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

Chapter 254 Rongrong, you are so beautiful!

After hearing Wang Jiantao's words, Lu Chen pondered for a moment.

He wondered why the Xia Emperor treated him so badly. He thought emperors were all heartless, and since he was Chu Yue's child, the Xia Emperor had always ignored him, even when someone tried to kill him.

It turns out that in the eyes of the Xia Emperor, she was not his child at all.

What did my mother do back then that made Emperor Xia think I wasn't his child?

After thinking for a moment, Lu Chen felt a headache coming on.

However, all men are pretty much the same; they can't tolerate a woman cheating on them. As a man, Lu Chen could understand Emperor Xia's feelings.

But if the Xia emperor wanted to determine whether he was his son, he would need sufficient evidence.

Could it be that Emperor Xia thinks he has forgotten what happened that night, that is, he didn't sleep with his mother?

To find out the specifics of this matter, we'll probably have to ask Chu Yuqin.

Chu Yuqin was her mother's maid, so she should know very well what happened before he was born.

Lu Chen then looked at Wang Jiantao and asked, "What other secrets does my father have?"

Wang Jiantao immediately said, "His Majesty plans to summon all the grandmasters in the land to surround and kill Zhuge Chongguang."

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen's face instantly darkened. How could such a thing happen?

So, Zhuge Chongguang's earlier premonition was correct. The Xia Emperor sent people to those forces that were suspected of having Grandmasters not to deal with the Jiangnan aristocratic families, but to deal with the Northern Kingdom.

As expected of the wise man summoned by the system, Zhuge Chongguang saw through it all.

Just as Lu Chen was about to ask something else, he suddenly noticed that Wang Jiantao's face turned red, and then his body seemed to swell up.

Lu Chen instantly sensed the danger and quickly teleported away. At this moment, Wang Jiantao, clutching his own neck, growled in a low voice with a look of resentment, "Your... Majesty..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Jiantao's body exploded instantly, destroying all the surrounding trees and creating a huge crater. Wang Jiantao's body was reduced to countless fragments.

Seeing this, Lu Chen, who was in the distance, was stunned.

What's going on?

Why did Wang Jiantao suddenly self-destruct?

Judging from Wang Jiantao's attitude just now, he probably didn't want to die. Self-destruction was probably not his true intention. So why did he self-destruct?

Before his death, Wang Jiantao called out "Your Majesty." Could this be one of Emperor Xia's methods?

Lu Chen then returned to Bai Qingqing's side. He wanted to ask Bai Qingqing what was going on. If this was really the Emperor Xia's doing, it meant that the Shadow Guards might also have something that would cause them to self-destruct, and Bai Qingqing might have the same thing.

Upon returning to Bai Qingqing's side, Lu Chen, without saying a word, immediately grabbed Bai Qingqing's hand and used the Rejuvenating Hand to examine her body.

Seeing Lu Chen's serious expression upon his return, and considering she had also heard the distant explosion, Bai Qingqing asked疑惑地问道, "Your Highness, is he... dead?"

Lu Chen said, "Wang Jiantao self-destructed, but I think he didn't want to die. I don't understand how he managed to self-destruct."

Upon hearing this, Bai Qingqing said, "The Shadow Guards all take a kind of poison, so it might be related to that poison."

After examining Bai Qingqing's body, Lu Chen said, puzzled, "That's strange. I didn't find any signs of poisoning in your body."

Bai Qingqing was also a Shadow Guard, and even the deputy commander of the Shadow Guard. Emperor Xia used measures to prevent betrayal on Wang Jiantao, so it's impossible that he didn't use the same measures on Bai Qingqing. So why was Bai Qingqing unharmed?

Lu Chen's expression became even more serious. Wang Jiantao's sudden self-destruction made him very uneasy. He didn't understand how the Xia Emperor knew about Wang Jiantao's betrayal from so far away and then made Wang Jiantao's body self-destruct.

Of course, Wang Jiantao's death was no big deal; what he was worried about was Bai Qingqing.

Bai Qingqing was also a shadow guard, and even a deputy commander. If Emperor Xia could make the traitor Wang Jiantao self-destruct, he could logically make Bai Qingqing self-destruct as well.

