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

Chapter 264 Murong Xue'er

After Lu Chen slowly passed through the main road into the city, people soon saw a wooden frame on the carriage behind him, with a human corpse hanging on the frame, and behind the corpse was a long line of barbarian prisoners.

The foreign spies were almost all stunned when they saw the corpse hanging on the wooden frame.

Although most spies had never seen the Apocalypse King in person, in order to verify whether the news of the Northern Kingdom's annihilation of the Apocalypse King was true, most spies had a portrait of the Apocalypse King in their hands. The corpse hanging on the wooden frame looked almost exactly like the portrait of the Apocalypse King.

Spies from various countries couldn't help but wonder, could it be that the Northern Kingdom had really defeated the Tianqi King's army?

At this moment, Wang Maoxue, who was next to Murong Xue'er, asked, "Lord Murong, you once accompanied Her Majesty the Empress to participate in the war between us and the barbarians, so you should have met King Tianqi."

Although Wang Maoxue hadn't asked if the figure hanging on the wooden frame was the Tianqi King, Murong Xue'er knew what he wanted to ask when she heard his words. She immediately said, "That corpse is indeed the Tianqi King's corpse. The news that the Tianqi King's army was wiped out can basically be confirmed as true."

"Moreover, the Northern King is not as simple as we imagine. He is a person whose martial arts talent is no less than that of Her Majesty the Empress."

Upon hearing Murong Xue'er's next sentence, the officials of the Dayue delegation were instantly stunned.

If the martial arts talent is no less than that of their Empress, doesn't that mean the Northern King is a Grandmaster...?

How is that possible?

The information they gathered about the Northern King all said that he was someone who never practiced martial arts before. He has only been in the Northern Kingdom for a short time. Even if he started practicing martial arts now, it would be impossible for him to break through to the Grandmaster level in such a short time.

You must know that Her Majesty the Empress started practicing martial arts from a young age, and she also had a very powerful master, which is why she was able to become so powerful today.

Has the Northern King already reached the Grandmaster level after only a few years of martial arts training?

Wang Maoxue then said, "Lord Murong, you must be sure you're not mistaken?"

Murong Xue'er said calmly, "I'm not mistaken, he is indeed a Grandmaster. Although he is hiding his martial arts prowess, it cannot fool everyone."

Hearing Murong Xue'er say this, everyone felt somewhat incredulous. The Northern King's growth rate was too fast. Why did they feel that their Great Yue Dynasty would face a very powerful enemy in the future?

Her Majesty the Empress sent them to improve relations with the Northern Kingdom; it's hard to say whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.

……

Amidst the cheers of the people, Lu Chen returned to the Northern Prince's Mansion.

His wives and concubines were already waiting at the gate of the Northern Prince's Mansion.

When Lu Chen returned, his women all smiled.

They originally thought that Lu Chen would not be able to return for several months after leaving Yancheng, but they did not expect the war to end so quickly.

Lu Chen dismounted and greeted the women with a smile, saying, "My ladies, your husband is back. Why don't you all seem excited?"

The previous times Lu Chen traveled far away and reunited with them, they were all very excited, but today Mu Zixuan and the others seemed much calmer.

At this moment, Mu Zixuan came to Lu Chen and said with a smile, "Your Highness, we are all very excited."

Lu Chen smiled mischievously and said, "Oh, really? Then I need to check and see if my wife is really excited."

At this point, Lu Chen pulled Mu Zixuan into his arms, as if he wanted to examine her body. Mu Zixuan blushed immediately upon being hugged by Lu Chen, and said resentfully, "Your Highness, the sisters are all watching."

Lu Chen smiled but didn't actually examine Mu Zixuan's body. He continued, "Alright, let's go back."

Without saying anything more, the group headed straight for the Prince's residence.

At this moment, two beautiful figures fell behind the crowd.

Seeing Lu Chen's back, Chu Qingli felt extremely flustered.

She also thought that Lu Chen would not return for several months or half a year, but it hasn't been long since then. Lu Chen has already wiped out the Tianqi King's army and returned to Yancheng.

