"Your Majesty, all the rebels have been captured, and those who resisted forcefully have been executed on the spot. Please decree their punishment,"
This time the attack on the Imperial City led by King Wei Wu involved five million troops, and was a massive undertaking.
There are countless captives, millions indeed.
Zhang Cheng could only detain these captives, he was not in a position to administer punishment himself.
"All the traitorous lords should be incarcerated in the Sky Prison. I will send the Shenwu Army to each of their territories to confiscate their possessions and annihilate their family. All those military leaders who participated in the decision-making are to be executed as well. As for those millions of soldiers, they shall be incorporated into the Death Camp.
I will personally lead the next campaign, and let them serve as the vanguard to atone for their crimes,"
Chu Yuan gave his orders methodically.
Zhang Cheng nodded, realizing that this time, these feudal lords were completely defeated. They were all to be eradicated and removed from Dawu, with no chance of ever returning.
As for the Death Camp, it is a special unit in Dawu made up exclusively of criminals guilty of heinous crimes.
Being vanguards, they were nothing more than cannon fodder. To remove the label of the Death Camp, they needed to achieve ten times the merits of ordinary soldiers. However, this at least gave those ignorant soldiers a chance to atone for their sins.
Zhang Cheng was totally convinced by the second emperor of Dawu this time.
Standing beside them, Hong Yun's body was trembling involuntarily as well.
He was not entirely unaware of the rebellion by the Grand General and Prime Minister. They had even tried to recruit him into their camp. Thankfully, he did not take action, otherwise he would have been on the list of families eradicated today.
Thinking of this, he felt grateful to Zhang Cheng.
If Zhang Cheng had not spoken to him when Chu Yuan went to the Beast Mountain Range, his fate would have been bleak.
"Also, do not forget to comfort the families of the soldiers who died in battle. Record their widows and children and grant them annual payments from the royal court. We must not let our soldiers feel slighted,"
Despite the grand scale of the siege, it was short-lived, and casualties were minimal due to the city walls. However, those who died were all credited for their service to Dawu, so Chu Yuan could not slight them.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I will attend to this immediately,"
Zhang Cheng nodded, warmed by the fact that Chu Yuan would provide for the soldiers who had defended the eastern city gate, most of whom were from his Qinglong camp.
"Hold on, Commander Zhang," Chu Yuan's expression changed. "For your meritorious service in the city defense, and your unswerving loyalty to my Great Wu Dynasty, as clear as the sun and the moon, I hereby award you this Sky-breaking Hammer. I hope Commander Zhang will continue with your extraordinary services to my Great Wu Dynasty."
A huge hammer as golden as two melons descended toward Zhang Cheng.
Zhang Cheng was taken aback.
He never thought that Chu Yuan would directly bestow a lower-grade Divine Artifact upon him.
One must understand the preciousness of a lower-grade Divine Artifact is far beyond what he, a ten-layer Spiritual Energy manipulator, could ever fantasize about.
"Accept it. I won't ill-treat any meritorious minister,"
Chu Yuan's gentle voice resonated.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Zhang Cheng took the Sky-breaking Hammer, his face flushed with excitement, and he knelt swiftly. "I swear to serve Your Majesty and Dawu till my death!"
Hong Yun watched this and felt extremely envious of Zhang Cheng. With the lower-grade Divine Artifact, the future Qinglong Camp would certainly surpass the Chaos Camp.
This was the emperor's warning to him. Chu Yuan was fully aware of his small scheme.
However, he quickly came to terms with it. As long as he remained loyal in the future, was there any reason he wouldn't be rewarded?
"Leave the rest to the Forbidden Army. I have other matters to attend to,"
Leaving these words behind, Chu Yuan flew toward the Royal Palace, not back to the Sun Palace, but to a group of palaces teeming with spiritual energy and resembling fairylands behind the Royal Palace.
This place was known as the Supreme Forest Court.
"Stop! Death to those who trespass in the Supreme Forest Court!"
As soon as Chu Yuan arrived at the Supreme Forest Court, he was halted by a harsh voice. Then several strong Divine Realm figures blocked his way.
"Am I, the emperor, not allowed to enter the Supreme Forest Court either?"
Chu Yuan responded coldly.
