Liang Xiao took the imperial edict and followed Ding Wuyi into the Stele Forest, arriving before the three tallest stone steles.
The central stele stood thirty feet high, while the two flanking steles were each ten feet tall.
The left stele bore the inscription: "Zhuo Mingfeng."
The founding strategist of the Great Qian Kingdom, who rose to the position of Prime Minister, but declined the Duke title bestowed by the High Ancestor, Zhuo Mingfeng!
The inscription on the stele read: "All living beings suffer; we dare not forget!"
The right stele bore the inscription: "Gongsun Wuji."
The founding Marshal of the Great Qian Kingdom, who rose to the rank of Grand General, declined the Prince title bestowed by the High Ancestor, but could not refuse the enfeoffment as Marquis Dingguo, Gongsun Wuji!
The inscription on the stele read: "May I offer this life for the peace of the realm!"
The tallest stele between the two bore the inscription: "The Foolish Xiao Ping'an."
The founding Emperor of Great Qian, the High Ancestor, Xiao Ping'an, who abjured literary inquisition!
The inscription on the stele read: "Descendants, do not forget: the people are more important than the ruler; only then can my heart find peace."
There was no self-praise, no sentimentality, only an ancestral instruction left behind...
The three stone steles, standing at the heart of the myriad steles, were like three monumental achievements, proclaiming the camaraderie and broad-mindedness of the three rulers and ministers of the former Great Qian.
"Incredible..."
Although Liang Xiao had long known the contents of the Great Qian's three steles, standing before them, he couldn't help but marvel.
He had searched through historical records from his homeland and this place, but could find no other such romantic and rational combination of rulers and ministers.
One Marshal retired after achieving his goals, avoiding the situation of overwhelming power, ensuring the prosperity of his descendants.
One Prime Minister never forgot the suffering of the common people, governed effectively, and stabilized the situation.
One founding Emperor, not succumbing to extravagance and indulgence, worked diligently, allowing the people to recover and thrive.
These three rulers and ministers strove to protect a fractured realm, both internally and externally, laying the foundation for eternal peace for future generations.
Ding Wuyi also gazed at Liang Xiao, his heart filled with emotion.
How fortunate this land was!
Only Liang Xiao's and Ding Wuyi's shadow guard units were present. Ding Wuyi walked over and whispered a reminder.
"Young Master Liang Er, my lord's intention is that from this day forward, no one else will achieve such great merits as you. My lord wishes for you to inscribe two steles, one for civil achievements and one for military, corresponding to Prime Minister Zhuo and Marquis Dingguo respectively. My lord is still uncertain about your matters, only wishing to showcase your literary and military prowess to the world. But you understand my meaning."
Liang Xiao was taken aback and glanced at Ding Wuyi.
Because they were in the solemn Stele Forest, Ding Wuyi dared not reveal his true demeanor, maintaining a serious expression throughout.
But the underlying meaning was crystal clear.
The Heavenly General!
As Gongsun Wuji and Zhuo Mingfeng were seniors, Liang Xiao felt it inappropriate to overstep. The two new inscriptions would be placed to the left and right of their respective steles, according to Xiao Qing's arrangement.
Liang Xiao no longer hid his talents. He walked to the writing desk, recalling Xiao Shuangzi's "dream," and after a moment of contemplation, began to write with fervor.
The first inscription read: "I swear to pacify the four seas for my Emperor."
Corresponding to the founding Marshal Gongsun Wuji, this was the oath of the Heavenly General in Xiao Qing's dream, to pacify the four seas!
The second inscription read: "I swear to establish eternal peace for the Great Qian."
Corresponding to the founding Prime Minister Zhuo Mingfeng, this was the oath of Liang Xiao, the young man in white, in Xiao Qing's dream, to establish eternal peace for the Great Qian!
Ding Wuyi watched this, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest with excitement.
The two inscriptions by Young Master Liang Er were unmistakable!
Ding Wuyi dared not weep, fighting back tears.
Could he truly be a gift from heaven? A sign of heaven's compassion for his lord's solitary plight?
"It is simply incomparably wonderful..." Ding Wuyi tried to maintain his composure, but his voice could not help but carry a trace of a sob.
The royal artisans, who had been waiting, carefully received Liang Xiao's calligraphy and began the carving.
Ding Wuyi led Liang Xiao out of the Stele Forest and announced the content to the assembled crowd, which elicited a burst of cheers.
Those who did not understand the Heavenly General believed that the Heavenly General had manifested, instructing his protected Liang Xiao to write the first inscription, and Ding Wuyi intended to spread this narrative.
Those who understood Liang Xiao, Jian Qinwan, Yue Lian, and Zuo Wushang, were filled with shock!