Now that Lu Chen has returned to Yancheng, doesn't that mean that she and her sister are going to marry Lu Chen?

Her sister had told her not long ago that Lu Chen would marry them when he came back this time, and told her to be mentally prepared.

How could this guy come back so early? He wasn't even mentally prepared.

At this moment, Chu Yuqin, who was next to Chu Qingli, was also a little flustered. Her heart was pounding wildly. She vaguely remembered Lu Chen's words to her before he left: that he would marry her when he came back.

Now that there are no obstacles to Lu Chen marrying her, does that mean that it won't be long before she marries Lu Chen and becomes his woman?

Although she lived in the inner courtyard and had heard all sorts of rumors, she had never consummated her relationship with Lu Chen. She was still a virgin, and the thought of having sex with Lu Chen and becoming like other women made Chu Yuqin's face flush and her heart race.

At this moment, Chu Yuqin comforted herself in her heart. So what if she was Lu Chen's woman? What was there to be nervous about? They had kissed and hugged before, and there was no difference between kissing and hugging. She didn't need to be so nervous.

However, the more Chu Yuqin thought about it, the faster her heart beat.

After entering the Prince's residence, Lu Chen asked, "My dear consort, nothing has happened at the Prince's residence recently, has it?"

Mu Zixuan replied, "Your Highness, everything is fine at the Prince's residence; nothing serious has happened."

Upon hearing Mu Zixuan's reply, Lu Chen said, "It's good that nothing happened. I was worried that after I left Yancheng, some people with ulterior motives would harm the Prince's Mansion."

At this moment, Lu Chen suddenly remembered something and said, "By the way, Your Highness, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."

Mu Zixuan asked curiously, "What is it?"

Lu Chen said with a smile, "I want to marry two concubines."

There is a difference between a concubine and a secondary consort. In ancient times, concubines had little status, but the secondary consorts of the royal family were different. Of course, Lu Chen did not actually implement such a strict hierarchy in the Northern Prince's Mansion. His women in the Northern Prince's Mansion were basically of the same status and they all addressed each other as sisters. Even Wang Qingci, a female slave, had a high status in the Northern Prince's Mansion.

However, this was Lu Chen's idea after all. Lu Chen thought that marrying a concubine would shake Mu Zixuan's position as the princess to a certain extent, so he still had to ask her, or simply hand the matter over to Mu Zixuan.

Upon hearing Lu Chen's words, Mu Zixuan smiled slightly and said, "Whoever Your Highness wishes to marry, then so be it. There's no need to ask me."

Mu Zixuan didn't care at all that Lu Chen married that woman. She knew very well that the Northern Prince's Mansion was not like other places. The inner courtyard of the Northern Prince's Mansion could not tolerate intrigue. Lu Chen had absolute control over his harem, which even the emperor could not do.

Moreover, Mu Zixuan's current status and the continued existence of the Mu family are all thanks to Lu Chen's existence. How could Mu Zixuan possibly care about Lu Chen's affairs? Right now, she only wants to be Lu Chen's queen, and everything else is none of her business.

Lu Chen can marry whomever he wants, and he will let that child inherit his future position; she has no intention of interfering.

Seeing that Mu Zixuan had agreed, Lu Chen said with a smile, "Now that you've agreed, I'm relieved."

Mu Zixuan glanced at Chu Yuqin and Chu Qingli behind her out of the corner of her eye, and then said, "I wonder which family's daughter Your Highness intends to marry this time?"

Lu Chen smiled and said, "Naturally, it's a girl from the Chu family."

Upon hearing Lu Chen mention "the Chu family's daughter," Chu Qingli and Chu Yuqin's faces flushed even more and became even hotter.

Mu Zixuan instantly understood Lu Chen's meaning, and then said, "Your Highness, please leave this wedding ceremony to me."

Lu Chen said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, my beloved consort."

Mu Zixuan said, "This is what I should do."

Lu Chen returned to the main hall and chatted with Mu Zixuan and the others about what had happened in Ningbei City. Then he went directly to his study. He didn't immediately immerse himself in the pleasures of the world. He still had something to do today: to meet with the delegation from the Dayue Dynasty.

