Chapter 525 267: Supreme (2)

"This is also why, in those years, our Great Zhou accepted their allegiance instead of choosing to eliminate the Northern Noble Families and the Three Sects' Lineage."

"These individuals, although having personal ambitions, are not useless. As long as they are managed properly, they are the cornerstone of royal governance."

"..."

Song Yu's thoughts churned. Although there was a hint of consolation, it successfully persuaded himself.

At this moment, the sound of bells and drums resonated, signaling the time for the court session.

Only then did Song Yu cease speaking and led the crowd into the hall.

In the Jinluan Hall, the ministers assembled in several lines, with three rows in the middle led by Song Yu and the three Kings of the Northern Expedition.

On the imperial platform, one person sat high, wearing a crown and clad in a yellow robe, none other than Ye Jing, the third Sovereign of the Great Zhou.

"Salutations to the Emperor!"

Facing the Emperor, the ministers bowed and paid their respects but did not kneel.

This is the Great Zhou's ritual system: no kneeling. Only bowing is allowed, be it before the Emperor or even the Divine Beings.

"Rise, gentlemen!"

Ye Jing raised his hand, signaling everyone to stand, and then said straightforwardly: "I am old and powerless in state affairs. For the state and the community, I shall abdicate in favor of the virtuous. King Wu, Song Yu, valiant, wise, of noble character, resembling myself, can be the master of the community. Let him ascend the throne and take the imperial position!"

"This...!?"

Upon hearing this, the audience was shocked, and the civil and military officials exchanged glances.

"Your Majesty!"

Finally, it was Song Yu who stepped forward: "How can Song Yu have the virtue and capability to bear such a heavy trust from Your Majesty..."

It was indeed a statement of refusal.

"My decision is made, no need to say more."

Ye Jing waved his hand, displaying rare decisiveness: "King Wu's achievements in the Northern Expedition are unparalleled. Our Great Zhou follows the way of the ancient Saint Kings, practicing the abdication system, viewing the world as a public entity rather than a private possession. You are a sage with achievements in court and virtue over the people and should rightfully inherit the throne without further refusals!"

Hearing this, Song Yu was also moved and paid another bow: "With such a heavy trust from Your Majesty, Song Yu would go to any lengths..."

After a brief moment of polite refusal, he eventually accepted this celestial destiny.

In the grand hall, regarding this situation, many civil servants had a glint of unusual color in their eyes.

"Utterly absurd!"

"The imperial position, the Emperor's power, is transferred so easily?"

"It still requires the ritual of three refusals and three requests, doesn't it?"

"Without even a grand ceremony, this Zhou Dynasty truly acts like barbarians, disregarding ritual law and trampling majesty."

"Such disintegration of rites and music!"

"Though abdication is the system of the ancient Saint Kings, contending for kingship leads to instability, and the virtue of sages is not something ordinary people can dictate. If the foolish follow and scheme for the great position, wouldn't there be endless bloodshed in the future."

"Currently, the three kings are already engaged in overt and covert battles. If not for the Honored Gods suppressing from above, they would likely have already fought to the death."

"The succession of the imperial position should follow ritual law, established through the bloodline's legitimate eldest, so as to prevent ill-will and eliminate the potential for nationwide chaos."

"Heaven and earth have laws, and Yin and Yang have distinctions. How can the Divine Dao overstep the Human Dao?"

"Fortunately, King Wu is sage and wise, a sovereign for the ages. In the future, we will offer loyal advice, and we must overturn these wrongful winds, correct the disorder..."

Many civil servants and renowned scholars were internally agitated.

But regardless, this is the state of affairs, hard to reverse.

In October of the 15th year of Celestial Mandate, Emperor Cheng of Zhou, Ye Jing, proclaimed to the world, abdicating the throne to King Wu, Song Yu, making him the fourth Sovereign of the Great Zhou, at the Celestial Altar in the Northern Capital, where the enthronement ceremony for abdication was held.

In January, the grand ceremony commenced, throughout and beyond the Northern Capital, decorated with lights and festivities, celebrating nationwide.

Civil and military officials, dukes and nobles, along with countless citizens, all gathered at the Celestial Altar to witness the ceremony. Although it wasn't unprecedented, it was undoubtedly a massive congregation of people.

Thus, in the wilderness, within a Daoist Temple.

Ning Bingyun, with her face veiled by a light gauze, still adorned in white like untouched snow, akin to a banished immortal, stood on top of a green mountain, observing the aura of the Northern Capital from afar.

Only to see the northern sky, enveloped in auspicious clouds, where within emerged a flood dragon, with twin horns and four claws, riding the clouds and mist, gathering the Nine States' fortune, about to condense into a Celestial Dragon Pillar reaching the heavens.

This is the manifestation of the soon-to-be True Dragon!

"The True Dragon, the lord of the people!"

"To become a True Dragon and ascend to the supreme position, one must have the overwhelming support of all and the submission of the people of the world."

"The original ruler of the Zhou Dynasty was Emperor Cheng of Zhou, Ye Jing. Although an Emperor, he lacked authority, only gaining the allegiance of the academy faction. However, the hearts of the Southern Lands' populace and the expectations of the masses mostly still reside with the Song Clan."

