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

Chapter 239 The Sixth Child is Born

The Qian family lived in a separate courtyard.

The courtyard was filled with the sounds of birds and the fragrance of flowers. Carp of various colors swam to and fro in the pond, constantly weaving among the lotus leaves.

A woman dressed in a red phoenix robe stood in the pavilion of the villa, quietly watching the carp in the pond.

At this moment, a fat man entered the courtyard. After arriving outside the pavilion, the man immediately bowed and said:

"This humble subject pays respects to the Princess!"

Wu Junwan said calmly, "Get up."

Qian Dahai immediately stood up.

Wu Junwan then said, "President Qian, you should know why I personally came out of the palace to see you this time, right?"

Qian Dahai then said, "I presume the Princess has come this time because the Northern King has appointed me as the Minister of Commerce in the Northern Kingdom."

Wu Junwan didn't turn her head; she continued to watch the carp swimming around in the pond.

"President Qian, you are very smart. It is because of your intelligence that the Qian family has been able to develop to this point, and the Qianhai Chamber of Commerce has become the number one chamber of commerce in terms of wealth in Dawu."

Upon hearing this, Qian Dahai basically guessed why Wu Yunwan had come to see him in person; it was clearly meant to give him a warning, but he didn't care at all.

"Thank you for your praise, Princess."

Wu Yunwan then asked, "In your letter, you only mentioned that the Prince of the North had met with you alone and that he intended to offer you some benefits. I'm very curious, did the Prince of the North promise you any benefits?"

Qian Dahai said, "The Northern King told me that the Northern Kingdom is different from all other dynasties and countries. The Northern Kingdom is a country that values ​​commerce. Merchants will have a much higher status in the Northern Kingdom. In the Northern Kingdom, everyone is important. There is no ranking of status like scholars, farmers, artisans and merchants."

"As long as I join the Northern Kingdom, the Northern Kingdom will become more prosperous because of me, and I will be remembered in history because of the Northern Kingdom. Furthermore, the Northern King promises me that after the Qian family moves to the Northern Kingdom, some of the Northern King's properties will be transferred to the Qian family, and the Qian family will become even more prosperous in the future."

Hearing this, Wu Junwan chuckled, "This little man is really interesting, trying to poach people from me."

Wu Junwan's smile was natural, showing no sign of anger.

At this moment, Qian Dahai pledged his loyalty, saying, "Your Highness, the Qian family is where it is today because of your care. I would never betray you. On the fourth day after the Northern King asked me to meet him alone, I immediately returned to Da Wu. I will not leave Da Wu for some petty benefits promised to me by the Northern King."

Upon hearing Qian Dahai's words, Wu Junwan said calmly, "Betrayal? The Qian family's joining the Northern Kingdom is in my best interest. How can that be called betrayal?"

"This..." Qian Dahai pretended to be confused.

Wu Yunwan turned to look at Qian Dahai and said, "From today onwards, you are a citizen of the Northern Kingdom."

Upon hearing this, Qian Dahai immediately knelt down and said with a look of fear, "Your Highness, this humble subject does not wish to go to the Northern Kingdom. The Qian family has been in Da Wu for over a hundred years. The roots of the Qian family are in Da Wu. How can the Qian family move to the Northern Kingdom? What have I done to displease Your Highness that Your Highness wishes to expel the Qian family from Da Wu?"

Wu Junwan said, "President Qian, there's no need to be nervous. That's not what I meant. The Qian family is still the Qian family of Da Wu. It's just that I need you to join the Northern Kingdom and gather more information about it for me."

"Does Chairman Qian not want to?"

Qian Dahai quickly replied, "If this is Your Highness's will, this humble subject will naturally comply."

Wu Junwan continued, "President Qian, please rest assured that even if the Qian family moves to the Northern Kingdom, I will not abandon them. If you are worried, you can leave your eldest and second sons in Dawu to continue managing the entire Qianhai Chamber of Commerce."

Hearing this, Qian Dahai was not surprised at all. He had already guessed that this would be the result. Although Wu Junwan said that she trusted him, she was definitely afraid that the Qian family would completely betray her.

However, Qian Dahai didn't care. Leaving his eldest and second sons in Da Wu would actually help Lu Chen obtain more information about the Da Wu Dynasty, which would be a good thing for the Northern Kingdom and the Northern King.

