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

Chapter 277 Wu Yunwan's Mission to the Northern Kingdom

Wu Yunwan had been interested in Lu Chen for a long time. A teenager who brought dozens of people to the Northern Kingdom and quickly gave the impoverished Northern Kingdom the strength to defeat the barbarian army of 300,000. Moreover, the Palace Master of Xuan Yue Palace was unwilling to leave the Northern King's Mansion after he moved there.

All of this made Wu Yunwan curious. She wondered what was so special about Lu Chen, or what kind of value he possessed that could attract the super forces that supported him, as well as Xuan Yue Palace and even Huanyu Academy, to the Northern Kingdom.

Previously, she had only heard about what kind of person the Northern King was, but she had never met him in person. Wu Yunwan knew very well that much of the information passed to her was hearsay and rumors, but her people did not know the actual situation.

To find out what kind of person the real Northern King is, you have to meet him in person. Now the opportunity has come.

When Wu Junwan's convoy arrived at the south gate of the northern kingdom, Lu Chen rode his horse and personally came to the gate to greet them.

Wu Yunwan was the eldest princess of the dynasty, while Lu Chen was just a vassal king of the dynasty. It was normal for him to personally come out of the city to greet her. However, this made Wu Yunwan feel that something was wrong. Was the reception in the Northern Kingdom a little too high?

It was one thing for the Northern King to personally come out of the city to greet them, but the roadsides were also packed with people from all over the city. Such a reception was a bit too much.

When the caravan stopped, Wu Yunwan lifted the carriage curtain, revealing a handsome face. Although his skin still looked somewhat youthful, the Northern King already possessed the temperament of a mature man, especially his eyes, which were bright, piercing, and incredibly deep.

With just one glance, Wu Yunwan's gaze was drawn to his appearance.

Wu Junwan couldn't help but sigh inwardly, the intelligence was indeed correct, the Northern King was indeed a rare handsome man in the world.

Just as Wu Yunwan was lost in thought, she suddenly realized something was wrong. She snapped back to reality. Although Lu Chen was deliberately hiding his martial arts aura, Wu Yunwan could still sense it.

The two were now more than ten meters apart, but she still felt a sense of pressure. Lu Chen had clearly reached the Grandmaster realm.

This……

How is that possible...?

The Northern King is only seventeen or eighteen years old, yet he is already a Grandmaster?

Is there something wrong with my perception?

Wu Yunwan even began to doubt that she was hallucinating. After all, she was already a very talented martial artist, but it took her more than twenty years to break through to the Grandmaster realm, while the Northern King was only seventeen or eighteen years old and was already a Grandmaster.

This is really too much!

At this moment, Pei Hong, who was beside the carriage, whispered a reminder: "Your Highness, the Northern King is very powerful; he's a Grandmaster!"

Upon hearing Pei Hong's words, Wu Junwan confirmed that her perception was correct; the young man not far away was indeed a Grandmaster.

Is he really the King of the North?

Could it be that the Northern King just sent someone randomly to greet them?

After all, she had never seen what the real Northern King looked like.

Just then, Lu Chen said with a smile, "Welcome to the Northern Kingdom, Princess Da Wu! I have been waiting for you for a long time!"

Upon hearing Lu Chen's words, Wu Junwan frowned slightly.

The king?

So, does this mean that the young man is indeed the Northern King himself?

The Northern King's martial arts talent is terrifying!

Judging from the Northern King's growth rate, he will probably be able to break through to the Celestial Realm before he is fifty years old, or even before he is thirty!

A Celestial Realm expert at thirty! Wu Yunwan couldn't even imagine it!

Among the people she knew, even a martial arts genius like the Empress of Dayue couldn't compare to the Northern King!

She had always believed that Empress Dayue was the most talented person in the world when it came to martial arts, and that no one in the world could be more talented than Empress Dayue.

I never imagined that a monster like the Northern King existed!

It seems that the rumors about the Northern King being lecherous are false. To break through to the Grandmaster realm at such a young age, even with talent, one must have put in far more effort than the average person.

Empress Dayue is a prime example. Decades ago, in order to seize that position, she suppressed all her emotions and desires, focusing all her energy on martial arts training, which ultimately led to her current strength.

