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World's First Traitor System (307)
🕑 Added 2024-09-29 17:00:04 +0000 UTCChapter 307 - Rebirth
Two bodies floated in mid-air.
One old, one young.
One dead, one alive.
Zhang Juzheng retrieved a talisman and tossed it into the sky. He wasn’t a talisman cultivator, unskilled in their use. But this talisman was created by the Great Ming’s Imperial Astrologer, Lan Daoxing. It was no ordinary artifact.
The talisman drifted upwards, dissolving into nothingness. The next moment, massive crimson word appeared in the sky, spanning several acres:
Merge!
Zhang Juzheng narrowed his eyes. Could this talisman merge two bodies separated by ten thousand years?
Lan Daoxing, the Imperial Astrologer. Such a mysterious man. He had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, but Emperor Jiajing had immediately appointed him to a high position.
For years, the Astrologer had remained neutral in the Great Ming’s factional struggles. But at this crucial moment, he had chosen to support Crown Prince Wanli!
What was the true purpose of this merging talisman?
Zhang Juzheng held his breath and observed intently.
Suddenly, King Jie’s corpse began to tremble violently, as if it were about to rise from the dead!
Thump!
A muffled sound echoed through the air. The reanimation Zhang Juzheng had feared didn’t occur.
The corpse… had dissolved!
It transformed into dust, scattering in the wind.
Zhang Juzheng stared in disbelief. What had happened? Had the Imperial Astrologer made a mistake?
Only Crown Prince Wanli’s gravely injured body remained, floating precariously in mid-air.
“I traveled a thousand miles, only to fail in saving the Crown Prince? What should I do?”
The crimson word, “Merge,” still loomed in the sky. Their bold strokes now seemed a cruel mockery.
Thump!
Another muffled sound.
Zhang Juzheng looked up in horror. A scene he could never accept unfolded before his eyes.
Crown Prince Wanli’s body, like King Jie’s corpse, dissolved into dust.
“No! My Crown Prince!”
Zhang Juzheng cried out, tears and blood streaming down his face.
“Lan Daoxing has betrayed me!!!”
At that moment, only one thought remained in Zhang Juzheng’s mind: Lan Daoxing was a member of the Yan faction!
He had been deceived. Xu Jie had been deceived. Even Emperor Jiajing had been deceived.
The Yan faction had always supported Prince Jing as the rightful heir to the throne. They were eagerly anticipating Crown Prince Wanli’s demise.
It seemed Lan Daoxing was their secret weapon, a hidden blade finally revealed.
Today, he had struck, destroying any chance of Wanli’s recovery!
“Aaaaah!!!”
Zhang Juzheng screamed in anguish, wishing he could return to the capital immediately and take Lan Daoxing's head.
A layer of dust appeared in the sky.
Zhang Juzheng watched, his heart filled with sorrow. This was all that remained of Wanli’s past and present lives. They dissipated into the air like lost souls.
But then, a change occurred.
The dust began to gather, resembling sand being molded into clay. Gradually, it took the shape of a human figure.
Zhang Juzheng stared in astonishment. Even with his vast experience and knowledge, he had never witnessed such a wondrous sight!
A crimson beam of light, emanating from the massive “Merge” in the sky, enveloped the figure.
He suspected that he was witnessing the legendary Dao of Creation!
Flesh and blood, bones and sinews, skin and hair. From mere dust, a human body was being formed!
“Zhang Juzheng, you have worked hard.”
As a familiar voice echoed through the air, the figure was complete.
His appearance, his age, even his features, were identical to Crown Prince Wanli’s.
The only difference was his attire. He wore the robes of an Emperor. But upon closer inspection, these robes weren't those of the Great Ming Dynasty.
“The dragon robes of the Xia Dynasty?!”
Zhang Juzheng’s extensive reading included a rare and ancient text that depicted the attire of the Xia Emperors. They were strikingly similar to what the figure was wearing!
