Hao Jiu thought for a moment, "Differences are inevitable. One spent years with Xiang Yu's divided soul, while the other only met us two days ago and almost got into a fight. However, we can't be too careful. Although the old man's performance this time was good, he was asking us for help. It's too early to draw conclusions about the old man. Comparing the divided soul memories, did the old man lie?"
"Apart from the part about thunderclouds not being mentioned, everything else is pretty much the same as what the split soul knows. It's just that the thunderclouds are so powerful that if the split soul hadn't cultivated the Thunder-Inducing Soul-Tempering Method created by the Lord, it probably wouldn't have lasted until the God of Wine came to its aid."
Xiang Yu recounted the details, and Hao Jiu was somewhat frightened. Lightning can subdue ghosts, and the souls of the dead are naturally considered ghosts as well, which is why the Emperor's Sword used thunderclouds to seal Shoujun.
If it weren't for the Overlord's divided soul relentlessly cultivating day and night to temper its soul with lightning, things would have been dangerous this time.
To be honest, when Hao Jiu released the flying knife to block the lightning, he was just trying his luck, as if he had nothing to lose. He didn't know if it would work.
Fortunately, the throwing knife was very effective, and with this experience, it became much easier.
The saying "everything is difficult at the beginning" applies here.
"My lord. Xiang Yu has successfully fused his soul. Next, I can help you fuse your clone. However, you know how powerful the thundercloud is. I can reduce the pressure on the thundercloud, but the key is that you have to figure out your clone yourself. Why don't you two talk and then decide?"
Hao Jiu already knew from Xiang Yu that the size of the barrier passage that Shou Jun could open was related to his cultivation level. If he could merge with this clone, Shou Jun's strength would definitely increase, which would be of great benefit to merging with Xiang Yu's split soul next.
It should be noted that this time they fused with the Overlord's split soul from the sixth plane, which had spent the longest time cultivating lightning tempering. Other split souls did not have such strong lightning resistance.
"The God of Wine is absolutely right. Those thunderclouds are indeed formidable. If I were to pass through them, the power of the lightning strikes I would receive would only be greater. King Xiang, could you please help me join the two swords together?"
Old Shou didn't know what method the God of Wine used to help Xiang Yu split his soul into thunderclouds, but judging from the residual electricity on Xiang Yu's body during the soul fusion, he knew that the effect wasn't very good, so negotiating with the clone was necessary.
Even without negotiation, the clone had already guessed that there was another version of itself; otherwise, it wouldn't have helped in the first place. Ultimately, it's the clone that understands itself better.
"Of course." As Xiang Yu spoke, he joined the two swords together, so that he would no longer need to possess them.
Not long after, the disheveled old man possessed by the old man spoke again, “God of Wine, this clone is truly wondrous. I have decided not to merge with it for now. Although merging would make the soul extremely powerful, the cultivation speed would be slow. It would be better to cultivate separately as we are now, and then merge with it when we go to a place with abundant spiritual energy with the God of Wine in the future.”
"Huh? So it's not a rush to merge Xiang Yu's divided soul with the sword. It's not bad to let it stay in the sword to cultivate." Hao Jiu thought this was a good idea. At least for the next few years, the other Xiang Yu's divided souls would be safe. Following the old man to temper his soul with lightning in the Emperor's Sword was also a good choice.
The reason why Hao Jiu was in a hurry to have Xiang Yu merge the divided soul of the sixth plane was mainly because he was afraid that the old ghost would be detrimental to Xiang Yu's divided soul. Who knows what the old ghost in the sword was thinking when he tried to assassinate Liu Ji?
It's impossible to rid the people of evil. Judging from the memories of Xiang Yu's divided soul, it seems that the old ghost intentionally took Xiang Yu as his disciple and vented his anger for his disciple. However, Hao Jiu doesn't quite believe it. The old ghost himself doesn't seem to be a kind person.
“What the God of Wine says is absolutely right.” Xiang Yu had no objection to this. After merging with the divided soul of the sixth plane, it could be said that he also had the memories of the other divided souls.
Hao Jiu laughed heartily, "Shou Jun has thought things through clearly. In that case, Xiang Wang and I will not disturb Shou Jun's cultivation any longer, and Xiang Wang will not merge with the other divided souls for the time being."
“Very well. If you two have nothing else to say, I shall take my leave.” Shoujun cupped his hands in greeting.
"Please go ahead," Hao Jiu said with a smile.
