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

Chapter 284 I hope we will never meet on the battlefield again.

Upon hearing the words of the old man beside him, Wu Ming immediately deflated. This old man was sent by his father, the emperor, to protect him and also to monitor him.

The old man's attitude represented his father's attitude. Since the old man said that Princess Wu Junwan would never betray the interests of Da Wu, it proved that in the old man's view, there was no problem with the trade agreement.

The old man was clearly reminding him to stop making trouble and to stop being unreasonable.

Wu Ming also knew that if he continued to cause trouble and the trade cooperation agreement failed to be signed, his father would definitely make trouble for him after he returned to the Great Wu Dynasty.

Thinking of this, Wu Ming snorted coldly, then said, "Fine, very well, I will remember this!"

At this point, Wu Ming sat down abruptly and then fell silent.

Seeing that Wu Ming was angry, Lu Chen just smiled slightly. This was the effect he wanted. He never intended for Wu Ming to sign the trade cooperation agreement in the first place.

The reason Lu Chen asked Wu Ming to sign was to make Wu Ming believe that the credit he could have easily obtained had been stolen by Princess Wu Yunwan through despicable means, thereby exacerbating the conflict between them and making the internal strife in the Great Wu even more serious.

The situation in Great Xia is not optimistic. Great Wu must also descend into chaos. Only when Great Wu is in chaos will Great Xia, even if a civil war breaks out, be at most an internal problem without external threats.

Without external threats, no matter how much internal strife occurs in the Great Xia, it is still just infighting among its own people.

If there are no problems within the Great Wu Kingdom during the Great Xia civil war, then the Great Wu Kingdom is very likely to send troops to attack the Great Xia Kingdom. At that time, with internal and external troubles combined, the Great Xia Kingdom may be destroyed.

Although Lu Chen planned to continue to bide his time, he did not want to see the Great Xia Dynasty destroyed by the Great Wu Dynasty at this time.

At this moment, Wu Yunwan signed her name on the trade cooperation agreement, then took out the seal of the Great Wu Princess and stamped it on the scroll. Lu Chen had also stamped his royal seal.

The two parties then exchanged reels, and after the second reel was signed and stamped, they finally exchanged and kept the reels.

Lu Chen then said with a smile, "Your Highness, I wish our Great Wu and the Northern Kingdom a pleasant cooperation!"

Wu Junwan smiled and said, "Okay, it's a pleasure to cooperate."

Hearing their conversation, Wu Ming couldn't help but curse inwardly, "You two are such a scumbag!"

Despite feeling uncomfortable, Wu Ming did not cause any trouble at this time.

After the trade cooperation agreement was signed, Lu Chen hosted another banquet in the Hall of State Affairs to entertain the members of the Da Wu delegation.

After the luncheon, Wu Junwan and the others prepared to return to the Great Wu Dynasty. They had been in the Northern Kingdom for so long, it was time for them to go back.

Just as Wu Yunwan was about to leave, a soldier approached her and said, "Princess, my lord wishes to meet with you alone."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yunwan was taken aback.

The trade cooperation agreement has already been signed, so why are they meeting separately?

However, Wu Yunwan still decided to give the Northern King this chance; she wanted to see what this little man was planning to do.

Wu Yunwan then said, "Alright, lead the way."

Immediately, the soldiers of the Prince's Mansion led Wu Yunwan to the outer courtyard of the mansion. Pei Hong followed behind Wu Yunwan. Just as they were about to enter the courtyard, the soldiers of the Prince's Mansion said to Pei Hong, "Sir, please wait at the gate. His Highness intends to speak with the Princess alone."

Upon hearing this, Pei Hong was taken aback. He frowned and said, "I am the protector of the Eldest Princess. Wherever she goes, I will naturally go. I must ensure the Eldest Princess's safety."

The first two times Lu Chen and Wu Yunwan met, they were alone, and Pei Hong was always on tenterhooks. However, they hadn't signed a trade agreement yet, and now that they were about to return to the Great Wu Dynasty, who knew what the Northern King might do to Wu Yunwan?

Wu Yunwan then said, "Lord Pei, don't worry, just wait here for a moment. The Northern King probably doesn't have anything important to discuss with me, and I'll be out soon."

