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

Chen Futu's policy of allowing citizens to sue government officials was of epoch-making significance.

Historically, only a handful of dynasties allowed citizens to sue government officials, such as the "Yue Song Fa" in the Song Dynasty and the Dengwen Drum in the Ming Dynasty.

The scholars who came to Longcheng to participate in the literary gathering were all extremely excited upon hearing this decree.

They initially looked down on the Northern Frontier King, but now Chen Futu, by using the Dragon City garrison case and Ping'er's tragic situation to forcefully implement the policy of the people suing the government, showed them the aura of a great sage ruler. At least going back several dynasties, no monarch would have been so bold.

It is very appropriate for the King of Northern Frontier to implement this edict now, because Northern Frontier is only a hegemon of a vassal state with limited territory. There will be almost no resistance to its implementation. Once the policy is mature, it will be natural to implement it after conquering more territory. This policy can ensure the basic support of the people. In contrast, the Great Qian Dynasty has caused widespread turmoil due to the loss of popular support. The difference is obvious.

Inside the pleasure boat, Hua Yu seemed helpless in the face of the bottle that Diao Chan had sent her. In fact, many years ago, someone had commissioned the pleasure boat to make a "bottle", but she refused. This was the first time in her life that she had seen such a plaything.

"Those bastards went too far, but tearing them apart by five horses is too lenient on them!"

"Yes, if you ask me, he deserves to be torn to pieces!"

The girls on the pleasure boat were indignant, but they were at a loss as to what to do with Ping'er.

Diao Chan suggested keeping it for now, so that if it died someday, it would be a relief.

Hua Yu had no choice but to arrange for someone to take special care of Ping'er.

However, something else annoyed her: some merchants from out of town said they wanted to see the bottle, offering high prices and claiming they had never seen such a rare object before.

Enraged, Hua Yu immediately ordered the girls to throw everyone out, causing chaos and confusion.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and soon it was time for the literary gathering.

Baiyujing Square was packed with people.

Hua Yu arranged for girls from the pleasure boat to warm up the atmosphere; the scene was lively with singing, dancing, and fluttering.

"Miss Su has arrived!"

"Miss Zhou has come too!"

"And there's also Mr. Qi Yan."

One by one, celebrities took the stage.

Miss Zhou refers to Zhou Chuchu, who ranks first on the list of beauties. She is from the Yaoyue Palace in Nanzhou and is also a powerful figure with a great reputation in the martial arts world.

The biggest difference between her and Su Yun is that she is skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, martial arts, and poison. Legend has it that she is an unparalleled woman in the Southern Continent, with unmatched talent and countless admirers.

As for Qi Yan, he was skilled in the Five Elements theory and came from Tianyang Academy. He was a great Confucian scholar whose reputation was in no way inferior to Zhou Qingzhi's.

Besides these three, there are other young talents, such as well-known young swordsmen in the martial arts world, all of whom have profound backgrounds, such as Yan Shiliu of Tianshan, Chen Yafu of the Nameless Sword, and the Blood Monk of Xizhou.

Whether you're a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person of martial arts and chivalry) or a 文人雅士 (wenshi yashi, a person of refined tastes), once you come to Longcheng, even a dragon has to coil up.

Everyone came with the same goal: not only to see the legendary Fairy of the Mortal World, but also to witness the majestic appearance of the King of the Northern Frontier.

Music filled the air at Baiyujing Palace, and laughter and cheers echoed through the streets, sparking much discussion among the locals.

They wanted to see Baiyujing, but there were too many people watching, and the square was packed with people.

After a quarter of an hour, the singing and dancing subsided, and then someone shouted, "The King has arrived!"

With a whoosh, everyone stood up.

Chen Futu arrived with Li Xiuning. Unlike ordinary monarchs, he was extremely young and handsome, with jet-black hair tied up and wearing a flowing military robe with white and gold patterns. Coupled with his cold and stern face, he perfectly embodied the meaning of "dragon-like appearance and phoenix-like grace" and "celestial appearance".