"Ah! Ah! Ah!..." The disheveled old man suddenly screamed in terror, his hands digging eight deep, bloody gashes into his face. He rolled around incessantly, and after a while, he managed to get up and rush toward a large rock next to him.
Then.
The expected scene of smashing his head and committing suicide did not occur. Instead, he rubbed his face against the stone back and forth until his flesh was bloody and his white bones were exposed before he stopped!
Hao Jiu grinned. "Won't King Xiang give him a quick death? He's a member of the Xiang family, after all."
Xiang Yu snorted coldly, "This scoundrel is surnamed Liu and is no longer a member of my Xiang clan. He has no shame and wants nothing more!"
Chapter 179 Preparing for the Aftermath
Huilu, the fortified city walls.
"Ouch... hiss, hiss... I'm in pain..." Liu Ji wailed in agony as he lay on the couch. "Old Black, uh, no, Dragon God, save me! I promise I'll never show off again. When I get back to the capital, I'll kill a few of my trusted men as a sacrifice to the Dragon God!"
The black dragon glanced at the black aura emanating from Liu Ji's wound and said, "In that case, I will treat you. But let me make it clear beforehand that I can only alleviate your pain. This wound needs to heal slowly. If you don't heal properly and tear the wound, causing it to worsen, then don't come to me for treatment anymore. Also, you should hurry up and make arrangements for your affairs."
"Rest assured, Dragon God, I will certainly rest well and make arrangements for my affairs as soon as possible." Liu Ji paused slightly at this point, "What do you mean by this, Dragon God? What arrangements are you making?"
"Naturally, you should arrange your own affairs after you die. For example, who will succeed you after your death, who can threaten the Liu family's rule? Kill those who should be killed, and appease those who should be appeased. Don't let your dynasty be as short-lived as Qin and Chu. Of course, if you have no attachment to this world and sacrifice all your descendants, that would be even better." Black Dragon chuckled.
Liu Ji was dumbfounded. "Huh? Grandpa Dragon God, don't scare me! Aren't we bound together? We share the same fate! Can't this injury be healed? I promise to rest well and not touch any women for a month, uh, two months!"
Dragon God, rest assured, I have so many children and grandchildren, sacrificing some is not a bad thing. In any case, I feel that among all my sons, only Ruyi resembles me, while the rest do not, so let them be sacrificed.
Putting everything else aside, simply deposing the crown prince would surely provide the Dragon God with a great deal of fortune. It just so happens that I intend to pass the throne to my son Ruyi, and at the same time, help him eliminate his rivals.”
"Good! Switching princes is a brilliant move! Let me tell you the truth, you can't live forever in this broken world. If you want to live forever, you have to die and come with me to the immortal world. I will find you a young and handsome body to possess. Then we can work together to rule the immortal world, and there will be countless fairies." The black dragon coaxed patiently.
Upon hearing the word "fairy," Liu Ji immediately perked up. "Let's go now! Let's not waste any time!"
"No need to rush. I still need to make some preparations. I'll give you three more months to arrange your affairs. And while you're at it, offer some more sacrifices before you leave this world," the black dragon said disdainfully.
"Ah, I understand, no problem, it's a win-win situation. I'll get on it as soon as I deal with Ying Bu. First, I'll sacrifice Xiao He so he can win people's hearts and covet my empire!" Liu Ji sneered.
"Alright. I'll suppress your pain now. Remember, it's just to suppress the pain; there's no need to cure the injury." After saying that, the black dragon spat out a small yellow pill into Liu Ji's stomach. "How is it? Doesn't it hurt anymore?"
Liu Ji let out a soft "Eh!" "It really doesn't hurt anymore! Hahaha..."
Black Dragon glanced disdainfully at the wound that was about to tear open. "Laugh, or the bleeding will become uncontrollable."
Just then, Fan Kuai walked in from outside, carrying a box.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Wu Chen, the Prince of Changsha, has devised a plan to lure and kill Ying Bu in Fanyang! Ying Bu's head has now been presented to you!"
"Is this true? Bring me the head right now!" Liu Ji exclaimed excitedly.
Fan Kuai opened the box, and inside was indeed the head of Ying Bu, who died with his eyes wide open in disbelief.
"Hehe! Good riddance! You all turned against me one by one, now you're all dead! Hahaha..." Liu Ji laughed incessantly.
Fan Kuai's eyes widened instantly. "Your Majesty! The wound is bleeding! Summon the imperial physician immediately!"
