novelraw Chapter 126 : The Ruler of All Nine Provinces (Final Chapter)
Chapter 126 : The Ruler of All Nine Provinces (Final Chapter)
Chapter 126: The Ruler of All Nine Provinces (Final Chapter)
Before the Zhengyang Tower, a wave of uproar and astonishment spread across the gathered court. The many officials who finally came back to their senses wore expressions of disbelief.
The Demon Suppression King had rebelled, and by reason, Shen Yanzhou—the false heir raised in the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion—should have been imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison as well.
Yet somehow, he had already left the Imperial Capital beforehand and appeared at the Ten-Thousand-Mile Sword Court in the Northern Desert Prefecture.
And now, on such an occasion, he appeared at the Empress’s birthday celebration and even spoke out to stop the proceedings. What could he possibly intend?
The Empress Cui Jingyi was the first to react. When her gaze landed on Shen Yanzhou’s face—so familiar—it left her momentarily flustered, a vague unease rising within her heart. How could there be someone who looked so alike?
Shen Yanzhou—was he not the false heir created by the Demon Suppression King? Why, then, did he resemble that woman so much?
Could it be…
All of a sudden, a wild and inconceivable thought emerged in Cui Jingyi’s mind.
“Guards! Quickly, seize this man and lock him up!” Cui Jingyi shouted abruptly, her voice sharp and high.
She remembered the death of Qing Shu, the inheritor of the Falling Immortal Sect. Back then, Xia De thought he had hidden everything perfectly, not knowing that every detail had long been under her spies’ watchful eyes.
She wanted Xia De to understand—resisting the will of the Cui Clan of Hejian was impossible. Any means he used would be in vain.
He could only obediently become the Cui Clan’s puppet.
And in the end, watch helplessly as the woman he loved most died slowly before his eyes.
“Shen Yanzhou, what do you think you’re doing? Are you here to assassinate someone?”
The Crown Prince Xia Chongming also shouted furiously, ordering the Chilin Guards responsible for maintaining order to seize Shen Yanzhou.
“On the day of the Empress’s birthday, I came bearing a gift. Is that a problem?”
Shen Yanzhou smiled faintly. With a casual wave of his hand, the Chilin Guards rushing toward him were flung away like torn sacks, crashing to the ground and unable to stand for quite some time.
“Impudent! You are just like Shen Jingxiao—harboring treacherous intent and plotting rebellion!” Xia Chongming shouted again, enraged that Shen Yanzhou truly dared to resist.
“Silence.”
Shen Yanzhou glanced at him, extending a finger. Xia Chongming instantly felt as if struck by a mountain weighing billions of catties; his entire body was about to be hurled backward.
Fortunately, in that instant, a golden light flared across his body as a protective inner armor revived to shield him. Yet the next moment, a cracking sound followed—
the armor shattered completely into dust.
“You—”
Xia Chongming’s chest felt as if it had collapsed inward, suffocating him. The nearby guards and eunuchs rushed forward to shield him.
Even Empress Cui Jingyi was taken aback.
The ministers and guests beneath the Zhengyang Tower were equally stunned—none expected such a scene. Were they about to witness Shen Yanzhou usurp the throne by killing the emperor?
Some civil and military officials, faces filled with worry, were already preparing to act.
Only the envoys and foreign guests remained calm, wearing the same look of amused curiosity.
Throughout it all, Emperor Mingde appeared utterly tranquil, as if none of this concerned him.
“Your Majesty, does the Empress still remember this object?”
Ignoring the varied expressions around him, Shen Yanzhou turned toward Cui Jingyi. Seven-colored radiance swirled in his palm, revealing a monastic robe imbued with Buddhist aura.
Cui Jingyi’s expression instantly darkened.
Of course she recognized it—it was the Seven-colored Monastic Robe she had once ordered the finest craftsmen and Buddhist masters to create, woven from the flesh and blood of the Winged Clan. Unfortunately, it was later lost.
Through her investigations, she had discovered that it must have been stolen by Qing Shu, the inheritor of the Falling Immortal Sect, who had infiltrated the Imperial City.