Lu Chen then asked, "Xiao Bai, are you sure the Shadow Guards were all taking poison?"

Bai Qingqing hummed in agreement.

Lu Chen continued, "Will my father provide you with the antidote regularly?"

Bai Qingqing replied, "This is a poison that does not require an antidote."

This……

Bai Qingqing seemed to see what Lu Chen was worried about, so she continued, "Among the Shadow Guards who went on missions in the past, there were also those who suddenly self-destructed. Before they self-destructed, they usually took Blood Explosion Pills and ultimately used the Blood Burning Technique."

Lu Chen immediately understood what was going on, and then he said, "It seems that the poison my father gave you was a trigger. When certain conditions are met, the Shadow Guards will self-destruct, thus preventing them from betraying us."

Lu Chen had basically guessed why Wang Jiantao had been exposed.

Emperor Xia first gave the Shadow Guards a so-called poison as a trigger. When the Shadow Guards encountered a powerful opponent during a mission, the opponent would be able to give them a Blood Explosion Pill and simultaneously use the Blood Burning Technique. In this case, the Shadow Guards would immediately self-destruct and die.

Perhaps in Emperor Xia's view, when the Shadow Guards use the Blood Explosion Pill and the Blood Burning Technique at the same time, the Shadow Guards are likely to fail to complete the mission. In order to prevent the Shadow Guards from betraying him, Emperor Xia designed such a means to prevent betrayal.

Lu Chen wasn't sure if his guess was right.

He glanced at the shadow guards who were still alive in the distance. Although he had injured them with his spiritual power, several of them had not died directly.

Lu Chen then walked over, glanced at one of the shadow guards still struggling on the ground, and asked, "Do you want to live?"

The shadow guard hurriedly said, "Your Highness, spare my life!"

Lu Chen said with a smile, "I will give you a chance to live. As long as you take your Blood Explosion Pill and use the Blood Burning Technique at the same time, I will let you go."

Hearing this, the shadow guard lying on the ground was a little confused, wondering what Lu Chen wanted to do. However, he quickly took out the Blood Explosion Pill from his chest and swallowed it in one gulp.

After swallowing the Blood Bursting Pill, the shadow guard used the Blood Burning Technique. The next moment, his eyes turned blood red, but because of the increase in his power, the pain in his injuries was not as intense as before, and he suddenly felt much more comfortable.

At this moment, he got up from the ground and said cautiously, "Your Highness, may I leave now?"

Lu Chen smiled and said, "You can go now."

He was incredulous to see that the Northern King had actually let him go, but to avoid Lu Chen changing his mind, he quickly ran away into the distance.

However, he had only run a short distance when his body suddenly exploded, and his corpse was reduced to countless pieces, just like Wang Jiantao had met before.

Lu Chen chuckled. Now he could basically confirm the conditions for their self-destruction. As long as they used the Blood Explosion Pill and then the Blood Burning Technique, they would self-destruct and die.

Unexpectedly, his father had such methods. Lu Chen then came to Bai Qingqing's side, took her hand again, and examined her body once more. However, he still couldn't find any unusual substances in her body. Bai Qingqing's body was very healthy, and there were no signs of poisoning.

Lu Chen wondered why Bai Qingqing hadn't taken poison, but if such a substance was to be used as a trigger to make someone self-destruct, then it should have remained in the person's body. Why hadn't he been able to find such a substance in Bai Qingqing's body after several examinations?

At this moment, Lu Chen had a bold guess, and then he asked the system in his mind, "System, can my invulnerability to all poisons help others detoxify?"

Yes, the host's bodily fluids also have detoxification capabilities.

Upon hearing the system's reply, Lu Chen instantly understood what was going on.

No wonder there was nothing unusual about Bai Qingqing's body; so that's what happened.

Lu Chen then went to another shadow guard, grabbed him, and while absorbing the shadow guard's power, searched his body for the poison Bai Qingqing had mentioned.

Soon, Lu Chen discovered a black object in the shadow guard's dantian. Lu Chen turned to Bai Qingqing and asked, "Xiao Bai, do you have any Blood Explosion Pills on you?"

