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

Chapter 296 It's not that I favor the Northern King, it's that you don't understand him.

The Great Yue Dynasty.

The Empress's bedroom.

Two snow-white figures were faintly visible through the red curtains. At this moment, the two figures came to the chaise lounge. Wu Yunwan sat behind Yuehuang and gently massaged Yuehuang's fragrant shoulders.

Emperor Yue spoke up, "Wan'er, it's been a long time since we've been this close, hasn't it?"

Hearing this, Wu Junwan smiled slightly, "It's true that we haven't bathed together for a long time."

Empress Yue sighed softly, "I really miss the days when we were in the Misty Immortal Sect. Back then, my sister and I could spend every day together. Now we live in two different dynasties, and it's not easy for us to see each other."

Wu Junwan said, "We've all grown up, and we each have our own things to do."

At this point, Wu Junwan asked, "Qingrou, are you really not planning to join forces with Da Wu to destroy Da Xia?"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yue said calmly, "Wan'er, your Great Wu has underestimated Great Xia."

At this moment, Emperor Yue turned around, placed her jade-like hand on Wu Yunwan's smooth, white leg, and looked into her eyes, saying, "Do you really think that the Great Wu and the Great Yue can destroy the Great Xia by joining forces?"

Faced with this question, Wu Junwan answered without hesitation: "The Xia Emperor is now in imminent danger, and the vassal kings in various parts of the Great Xia are expanding their armies. The Great Xia has fallen into internal strife. Once they start fighting for the throne, it will give the Great Wu and the Great Yue an opportunity."

Emperor Yue smiled slightly, his face no longer showing the sternness he once displayed when facing his ministers. "Your intelligence work is still not up to par."

"Aren't you aware of the strange phenomena occurring in the capital of Great Xia?"

Wu Yunwan paused for a moment, then said, "I do know that."

Emperor Yue continued, "It's highly likely that a Celestial Realm expert has emerged in Great Xia. Leaving aside whether Great Wu has any means to deal with a Celestial Realm expert, the Xia Emperor just happened to fall ill at this time. Don't you think that's too much of a coincidence?"

"And you should have noticed as well that the Northern King seems to have no interest in going south to compete for the throne. As far as I know, the Northern Kingdom has an intelligence agency called the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Their intelligence gathering capabilities are extremely strong. I believe the Northern King should know best whether Emperor Xia is really in trouble."

"If something were truly wrong with Emperor Xia, the Northern King would definitely have made a move to move south, rather than sending 30,000 heavy cavalry to Yong'an County to defend against your Great Wu Dynasty."

Upon hearing Yuehuang's analysis, Wu Junwan fell into deep thought. She had actually considered this question before, but she believed that the reason why the Northern King had not made any move to march south was because he felt that the Northern Kingdom was still lacking in food and clothing, and that if a war were to break out, the Northern Kingdom might not be able to afford the losses.

Although the military strength of the Northern Kingdom appears to be very strong, having defeated several barbarian invasions and annihilated hundreds of thousands of barbarian troops, they were on homeland defense, serving as the defenders, not the attackers.

To march south and attack the Great Xia Dynasty or other vassal states, a large amount of resources would be needed, and given the current capabilities of the Northern Kingdom, its logistics might not be able to keep up.

Of course, this was Wu Junwan's initial idea.

At this moment, Emperor Yue raised his long, slender, snow-white hand, lifted Wu Yunwan's chin, and gazed into her eyes as he continued, "Wan'er, the Northern King is no simple man. The strength of the Northern Kingdom far exceeds what you know. The reason you came to seek an alliance with Great Yue to deal with Great Xia is most likely because you don't understand the Northern Kingdom well enough. It seems your intelligence agency needs a thorough overhaul."

Hearing this, Wu Junwan was somewhat surprised. She smiled and then said, "I didn't expect you, Qingrou, to think so highly of the Northern King."

Emperor Yue said, "It's not that I think highly of the Northern King, but that you don't understand him, and you don't understand the Northern Kingdom either."

"The Northern King has only been in the Northern Kingdom for a short time, yet he was able to easily annihilate the barbarian army of 300,000. Haven't you ever wondered how he did it?"

Wu Yunwan asked doubtfully, "The Northern Kingdom has 50,000 powerful heavy cavalrymen. It's not surprising that they could annihilate the barbarian army of 300,000?"

Empress Yue smiled faintly, then her jade hand gradually slid down from Wu Yunwan's chin, across her slender, white neck, and gently caressed her soft body.

"It seems your intelligence network really needs a reorganization."

