Ever since Kaguya had children, Tang Xiaotian had entered the mode of a devoted family man, following her closely no matter what she wanted to do.
Even when Xiaotian was busy, he would arrange for court maids to accompany her, which left Kaguya utterly speechless.
In the blink of an eye, winter arrived. Thanks to the availability of coal, the people of the Tang Kingdom did not suffer terribly, but things were not so good for the smaller surrounding nations, where winter was always accompanied by death.
After reading the reports from his scouts, Xiaotian rubbed his forehead in resignation and said, "It's truly strange. Clearly, if they simply joined us and became part of the Tang Kingdom, they could buy coal and no one would freeze to death. Yet even as they freeze to death, they refuse to join our nation. What, do they think we are beasts in the Tang Kingdom?"
Upon hearing this, the prime minister of the Tang Kingdom replied, "Perhaps they simply don't understand."
Xiaotian let out a cold snort. "No, it's simply that those people refuse to give up their power. 'Behind vermilion gates wine and meat stink, while on the roads lie the bones of the frozen.' The rulers of those small states are nothing like me; they don't labor day and night for the common people. They only care about guarding their own interests."
The prime minister hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "The Lord Ruler is wise."
Xiaotian stood up and walked over to the window, gazing at the driven snow dancing in the wind. He thought to himself, *It seems I must resort to some ruthless methods.*
In his past life, Xiaotian knew that the common people of ancient times had virtually no human rights—things only improved slightly during the Ming Dynasty, when the founding emperor promulgated the Great Ming Code, finally giving the common people the legal basis to sue corrupt officials.
Xiaotian was pondering how he could win over these common people without expending a single soldier. Once the people were gone, the rulers of those small states would become commanders of empty air.
"I have it."
An idea flashed through Xiaotian's mind. He immediately returned to his desk and began to write.
Half a day later, Xiaotian finished writing and handed the paper to the prime minister. "Have a look at this."
"This... Lord Ruler, if you do this, the common people will definitely come."
The prime minister was no fool; he could naturally see the immense power of the proposal. What Xiaotian had written could only be described as irresistible temptation.
Any commoner who joined the Tang Kingdom, regardless of who they were, would receive land free of rent for an entire year. At the same time, the local government would step in to provide assistance, helping the people grow increasingly prosperous.
This tactic was an attack on the mind. Xiaotian refused to believe that anyone could resist the temptation of owning land and fail to come to the Tang Kingdom.
As for the money? There was no need to worry; the Tang Kingdom possessed abundant financial resources and was hardly short of such a sum.
"Go and put this into effect immediately. If it works, we will step up our efforts."
With that, Xiaotian walked outside. The prime minister folded the paper in his hands, tucking it into his robe as if it were a precious treasure.
And so, after a month of widespread promotion, a massive influx of ordinary citizens suddenly flooded into the borders of the Tang Kingdom. The Tang Kingdom moved with swift efficiency: incoming civilians were first provided with housing, followed by education and the allocation of farmland.
By the time those small states realized what was happening, it was already too late. The massive drain of population—including members of their own military—caught them completely off guard.
Xiaotian was overjoyed. This strategy of his was simply too powerful; without spending a single soldier, he had reaped a vast population of common folk.
Glancing at the report before him, Xiaotian could not help tapping his forehead. *Good grief, I was such a fool in the past. I could have simply relied on strategy, yet I insisted on using brute force. How stupid.*
Xiaotian casually pulled Kaguya into his embrace. "Come, take a look and see how brilliant your husband is."
Four months along now, Kaguya's belly was gradually growing rounder. Leaning against Xiaotian's side, she looked over the report and said, "Well, my brother is indeed very capable, but we must also remain cautious and not let the small states launch a sneak attack amidst the chaos."
Xiaotian smiled and said, "Don't worry, I certainly understand the principle that one must be strong in oneself to forge iron. But I believe that before long, I will completely eradicate these rulers, create a peaceful nation, and then, once the children grow up, I will hand all of this over to them. The two of us will be completely carefree, and we can go wherever we please."
Hearing this, Kaguya felt a deep yearning for such a life. She nodded gently and said, "Then I shall wait for that day to arrive."
***
Timeline:
On this day, Xiaotian paced anxiously outside the door, for his children were about to be born.
"Ah... this hurts so much..."
Kaguya's cries of agony echoed from inside the room. Xiaotian wanted to help, but there was nothing he could do.
"Kaguya, stay strong! Midwife, remember—if there is any danger, save the mother!"
With that shout, Xiaotian felt a rising terror in his heart. He was terrified that something might happen to Kaguya.
Soon, the cries of an infant rang out from within the room. Xiaotian froze, and the court maid beside him smiled and said, "Congratulations, Lord Ruler, Her Ladyship has given birth."
"Wait, there's another one."
Xiaotian remembered Kaguya saying there were two children. Just as he was about to speak, another baby's cry echoed from the room.
"The second one!"
The maid's smile widened even further, and Xiaotian let out a massive sigh of relief.
A moment later, the door swung open. The midwife looked at Xiaotian and announced, "Congratulations, Lord Ruler, they are two baby boys."
"Boys? Wonderful!"
Xiaotian hurried inside and pulled the door shut behind him. He looked over and immediately spotted the two infants.
At that moment, the babies were lying beside their mother, completely wrapped up. Xiaotian went to Kaguya's side and said, "My love, you've suffered terribly."