They had speculated countless times about the grand pronouncements Liang Xiao might make.
They had never imagined that what he cared about was his little Shuangzi's dream!
One could imagine what a legend the Great Qian Stele Forest would become. The "Great Qian Five Steles" now symbolized the culmination of two generations of effort!
With the matter of the inscriptions concluded, Liang Xiao could no longer concern himself with the reaction of the people of Zhongzhou City. He immediately set off at top speed, returning to the capital.
"Great Qian's Grand Secretary, Vice Minister of Works, General Zhen Dong, Marquis Anguo with ten thousand households, Liang Xiao, returns to the capital today!!"
The news spread, shaking the capital!
Ye Qingyi and Yi Rou, who had already returned to Baichun Tower, were also overjoyed.
As former subjects of the Great Heng Kingdom who had secretly submitted, they did not expect Liang Xiao's favor.
However, at least they were no longer enemies with Liang Xiao!
From now on, they could hold their heads high in front of Liang Xiao, an unprecedented sense of relief!
The entire Liang Manor was filled with jubilant celebration.
Half the guards remained to secure the manor, while the rest escorted Liang Qing, Luo Changfeng, and others to wait outside the city.
Outside the city stood a fifty-foot-high platform. Emperor Xiao Qing stood on the platform, with Ning Xuejun, the commander of the shadow guards, behind her.
The Golden Terrace!!
Xiao Qing, imitating the ancients, had erected a Golden Terrace to welcome Liang Xiao, preparing to officially enfeoff him as Marquis and Prime Minister, and announce it to the world as a great honor.
King Yan Zhao's Golden Terrace had thousands of taels of gold placed upon it.
Xiao Qing's Golden Terrace went a step further, using gold as pillars and covering the surface with layers of gold flakes and leaves!
The sheer amount of gold was extravagant...
Because the Gongyang clan "donated" four million taels of silver, Xiao Qing's accounts showed this surplus, leading outsiders to believe that the Golden Terrace was constructed with this four million taels converted into gold.
General Lu Yi of the Hussars and Prime Minister Wang Canghai led the civil and military officials to wait below the terrace.
The Feathered Forest Army maintained order, and the shadow guards secured the inner perimeter.
The members of the Liang family, along with Luo Changfeng, received permission to be closest to the Golden Terrace, waiting together for Liang Xiao.
Luo Qingxue, standing below the terrace, gazed at Emperor Xiao Qing's back with surprise.
Why was His Majesty's height so similar to Shuangmei's...
Right, where was Shuangmei?
Luo Qingxue searched diligently but could not find Princess Ning Shuang.
However, Luo Qingxue soon remembered that Princess Ning Shuang disliked crowds.
Even if Shuangmei was afraid of people, she could have hidden in the carriage, right?
This was the return of her most beloved Xiao Gege!
Luo Qingxue felt a pang of disappointment. How she wished to see Shuangmei openly dote on Liang Xiao...
Xiao Qing stood under an umbrella, with ice blocks placed around her and the officials to cool them down.
Even so, a few beads of sweat appeared on Xiao Qing's forehead, and her hands trembled violently within her sleeves.
He was coming... her smelly older brother was coming!
The smelly older brother who liked to pinch her cheeks and make her cry, the bad Xiao Gege, was coming!
Under Xiao Qing's tense gaze, a convoy of carriages finally appeared in the distance.
"Your Majesty, Marquis Anguo has arrived!"
The eunuch called out loudly, and the news spread like wildfire, soon reaching the thousands of soldiers and civilians in the rear.
"Follow His Majesty, and welcome Marquis Anguo!"
As the eunuchs from various regions announced, everyone present, except for Xiao Qing, Wang Canghai, Lu Yi, Ning Xuejun, and Liang Xiao's elders Liang Qing, Luo Changfeng, and his fiancée Luo Qingxue, knelt down!
Xiao Qing gazed from afar at the peerless figure sitting in the open carriage, and whispered, "Cannot cry, cannot let him laugh at me..."
These days, she had cried countless times in the Western Palace Villa, practicing specifically to shed all her tears, so as not to lose composure in front of the civil and military officials and the populace, and make a fool of herself!
But she hoped even more that the youth in the distance would see a Xiao Shuangzi who had become even stronger!
It was not until Liang Xiao led everyone to dismount and walk to the foot of the Golden Terrace that Xiao Qing could no longer hold back and called out emotionally, "My loyal subject..."
Her voice still carried a hint of a sob.
Liang Xiao was surprised to see the officials and commoners kneeling in unison. For the first time in a rare display, he followed the Great Qian etiquette and, step by step, walked to the foot of the Golden Terrace with the crowd.