World's First Traitor System [Isekai Transmigration]

Fan Li had praised each of the five families in turn, yet the issue of the new city's name remained unresolved. However, his efforts had fostered a sense of goodwill. The representatives now looked at him with an almost reverent respect, as if he were a true and virtuous ruler.

"Alas…" Fan Li sighed dramatically.

The representatives, instantly alert, inquired, "Why the sigh, Your Majesty? We are here to serve you, to ease your burdens."

"Alas…" He sighed again. "Great Jin prospers, the five families pledge their loyalty… I feel the kingdom's destiny is ascendant. What worries could I possibly have?"

"But this matter of naming the new city… I find it… difficult. I cherish the Zhang, Lu, Yin, Dou, and Kou clans equally. To name the city after one would be to slight the others, a thought that troubles me deeply."

The representatives were nearly moved to tears. His Majesty cares for us so deeply! We have burdened him with our petty squabbles. We are unworthy!

"Your Majesty!" they cried in unison. "We…"

They began to declare their loyalty, then stopped abruptly, glaring at each other. Damn the Zhang/Lu/Yin/Dou/Kou Clan! How dare they compete with us for His Majesty's favor!

Their rivalry, however, was momentarily forgotten. They turned to Fan Li.

"The Zhang/Lu/Yin/Dou/Kou Clan withdraws its request! We relinquish the right to name the new city, to ease Your Majesty's burden!"

"Excellent!" Fan Li exclaimed, rising from the Dragon Throne.

"Your loyalty and filial piety are truly commendable! Therefore, I shall name the city myself. What do you think?"

Perhaps he had accepted their concession too readily. The representatives paused, a flicker of doubt crossing their minds. Is His Majesty… manipulating us?

No, impossible. He was so young, so sincere, surely he wouldn't resort to such tactics.

"We await Your Majesty's decree," they replied in unison.

"Excellent! Bring me brush and paper!"

Qin Shun, his personal eunuch, immediately presented the requested items.

Fan Li dipped the brush in ink and, with a few swift strokes, wrote a single name.

"Five Stars City. What do you think?" he asked, smiling.

Qin Shun held up the Emperor's calligraphy for all to see. As he did so, a strange phenomenon occurred. A shimmering image, like a holographic projection, appeared above the paper, illuminating the Golden Luan Palace.

"What is that? The night sky?" the Zhang representative gasped.

"Stars! Constellations!" the Lu representative exclaimed.

The characters for "Five Stars City" seemed to transform into a vast, star-filled sky, the Milky Way stretching across the heavens. Five stars shone with exceptional brilliance, almost as bright as the moon.

"Five stars aligned!" the Dou representative exclaimed, slapping his thigh. "During Emperor Wu's reign, a similar phenomenon occurred. Five stars appeared in the east! It is an auspicious omen!"

"Indeed!" the Yin representative agreed, finally understanding.

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The Kou representative, who had remained silent until now, fell to his knees. "Five stars in the east, a blessing for Great Jin!"

Fan Li, watching their reactions, felt his cheeks flush slightly. Well, he thought, this is awkward.

He possessed the Innate Celestial Constitution. While his cultivation progress was slow, he had an unusual talent for imbuing his calligraphy with spiritual energy, creating these celestial projections. So far, this ability had proven… useless.

"Honored officials, I have named the city Five Stars City, in the hope that the five families will become a source of prosperity and good fortune for Great Jin. From this day forward, we are united, sharing both joys and sorrows, bound by an unbreakable bond of loyalty." His voice resonated through the hall.

"Chancellor Wang Ban!"

"Your servant is present." Wang Ban knelt to receive the Emperor's command.

"I have heard there is a mountain outside Five Stars City, a hundred zhang high, correct?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Excellent! I command you to carve the image of five stars aligned upon the mountainside. As large as the mountain itself. Let this monument serve to commemorate the five families' loyalty to Great Jin!"

The five families, overwhelmed, prostrated themselves once more. "Your Majesty's grace is boundless!"

"Ding!"

Finally, Fan Li's elaborate performance had triggered the system's notification.

"Congratulations host!"

"The five families are now completely loyal."

"Quest completed: Benevolence and Might."

"Reward received: The Emperor's Staircase."

"Description: An exclusive cultivation method for Emperors. From this day forward, in addition to conventional cultivation methods, you can also advance your cultivation through acts of imperial governance, such as winning the hearts of the people, attending court, and leading armies."

So, the Emperor's Staircase was a cultivation method?

Fan Li had always envied Yu Shenzi, Huang Longshi, and the others, who could advance their cultivation through alchemy, Go, and other seemingly mundane activities. Finally, it was his turn.

A surge of spiritual energy coursed through his body, his Golden Core vibrating with newfound power. His cultivation was rising rapidly through the ranks, from first-grade Golden Core to second, third, fourth… all the way to ninth-grade, the peak of the Golden Core realm. And still, it continued to rise.

BOOM!

Something within his dantian shattered, like an egg hatching.

Have I formed a Nascent Soul?

Where his Golden Core had once resided, a humanoid figure now floated, its features indistinct, yet bearing a faint resemblance to Fan Li, shrouded in a white mist.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty, on reaching the Nascent Soul realm," Wang Ban said suddenly.

Hu Zongxian, Yu Shenzi, Jing Wudi, and Huang Longshi quickly followed suit, offering their congratulations.

The five families were astonished.

Just moments ago, the Emperor had been at the early stages of Golden Core. Now, he was a Nascent Soul cultivator?

But the more exceptional he was, the better it was for them. They joined the chorus of congratulations; with genuine respect.

Fan Li recovered from his surprise and looked at the five families, then at his officials.

"Chancellor Wang."

"Your servant is present."

"I charge you with visiting Five Stars City tomorrow, to meet with the five families and select talented individuals to serve in the court."

Having displayed sufficient might and piqued their interest, Fan Li could now offer his benevolence.

The five families, comprising ninety-nine percent of Great Jin's population, couldn't remain idle.

His offer was met with overwhelming gratitude. Their earlier arrogance and posturing were forgotten. Harmony reigned between Emperor and subjects.

Once the five families had departed, only Fan Li and his officials remained.

"You have all worked hard today," he said, finally blushing slightly. He had put on quite a performance. He wondered what his officials truly thought of his… theatrics.

"Your Majesty is the one who has worked hard," Hu Zongxian replied. "The founder of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Gaozu, rose from humble beginnings to unify the realm. His success can be attributed to four words." He glanced at his fellow officials and settled on Wang Ban.

"Winning hearts and minds?"

"Unifying the people?"

Their blunt assessments made Fan Li blush even more.

Hu Zongxian continued, "With Your Majesty's talent, the people of the Central Plains will surely flock to your banner."

Wang Ban added, "And the citizens of Great Ci, Great Ming, Great Wei, Great Han, and Great Wu will all serve Your Majesty."

How familiar… Fan Li suddenly remembered a quote from Sima Yi, a figure from his previous life.

Unconsciously, he spoke the words aloud. "Sweeping across ten thousand miles, unifying all under heaven…"

Wang Ban, Hu Zongxian, and the others froze, then knelt in unison.

"Long live the Emperor!"

From Sima Yi's Song of the Liao-dong Campaign:

Heaven and earth opened, sun and moon shone bright.

Opportunity arose, I exerted my strength in distant lands.

Sweeping away all filth, I returned to my homeland.

Sweeping across ten thousand miles, unifying all under heaven.

My task complete, I return to my fields,

Awaiting judgment in Wuyang.