Kaguya's face was covered in sweat, yet she wore an expression of profound happiness. "The children are born. You should give them names."
"This..."
It wasn't that Xiaotian didn't want to name them, but he was notoriously terrible at it; whatever he came up with would sound awful.
"How about... you name them instead?"
Xiaotian passed the decision over to Kaguya. She smiled faintly and said, "Very well, since you asked. Let's call them Hamura and Hagoromo."
"Tang Hagoromo and Tang Hamura? Ah, fine names—much better than the 'Dog Egg' I had in mind."
Hearing this, Kaguya laughed again. "Dog Egg? Well then, you'll be the father of Dog Egg from now on."
"I'm not afraid, because I have Dog Egg's mother."
Xiaotian smiled radiantly. From this day forward, he was a father.
After comforting Kaguya and ensuring the children were settled, Xiaotian went outside, where the prime minister was waiting for him.
"Prime minister, find a tall mountain. I am going to hold the Fengchan ceremony."
The prime minister was startled by the command. "Understood, Your Majesty. I will see to it immediately."
The Fengchan ceremony was not something just anyone could perform. It had only been held once before in the Tang Kingdom, by Xiaotian's late grandfather, because he was the founding ruler of the state.
As for Xiaotian, he had virtually unified the entire world and elevated the Tang Kingdom to unprecedented heights. Therefore, he needed to perform the Fengchan ceremony to ascend to a new realm of legitimacy.
Five days later, atop a towering mountain peak, Xiaotian raised the Imperial Seal. "I, Tang Xiaotian, have unified the realm, fostered peace, secured the dragon veins of the land, and protected our great Tang. From this day forward, wherever I am, I shall serve the state and its people, sweep away all threats, and unite the hearts of the realm under one banner. By this oath, let the sun and moon be our witness, heaven and earth our judge, and all immortals, demons, ghosts, and gods bear witness!"
Xiaotian had adapted these words slightly from a proclamation once spoken by the First Emperor of Qin. Furthermore, the name of the Tang Kingdom was officially shortened to the Tang State.
As for Xiaotian, he would become the first Emperor of the Tang State.
Following the conclusion of the ceremony, Xiaotian sat inside his carriage, wiping away his sweat. "That was exhausting. Truly, not a pleasant job at all. Very well, from now on I am an emperor. Next, I can appoint a crown prince, and then—hehe..."
Xiaotian's plan was simple: first establish a crown prince, wait for the children to grow up, and eventually dump all the responsibilities onto the crown prince so he could finally enjoy a life of leisure.
Once the time was ripe, Xiaotian would abdicate the throne to the crown prince, allowing him and Kaguya to roam the world freely.
Suddenly, a cry rang out from outside: "Assassins! There are assassins!"
Xiaotian's brow furrowed. "Where are assassins coming from?"
"Your Majesty, these appear to be assassins from the small states! Their hairstyles are most peculiar!" shouted a guard outside.
Xiaotian instantly drew his long saber and bellowed, "You dare come here to run amok? Do you think my blade has grown dull? Men, prepare for battle!"
***
When Kaguya saw Xiaotian covered from head to toe in blood, her eyes trembled with disbelief. "Wh-who on earth did this?"
"Your Ladyship, the ones who ambushed His Majesty were assassins from the small states. At the time, His Majesty could have escaped, but he said that as the emperor of a nation, how could he simply turn and flee? And so..."
The more the guard spoke, the more furious Kaguya became. Xiaotian had been ambushed by the remnants of those small states.
During the assassination attempt, Xiaotian had cut down hundreds of enemies, but the attackers were simply too numerous—a full five thousand of them, practically throwing the entire national strength of those states into the attack.
In truth, those small states had been driven to desperation with no way left to survive. Having lost all their power, assassinating Xiaotian was their only remaining gamble for a sliver of hope. Five thousand assassins truly represented the absolute bottom of their treasuries.
Although Xiaotian had survived, he had sustained grievous wounds and was now clinging to life.
At that moment, Kaguya suddenly remembered the fruit—the Chakra Fruit. Whoever consumed it would become immortal and indestructible.
"Watch over Xiaotian."
Kaguya turned and hurried back inside. She retrieved the fruit, split it in half, ate one portion herself, and fed the other to Xiaotian. Only in this way could he be saved.
After consuming the fruit, Xiaotian's vital signs gradually stabilized, but he simply refused to wake up. No matter who examined him, none could rouse him from his slumber.
Left with no other choice, Kaguya temporarily took over the governance of the state while simultaneously caring for Xiaotian and their two young children.
As for revenge? That proved simple enough. Those small states had exhausted their entire national strength in the attempt to assassinate Xiaotian, pinning all their hopes on its success. With the failure of their assassination, they had completely lost everything. Consequently, launching an attack against them now was absolute annihilation.
In the blink of an eye, eighteen years passed.
After the morning court session concluded, Kaguya returned to her chambers. Gazing at Xiaotian's emaciated face, she said softly, "Eighteen years, Xiaotian. When will you finally wake up? For these past eighteen years, the weather has been favorable, and the Tang Kingdom has grown ever stronger. How I wish you could see all of this."
"Oh, and another thing—Hagoromo and Hamura have grown up. They have become very strong, and they even help me handle state affairs. But they still wish for you to wake up and properly praise them. So please, wake up soon, won't you?"
With that, tears began to stream down Kaguya's face. She knew Xiaotian would not die, but his endless slumber filled her with dread. She feared he would remain like a living corpse, never to wake again.