Seeing that Wu Yunwan had already said so, Pei Hong had no choice but to say, "Alright, Princess, please be careful."

Wu Junwan then went directly into the courtyard.

Lu Chen was already sitting inside the pavilion.

After watching Wu Yunwan enter the courtyard, Lu Chen smiled slightly and said, "I thought the Princess wouldn't come."

At this point, Lu Chen glanced at Wu Junwan's entire body.

Just like last time, Wu Yunwan wore a long purple dress. The light gauze skirt covered her voluptuous figure, revealing glimpses of her body and sparking endless imagination. Wu Yunwan exuded a mature and dignified temperament, just like Chu Yuqin, Lin Wanyun, and Yelü Nanyan. This temperament was incredibly attractive to Lu Chen.

Seeing Lu Chen's gaze sweeping over her, Wu Junwan frowned slightly. She had been high and mighty since childhood, and later she was made the eldest princess by the Martial Emperor. Almost no one in the world dared to look at her with the same gaze as the Northern King, especially in the Great Wu Dynasty. Very few people dared to look directly at her like that, let alone with such a thoughtful gaze.

Wu Yunwan approached the stone table and slowly sat down, her ample buttocks sinking slightly. She asked directly, "I wonder what business the Prince of the North has with me?"

Lu Chen personally poured Wu Yunwan a cup of tea, and then said, "Naturally, it's because the Eldest Princess is returning to Da Wu. I am reluctant to part with her, so I want to see her one last time. I don't know when I will be able to see her again after this separation."

At this point, Lu Chen glanced at Wu Junwan's personal profile.

【Name: Wu Junwan】

[Identity: Princess of the Great Wu Kingdom, daughter of the Martial Emperor, friend of the Empress of the Great Yue Kingdom, and the object of the Northern King's covetousness. She is 30 years old and has reached the pinnacle of the Grandmaster realm. Her trip to the Northern Kingdom is intended to sow discord between the Northern Kingdom and the Great Xia Dynasty. Deep down, she also wants to meet the Northern King; she wants to know what makes him so special that attracts so many people to the Northern Kingdom. Now, she is even more interested in him.]

Rating: 98

【Favourability: 85】

Seeing Wu Yunwan's level of affection for him, Lu Chen thought to himself that it wouldn't be long before Wu Yunwan's level of affection for him would reach 100.

Upon hearing Lu Chen's words, Wu Yunwan calmly replied, "The Northern King is joking. I don't believe he would ask to meet me alone for this reason."

Wu Yunwan thought to herself that with so many women in Lu Chen's harem, even if Lu Chen thought she was beautiful, he wouldn't ask to meet her so directly. She was, after all, the eldest princess of Da Wu, and a person with real power. Lu Chen should know that it was impossible for them to be together.

Lu Chen smiled and said, "Princess, you may be overthinking it. The reason I invited you to meet is because I was afraid that if I didn't see you for a long time, I would miss you terribly. That's why I invited you to see me one last time."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Chen stared intently at Wu Junwan with his deep eyes.

Upon hearing Lu Chen's words and seeing his affectionate gaze, Wu Junwan was stunned.

for real?

Is this young man really interested in her?

Wu Yunwan said bluntly, "It's a pity that I am destined to be apart from the Northern King. Not only are we not destined to be apart, but we may also become enemies in the end. I hope that one day we will not meet on the battlefield."

Lu Chen smiled and said, "We will indeed not meet on the battlefield, because the Princess will marry into the Northern Prince's Mansion sooner or later. I hope that after the Princess returns, she can wait for me for a few more years."

Seeing Lu Chen's confidence, Wu Yunwan was not angry at all. Instead, she chuckled, "Hmph, the Northern King is really confident. Does he really think my father would marry me off to someone who poses such a great threat to the Great Wu?"

Lu Chen said calmly, "Nothing is impossible. As long as the Northern Kingdom is strong enough, anything is possible."

Wu Yunwan said, "Then I will wait in Dawu. If my father really does this one day, I will not resist at all. I will come to the Northern Kingdom and become your woman."

"But by then I will probably be too old and my beauty will have faded, and the Northern King will no longer be interested in me."