The Winged Clan, long thought extinct, still had a surviving bloodline—and that very bloodline had become the inheritor of the Falling Immortal Sect.
“So what if I remember?” Cui Jingyi said coldly.
“Then you should understand why I have come today,” Shen Yanzhou said calmly.
He raised his hand, and from his wide sleeve, a disheveled figure was flung onto the ground.
“Yangming—” Cui Jingyi’s pupils shrank, her face turning icy. That battered figure was none other than Cui Yangming, who had been abducted outside the Cui Clan’s ancestral grounds.
He had fallen into Shen Yanzhou’s hands.
The gathered elders of the Cui Clan were equally shocked and furious.
“If you have a grudge, come at me! Release Yangming!”
Cui Jingyi forced herself to remain calm, her delicate hands clenched tight.
At that moment, Imperial Uncle Cui Zhenghong also stepped forward, his voice cold: “So it was you who captured Yangming outside our clan grounds?”
“He seems more precious to you than even the Crown Prince,” Shen Yanzhou said lightly, ignoring Cui Zhenghong. His hand suddenly clamped around Cui Yangming’s throat. With a mere squeeze, he could have crushed it.
“Stop!” Cui Jingyi’s face turned pale.
But Shen Yanzhou paid her no heed. With a crack and a dull bang, his palm erupted with immense force, and before everyone’s eyes, the Cui Clan’s Qilin Son exploded into a cloud of blood mist.
“Yangming—”
Everything happened too quickly. By the time Cui Jingyi reacted, only a drifting red mist remained before her. Her vision darkened; blood welled up in her chest, and she nearly fainted.
“How dare you!”
Cui Zhenghong’s fury was mixed with disbelief; he nearly collapsed where he stood. Shen Yanzhou had killed his son before his very eyes.
The remaining Cui Clan experts and elders went mad, unleashing all manner of artifacts and attacks toward Shen Yanzhou.
“Brother and sister in forbidden union, plotting to seize the throne… The Cui Clan truly has great ambition.”
Unhurried, Shen Yanzhou drew out a clean embroidered handkerchief and wiped his palm, though not a drop of blood had touched him.
As he looked at the approaching Cui Clan experts, he merely lifted his wrist and pressed downward. The auras of both Martial and Daoist First Rank emanated without concealment.
With a thunderous boom, it was as though lightning burst within the heavens; the entire sky above the empire darkened.
That single palm blotted out the heavens—a world-shaking strike. Before it, the Cui Clan experts had no power to resist.
As Shen Yanzhou attacked, Emperor Mingde shed his earlier pretense of frailty. His face regained calm composure as streams of dragon qi surged from his body. The aura of imperial dragon power surrounded him, drawing upon the dragon qi of the entire Imperial City.
“You didn’t drink that poison?”
Cui Jingyi’s disbelief trembled in her eyes. She had clearly seen Emperor Mingde drink it—the deadly concoction painstakingly brewed by the Cui Clan to corrode his dragon qi and destroy his foundation, creating the illusion of a fatal illness.
“What do you think?”
Emperor Mingde’s tone was faint. He turned toward the equally stunned Xia Chongming, a trace of weary pity in his gaze. Then, personally, he moved to deal with this “bastard son” the Cui Clan had groomed for years.
“Father, spare me—!”
Xia Chongming screamed, attempting to flee down the Zhengyang Tower.
But how could he escape the Emperor’s grasp? With a mere motion, Emperor Mingde captured him. The crown of the Crown Prince tumbled to the ground.
“Chilin Guards—!”
“Bureau of Heavenly Surveillance—!”
“Dragon Guards—!”
Emperor Mingde’s roar resounded.
The entire dynasty stirred. The great purging truly began in earnest.
Chaos erupted; what had begun as a joyful celebration turned into the Cui Clan’s day of doom. Blood splattered across the tiles, dyeing the ground crimson.
Officials and guests trembled as they watched—none had imagined events would twist so rapidly into this outcome.
The Cui Clan of Hejian, deep in heritage, had dispatched many elders and even wielded several ancestral artifacts. Yet faced with Emperor Mingde’s countermeasures and Shen Yanzhou’s assistance, they were powerless.
