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

Chapter 279 I'll Be His Woman Sooner or Later

Wu Ming spent half an hour talking with Lu Chen at the Northern Prince's Mansion, roughly discussing the contents of the trade cooperation agreement.

After Wu Ming left the Northern Prince's Mansion, he was still incredibly excited. Sitting in the carriage, he felt much more relaxed.

At this moment, he remembered what Lu Chen had said earlier. He couldn't help but clench his fists and then muttered to himself, "A mere vassal king dares to humiliate me like this. Once I ascend to that position, the first thing I will destroy is the Northern Kingdom."

Wu Ming hadn't expected that Lu Chen would reveal the Northern Kingdom's fear of Wu Yunwan, especially in front of him.

The Northern Kingdom is wary of Wu Yunwan, so it chose to cooperate with him, the second prince. Doesn't this mean that the Northern Kingdom sees him as no threat at all?

The thought of the Northern King praising him as an honest man fueled a burning rage within Wu Ming.

What kind of honest man is he? The Northern King just wants to say that Wu Ming is a complete idiot! Does he really think he can't understand?!

Wu Ming grew angrier the more he thought about it, and his earlier joy gradually vanished. He continued to mutter to himself, "I will repay today's humiliation in every way possible in the future!"

……

The next morning, Lu Chen sent someone to tell Wu Yunwan that Wu Ming needed to sign the trade cooperation agreement they were to sign this time.

Wu Yunwan immediately guessed Lu Chen's purpose in doing this; Lu Chen was clearly trying to sow discord between her and Wu Ming.

Wu Yunwan felt that things couldn't continue like this, so she went directly to Wu Ming, intending to have a good talk with him to prevent him from being used by Lu Chen.

Upon hearing that Wu Yunwan wanted to see him, Wu Ming had a pretty good idea of ​​what it was about, but he still went to Wu Yunwan's courtyard.

Upon entering the courtyard, Wu Ming asked, "I wonder what business my elder sister has with me?"

Although they did not share the same mother, Wu Ming still acted quite humbly in front of Princess Wu Yunwan, even referring to himself as "I" instead of "this king."

Wu Junwan said calmly, "Did you meet with the Prince of the North alone yesterday?"

Wu Ming replied with a smile, "As expected, nothing can be hidden from the Empress."

Wu Yunwan said, "The Northern King just sent someone to tell me that he specifically requested your signature on this trade cooperation agreement."

Wu Ming feigned surprise, "Is that so?"

Wu Yunwan continued, "Third brother, you should understand that the reason the Northern King is doing this is to sow discord between us in order to gain more benefits. If you agree to his conditions just to sign the trade agreement, it would be tantamount to betraying Great Wu."

Wu Ming did not take Wu Yunwan's warning to heart. He smiled and said, "Royal sister, you don't need to scare me. Besides, I am a prince of Da Wu. I know what I should and shouldn't do. Father has sent people to monitor my every move. How could I possibly betray Da Wu?"

"Doesn't Your Majesty think the reason the Northern King asked me to sign the trade cooperation agreement is because I'm a man?"

Wu Ming's words were very direct. What he meant was that Wu Yunwan was a woman and therefore not qualified to inherit the throne. When signing a contract with a country, it is natural to choose someone who is qualified to inherit the throne.

Hearing Wu Ming's words, Wu Yunwan was not angry. She smiled and said, "It seems I misunderstood my third brother. As long as he hasn't done anything to betray the Great Wu, that's fine."

Wu Ming then said, "If there's nothing else for you, my sister, I'll take my leave now. Yancheng is very prosperous, and I'd like to go and explore it."

Wu Yunwan said, "Okay."

Wu Ming then turned and left.

Seeing his departing figure, Pei Hong, who was next to Wu Yunwan, said, "Perhaps the Northern King really didn't mention any additional conditions."

Wu Junwan said, "For the Northern King, no matter how many favorable conditions he obtains in the trade cooperation agreement, it is not as profitable as causing chaos in the entire Great Wu Dynasty."