Others may not know how terrifying Empress Dayue's strength is, but Wu Junwan knows it very well.

Of course, even a prodigy like Empress Dayue was no match for Lu Chen in Wu Yunwan's eyes at this moment.

Wu Yunwan instantly listed Lu Chen as the number one enemy of the Great Wu Dynasty.

Compared to the Great Xia Dynasty and the Great Qian Dynasty, Lu Chen is the true enemy of the Great Wu Dynasty.

The Northern King has grown too fast, and he is young enough and very ambitious.

The Northern King is truly hiding something deep!

After the Northern Kingdom defeated the Sirius King's 300,000-strong army, some people said that the Northern King also knew martial arts, but no one ever said how powerful the Northern King really was.

People believe that the Northern King's success is due to his heavy cavalry, or rather, the forces supporting him. They think that without the support of these forces, he would not have achieved what he has today.

Now it seems that people have been wrong. The Northern King may have relied on the power behind him, but the Northern King himself is definitely not simple.

Wu Yunwan thought to herself, no wonder the super power behind the Northern King wanted to support him, the Palace Master of Xuan Yue Palace had come to the Northern Kingdom and stayed there for a long time, and even Zhuge Chongguang had come to the Northern Kingdom.

The reason why the Northern King's strength has improved so quickly is partly because he has a very high talent for martial arts, and partly because the Northern King probably has a secret.

Moreover, Zhuge Chongguang had not broken through to the Celestial Realm for so many years, but he broke through to the Celestial Realm in less than a year after arriving in the Northern Kingdom. It is hard not to suspect that this is related to the Northern King.

Wu Junwan became increasingly curious about the little man not far away. She wanted to know what secrets he held.

At this moment, Wu Yunwan said with a smile, "Rumor has it that the Northern King is exceptionally handsome; seeing him today, I can confirm that his reputation is well-deserved!"

Hearing Wu Yunwan's praise, Lu Chen smiled and said, "Thank you for the compliment, Princess."

"It is my honor that the Princess and the delegation have come to the Northern Kingdom. I have already had a luncheon prepared. Let's talk while we eat."

At this point, Lu Chen turned his horse around and said, "Back to the city!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the welcoming party entered the city, and Wu Junwan and her convoy followed behind.

At this moment, Pei Hong looked at the Northern King's back and felt that the Northern King's back was somewhat familiar, especially the Northern King's voice. He felt that he had heard the Northern King's voice somewhere before.

Pei Hong thought to himself, this is his second time in the Northern Kingdom, and he has never met the Northern King before, so why does the Northern King's voice sound familiar?

Just as Pei Hong was pondering where he had heard that voice before, Wu Yunwan's voice came from inside the carriage, "Does Lord Pei find the Northern Prince's voice somewhat familiar?"

Not only Pei Hong, but Wu Junwan also had the same feeling. Wu Junwan was in the intelligence business, so she was a person who paid attention to details and could remember small details for a long time.

She felt that the Northern King's voice was very familiar, and she had a vague feeling that the Northern King resembled someone she had met before.

When Pei Hong discovered that Wu Yunwan and he had the same feeling, he frowned. He suddenly felt that this was probably not their imagination.

If one person feels that Bei Wang's voice is familiar, it could be said to be their illusion, but now that both of them feel that Bei Wang's voice is familiar, it is highly likely that they have indeed heard Lu Chen's voice somewhere before.

Pei Hong's mind raced through the people they had met during their last visit to Yancheng. Since they seemed familiar to them, and the Northern King was in the Northern Kingdom, it was very likely that they had heard the Northern King's voice somewhere during their last visit to Yancheng.

After thinking for only a moment, Pei Hong instantly remembered where they had heard a voice like the Northern King before.

At this moment, Pei Hong's expression turned somewhat grim. He then said to Wu Yunwan in the carriage, "Your Highness, I'm afraid the Northern Prince is the master of Tingyu Tower!"

Although they didn't see the appearance of the Tingyu Tower Master when they last came to Yancheng, since the Master was wearing a mask at that time, they guessed from the Master's voice and physique that the Master was a very young person. At that time, they even thought that the Master of Tingyu Tower was a person from the mysterious force behind the Northern King.

Now it seems that the Listening Rain Pavilion is the power of the person behind the Northern King, which is clearly the Northern King's own power.

