Braised Dragon with Soy Sauce

The sacrificial ceremony to Heaven officially began. In an instant, the awe-inspiring sound of drums, like ten thousand horses galloping, rang out again. The powerful rhythm seemed to break through the clouds and strike the heavens.

At the same time, the stirring and high-pitched sound of horns and the sounds of various musical instruments intertwined, together playing a grand and solemn musical movement.

A group of wizards dressed in strange costumes walked slowly with mysterious steps toward the spacious open space in front of the stage.

Their costumes were brightly colored and embroidered with strange runes and patterns, shimmering faintly as they moved.

These wizards, holding staffs, moved in unison and began to worship the heavens with a unique dance.

Mo Yuming and the others standing to the side also raised their large bowls filled with fine wine and bowed respectfully in the four directions of east, west, south, and north.

The crowd of people who had been bustling about in the square suddenly appeared as if summoned by some divine intervention, and they all prostrated themselves on the ground in devout prayer, muttering incantations and silently praying to the heavens.

However, Mo Yuming knew perfectly well that the so-called gods were merely beings of people's imaginations. But being in such a grand and solemn occasion, he knew he could not show the slightest disrespect or doubt.

After all, in this environment, appropriately adapting to the situation and doing some superficial work can not only avoid unnecessary trouble, but may even bring unexpected benefits.

So, he followed the others in performing the series of actions with a blank expression, deeply concealing his true thoughts.

After the entire sacrificial ceremony concluded successfully, the atmosphere suddenly became tense, because the highlight of the event—the real theme—was about to be revealed.

At this moment, Mo Yuming straightened his clothes, solemnly stepped forward, glanced ahead, and then said loudly:

"The Great Xia Empire of the Tianxuan Continent is officially established today..."

As soon as Mo Yuming finished speaking, everyone in the square cheered enthusiastically.

Huang An raised his hand and waved it into the distance. Suddenly, countless colorful fireworks shot into the sky from the top of the city lord's mansion, and colorful cannons exploded in the sky.

The people of Tianxuan, who had never seen fireworks before, were completely dumbfounded.

"What kind of cannon is that? A Thunderclap? Are magic crystal cannons really that beautiful? How many gold coins must have been wasted by randomly setting off so many magic crystal cannons! This is too extravagant..."

After the founding ceremony, Mo Yuming ordered everyone in the country to celebrate for three days and designated this day as National Day, with a celebration ceremony to be held every year on this day thereafter.

Next, the appointment and deployment of officials in the new government will be the responsibility of Su Yangyan, the temporary Grand Chancellor.

According to regulations, Su Yangyan must first assemble a seven-person team of judges and recommend candidates for the Grand Justice position.

Su Yangyan first selected Niu Tianze, Zhang Sibo, Huang An, Wang Baichuan, Fang Yixiu, Lü Rongxuan, and Wan Junzhe as the first members of the Prime Minister's Team.

Among them, Niu Tianze, Zhang Sibo, Huang An, and Wang Baichuan were all people who had followed Mo Yuming for a long time.

Fang Yixiu, Lü Rongxuan, and Wan Junzhe were all renowned scholars in Shangyuan City.

Although the three were not highly skilled in profound arts, they were all learned individuals.

Fang Yixiu was originally a high-paid tutor hired by Su Yangyan specifically for his son and daughter, but he was later framed by Lord Liao, resulting in the death of one of his children and the crippling of the other, leaving him with no means of support.

Fang Yixiu admired Su Yangyan's character and volunteered to become Su Yangyan's strategist, staying behind to advise Su Yangyan on how to manage Luoxia City.

Lu Rongxuan and Wan Junzhe are renowned scholars in Shangyuan City. They are usually upright and do not associate with the likes of Lord Liao. They are rare and refined gentlemen.

When drafting the constitution, Su Yangyan had already invited them to participate throughout the entire process.

As for the candidate for Grand Minister of Justice, Su Yangyan recommended Huo Chengde, the former mayor of Wangxiang Town.

