After helping his younger brother Li Wenqi up, Li Qin patted him on the shoulder and said:
"You stayed behind to guard the rear and ensured the army's logistics, which is a great achievement."
After hearing his brother's words, Li Wenqi also cupped his hands and said:
"Your Majesty, you flatter me."
Hearing him address him as "Your Majesty" repeatedly, Li Qin patted him on the shoulder, displaying brotherly affection, and said:
"You've done a great job, and I'll reward you handsomely later."
After all, we are family.
Let's go, let's go into town.
With that, Li Qin returned to his imperial carriage and entered the capital.
This time, however, he was not at his own residence in the capital, but at the Forbidden City.
After he ascended the throne in the south, his family moved into the Forbidden City in the capital.
Li Qin looked at the open main gate of the Forbidden City.
This time, he no longer needed to hide anything, but entered through the main gate with dignity, becoming the rightful master of the Forbidden City.
After entering the Forbidden City, he went to the inner palace and sat on the dragon throne.
The journey from the south to the north was arduous and exhausting.
Li Qin clenched his hands, feeling that his body was no longer as good as it used to be.
I've been putting too much strain on my body.
Especially when a large army goes on a campaign, the hard work along the way is also a burden on their bodies.
Shortly after Li Qin sat down to rest, Zhuang Xiaoyu came over with his men.
Li Qin saw that it was her who had brought the women of the harem to pay their respects to him.
Zhuang Xiaoyu made them kneel outside the palace and then went inside.
After paying his respects to Li Qin and his entourage, he said:
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects and congratulate you on your triumphant return from your southern campaign."
Li Qin looked at Zhuang Xiaoyu's attire and the phoenix crown on her head.
She acted like an empress.
Li Qin frowned as he looked at her impressive attire.
I don't think I've officially issued an edict or bestowed any title upon her.
She put it on right away.
However, Li Qin did not show the slightest dissatisfaction with her behavior on the surface.
After all, she was still his legal wife in everyone's eyes.
The two children she brought with her when she traveled south, Li Ruwen and Li Ruwu, were both her offspring.
During this campaign southward, Li Ruwen and Li Ruwu accompanied the army south.
He met almost all the generals and became a familiar face to them.
Everyone believed that by grooming the two men in this way, his successor would surely emerge from among them.
Some generals had already placed their bets and started currying favor with Li Ruwen and Li Ruwu.
Li Qin looked at Zhuang Xiaoyu, who was bowing to him.
He recalled her connection with the veteran generals from Liaodong under his command.
Given her status as the principal wife, there is indeed no one more suitable to be empress than her now.
So, although Li Qin frowned, after thinking for a moment, he said to Zhuang Xiaoyu:
"Later, I will formally bestow upon you the title of Empress."
Upon hearing Li Qin's words, Zhuang Xiaoyu exclaimed with delight:
"Your Majesty, I thank you."
"Let them all come in and pay their respects. I also want to see my children."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Under Li Qin's orders, his wives and concubines also entered one after another.
Li Qin also saw his children.
Along the way, Li Qin also picked out a few names for them.
Li Qin named his three sons: Li Ruhong (fourth son), Li Ruxun (fifth son), and Li Ruli (sixth son).
After naming his three sons, Li Qin chatted with them for a while and then asked them to leave with their children.
He was indeed quite tired from the journey. After dismissing them, Li Qin looked at the memorials in front of him.
As his territory expanded, he had to handle more official documents and reports.
Although the military intelligence center provided assistance and offered their opinions on how to handle the situation.
But now, he spends a lot of time just glancing at these things.
He spent most of the day reviewing memorials.
Li Qin glanced at the memorials and shook his head. "Let's get some rest early tonight."
Tomorrow, I will hold my first court assembly since becoming emperor in the Forbidden City.
Just as Li Qin was about to rest, a eunuch brought him a memorial.
"Your Majesty, an urgent report from Liaodong."
"An urgent report from Liaodong?"
Upon hearing the words "Liaodong," Li Qin immediately took it.
Liaodong is his hometown; we absolutely cannot let anything happen to him.
After Li Qin opened the urgent report, he found that it was sent by Wei Xiaokuan from Liaodong.
The inscription reads that Goryeo had sent an envoy to the court, who had arrived in Liaodong, and he had received him.
Therefore, I specially sent him a memorial by express courier.
Li Qin looked at the memorial in his hand, which read:
Goryeo learned that the Central Plains had undergone a dynastic change, so they sent an envoy to the Central Plains.
He hoped to pay homage to the new emperor of the Central Plains.
They hoped to receive investiture from the new emperor and continue as the new emperor, becoming a vassal state of the new dynasty.
As Li Qin looked at the memorial, he was reminded of Goryeo, which was located across the river.
Goryeo was actually a vassal state of the Great Wu.
He was also part of the Great Wu, and the full name of Goryeo should be the Great Wu Goryeo Kingdom.
The King of Goryeo was merely a prince of the Great Wu; he should be called the Prince of Goryeo of the Great Wu.
Goryeo was actually a prefecture or kingdom of the Great Wu.
The King of Goryeo was merely a king of a different surname from the King of Wu.
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