"After all, the tradition of fathers passing power to sons is an ancient system deeply entrenched in people's minds. Even in these years, when the Zhou Dynasty practiced the system of abdication, it could not completely overturn this concept. In the minds of the people, the true Sovereign of Great Zhou remains the Song Clan, not the Li Clan or Ye Clan."

"If this is so in the Southern Lands, then there's no need to mention the Northern Lands, where Daoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Legalism deeply rooted, are even less pleased with the abdication system, which disrupts order. The main allegiance here is also to Song Yu and the Three Kings of the Northern Expedition, rather than Ye Jing, the Emperor Cheng of Zhou."

"Thus, although Ye Jing was the ruler of the Zhou Dynasty, he never became the True Dragon Venerable. Most of the people's hearts were scattered between the Song Clan and the Three Kings of the Northern Expedition, so his position lacked legitimacy and authority, making it impossible to become a True Dragon."

"But now that Song Yu has ascended, it's entirely different. As the head of the Song Clan, he is naturally the hope of the people. Earlier, during the Northern Expedition, he achieved numerous feats, personally pacifying two of the five Northern States. Now, with Ye Jing's abdication, it represents the Song Clan reclaiming the imperial power, consolidating the hearts of the people and the fate of the world into one."

"Thus, the True Dragon is naturally formed!"

"Boom!!!"

With the last word spoken, a transformation in the heavens and earth was seen.

Above the Northern Capital, a mighty dragon roared, displaying its sharp teeth and claws, stirring the fate of the world and the hearts of the people.

Immediately, various celestial phenomena, in hues of white, blue, red, and purple, akin to rivers converging, flowed into the dragon's body.

Among these, the white aura was most abundant, manifesting symbols of the common folk—men farming, women weaving, peddlers and laborers—all scenes of pastoral beauty and societal harmony.

The blue and red aura followed, transforming into scenes of the court—civil servants, military officials, diligent clerks busy at work, accompanied by poetic aura, the spectacle of examinations gathering scholars, and the appearance of the noble families' management and development.

Lastly, the purple aura transformed into the majestic scene of the court, adorned with high-ranking dukes, frontier officials wielding power.

Surrounding these three auras was a crimson aura, stern and intimidating, filled with scenes of warfare—troops and horses clashing on the battlefield!

The aura of the common people, officials, noble families, power elites, sects, military and martial prowess...

In the world, the aura of the people gathered and transformed into a pure purple aura of supreme nobility, enveloping the sky above the Northern Capital.

"Roar!!!"

Within the purple aura, the dragon roared in what seemed to be a blend of pain and exhilaration, gradually transforming, as a horn re-grew at its top, a reverse scale appearing beneath its chin, and its foot claw transitioning from four to five toes, with a surge of thick purple aura around its body.

This was the transformation of the mighty dragon, achieving the embodiment of a True Dragon.

The True Dragon roared, shaking the heavens and earth, gathering the fate of the Nine States and the reverence of the people, condensing that purple aura into a pillar-like formation, reaching through heaven and earth, suppressing all directions.

The True Dragon was accomplished, coiling around the Celestial Pillar!

At the same time, atop the Celestial Altar, having just completed the altar ceremony and successfully enthroned as Emperor, Song Yu felt a chill in his heart, experiencing an inexplicable sensation.

"The ceremony is complete!"

"Hail the new Emperor!"

And below, civil and military officials also experienced unusual feelings, sensing the person on the altar as if a True Dragon had descended upon the world, exuding supreme majesty, making them involuntarily submit. Even though kneeling rituals were banned in the Zhou Dynasty, many could not resist and knelt, performing grand rites of homage.

"Long live the Emperor!"

Some knelt, some cried out, performing the forbidden ritual of kneeling, and shouting the ancient words of longevity, with most being ministers from the Northern Lands, but also quite a few Southern Ministers, and even members of the Song Clan.

"This..."

Although some felt uneasy and frowned upon the situation, facing the awe-inspiring majesty of the Emperor, they dared not speak out, could only grit their teeth and refrain from bowing, merely bending at the waist.

The Grand Ceremony to Heaven and the enthronement ritual revealed such peculiar signs, with most civil and military officials kneeling, a few bowing, disparate and irregular, with an inexplicable atmosphere.

On the Celestial Altar, Song Yu turned, gazing through the imperial crown's twelve strands at the ministers below, especially those who did not kneel, a flicker of coldness crossed his eyes, soon returning to normal, and he made a gesture of lifting them up: "Please rise, dukes!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"..."

The True Dragon was accomplished, its claws and fangs initially revealed.

Within the Daoist Temple, atop the Green Mountain.

Ning Bingyun stood alone, watching the True Dragon coiling around the Celestial Pillar, murmuring softly.

"The True Dragon has become!"

"The founding True Dragon, a supreme being, even a First-class Great God should retreat three paces, will no longer endure humiliation in silence, allowing others to overtake them."

"Next, the temperament of the Dragon Qi will surely manifest, cultivating a heart of unrivaled sovereignty in the True Dragon, directly influencing Song Yu's conduct."

"Not only himself but also affecting others, not just the ministers from the Northern Lands who pledge allegiance, but even the people from the Southern Lands, and the members of the Song Clan, will be intimidated by him, unconsciously leaning towards this newly risen Emperor, rallying and gathering around the True Dragon!"

"Now that it's reached this stage, shouldn't there be some action forthcoming?"