Only three seconds? He's already the Lord of All Realms, so it doesn't matter.

Several days passed in Kunyang City.

After the Battle of Kunyang, the cleanup and reorganization were basically completed.

In this battle, the Han army achieved a great victory. Ten thousand of the Xin army died in battle, and several thousand were drowned by the rising Zhi River. The remaining eighty thousand men, feeling that the Xin dynasty was doomed, were incorporated into the anti-Xin army.

In addition, the Han army captured countless supplies, weapons, and provisions in this battle, greatly bolstering the anti-Wang forces.

It could even be said that the small city of Kunyang now houses more than 100,000 Green Forest Han soldiers. When autumn comes and the anti-Wang forces in various places seize the cities of the Xin Dynasty, the world will surely return to the Han Dynasty.

Faced with such a significant victory, Liu Xiu, after sending envoys back to Emperor Gengshi Liu Xuan, held a celebration banquet in Kunyang City.

After several rounds of drinks at the banquet, Liu Xiu, seated in the main seat of the Kunyang County Magistrate, as the greatest contributor to this battle, was obliged to give a summary:

"The generals are all brave and their contributions to this great victory are indispensable."

When Xiu returns to Wancheng, he will surely report the merits of all the gentlemen to His Majesty!

The crowd below erupted in cheers and jubilation, each person, emboldened by their drunkenness, dreaming of a bright future.

One of them was Zong Tiao, a close friend of Liu Xiu and a general in the Green Forest Han Army.

He raised the wine cup in his hand and addressed Liu Xiu, who was seated at the head of the table:

"The general is the greatest contributor to this battle. He was blessed with good fortune and divine assistance during our fierce battle against the Xin dynasty."

Zong Tiao's words resonated with the generals present.

Wang Feng and Wang Chang jumped out and said:

"The General is absolutely right. If it weren't for that torrential rain, our army would not have been able to win so easily."

"General Liu has his own destiny!"

General Liu has his own destiny… Seeing the noisy atmosphere below, these words startled Liu Xiu, who quickly waved his hand to stop them:

"Generals, you must not speak recklessly. Even if there is a divine mandate, it is His Majesty, who is far away in Wancheng. Please ask Heaven to assist us and protect our army."

He was a scholar from a young age and did not believe in any concept of destiny, but he claimed to have a divine mandate.

It should be noted that in early spring of this year, Liu Xuan, who was also a member of the Western Han imperial family, was enthroned as emperor by the main generals of the Green Forest Army, establishing the reign title "Gengshi" and becoming Emperor Gengshi.

So, saying such things in public is like having a head that's superfluous, isn't it? Liu Xiu absolutely dared not accept such a compliment.

The generals understood each other perfectly. Fortunately, there were no outsiders in the hall. These were either the original garrison commanders of Kunyang City or the generals Liu Xiu had invited to reinforce them. After the Battle of Kunyang, they had all become comrades-in-arms who had gone through thick and thin together.

The victory celebration banquet is gradually coming to an end...

"Lord Zong, is something the matter?"

When Liu Xiu returned to his residence, he found Zong Tiao visiting alone, which puzzled him.

However, Zong Tiao pulled Liu Xiu into a side courtyard. His eyes darted around, and he cut to the chase:

"General, do you truly have no interest in destiny?"

The two stood very close together, and with no one else around, only Liu Xiu could hear what they were saying.

He turned to look at Zong Tiao, speechless for a moment.

What is destiny? No one cares, but everyone knows that the one who obeys destiny is the emperor of the current dynasty.

Liu Xiu, like Liu Yan and other members of the Liu clan in Nanyang, was dissatisfied with Liu Xuan's eagerness to declare himself emperor before the Xin dynasty was overthrown.

He studied at the Imperial Academy in his early years and gained some understanding of the great principles. After joining the anti-Wang Mang coalition, he achieved many military exploits. Now, he has defeated the new army, which is enough to make him famous in one battle, even known throughout the world, and recorded in history books.

He is only 29 years old this year, which is the age when he is full of vigor and vitality. How could he not have any thoughts about the destiny that everyone talks about?

"The torrential rains brought about the downfall of the Xin dynasty, yet our army achieved a great victory. How can there be no explanation for this?"

