Having many children brings many blessings; the struggle for power begins with marriage.

Chapter 193 Mu Changtian's Reminder

After the news that Beijun had reclaimed the land ownership from the Beiwang Mansion spread throughout the Great Xia Dynasty, Lu Chen suddenly gained countless enemies, and many forces and organizations were already eager to make a move, with some even offering a bounty on Lu Chen's head.

Lu Chen is, after all, the Northern King and the son of the Xia Emperor. The fact that someone dared to put a bounty on his head shows just how hated Lu Chen's actions were. It also proves that the Xia Emperor no longer has much of a deterrent effect.

Most importantly, the imperial court did not react at all, and Emperor Xia showed no intention of protecting Lu Chen.

Lu Chen caused this mess himself, so he should be the one to resolve it. As for royal dignity, what royal dignity do they still have? Even the emperor has been forced to compromise by the powerful families, so what dignity can they still talk about?

Only when all the powerful families are wiped out will the forces they support stop being so arrogant.

A month later.

Beijun.

Lu Chen was handling government affairs in his study when Li Rui and Mu Changtian came to the study to report on the recent reforms in Beijun.

The population of Beijun is relatively small. Thanks to the propaganda efforts of the Imperial Guards and Beijun soldiers, the people are now largely reassured about the land issue.

Many people even gained more land to cultivate, which made them believe that the Northern King had not cheated them.

The reforms were carried out smoothly.

Military reforms did not encounter major problems. Northern laws stipulated that every adult had the obligation to serve in the military, but they were conscripts, which were different from recruited professional soldiers.

After serving a few years of compulsory military service, soldiers have the opportunity to become professional soldiers, and the treatment of professional soldiers is very good. Nowadays, many former soldiers in North County have become professional soldiers.

Nowadays, professional soldiers are not only given land, but the Northern Prince's Mansion also gives them a large allowance the moment they become professional soldiers. Lu Chen even stipulates that the descendants of professional soldiers can study for free, which immediately elevates the status of soldiers.

At this moment, Mu Changtian said to Lu Chen, "Your Highness, I feel that there are still too few promotion channels between conscripts and professional soldiers. According to the current reform plan, conscripts must serve for several years before they can be promoted to professional soldiers. This may have limited incentive effect on ordinary conscripts. In the future, some conscripts will definitely think that they just need to pass the time."

"Therefore, I suggest that more promotion channels be added, such as improving their treatment based on military merit."

Lu Chen said, "I also have this idea, but I've been too busy lately and haven't written down the detailed promotion rules yet. Since you've thought of it, when you go back, write down your idea in a memorial and submit it to me for reference."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Lu Chen had considered the issue of treatment for conscripts. He deliberately created a gap in treatment between conscripts and professional soldiers, mainly to motivate conscripts to strive to become professional soldiers.

If there is only one promotion path, it is obviously not enough to motivate ordinary conscripts. Therefore, Lu Chen is also considering improving the military merit system.

After discussing the promotion of soldiers, Mu Changtian and Li Rui continued to report on some problems they had encountered in the recent reforms.

About half an hour later, the maid's voice rang out at the door of the study, interrupting the two men's report.

"Your Highness, Commander Qin has arrived."

Qin Yushan has been assigned to manufacture weapons and has rarely come to Lu Chen personally to deliver intelligence lately. It is mostly the commanders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who report to Lu Chen on the recent events in the Great Xia Dynasty.

But since he came, it must mean he has something important to say.

Li Rui and Mu Changtian then stood aside and stopped talking.

Lu Chen then said to the maid at the door, "Let him in."

Qin Yushan then pushed open the door to the study and entered, "Greetings, Your Highness!"

Lu Chen hummed in agreement, his gaze falling on the bamboo tube in Qin Yushan's hand.

"Commander Qin, has something major happened in the capital again?"

Qin Yushan walked up to Lu Chen, handed him the bamboo tube containing the letter, and then said, "Your Highness, the major families within the Great Xia territory have secretly sent many assassins to the Northern Prefecture, intending to harm you."

"According to Commander Liang's intelligence, as far as they know, there have been three waves of assassins in Beijun. Moreover, these assassins are all very strong. Each wave of assassins has a Grandmaster-level martial artist, and there are even martial artists at the Grandmaster Extreme Realm."

Hearing Qin Yushan's words, Lu Chen just smiled, then took out the bamboo tube, took out the information inside, and carefully glanced at it.

Lu Chen had basically anticipated what would happen next. He had touched a nerve with the powerful families, and they certainly didn't want him to live. Although he was far away in Beijun, he had set the precedent, which was enough to make the powerful families want to kill him.

Upon hearing Qin Yushan's report, Mu Changtian immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, when I return, I will strengthen the security of Yancheng and try my best to prevent any strong unfamiliar martial artists from entering the city."

Lu Chen said, "No need."

"They have countless ways to get into Yancheng; the city walls can't stop them."

"Let them all come. I need to find some skilled martial artists to practice with."

Lu Chen has already begun practicing the Absorption Technique. Ever since he obtained the Absorption Technique, he has been going to Chun Sheng Courtyard every day. He has now reached the first level of the Absorption Technique.