Lu Chen had just arrived at the study when he found the desk piled high with intelligence reports, but he didn't look through them one by one. At that moment, a beautiful woman in a red dress with a curvaceous figure appeared at the door of the study.

After noticing the fox spirit, Lu Chen asked, "Has it been too long since you last saw me, so you miss me? I've only just arrived at the palace, and you've already come to see me."

Wang Qingci said with a smile, "Your Highness is my master. Now that my master has returned, it is only natural for me, a mere servant, to come and pay my respects to Your Highness."

At this moment, Lu Chen sat down at the desk and glanced at Wang Qingci.

Wang Qingci was holding an envelope, clearly there to report intelligence. Lu Chen asked directly, "What intelligence does Lord Wang have to report? Just say it, I have other matters to attend to later."

Wang Qingci asked with suspicion, "Your Highness has only just returned to Yancheng, what important matter could you possibly have?"

As Wang Qingci spoke, she walked to the desk, placed the envelope in her hand on it, and continued, "This contains information on the members of the Dayue delegation. I don't know if Your Highness needs it, but the caravan members collected it, so I had it organized and sent over."

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen immediately took the envelope from Wang Qingci, opened it, and read through the information about the members of the Dayue delegation.

When Lu Chen saw Murong Xue'er's information, he was taken aback.

Murong Xue'er is a female official serving Empress Dayue. According to records, Empress Dayue values ​​Murong Xue'er highly, and Murong Xue'er is known as the "Inner Palace Prime Minister" of the Dayue Dynasty. She can speak on important military and national affairs and sometimes even influence Empress Dayue's decisions.

Of course, Murong Xue'er herself did not hold a high position, but she gained a high status in the Dayue Dynasty because she was favored by the Empress. Even first-rank officials in Dayue had to call Murong Xue'er "Lord Murong".

Upon seeing the contents of the document, Lu Chen couldn't help but think that an empress and a female prime minister were remarkably similar.

Kind of interesting.

Seeing Lu Chen staring blankly at Murong Xue'er's information, Wang Qingci said with a smile, "Your Highness, it seems you are very interested in this Murong Xue'er. Then let me remind you, this Murong Xue'er is a beautiful woman with a cool and aloof demeanor. Your Highness will surely like her very much."

Hearing this, Lu Chen stretched out his paw and slapped Wang Qingci's buttocks, then said, "You vixen, you're slandering me again, aren't you? It seems I've been away from home for too long, and you've become arrogant."

After being hit, Wang Qingci let out a soft moan and quickly said, "How dare I slander Your Highness? I was just reminding you."

Lu Chen didn't immediately pin Wang Qingci down on the desk today. Instead, he glanced at the information about Murong Xue'er in his hand again and said, "Since you say she's beautiful, she must really be. I'd like to see her for myself."

At this point, Lu Chen said to the maid outside the study, "Xiao Huan, have someone tell the Grand Preceptor that I will be hosting a luncheon in the Hall of State Affairs to receive the delegation from the Dayue Dynasty."

"Yes, Your Highness."

After the maid went to inform Zhuge Chongguang, Wang Qingci asked, "When Your Highness mentioned having something to do earlier, was it referring to this matter?"

Lu Chen pulled Wang Qingci into his arms, letting her sit on his lap, then wrapped his arms around her slender waist and said, "Otherwise, what do you think I have to do? Do you think I'm going to go and cultivate some relationship with one of my wives or concubines later?"

Wang Qingci said, "I did not say that."

"However, Your Highness has worked hard in Ningbei City recently, and you should definitely relax after returning."

At this point, Wang Qingci's delicate hands began to grope Lu Chen's body.

Lu Chen chuckled inwardly, thinking, "That vixen."

Lu Chen said, "Originally, I intended to let you go, but I didn't expect you, Lord Wang, to provoke me. Since that's the case, then don't blame me for being impolite."

As they were talking, Lu Chen put his arm around Wang Qingci and stood up, pressing her directly onto the desk.

Then Lu Chen waved his hand, and two streams of spiritual energy closed all the doors and windows of the study. Now it was time for Lu Chen to relax.

