Chương 736: Wherever the sun and moon shine, wherever rivers flow, all is Han territory.

After passing through the Taiji Gate, the scene on the Danchi Square made many young officials gasp. Yellow banners stretched from the palace gate all the way to the Zhuque Gate, and various flags fluttered in the morning wind. The Imperial Guards, fully armored and with their halberds gleaming, stood like nails, not even blinking.

The civil and military officials stood in formation, their crimson court robes spread out like a deep red ocean.

The seasoned veterans stood firm as a mountain, while the younger ones couldn't keep up; their palms were clenched so tightly they were practically leaving marks on their tablets.

The rising sun was slowly emerging from the east, and golden light streamed through the carved windows of the main hall, casting slanting rays onto the golden brick floor and the court robes of the officials.

The hall was eerily quiet; you could hear a pin drop.

The crowd bowed their heads, their hands clasped in front of them, appearing extremely respectful, but in reality, each had their own thoughts: some were reminiscing about the days when they raised their army... some were calculating what kind of title they could get for their merits, and some were simply hungry.

Just then, a shrill shout came from the side of the hall, shattering the silence:

"Foreign Affairs Office!"

The officials below instantly perked up, straightened their backs even more, lowered their heads even further, and even slowed their breathing.

A moment later, steady footsteps came from behind the hall.

It wasn't fast, but every step felt like stepping on people's hearts.

Liu Ce walked out.

He wore a black dragon robe with twelve symbols, the pattern of sun, moon, stars, mountains, dragons and pheasants meticulously embroidered with gold thread on a black background.

A jade hairpin pierced through her crown, its tassels swaying gently and obscuring half her face.

He walked with great steadiness, step by step across the imperial steps, his gaze sweeping over the officials below.

Twenty-one years have passed. From an unknown distant relative of the Han Dynasty in Hejian to the emperor of the Han Dynasty who ruled over a vast territory, fine lines have crept onto the corners of his eyes, but they have not diminished the sharpness in them.

As he glanced at the group of old brothers who had followed him through thick and thin, his heart warmed, but his face remained calm and composed, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

He walked to the dragon throne, turned around, and slowly sat down.

The armrests of the gilded dragon throne are cool to the touch, instantly clearing one's mind.

Liu Ce lightly tapped the armrest twice with his fingertips.

The attendant below the steps stepped forward, took a deep breath, and shouted "Greetings!" at the top of his lungs, his voice as loud and clear as a striking bell.

"The emperor's rise is for the sake of his ruler!"

"Whoosh—" Everyone stood up at the same time, the rustling of their clothes blending together like the wind blowing through an endless wheat field.

Everyone turned to the north in unison, bowed to the throne, and stood in perfect unison, their movements as synchronized as if they were one person. This was a rule they had practiced for over a decade, and not a single mistake could be made.

"bye--!"

As soon as the command was given, everyone in the hall simultaneously bent their knees and knelt down with a "thump," clasping their hands in front of their bodies and pressing their foreheads firmly against the gold bricks, remaining still for a full three breaths.

The kowtow ceremony is complete.

"Long live!"

"Long live!"

"Long live!"

The shouts of hundreds of people exploded at the same time, like thunderclaps from a clear sky, causing dust to fall from the palace beams and the chimes at the corners of the palace to hum, their echoes trembling in the air.

Several elderly officials with white hair in the front row had dust in their eyes, but they didn't dare to raise their hands to rub them. They just closed their eyes and shouted at the top of their lungs until their voices became hoarse.

"prosper--!"

The officials rose and returned to their positions in unison, their movements fluid and graceful, and the hall instantly returned to silence, even quieter than before.

Liu Ce sat on the dragon throne, looking at the sea of heads below. He remained silent for a few seconds before slowly speaking.

His voice wasn't loud, but it had an extremely strong penetrating power; every word clearly reached everyone's ears.

"I am a descendant of the Han dynasty, but I have encountered a chaotic era, with the whole country in turmoil and the ancestral temples in ruins."

In a single sentence, everyone's thoughts were pulled back to the chaotic world of more than twenty years ago.

