After being demoted, my 300,000-strong army trampled the imperial city!

The streets and alleys of Longcheng are exceptionally lively today.

The news that the crown prince had set up an altar at Mount Dading in the south of the city and was crowned king spread quickly to every corner.

Even a three-year-old child can name the King of the Northern Frontier, and they are all subjects under his rule.

It is worth mentioning that the people from Chuzhou outside the city had been settled a day earlier, and the entire Longcheng was peaceful and prosperous.

Even the most discerning scholars, after witnessing the prosperity and tranquility of Longcheng, couldn't help but exclaim that it was a paradise on earth.

Since the death of the prince in the Northern Frontier and his succession, the Northern Frontier has vigorously rectified the officialdom and increased private commerce and trade. With the development and construction of the commercial district, it has attracted many wealthy merchants to invest.

It is no exaggeration to say that the Northern Frontier is now a country within a country. What Prince Chen Futu has done is far more than that of the Great Qian Dynasty royal family, and his prestige in the Northern Frontier is far beyond the influence of the royal family. It is indeed inevitable that he will be crowned king.

The government troops in the south of the city formed a human wall, and countless people flocked out of the city to Dading Mountain, just to witness this rare grand event.

The carriages carrying the families of civil and military officials also set off one after another. Dian Wei and Li Yuanfang had already led the Po Lu personal guards, the Qian Niu guards, and the Longcheng garrison to the altar to maintain order.

After a while, the area at the foot of Mount Dading was packed with people. The crowd surged and stretched as far as the eye could see, and it was impossible to tell how many people had gathered there.

Besides ordinary people, there were also merchants and scholars, and even small vendors selling trinkets on the outskirts. These were all private activities that Chen Futu had instructed the Commerce Department to allow.

During this festive season, small vendors can take advantage of the opportunity to increase their income.

The Northern Frontier King's flags stretched from both sides of the altar steps all the way to the top of the altar. Each flag was guarded by the mighty and majestic Dragon City Guards. The thunderous drumbeats were exhilarating, and at the highest point, a giant cauldron symbolizing power emitted smoke and flames that soared into the sky.

Before long, all the civil and military officials arrived, including members of the delegation, all waiting for Chen Futu's arrival. The troops of each unit were ready, and the people could see the might of the Northern Frontier army today.

"The prince is here!"

The people suddenly became restless. In the distance, the Tiger Guard's convoy slowly approached, with banners waving and Chen Futu's imperial carriage under a canopy.

Some scholars couldn't help but twitch their eyelids after reading it.

"This...this is overstepping the bounds, isn't it?"

"Overstepping the bounds? What overstepping the bounds? The Crown Prince is the rule."

Chen Futu was practically behaving like the Great Qian Emperor, announcing his intention to ascend the throne. Such a grand display was only seen when emperors ascended the throne throughout history; after all, no other king or noble in history had ever acted so ostentatiously.

When the caravan reached the foot of the mountain, the people fell silent, staring intently at the carriages. Then, Chen Futu, dressed in a black and gold-embroidered crown and carrying a sword, appeared, and cheers erupted everywhere.

"Long live the King of the Northern Frontier!"

"Long live the King of the Northern Frontier!"

The vast majority of the people genuinely supported Chen Futu. Without Chen Futu's efforts to turn the tide and suppress everything, the northern frontier would have long since become a battleground.

Chen Futu surveyed the crowd of people, then strode towards Mount Dading amidst countless gazes, followed by Consort Ge, Qi Wen, and even the female swordswoman.

This was Qingyi's request. She was worried that some unscrupulous people might try to assassinate her on the way, but with Qiwen and her swordswoman there, she could be sure they would be safe.

Chen Futu stepped onto the red carpet-covered steps, drawing the intense gazes of the civil and military officials on both sides. The expressions of the Northern Martial Delegation were particularly complex, their eyes filled with resentment as they looked at Chen Futu.

He had previously made a complete fool of himself at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. He hadn't planned to come this time, but the Grand Wizard insisted that he come, since he was the nominal head of the delegation.

Chen Futu ignored the gazes of those around him. He held onto the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow, raised his head, and walked step by step toward the high platform, his eyes filled with a mixture of emotions.

Many years have passed since then.

Looking back, he thought he could live a carefree life by relying on his status as the heir of the Prince of Zhenbei. However, things didn't go as planned. His father was killed, which completely disrupted his wishes, and he had no choice but to step forward and take over this mess.

Fortunately, his civil and military officials all fought bravely, which brought peace to the northern frontier.

Now that I'm crowned, it's impossible for me to go back to those days of lying down and doing nothing.

Thinking of this, Chen Futu quickened his pace and became more determined.

Zhang Liang and Zhuge Liang, among others, were genuinely pleased to see this.

That somewhat cynical crown prince has matured considerably overnight; hopefully, he will understand the responsibilities of being crowned king.

Qiwen and the other two followed on either side of the steps behind Chen Futu, constantly scanning their surroundings out of the corner of their eyes. Qiwen, in particular, filtered through everyone present, and finally focused his attention on Yemo. Waves of murderous aura swept over Yemo, who was so frightened that he almost lost control of his bladder on the spot.

The high priest noticed this and warned, "Today is a big day. You all need to be careful and not do anything you shouldn't do that might anger the soldiers of the Northern Frontier."

The delegation lowered their heads; what else could they do?

The die is cast. They have seen the strength of the Northern Frontier. Chen Futu did not settle accounts with them for their provocation last time, only because of the princess. If they cause trouble today, wouldn't they be courting death?

Of course, they wouldn't dare to cause trouble for Chen Futu, but that doesn't mean others wouldn't.

For example, the assassins of Red Moon Tower—it's said they were all wiped out by Chen Futu. Who knows if there are any assassins still lurking? We mustn't miss such a golden opportunity…

Some of the people present had ulterior motives, and Qiwen accurately noticed the unusual expressions on their faces. However, since they hadn't made a move yet, he couldn't show himself.

Soon, Chen Futu ascended the altar. Gazing at the blazing cauldron, his mind became increasingly unsettled.

At this moment, Liu Bowen and the frail and elderly Zhou Qingzhi walked over.

Upon seeing Zhou Qingzhi appear, the area below the mountain immediately erupted in discussion.

"I didn't expect Mr. Zhou to come too."

"Is he going to personally endorse Chen Futu?"

"It's a tragic story. He came to Dragon City on the orders of the Great Qian Dynasty, but the Great Qian Dynasty exterminated his entire clan of ten."

"Da Qian thought he had defected to the Northern Frontier, and he did a very ruthless thing."

"Hmph, what use is a heartless and ruthless emperor?"

The scholars argued fiercely, with some arguing that Zhou Qingzhi should not have stooped so low as to advocate for the rebels, and that he should have upheld the Confucian ideal of loyalty to the emperor to the very end, even at the cost of his life to preserve his honor.

However, most scholars believe that the Great Qian Dynasty is incompetent and tyrannical, and has suffered frequent disasters in recent years. Instead of protecting the country and its people, the dynasty is only concerned with factional struggles and eliminating dissidents. Chen Futu was forced to rebel, and now there is another Zhou Qingzhi. It is all the Great Qian Dynasty's own fault.

The two sides argued more and more fiercely, but it didn't affect the stage.

Zhou Qingzhi glanced shakily at the audience below, then bowed deeply to Chen Futu, saying, "I have offended you, old man."

He was old and his health was failing, so he could not read any eulogy. The only thing he could do was to have someone help him remove his outer robe, leaving him only in white mourning clothes, and then kneel tremblingly at Chen Futu's feet, prostrating himself on the ground, and not getting up again.