Lu Chen said, "That won't happen. With the princess's martial arts talent, she may be able to break through to the Grandmaster realm in no time. The princess's beauty will last for decades."

"Moreover, what I like most is a mature and dignified woman like the Eldest Princess. The older she gets, the more charming she becomes."

Hearing Lu Chen's words, Wu Yunwan finally understood that this young man was not joking with her; he was openly trying to take advantage of her and wanted her.

Wu Yunwan didn't intend to waste any more words with Lu Chen. In her heart, Lu Chen was indeed very handsome and suited her taste, but she was very clear about their positions.

She is someone who wants to be an empress like her best friend, so how could she let such personal feelings stop her? Her stance determines that she and Lu Chen can only be enemies in the future, and in the end, they can probably only meet on the battlefield.

Moreover, she was very confident in herself. With the power she controlled in the Great Wu Dynasty, the Empress would never take the initiative to marry her off to the Northern King.

This little man is indulging in wishful thinking.

Wu Junwan stood up abruptly and said, "If the Northern King wants me to be your woman, he'll probably have to work harder."

"Since the Northern King has nothing else to do, I will return to Da Wu. I hope that our next meeting will not be on the battlefield."

Wu Yunwan then turned around and walked out of the courtyard. Watching Wu Yunwan's swaying hips, Lu Chen smiled faintly. He thought to himself, of course it wouldn't be on the battlefield. The only chance they would meet again was in bed.

In Lu Chen's view, it would not be difficult at all to get Empress Wu to willingly marry Wu Yunwan to him. Empress Wu was a relatively traditional emperor, and the Great Wu Dynasty was a relatively traditional dynasty. When the time came, Empress Wu would naturally find a way to clip Wu Yunwan's wings.

If one day the Northern Kingdom grows strong enough to intimidate the major dynasties, Lu Chen can directly propose a marriage alliance to the Great Wu Dynasty. At that time, those who oppose Wu Junwan within the Great Wu Dynasty will try every means to send Wu Junwan to the Northern Kingdom, and the Wu Emperor may also use this opportunity to completely extinguish Wu Junwan's dream of becoming empress.

Of course, the Northern Kingdom couldn't just sit idly by. Now that the trade cooperation agreement had been signed and Northern Kingdom caravans were able to enter the Great Wu Dynasty, the Northern Kingdom could make good use of its money to get the officials of Great Wu to oppose Wu Junwan's interference in politics.

At this moment, Lu Chen muttered to himself, "Want to be an empress? It's that simple. Come to my room, and I'll make you an empress every day."

Lu Chen's voice was relatively soft, so Wu Junwan, who had already moved away, naturally couldn't hear it anymore.

Lu Chen got up from the stone bench, preparing to leave the pavilion, but just then, Liang Zong entered the courtyard and came directly to Lu Chen, "Greetings, Your Highness!"

Before Lu Chen could speak, Liang Zong handed him a letter. "Your Highness, an urgent report from the capital!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen took the envelope from Liang Zong without saying a word, opened it, and began to read it carefully.

Upon seeing the information in the letter, Lu Chen's expression instantly turned extremely serious.

Liang Zong then added, "After the Third Prince was assassinated, the First Prince also encountered assassins that night. Now the entire capital is in a state of panic, and the princes in various regions are frantically expanding their armies, but the court has not taken any action."

Lu Chen fell into deep thought. He had actually guessed that the Xia Emperor was feigning illness and that the capital might be in chaos, but he did not expect the turmoil to come so quickly.

So quickly, a prince has been assassinated and eliminated. Has the final stage of the struggle for the throne finally begun?

In the past, it was rare for the princes to directly send assassins to kill other princes. Only the Eighth Prince sent someone to assassinate him, the unimportant Ninth Prince, in order to extinguish the ambitions of the Jiangnan aristocratic families.

The reason why the princes dared not take action was mainly because they were afraid that their father would find out and then strip them of their qualifications. The royal family's greatest taboo was killing each other.

Now, a prince has actually been assassinated in the capital of Great Xia, and this happened in the capital, not elsewhere. The third prince who died was the most competitive prince, which shows that the princes are no longer worried about being found out by their father. They believe this is the last moment.

