The Phoenix Kingdom Is Founded
The following month, a carriage, guarded by numerous guards, entered the Hundred Flowers City.
On the rooftop of the All Under Heaven Pavilion, Han Yu smiled as she watched the passing carriages below. Her plan, which had lasted for so many years, was about to come true, and at this moment, she was genuinely happy.
Along the streets, people knelt and bowed before the carriage, shouting, "Welcome to the Hundred Flowers Kingdom, Phoenix Goddess! Thank you, Phoenix Goddess, for taking away the calamity..."
If modern people heard this, they would definitely think they had been brainwashed. But in this world, most people are ignorant, and this almost mythical method is more popular among them.
The carriage slowly drove through the street and entered the east gate of the palace, where Emperor Li Shi personally led the imperial guards to greet it.
Su Du lifted the carriage curtain, revealing an exquisitely beautiful face. Although she was nearly forty, her beautiful and alluring face seemed untouched by time, still stunningly beautiful.
Su Du looked coldly at Li Shi, who was dressed in a blood-red imperial robe in the center, then turned to look at the girl next to the carriage, nodded slightly, and lowered the curtain.
The young girl dressed as a palace maid nodded slightly, then slowly took a few steps back and hid behind the carriage, taking out a powerful crossbow and aiming it at Emperor Li Shi.
"Whoosh~"
With several arrows flying, Emperor Li Shi was caught completely off guard when several arrows pierced his head from different directions.
Before Li Shi fell to the ground, he glanced at the carriage. At that moment, he understood everything. The current situation in the Hundred Flowers Kingdom was orchestrated by that woman behind the scenes. Otherwise, how could an honest and law-abiding merchant have caused such a huge mess?
Unfortunately, he realized it too late!
"Bang~"
With a thud, the scene quickly spiraled out of control.
"His Majesty!"
The palace maids were panicked, the imperial guards were running, and the scene was chaotic for a time.
"Witch, you dared to plot against His Majesty! Prepare to die!"
Countless imperial guards charged toward the carriage, but the person inside remained as still as a mountain, not revealing himself at all.
However, Su Du's absence did not mean she was waiting to die. All the soldiers and palace maids around the carriage charged towards the Imperial Guards with incredible speed, clearly indicating they were no ordinary people.
At the same time, a large group of people rushed in from outside the palace gates, their target the Imperial Guards.
Although Li Shi mobilized tens of thousands of troops for this welcome, these soldiers were not very strong. Therefore, under the onslaught from all sides, the resistance of these imperial guards was like throwing eggs against a rock, with no resistance whatsoever.
After the fighting ended, hundreds of guards still stood beside the carriage, while the Imperial Guards had all been slaughtered.
At this moment, the civil and military officials were silent as cicadas in winter, not only because they were afraid, but also because hundreds of crossbow bolts beside the carriage were aimed at them.
The carriage curtain opened, Su Du, supported by a maid, stepped down from the carriage. After looking around, she slowly walked forward with the guards by her side. As for the dismembered corpses and flowing blood on the ground, they were like dirt to her.
Soon, she passed by all the civil and military officials and ascended the high platform. There, a dragon throne had appeared out of nowhere, and Han Yu was standing behind it with a smile on her face.
"Princess, you've arrived."
Su Du nodded, looking at Han Yu with a bright smile, and said, "Xiao Yu, thank you for your hard work."
"It's not hard work at all, Princess. The palace is now completely under our control, and no one will dare to resist."
"As for those members of the royal family outside, we haven't had time to deal with them yet. However, given the princess's current reputation, even if they rebelled, they wouldn't be able to rally anyone. They're just lambs to the slaughter."
Su Du sat on the dragon throne, dressed in a new fiery red robe embroidered with a lifelike phoenix spreading its wings. This outfit complemented the red flame between her brows perfectly.
"Now, the Hundred Flowers Kingdom has been renamed the Phoenix Kingdom, and the phoenix, reborn from the ashes, will once again spread its wings and soar high here!"
The sound rang out, and as the guards continued to shout, Su Du's words carried further and further away.
A civil official who was relatively loyal to the Hundred Flowers Kingdom stood up and objected. "You dare to dream of seizing the country? Impossible! I won't allow it!"
After someone rallied them, another person stood up and shouted, "You dare to kill His Majesty and then dream of seizing the throne? Don't think that just because you're from the Flowing Cloud Kingdom you can commit such a treasonous act! You're just a princess from the Flowing Cloud Kingdom, a mere woman!"
Su Du looked coldly at the clamoring people below. She simply waved her hand, and Han Yu behind her handed her a powerful bow.
"Compare?"
Han Yu smiled faintly, bowed, and said, "Since Your Majesty has spoken, this humble subject dares not disobey."
Then Han Yu took out a powerful bow and aimed it at the crowd below.
Watching this scene, the people below, though their hearts pounding with fear, showed no fear on their faces, only disdain. "Do you think killing us will silence the public? Even if one voice of dissent dies, a thousand more will rise up. The recently quelled war will immediately reignite, and you will be a sinner recorded in history for all time!"
"What a big hat." Su Du smirked, and an arrow flew out, striking the man in the thigh, causing him to fall to the ground in agony.
Han Yu smiled slightly, then shot an arrow that pierced the man's head, ending his wailing.
Su Du dropped his bow and arrows, turned around, and said, "Kill them."
The next moment, countless arrows flew out, turning the civil and military officials below into pincushions.
In the first year of the Phoenix Calendar, the refugee crisis in various regions was quelled, and some small-scale rebellions were completely resolved. Merchants across the country, grateful for the new emperor's end to the chaos, donated most of their wealth to replenish the national treasury.
In the second year of the Phoenix Calendar, a new legal code was promulgated. This code improved the rules for all walks of life and broke the age-old tradition of class solidification.
Some Aristocratic Clan even considered rebellion, but before they could act, a group of men in black massacred their entire clans in the night.
In the fifth year of the Phoenix Calendar, the entire country began to experience explosive development. The effects of the previous war had completely disappeared, replaced by a thriving and prosperous era.
In the seventh year of the Phoenix Calendar, the Phoenix Kingdom's national strength far surpassed that of the Hundred Flowers Kingdom in previous dynasties, overwhelming it in terms of people's livelihood, politics, and military power.
The people are now living a great life. The land that was previously taken by merchants has been returned, and the imperial court has even given them a thousand coins as compensation. Now they not only have land to cultivate, but also some spare money. Moreover, the current taxes are the lowest in history. The people are extremely grateful and say that the current emperor is a phoenix reincarnated to save them.
But what they didn't know was that all the wars they had experienced before were orchestrated by this emperor behind the scenes. The deaths of millions paved the way for her to seize the throne. Whether it was right or wrong is hard to say.
Perhaps it really is as they discussed on the All Under Heaven Pavilion last time—just a little bit of mud. If you want to pick flowers, you inevitably have to step on the mud.