At this moment, Wu Junwan continued, "President Qian, hurry up and pack your things and head to the Northern Kingdom immediately. I will have someone notify you if anything happens in the future."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Wu Junwan didn't say anything more, and then she left the Qian family directly.

"Respectfully seeing off the Eldest Princess!"

After Wu Junwan left the Qian family residence, she said to the soldier beside her, "Go and invite the two young masters of the Qian family to the Fengxue Restaurant."

"Yes, Princess." The soldier finished speaking and immediately rode his horse towards the Qianhai Merchant Guild.

Although Wu Yunwan planned to keep the two Qian family hostages in Dawu, she was still somewhat uneasy about the Qian family. In order to make Qian Dahai obedient to her, Wu Yunwan planned to directly win over the two Qian brothers.

Only by making the two Qian brothers willingly pledge their allegiance to her could she better control the Qian family. However, what Wu Yunwan didn't know was that the Qian family members were 100% loyal to Lu Chen, even the two Qian brothers. Therefore, all of Wu Yunwan's efforts were destined to be in vain.

No matter how hard she tried to win over the two Qian brothers, she could never make them truly loyal to her.

About half a month later, the Qian family began to gradually move to the Northern Kingdom. The Qian family was a large and powerful family in the Great Wu Dynasty, so it was definitely not easy for them to move to the Northern Kingdom in a short time. It would take the Qian family several months to move.

However, Qian Dahai did not focus on moving; he had already taken some of his family members and traveled by fast horse to the northern country.

at the same time.

Northern Kingdom, Northern Palace.

Today is Zhou Xiaoxiao's due date. Zhou Xiaoxiao is lying in bed, while Lu Chen is sitting beside her. At this moment, Zhou Xiaoxiao does not feel any sense of urgency.

She had already heard from her younger sister about her experience giving birth last time. As long as the prince was by their side, they would not feel any pain during childbirth, and the baby would come out of their womb in an instant. At this moment, Zhou Xiaoxiao felt very relaxed.

However, she still had some lingering worries. She was concerned that she might have another daughter. Although Lu Chen's love for his daughter was obvious to everyone, she still had a hurdle in her heart. After all, she was a person of this era, and the idea of ​​valuing sons over daughters had long been deeply ingrained in her. Changing her mindset would not be an easy thing.

At this moment, Lu Chen stroked Zhou Xiaoxiao's cheek and said with a smile, "Xiaoxiao, don't be nervous, it will be over soon."

Zhou Xiaoxiao also smiled slightly, "With Your Highness here, I am not nervous."

As soon as Zhou Xiaoxiao finished speaking, a look of pain suddenly appeared on her face, and her face turned deathly pale.

Seeing this, Lu Chen didn't say a word and immediately used the Rejuvenation Hand on Zhou Xiaoxiao.

A short while later, just like when Lu Chen helped Zhou Youyou give birth last time, when Lu Chen's spiritual power entered Zhou Xiaoxiao's body, the gentle spiritual power enveloped the baby inside Zhou Xiaoxiao's belly.

Immediately afterwards, the baby slid directly out of Zhou Xiaoxiao's body, and the next moment, the baby's cries filled the room. The midwife and maids quickly bathed the baby and cut the umbilical cord.

Feeling her body suddenly become much lighter, Zhou Xiaoxiao was a little dazed. Although she had heard from her sister that it was very easy for a prince to give birth, this was her first time experiencing it. She didn't expect that giving birth would be so easy; the baby was really out in an instant.

Lu Chen continued to treat Zhou Xiaoxiao. After a while, the midwife came to Lu Chen with the baby and said, "Congratulations, Your Highness, it's a son."

Hearing this, Zhou Xiaoxiao, who was lying on the bed, finally breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, she had given birth to a boy this time.

Lu Chen then took the baby boy from the midwife and placed him next to Zhou Xiaoxiao. Before Zhou Xiaoxiao could ask Lu Chen for a name, Lu Chen said, "From today onwards, your name will be Lu Zi'an."

The baby boy, who had been crying loudly, suddenly stopped crying after hearing Lu Chen's words and instead smiled.

Seeing this, Zhou Xiaoxiao said with relief, "Your Highness, An'er also likes the name you chose. Look, he stopped crying immediately after hearing the name."