"His Majesty?" The faces of these few masters of Divine Abilities showed a slight change, but they seemed to lack any sense of respect. "Since it's His Majesty who is visiting, he naturally can enter. However, both Supreme Elders are in seclusion. If they are disturbed, I'm afraid it may invite the displeasure of the Supreme Elders."
There seemed to be a veiled warning to Chu Yuan within the remarks of these few masters of Divine Abilities.
Chu Yuan's eyes flashed a cold light, and a tremendous pressure forced these few masters to kneel down, "It is them that I am looking for!"
The so-called Supreme Elders, in fact, are the Supreme Elders of Dawu.
While Tai Lin Garden is located within the Imperial City, it operates autonomously and is beyond the control of the Royal Family.
The formation of Tai Lin Garden actually dates back to before the founding of the Great Wu Dynasty.
Back then, the previous dynasty was overthrown, and the first emperor had a momentous influence. Many non-allied individuals in the martial arts world gathered and joined a large group of people, even some powerhouse sects pledged their allegiance to him. The first emperor needed this force at that time and organized them into the Tai Lin Garden.
Every individual who joined Tai Lin Garden possessed immense strength.
The first emperor did this to enhance the strength of Dawu.
But even during the first emperor's life, the people of Tai Lin Garden hardly respected the court, acting on their whim.
They pledged allegiance to the first emperor and joined Dawu, not to contribute to Dawu, but to take advantage of the resources controlled by Dawu.
Initially, there were only a few hundred people in Tai Lin Garden. Later, they gathered a thousand disciples, and several tens of thousands of palace maids and eunuchs were needed to serve them. Every year, the Royal Family had to allocate a large number of resources to them, including several hundreds of thousands of magic crystals alone.
Not to mention, they had other exotic treasures.
One can say, these people only enjoyed the benefits without contributing. They only sought to gain benefits and wouldn't pay back in return.
This time, Chu Yuan was genuinely angry.
Usually, these people act highhandedly and ignored the command of the Royal Family, which was tolerable.
But this time, Wei Wu Wang besieged the city with an army of five million soldiers. Unexpectedly, these people were still cultivating in their Tai Lin Garden, acting like it was a separated utopia, as if they didn't care about the survival of Dawu and as if it had nothing to do with them.
Even in the past, when Chu Yuan's kingdom was destroyed, none of the people from Tai Lin Garden made an appearance.
Perhaps to them, whether Dawu perished or not was no more than a change of empires.
"Since I'm here, won't you promptly appear before me? Or should I, door by door, personally invite you Supreme Elders out?"
Chu Yuan's stern voice rang out, causing the entire Tai Lin Garden to tremble.
"Your Majesty has arrived, we failed in our duties to welcome you from afar. However, the two Supreme Elders are at a critical moment in their cultivation and cannot meet with you, we ask Your Majesty for his understanding!"
Within Tai Lin Garden, a thousand figures appeared, among which there were hundreds who were Realm Masters.
The one leading them and addressing Chu Yuan was a middle-aged man dressed in blue robes, his strength having reached the tenth degree of Divine Abilities.
"Zhou Xian." Chu Yuan identified this Realm Master, known as Zhou Xian, and coldly said: "Wei Wu Wang's five-million-strong army is attacking the city. As members of Tai Lin Garden, you're receiving the emperor's salary but not performing your duties to the emperor. You've done well."
"So His Majesty has come for this matter. But the Supreme Elders are in seclusion, and we are waiting for their orders."
Zhou Xian didn't pay any mind to Chu Yuan.
He didn't know that the rebel army had been defeated and thought Chu Yuan came to request reinforcements, to beg them.
He was looking down on Chu Yuan, a little emperor about to lose his kingdom, who dared to yell at him.
"What if I command you to act?" asked Chu Yuan.
"Without the Supreme Elders' orders, we cannot act. His Majesty can wait for the Supreme Elders to finish their seclusion here."
Zhou Xian shook his head, smirking with disdain.
"I'm very disappointed in you."
Chu Yuan looked at the two palaces with the densest spiritual energy in the Tai Lin Garden and suddenly bellowed: "Supreme Elders? Very well! You're so arrogant that you don't even have me in your eyes. Are you attempting a rebellion?"