In the third year of the Gengshi era, Liu Xiu was ordered to pacify the various commanderies and counties of Hebei. The Red Talisman of Prophecy was finally presented to him, and his officials urged him to ascend.
Combined with the fact that Liu Xuan was performing poorly as emperor, Liu Xiu took the throne at the Qianqiu Pavilion in Haocheng. He changed the era name to Jianwu and established the Great Han.
While the world fought to the death and the air was filled with noisy disputes, Shaodian Qingnu stayed briefly in Chang'an. From time to time, she would drop by the High Temple to tell the old rogue exactly how much his descendants loved each other. However, she suspected that even if the old rogue knew of these matters, he probably wouldn't say much.
At most, he would sigh and marvel at how incredible he was to have such descendants!
On this day, as Shaodian Qingnu was speaking, she saw a large contingent of people and horses approaching in a dark swarm.
With a flash, she flipped onto a crossbeam and shouted, "Monkey, hide yourself! I won't help you if you're discovered!"
"Screech—!!"
Sun Huowang's eyes widened.
Seeing its bulging eyes, Hongluan clicked its beak and said, "As expected, monkeys are just not that bright!"
At those words, Shaodian Qingnu glanced at the bird. Regarding the question of whether a bird or a monkey was smarter, as a snake, she felt she wasn't in a good position to judge.
"Hey! You bird-thing, I, Old Sun, am much smarter than you!"
Provoked by Hongluan, Sun Huowang took a massive leap and landed before Shaodian Qingnu. Just as it was about to speak to Hongluan, it saw that the people below had already entered the High Temple.
Shaodian Qingnu made a 'shushing' gesture. Seeing this, Sun Huowang closed its mouth sulkily.
They listened as Liu Xuan wept and complained before the spirit tablet of Liu Bang.
Liu Xiu had already captured Luoyang and issued proclamations across the land. Most of the commanderies and counties east of the pass had responded to his Jianwu court, abandoning Liu Xuan in Chang'an.
Meanwhile, the Red Eyebrows near Mt. Tai were nearly at Hangu Pass!
"Emperor Gao—!"
Liu Xuan bowed deeply to Liu Bang, wailing, "Your unworthy descendant cannot hold your legacy. If your spirit is watching from Heaven, please send down divine punishment! Let that rebellious traitor Liu Xiu die, and let this world return to my hands!"
So he had run to the High Temple to file a complaint. How ridiculous.
As soon as Liu Xuan finished speaking, Shaodian Qingnu let out a snicker.
"Who? Who is laughing?"
Liu Xuan shouted sternly, turning to look at the civil and military officials following behind him.
The ministers looked at each other in confusion, hurriedly shaking their heads.
Suddenly, a macaque dropped from the ceiling, frightening the officials so much their faces paled!
"A monkey!"
"Where did this monkey come from?"
"Guard! Quickly!"
The officials scrambled in panic. Shaodian Qingnu took a staff out of her jiao-snake pearl and tossed it to Sun Huowang, signaling it to knock the officials down one by one until they were immobilized on the floor.
In no time, Liu Xuan was the only one left standing in the High Temple.
Only then did Shaodian Qingnu jump down.
She shook her head, clicking her tongue. "With Jingang gone, having a new laborer is quite convenient! The monkey sent by the damn Heavens is actually quite useful."
"That's for sure—!!"
Sun Huowang struck the iron staff against the floor and said, "I, Old Sun, am definitely more capable than your Gold-Steel Wolf."
Shaodian Qingnu looked at it and said, "Just call him Jingang next time."
Adding the 'wolf' part might get her sued.
The monkey... the monkey spoke?
Liu Xuan stared at Sun Huowang in shock, then at Shaodian Qingnu, who had flipped down from the beams. He immediately wanted to call for guards, but after seeing the officials lying defeated on the ground, he shut his mouth.
After hesitating for a long time, he finally managed to ask a question.
"...Who are you?"
In the Han court, there was finally no one left who could recognize Shaodian Qingnu as the Jade Maiden of the Azure Heavens from the past.
Hearing Liu Xuan ask for her identity, Shaodian Qingnu glanced at him and gave a soft sigh. "The successor of Xu Fu, the Marquis of Mingci. Call me Auntie Qing."
