Qin Imperial Palace.
"How did it go?"
"Your Majesty, Monarch Wu'an has successfully rendezvoused with Tang Dynasty's King Jin, Li Keyong. They will soon return to the Qin Dynasty!"
"But..."
"Speak freely, Sir."
"Your Majesty, Li Keyong is clearly an ambitious man. Why would you risk exposing Monarch Wu'an just to take him in?"
"Sir, to the Qin Dynasty, someone like Li Keyong is of little importance."
"Even if he does come to the Qin Dynasty, he will still have to follow our laws."
"My true target is not Li Keyong, but the Tang Dynasty... and Li Shimin!"
"Li Keyong is merely a spark, one that ignites the chaos within the Tang Dynasty."
"I expected Zhu Wen, King Liang, to act. But I did not anticipate that the one secretly collaborating with the Empress of Qi was not the Sui Dynasty, but the Ming Dynasty instead!"
"They really hid their schemes well!"
"This time, although the Qin Dynasty has gained a lot, the Ming Dynasty also profited greatly."
"It seems that our greatest rival is, in the end, the Ming Dynasty."
"From now on, we must plan more carefully."
Ying Zheng, far from discouraged, was even more determined and ambitious than before.
"Your Majesty, shall we now strike against the remnants of the Six Kingdoms?"
"With Monarch Wu'an reappearing, those remnants are surely restless. If this drags on, it may cause greater unrest!"
"You are right. With Monarch Wu'an's return, let him forge his reputation once more with the blood of the Six Kingdoms' remnants!"
"Coincidentally, Li Keyong and his troops will temporarily fall under Monarch Wu'an's command."
"Let him earn some merits, so I may reward him properly."
"Understood, Your Majesty. I will make the arrangements at once."
==========
Ming Imperial Palace.
"Your Majesty!"
The Dark Guard Leader stepped forward and bowed.
"Is it done?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. The plan went smoothly. The Empress and her Qi troops will soon enter Ming Dynasty Territory."
"However, this thirty-thousand-strong army is no small matter. How do you wish to handle it?"
"They will remain under the Empress's command."
"However, all must act according to Ming Dynasty laws and regulations."
"Now that they have entered the Ming Dynasty, this army cannot escape the palm of my hand."
"With Operation 997 completed, it's safe to say that we have completely torn apart relations with the Tang Dynasty."
"I wonder what that arrogant Li Shimin thinks right now?"
"Besides, I have an even bigger gift waiting for him."
Perhaps in the future, the Heavenly Khan Li Shimin would become someone to be wary of.
But at present, Li Shimin had only just ascended the throne. Zhu Houzhao had little reason to fear him, only enough to take him somewhat seriously.
"By the way, how long has it been since the last appearance of the Golden Ranking?"
"Your Majesty, exactly three months."
"Interesting."
"I wonder what the next Nine Provinces Golden Ranking will be?"
Zhu Houzhao looked forward to it with curiosity.
==========
Over the past three months, not much had happened in the Nine Provinces Martial World.
In contrast, great upheaval had shaken various dynasties and their internal affairs.
The first major event was the Southern Song Dynasty's brutal invasion by the Yuan Dynasty, which caused a massive loss of territory.
Fortunately, a man named Guo Jing rose to stop complete annihilation.
However, with the weak-willed Zhao Gou as Emperor, and a corrupt court dragging its feet, even this last good hand might be squandered.
Whether the Southern Song Dynasty would be destroyed or not would depend entirely on their own fate.
Besides the conflict between the Southern Song Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty, the sudden chaos in the Tang Dynasty left the entire Nine Provinces stunned.
No one expected that the usually wise and valiant Li Shimin would suffer such a devastating blow.
Three major vassal kings all rebelled at once, causing the loss of a million troops in an instant.
For a dynasty whose national power had only just begun to recover, this was a crushing blow.
What was even more shocking was that the masterminds behind this assault on Tang Dynasty were none other than Qin Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty, and Ming Dynasty.
To the side, the Sui Dynasty and Northern Song Dynasty fanned the flames.
This time, Li Shimin suffered a major loss.
Elsewhere, within the Sui Dynasty, the peasant rebellions were becoming more formidable.
Behind them, not only were aristocratic clans pulling strings, but certain other dynasties were clearly stirring trouble from the shadows.