Empress Cui Jingyi sat blankly atop the high pavilion, her former grace completely gone.
Amid the chaos, Imperial Uncle Cui Zhenghong attempted to flee, but Shen Yanzhou had already marked him—he was slain midair.
All officials who had participated in the treacherous plot were executed as Emperor Mingde possessed irrefutable evidence.
The envoys and guests from various Daoist and sectarian factions looked on, witnesses to yet another grand spectacle.
The purge lasted three full days. Emperor Mingde sealed the Imperial Capital with imperial dragon qi, allowing not a single member of the Cui Clan to escape.
And as the bloodbath began, the Beiyu Army stationed in the Northern Desert Prefecture marched south, seizing the chance to attack the Cui Clan’s ancestral lands while they were weakened.
The Cui Clan of Hejian displayed terrifying reserves of strength, fielding an army composed of grandmasters of martial arts who, relying on their ancestral formations, actually held back the mighty Beiyu Army.
Fortunately, in the end, the Beiyu Empress did not disappoint Shen Yanzhou.
After days of brutal warfare, the Cui Clan’s ancestral lands were finally broken through.
After the great purge ended, the political landscape of the Imperial Court underwent a complete transformation.
The great aristocratic families and clans—headed by the Cui Clan of Hejian—were all purged, paying a heavy price. One by one, the countless crimes committed by the Cui Clan over the years were laid bare before the world.
Emperor Mingde revealed the truth of all the years he had spent in concealment and publicly announced the sins of the Cui Clan of Hejian.
For a time, everyone cried out against the Cui Clan, and all factions denounced them.
Taking this opportunity, Emperor Mingde recognized Shen Yanzhou as his son. The royal bloodline was verified by the ancestral shrine of the imperial tombs, shocking the Imperial Capital once again.
Even the Demon Suppression King, who was leading the Northern Expedition against the capital, was deeply shaken.
He had never imagined that Shen Yanzhou would turn out to be the child of Emperor Mingde and Fairy Qing Shu.
All these years—had he been deceived completely?
The purge in the Imperial Capital came to an end, but the Northern Expedition Army led by the Demon Suppression King still posed a major threat.
Shen Yanzhou told Emperor Mingde not to worry.
During this time, Princess Consort Yu Chenyu appeared in the capital and revealed that she had long been lurking in the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion to gather evidence of the Demon Suppression King’s treasonous collusion with foreign powers. In truth, Shen Tian was not his biological son.
When Shen Jingxiao learned this, it was as though ten thousand thunderbolts struck him—he could not believe his ears.
Playing the benevolent man for once, Shen Yanzhou sent over the true Shen Tian. Without the special qualities of the puppet’s body, Shen Jingxiao would naturally understand whether Shen Tian was truly his son.
As expected, Shen Jingxiao was utterly enraged and maddened. After all the effort and years he had devoted to raising Shen Tian, he discovered that Yu Chenyu had played him for a fool.
Even if he seized the throne—he would have no heir!
To Shen Jingxiao, that was a fatal blow.
The long years of accumulated inner injuries and resentment instantly consumed him.
Losing his will and composure, the morale of the Demon Suppression Army quickly crumbled. With the Cui Clan of Hejian now fallen and Emperor Mingde’s authority restored, the Emperor’s rule was once again legitimate and unshakable.
The Demon Suppression King, who had raised the banner of “cleansing the emperor’s court,” thus lost his righteous cause.
The 300,000-strong Demon Suppression Army, which had guarded the Southern Border for years, was largely composed of loyal and patriotic men.
Once the banner of righteousness fell, many within the ranks came to realize that the Demon Suppression King’s campaign was nothing more than an act of treason.
Instability spread within the army; many generals turned against the Demon Suppression King, rallying under the cry to purge him.
The situation reversed dramatically. The Demon Suppression King was forced to abandon his northern campaign and flee south with a band of his most loyal death soldiers.
Meanwhile, as he fled southward, the hidden immortal sects led by Luofu Cloud Cavern had long dispatched their experts into the Ten-Thousand Mountains to intercept him. A fierce and grueling battle ensued.