They were all deceived by the Northern King!

Upon hearing Pei Hong's suggestion, Wu Yunwan recalled the scene when she met the owner of Tingyu Tower in Yancheng last time.

After recalling this, Wu Yunwan also discovered that the voices of the Northern King and the Master of Tingyu Tower were exactly the same, and their figures were also basically the same.

The key point is that the owner of Tingyu Tower and the Northern King are both exceptionally young!

Wu Junwan's expression immediately turned serious. She murmured, "It seems that the Northern King recognized us when we came to Yancheng last time."

Thinking about it this way, the Northern King probably already knew that the Qianhai Chamber of Commerce was her faction. The Northern King made Tingyu Tower cooperate with the Qianhai Chamber of Commerce in order to gather intelligence on Dawu.

Thinking about this, Wu Junwan felt very uncomfortable. She never expected that she would be tricked.

Compared to Wu Yunwan, there was another person who was feeling uncomfortable at this moment, and that person harbored even greater resentment. That person was Wu Ming, the second prince of Da Wu.

Wu Ming's carriage was right behind Wu Yunwan's. At this moment, Wu Ming, sitting in the carriage, had a somewhat distorted expression on his face, his fists clenched, and his anger was hard to quell.

As the second prince of Da Wu, he went on a diplomatic mission to the Northern Kingdom with Princess Wu Junwan. However, upon arriving in the Northern Kingdom, the vassal king only welcomed Princess Wu Junwan and completely forgot about his existence.

Before they set off for the Northern Kingdom, Da Wu had informed the Northern Kingdom. It was impossible for the Northern Kingdom not to know that his second prince had also gone on a mission to the Northern Kingdom with Wu Yunwan.

However, the Northern King didn't mention his name at all. It's as if the Northern King doesn't take him seriously at all. It seems that in front of Wu Junwan, or as long as he and Wu Junwan are together, he, the Second Prince, is dispensable.

Wu Ming also realized that the high-level reception from the Northern Kingdom was entirely for the purpose of receiving Princess Wu Yunwan, and that it had nothing to do with him, the second prince.

Wu Yunwan is clearly a woman, so why does she deserve such high-level treatment?

He was clearly the prince, the one who was qualified to inherit the throne, yet he was completely ignored!

Wu Yunwan is just a woman. What right does she have to steal the limelight from him, a prince! It's one thing to steal credit when the rebellion was quelled, but now she's trying to steal credit again during this mission to the Northern Kingdom.

At first, his father only intended for him to represent Da Wu on a diplomatic mission to the Northern Kingdom. When he heard about this, he was very excited. In his opinion, his father wanted to groom him to be his successor, so he wanted him to accumulate more merits.

Unexpectedly, Wu Yunwan appeared out of nowhere. It was all because of that scoundrel Chai Jiliang. If it weren't for Chai Jiliang persuading his father, how could his father have allowed Wu Yunwan to accompany him on his mission to the Northern Kingdom?

Wu Ming grew angrier the more he thought about it, and finally he couldn't hold back any longer and blurted out, "Those two adulterers!"

As soon as Wu Ming finished speaking, the old man sitting in the carriage reminded him, "Your Highness, be careful what you say."

Hearing this, Wu Ming calmed down a little.

A short while later.

Lu Chen and his group arrived at the council hall, where the members of the Great Wu delegation had also taken their seats.

After taking their seats, Lu Chen had the dancers and musicians perform.

However, the members of the Great Martial Delegation were not paying attention to the performance; their eyes kept scanning the council hall, as if they were searching for something.

Lu Chen noticed their subtle actions and knew what they were looking for. Clearly, they wanted to see if Zhuge Chongguang had attended today's luncheon so they could determine if Zhuge Chongguang's cultivation level had broken through to the Celestial Realm.

Lu Chen didn't give them that chance; Zhuge Chongguang did not attend the luncheon this time.

At this moment, Lu Chen also noticed the fair-skinned man sitting next to Wu Junwan. The man was wearing a white brocade robe with gold thread, and his temperament was very noble. He looked like a young master.

Lu Chen naturally knew who this person was, but he pretended to know nothing and asked, "Princess, who is this young master sitting next to you?"