In the Qin Dynasty, the conflict between the remnants of the Six Kingdoms and the Qin Dynasty itself was becoming more intense.
An ultimate battle was looming.
Even within the Ming Dynasty, a surprisingly bold vassal prince attempted rebellion.
Before he could act, the Dark Guard swiftly took him out.
The rebellion ended almost instantly.
But Zhu Houzhao saw behind this incident the meddling of other dynasties.
Clearly, they were not going to let the Ming Dynasty and Zhu Houzhao rise without resistance.
Even if they could not do much damage, they would still try to disgust or provoke him.
Of course, Zhu Houzhao was not one to be taken lightly.
He already had a good idea who the culprits were.
When the time came, he would repay the favor a hundredfold.
As for the Northern Song Dynasty, the situation was equally grim.
The rising power of the Jin Kingdom on the northern grasslands was starting to pose a direct threat.
An invasion could come at any time.
Whether the Northern Song Dynasty would suffer the same shame as the historical Jingkang Incident remained to be seen.
The worst off, however, was undoubtedly the Han Dynasty.
The court had been thoroughly corrupted by Jiang Yuyan and the aristocratic families.
The people were suffering terribly.
Finally, the wise master Zhang Jiao launched the Yellow Turban Rebellion, which swept across more than half the Han Dynasty in an instant.
It had become a serious threat to the stability of the Han Dynasty.
The noble families were filled with ambition, secretly fueling the flames.
They were just waiting for the Han Dynasty dragon to fall so they could carve up its remains.
The chaos was even more intense than what Zhu Houzhao remembered from the history of his previous life.
==========
Boom!
The skies lit up as purple energy surged from the east.
The long-absent Nine Provinces Golden Ranking reappeared.
This time, the ranking radiated an aura of overwhelming majesty.
Even those at the Land Immortal Realm could not help but feel a hint of reverence.
In the firmament above, the Nine Provinces Golden Ranking slowly unfurled.
Lines of golden text began to appear.
[Nine Provinces – National Power Ranking]
[From this day forward, the National Power Ranking of Nine Provinces is officially activated]
[All officially established nations in Nine Provinces are eligible for the ranking based on national fate, overall strength, public support, military, economy, and governance systems]
[Only the top ten positions will be ranked]
[Those who make the ranking will receive the Heaven Dao Reward, both for the nation and its ruler]
[The ranking will be updated once per year]
==========
Sui Imperial Palace.
Yang Guang gazed at the ranking in the sky, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Hahaha, not bad at all. Finally, a proper ranking has appeared."
"With the strength of my Sui Dynasty, we can definitely make it into the top three!"
"I wonder what kind of treasure Heaven Dao will bestow upon me?"
"Could it be an Elixir of Immortality?"
His eyes were filled with anticipation.
In the past, watching others receive rewards from the ranking had left him full of envy and jealousy.
If not for the great misfortune that would follow robbing those on the ranking, he would have already sent someone to seize them by force.
However, standing below him, Yuwen Tuo was not as confident.
He knew exactly what state the Sui Dynasty was in, even if the self-important Yang Guang did not.
How could Yang Guang possibly believe the Sui Dynasty could rank in the top three?
==========
Tang Imperial Palace, Taiji Hall.
Li Shimin looked at the ranking in the sky with no trace of joy on his face.
His eyes burned with anger.
If this had happened three months earlier, he might have been overjoyed.
But now?
The rebellion of the three major vassal kings had severely damaged the Tang Dynasty.
If not for the remaining military strength still under his command, the entire nation might have descended into chaos again.
Just thinking of the culprits behind it all, Ying Zheng, Zhu Houzhao, and Temujin, made his teeth grind in hatred.
Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about any of them.
He had once believed that the Tang Dynasty would certainly rank among the top three.
But now?
If they even made it into the top five, it would be considered fortunate.
And judging from the nature of previous Heaven Dao Reward, the difference between Rank 3 and fifth was immense.
Just the thought made Li Shimin feel the sting of regret.
==========
Northern Song Imperial Palace.
"Minister, where do you think our Song Dynasty will rank?"
"I don't expect Rank 1, but surely we can fight for a spot in the top three."
Emperor Zhao Ji spoke with confidence.