Pei Hong said, "Your Highness, do you intend to give all the credit for this mission to the Northern Kingdom to the Second Prince?"

Wu Junwan pondered for a moment, then said, "Send someone to tell the Prince of the North that I want to speak with him alone."

Although Wu Yunwan knew that Lu Chen was trying to sow discord between Wu Ming and her, she had to talk to Lu Chen in order to prevent the diplomatic achievements of this mission to the Northern Kingdom from falling into Wu Ming's hands.

The Northern King likes to sow discord, so let him sow discord. Anyway, if this woman wants to ascend to the supreme position, the Chen family will not have an easy time. At that time, not only Wu Ming, but also the other princes of Da Wu will be her enemies on the road to advancement.

She and her brothers will fight each other sooner or later; there's no need for Lu Chen to sow discord between them.

As for the diplomatic achievements of this mission to the Northern Kingdom, they certainly cannot be given to Wu Ming.

……

North Palace.

study.

Lu Chen was processing official documents when Wu Yuan came in and said, "Your Highness, Xuanyuan Chaoge has arrived in Yancheng."

Upon hearing Wu Yuan's words, Lu Chen's lips curled up slightly. They had finally arrived. Now he no longer had to worry about the Xuan Yue Palace causing him trouble.

Wu Yuan continued, "Would Your Highness like to see him? He is now staying in the residence you arranged for him."

Lu Chen said, "Have him come to the Prince's residence. I happen to have some questions I'd like to ask him."

"Yes, I will send someone to inform him immediately."

Wu Yuan then turned and left the study.

A short while later, Wu Yuan brought Xuan Yuan Chaoge to Lu Chen's study.

Xuanyuan Chaoge immediately bowed and said, "This old minister greets Your Majesty!"

Lu Chen smiled and said, "Lord Xuanyuan, you don't need to be so polite."

Lu Chen then asked directly, "City Lord Xuanyuan, I'm curious, how did you break through to the Celestial Realm?"

"I remember that to break through to the Celestial Realm, one must undergo the trials of this world. Without passing the trials of this world, one cannot break through."

Upon hearing Lu Chen's words, Xuan Yuan Chaoge was taken aback for a moment, and then he said, "The world's test? Your Majesty is not wrong, but we usually call it the Dao Integration."

"Although people all follow the path of martial arts, there are many branches on this path. Everyone has their own path, and only by comprehending one's own path can one break through to the Celestial Realm."

"After Your Majesty's inspection of Dayu City, the knot in my heart that I had been carrying for many years finally disappeared, and I also comprehended my own Dao. Therefore, I successfully merged with the Dao and reached the state of oneness with heaven and man."

Upon hearing Xuan Yuan Chaoge's words, Lu Chen realized that Xuan Yuan Chaoge's breakthrough to the Celestial Realm was indeed related to him.

Lu Chen then said, "In Yancheng, there is a minister who is a Grandmaster at the Supreme Realm. Some time ago, he suddenly caused a celestial phenomenon, but he did not succeed in achieving Dao Integration. Instead, he only comprehended a method that would allow him to break through to the Celestial Realm. What happened?"

"Since he already knows how he broke through to the Celestial Realm, then logically he should have comprehended his own Dao. So why wasn't he able to break through to the Celestial Realm?"

Xuanyuan Chaoge said, "Your Majesty must be referring to Zhuge Chongguang! This old minister has also heard of him."

Xuan Yuan Chaoge had heard about Zhuge Chongguang's deeds when he was still in Dayu City. Now, Dayu City and Yan City have very frequent exchanges, and the caravans of Dayu City enter and leave Yan City almost every day. Therefore, Xuan Yuan Chaoge quickly learned about what happened in Yan City.

At first, he also thought that a Celestial Realm expert had emerged in Yancheng, but when he entered the city, he did not sense the so-called Celestial Realm expert. He quickly realized that this was just a scheme by the Northern King.

