The Lord Of Blood Hill

When everyone rushes in, they see Henwell battered and bloodied, while William holds Nangong Yaoyun’s severed head.

A wave of apprehension washes over them, they truly didn’t expect Henwell and his group to have slain a Fifth Rank Martial Warrior of the royal family.

From this point on, it’s no longer Henwell’s concern.

Late at night, back at Henwell’s original residence, Zhang Che and the others return.

With William’s help, Henwell’s wounds have been cleaned and bandaged. His bones have been realigned and set straight. Among these Martial Warriors, it’s common to have some medical skills.

Liu Mang whistles, “Old Henwell! How did you end up looking like this? Didn’t William lend a hand?”

The team, having completed their mission, is in high spirits. Even the usually cold William cracks a smile.

“Little Henwell insisted on putting on a one-on-one boss fight tutorial for me!”

Nathan laughs heartily, “Ha! If a super soldier had shown up, you’d be toast!”

After some casual chatter, the conversation turns serious.

Henwell asks, “Did you finish your side of the work?”

Liu Mang gives an OK sign. “All done!”

“Did Fu Sifang accept it?”

Benjamin replies, “That’s not up to him! With us around, he either accepts or dies!”

Zhang Che adds, “Four months left. Let’s divide up the remaining tasks.”

They gather to discuss how to wrap things up.

Half a month later, the bloodstains are washed away, and the battle damage is repaired. The capital looks no different than before.

The streets bustle with lively crowds, and the court sees officials coming and going.

Everyone is joyous because today is the day of the new emperor’s coronation.

All eighteen Families come to offer their congratulations, and leaders from all factions have gathered in the capital.

The scene is far grander and livelier than when Nangong He ascended the throne.

Initially, Nangong Ying didn’t want to show these arrivals any favor, they were the very ones who had once issued proclamations condemning him.

But after Lucy’s persuasion, Nangong Ying chooses not to hold them accountable. At least, not for now.

Now that Nangong Ying has ascended the throne, it’s time to reward the meritorious officials.

Liu Mang and Benjamin keep their positions unchanged, still the titles granted by Nangong He. To everyone, this isn’t unreasonable. After all, these two led troops to support the throne, turning the tide of battle.

As for Henwell and Zhang Che, they played a crucial role in protecting Nangong Ying’s escape from danger, truly heroic deeds!

Henwell is appointed Grand General, holding a first-rank official position!

Zhang Che becomes the Right Prime Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and a Grand Secretary in the cabinet, also a first-rank official!

Both receive the highest honors, earning envy from others.

However, compared to another imperial decision, these rewards are nothing controversial.

The emperor officially names Lucy as Empress, a foregone conclusion.

Additionally, Lucy’s family is granted noble titles. Though the rank is that of a Prince of a Commandery, it is a hereditary honor, never to be revoked.

At this point, everyone accepts this without much fuss. After all, the family sacrificed much to help Nangong Ying claim the throne. Such generous rewards are only fair.

But then the emperor issues a command that shocks many: the Forbidden Army in the capital is placed under Lucy’s direct command.

The Forbidden Army now consists of two hundred thousand elite soldiers, entrusting all of them to the Empress is hard for many to understand.

Yet the emperor is resolute. Anyone who objects will be dealt with harshly.

Over the next two months, besides the Forbidden Army, Lucy also controls two other armies.

One is the Vermilion Bird Army, partly made up of private troops from the Yuwen Family.

The other is the army led by Henwell and his group, supplemented by elite forces sent by Benjamin and Liu Mang.

This force is named the Black Armor Army.

The Vermilion Bird Army numbers sixty thousand, and the Black Armor Army just over seventy thousand.

Combined, they form seven guard units. The framework is set, after some training, they will become elite forces.

The court is baffled as to why Nangong Ying entrusts these elite troops to the Empress.

Gradually, rumors spread, and the topic dies down.

The reason is simple: Nangong Ying doesn’t trust anyone else.

When facing the pretender emperor’s purge, only Lucy supported him with everything she had.

Now that he has just taken the throne, he only trusts the Empress who fought alongside him.

Given this, everyone reluctantly accepts the arrangement and stops discussing it.

After all, talking too much risks stirring discord between the emperor and empress or attempting to wrest military power from the emperor.

Either offense could earn Nangong Ying’s deadly wrath.

In the third month after the coronation, Lucy summons Henwell and the others to the palace.

Benjamin and Liu Mang hand over their secret tokens, most of their troops have already returned to the South Regions. These tokens are crucial for coordinating the deployment of the South Regions’ two hundred thousand elite soldiers.

Fang Yuan and Nathan surrender the trading companies they built, along with various covert intelligence stations.

William transfers the martial arts factions under his influence to Lucy’s command.

Finally, Henwell and Zhang Che provide a list of court officials they control, along with the methods used to keep them in line.

Zhang Che then takes out a scroll and presents it to Lucy.

“This contains the means to control Fu Sifang. We jointly implanted a binding curse inside him. Every year, he must seek you out to have it lifted. Without the suppressive power of your Light of Civilization, the curse would kill him. “

”He’s powerful and ambitious, so you need to handle him carefully, don’t treat him like a mere servant. The curse will last at least ten years. After that, you’ll need to reach the level of a Fifth Rank Martial Warrior. Judging by your Yuwen Family’s cultivation methods, that shouldn’t be too difficult. “

”Although their techniques have flaws, you’re different. You possess the Light of Civilization. As long as your influence grows strong enough, you won’t be much weaker than a Fifth Rank Martial Warrior.”

Henwell adds a warning: “Once you seize power, your biggest obstacle will be Nangong Pingya, the Crown Prince in the north. William and I have both seen him, he’s no easy opponent. “

”He’s surrounded by many Fourth Rank Martial Warriors. Assassinating him suddenly is nearly impossible; you’ll have to deal with him gradually. Also, don’t be fooled by his outward demeanor. He’s ambitious too. Until Nangong Ying dies, you’ll need to leverage Nangong Ying’s opposition to him.”

Lucy bows deeply to everyone.

“I was reckless before and caused you all much trouble. I have no way to repay you in this life, but if there’s a next, I will surely make it right.”

Nathan smiles warmly, “No need to worry about that. We’re just glad you came back.”