Of the three thousand death soldiers the Demon Suppression King brought, nearly all perished. Of the Four Fiends, Kui, Jiao, and Zheng all died in battle.
Only Ran Yi survived her capture—thanks to Shen Yanzhou’s prior arrangements to spare her life.
As for the Demon Suppression King himself, unwilling to accept defeat, he forcibly attempted to break through to a higher realm, but suffered backlash. Surrounded and overwhelmed by the hidden sects of the Southern Border, he was captured and escorted back toward the capital.
——
A month later.
The Beiyu Army withdrew from the Northern Desert Prefecture, the invading demon beasts were expelled, and the hidden sects of the Southern Border retreated once more into the Ten-Thousand Mountains. Each sect sent representatives to aid the Great Qian Dynasty in repairing Yao Pass and fortifying defenses against the Foreign Demon Kingdom.
Within the palace, Emperor Mingde formally appointed Shen Yanzhou as Crown Prince. He enacted sweeping reforms—revamping the civil and martial examinations, suppressing the great noble clans, and restructuring the empire’s institutions.
The Beiyu Empire and the Great Qian Dynasty signed a pact at the Si River of the Northern Desert Prefecture, reaffirming the balance of Heavenly Order.
——
Half a year later.
The Nine Provinces had returned to peace and order. The human realm’s fortune flourished, the lands were prosperous, and all four seas were tranquil.
Since ancient times, the landscapes south of the Yangtze had always been charming. Beyond Wu Prefecture, past the Desolate Forest, lay the southern territories—willows swaying in the spring breeze, blue stones and green tiles glistening in the misty drizzle. Black-topped boats drifted leisurely upon the calm river, their oars sending ripples across the surface.
A young girl with a high ponytail, sword in her arms, squatted at the bow of the boat, playfully stirring the surface of the water with the tassel of her sword, teasing the fish that darted beneath.
Inside the cabin, a specially made copper hotpot simmered with steam, while a small red clay stove warmed wine beside an array of fresh ingredients.
“‘The spring waters mirror the sky, the painted boat sleeps amidst the rain…’” Shen Yanzhou leaned comfortably against a soft and ample bosom, gazing at the poetic scenery outside, letting out a faint sigh.
Freed from all burdens and threats, he could finally relax and immerse himself in this world—wandering the lands and savoring life.
Half a year earlier, the Demon Suppression King, Shen Jingxiao, had taken his own life while being escorted back to the capital.
Proud and arrogant, he could not accept defeat.
Before his death, Shen Jingxiao had tried to activate the death curse bound to Ran Yi, hoping to drag Shen Yanzhou down with him.
Unfortunately for him, Shen Yanzhou had by then become the world’s sole transcendent—beyond the First Rank.
The overwhelming torrent of negative emotions born from the Cui Clan’s annihilation had propelled him through the final bottleneck.
With his Transcendent strength, he easily dissolved the death curse within Ran Yi’s body.
Shen Jingxiao, realizing all revenge was futile, died with hatred in his heart—ironically granting Shen Yanzhou another surge of power through his resentment.
——
Around that time, Shen Yanzhou’s so-called “cheap master” from the Daoist path came to find him. She met him once, then left, saying that with his current strength, she was no longer qualified to be his master.
From her, Shen Yanzhou learned that the Cold Crow which once appeared at the Duke’s Residence was actually the spiritual beast of her senior brother.
As for the reason—it all stemmed from a supposed prophecy.
But now that the human realm’s fortune prospered and order had been restored, everything had turned contrary to that so-called foretelling.
As one who had mastered both Martial and Daoist First Rank, Shen Yanzhou had no concerns left in his heart.
“You never struck me as someone who could compose poetry.”
Yu Chenyu stirred the tender beef slices in the pot with her chopsticks.
At first, she had dismissed Shen Yanzhou’s “hotpot invention” as trivial. But after tasting a few pieces, she understood its unrivaled flavor—far beyond roasted meat.
After the Beiyu–Qian alliance was sealed by the Si River, her mission was complete. So she simply followed Shen Yanzhou on his travels across the land.