Upon hearing Lu Chen's words, Bai Qingqing immediately took out a bottle of Blood Explosion Pills from her sleeve and threw it to Lu Chen. Lu Chen caught the bottle, opened the cap, stuffed a few Blood Explosion Pills into the shadow guard's mouth, and then said to him, "If you want to live, use the Blood Burning Technique."

The shadow guard was on the verge of death. In order to survive, he did not hesitate to use the Blood Burning Technique. The next moment, the black substance in his body spread all over his body and then merged with the Blood Explosion Pill he had just taken. Immediately afterwards, the shadow guard's body swelled up.

Lu Chen kicked the shadow guard away. Because Lu Chen had absorbed most of the shadow guard's internal energy, the shadow guard did not explode like Wang Jiantao and the other shadow guard. At most, he only imploded, and then a large amount of blood gushed out from his seven orifices.

Seeing this, Lu Chen was basically certain of his father's methods of controlling the Shadow Guards.

In any case, as long as the Shadow Guards use the Blood Explosion Pill and the Blood Burning Technique, they will surely die.

However, on the other hand, didn't his father consider the possibility that these people might betray him voluntarily? For example, Bai Qingqing betrayed him voluntarily. Voluntary betrayal doesn't require risking one's life, so there's no way to trigger the conditions for self-destruction.

Of course, even if Bai Qingqing uses the Blood Explosion Pill and the Blood Burning Technique now, she won't self-destruct, because there is no longer that black substance in her body. After being bullied by Lu Chen so many times, the poison in her body has long been purified.

At this moment, Lu Chen directly used the Absorption Technique to absorb all the power of the Shadow Guards on the ground into his own body.

After Lu Chen dealt with the shadow guards, one of the guards asked, "Your Highness, shall we go to the military camp now?"

Lu Chen was about to suggest continuing to the military camp when he suddenly realized that his body was incredibly hot.

This isn't a big problem; it's just that he absorbed too much power and couldn't digest it all at once, which is why this situation occurred. It was the same when he absorbed power before.

The solution was simple. Lu Chen glanced at Bai Qingqing in the distance, but refrained from letting her into the carriage. He returned to the carriage and said to the guards, "Send two men to notify the military camp to have the soldiers clear away the surrounding corpses. We're returning to the Prince's Mansion!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Immediately afterwards, Lu Chen and Bai Qingqing returned to the Prince's Mansion.

As soon as Lu Chen returned to the Prince's Mansion, he went straight to Yunrong Courtyard.

The main reason he didn't attack Bai Qingqing was that he happened to have business with Chen Wanrong, and his skills could also help Chen Wanrong improve her strength.

Chen Wanrong wants him to go north with her. The stronger she is, the greater their chances of defeating the barbarian Tianqi King.

When Lu Chen arrived at Yunrong Courtyard, he saw Chen Wanrong sitting in the pavilion, her slender hands resting on the strings of the zither, gently plucking them.

As always, Chen Wanrong was dressed in white, exuding a cool and aloof aura, like a noble fairy.

In the past, when Lu Chen saw Chen Wanrong, he had basically no evil thoughts. He always felt that Chen Wanrong radiated a very holy light that purified his soul.

However, ever since he had his conversation with Chen Wanrong, his feelings towards her have changed. Seeing this aloof and ethereal beauty, Lu Chen felt a wicked desire to conquer her and to make her fall into depravity like she had before.

Chen Wanrong, who was playing the piano, also sensed someone entering the courtyard. She then stopped playing and looked up at Lu Chen who had entered the courtyard.

Upon seeing Lu Chen, Chen Wanrong asked expressionlessly, "What is it, Your Highness?"

This wasn't Chen Wanrong putting on a show; it was just her personality. Even though she was now Lu Chen's captive, she couldn't suddenly change her personality and greet Lu Chen with a smile.

Lu Chen then smiled and said, "Miss Chen, there's something I'd like to discuss with you. Would it take up a little of your time?"

Chen Wanrong asked curiously, "What does Your Highness wish to discuss with me?"

Lu Chen said, "This isn't the place to talk. Let's go inside and talk."

Upon hearing this, Chen Wanrong glanced at Lu Chen. She had a feeling that Lu Chen had ulterior motives, but since Lu Chen called her "Miss Chen" instead of Rongrong, he must have something important to discuss with her.

Thinking of this, Chen Wanrong got up and walked towards her room, saying as she went, "Your Highness, please come with me."

