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

On the way back to Wancheng, Liu Xiu and his generals reviewed the Battle of Chang'an that they had just encountered.

Zong Tiao, Wang Feng, Wang Chang, and others engaged in a heated discussion about the strange celestial phenomenon that appeared in the sky above Chang'an.

In the Han army, most soldiers already believed that Wang Mang and the Xin Dynasty were protected by Heaven. Even though Liu Xiu strictly ordered that no one in the army should discuss this matter, it still reached the ears of the generals.

They also had doubts. Although as the leading generals, they certainly couldn't admit that the enemy had some divine assistance, was that strange phenomenon really just a smokescreen?

"Could it be that the rumors circulating in the streets in the past suggested that Wang Mang was truly the one who succeeded to the throne by divine mandate?"

Wang Feng hung her head, muttering to herself in a dejected tone.

When these words reached Liu Xiu's ears, he did not blame Wang Feng. Instead, he slowed his pace and reassured the generals:

"If we speak of the Way of Heaven, do you not mention the Battle of Kunyang? Do you not say that our Emperor Gaozu of Han was the reincarnation of the Red Emperor?"

Liu Xiu, being young and ambitious, and as the commander-in-chief of the three armies, did not become dejected like the others. Instead, he quickly recovered from the defeat and began to reflect on his actions.

He concluded: "Let's not even talk about whether the thunder rolling over Chang'an City was the work of Heaven."

Although our army was defeated in this battle, we did not suffer too many losses, and the overall situation remains favorable.

Yes!

Everyone suddenly realized that the three armies had only lost less than 10,000 men, while there were still 100,000 troops behind them.

Even if Wang Mang had escaped death, there would still be fewer than 10,000 soldiers guarding Chang'an.

When autumn comes on the eighth day of the ninth month...

After returning to Wancheng, we will report this matter to His Majesty. The army will then rest briefly and join forces with other nearby armies to besiege Chang'an. At that time, with hundreds of thousands of troops, why would they be afraid of a few bolts of lightning?

Thanks to Liu Xiu's guidance, the Han army regained its confidence, and Wang Feng and Wang Chang even said:

"What Heavenly Dao? It's nothing but a few rumbles of thunder, all an illusion, an illusion!"

……

Several days later, the three armies returned to Wancheng, and Liu Xiu immediately reported the matter to the current emperor of the Han Dynasty.

Liu Xuan sat high in the county magistrate's hall, but he had no idea what to do. Under the instruction of his cousin Liu Liang, he did not blame Liu Xiu, who had returned from his defeat.

"If what the general says is true, then it is the will of Heaven, the will of Heaven..."

Liu Xuan's eyes were filled with panic and uncertainty. He was also a scholar from a young age, but he had only read some obscure books.

Despite being the current emperor who has restored the Han dynasty, he believed in the ways of heaven and spirits more than anyone else in the hall.

"Your Majesty need not worry. Our army is still in good shape. We only need to rest for a while before we can march on Chang'an again."

Liu Xiu mistakenly took Liu Xuan's leniency as trust and high regard, and immediately volunteered to make amends for his mistakes.

But Emperor Gengshi's mind was full of wild thoughts, so how could he make a decision?

"Hey, General, you're probably too impatient."

Your Majesty, this old minister believes that only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you win every battle.

Before we figure out what that unpredictable heavenly lightning is, it's best to rest and recuperate first.

Liu Liang's words were barbed, and Liu Xiu heard them clearly. How could he not know that the old man was mocking him?

Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle; isn't this just mocking him, a defeated general, for not understanding military strategy?

Seeing Liu Xuan hesitate on the high seat, Liu Xiu took his leave, already feeling even more dissatisfied with this weak Emperor Gengshi.

Seeing that Liu Xiu and the others had left, Liu Liang came to the Emperor's side and said:

"Your Majesty, look at Liu Xiu and the Kunyang garrison. Do they still care about the imperial decree?"

