"Your Majesty, the Tang Dynasty is now surrounded on all sides, with the people discontented, and complaints rising from every corner. Bandits are rampant, and the empire is on the brink of collapse. I humbly urge Your Majesty to make preparations without delay."
In the imperial study, an elderly eunuch was kneeling on the ground, his voice trembling slightly.
The Tang Dynasty, established more than three hundred years ago, wasn't considered ancient in the vast expanse of the Heavenly Realm, but it had some history. This eunuch, known as De Gonggong, had served three emperors and had weathered many storms. Generally, such a crisis wouldn't rattle him. But this time...
Sitting at the desk, Li Chenggan, the emperor, couldn't help but cover his face with his hands and tug at his hair in frustration. "Why is everything going wrong? Is there no way to escape this disaster?"
Li Chenggan fell into deep thought. He couldn't comprehend how, as a model student in the 21st century, he had ended up in such a dire situation.
It all started when a meteor inexplicably struck him from the sky, ending his carefree life in the 21st century. Shortly after, he found himself transmigrated to this Heavenly Realm, where he became the newly crowned emperor of the Tang Dynasty.
At first, becoming an emperor seemed like a good deal. At the very least, wealth and power would be guaranteed for life. But then... things took a turn for the worse. Upon learning the full story, Li Chenggan wished he could return to his past life, even if it meant dying again. Life in the palace was nothing but constant fear, a never-ending wait for death.
Thirty years ago, an unexpected event occurred in the Tang Dynasty. The capital, Shengjing, had somehow manifested a "Dragon of Fate." This "Dragon of Fate" was the embodiment of the empire's luck, and only a dynasty favored by Heaven could form such a phenomenon. It was mysterious and filled with miraculous power. However, it also brought disaster. Surrounding kingdoms began eyeing the Tang Dynasty, hoping to seize the Dragon of Fate to strengthen their own fortunes.
As a result, for the past thirty years, the Tang Dynasty had been besieged by four neighboring kingdoms. Li Chenggan's unfortunate father, despite being a brilliant strategist, had managed to hold off their advances for three decades. But three days ago, his father fell ill suddenly and passed away. In a rush, Li Chenggan had ascended to the throne just the day before.
But fate was cruel. His predecessor, also named Li Chenggan, had been poisoned and died shortly after taking the throne. This left the current Li Chenggan in his position. The most pressing threat, however, was the alliance between the Tang's General Li Tianba and the Xuanfeng Kingdom. Together, they had breached the western defense of the empire, the powerful city of Yufeng, where General Cheng Fei had fallen heroically in battle. Xuanfeng Kingdom had taken the opportunity to lead an army of 400,000 soldiers deep into Tang territory, advancing swiftly toward the capital.
With the other three kingdoms eager to take advantage, they too sent in troops, pushing toward the Tang capital. Now, the internal situation was dire. After thirty years of war, the Tang Dynasty had already been drained of its strength. The garrisons still stationed at the frontier forts were the only defense left, but even those soldiers were worn out from constant fighting. The loss of these strongholds seemed imminent.
In short, the Tang Dynasty was on the verge of collapse. Without a miracle, it would be wiped off the map in the Heavenly Realm.
Thinking about the fates of countless fallen emperors from his homeland, Li Chenggan couldn't help but shiver.
"Through the ages, souls return..." Just as Li Chenggan was feeling utterly helpless, a faint murmur echoed in his mind.
In a daze, Li Chenggan seemed to drift into another realm. He saw a massive stone tablet—barren, desolate, and mysterious. This was his first impression of the stone tablet.
"Destiny Tablet, endless transformation, vast and profound..." With a final shout, everything in his mind seemed to solidify.
When Li Chenggan came to his senses, he no longer felt the panic from before. His expression was now calm and composed.
Just moments ago, he had received all the information transmitted from the Destiny Tablet. The tablet contained the spirits of countless heroic souls from his homeland, and as the Chosen One, Li Chenggan could summon these spirits to serve him.
With this newfound power, he was no longer afraid of the looming crisis. To him, summoning countless heroes and armies seemed like the ultimate solution to easily overcome the four kingdoms.
"Master of Destiny, has the Destiny Tablet been officially unlocked?"
"Unlocked!" Li Chenggan thought to himself. His heart raced with anticipation.
"First level of the Destiny Tablet has been activated!"
"The Master of Destiny may now summon: Two top-tier heroes, eighteen mid-tier heroes, 10,000 Dragon Knights of the Tang Dynasty, and 100,000 Tang Blood Guards."
"Additionally, as a special gift for unlocking the Destiny Tablet, one top-tier hero will be granted."
Of course, there were no free lunches in this world.
Li Chenggan had expected as much. If he wanted powerful heroes and armies, he would have to put in the effort himself.
But what exactly was "Fate Value"?
"Destiny Tablet, what is Fate Value?"
"Master of Destiny, Fate Value is derived from the Dragon of Fate. The stronger the dynasty, the more powerful the Dragon of Fate becomes, and the more Fate Value the Master of Destiny will accumulate."
Li Chenggan understood that to gain more Fate Value, he would need to focus on developing the empire. As the Destiny Tablet suggested, Fate Value increased as the dynasty grew stronger.
"So, how much Fate Value do I have right now?"
"You currently have 3,000 Fate Value. The Master of Destiny may summon one top-tier hero for every 10,000 Fate Value, one mid-tier hero for every 1,000 Fate Value, one Tang Dragon Knight for every 10 Fate Value, and one Tang Blood Guard for every 1 Fate Value."
Fate Value was limited. Li Chenggan rested his chin in his hand, thinking deeply.
"Other functions are unavailable due to insufficient permissions."
It seemed that everything in this world was about strength. Even the Destiny Tablet, with all its power, would look down on those without the proper ability.