Huo Chengde governed Wangxiang Township for decades without ever oppressing the people. He was always fair and impartial, which was no easy feat in a corrupt and decadent society.

Su Yangyan was initially worried that Huo Chengde wouldn't agree, but things went very smoothly.

As soon as the messenger handed over the visiting card and explained the reason, Huo Chengde immediately agreed without hesitation, and laughed heartily on the spot, saying:

"After all these decades, you, Su Yangyan, have finally thought of this old codger!"

He then made arrangements with his family and followed the envoy to Uehara Castle.

Upon seeing Mo Yuming, he immediately performed the rites of a subject to a ruler and said:

"When Your Majesty led Su Yangyan and his nephew to our town to defend against the enemy that day, I had already witnessed Your Majesty's handsome appearance and admired him greatly. I had long wanted to visit and pay my respects, but the situation was special at the time, and Brother Su did not introduce me, so I dared not disturb you and had to give up."

"To have gained the Lord's favor is a great honor for this humble servant. However, being from a remote border region, I have no gold or jade treasures to offer. My only contribution is a family-owned iron mine, which I wish to present as a token of my sincerity!"

"Huo Chengde! Old man Huo, is that old mine of yours, which has been mined for hundreds of years, something to brag about?"

After listening to Huo Chengde's words, Su Yangyan couldn't help but say something.

"Heh, you're willing to part with your shabby ranch, so why would I be unwilling to part with mine?"

"Huo Qing, I appreciate your kindness, but that's ancestral property passed down from your ancestors. You should keep it for yourself! Besides, so many clan members and ancestral halls need a stable source of income!"

Mo Yuming earnestly tried to dissuade him.

"I know that I have already read the laws promulgated by the Lord and I admire the Lord's unprecedented foresight. I am confident that in the near future, my Great Xia Empire will surely dominate Tianxuan!"

I am proud to be a part of the Great Xia Empire.

"If Brother Su can donate his ranch, then naturally I can donate my iron ore mine!"

“Old man Huo, my ranch is not like your mine. My ranch has long been abandoned due to the suppression by that Liao guy! It’s already a wasteland!”

"Hehe, Su Yangyan, you might be able to fool the unsuspecting master with these words, but what is the relationship between our two families?"

They've been friends for at least several hundred years!

Anyone who has lived in Shangyuan City for decades knows that the Su family's ranch has the best pasture and environment in Da Chi, and can even raise high-level magic riders and war beasts.

Back when our ancestors were still very powerful, the Su-Ho family's mine and farm were renowned brands in the entire country.

The man surnamed Liao is trying every means to suppress you, isn't it because he has his eye on your family's auspicious land?

However, our Huo family ancestor was farsighted and knew that possessing a treasure could bring trouble, so when the family's fortunes were declining, he had already made preparations by gradually reducing the production and quality of the ore.

This led outsiders to mistakenly believe that the mineral vein had been depleted and had no further mining value.

Moreover, the ancestral mine never hires outsiders to mine, so outsiders are unaware of the mineral veins remaining in the mine.

Based solely on our deliberate fabrication, we deduced that the mineral resources had been exhausted, leaving only worthless ordinary iron. This is why we were able to survive peacefully.

"You mean your mine hasn't been fully exploited yet? And it's that famous rich mine of black iron?"

Su Yangyan stared at Huo Chengde and said excitedly.

"Hehe, to be honest, my friend, this rich mine can still be mined for decades without any problem! Moreover, according to exploration, the quality of the associated minerals gets better the deeper you go!"

"Huo Qing, since it's still a rich mine, there's even less reason to donate. Now that the Liao family has been suppressed, your family can mine it boldly. As long as the Great Xia Empire still exists, I guarantee no one will dare to covet your family's mine!"

Mo Yuming said sincerely.

Huo Chengde's generosity moved him, but he did not want to take away what others cherished, especially such an ancestral property.

After all, the continuity and stability of a family are of great significance to the development of a country.