……

At noon, Lu Chen took a shower and then went to the Council Hall.

Some important officials from the North also attended today's luncheon.

When Lu Chen appeared in the Hall of State Affairs, the members of the Dayue delegation were already seated.

Upon seeing Lu Chen, Murong Xue'er and the members of the delegation all stood up.

Everyone said in unison:

"Greetings, Northern King!"

Lu Chen said with a smile, "You're too kind, everyone. Please have a seat."

At this moment, Lu Chen's gaze fell on Murong Xue'er.

Name: Murong Xue'er

[Identity: A female official serving Empress Dayue, the only daughter of the Murong family, a Grandmaster at the pinnacle of cultivation, twenty-four years old this year. In the year Empress Dayue ascended the throne, the entire Murong family was executed for opposing her, except for Murong Xue'er. Empress Dayue brought her to the palace and groomed her as her confidante. This time, she came to the Northern Kingdom on the Empress Dayue's orders to see what kind of person the Northern King is.]

Rating: 95

【Favourability: 50】

Upon seeing Murong Xue'er's information, Lu Chen was slightly stunned. Why did he have such a strong sense of déjà vu?

Murong Xue'er's entire family was killed by the Empress of Dayue, yet she still managed to become the Empress's confidante.

Although somewhat surprised, Lu Chen quickly regained his composure. This wasn't particularly strange, since Murong Xue'er was still a child when she was brought to the palace, so she probably didn't harbor any hatred towards the Empress of Dayue.

Moreover, it is not hard to see from the fact that Murong Xue'er was able to become a Grandmaster at the age of twenty-four that she must have received very good care from the Empress and was given a lot of training resources, which is why she was able to break through to the Grandmaster realm at the age of twenty-four.

After reading Murong Xue'er's information, Lu Chen glanced at her a few more times.

Murong Xue'er's appearance was indeed as Wang Qingci had described—a rather aloof and cold look. She wore a simple black and white dress with a black and white mixed-color headband, and her ink-wash style outfit made her look like a talented woman.

Seeing that Lu Chen kept staring at Murong Xue'er, Zhuge Zhongguang realized that if Lu Chen continued to stare, he would embarrass himself. Zhuge Zhongguang quickly coughed and said, "Your Highness, since everyone is here, let's begin the luncheon."

Lu Chen snapped out of his daze and quickly said, "Oh, okay, everyone, please have a seat. Let's eat and chat."

Murong Xue'er clearly realized that Lu Chen had been staring at her face. She couldn't help but think that the rumors were true; the Northern King was indeed a man who loved beautiful women.

However, if he is so fond of beautiful women, how did he break through to the Grandmaster realm? Martial arts training requires abstinence, even for the Empress of Dayue. Their realm can improve so quickly, partly because they have abundant resources, and partly because they abstain from sex.

It is indeed strange that a man like the Northern King, who has so many wives and concubines and six children, could break through to the Grandmaster realm in such a short time.

Just as Murong Xue'er was puzzled by Lu Chen's rapid increase in strength, Lu Chen spoke up: "Envoys of Dayue, I am very pleased that you are willing to come to the Northern Kingdom as guests. It was my oversight that I did not receive you immediately. Please eat and drink well today."

"Play music, dance!"

As soon as Lu Chen finished speaking, a group of dancers appeared in the main hall, and the melodious sound of a zither echoed throughout the hall.

At this moment, Wang Maoxue said, "What are you saying, Your Highness? Not long ago, Your Highness was fighting against the army of King Tianqi in Ningbei City and did not see us. It was entirely King Tianqi's fault and had nothing to do with Your Highness."

"On the contrary, it is our honor that Your Highness is willing to meet us as soon as you return to Yancheng."

Hearing this, Lu Chen smiled and then asked directly, "May I ask what brings Your Majesty the Moon Emperor to the Northern Kingdom?"

Wang Maoxue replied, "To be honest, Your Majesty, we came to the Northern Kingdom this time with the intention of helping it resist the invasion of the barbarians. However, we did not expect that the Northern Kingdom was so powerful that it did not need our help at all and easily solved the problem of the barbarians."

(End of this chapter)