The Extreme Emperor Palace had been cleared, and there were no more obstacles.
Liu Huangchang had completed what he saw as Xiao Ruxun's final test.
He sent Zhu Yijun back to Yuxi Palace, then didn't ask about him and handed over the management to a young man called Zhou Yao.
This young man should be one of Xiao Ruxun's close aides. He always helped Xiao Ruxun, so his relationship with Xiao Ruxun should be very deep. Liu Huangchang didn't know how Xiao Ruxun found this young man, but when he met him, Liu Huangchang felt a suspicious and scrutinizing gaze.
This young man didn't seem to be someone easy to deal with.
Liu Huangchang didn't dare to guess what this young man was responsible for. He was afraid of offending Xiao Ruxun, so he didn't dare to ask. Right now, all he wanted was to get closer to Xiao Ruxun, so that he could get more benefits during the loot distribution meeting.
Of course, before that, there were still many things that needed to be done. For example, he had to control Zhu Changluo and Empress Dowager Li, prepare for the abdication ceremony, announce to the public that Zhu Yijun was dead, and that he had died at the hands of Shen Yicheng and the others, so Xiao Ruxun had no choice but to follow the will of heaven and earth and proclaim himself as emperor.
Although Liu Huangchang didn't believe this kind of nonsense, everyone had done it since ancient times. When one's strength reached a certain level, they had no choice but to believe it.
What can you do to me if I proclaim myself as emperor?
What can you do to me if I'm domineering?
What can you do to me if I'm distorting the truth and spouting nonsense?
The weak can only accept it passively.
Apart from this, Xiao Ruxun still had many things to do.
The day before yesterday, on the night he declared himself emperor, Xiao Ruxun sent someone to deliver a letter to the Kong Clan in Qufu, Shandong Province. He wanted to see if the Kong Clan would be tactful enough to submit a petition to persuade him to join them. The Kong Clan had been doing this for many years and was already familiar with it. As long as they were willing to cooperate, the following matters would be much smoother.
Of course, the most crucial point was that he had sent Luo Rong to lead a 5,000-man cavalry to the south that very night. He had arranged for a group of troops to arrive in Qufu ahead of him. The leader was Ma Gui, who had concealed his identity. Mei Guozhen was also among them. He had entrusted Ma Gui to monitor the Kong Consortium on his behalf and Mei Guozhen to liaise with the Kong Consortium.
The reason why Xiao Ruxun had sent troops south was not just to deal with the Kong Consortium. The Kong Consortium did not have any military force, so it would be very easy for them to deal with the Kong Consortium. It would be effortless to get rid of them. Xiao Ruxun had done this because of Ma Gui.
He did not have any misgivings about Mei Guozhen. Mei Guozhen was nothing to him, and he probably would not support him. However, Ma Gui was a little more important. This could also be considered a test for Ma Gui. If Ma Gui supported him in becoming emperor and laid all his cards on the table with Mei Guozhen, then he could officially accept Ma Gui.
If Ma Gui had any objections, Luo Rong's 5,000-man cavalry could strangle him in the cradle.
In any case, the Kong Consortium was very adaptable to the circumstances.
Xiao Ruxun would not let off anyone who could pose a threat to him becoming emperor, no matter who it was.
Other than that, if there were any places that were dissatisfied with him and wanted to rebel, it would be very simple. He would send the army to spread the word. Xiao Ruxun had arranged the army to be stationed in various places. If there were any problems, the army would take charge. The bandits that had arisen in the process of pacifying the world would be eliminated first. Only after that would the civil officials restore the administration.
Then, the world would be restored bit by bit.
In this way, the three provinces in the southeast would not have any problems, Sichuan and Guangxi would not have any problems, Yunnan might have some problems, Liaodong and Shandong might also have some problems, and the nine borders would basically not have any problems. Conquering the entire world would not be a difficult task.
Therefore, it was better to conquer it himself than to negotiate it. He could make his own decisions and have the final say. If it was negotiated, then he would have to worry about a lot more.
Xiao Ruxun did not intend to negotiate with anyone. One only had the right to accept it. One did not have the right to resist. If one dared to resist, they would die.
There was nothing much to say.
After Shen Yicheng was killed, the capital was completely defenseless. The most important palace had been taken, and there was no need to continue defending the entire capital. Of course, by that time, the other three armies would have already killed their way into the inner city.
Xiao Ruxun sent people to contact the three armies and had their main commanders gather outside the Extreme Emperor Palace. He then entered the Extreme Emperor Palace alone.
The Extreme Emperor Palace was the main hall of the Forbidden City. It was the important palace where the Emperor Daming and his ministers discussed important military matters. Many decisions were made here and announced to the world. Similarly, the coronation of the new Emperor had to be done here. Only then could it be considered legitimate.
Strolling in this majestic palace, Xiao Ruxun could vaguely feel the majesty of the Great Ming Dynasty in the past. Back then, when he woke up in Pinglu City at the northwest border, he absolutely did not expect that there would be a day when he would personally draw the end of the Great Ming Dynasty.
But now, he was standing in the Extreme Emperor Palace, standing in this palace that belonged to him, looking at the high and mighty throne in the palace.
He slowly walked forward, walked up the steps, stood in front of the throne, and examined it.
Since ancient times, countless people with lofty ideals and ambitious ambitions had been fighting for this throne. How many people had died, and how many people had succeeded in ascending the throne to do as they pleased?
He knew very well that being an emperor was the most dangerous job in the world. Once he became an emperor, he was destined to face the fate of being a loner. He did not have any true friends, and what he faced was only enemies in a sense.
Once he ascended to the throne and changed his identity, he was destined to walk a path where he could not see the future clearly. He would begin to play politics, he would begin to play the art of balance, and he would fight for the stability of the throne. He would do many things that he would never have thought of doing.
He might kill people, people who were very close to him, or even former comrades, for no other reason than that these people did not change their minds in time and did not understand the term 'Emperor' better.
He might deliberately promote a few terrifying people to the throne and have them create a storm of blood, all to restore the balance of the court.
He would have no allies, no friends.
He would also embark on a path that no one had walked before, a path that was destined to affect the future generations for a thousand years.
He did not even know if he could sit firmly in this world.
But he had no other way out. The tide of the times, the hearts of the people, could not be changed by human strength. He could only continue to walk forward, cut through all the obstacles, and walk towards a future that belonged to him. He had to open a path towards light and not destruction. He had to do this, he had no other choice.
He had forced himself and his subordinates onto this path. Now, he really had no other choice.
Perhaps he did not even want that so-called choice.
Today, Xiao Ruxun was a person who could only walk forward and could not stop.
It was the same for everyone who was following him. None of them could stop.
The generals, the scholars, they could not stop.
So they chose to kneel outside the Extreme Emperor Palace, facing their leader, facing the Emperor, shouting "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" to express their allegiance and loyalty. They firmly believed that only by following Xiao Ruxun, would they be able to obtain what they wanted.
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