In the blink of an eye, seven months had passed.
So much had happened during those seven months.
First, the Dao Court formally issued a proclamation to all under Heaven, establishing its capital at Luoyang and founding the Political Academy, Science Institute, and Dao Institute to govern the realm. It demanded that every province and commandery submit to its authority.
The proclamation went out, and all under Heaven trembled with fear.
The officials of Sili's commanderies and counties didn't hesitate. They immediately declared their unconditional obedience to the Dao Court. Ji Province was the Yellow Turban Army's stronghold, so it naturally wouldn't defy the order. Bing Province and You Province had no leader, and their people longed for stability, so they sent envoys to the capital to negotiate with the Dao Court.
The officials of Liang Province threw themselves behind the Dao Court, then frantically begged for reinforcements, because the Qiang People of Liang Province had rebelled!
Song Yang, Beigong Boyu, Li Wenhou, and others raised their troops in rebellion and made Bian Zhang and Han Sui their leaders. They killed Governor Chen Yi, amassed nearly a hundred thousand troops, invaded Liang Province, and threatened Sanfu.
Faced with the cruel, brutal Qiang People, the officials and generals guarding Liang Province joined the Dao Court without a second thought. After all, the Dao Court were "their own"—Han Chinese, while the Qiang People were barbarians.
Anyone would choose the former between the two, not to mention that the Dao Court was powerful. It had easily crushed the former Han Court and made for a sturdy backing.
After deliberation, the Political Academy decided that Zhang Liang would serve as commander, with the surrendered Lu Zhi as his deputy. They would lead thirty thousand Yellow Turban troops and twenty thousand reorganized Han Army soldiers on a campaign against the Qiang People. Their orders were simply to hold the Qiang People at bay, avoid any major blunders, and make no attempt to claim military glory. They only had to stabilize Liang Province.
The purpose was naturally to buy time. Once any one of Zhang Jiao and the others had begun cultivating, they could cut loose and wipe out the rebellious Qiang People.
The other provinces and commanderies saw that the Dao Court's forces seemed tied down in Liang Province and had to guard Sili and Ji Province as well. They guessed it couldn't spare troops to attack them, so they ignored the Dao Court's proclamation. But they didn't dare openly oppose it, and only planned to stay within their own territories and live comfortable little lives.
Yet events never unfolded as expected.
In Yan, Yu, Xu, and Qing Provinces, the destitute commoners learned that the Yellow Turban Army had taken Luoyang and were greatly encouraged. Another wave of uprisings broke out, substantial in scale.
Under the banner of Huang Tian and the Great Peace Sect, they stormed cities and seized strongholds, leaving officials and literati across the provinces in a panic as they frantically organized troops to suppress them.
At that moment, Zhang Bao, stationed in Ji Province, received orders from the Dao Court. He led forty thousand elite troops and twenty thousand local militia in two separate forces, marching east and south at the same time. Their discipline was strict, and they did not harm the common people. Everywhere they went, the people welcomed them wholeheartedly.
Corrupt officials fled over the walls. Almost no one dared to resist. Often, before the Yellow Turban Army even arrived, most of the officials in a city had already fled at the first hint of trouble, leaving only a few honest, conscientious clerks at their offices to await the Yellow Turban Army and "hand things over."
In just four months, Zhang Bao's forces swept through most of four provinces, wiped out countless powerful clans that had preyed on the locals, and successfully "joined forces" with the rebels.
But then new conflicts erupted.
Some rebel armies still maintained strict discipline and were willing to obey Zhang Bao's orders and accept reorganization. But others, led by ambitious men, slaughtered villagers, raped and pillaged, and lined their pockets. They were no less vicious than the Han Army—if anything, worse.
After committing their crimes, they even congratulated themselves, claiming they were merely carrying out Heaven's will. Unfortunately for them, they had run into a hard man like Zhang Bao.
