"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." Read exclusives on NovelFiremp _y,r.
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."
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.
Besides.
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.
National Fate!
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.