Lu Chen smiled but didn't reveal the truth. The reason Lu Zi'an suddenly stopped crying was not because he heard the name he had chosen, but because Lu Chen had used the Rejuvenating Hand technique to heal him and calm him down.

An infant's skin is quite sensitive. As soon as he came into contact with the gentle spiritual energy, Lu Zi'an felt very comfortable, so he immediately stopped crying and even smiled.

Of course, these are all unimportant matters, and Lu Chen doesn't need to mention them. What Lu Chen is more concerned about at this moment is what kind of reward the system will give him this time.

This is my sixth child. The system once said that the more children I have, the richer the rewards are likely to be.

I wonder what the system will reward me with this time.

Just as Lu Chen was thinking this, he heard a system notification.

[Congratulations, host, on gaining an offspring. Rewards include two Grandmaster-level generals, 100,000 soldiers with good swimming skills, and an additional 600,000 civilians.]

Upon seeing this reward, Lu Chen was stunned, not expecting that the reward this time would still be population.

However, it seems that 100,000 soldiers with good swimming skills are not of much use to him for the time being. Now it is the era of land power, and wars are basically fought on land. There are not many times when the navy can be used.

However, since the system has rewarded me, I should just accept it.

Lu Chen then put the matter aside. He spent some time with Zhou Xiaoxiao, and only after Zhou Xiaoxiao had fully recovered did Lu Chen leave her room and go to his study alone.

Upon arriving at the study, Lu Chen immediately opened the system and checked the rewards.

"System, where are these 100,000 soldiers and 600,000 civilians now?"

These 700,000 people have been implanted with the identities of remnants of the Great Shang Dynasty, and they are currently located on Fengyun Island in the eastern sea of ​​the Northern Kingdom.

maritime?

No wonder the system said they were good swimmers.

Lu Chen continued, "Are the Grandmaster-level generals who are awarded as rewards also on Fengyun Island?"

Yes, those two grandmaster-level generals are the commanders of that army.

[The host has one opportunity to directly issue a command. Does the host wish to issue a command?]

Lu Chen said without hesitation, "Immediately have them bring some soldiers to the Northern Kingdom. Not all of them need to come, just a few thousand will suffice. The rest of the soldiers can be stationed on Fengyun Island for the time being."

[The host's orders have been conveyed; General Wei Siyuan has led ten thousand soldiers aboard warships to the Northern Kingdom.]

Upon hearing the system notification, Lu Chen immediately told the maid outside the door, "Have someone go and fetch Wu Yuan."

"Yes, Your Highness."

A moment later, Wu Yuan appeared in Lu Chen's study. "Greetings, Your Highness. What are your orders?"

Lu Chen said, "Take some Imperial Guards to the seaside to meet my naval forces."

"The leading general was named Wei Siyuan."

Wu Yuan wasn't too surprised. After all, he was the chosen one, so it was normal for people to come and seek his help. He immediately replied, "Your subordinate obeys."

Lu Chen said, "Alright, go ahead."

"Your subordinate takes his leave."

After Wu Yuan left, Lu Chen also planned to leave the study, but at that moment, a seductive figure appeared at the study door.

Wang Qingci said with a charming and seductive tone, "Congratulations, Your Highness, on gaining another child."

Hearing this, Lu Chen laughed and said, "How about you give me one sometime?"

Wang Qingci said softly, "I am already a half-step Grandmaster, so it's not that easy for me to get pregnant."

At this point, Wang Qingci walked into the study, placed the intelligence report on the table, and then said, "The eldest princess of Da Wu personally led troops to suppress the remaining rebels in the southwest who vowed to fight to the death. I heard that she has a very high prestige in the Da Wu army, and perhaps there really will be another empress in the future."

Upon hearing Wang Qingci's words, Lu Chen opened the intelligence report that Wang Qingci had placed on the table and glanced at it.

Wang Qingci continued, "The war between Dayue and the barbarians has ended. The Dayue Empress personally led the army. It is said that the barbarian army was routed as soon as the Dayue Empress showed her face on the battlefield."

"Your Highness should keep an eye on the situation in the north during this period."

Hearing Wang Qingci's words, Lu Chen frowned, then asked curiously, "Didn't the barbarians gather an army of nearly 500,000 this time? How could they be defeated so quickly?"