Zhang Bao decisively sent troops to surround them. Every officer of commandant rank or higher was beheaded and displayed as a warning. Of the company commanders, squad leaders, and five-man squad leaders, one in every three was killed. The common soldiers were identified by the people, and anyone conclusively proven to have murdered innocents was executed on the spot.
After such savage measures, the rebel forces that had joined them were all shaken. They immediately tightened their discipline and voluntarily submitted to reorganization under Zhang Bao's command.
After five months of such efforts, Ji, Yan, Qing, Xu, and four other provinces all came under the Dao Court's rule.
By then, Zhang Jiao and the others had also begun cultivating and had learned the basics of the Earth Golem Technique. Huang Shao, He Yi, and four others immediately rode at full speed to Liang Province, where they joined Zhang Liang and Lu Zhi's army. Zhang Liang then launched an offensive against the Qiang forces in Tianshui Commandery.
More than a hundred thousand soldiers clashed in the open wilderness. They fought for two straight days, locked in a stalemate.
Then, on the third day, twelve towering Earth Giants appeared on the battlefield and routed the Qiang forces in one stroke. Zhang Liang and Lu Zhi seized the chance to launch a fierce pursuit. In the end, they killed more than ten thousand enemy troops and captured sixty thousand soldiers. The number of missing was beyond counting. The Qiang People were badly weakened and no longer dared entertain thoughts of turning east.
This battle cemented the Dao Court's unmatched prestige. The chief officials of Jing, Yang, Yi, and Jiao Provinces yielded and sent envoys to submit to the Dao Court.
And so, all under Heaven was pacified.
"The purple sphere is nearly complete. There's only a little left..."
Inside the imperial palace in Luoyang, Huang Tian looked within his sea of consciousness and saw that the purple sphere had grown ever rounder and more natural.
"I suppose it's because Jing, Yang, Yi, and Jiao Provinces have only submitted in name. Once the army is stationed there and officials from the Political Academy take over local administration, it should finally be complete."
Huang Tian speculated to himself. Then he closed his eyes, and with a slight shift of his intent, spacetime twisted before him.
The next instant, he abruptly opened his eyes and found himself in his familiar apartment.
"I broke through to the sixth layer of Qi Refining in the Late Han Dynasty World, and reached the third layer of Qi Refining in reality..."
Feeling the changes within his body, he was filled with joy and satisfied with the speed of his progress. After all, he had been cultivating for less than a month, yet had already surpassed what others achieved in years of practice.
He stood up and stretched, then took an orange from the bag on his bedside table and peeled it. Walking to the window, he ate it quietly.
It was dusk, the sky filled with rosy clouds. Orange sunlight spilled over the camphor trees by the roadside, tinting their leaves pink. Countless cars streamed down the street. Through their lowered windows, he could see the exhausted faces of people who had worked all day.
Beep, beep~
One chime after another rang out as electric scooters slipped nimbly through the traffic and rode off toward the distant sunset.
"The sky's beautiful, and the orange tastes good."
Its sweet-and-sour flavor bloomed in his mouth. After swallowing the fruit, its faint fragrance still lingered between his lips and teeth. Huang Tian popped another segment into his mouth, eating until he had finished the whole orange.
He took a gentle breath of the cool dusk air, then went to the sink to wash his hands. Returning to the window, he leaned against it and let the breeze wash over him as he took out his phone and opened it.
September 30.
National Day was just around the corner.
"Zong Wenjun is off tomorrow..."
Huang Tian remembered and was just about to message her.
Whoosh, whoosh~
Two messages came in. He looked down and saw they were from Zong Wenjun.
[Petting a cat's head.jpg]
[We have a holiday tomorrow. I'm coming to see you.]
Huang Tian smiled and replied: [Have you bought your ticket?]
Whoosh~
[I bought it several days ago, but I could only get a ticket for the afternoon (sigh). I'll arrive in Chang City at around four tomorrow afternoon. I'll take a taxi straight from the airport to your place, so I'll probably get there after five.]
Huang Tian: [Remember to check everything before you leave. Don't forget anything.]
Zong Wenjun: [Don't worry~]
Before you continue