At this point, Emperor Yue raised his hand, and a book flew from the phoenix chair not far away. Emperor Yue took out a letter from the book and handed it to Wu Junwan.

Wu Yunwan curiously took the letter from Emperor Yue and read it carefully. After reading the information in the letter, Wu Yunwan frowned slightly.

Seeing Wu Yunwan's somewhat serious expression, Emperor Yue smiled and said, "Wan'er, this is why I don't intend to join forces with Da Wu."

Wu Junwan fell silent. The letter from Emperor Yue was a piece of intelligence sent from the Northern Kingdom, an investigation into the combat capabilities of the Northern Kingdom's army.

Although the military discipline in the North was already very strict, there are no secrets that stay hidden forever. The North's army had already begun to use firearms extensively, so it was impossible for no word of it to get out.

The fact that the Northern Kingdom dared to include the entire northern lands under its control, and even easily annihilated a barbarian army possessing a Grandmaster, proves that the Northern Kingdom's army is no ordinary force.

Even when the Dayue Dynasty faced the barbarian alliance, it couldn't so easily annihilate the Tianqi King's army. It could only scare the Tianqi King's army away. As a result, after the Tianqi King fled to the Northern Kingdom, he was directly destroyed by the Northern Kingdom.

That was an army of 400,000, and it was taken over by the Northern Kingdom so easily. Something was clearly not right. So Emperor Yue ordered the spies of the Dayue Dynasty to try every means to find out about the Northern Kingdom's army. In the end, the Dayue spies actually found out some rumors about the Northern Kingdom's army.

It is said that the army of the Northern Kingdom can summon lightning. During the Battle of Yancheng, the army of the Heavenly Wolf King was defeated by the army of the Northern Kingdom using lightning.

Empress Yue naturally didn't believe these rumors. She continued to have the spies of Dayue investigate whether there were any mysterious weapons in the Northern Kingdom. During this investigation, the spies of Dayue actually found out the names of the new weapons in the Northern Kingdom, such as the Thunderclap, the Moxing Fire Gun, and the Mortar.

Of course, Dayue's spies only learned the names of these firearms, but did not obtain them.

No matter how strict the military discipline was in the North, there were always some soldiers who couldn't keep their mouths shut and would talk about things related to the army back home. Some soldiers couldn't help but boast to their relatives about how powerful the firearms in the North were.

Even the strictest military discipline cannot prevent such things from happening. Moreover, the Northern Kingdom has only recently undergone reforms, and the military reforms are still in progress. It is simply impossible to expect the soldiers of the Northern Kingdom to be 100% obedient.

Wu Yunwan put down the letter in her hand, then looked up into Emperor Yue's eyes, "Qingrou, is all of this true?"

Emperor Yue replied, "It's highly likely to be true."

"The reason why the Northern Kingdom's army is so powerful is likely because they are equipped with mysterious weapons that we are unaware of. These weapons are extremely powerful and cannot be withstood by ordinary martial artists."

"I sent the lady-in-waiting who has always served me to the northern country to investigate the origin of these mysterious weapons."

"It's the female official you saw when you came to Dayue last time. Her name is Murong Xue'er. She looks quite like you. When you're not around, I have her serve me."

Wu Yunwan clearly didn't heed Empress Yue's words; what she cared about most right now was the mysterious weapon from the Northern Kingdom.

If the Northern Kingdom truly possesses the mysterious weapons mentioned in the letter, and their power is indeed as terrifying as the intelligence reports suggest, then even the vast army of the Great Wu would likely be no match for the Northern Kingdom.

She wondered why Emperor Yue had refused so decisively in court today, showing no intention of allying with Da Wu to attack Da Xia. It turned out that all of this was because of the Northern Kingdom.

As expected! The Northern Kingdom is the greatest enemy of the Great Wu!

Wu Junwan asked, "Qingrou, have any of Dayue's spies come into contact with the mysterious weapons of the Northern Kingdom?"

Emperor Yue replied, "No, we are also trying to send people to infiltrate the Northern Kingdom's military camp, but it is not easy. Moreover, the Northern Kingdom's army does not allow soldiers to take weapons out of the camp. The Northern Kingdom's army is now very disciplined, and it is very difficult to obtain the Northern Kingdom's new weapons."

At this moment, Wu Yunwan frowned, looked at the letter in her hand, and said worriedly, "Could there really be such a terrifying weapon?"

Emperor Yue said, "Although our intelligence was obtained by spies from Dayue, most of the information came from the families of soldiers in the North. Considering the fighting power displayed by the North army, the North probably really does possess the terrifying weapons mentioned in the intelligence."