In my humble opinion, they have already shown signs of disloyalty; the matter of eliminating them should be put on the agenda as soon as possible.

Liu Xuan nodded silently, his mind still preoccupied with matters of the Heavenly Dao—

"If there is a Heavenly Dao, then my great-grandfather was the reincarnation of the Red Emperor's son. Isn't that true?"

……

After leaving the county government, Liu Xiu rode his horse to the outskirts of the city and stayed alone in a mountain forest.

He drew his bow and shot an arrow, bringing down a galloping deer in the distance, but there was no joy on his face.

Recalling how he followed his elder brother Liu Yan to raise an army in Wancheng, he realized that at the beginning they didn't even have warhorses and had to ride oxen into battle.

Looking at him now, he is a general who is famous throughout the world after the Battle of Kunyang. His life circumstances are different, and his ambitions are naturally different as well.

The hasty and inexplicable battle of Chang'an did not diminish Liu Xiu's confidence; he still wanted to accomplish something worthy of being recorded in history.

In the end, however, he was suspected by others and trapped under the weak Gengshi Emperor, seemingly unable to achieve his ambitions.

"General, why are you so melancholy?"

A voice could be heard coming from the dense forest; it was Zong Tiao, who had been following Liu Xiu all along.

"As you know, my lord, Xiu's actions today have likely increased His Majesty's suspicion of me even more."

Liu Xiu also realized that his military power was teetering on the brink of collapse, and he hesitated...

"Then why doesn't the general rise up in rebellion, just like when he raised an army in Wancheng?"

Zong Tiao brought up the previous topic, his eyes still burning with passion. In his opinion, Liu Xiu after the Battle of Kunyang was far superior to Liu Xuan.

I'm probably destined to be a general in this life, and since I have to follow someone else, I should choose a wise ruler to assist.

This time, Liu Xiu did not reply to him. Instead, with a resolute expression, he drew his bow again and shot down another deer that flashed through the distant woods...

Ye Xuan's consciousness existed between heaven and earth. Looking at the young and vigorous Liu Xiu, he already had a plan in mind.

Back in the real world, while gathering a substitute for the new dynasty, he used his spare time to research a great deal of information about production materials, ideology, laws, and so on.

With his superpowers, he could see almost anything and understand it instantly.

After absorbing a great deal of knowledge, he returned to Chang'an and began communicating with Wang Mang.

"I intend to spread knowledge and teach the world. Tomorrow, you shall set up a lecture hall in the palace and gather the court officials and the sons of prominent families in the city."

Wang Mang received the order and acted swiftly, setting up this forum, which encapsulates a thousand years of history, in Weiyang Palace.

Ye Xuan used the spiritual energy of heaven and earth as a medium to transmit his voice into the hall, explaining various kinds of knowledge to the world and the initial prototype of his grand blueprint.

After the lecture, he ordered Wang Mang to establish a "Great Academy" in the city, instructing officials to record the documents and then publicize them throughout the land.

"With the establishment of the university, anyone who is literate and aspires to serve the development of the world can enter the university to learn knowledge."

After the Battle of Chang'an, the idea that Wang Mang had the help of Heaven and that the capital Chang'an was protected by a celestial being quickly spread throughout the land.

Some people were skeptical, some thought Wang Mang was just faking it, and others went to Chang'an because of his reputation.

Without exception, scholars who entered university were immersed in the vast sea of ​​knowledge and forgot all about home.

In Chang'an, not only was agricultural productivity gradually recovering and developing, but science and technology were also making rapid progress.

Although the city was still shrouded in the afterglow of the old dynasty, it presented a prosperous and peaceful scene of national prosperity and peace.

Upon learning of this, Liu Xuan, who was far away in Wancheng, consulted his clansman and ordered that in the spring of the following year, he would gather an army of more than 300,000 to besiege Chang'an and reclaim the Han government!