“Crown Prince, are… are you healed?” Zhang Juzheng asked hesitantly.
Crown Prince Wanli opened his eyes. They were bright and clear, filled with spiritual energy, a sign of his excellent condition.
“Zhang Juzheng.”
“This subject is here.”
Sensing the change in Wanli’s voice, its new seriousness, Zhang Juzheng immediately adopted a more respectful demeanor.
“From now on, unless we are in the presence of Emperor Jiajing, you will not address me as ‘Crown Prince.’”
Zhang Juzheng was shocked. Such disrespect! But he was overwhelmed by Wanli’s presence, his aura, his very being. He could only ask, “Then… how should this subject address you?”
“As Emperor, of course.”
Wanli’s answer, although unexpected, also seemed inevitable. He looked down at Zhang Juzheng with an immense, almost suffocating pressure.
“Am I not worthy of ruling the world?”
Thud!
Zhang Juzheng was speechless. He could only kneel in submission.
At that moment, Crown Prince Wanli smiled.
“Rise, my esteemed official.”
Zhang Juzheng rose, but he couldn’t stand straight. He bowed deeply, resembling a shrimp, his posture as humble and subservient as possible.
Once, he had been Wanli’s teacher, his savior. He could instruct Wanli, even reprimand him. But from this day forward, all that was gone. There was only the subject, Zhang Juzheng, and the Emperor, Wanli.
“Your Majesty, this subject dares to ask a question.”
Zhang Juzheng couldn’t contain his curiosity.
“You have rendered meritorious service in saving me. Speak freely.” Wanli said with a smile.
“How… how did you…”
Return from death?
Those words, Zhang Juzheng couldn’t bring himself to utter. He struggled to find a more appropriate way to phrase his question.
“Hehehe…”
Wanli laughed. It was a sound filled with triumph and pride.
“Zhang Juzheng.”
“This subject is here.”
“You know that I am the reincarnation of King Jie. Then you must also know who my ancestor was. Note that I am referring to my ancestor from my previous life, not those beggars who claim the surname Zhu.”
Zhang Juzheng swallowed, choosing to ignore the disrespectful comment about the imperial clan.
“Your Majesty’s ancestor… is Emperor Yu.”
Wanli smiled faintly.
“And who came before Emperor Yu?”
Zhang Juzheng answered immediately, reciting from memory.
“Emperor Yu’s father was Gun. Gun was the son of Zhuanxu.
Chuangyi was the father of Zhuanxu. Huangdi was the father of Chuangyi.
Shaodian was the father of Huangdi. Fuxi was the father of Shaodian…”
He stopped.
Fuxi?
A sage from ancient times. What did he have to do with Wanli’s resurrection?
Suddenly, Zhang Juzheng thought of another individual, a figure closely related to Fuxi.
Nüwa!
He swallowed hard, looking up cautiously. He met Wanli’s playful gaze.
“Legend has it… that Nüwa molded humans from clay…”
Legends were often inaccurate. Perhaps humans weren't created by Nüwa. But her ability to mold clay… perhaps it was a lost divine ability.
“Fuxi and Nüwa resided on Mount Kunlun. They were husband and wife. I am descended from their lineage.”
“The ‘Molding Humans from Clay’ divine ability, passed down through seventeen generations of Xia emperors, has finally reawakened within me. Compared to Nüwa’s divine power, the Zhu family’s ‘Sun and Moon Scripture’ is nothing!”
Zhang Juzheng lowered his head. Every word Wanli uttered was practically treason. But he was the rightful heir to the Great Ming throne. What could Zhang Juzheng do?
“I believe there are individuals within the Great Ming who are plotting to usurp my position as Crown Prince?”
“Yes!”
Zhang Juzheng’s spirits lifted. Finally, they were discussing a matter of true importance, a matter he cared deeply about.
“Yan Song?”