However, he had never used this technique. Staying in the Northern Prince's Mansion, he had no contact with the enemy. Now that those assassins had come to his door, it was a good opportunity for him to test his Absorption Technique and see just how powerful it was.

Hearing Lu Chen's words, Mu Changtian thought about it and realized that Lu Chen really didn't need to be afraid of those assassins. Lu Chen himself was a grandmaster, and he also had many mysterious weapons. Those assassins who came to assassinate Lu Chen were just courting death.

However, while Lu Chen was not afraid, the others were different.

Thinking of this, Mu Changtian said, "Your Highness, you are now a Grandmaster, so ordinary martial artists naturally cannot harm you. However, your wives, concubines, and children in the Northern Prince's Mansion are a different story."

"If those assassins find it difficult to assassinate you, they might turn their attention to the people around you."

Upon hearing Mu Changtian's words, Lu Chen fell into deep thought.

That is a problem.

Mu Zixuan and Da Zhou and Xiao Zhou are just ordinary people, and so are her children. They have little fighting power when they encounter martial artists.

Lu Chen said, "Afterwards, I will have General Xuanyuan guard the palace to prevent assassins from infiltrating it."

Seeing that Lu Chen already had someone in mind to protect the Northern Prince's Mansion, Mu Changtian said nothing more.

Xuan Yuan Chen and Wen Ren Lie are both very strong. They have already reached the peak of the Grandmaster realm, which is not the case for ordinary Grandmasters. With them guarding the Northern King's Mansion, plus the mysterious weapons of the Northern King's Mansion, it will not be a problem to resist the attack of assassins.

Of course, it's easy to dodge a spear in the open but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. If the people of the Northern Prince's Mansion leave, things will be different. However, Mu Changtian believes that Lu Chen will try his best to keep the women of the Northern Prince's Mansion from leaving for a while.

Mu Zixuan is Mu Changtian's daughter, and she is also the Princess Consort of the Northern King. Therefore, compared to Lu Chen, Mu Changtian is more concerned about the safety of the Northern King's Mansion.

If something were to happen to their daughter, the relationship between the Mu family and the Northern King would not be so close anymore.

At this moment, Qin Yushan continued, "Your Highness, there is another piece of news."

Upon hearing Qin Yushan's words, Lu Chen realized that he had two copies of the intelligence, with another one below.

Lu Chen then flipped to the first intelligence report and began to examine the contents of the second intelligence report.

Qin Yushan continued, "Da Wu has assembled a million-strong army to launch a full-scale attack on Xi Wu County. His Majesty has dispatched the Eighth Prince to the front lines to fight against Da Wu's army."

Lu Chen chuckled and then said, "Looks like the war is about to end. My little brother has gone to the front lines to earn military merits. Is he planning to have my father make him the crown prince?"

Mu Changtian said, "Your Highness, I heard that the head of the Chu family has come to Beijun. If you are willing, you might try to win over the Chu family and prevent the Jiangnan aristocratic families from uniting. This might be more beneficial to you."

Lu Chen put down the intelligence report in his hand and said indifferently, "It's no use. My maternal grandfather is no longer the head of the Chu family. Now, only a small number of people in the Chu family support him. The Chu family has basically sided with my eighth brother."

Just then, the maid's voice came from the doorway again, "Your Highness, Commander Wu has arrived."

Lu Chen said, "Come in."

Wu Yuan then entered the study, "Greetings, Your Highness!"

Lu Chen asked directly, "What is it?"

Wu Yuan replied, "Your Highness, General Lin has led the imperial army of 20,000 to Yancheng. They should be leaving Yancheng by sunset."

The imperial court's punishment for Lu Chen came to Beijun half a month ago: withdrawing 20,000 imperial soldiers and leaving the northern kingdom to deal with the barbarians on the grasslands on its own.

The court's punishment had no effect on Lu Chen; he didn't take it seriously at all.

Lu Chen said, "Let them leave. Don't pay them any attention."

Wu Yuan said, "Your Highness, General Lin said he would like to meet with you privately. I wonder if that would be convenient for you?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen immediately became interested. "Oh, to meet with me in private? That's quite interesting."

"Then make arrangements for me to meet him this evening."

Wu Yuan immediately replied, "Yes, Your Highness."

"Your subordinate takes his leave."

Lin Xiuming's father is the Left Chancellor. If Lin Xiuming wants to meet with him privately, it means that the Left Chancellor Lin Gaoyuan is on his side. Otherwise, Lin Xiuming would not meet with him privately just before leaving Beijun.

As a general of the imperial court, it was a major taboo for Lin Xiuming and Lin Gaoyuan to meet with a vassal king in private. If the imperial court found out, both of them would be in trouble.

After Wu Yuan left, Qin Yushan also quickly left the study, while Mu Changtian and Li Rui continued to report on the reforms in Beijun.

It was evening.

Under the arrangement of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Lu Chen arrived at a restaurant. Since Lin Xiuming wanted to see him, he certainly couldn't let Lin Xiuming come to the Northern Prince's Mansion, so they specially arranged for a private room at Tingyu Tower.

When Lin Xiuming saw Lu Chen, he felt a tremendous pressure. Lin Xiuming was taken aback. Sure enough, it was similar to what he had sensed last time. The Northern King was a martial artist, and his strength was not low, even above his own.

(End of this chapter)