"Your Majesty has state affairs to attend to, there's no need for you to keep me company. State affairs are of utmost importance and cannot be delayed."
The Empress Dowager said, during the reign of the former emperor, her demeanor was the same, asking for nothing and demanding nothing, simply by the Emperor's side in silent companionship.
"Please prepare the Imperial Study." Chu Yuan said, "Eunuch Wei, give the order to the Imperial Kitchen. Tomorrow, my mother plans to return to the Imperial Mausoleum. Tonight, I will accompany her for a family feast."
In the Imperial Study.
Ji Fuling and Mu Rou sat on the chairs, palace maids brought them tea.
"The Holy Maiden from the Mysterious Sound Pavilion?" Ji Fuling squinted her eyes, emitting an incisive light. "Why would the Holy Maiden from the Mysterious Sound Pavilion come to Dawu's Imperial City? What on earth could be attracting all of you here?"
"If your Unlimited Commerce can establish branches in Dawu, why couldn't I, Mysterious Sound Pavilion, come here? Today I've come to visit His Majesty to thank him for presenting me with a gift on my birthday and to congratulate Dawu for advancing to a two-star Imperial Dynasty."
Mu Rou said lightly, "Moreover, this is fate, I cannot reveal it."
"Our Unlimited Commerce operates businesses spread across the eternal world, but you, Mysterious Sound Pavilion is different. Each place you visit brings either fortune or disaster. It's hard to predict. A nation and a beauty? What we bring from Unlimited Commerce is wealth and resources. What about you?"
Ji Fuling's voice was tingling with an explosive flavor.
"It depends on His Majesty's choice; I have no precise answer." Mu Rou's voice fell into silence.
"His Majesty has arrived."
Eunuch Wei followed Chu Yuan into the Imperial Study.
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
Ji Fuling and Mu Rou offered their salutes. They knew that Chu Yuan possessed the combat power to kill a peeping god. His cold character was far from his superficial gentleness.
"There's no need for formalities," Chu Yuan said with a smile.
"Seeing Your Majesty's extraordinary demeanor that day, I had no idea that you would be Emperor Dawu. I am honored to have attended my birthday celebration."
Mu Rou was the first to speak. "On my birthday, Your Majesty gave me the Star-Bearing Orb, which I truly loved. Now, as Your Majesty has conquered four states and the dynasty has advanced to a two-star status, this is a joyous occasion for Dawu. However, I don't have much to offer, so I painted a picture of the Martial Emperor's triumphant return. I hope Your Majesty won't mind."
She unveiled the framed painting.
Once unfolded, Chu Yuan's eyes narrowed.
The emperor in the painting was him standing in the chariot of the ancient emperor.
An emperor's demeanor, majestically dominant.
What surprised Chu Yuan even more was that, even though it was merely a still painting, he felt as if it were moving.
"What a wonderful painting of 'Emperor's Triumphant Return', I really like it!"
Even Chu Yuan could not help but marvel at Mu Rou's painting skills, saying, "Eunuch Wei, accept it."
"No wonder you're the Holy Maiden of the Mysterious Sound Pavilion, excelling in the four arts of qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting!" Ji Fuling said, "I wonder if you could paint one for me. My Unlimited Commerce has deep pockets, and we can afford to pay."
Mu Rou said lightly, "Painting requires a harmonious integration of the heaven's essence and human spirit. Today, I was deeply moved by His Majesty's demeanor, and that inspired me to paint this 'Emperor's Triumphant Return'. Once I get a similar inspiration, I will paint one for President Ji."
"I'll remember what you just said!" said Ji Fuling.
"Now that I've delivered the painting of 'Emperor's Triumphant Return', I shall take my leave."
Mu Rou rose to leave. At the door, she turned back and said, "If Your Majesty wishes to listen to the zither someday, feel free to visit me at the Mysterious Sound Pavilion. I'll wait for you there."
"Sure," Chu Yuan said, "Eunuch Wei, escort the Holy Maiden back to the Mysterious Sound Pavilion, and then go to the national treasury to pick out ten of the odd treasures I obtained from Da Qian this time to give to the Holy Maiden."
"President Ji is looking radiant, and you've improved your cultivation methods significantly, reaching the second transformation of Peeping God within a short period. It seems that you've benefited a lot from your membership in the Unlimited Commerce."
Only then did Chu Yuan speak to Ji Fuling.