Lu Chen nodded and said, "Yes, it's him."

Xuanyuan Chaoge continued, "His ability to trigger extraordinary phenomena in the heavens and earth proves that he is not far from achieving the Dao. The reason why he cannot achieve the unity of heaven and man may be because his understanding of the Dao he is pursuing is not yet sufficient."

"When I first learned that Your Majesty was in the Northern Kingdom, it caused a strange phenomenon in the heavens and earth. At that time, a voice told me that if I wanted to break through to the Celestial Realm, I had to manage the Great Yu City well."

Upon hearing Xuan Yuan Chaoge's words, Lu Chen pondered for a moment and felt they were somewhat too mystical.

Lu Chen finally understood that, from the first rank of martial artist to the grandmaster realm, as long as one's skill continues to accumulate, one can keep breaking through the realm.

However, once you reach the Grandmaster to the Celestial Realm, further improvements in skill become useless; breakthroughs at this level require the power of consciousness.

How exactly to break through is a mystery, and it varies from person to person.

At first, he and Zhuge Chongguang thought that to break through to the Celestial Realm, they needed to gain the world's recognition. Now that they think about it, it seems that this was just their own idea.

Lu Chen rubbed his temples and stopped thinking about it.

Forget it, there's no point in thinking about these things now. All he needs to know is that the Celestial Realm isn't that easy to break through.

Lu Chen then said, "I will have Grand Scholar Zhuge study with you later. You can tell him about your experience of breaking through to the Celestial Realm and see if he can understand anything from it."

Xuanyuan Chaoge replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."

At this moment, Xuanyuan Chaoge asked, "Your Majesty, what position does this old minister hold in Yancheng?"

Although he had already broken through to the Celestial Realm, someone of Xuanyuan Chaoge's level should no longer need to work. However, Xuanyuan Chaoge was, after all, the lord of a city and had long been accustomed to the life of management. Now that he was suddenly put on a leisurely life, he found it somewhat unbearable.

Upon hearing Xuanyuan Chaoge's words, Lu Chen pondered for a moment before saying, "I initially intended to appoint you as a Grand Academician of the Hall, but after some consideration, I realized it's not advisable to reveal your existence yet. Therefore, I can only ask you to accept this for a while. From now on, you will be in charge of the firearms manufacturing in the Northern Kingdom, as well as the manufacturing of steam engines and trains."

Before Zhuge Chongguang broke through to the Celestial Realm, Xuanyuan Chaoge was a trump card. A trump card is a trump card because it is the last card to be played, so naturally Xuanyuan Chaoge could not be exposed to outsiders so quickly.

Xuanyuan Chaoge immediately replied, "I am not aggrieved. It is an honor for this old minister to be needed by Your Majesty."

Just then, a servant from the Prince's residence said at the door of the study, "Your Highness, the Princess of Da Wu has sent a letter."

Lu Chen immediately said, "Bring it in."

Then, the maid at the door brought Wu Yunwan's letter to Lu Chen. Lu Chen opened the letter, glanced at it, smiled, and then said to the servant at the door, "Tell the messenger to go back and tell the Princess that I am free today at 1-3 PM."

"Yes, Your Highness."

……

in the afternoon.

Inside the pavilion in the outer courtyard of the Northern Prince's Mansion, Wu Yunwan, dressed in a long purple dress, sat on a stone bench, sizing up Lu Chen across the stone table. She then smiled and said, "My third brother must have been sitting in this very spot yesterday, right?"

Lu Chen said with a smile, "Unfortunately, the princess guessed wrong. He is sitting on the stone bench to your right."

Lu Chen then asked, "I wonder what brings the Princess to meet with me alone?"

Wu Yunwan said, "The Northern King sent someone to my residence, specifically requesting that my younger brother sign a trade agreement. Now he's asking me why he's here. Isn't that a rhetorical question?"

Lu Chen smiled faintly, then said, "His Highness Wu Ming is the second prince of the Great Wu Dynasty, and is qualified to inherit the throne. I believe there shouldn't be any problem with him signing this, right?"

