My sister is Luna

He became a king at a young age, and there were few people like him in the world. Ying Zheng could be said to have reached the pinnacle of life, far ahead of others, and was someone that everyone looked up to. But he was not satisfied with this.

From birth, he was the heir to the throne—the youngest crown prince, a born king. He was educated in the ways of a king from a young age, with the goal of becoming a perfect king who is benevolent, virtuous, and powerful.

As a child, he naturally believed that he was a king, a king who would make Xuan Yong even stronger, a king who would make everyone happy, and a king who would love and praise him, and whose name would be passed down through the ages.

But as he grew older, he discovered contradictions: contradictions of the law, contradictions of the kingly way, contradictions of reality... The law only bound the common people, but not the nobles. Officials protected each other, the strong ignored and trampled on the law, the common people were unaware of the law, lived in a daze, traded with vampires, and survived by fantasizing about power. The country was becoming more and more decadent, corruption was spreading, and the strong preyed on the weak—that was the description at that time.

Is this what governing a country is all about?

madness!

The upper class is enjoying themselves while the people are suffering. Various conflicts are occurring one after another. No one, except himself, sees these signs of impending doom at some point in the future.

The majority supports the minority, reflecting the selfish desires of those in power.

In his view, they were nothing but parasites; what did those nobles matter when the common people were gone? This was not the way of the king.

He is the king, and everyone is his subject. He loves his people, and he wants to be the scales of justice, treating everyone fairly.

Deception, treachery, warfare, unrest in various places, famine, natural disasters and man-made calamities, people are struggling, absurd and laughable, fantasizing, seeking solutions, love, hate, madness, all kinds of human beings, every day a tragedy is staged.

It was precisely because he witnessed so many hardships that Ying Zheng developed a heart that cared deeply for the world, and he was determined to take on this responsibility and carry it out.

But at that time he was just watching, and that was all.

"Heh, what kind of king? He's nothing but the Empress Dowager's puppet..."

He suddenly realized that he had done nothing, and he could do nothing. As a king, the power was not in his hands—how ridiculous…

The once revered Empress Dowager Xuan of Qin—his grandmother—is now obsessed with the fantasy of youth and beauty. Her former splendor has long since faded, and as she wields power, she is gradually descending into madness. Xuan Yong will be destroyed in her hands sooner or later.

We must take action!

Ying Zheng felt a deep sense of urgency; he would not stand idly by and watch Xuan Yong perish!

At that time, vampires were rampant, and the suffering of the people deepened.

Watching his country crumble and fall into chaos, teetering on the brink of collapse like a small sailboat in an endless vortex of contradictions.

He was determined to build a powerful Xuanyong, and he did just that.

His first step was to study at Jixia Academy, where he absorbed a wealth of knowledge and continuously enriched and strengthened himself.

Upon returning to Xuanyong from Jixia, he swiftly seized back power, reclaimed the throne from the Empress Dowager, imprisoned her in the palace, quelled the unrest, and reformed the legal system.

He appointed Meng Tian and Bai Qi as generals and Li Si as a civil official.

But this is not enough.

He was eager to recruit talented people, so he formed an alliance with the Jixia Academy to attract ambitious individuals and offered them generous compensation.

Use literature as a book, martial arts as a sharp sword, and law as a constraint and balance.

He found his own path to power.

He was a born king, a monarch of great talent and ambition. It was only natural that when he ascended to the throne, the country became docile and obedient in his hands. Xuan Yong prospered in a state of order, and people sang his praises.

But that's not enough. The law is not perfect. People only follow the law because it is powerful. What he wants is for everyone to know the law, respect the law, and abide by the law, so that the law can fall equally on everyone. Perhaps he is too impatient and can't wait to see that day come.

Ying Zheng recognized Cain's extraordinary nature at first glance. The eyes are the windows to the soul, and Ying Zheng saw in Cain's eyes a spirit that did not belong to this era.

There is a more perfect law there—this is what Ying Zheng's intuition tells him. With Cain's help, the laws of Xuan Yong will be even more perfect and deeply rooted in everyone's heart.

