In ancient times, they secretly became gods in the deep mountains.

Chapter 151 The Emperor is enraged and marches north to Qinyang County

In Zheyang County in the south, a battle had just ended. The emperor, who had won a great victory, held a banquet to entertain the generals and soldiers. At the banquet, wine cups were clinked and the tables were filled with fine wine and roasted meat. All the generals who attended the victory celebration had happy faces.

"Your Majesty, we congratulate you on achieving your wish by conquering many small kingdoms in the south and expanding the territory of our Great Xia!"

The general, clad in armor, followed the emperor on his southern expedition, his joy evident in his expression.

"Hahaha!" Emperor Ji Huanyu of the Great Xia Dynasty was overjoyed, and his originally gloomy eyes shone with an unusual light.

"The Great Xia Dynasty owes its current prosperity entirely to all of you present here and to the brave soldiers who fought on the battlefield. I am deeply gratified. The moon is bright tonight, so I have specially prepared this banquet to entertain all of you. Please do not be shy; let us drink until we are drunk!" The emperor tilted his head back and downed a cup of strong liquor.

The crowd followed closely behind, downing the strong liquor.

"Report!"

Suddenly, a soldier ran in from outside, sweating profusely, and knelt down, trembling as he said, "Your Majesty, an urgent report has come from the capital. The Imperial Preceptor has died unexpectedly in his residence. His death was gruesome, as if a monster had drained his life force, leaving him as skin and bones. His flesh and blood have vanished into thin air, as if something had eaten him clean."

"Snapped!"

No sooner had the soldier finished speaking than the golden cup in the emperor's hand turned to dust, and a gust of wind swept by, leaving nothing behind.

Upon hearing of the death of the Imperial Advisor, the Emperor's expression changed drastically. His smile, which had been radiant after a great victory in a major battle, was now replaced by a sinister look.

The joyful laughter at the celebration banquet came to an abrupt halt, leaving only faint, heavy breathing sounds. The tense atmosphere made the surrounding air seem thin, and no one dared to breathe loudly.

Only the emperor slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly.

He gritted his teeth and demanded incredulously, "What did you say?!"

The soldier was so frightened that he immediately knelt down, staring tremblingly at the emperor's murderous gaze, and said, "A letter has arrived from the capital: the Imperial Preceptor is dead!"

"Wow!"

The military officers at the victory banquet finally came to their senses, and they were all stunned.

National Division?

That mysterious and powerful imperial advisor is dead.

The emperor was furious and roared, "The Imperial Advisor is all-powerful, skilled in slaying demons, exorcising monsters, and predicting fortunes; how could he be eaten by an ordinary monster!"

"No! I don't believe it! The Imperial Advisor could never have been eaten by a monster."

This news enraged the emperor, and his long-dormant headache flared up instantly. He clutched his head, his face contorted in pain.

"His Majesty!"

The attendant beside him quickly stepped forward to help him up.

The emperor shoved aside his attendants and, gritting his teeth against a headache, asked a soldier, "Did the Imperial Preceptor see anyone before he died? Or was there anything else unusual?"

Upon hearing of the death of the Imperial Advisor, the Emperor's heart sank.

The Imperial Advisor must not die!
He was just a little short, just a little short of unifying the world.

He fought for ten years, encountering not only enemies on the battlefield but also some powerful monsters, including a thousand-year-old demon who claimed that he had killed his master and was seeking revenge to take his life.

How can mortals fight against monsters?

Even if he were an emperor on earth.

So he recruited many talented people to help him subdue demons and monsters. At that time, Wuji Zi appeared and solved the problem for him, so he appointed Wuji Zi as the national advisor.

The Imperial Preceptor possessed extraordinary abilities and resolved all the troubles he encountered that were beyond the capabilities of ordinary people.

Even his repeated victories on the battlefield were due to the advice and strategies of the Grand Tutor.

He was just one step away from unifying the world, so why did the Imperial Advisor die?

The soldier replied tremblingly, "Currently, the authorities in the capital are investigating the truth behind the Grand Preceptor's death, but the specifics... are still unclear."

The emperor rubbed his throbbing head.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Investigate! Investigate for me!"

"Grand Preceptor...do not bury him yet. Investigate the cause of his death before burying him." "Yes!"