In his mind, the Song Dynasty was the best nation in all of the Nine Provinces.
The people lived in peace and prosperity.
The ministers of the court were all devoted and loyal, caring for the people like their own children.
If not for the occasional barbarian raids on the border, everything would be perfect.
Huang Shang couldn't help but fall silent at those words.
Still, he had no intention of waking up the Emperor in front of him, whether he was truly asleep or only pretending.
Let him think what he wanted.
As long as he was willing to take responsibility for the consequences later.
==========
Southern Song Imperial Palace.
Emperor Zhao Gou looked rather panicked.
Much of the Southern Song Dynasty's territory had already fallen into Temujin's hands.
If the ranking was announced now, he genuinely feared his dynasty wouldn't even make the ranking.
"Your Majesty, please don't worry. Our Southern Song Dynasty will definitely be on the ranking!"
"Across the world, there are only nine true dynasties. The Southern Song Dynasty is one of them."
"No matter the losses, we remain an imperial dynasty. That alone sets us far above those so-called kingdoms."
Qin Hui watched the panicked Emperor with hidden contempt, though his face remained respectful as he explained.
"Hahaha, well said, Minister. I almost forgot. No matter how difficult things get, the Southern Song Dynasty is still a mighty imperial dynasty!"
"I, too, am an Emperor of a dynasty, far beyond the likes of those little kingdoms!"
Qin Hui had no words in response.
==========
Frontlines Between Yuan Dynasty and Southern Song Dynasty.
Imperial Tent.
Temujin's face was dark with frustration.
This was especially clear as he looked up at the national power ranking glowing in the sky.
He was so close!
If only he had conquered the Southern Song Dynasty, the national power of the Yuan Dynasty would have multiplied several times over.
By then, the Yuan Dynasty could have easily ranked in the top three.
It might have even surpassed the Qin Dynasty and Ming Dynasty.
After all, how could any dynasty compare to one that occupied territory from two others?
All he needed was a bit more time.
But unfortunately.
Staring at the distant city of Xiangyang, Temujin clenched his teeth in fury.
Toward Guo Jing, he felt both admiration and hatred.
But for now, it was mostly hatred.
It was that man who ruined everything!
How infuriating!
==========
Qin Imperial Palace.
"Sir, in your opinion, who will take Rank 1, Qin Dynasty or Zhu Houzhao's Ming Dynasty?"
Ying Zheng asked calmly.
If it were before, perhaps the Tang Dynasty might have posed a threat to the Qin Dynasty.
But now, after the rebellion of the three kings, the Tang Dynasty was no longer worth his attention.
As for the Yuan Dynasty, it may be strong in military might, but in other areas, it was severely lacking.
The only true threat remaining was the distant Ming Dynasty.
That was the real enemy of the Qin Dynasty.
"I believe the Qin Dynasty will come out ahead!"
"This ranking is based on national power, not individual strength!"
"Aside from personal strength, the Ming Emperor still lags behind Your Majesty in many aspects!"
"Hahaha, well said. I was overthinking it."
Ying Zheng saw nothing wrong with the scholar's analysis.
In fact, he believed it was perfectly logical.
Who else could claim the top spot of the national power ranking, if not the Qin Dynasty?
"I wonder if the Heaven Dao Reward this time will include an Elixir of Immortality!"
Immortality had become Ying Zheng's obsession.
He knew that power would extend his life.
But even so, he was determined to obtain the elixir no matter what.
==========
Ming Imperial Palace.
"Your Majesty, do you think the Ming Dynasty will be ranked 1st?"
Empress Wu Zhao picked a grape and brought it to Zhu Houzhao's lips.
Zhu Houzhao gave a mysterious smile.
Then he took not only the grape but her slender fingers into his mouth as well.
The Empress glared at him shyly and annoyed.
Still, deep down, Zhu Houzhao felt a flicker of unease.
Would the Nine Provinces Golden Ranking expose some of the secret arrangements he had been making?
If that happened, it could be quite damaging to his long-term plans.
He knew the other dynasties all had hidden strategies.
But none of them had as many as he did.
More than anyone could imagine.
Enough to plunge all his enemies into utter despair.
Boom!
Amid the anticipation and unease of all Nine Provinces' nations, the Golden Ranking in the sky slowly began to unfold.