"It's alright! What's a little blood!" Liu Ji thought to himself, "I'm going to the Immortal Realm to possess a body, what's there to be afraid of?"
As for what happens to the Liu family's empire, what does it have to do with me? I've been on the throne for seven or eight years, waging war year after year. I've almost wiped out all the kings of different surnames. There's only Wu Chen left. What big waves can he possibly stir up?
I've already done more than enough by not sacrificing my whole family to the black dragon; you should be secretly happy about it.
Fan Kuai looked Liu Ji up and down, thinking to himself, "Has His Majesty taken the wrong medicine?"
"By my order, the army shall return to the capital immediately. I will arrange for the Empress to properly reward the meritorious soldiers!" Liu Ji thought to himself, "That was close, I almost let it slip."
"Ah? Your Majesty, although Ying Bu has been executed, the rebellion has not been completely quelled. It would be inappropriate to return to the capital at this time."
Fan Kuai thought to himself, "How strange. In the past, when Liu Ji left Chang'an, he would always find various reasons to slow down his journey and avoid returning to the capital. Why has he changed his mind this time? Oh right, His Majesty is injured and can't do anything. No wonder he's in such a hurry to go back."
"Hmm? There are still remnants? Then wait a few more days. Oh, right, immediately send men to exterminate Ying Bu's entire family, wipe out their three clans! Oh, and let the King of Changsha handle this matter. If he dares to let even one escape, I will hold him accountable!"
"Yes." Fan Kuai sighed inwardly, knowing that this matter was inevitable. Just as he was about to turn and leave, Liu Ji called him back.
"Old Fan, go and call Chen Ping and that Lu Jia here." Liu Ji felt increasingly distressed. He was cooped up inside the fortified compound all day and couldn't touch women, so he had to find some amusement. Of course, finding amusement was secondary; his main concern was to make arrangements for his funeral as soon as possible.
Not long after, Chen Ping and Lu Jia came to pay their respects.
"What is Your Majesty's decree?" Chen Ping asked.
"I have an important matter to entrust to you, my dear minister. I hope you will return to Guanzhong as soon as possible to oversee the construction of my imperial mausoleum. The sooner the better, and the more magnificent the better. Ideally, it should be even better than Ying Zheng's mausoleum. What do you think?" Liu Ji said in a low voice.
"Huh? Isn't the imperial mausoleum under construction? As far as I know, it's still a few years away from completion, isn't it?" Chen Ping was slightly taken aback. No wonder Liu Ji was acting so mysteriously and was in such a hurry to finish the imperial mausoleum. Did he think he was about to die?
"Your Majesty is in good health, why do you say that?" Lu Jia looked puzzled. It seemed that His Majesty hadn't damaged his brain in the previous battle.
"Why is Your Majesty in such a hurry to build the imperial mausoleum? It would be better to spend several more years building it so that it can last for eternity." Chen Ping could understand Liu Ji's thoughts to some extent. Indeed, he had been seriously injured this time, and Liu Ji must have been somewhat frightened.
However, building a mausoleum well takes a long time. It is said that the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang took a full thirty-eight years to build. Liu Ji's mausoleum is still not even a fraction of that. And yet they still want to rush the construction and finish it ahead of schedule.
Liu Ji sighed, "We have no choice but to hurry. I know my own body well. This matter is of utmost importance. I hope you will do your utmost, as quickly as possible, the sooner the better..."
Chen Ping interrupted Liu Ji, "Your Majesty! At the current pace of the imperial mausoleum's construction, it will not be completed in the short term. Your Majesty wants it to be fast, grand, and comparable to Mount Li. This is truly difficult for me."
Liu Ji put his hand on Chen Ping's shoulder, "Hey~ Old Chen, don't be nervous, just do your best and finish it within three months."
"Your Majesty! How can three months be enough..." Chen Ping shook his head vigorously, as three months was indeed far too short.
“Sigh~ Don’t say it’s impossible. It’s all about human effort. If we recruit more laborers and craftsmen, we can definitely complete it with the full strength of the country. It just depends on whether you are willing to serve me.” Liu Ji patted Chen Ping’s shoulder heavily.
“Uh, well… Your Majesty, the Han Dynasty has been at war for years, and the people are suffering. We began constructing the imperial mausoleum in the second year after Your Majesty became emperor. In the meantime, we have also built several palaces and countless cities. If we were to conscript a large number of laborers to speed up the construction of the imperial mausoleum, I’m afraid that would be inappropriate, wouldn’t you?” Chen Ping wiped his sweat.