The noble ladies present blushed upon seeing the Northern Frontier King in such a stunning manner, revealing expressions of amazement and shyness.

Even Su Yun and Zhou Chuchu couldn't help but have their beautiful eyes sparkle and their hearts race when they saw it.

Today, Chen Futu's military attire was not as elegant as it used to be. He possessed the martial prowess of a warrior and the gentleness of a scholar, but his aura remained unchanged. His dark eyes swept across the entire scene, causing everyone's hearts to tremble, just like an emperor inspecting his subjects.

"Thank you all for coming from afar, you must be tired."

"We pay our respects to Your Majesty—"

"Please, everyone, no need for formalities, please take your seats."

Chen Futu led Li Xiuning to their seats, and then everyone else took their seats.

It is worth mentioning that Li Xiuning was also dressed in military uniform today, with her red hair ribbon fluttering in the wind. Her cool and beautiful appearance was tinged with a maternal glow, which was captivating.

Although she was not the matriarch of the Northern Frontier, her temperament still firmly surpassed that of the women on the Phoenix Ranking.

Chen Futu said, "At today's literary gathering, everyone is free to speak their minds."

"Your Majesty, was the chaos in the Great Qian Dynasty your doing?"

Suddenly, a scholar spoke up, drawing everyone's attention.

This person's attire was not particularly luxurious, and he even appeared somewhat travel-worn.

Consort Ge whispered, "This man's surname is Wang. He is a Confucian scholar who came from the Great Qian Dynasty. He just arrived in Longcheng yesterday."

Chen Futu suddenly realized what was going on and asked, "Why do you ask this, sir?"

The Confucian scholar was furious: "I heard that when His Majesty went to the capital last year, he took away the remains of Master Zhou and forcefully stormed out of the capital. After that, the Great Qian Dynasty fell into chaos. It's hard not to suspect that His Majesty was behind it all!"

His words sparked a lively discussion in the square. This guy must be crazy to dare to criticize the butcher to his face.

Chen Futu sneered: "There's no need to bring up baseless rumors. The chaos in the Great Qian Dynasty is due to the struggle for imperial power and the infighting among brothers. What does it have to do with me?"

"Chen Futu! You still won't admit it? It's true that a civil unrest broke out in my prefecture, but do you dare to say that you didn't instigate it behind the scenes? It's said that some of the rebel kings were misled and started their rebellion under various pretexts. They can't even read a single word, so how could they say that the heavens are dead and the yellow heavens shall rise, and that the year is Jiazi, and the world will be blessed!"

The scholar grew increasingly agitated as he spoke, roaring as if he had nothing left to lose.

Chen Futu looked at him calmly, “The Chen family has been loyal for generations. If the court had not cut off the line of loyal ministers, why would I have rebelled? In the end, the court has no tolerance for people. The Prince of Zhenbei is like that, the Prince of Donghai is like that, and the Prince of Kaiping is like that. The people of the world have suffered under the Great Qian for too long.”

"You are using strong words to make sense!"

The scholar's eyes were filled with hatred. His hometown had been destroyed by the tyrannical army, and his entire family had been slaughtered. He had only escaped death while he was in school. His purpose in coming here was to ask the King of the Northern Frontier why he had poisoned the world for his own selfish reasons!

"enough!"

Sun Wei stood up during the meal.

The Confucian scholar retorted, "And who are you?"

“Sun Wei, the eldest son of Sun Chengzong, the Prince of Kaiping.”

A single sentence silenced the noisy square.

It turns out that the legend of the Kaiping King's family fleeing to the northern frontier is true!

Sun Wei addressed the crowd, saying, “If it weren’t for the King’s help, my family would have died at the hands of the treacherous officials! My father devoted himself to the country, but in the end, he was torn apart by five horses and died a tragic death at Shanhai Pavilion. I ask you, how can such a court still have the face to be trusted by the people of the world!”