Empress: Your Majesty, please respect yourself, I don't want to be promoted

As the first rays of dawn touched the earth and shone through the window onto the wooden floor, Lu Chen slowly opened his eyes, calmly threw back the covers, and got out of bed.

Unlike usual, he didn't rush to wash up and eat breakfast as soon as he got up, then hurriedly deal with official business and start his busy day.

Instead, he walked to the bedside, put his hands behind his back, tilted his head slightly back, and gazed into the distance at the slowly rising sun.

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but despite the hopeful dawn, he inexplicably felt a sense of oppression.

Suddenly, light footsteps sounded behind me, followed a moment later by a familiar greeting.

"Huaiyu, you're awake."

Chai Hongyu walked to Lu Chen's side and whispered:
"Breakfast is ready. Let me help you wash up first."

"Ah."

Lu Chen nodded slightly, without refusing.

He had gotten used to Chai Hongyu's service and no longer cared about her background as a high-ranking rebel. She was clearly talented and capable, yet she wasted her abilities by becoming a maid.

Under Chai Hongyu's meticulous care, Lu Chen's slightly messy long hair was straightened and smoothed out, his face was spotless, and after putting on casual clothes, he transformed from a disheveled young man who had just gotten up into a handsome and elegant gentleman.

At the dining table, Lu Chen looked at the carefully prepared breakfast in front of him and couldn't help but sigh.

Chai Hongyu handed him a thick bowl of meat porridge. Seeing his expression, she felt a little uneasy, but then asked calmly, "What's wrong? This is the first time I've seen you sigh so early in the morning. Did something difficult happen?"

"Ah."

Lu Chen didn't deny it, only nodded slightly, but didn't continue the conversation. Instead, he suddenly raised his head, looked deeply at Chai Hongyu, and then said softly:
"Hongyu, you've had a tough time these past two years."

Instead of addressing her as Miss Chai as usual, he unusually called her by her given name.

However, upon hearing this intimate address, Chai Hongyu felt no joy whatsoever. Instead, her expression changed, and her face inexplicably turned pale.

"Why...why are you suddenly bringing this up?"

His voice trembled slightly.

Lu Chen's words inexplicably reminded her of Fu Hua's sudden announcement yesterday that she had found Fu Xian, who had been missing for a long time, and that the latter was returning to the Holy Realm, as if the purpose of this trip had been fully achieved.

The Empress has already sent people to find Fu Xian based on Fu Hua's causal relationship.

As soon as Fu Xian appeared, Lu Chen acted so abnormally, almost without any attempt to hide it, which made Chai Hongyu's premonition grow stronger.

Lu Chen shook his head.

"It's nothing, I just suddenly felt that if I don't say some things now, I might never have the chance again."

He paused, then slowly lowered his gaze.

"After all, no one knows whether an accident or tomorrow will come first, right?"

when!
The spoon in Chai Hongyu's hand fell onto the table with a dull thud.

"Huaiyu."

She picked up the spoon, handing it to Lu Chen while forcing a smile, and said:
“You’ve never said anything like this before. Why are you suddenly saying these things today? Did something happen? Can you tell me? Maybe I can help.”

Seeing Chai Hongyu's expression, Lu Chen knew that she must have already guessed something.

In fact, from the moment Fu Xian said that she was being targeted by Jiang Chengwan and Fu Hua, Lu Chen knew that they must have realized something. Otherwise, given Jiang Chengwan's personality of wanting to keep him tied to Luojing, it would be impossible for her to suddenly transfer him to Luyang.

In their view, the place where the Holy King was located was definitely the safest place. After all, the Holy King was much stronger than the cultivators of the Unity Realm. Just because the cultivators of the Unity Realm couldn't protect Lu Chen didn't mean that the Holy King couldn't.

However, what they didn't know was that for Lu Chen, the place around the Holy King was precisely the most dangerous place. It could even be described as a death trap, a place where there was virtually no chance of survival.

Fu Xian has also clearly predicted that he will die this time, and this is an inevitable outcome.

From the moment the Empress transferred him, who originally had little interaction with the Cangming Saint King, to Luyang to work with the Saint King, Lu Chen realized how formidable Fu Xian was.

He had no intention of struggling, and regardless of whether he could change anything, death was not a terrible thing for him.

It could even be said to be his initial pursuit.

Although he doesn't have much of an obsession with becoming an immortal now and prefers to let things take their natural course, he wouldn't resist the possibility of achieving it naturally.

Lu Chen smiled slightly and said softly, "It's nothing, don't overthink it."

However, these words did not offer Chai Hongyu the slightest comfort.

At this moment, Lu Chen added, "Speaking of which, Hongyu, it's about time you took on some independent responsibilities and started to realize your ideals."

He had searched Chai Hongyu's soul and knew her better than anyone else in the world.

Naturally, she knew Chai Hongyu's ideal of saving the world and bringing peace to the people. Otherwise, how could she, a rebel saintess, have been moved by his benevolent rule back in Yuzhou, followed him without hesitation, and stood up to clear his name when he was framed by treacherous officials in the court?

They were even willing to have their souls searched for this reason.

Lu Chen said that she was already capable of handling things on her own, not as a consolation or a boast, but as a fact.

For nearly five months, Chai Hongyu had been by his side, almost inseparable every day. Whenever Lu Chen had free time, he would teach Chai Hongyu everything he knew and learned, including some governing philosophies, the essence of politics, and institutional trends.

Chai Hongyu is very smart; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to achieve Guiyi.

Although she didn't show it much, Lu Chen could tell that she learned the fastest and had far more enlightenments than Fang Yu and the others, as evidenced by her several minor advancements in cultivation level.

It should be understood that each minor realm advancement after the Unity Realm is extremely difficult, much more difficult than the major realm advancements before the Unity Realm.

Chai Hongyu even secretly took two Heavenly Tribulations in the middle of the ordeal; he wouldn't have known if Fu Xian hadn't reminded him.

It can be said that Chai Hongyu is the one who most completely inherited his mantle, truly achieving mastery of both paths.

Her resume is also extremely rich.

Born into poverty, he witnessed the hardships of life and joined the rebel army, becoming a core member of the rebel leadership. He held a position in the army comparable to that of the Holy Duke Yu Jiuyuan. He led troops in numerous battles against the regular army of the imperial court and emerged victorious, demonstrating exceptional military capabilities.

He was a man of both literary and martial talents, with lofty ideals, unparalleled benevolence and righteousness, and a heart that cared for the world.

With her there, even without Lu Chen, the carriage of Great Xia heading towards a new era shouldn't deviate too much from its original trajectory.

In short, Lu Chen can be considered to have a successor.

Upon hearing Lu Chen's words, Chai Hongyu's heart sank to the bottom.

She couldn't hold back any longer and wanted to ask Lu Chen directly what had happened and why he hadn't told them anything.

She needed to know the truth, no matter what.

However, just as she abruptly stood up, preparing to forcefully question him—

Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The somber tolling of bells suddenly rang out over Luyang, a formidable city that had long since been transformed into a military stronghold by relocating all its inhabitants.

Upon hearing this voice, Lu Chen and Chai Hongyu's expressions simultaneously darkened.

This was the sound of warning that enemy forces had been discovered, and also the clarion call that war was about to begin. (End of Chapter)