Lu Chen followed without hesitation.

Soon, Chen Wanrong and Lu Chen entered the room. The moment they entered, Lu Chen closed the door.

Chen Wanrong then turned to look at Lu Chen, "I wonder what Your Highness wants to say..."

Before Chen Wanrong could finish speaking, Lu Chen could no longer suppress the restless energy within him. He wrapped his arms around Chen Wanrong's soft waist and kissed her red lips.

"Mmm..."

Chen Wanrong was stunned. She thought Lu Chen had something important to discuss with her, but as soon as she entered the room, Lu Chen revealed his true nature.

However, Chen Wanrong did not struggle much, because she soon realized that Lu Chen was transferring his power to her.

While kissing Chen Wanrong, Lu Chen pushed her body towards the bedside. Once Chen Wanrong had nowhere to retreat and was on the edge of the bed, Lu Chen gently pushed her down onto the bed and looked down at the cold fairy beneath him.

At this moment, a blush appeared on Chen Wanrong's face. Although her expression remained cold, the shy beauty made Lu Chen's heart even more restless.

Chen Wanrong coldly replied, "Did Your Highness seek me out for something like this?"

Lu Chen did not answer Chen Wanrong's question. He bent down again, and this time his hands began to undress Chen Wanrong.

Since spending a night with Chen Wanrong at the Xuan Yue Restaurant in Nancheng, Lu Chen had not touched Chen Wanrong again. He had long wanted to come back and discuss life with this fairy.

Chen Wanrong did not refuse Lu Chen. In any case, she had already done the same thing with Lu Chen, and she was now Lu Chen's prisoner. Lu Chen could do whatever he wanted to her. After she touched Lu Chen's body, the power in her body was sealed, and she had no way to resist.

……

I don't know how much time passed.

Outside Yunrong Courtyard.

Lin Wanyun and Chu Yuqin were talking about the eastward advance of the barbarian army as they walked towards Yunrong Courtyard.

Chu Yuqin sighed and said, "I heard that the barbarian king who came to the North this time is a Grandmaster. I wonder if the Northern army is a match for them."

Lin Wanyun comforted her, saying, "Yuqin, don't worry. Chen'er is also going north this time. With him here, everything will be fine."

Chu Yuqin said worriedly, "My biggest worry is Chen'er's safety."

At this point, Chu Yuqin suddenly thought of something and then said to Lin Wanyun, "Sister Lin, why don't you go north with Miss Chen to protect Chen'er?"

Chu Yuqin is currently only a half-step Grandmaster. She knows that her abilities are limited. Even if she goes to the Northern Lands with Lu Chen, she can only take care of Lu Chen's daily life and cannot protect him. She may even be a hindrance to Lu Chen.

However, Chen Wanrong is different. Chen Wanrong has enough strength, and in addition, she has the Xuan Yue Palace behind her. If Chen Wanrong goes north with Lu Chen, she can use the power of the Xuan Yue Palace to fight against the barbarian Tianqi King.

Hearing Chu Yuqin's words, Lin Wanyun smiled slightly and then said, "You, your mind is full of your Chen'er."

"Even if the Palace Master and I wanted to go to the North with him, he might not let us."

As Lin Wanyun finished speaking, Chu Yuqin was about to say something when she suddenly heard a faint sound. Chu Yuqin asked in confusion, "What was that sound?"

The two then quieted down and listened carefully. They immediately realized that the sound was coming from Chen Wanrong's room.

Lin Wanyun thought something had happened to Chen Wanrong, so she hurriedly went to Chen Wanrong's room. Chu Yuqin also quickly followed to check.

As soon as the two approached Chen Wanrong's room, they heard Chen Wanrong's shy voice from inside.

"Husband...don't...do this...mmm..."

This……

Chu Yuqin and Lin Wanyun exchanged a glance, both beautiful women frozen in place.

They weren't stupid; they had basically guessed what was going on.

Just then, a mischievous voice came from inside the room, "Rongrong, you're so beautiful!"

Upon hearing Lu Chen's voice, the two beautiful women's cheeks instantly flushed and turned red. They turned and left Yunrong Courtyard at the same time, as if by unspoken agreement.

(End of this chapter)