Chapter 061: Proclaiming Emperor

Whether looking at ancient times or modern.

The military is a place where orders are as unyielding as a mountain. Once a commander issues an order, soldiers must obey it even if they are unwilling; otherwise, they will face dire consequences.

Especially in brutal warfare, if soldiers cower and refuse to advance, those behind them have the right to kill the cowering soldiers, then step over their corpses and continue forward.

Therefore, when the commander issued the order, even if the soldiers were unwilling to face a monster like Wang Bo, they had to advance and charge toward him.

But Wang Bo couldn't be bothered to engage with these soldiers, so he lifted his foot and stomped heavily on the ground.

The force of over a hundred tons erupted with a roar.

In that instant, the earth shook and the mountains swayed!

Mm, although there was a bit of praise, it is undeniable that the ground did indeed shake violently for a moment, and then, centered on Wang Bo's landing point, the earth instantly collapsed.

Many soldiers were shaken dizzy and disoriented, collapsing to the ground.

The ground collapsed layer by layer, forming a terraced pit, with cracks radiating wildly in all directions. The soldiers nearest to Wang Bo were even shaken into the air.

The startled horses neighed wildly, knocking over one soldier after another before fleeing.

Some soldiers, caught off guard, were thrown to the ground by their warhorses.

A few unlucky souls were even kicked by the warhorses; though they did not die, their bones were shattered.

After everything returned to calm, a large pit over ten zhang long had appeared on the ground.

To the naked eye, it was simply shocking.

Wang Bo looked around; no one dared to oppose him anymore. All the soldiers were scared out of their wits. Wherever Wang Bo's gaze fell, countless soldiers retreated several steps.

He smiled faintly, opened the door of the Batmobile, and tossed the unconscious Li Zhen inside.

Then, Wang Bo sat in the driver's seat, closed the car door, and floored the accelerator.

The Batmobile roared, and in an instant it shot out of the pit, racing toward Luoyang at lightning speed.

When Wang Bo returned to Luoyang, the setting sun still hung in the sky, lazily reluctant to leave.

Wang Bo drove the Batmobile through the streets of Luoyang, swaggering along and drawing countless gazes.

Finally, the Batmobile rolled over the streets and arrived at the palace gates.

The palace guards, upon seeing the Batmobile, were greatly alarmed—after all, its sleek design would turn heads even in the modern world, let alone in ancient times when no one had ever seen an automobile.

In the eyes of ancient people, this was a steel monster.

Wang Bo opened the car door, casually tossed the unconscious Li Zhen at the palace gate, closed the door, and drove off.

Several guards of the Xuanjia Army at the imperial palace, seeing Li Zhen in a dragon robe, were already scared out of their wits and hastily reported to Wu Zetian. When Wu Zetian ordered the man in the dragon robe to be brought forward and clearly saw his face, she could not help but burst into loud laughter.

The next day, the news that Li Zhen had been captured alive and delivered to the imperial palace spread.

Along with this matter, another matter also spread.

The current Heavenly Empress is a star incarnate from the heavens, noble beyond words; mortals may only gaze from afar, not treat her with disrespect.

Even the Son of Heaven is no exception.

So Li Shimin died, and Li Zhi died too.

It was precisely because the Heavenly Empress's destiny was too strong—the two emperors were unworthy of her, yet they married her—that they suffered backlash and ultimately lost their lives.

And because the two emperors of the Great Tang profaned the Heavenly Empress, the Great Tang will inevitably suffer, and its national fortune will be damaged.

Therefore, the Heavenly Empress must ascend the throne and become emperor, so that the Great Tang may enjoy lasting peace and stability.

Li Zhen, overestimating his own strength, rose in rebellion, only to provoke the celestial soldiers. Thereupon the celestial soldiers descended to the mortal realm, effortlessly captured Li Zhen, and delivered him before the Heavenly Empress.

That steel monster that appeared in Luoyang yesterday, which could run without being pulled by horses, was the mount of the heavenly soldiers.

Once this news spread, countless people were seething with excitement.

Yesterday, when Wang Bo drove the Batmobile through the streets showing off, it had already caused a sensation. Many residents of Luoyang witnessed the Batmobile, so when someone said it was the mount of the heavenly soldiers, many chose to believe it.

Everyone believed that only the mounts of heavenly soldiers could run freely without needing horses to pull them.

If it were not the mount of a heavenly soldier, what carriage could accomplish such a thing?

And since the heavenly soldiers all chose to help the Heavenly Empress, doesn't that mean she truly is a reincarnation of a celestial star?

It was a legendary immortal.

It was precisely because the emperor blasphemed against the immortal that he died so young.

After this news spread, many residents of Luoyang chose to believe it, and even many ministers were filled with unease, half-believing and half-doubting whether Wu Zetian was the reincarnation of a celestial star.

Because in the morning Li Zhen was still in Anzhou, yet by evening, he had been captured and brought back.

Even the fastest horse would take nearly ten days or longer for a round trip.

Yet the heavenly soldiers had captured Li Zhen and brought him back in less than a single day—a speed that was simply unimaginable.

Especially those families who had found out what happened in Anzhou remained even more silent.

The crater left by Wang Bo's kick remains in place to this day, unfilled.

This kind of power has long surpassed that of humans, and is absolutely not something a so-called martial arts master could achieve.

It seems only heavenly soldiers could accomplish such a feat.

In any case, during these past few days, the city of Luoyang was in an uproar. When Wang Bo heard this news, he knew it was Wu Zetian's doing.

In order to make herself emperor, she has already resorted to any means to promote herself and build momentum, even beginning to mythologize herself.

Reincarnation of a celestial star?

At the time, Wang Bo had merely been pulling Changsun Wuji's leg with a casual remark, but Wu Zetian played it up to the hilt. Coupled with the batmobile and the incredible feat of capturing Li Zhen alive, these were also spun by the locals into miracles.

For a time, countless commoners within Luoyang had come to believe that she, Wu Zetian, was the reincarnation of an immortal.

Many people even began to support Wu Zetian's ascension to the throne as emperor.

Even those cultured and wise individuals, upon hearing about the bat chariot and the capture of Li Zhen alive, began to waver, for their knowledge and wisdom simply could not explain such things.

If it was not the mount of a heavenly soldier, then who exactly built the bat chariot?

The Mohist school?

But the problem is, ever since the Han dynasty began to exclusively honor Confucianism, the Hundred Schools of Thought have already perished.

Moreover, countless people witnessed with their own eyes Wang Bo capturing Li Zhen alive. How can that be explained? If he were not a heavenly soldier, who could possess such great strength?

Even a martial arts master couldn't do that.

Thus, after this series of maneuvers by Wu Zetian, the obstacles to her ascending the throne and proclaiming herself emperor suddenly diminished greatly. In particular, those who had originally intended to rise in rebellion, upon seeing Li Zhen's fate, were each cowed into submission, like turtles retracting their heads. Many of the more timid even sent congratulations, supporting Wu Zetian's accession.

The common people believed she was a reincarnation of a star, and the civil and military officials supported her.

What more is there to say?

When the auspicious day arrived, Wu Zetian ascended the throne and proclaimed herself emperor amid the congratulations of all under heaven.