“Indeed!” Zhang Juzheng nodded repeatedly. “Because Junior Grand Secretary Xu Jie supports you, the Yan faction has chosen to support Prince Jing. Especially recently, Prince Jing’s popularity has soared.”
His words were carefully chosen.
Prince Jing wasn’t a particularly talented or capable individual. Even among the members of the Zhu imperial clan, he was considered mediocre.
But it was because of his mediocrity that the Yan faction supported him. He would be a puppet ruler, easily controlled.
Moreover, Wanli’s recent failures at Mount Yunmeng and Yunzhou City had severely damaged his reputation.
Thus, the incompetent Prince Jing had acquired an image of wisdom, stability, and experience.
“Then we shall kill them all,” Wanli declared.
Zhang Juzheng almost fainted!
What?!
Wanli was impulsive and reckless, that was understandable. But he had now merged with his past life. Why hadn’t he learned anything?
Was this the extent of King Jie’s wisdom?
“Your Majesty, you cannot! The Yan faction is deeply entrenched within the court. Their influence is vast. It will not be easy to eradicate them.
My teacher, Junior Grand Secretary Xu Jie, suggests that we wait. Yan Song is old. He has at most twenty years left to live. Once he dies, the Yan faction will be leaderless.
Then, Your Majesty can take decisive action. You will be able to eliminate your enemies and secure your position on the throne!”
Zhang Juzheng explained Xu Jie’s plan in a single breath. He looked at Wanli hopefully. Twenty years, to a cultivator, wasn’t a long time.
Especially for Wanli, who was so young. He had hundreds of years ahead of him. There was no need to rush.
But Wanli shook his head.
His refusal made Zhang Juzheng’s heart sink.
“Zhang Juzheng, how much longer can you live?”
“Ah…”
Zhang Juzheng was taken aback. At Mount Yunmeng, he had sacrificed a century of his lifespan to save Wanli.
But in terms of remaining years, he was indeed similar to Yan Song. They were both old men, their graves already half dug.
“This subject… I can still endure,” Zhang Juzheng said with difficulty.
He didn’t want to die. His only hope was that Emperor Jiajing would achieve national ascension, taking him into the immortal realm. Only then could he escape the limitations of a mortal’s lifespan.
“You cannot afford to wait.”
Wanli shook his head.
“Therefore, Yan Song must die. When Yan Song dies, the Yan faction will be destroyed. Then, the officials of the Great Ming will be united.
And they will urge Emperor Jiajing to lead a military campaign, to conquer the surrounding nations, and achieve national ascension.”
Zhang Juzheng was stunned. He hadn’t expected Wanli to utter those words.
Urge Emperor Jiajing to lead a military campaign?
Wasn’t that treason?
“You haven't noticed,” Wanli said. “Only Lan Daoxing understands. Emperor Jiajing desires immortality, not the immortal realm.”
“Impossible!”
Zhang Juzheng stared in disbelief. Since his ascension to the throne, Emperor Jiajing had repeatedly spoken of national ascension.
The millions of Great Ming citizens, they had nourished Emperor Jiajing with the wealth of the nation, making him the strongest in the world.
They all hoped that one day, the Emperor would achieve national ascension, taking them with him to the immortal realm. It was their only hope!
If Emperor Jiajing didn't intend to achieve immortality, how could he deceive the entire Great Ming?
“It’s true,” Wanli sneered. “Have you forgotten what lies in the heavens?”
What lies in the heavens?
Zhang Juzheng was puzzled. Then, he understood.
What else could it be?
Their ancestors.
The Great Ancestor had ascended to the immortal realm. If he hadn’t perished, surely he was now a powerful figure in that world.
If Emperor Jiajing ascended, would he establish his own faction, or would he submit to his ancestor’s rule?
Crown Princes yearned to become Emperors. But surely an Emperor wouldn’t want to become a Crown Prince once more.
Wanli pointed towards the sky and said sarcastically, “In the Great Ming Dynasty… our ancestors watch over us…”
