Chapter 044: Ascension to the Throne

[Congratulations, host, for sending off another time traveler and earning a chance to draw a prize.]

"No draw." Wang Bo stood up and refused the divine artifact.

At the same time, after losing the Spirit of Vengeance, Yang Guozhong lost his ability to transform into the Ghost Rider, reverting from the Ghost Rider back to an ordinary person.

Wang Bo couldn't help but curl his lips. To be honest, he had thought Yang Guozhong would die after losing the Spirit of Vengeance.

He never expected the guy to be so lucky.

But the guy didn't get off scot-free. Although he survived, all his muscles and bones were broken, the kind that could never recover.

In other words, Yang Guozhong was now a cripple who couldn't even walk.

He would probably spend the rest of his life lying in bed.

In a sense, the guy deserved sympathy. Total paralysis was no minor ailment; faced with such a situation, sometimes living was worse than dying.

Wang Bo picked up Yang Guozhong, who had lost the ability to resist, and leisurely returned to the Xuanzheng Hall.

By now, the Xuanzheng Hall was already surrounded by a dense crowd of Imperial Guards, but when they saw Wang Bo, they were terrified and retreated repeatedly. Clearly, the battle between Wang Bo and the Ghost Rider had frightened them.

In this world, the fight between Wang Bo and the Ghost Rider was like a clash of gods.

Ordinary people didn't even have the right to watch; they could easily be caught in the crossfire and die. For instance, just now, some who stood too close were mercilessly consumed by hellfire.

When Wang Bo returned, he saw many dried corpses, which disgusted him.

Therefore, as he approached the Xuanzheng Hall, no one dared to stop him.

They must have been in awe of Wang Bo to the bone, so much so that they forgot their most basic duty to protect the emperor.

Fear had already gripped the hearts of these Imperial Guards, leaving them breathless.

Wang Bo entered the Xuanzheng Hall and found the civil and military officials, Emperor Li Longji, the eunuch Gao Lishi, and the illusion master Huang He all still there, not having fled to other places for refuge.

The reason they hadn't left was partly fear that Wang Bo would settle scores afterward, and partly because Qin Liangyu wouldn't let them leave.

Thus, they could only stay here.

"Yo, everyone's still here." Wang Bo casually threw Yang Guozhong to the ground, crossed his arms, and said lazily, "You don't need to be afraid. I mean you no harm."

Li Longji's face turned pale, and he asked tremblingly, "An... An Lushan, you... what do you want to do?"

"Still calling me An Lushan? I believe you've already figured out that I'm not An Lushan," Wang Bo said calmly.

Li Longji remained silent.

Regardless of whether the person before him was really An Lushan, he knew the initiative was not in his hands, so Li Longji could only wait for the other to speak.

Wang Bo continued, "I don't really want to do much. I just want you to abdicate."

Li Longji said, "You want to seize my empire."

Wang Bo shook his head and said disdainfully, "I have no interest in the Tang Empire. I just want you to abdicate. After all, you're old and senile, no longer fit to rule the Tang."

Li Longji trembled with rage, "I am the master of the Tang."

"Then I declare that now you are not." Wang Bo turned to look at a young man in a python robe, pointed at him, and said, "From now on, Li Heng, you are the master of the Tang."

Li Heng was dumbfounded, then ecstatic.

Li Heng was Li Longji's third son. According to history, he was the seventh emperor of the Tang Dynasty and the first to ascend the throne outside the capital before entering Chang'an.

When the An Lushan Rebellion broke out, he was appointed by Emperor Xuanzong as the Grand Marshal of the Empire's Armies, commanding the Shuofang, Hedong, and Pinglu military governors, responsible for suppressing the rebellion.

When Emperor Xuanzong fled west, he was detained by the people at Mawei Slope, parted ways with Xuanzong, and went north to Lingwu.

Incidentally, the Mawei Post Incident was also inextricably linked to Li Heng.

This man was no simple character.

He was a true emperor of troubled times.

He inherited the fruits of the Tianbao era, while striving to suppress the rebellion, he attempted to address various political and economic system malfunctions since Tianbao, laying a foundation for the empire after him.

However, because his main focus was on suppressing the rebellion, he couldn't limit the expansion of the harem and eunuch forces, leaving hidden dangers for the reconstruction after the An Lushan Rebellion.

This was Suzong's personal misfortune and the tragedy of the Tang Empire.

But now, since the An Lushan Rebellion hadn't occurred, Li Heng didn't need to suppress any rebellion and could devote his energy to reforming the political and economic system malfunctions since Tianbao.

Wang Bo had reason to believe that he could extend the Tang Empire's lifespan somewhat.

As for how many years, Wang Bo wasn't sure either.

To be honest, if he could, Wang Bo wouldn't want Li Heng to ascend the throne at all; he would prefer a democratic system. But the problem was this was the Tang Dynasty.

In this era, democracy had not yet sprouted. Implementing democracy in this era was simply unrealistic.

If he could stay in this world for decades and steer the ship himself, he believed he could push the Tang toward democracy.

But the problem was, Wang Bo might not be able to stay in this world for too long.

So he had to cut through the knot quickly, depose Li Longji, and replace him with the young and capable Li Heng. At least this way, the Tang's golden age could last a bit longer.

When Li Heng was singled out by Wang Bo, his face showed undisguised ecstasy, but he quickly calmed down. He turned to look at Li Longji and found that Li Longji was indeed glaring at him with a face that could eat someone.

In the face of imperial power, father-son affection truly meant nothing.

Li Heng was also a decisive man. Knowing this opportunity, he didn't fear Li Longji but instead accepted, bowing to Wang Bo and saying, "Li Heng thanks the immortal for his favor."

He was very shrewd, directly labeling Wang Bo as an immortal, indicating that his ascension to the throne was entirely designated by the immortal and thus legitimate.

After all, the emperor was merely a mortal and naturally couldn't defy an immortal.

Wang Bo didn't refute, going along with it, and said to the civil and military officials around, "Why don't you all quickly pay homage to the emperor!"

The officials looked at each other, momentarily unsure whether to kneel or not.

Wang Bo snorted coldly, and a wave of fierce magical power swept out, turning into a shockwave that blasted the roof of the Xuanzheng Hall into pieces, with dust falling on the officials' heads.

"I said, now, kneel, and pay homage to the emperor!!!" Wang Bo said word by word.

The officials were terrified and hastily knelt down, "We pay homage to the emperor, long live the emperor, ten thousand years!"

Li Heng saw this and was overjoyed.

Li Longji stood silent, like a clay statue. He knew his era had passed, but he hated it.

Yet, faced with Wang Bo's dominance, his hatred was useless.

But the next second, with a loud bang, everyone looked up and saw the sky split open.