"At that time, the country was in chaos, the people were suffering, and the might of the Han dynasty was barely hanging on. I, in my humble position, took up my sword and rose up in the prefectures and counties. With the help of the ancestral temples, the strength of my soldiers, and the wisdom of my sages, I quelled the rebellion of the warlords in two years, restored my old capital, rebuilt the Central Plains, and brought peace to the people."

At this point, Liu Ce paused.

Many of the veteran officials below had tears in their eyes.

Back then, it was Your Majesty who led the troops back to pacify the refugees, encourage agriculture and sericulture, and develop water conservancy. In just a few years, the Central Plains recovered its vitality.

At that time, everyone felt that this was an unprecedented achievement in restoring the dynasty, enough to make them famous in history.

But no one expected that it was just the beginning.

"However, I dare not rest for even a moment."

Liu Ce's voice rose a notch, his sharpness radiating from him:

"To the north are the Xianbei and Xiongnu, who have been a constant threat to our borders, repeatedly raiding our territory and harming our people; to the west are the various kingdoms of the Western Regions, whose loyalty is inconsistent and whose Silk Road is disrupted; to the south are the Baiyue tribes, who do not submit to the king's rule; and to the east are the Japanese islanders, who covet our sea frontiers."

These few words describe the mess that was left open and leaky back then.

Every year, wars rage on all sides, causing untold suffering to the border residents.

"I then commanded my generals to lead an army north to Yan and Dai, sweeping away their territories and leaving no royal court on the grasslands. The Xianbei and Xiongnu were annihilated, and the grasslands were all incorporated into my territory. To the west, we crossed the desert, annihilating the thirty-six kingdoms and incorporating the Western Regions into my territory. To the south, we reached Linyi, incorporating the Indochina Peninsula into my territory.

To the east, we crossed the sea, beheading the Japanese islands. The seas were calm, and the Japanese islands were all incorporated into my territory."

With each sentence spoken, the officers below straightened their backs a little more.

The northern campaign against the grasslands was led by Xu Da and Li Jing, who directly destroyed the royal court of the Xiongnu and Xianbei, leaving no tribe on the grasslands that could challenge the Han Dynasty. The western expedition to the Western Regions was led by Xue Rengui and Su Lie, who swept through the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions. In the south, Yue Fei led his troops all the way to Linyi, and the entire Indochina Peninsula was established as a province, prefecture, and county.

In the east, Qi Jiguang crossed the sea to destroy the Japanese pirates, and from then on, the East China Sea was filled with Han Dynasty merchant ships.

These events may sound simple, but each one was built on mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Zhang Fei gripped his scepter, his heart brimming with heroic spirit. If Guan Yu hadn't been there to nudge him with his elbow, he would have shouted out loud on the spot.

"Having pacified the four directions, I personally led the six armies on a westward expedition of ten thousand miles. We crossed the Pamir Mountains and passed through Parthia. Wherever our army advanced, the Kushans were bound and surrendered, Parthia held out their treasures, and Rome trembled in fear, bowing its head in submission."

When the topic of the westward expedition to Rome came up, the atmosphere in the entire hall instantly reached its peak.

This is the first time in history!

Even with Emperor Xiaowu's great talent and ambition, he only managed to reach the foot of the Pamir Mountains, without even touching the edge of the Kushan Empire.

Now Your Majesty has personally led the six armies, crossed the Pamir Mountains, destroyed the Kushan Empire, defeated Parthia, and marched all the way to the gates of Rome.

If someone else said that, they would be bragging.

When Liu Ce said it, no one disagreed.

The map of the territory was hung in the Liangyi Hall, stretching from the Japanese islands in the east to the Atlantic Ocean in the west, from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the South China Sea in the south, all within the territory of the Han Dynasty.

It is no exaggeration to say that "wherever the sun and moon shine, wherever rivers flow, all is Han territory."

"Since the beginning of the Han Dynasty, its power and virtue have never reached such heights! Even Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty could not cross the Pamir Mountains to the west, nor could he bring Rome to its submission. Now, my achievements surpass those of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors and exceed those of all previous emperors. Wherever the sun and moon shine and wherever the rivers flow, all is Han territory; wherever my teachings reach and wherever the wind and rain touch, all are subjects of Han."

The hall was quiet; no one spoke, only heavy breathing could be heard.

The young officials had red eyes and were filled with surging passion.