"Hmph! This is my empire, what's wrong with building the imperial mausoleum sooner? What if I pass away before the mausoleum is completed? Do you want me to be buried outside the mausoleum? Do you think that without Xiao He, there is no one else who can do things for me?" Liu Ji flung his sleeves, clearly displeased.
Chen Ping thought to himself, "How could I possibly have Xiao He's abilities? Wait, why doesn't His Majesty use Xiao He?"
hiss……
Could it be...
Chapter 180 Returning Home in Glory
Chen Ping's expression changed slightly. Ying Bu had just died, and now His Majesty had set his sights on Xiao He?
Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger, but this tiger is far too vicious! He can't afford to make any more contributions, or he might be next after Xiao He is dealt with!
Lu Jia, standing to the side, rolled his eyes and said, “Your Majesty, it is indeed inappropriate to conscript a large number of laborers, but Your Majesty has just quelled the rebellion, hasn’t Your Majesty? Why not take this opportunity to capture more prisoners of war to work on the mausoleum, and have a general lead the army to assist Lord Chen in supervising the project? Perhaps we can finish it ahead of schedule.”
"Hey? Old Lu, you've got a good brain! Let's do it this way! Old Chen, what do you have to say now?" Liu Ji said with great joy.
Chen Ping shook his head and smiled wryly, "Your Majesty, prisoners of war alone are not enough. This imperial mausoleum also requires a large number of craftsmen and materials."
"I will immediately issue an edict to summon artisans from across the country to Xianyang to repair the mausoleum. As for materials, aren't there many old palaces in Xianyang? Demolish them all, what use are they? Don't trouble me with such a small matter, you are in full charge, go and do it quickly!" Liu Ji said impatiently.
"Yes." Chen Ping had no choice but to take his leave, as he needed to hurry.
"Your Majesty, if there is nothing else, I shall take my leave," Lu Jia said, bowing.
"Yes, of course. Old Lu, do you think there's any good way to ensure that after I pass away, people will still remember me, admire me, and praise me?" Liu Ji felt that a successful emperor should be remembered by future generations for thousands of years.
Lu Jia's lips twitched violently. "Your Majesty unified the world and became the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty. Naturally, you will be admired and praised by future generations."
"Nonsense! If I could be admired by future generations simply by following the natural course of events, why would I need to ask you? I need a practical and feasible plan!" Liu Ji retorted angrily.
Lu Jia narrowed his eyes. "Your Majesty, I am currently writing a history book called 'The Spring and Autumn Annals of Chu and Han.' If I were to do my utmost to praise Your Majesty in it, I believe many people in later generations would admire Your Majesty after reading it."
"Excellent! But how does my beloved minister intend to sing praises of me? Tell me." Liu Ji became interested.
Lu Jia shook his head, "His Majesty is good at employing people, kind and benevolent, and the whole world submits to him. He is also brave and skilled in battle..."
"Hmm, not bad. When it comes to employing people, if I admit I'm second, no one dares to claim first place. For example, Han Xin, uh, Peng Yue, uh, Ying Bu, uh, Zhang Liang, uh... Xiao He, and oh yes, Chen Ping. I've used them very well." Liu Ji scratched the back of his head. If we're talking about before he became emperor, these people were certainly used well, but after he became emperor, they were basically discarded like dogs after the rabbits were caught.
"That's exactly right," Lu Jia said with a smile, but in his heart he was cursing, "What a load of rubbish! I'm such a talented person, I've made so many great contributions, and I've only been given a minor title of Grand Master of the Palace."
"As for being lenient and benevolent, I grant a general amnesty before every military campaign. When the King of Zhao's subordinates rebelled, I didn't kill the King of Zhao, but only demoted him to a marquis. That's too lenient! Uh, but I'm not lenient at all... Old Lu, what should I do?" Liu Ji felt that he was only really fond of women.
"This is simple, those humble servants just won't write it in the books." Lu Jia smiled slightly, thinking to himself, isn't the King of Zhao your son-in-law? Killing the King of Zhao would just leave your daughter a widow.
Liu Ji nodded and said, "Hmm, that's a good idea, but if we don't write it down, won't my records be quite short? Old Lu, my deeds must be recorded clearly, not a single one can be omitted. After you finish writing it down, show it to me first."