Once they eliminate all those who threaten them, they will be able to ascend to that supreme position.

The most brutal moment of the struggle for the throne has arrived.

After pondering for a moment, Lu Chen asked, "Has my father not made a single move?"

Liang Zong replied, "No orders have been issued from the palace. Only Lin Gaoyuan instructed the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice to investigate the assassination attempts on the Third Prince and the First Prince."

Lu Chen thought to himself, "My father is really heartless. One of his sons is already dead, and he's still pretending to be sick. He won't come out to take charge. Does he want to wait until all his sons have killed each other before he comes out?"

Moreover, the vassal kings in various regions are expanding their armies. If the current situation continues, it will probably not be long before a civil war breaks out in the Great Xia, and then the vassal kings from all over the country will come to the capital to fight for the throne.

What exactly is his father planning?

Just as Lu Chen was deep in thought, Qin Yushan suddenly rushed in with a note in his hand. "Your Highness, a message just arrived from the capital via carrier pigeon!"

Lu Chen immediately asked, "What happened now?"

Qin Yushan replied directly: "News has spread from the palace that His Majesty has appointed the eldest prince to temporarily assume the position of crown prince and oversee all national affairs."

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen asked, "What about military affairs?"

Qin Yushan replied, "It wasn't mentioned. We'll have to wait a few days for detailed intelligence from the capital to arrive before we know."

Pigeon messengers could only deliver a small note, so the information conveyed was very limited and incomplete. They were generally used for extremely important intelligence. However, a few days later, the Imperial Guards would usually send detailed intelligence, allowing the envoy to know the situation in the capital.

At this moment, Lu Chen thought to himself that it seemed his father was also worried about the situation continuing to develop. However, by temporarily appointing the eldest prince as the crown prince instead of making him the crown prince directly, wouldn't that intensify the struggle for the throne? In that case, the eldest prince would become the target of everyone's attacks, and all the princes would target him. The eldest prince's position was not so easy to hold.

Next, we'll wait for detailed intelligence from the capital to see if his father, the Emperor, has appointed the eldest prince to oversee military affairs. If it's just that the eldest prince is in charge of national affairs, then it's not a big deal. After all, Emperor Xia hasn't attended court for so long, and the affairs of state are piling up, so someone does need to handle them.

However, military affairs are different. If the eldest prince gets involved in military affairs, he will have the opportunity to seize military power. Once he has military power, it will be much easier for him to rebel. His father probably won't hand over military affairs to the eldest prince so easily.

However, no matter what, this storm is more intense than the rebellion of the Jiangnan aristocratic families. After all, the regional vassal kings are already restless, and if the Xia emperor does not handle it well, the Great Xia may very well split apart.

Lu Chen then said to Qin Yushan and Liang Zong, "You two continue to monitor the movements in the capital and among the various vassal kings."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Lu Chen then turned around and walked towards where Zhuge Chongguang lived.

Zhuge Chongguang lived next to the Northern King's Mansion. Lu Chen used his lightness skill and landed in Zhuge Chongguang's courtyard in a minute.

Upon seeing Lu Chen arrive, Zhuge Chongguang, who was sitting on the stone bench, quickly stood up and said, "Greetings, Your Highness. May I ask what brings Your Highness to see this old minister?"

Lu Chen rarely takes the initiative to seek out Zhuge Chongguang; it's usually Zhuge Chongguang who goes to Lu Chen, since Lu Chen is the ruler and Zhuge Chongguang is the subject.

Since Lu Chen took the initiative to come to me, it means that Lu Chen must have something important to say.

Lu Chen replied, "I just received intelligence that the Third Prince was assassinated, and the First Prince was also assassinated that day. My father then appointed the First Prince as the Crown Prince to oversee all national affairs."

"I really can't understand what my father is planning. Now the vassal kings in various places are expanding their armies, and civil war is imminent. If this continues, the Great Xia may very well split apart."

"I do not believe that my father would want to see the Great Xia Dynasty split apart."

"Therefore, I would like to ask the Grand Scholar, what is your opinion on the recent events in Great Xia?"

(End of this chapter)