"Marquis of Mingci..."
Liu Xuan was stunned, his expression even more bewildered.
It wasn't until one of the ministers, groaning in pain, introduced Xu Fu's deeds to Liu Xuan that he finally understood. He looked at Shaodian Qingnu with pleasant surprise and excitement. "You are a physiognomist? Have you come to serve me? Can you help me repel Liu Xiu's army? I am willing to enfeoff you as a marquis... no, a king!"
Seeing his expression, Shaodian Qingnu felt even more disgusted.
"You are far inferior to your ancestor."
Without waiting for Liu Xuan to speak, she continued, "Let me ask you, since you became emperor, how many times have you personally attended to state affairs? Have your rewards and punishments been just?"
"You've done nothing but indulge in wine and women in the palace, and now you think of relying on ancestors and immortals?"
"Laughable!"
Liu Xuan's face turned pale and then flushed with shame. He stumbled back, shouting with feigned bravado, "You... how dare you!"
Sun Huowang struck his staff, cracking the floor of the High Temple.
Liu Xuan instantly fell silent, not daring to utter another word.
"Surrender early; it's better for everyone. Why resist pointlessly? Liu Xiu is not a murderous man. Resisting to the end will only bring the calamities of war back to Guanzhong, killing the innocent."
Shaodian Qingnu advised Liu Xuan.
But upon hearing this, Liu Xuan laughed loudly. He asked, "I ordered the execution of Liu Xiu's elder brother. Will he let me go?"
Shaodian Qingnu nodded. "He will."
"I don't believe it!"
Liu Xuan roared.
Looking at Liu Xuan's expression, Shaodian Qingnu lost all interest in speaking further with him.
He was merely a commoner who had been thrust onto the imperial throne by the Greenwood Army, possessing not a shred of talent for being an emperor. He wasn't worth pitying or mourning; after all, he hadn't done anything good since becoming emperor.
She turned to leave. Liu Xuan tried to stop her, but Sun Huowang struck his hand with the staff, nearly breaking it.
Several days later, Hangu Pass was breached by the army sent by Liu Xiu. Chang'an suffered another bout of war. Liu Xuan's whereabouts became unknown amidst the chaotic soldiers, and the Heirloom Seal of the Realm was sent back to Luoyang to be presented to Liu Xiu.
After years of turmoil, Chang'an gradually declined. Consequently, Liu Xiu established his capital in Luoyang and designated Chang'an as the Western Capital.
The land of Guanzhong was riddled with scars.
Rumors spread of a female physiognomist leading a divine monkey to save the people, gradually calming the disasters in Guanzhong. Liu Xiu had sent people to search for the female physiognomist's tracks, but they found nothing.
Twelve years later, Liu Xiu finally unified the world!
The majesty of the Jianwu Son of Heaven grew daily. The mists of Chang'an drifted toward Luoyang, where only a golden cloud of providence could be seen, shaped like a dragon, steaming and soaring for ten thousand miles.
"So showy!"
Shaodian Qingnu ground her teeth and spat.
She really wanted to swallow that providence in one gulp!
But alas, she couldn't. If she swallowed it, the newly established Eastern Han would collapse in an instant, and the damn Heavens would personally come down to whip her to death with lightning.
Shaodian Qingnu traveled the world with Sun Huowang and Hongluan. They went to the Western Regions to see the great deserts and to the Eastern Sea to catch fish and shrimp. She visited all four corners of the earth except for the north. She toured many places, each with its own beautiful scenery and unique charm.
It wasn't that Shaodian Qingnu was biased against the north; she simply disliked the cold.
After an unknown number of seasons had passed,
Shaodian Qingnu returned to Mt. Tai.
Chunyu Tiying had arrived two days before her. When the two parties met at Mt. Tai, Shaodian Qingnu's expression turned joyful.
"Little Tiying, we truly are of one mind!"
"Our Lady."
Chunyu Tiying greeted Shaodian Qingnu. Seeing a monkey by her side, she asked curiously, "This macaque... was it enlightened by you, Our Lady, just like Jingang?"
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