Upon hearing Lu Chen's words, Wu Yunwan remained expressionless. She naturally understood that Lu Chen was implying that she was merely a woman and had no right to inherit the throne.

Wu Yunwan then said, "Does the Northern King really believe that the future emperor of Great Wu can only be a man? Didn't Great Yue also produce an empress? Since Great Yue had one, why can't Great Wu have one too?"

Lu Chen said, "I don't care whether the emperor of Da Wu is a man or a woman. Since the princess wants to sign the trade cooperation agreement, she has to show her sincerity."

Hearing Lu Chen's words, Wu Yunwan smiled slightly and then said, "I wonder what kind of sincerity the Northern King desires?"

Lu Chen smiled, then picked up the teacup on the stone table, took a sip of tea, and slowly said, "Does the Princess still remember the eldest daughter of the Qian family that I mentioned at yesterday's luncheon?"

Hearing this, Wu Junwan frowned slightly. She didn't know why Lu Chen was bringing up the eldest daughter of the Qian family at this time. At this point, why was Lu Chen still pretending? The so-called eldest daughter of the Qian family was just a fake identity she created when she came to Yancheng last time.

Wu Yunwan then said, "Your Highness, at this point, why don't we just get straight to the point?"

Lu Chen smiled faintly and continued, "Although the Qian family told me that Miss Qian had passed away, I learned through some rumors that Miss Qian is actually still alive. She is at the Qianhai Chamber of Commerce in Dawu. I fell in love with Miss Qian at first sight and really like her. I wonder if the Princess would be willing to part with her and give her to me as a concubine."

Wu Yunwan's expression was somewhat serious. She stared into Lu Chen's eyes, trying to discern from his gaze that he had just been joking.

However, Lu Chen smiled and stared into her eyes, not at all like he was joking.

Wu Yunwan said, "Everyone says that the Northern King is a womanizer and has a fondness for beautiful women. I didn't believe it at first, but after seeing him today, I can see that it is indeed true."

Wu Yunwan originally thought that since Lu Chen had broken through to the Grandmaster realm at such a young age, he wouldn't be very interested in beautiful women. However, he actually said such things to her, so frivolous, acting like a spoiled brat.

This guy actually set his sights on me, the eldest princess of the Great Wu!

Lu Chen said, "A beautiful lady is sought after by a gentleman. I am not lustful; I simply appreciate beautiful things."

When she saw that Lu Chen actually compared her to an "object," her impression of Lu Chen worsened.

Wu Yunwan then said, "You should know that Miss Qian will never marry you. Please, Prince Bei, change your terms."

"The Princess has gathered a lot of information about me through the Qianhai Chamber of Commerce, so she should know very well that my only hobby is women. No matter what conditions the Princess proposes, none of them are as valuable as Miss Qian in my eyes."

Upon hearing these words, Wu Yunwan felt a growing anger, and a slight blush appeared on her cheeks.

This seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy actually had designs on her?

Wu Junwan then said, "Miss Qian is already in her thirties, she is not very suitable for the Prince of the North."

Lu Chen said, "Several of my women are already in their thirties, and one of them is even pregnant with my child. What I like most are mature women in their thirties like Miss Qian."

Wu Yunwan said coldly, "Please, Prince of the North, stop joking."

Lu Chen then said calmly, "Since the Princess is unwilling to give Miss Qian to me, then let's leave it at that. Princess, please leave."

Seeing that Lu Chen had given her the order to leave, Wu Yunwan wondered if Lu Chen had never intended to negotiate with her in the first place, and that was why he said those words on purpose?

She said, "How could the Northern King possibly be attracted to my beauty?"

Wu Junwan immediately stood up and left the pavilion. Looking at Wu Junwan's voluptuous figure, Lu Chen's lips curled up slightly.

You're the eldest princess of the Great Wu, right? Sooner or later you'll become his woman.

(End of this chapter)