The soldier accepted the order, secretly sweating, and then left with trembling legs.

The victory celebration was ultimately ruined by the news of the Grand Preceptor's death.

The soldiers arrived in high spirits but left trembling with fear, without touching a single drop of wine or meat.

Meanwhile, Peach Blossom Village
Jiang Chenghui embarked on a path that seemed like a dead end.

He rebelled!
The emperor was immoral, obsessed with expanding his territory and conquering the four regions, ignoring the people's hunger and cold. The people were full of resentment, and he tolerated the treacherous people who framed the loyal and good. The empire brought disaster to the world, and the people suffered unspeakably and were worse off than dead!

His family, the Jiang family, had been dukes for generations. Since his ancestors, they had been loyal to the Great Xia and assisted successive emperors. Yet today, they have come to this end.

He decided.

He's going to raise an army and rule the world!
He wants to save the people!

He wants to establish a new nation!
In Peach Blossom Village, he met the highly respected General Zhao and some important court officials. He learned that they had also been wrongly imprisoned by the tyrant and would likely have met a terrible end if not for the fairy boy's rescue. He then encouraged them to join his plan. He did not promise them anything, only saying that he was doing it to seek justice for his father.

The ministers who were wrongly accused experienced a rollercoaster of emotions.

First, they were wrongly imprisoned by the Imperial Advisor, but were later rescued and learned that their rescuer was a celestial child, a pageboy of the Golden Saint Goddess.

Everyone was astonished that there were actually gods in this world!
They met the heir of the Duke of Jiang, who had been exiled to the northwest. After careful consideration, they decided to seek a way out for their family. The Duke of Jiang was a man of great virtue and integrity when he was alive, and his son was sure to be no less so.

Perhaps they really can usher in a completely new era.

Listen to what Prince Jiang has to say: This is the order from the Golden Saintess.

The Golden Saintess is a deity who saved them, so they have no reason to refuse Prince Jiang's offer of amnesty.

Therefore, they unanimously decided to join Prince Jiang in raising an army!
Jiang Chenghui knew they would agree sooner or later, but he didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

I felt quite gratified.

With the help of the fairy boy, he traveled to the sixteen prefectures in the northwest and persuaded the prefects of the sixteen prefectures to raise an army with him. He may not have much prestige, but General Zhao often dealt with these prefects and they were all acquaintances.

Upon learning that everyone was already dissatisfied with the emperor, they discussed replacing him with a wise and virtuous ruler.

The Duke's heir, Jiang Chenghui, would be a good candidate.

Overnight, the sixteen prefectures in the Northwest broke away from the control of the Great Xia Dynasty. The troops of the sixteen prefectures in the Northwest were taken into control by Jiang Chenghui, who led his troops to subdue all the large and small forces in the Northwest.

Zhao Hu led a group of men to the capital with the aim of capturing it.

Before the emperor could learn the truth about the Grand Preceptor's death, he heard about the turmoil in the northwest and the rebellion of the Duke of Jiang's heir. The emperor was furious and his aura grew increasingly cold.

The messenger, trembling with fear, replied, "I heard from Prince Jiang that the fate of the Great Xia Dynasty is sealed, and His Majesty is tyrannical and cruel. He has been ordered by the Golden Saintess to punish the tyrant, bring peace to the land, and rescue the people of Great Xia from their suffering!"

After saying this, he lowered his head and waited for the emperor's order.

The emperor clenched his fists so tightly they cracked, and his eyes seemed to blaze with anger.

"I want to... head north!"

Golden Saint Goddess!

A deity has descended!

The fact that Prince Jiang and his followers were able to rebel must be because they were bewitched by her!

Having lived in the south for a long time, the name of the Golden Saintess was renowned. People said she was incredibly powerful and had boundless magical abilities. They said she saved people from suffering and helped all living beings. However, she incited his ministers and people to rebel, calling him a tyrant and saying that the fate of the Great Xia Dynasty was sealed. She was clearly going against him!

He had originally planned to use her good reputation to consolidate his power.

Since she's so ungrateful, he wouldn't mind destroying a god!

"Guards! Leave a few generals to clean up the mess; the rest of you, come with me to the Northwest!"

He changed his strategy, first halting territorial expansion and then heading north to Qinyang County.