That's why he paid so much attention to Cain, even coming to see him in person. He wanted to personally assess such an important talent.

"Kain, what is your purpose in coming to Xuanyong?"

"I've come to investigate the vampires," Cain said truthfully.

"Vampires? How do you intend to investigate?" Ying Zheng was somewhat surprised, not expecting that Cain had come for this reason.

"I want to investigate the origins of vampires."

“I can tell you, but what will be the price? I can’t just tell you such a secret for nothing,” Ying Zheng said, looking at Cain.

As expected... there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Cain thought to himself.

“I know that Xu Fu entered Xuanyong and offered the art of the Blood Clan in exchange for protection, and thus the Blood Clan was born. Xu Fu is the origin of the Xuanyong Blood Clan, and Xu Fu is also a member of the Blood Clan. So what is the source of Xu Fu who created the Blood Clan? What I want to know is the origin of this Blood Clan, or rather, the origin of Xu Fu.”

With a blank expression, Cain recounted a long-buried part of the history of the vampire clan's birth.

"Oh? I didn't expect you to know so much." Ying Zheng raised an eyebrow.

"Xu Fu's origins are unknown to Xuan Yong. He was already a vampire when he arrived here, and no one knows who turned him into a vampire."

“If Xu Fu wanted to seek Xuan Yong’s protection, he would have to reveal his entire background. Otherwise, who would take in a stranger? But how could such a secret be recorded in writing? Perhaps the first person in the world to protect him knew it,” Cain said meaningfully.

"So you want to see the Empress Dowager?" Ying Zheng immediately guessed Cain's intention.

"Your Majesty understands me best." Cain smiled and nodded.

"Join Xuanyong, and I can give you my full support, as long as you help us." Ying Zheng extended an olive branch.

“I am now a member of the Great Wall Guard, so I am considered a citizen of the Tang Dynasty. Please forgive me for not being able to join Xuan Yong. I believe His Majesty would not like someone who would betray the country. Besides, I am just a warrior. Apart from helping His Majesty resolve some battle matters, I can't do much else, can I?” Cain said, hoping that Ying Zheng would change his terms.

"So, what do you think of my reforms to the Xuanyong system? Please offer some suggestions," Ying Zheng said with a smile.

This was his true purpose. What he needed was not Cain's powerful force, but to glean Cain's thoughts from his words, which would be of great reference value to him.

To build an eternal empire, one must embrace different opinions, integrate them, and continuously innovate and upgrade the methods.

"That's it?" Cain was somewhat skeptical. Was the price really that simple?

"Yes."

"Would it be inappropriate to make unfounded comments about national laws?" Cain asked cautiously.

"I am the one who created the laws of the land," Ying Zheng said. At that moment, his tone was so supreme that Cain also understood his underlying meaning.

"Although I don't know much about it, from what I know of the Xuan Yong laws, they are undoubtedly very applicable to the current Xuan Yong society. Your Majesty's reforms are very correct."

After thinking carefully, Cain slowly explained that he dared not be casual about the laws of Xuanyong.

"I also see the word 'fairness' everywhere in Your Majesty's laws. Looking at the laws of various countries, Xuan Yong is truly fortunate to have Your Majesty."

“But fair implementation will definitely be extremely difficult, because there will always be greedy people who are not only greedy for money and possessions, but also for power. Ultimately, it’s because they don’t want to let go.”

"How could that be? Every command I issued was carried out accurately."

“What about those nobles? Those royal families are still around, aren’t they? They’re in the countryside, in the city, they occupy the grassroots…” Cain said quietly.

"..." Ying Zheng fell silent. These nobles and princes seemed to be a disorganized bunch who were all obedient and loyal to him, but they had long been deeply rooted in Xuan Yong. There would always be a few who would challenge the authority of the law. They had the greatest privilege, but he could not rely on their help.

"Because His Majesty is there, he can keep them in check, but if it were someone else, wouldn't they be tempted to rebel?"

"Xuan Yong still has a long way to go and a heavy responsibility to bear."

……