Unfortunately, there was another thoughtless person who insisted on tagging along.
“Hehe, there’s still plenty you haven’t discovered about me.”
Shen Yanzhou chuckled, shifting into a more comfortable position in Ran Yi’s embrace.
Yu Chenyu ignored him. Watching the beef slices cook, she tried the dipping sauce she had devised herself—tasting it with satisfaction.
Shen Yanzhou also picked up a pair of chopsticks and began to eat.
After a few bites, the Transmission Jade Talisman in his arms suddenly flickered with light.
Seeing this, Shen Yanzhou sighed, rubbed his forehead, then reluctantly picked it up.
From the other side came Emperor Mingde’s calm and warm voice: “Zhou’er, when do you plan to return to the capital?”
“Let’s talk about it in another half a year.”
Shen Yanzhou replied.
“Mm, that will do. I am old now, and it is time I truly retired to the background. The title of the Ruler of All Nine Provinces should now pass to you.”
“Also, the Gu Family has been urging me. Since you promised Gu Chengyun, you should take his granddaughter as a concubine at a proper time.”
“Wu Ruyue of the Wu Family is also a fine choice.”
“Though the Southern Border has stabilized, the court must still maintain control. The Saintess of Luofu Cloud Cavern has close ties with you—consider taking her into your harem as well.”
“The royal bloodline has grown thin. The duty of passing it on falls to you now…”
Hearing this, Shen Yanzhou was speechless.
Indeed, when life grew peaceful, even Emperor Mingde’s thoughts turned toward grandchildren.
Yu Chenyu, stirring the beef beside him, couldn’t help glancing at him with amusement, clearly enjoying his discomfort.
Shen Yanzhou said nothing.
After a brief pause, Emperor Mingde’s voice came again:
“If you wish to take Yu Chenyu as your consort, I can make the arrangements. Though her reputation may be controversial—after all, she was once your adoptive mother—if you truly like her…”
At those words, Yu Chenyu, who had been in a good mood, froze. Her gaze turned icy as she glared at Shen Yanzhou—the hotpot no longer seemed appetizing.
Shen Yanzhou grinned. “Father, that’s actually a fine suggestion…”
But before he could finish, Yu Chenyu snatched the jade talisman and crushed the connection.
“What are you doing?” Shen Yanzhou said helplessly.
“You’re shameless!” Yu Chenyu glared at him.
Shen Yanzhou shrugged. “I didn’t say anything. You’re the one who followed me.”
In the next six months, he still had to travel to Fanzhou to retrieve his mother’s coffin and bury it in the imperial tombs.
He also had to fulfill his promise to Lin Qingcang—to let him reincarnate and live another life.
——
Half a year later, Shen Yanzhou returned to the Imperial Capital. Emperor Mingde peacefully abdicated, marking the end of the Mingde Era and the beginning of the Shengde Era.
Shen Yanzhou ascended the throne as the Sage and Majestic Emperor, unifying all under heaven and ruling the Nine Provinces.
On the day of his ascension, he conferred the title of Empress upon Yu Chenyu.
Later, Tantai Yuxian of the Ten-Thousand-Mile Sword Court entered the palace as Consort Jian.
A month afterward, he also married Gu Ruoxi, the legitimate daughter of the Gu Family under the Bureau of Immortal Inspection, and Wu Ruyue of the Wu Family—bestowing upon them the titles of Noble Consort Xi and Noble Consort Wu.
Three months later, demon beasts once again invaded from the Southern Border. The Foreign Demon Kingdom rioted, and the hidden sects of the Ten-Thousand Mountains—fearing the rampage—sent Fu Yuying into the palace, seeking the Great Qian Dynasty’s protection.
Half a year later, Beiyu sent envoys to strengthen their alliance, presenting Princess Ji Ningyun as a political bride.
Standing in the Sacred Majesty Hall, Shen Yanzhou gazed upon his boundless realm and the many consorts in his harem, his heart filled with quiet reflection.
In the beginning, he had merely been a false heir.
Who would have thought that one day, he would become the Ruler of All Nine Provinces?