"All this is thanks to your Highness. Your Highness' healing potion helped me break through to Peeping God, and the elixir you refined won me a great deal of support from senior club members."
Ji Fuling said, "Most importantly, with your Highness's dynasty being promoted to a two-star dynasty, it consequently promotes everyone around you. As a result, I, as the division chief of Dawu, conveniently became a two-star division chief, gaining even more authority within the club."
"It's perfect timing," Chu Yuan said. "I need more Meteorite Fine Gold and a large number of medicinal herbs. I hope you can supply them to me as quickly as possible."
"The medicinal herbs won't be a problem!"
Not only was she aiming at doing business, but she also wanted the divine elixir Chu Yuan refined to further enhance her strength. After all, when reaching the Peeping God state, in addition to comprehension, the need for innumerable elixirs for assistance is just as important.
"If I can raise the Imperial Dynasty to three stars, you will be the president of the Three-star Commerce Association. You should understand, the stronger Dawu becomes, the stronger President Ji will be," Chu Yuan said.
Her main purpose of coming to Chu Yuan this time, other than to congratulate him, was to discuss a bigger trade deal.
Thinking about this, she felt somewhat helpless. At this moment, she didn't feel like a president; she seemed more like a logistics officer specifically providing supplies for Dawu.
"I can also make a promise to President Ji. If one day you no longer wish to stay in the Infinite Commerce Association, you can come to my Dawu. I will let you handle logistics, managing all the resources," Chu Yuan made a promise.
Chu Yuan made a promise.
"Thank you for your kind offer, Your Majesty!"
Ji Fuling did not agree or refuse, but after discussing with Chu Yuan for a while, she hurriedly left.
Chu Yuan required more this time. Fortunately, she had been promoted to a two-star president, otherwise, it would be truly impossible to meet the demands.
Saving Ji Fuling and reaching a trade deal with the Infinite Commerce Association was a wise decision made by Chu Yuan. After all, he also needed more Meteorite Fine Gold to build second-tier Divine Cannons.
The thirty-first year of Dawu, March.
Time flies and three months have passed since the battle that destroyed the nations.
Current progress (7.1 billion/50 billion).
Seeing the unsealing information on the Sovereign's Sword, a smile appeared on Chu Yuan's face. The populations of the four nations had all become part of Dawu, becoming its citizens.
Living in peace and working happily.
These are the most basic needs of the people.
And Chu Yuan could give them these.
Chu Yuan also provided those martial artists with a way to access resources — joining his great army or becoming his subjects. They could then obtain magic crystals and elixirs. With such radical generosity, how could these people not yield?
The territory within the Sovereign's Sword, the World's Map, had expanded several times.
He could see the rich concentration of the people's will to live in every district, on the World's Map.
If there was a decline anywhere, he could immediately send people to investigate the reason.
In the past three months, there had been earth-shaking changes within Dawu.
With the distribution of various elixirs and magic crystals, the national strength was rapidly increasing. Not only the Divine Realm, but also those on the verge of peering into the Divine Realm had surged rapidly under the resource supply of these few months.
Former leaders of the eight camps had all been promoted to the verge of the Divine Realm.
Lu Qianfu did not disappoint Chu Yuan. Although he was given a healing potion, he did not use it and broke through to the Divine Realm.
Other than Lu Qianfu, Purple-scaled Thunder Dragon and Qingyunzi had also broken through to the Divine Realm.
The reason for their breakthroughs, apart from the elixirs, Chu Yuan also discovered another significant reason.
Yes, it is the National Fate!
National Fate not only brings benefits to himself alone, but also to all the citizens of Dawu.
With Dawu's promotion to a two-star imperial dynasty, he set up a National Fate Array, which affected people like Lu Qianfu. This is why they could smoothly break through to the Divine Realm.
In other words, the stronger the National Fate, the stronger the national strength, and all people could benefit from it, especially those like Lu Qianfu who had made great contributions.
The greater the contribution, the bigger the National Fate. Even if one is a common citizen, as long as they do something beneficial to Dawu, they would also enjoy the favor of National Fate.
Suddenly, a phoenix cry echoed throughout the empire.
In the distance, from the camp of the Vermilion Bird, flames filled the sky, and the phantom of an ancient phoenix could be seen.
Chu Yuan was somewhat surprised.
He had not expected that after Lu Qianfu, Purple-scaled Thunder Dragon, Qingyunzi, and others had broken through to the Divine Realm, the next to become a peeping god would be the aloof woman, Zhu Fengfeng.