Upon hearing the question, Wu Yunwan was slightly taken aback. After regaining her composure, she replied with a smile, "I forgot to introduce you to the Northern King. This is the second prince of the Great Wu, named Wu Ming."

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen smiled and said, "So it's Prince Wu Ming! I've long admired your name!"

Hearing their conversation, Wu Ming felt a surge of anger. The Northern King couldn't even tell that he was the second prince of the Great Wu Kingdom, and he actually needed Wu Junwan to introduce him! If Wu Junwan hadn't introduced him, would the Northern King have ended up not even knowing that he had been sent as an envoy to the Northern Kingdom?

No, this mission to the northern kingdom is his chance to accumulate merits, and he absolutely cannot let this woman beside him steal all the credit.

He had to take the initiative. Although he always felt a strange sense of pressure in front of Wu Yunwan, he couldn't let a woman like her suppress him so much for the sake of the crown prince's position.

Thinking of this, Wu Ming smiled and said, "Your Majesty the North is joking. I am not very popular in Da Wu. How could Your Majesty the North have heard of me? On the contrary, Your Majesty the North's name has long been known throughout Da Wu. Now, almost every household in Da Wu knows that there is a great hero in Da Xia who has repeatedly resisted the southward invasion of the barbarians!"

Lu Chen smiled and then said, "What kind of great hero am I? I'm just trying to protect my own little piece of land."

Before Wu Yunwan could say anything, Wu Ming suddenly spoke up, "I heard that Senior Zhuge is now holding an important position in the Northern Kingdom, but why haven't I seen Senior Zhuge today?"

Lu Chen replied calmly, "As you probably know, he recently broke through to a higher realm, and his cultivation level is not yet stable, so he has been in seclusion to cultivate recently."

Wu Ming said, "Speaking of Senior Zhuge, I suddenly remembered that I haven't congratulated the Northern King on recruiting a Celestial Realm expert like Senior Zhuge."

Hearing this, Lu Chen smiled and didn't continue the conversation.

He didn't intend to say much about Zhuge Chongguang; he wanted to maintain Zhuge Chongguang's mystique and let them guess whether Zhuge Chongguang had actually broken through to the Celestial Realm.

At this moment, Wu Yunwan also noticed that Wu Ming seemed very eager for Lu Chen to remember him, trying to seize more opportunities to speak. She smiled slightly and then said, "Prince of the North, you should have received the letter I sent you, right?"

Before the official mission to the Northern Kingdom, Da Wu sent a letter of state, along with a letter from Wu Junwan. The letter mainly discussed the topics that Da Wu would discuss during his mission to the Northern Kingdom.

As for why Wu Yunwan wrote to Lu Chen in advance, her purpose was obvious.

Lu Chen replied, "Of course."

Upon hearing their conversation, Wu Ming was taken aback.

letter?

What letter?

That despicable woman, Wu Yunwan, actually wrote a letter to the Northern King in advance!

He knows nothing!

I don't know what the letter contained.

How could he possibly interrupt?

Wu Yunwan continued, "Now that the Northern Kingdom possesses a Celestial Realm expert, its military strength surpasses that of the Great Xia Dynasty. I wonder if the Northern King has considered the position of the Great Xia capital? If the Northern King desires that position, Great Wu is willing to do everything in its power to help him!"

Seeing that Wu Yunwan spoke so directly, Lu Chen said, "I thought the Princess would be a little more tactful, but I didn't expect her to say it so bluntly."

Wu Yunwan said, "The rise of the Northern Kingdom is visible to everyone, and it is only a matter of time before the Northern King ascends to the supreme position. Therefore, I think there is no need to hide some things; it is better to say them directly."

"Once the Northern King ascends to that position, Great Wu is willing to sign an alliance with Great Xia and maintain friendly relations with Great Xia for generations to come."

Hearing Wu Yunwan's words, Lu Chen took a sip of wine, then asked with a smile, "Why doesn't Great Wu sign an alliance with Great Xia now?"

Wu Yunwan replied, "If we sign an alliance with the Great Xia Dynasty now, the alliance will be null and void once the Northern King ascends to that position. Since the Northern King will soon ascend to that position, Great Wu should naturally go directly to the Northern King to discuss the alliance."

(End of this chapter)