Li Jun smiled bitterly, no longer reading. He had refused to be called king, so Feng Jiutian and Su Bai, citing classical texts, had come up with the title "Emperor." Although the name had changed, it was likely the same thing in a different guise. However, their proposal that the succession to the throne should not be based on lineage or age, but on virtue, folly, merit, and demerit, was indeed a good strategy. But while he might be able to implement this strategy now, would he still be able to do so when he grew old? And after his death, would his descendants fight amongst themselves for the throne?
They'll just have to take it one step at a time. If they refuse Feng Jiutian and the others again, they might really resign and leave.
Future troubles can be dealt with later. Even now, there are still the remnants of Wu Wei, the ruthless Liu Guang, and the powerful Ling Qi who dominates Huai State. My conquest has only just begun. Defeating Liu Guang and Ling Qi through battlefield duels alone is clearly hopeless. These two are formidable rivals in both intellect and strategy. To defeat them, I must not only be as strong as them on the battlefield, but also ensure my country is no weaker than theirs. Even if I defeat them and conquer their lands, I will still have a powerful enemy: my own power. If I cannot resist the temptation of that power, one day I will end up no different from Li Gou and Wu Shu. The future is long.
Li Jun slowly handed the letter to Wei Zhan and said, "I agree. I will return to Liu Ning now and take the 'Emperor' position."
Although the generals around him did not yet understand what the emperor meant, they all knew that Li Jun had promised to establish himself as emperor, and they couldn't help but look at each other excitedly. Even Wei Zhan and Shi Quan couldn't help but high-five each other.
"Long live!"
It's unclear who started the shout, but the victorious Peace Army soldiers, though unaware that Li Jun had decided on a momentous event that would change the future of China, joined in the cheers. Their cheers were for this victory, for the fallen soldiers and the surviving warriors, and for the endless future...
(The End!!)