Seeing that Liu Xiu hesitated slightly, Zong Tiao made his intention clear, hoping that Liu Xiu could emulate Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang.

The uprising after slaying the white serpent, and the claim that he was the reincarnation of the Red Emperor's son, provided a legitimate reason and considerable assistance in seizing power.

You, Liu Xiu, could easily establish your own power in Kunyang, seize the key pass, and take Chang'an before Liu Xuan, thus restoring the Han Dynasty!

"Is the general content to remain just a general?"

As the saying goes, a soldier who doesn't want to be a general is not a good soldier; and the same applies to generals and ministers who don't want to be emperors.

Zong Tiao looked at Liu Xiu with fervent eyes. He knew that the current Emperor Gengshi, Liu Xuan, was weak by nature and not capable of shouldering the great responsibility of the world. Therefore, he was determined to create a great cause with the man in front of him.

However, to his surprise, Liu Xiu raised his hand and declined his offer.

"Xiu understands the intentions of the Grand Duke, but His Majesty is still waiting for our army to return in Wancheng..."

These words are only between you and me; let's not say them again in the future.

Liu Xiu patted Zong Tiao on the shoulder, turned and stepped into the mansion, leaving him standing there doubting himself.

Ye Xuan withdrew his gaze from Kunyang and instead jumped into Wancheng, a hundred miles away.

Inside the palace temporarily converted from the county government building, Liu Xuan and his cousin Liu Liang sat facing each other, discussing the battle report from Kunyang that they had just learned.

"What does Your Majesty think of Liu Xiu?"

Liu Liang, who was granted the title of one of the Three Elders of the State, remained steadfast and spoke with neither servility nor arrogance when facing a chaotic emperor.

In contrast, Liu Xuan showed great respect to his clansman, saying:

"Uncle, I believe that Liu Xiu is a man of great talent and strategy. He defeated the Xin dynasty in the Battle of Kunyang. His bravery is extraordinary, and he is a rare talent."

Liu Liang abruptly changed the subject and asked:

"Your Majesty has such high regard for Liu Xiu, yet he now commands an army of over 100,000, and is holding a grand banquet in Kunyang, lingering there for several days without returning."

If Liu Xiu harbors rebellious intentions and leads his army to establish himself as emperor, what should Your Majesty do?

Liu Xuan was stumped by the question. He couldn't answer it for a moment and could only slowly utter a few words:

"Liu Xiu is loyal and devoted; he probably wouldn't do that."

"His Majesty."

Liu Liang suddenly stood up and said again, "Time will tell, Your Majesty. Have you forgotten the dissenting voices of the Liu family of Nanyang back then?"

"Why didn't Liu Xiu's clan originate from Nanyang?"

At this moment, Liu Xuan's mind was blank. He thought his paternal uncle's words made sense, but he didn't know what to do.

"Does the clan elder have any insights?"

Seeing that Liu Xuan finally understood his intentions, Liu Liang's face immediately lit up with a smile. He said seriously:

"Liu Xiu and his Kunyang garrison are currently at the height of their power. Your Majesty should immediately issue an order to keep them under control."

He ordered the main army to rest and recuperate in Wancheng, and during this lull, he ordered the Han troops in various places to stand by, waiting for Liu Xiu and others to regroup before ordering them to capture Chang'an.

When the world returns to the Han dynasty, Your Majesty can sit back and observe with your armies the true intentions of Liu Xiu.

If he shows any rebellious intent, eliminate him; if he shows no rebellious intent, grant him a nominal title but revoke his military power.

Liu Xuan nodded in agreement; he never objected to his clansman's arrangements.

As his consciousness left Wancheng, Ye Xuan returned to reality.

Having witnessed the turmoil and chaos of the world, things will ultimately unfold according to the course of history.

He is not currently concerned with this predetermined outcome, but rather with the "Way of Heaven" that he frequently hears about in the new dynasty world.

Ye Xuan pondered what the Heavenly Dao was.

Is it divine punishment? Like the common saying that good deeds are rewarded and evil deeds are punished, is the "retribution" in this context similar to his imagined world of cultivation, where someone who wants to break through to an important realm will suffer a heavenly tribulation...?

He ultimately preferred to understand the Way of Heaven as the operating rules of a world.