Wang Qingci said, "Our people haven't found out the specifics of the battlefield, but the only thing we can be sure of is that the barbarians were indeed defeated, and defeated badly. Empress Dayue is no ordinary woman; I suspect her strength is likely at the Grandmaster level or higher."

Lu Chen fell into deep thought. To be able to defeat the combined forces of several barbarian tribes in such a short time, the Empress of Dayue was indeed no simple person. The key was that the Dayue Dynasty did not have such advanced weapons as the Northern Kingdom.

The fact that they could defeat the barbarian army so quickly using only cold weapons shows that Dayue is a very formidable opponent. The key point is that Dayue also borders the Northern Kingdom, located in the southwest corner of the Northern Kingdom.

Back then, Dayue had stationed over 200,000 troops on the northern border. At that time, Lu Chen didn't take Dayue's army seriously, thinking that the Dayue Dynasty had only been established for a short time and had no strength at all. Now it seems that he underestimated the Dayue Dynasty.

It seems we'll have to be wary of the Dayue Dynasty from now on.

Of course, now is not the time to focus on the Dayue Dynasty. The barbarians suffered a defeat in Dayue, and some of them may migrate to the north. Another possibility is that the barbarians want to regain their confidence from other people.

Lu Chen was unaware of the situation in the west, but in the north, only Dayue and the Northern Kingdom bordered the areas where the barbarians were active. If the barbarians did not go to the west but instead headed east, they would most likely attack the Northern Kingdom.

This is not impossible; the barbarian tribes of the northwest attacked the Great Xia in the past.

Having suffered a defeat and lost face in Dayue, Lu Chen refused to believe that the barbarians would let it go so easily.

If the barbarians want to advance eastward, that would be perfect. The northern army has been equipped with firearms and has been training for so long, but they have never actually fought in a real battle. Lu Chen himself has no idea how strong their combat capabilities are.

If the barbarians want to move eastward, come to the north, or come to attack the northern kingdoms, it's a good opportunity to train their troops.

Thinking of this, Lu Chen immediately said to the maid outside the door, "Xiao Huan, have someone inform the general-level commanders to come to the Council Hall for a military meeting first thing tomorrow morning."

"Yes, Your Highness."

At this moment, Wang Qingci said, "Your Highness, if there is nothing else, I will take my leave."

Hearing this, Lu Chen asked jokingly, "Aren't you planning to eat your fill before going back?"

Wang Qingci gave Lu Chen a resentful look, then said, "Your Highness has been quite busy lately, so I won't bother you any longer, otherwise that jealous man will start nagging me again."

Lu Chen laughed and said, "Alright then, I'll let you off the hook for today. When you come back next time, I'll make sure you're well-fed."

Wang Qingci pursed her lips, said nothing more, and then left the study.

As soon as Wang Qingci left, Qin Yushan entered the study. Seeing that Qin Yushan was holding a bamboo tube for transmitting intelligence, Lu Chen asked, "Is it intelligence from the capital?"

Qin Yushan placed the newly arrived mailbox on the desk. "Yes, the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the capital has recently run into some trouble. It seems that our people have been discovered by the Shadow Guard, who are conducting a large-scale manhunt for the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

Hearing this, Lu Chen was stunned for a moment.

Lu Chen knew long ago that the Embroidered Uniform Guard would eventually be exposed. In the past, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was not active, so few people knew of its existence.

However, since the Jinyiwei was put into use, it has been gathering all sorts of intelligence, and in addition, the number of people in the Jinyiwei has increased during this period.

Once the number of people increases, some management problems will arise. It's not surprising that the Imperial Guards in the capital would be noticed by his father's shadow guards.

After regaining his senses, Lu Chen opened the intelligence report sent from the capital and read it carefully. Qin Yushan continued, "The imperial army has already marched south. According to Commander Liang's observation, the imperial court has sent at least three Grandmasters south this time. These three Grandmasters do not include Situ Ce."

Upon hearing Qin Yushan's report, Lu Chen was not particularly surprised. There were Grandmasters among the Jiangnan aristocratic families, and if his father wanted to eliminate the Jiangnan aristocratic families, he would definitely send a Grandmaster to accompany the army south.

While reviewing the intelligence report, Lu Chen asked, "Is there any other intelligence?"

Qin Yushan said, "Recently, the remnants of the Chen Kingdom within the territory of Great Xia have become more active and are showing a strong tendency to gather in the Northern Kingdom."

(End of this chapter)