was unable to attend the court assembly that followed. He had the Heavenly Feather Guards gather around him, pretending nothing was wrong as he slipped into the group under the guise of going for an examination.

The delegations from various nations broke into noisy discussion.

The Northern Court had mobilized in force and sent a delegation to compete during this festive season, intending to crush Da Shun's prestige. That was hardly strange. The two nations had long borne grudges, and making each other sick was commonplace. Yet they had truly been pressed down right in Da Shun's great hall—especially in the fourth match, where they had voluntarily conceded defeat.

They had fought beautifully!

So beautifully it was unbelievable! The first match had been divinely fierce and unmatched.

The third had been bloody and valiant.

The fourth had subdued the enemy without a fight! Clean and decisive.

Whatever calculations the Northern Court had made, they had likely swallowed a bitter fruit this time!

The heavenly dynasty and superior realm truly possessed extraordinary foundations.

The Grand Music Master played "Taihe" once more.

The Imperial Calligrapher was brimming with energy. Wolf-hair brush in hand, he pondered for a long while before sweeping out an entire passage in bold strokes. At its end, the characters curled like silver hooks and iron strokes.

"On the first day of the new year, fortune begins anew and all things are renewed. On this day, the Son of Heaven receives the