Wu Yunwan said, "If the Northern Kingdom truly possesses those mysterious weapons, why don't they march south and directly vie for the throne?"

"With a weapon of this power, it should be easy for the Northern King to seize that position."

Emperor Yue embraced Wu Yunwan's soft body and said, "I don't know about that. Perhaps the Prince of the North feels that the time is not yet ripe."

At this moment, Wu Junwan said, "Qingrou, if the Northern Kingdom really possesses such a mysterious weapon, then Dayue and Dawu should unite even more. The Northern Kingdom already has a Celestial Realm expert, and now it has such a terrifying weapon. The Northern King's ambition must be great. If Dayue and Dawu do not form an alliance, sooner or later the Northern Kingdom will defeat both dynasties one by one."

The Empress Yue raised her slender hand and combed Wu Junwan's hair, saying as she did so, "I understand that, but we are not allied now. I need to continue to investigate the situation in the Northern Kingdom. Only after I have truly seen those mysterious weapons of the Northern Kingdom will I form an alliance with the Great Wu."

"The current Dayue Dynasty does not want to fight, and the people of Dayue do not want Dayue to go to war with other countries, especially the ministers in the court. They generally believe that Dayue should now accumulate strength to deal with the barbarians in the north."

"A barbarian goddess has appeared in the north, and the barbarian tribes there are now showing signs of being integrated. This is a huge threat to our Great Yue Dynasty. If I were to ally with Great Wu at this time and go to target Great Xia, the court officials would definitely oppose me."

"Only when the mysterious weapon of the Northern Kingdom is confirmed and the court officials see the threat posed by the Northern Kingdom will they be willing to allow the Dayue Dynasty and the Dawu Dynasty to form an alliance."

"Wan'er, as you know, I am a woman, and it is not easy for me to manage the entire Dayue. If we resort to force and reason, it will eventually force the ministers to rebel."

Upon hearing Emperor Yue's words, Wu Yunwan couldn't help but think that she had thought Emperor Yue's management of Dayue was very easy, and that the ministers of Dayue would do whatever Emperor Yue said. She hadn't expected that Emperor Yue also had so many difficulties. It seems that it is really not easy for a woman to be an emperor.

Just as Wu Yunwan was lost in thought, Emperor Yue embraced her and slowly lay down. "Alright, let's stop discussing politics here and get some rest."

Wu Junwan hummed in agreement and said no more.

Then the two beautiful women pressed their soft bodies together and fell asleep in each other's arms.

……

at the same time.

The Northern Kingdom, New Taipei Royal Palace.

Various sounds kept coming from Dongfang Longyue's room, but fortunately, the architecture of the New Taipei Prince's Mansion was different from that of the Old Taipei Prince's Mansion. The rooms in the New Taipei Prince's Mansion all had glass windows, and the soundproofing effect of the rooms was very good.

In the courtyard outside, only faint sounds could be heard. Unless the windows were opened, people walking in the corridor would not know what was happening in Dongfang Longyue's room.

Lu Chen raised his hand and gently stroked the damp hair on Dongfang Longyue's cheek. At this moment, Dongfang Longyue's face was flushed and her head was covered with beads of sweat.

Lu Chen raised his chest and looked at Dongfang Longyue's beautiful face, saying, "Even if you marry into the Northern Prince's Mansion, I can still arrange a job that you like."

Hearing this, a dazed Dongfang Longyue asked, "Your Highness... what kind of work are you talking about?"

While busy with his own affairs, Lu Chen replied, "The Northern Prince's Mansion plans to create a newspaper. After you leave the Eastern Newspaper, you can come to the Northern Prince's Mansion to manage this newspaper."

Upon hearing this, Dongfang Longyue was taken aback. She hadn't expected the Northern King to be planning to create another newspaper. After catching her breath, she asked, "Huff... Your Highness, is this newspaper specifically created for me?"

Lu Chen smiled and said, "No, actually I had long planned to establish another newspaper based on the Northern Prince's Mansion, but I just hadn't put it into practice yet."

"Think it over. If you agree, you can marry into the Northern Prince's Mansion together with Wang Qingci. I will be taking a concubine in about half a month. You have half a month to think about it."

With eyes brimming with tears, Dongfang Longyue looked at Lu Chen and asked, "Your...Your Highness, I dare not...presume to know Your Highness's meaning. I want...uh...to know...Does Your Highness wish for me to formally marry into the Northern Prince's Mansion in half a month, or...ah..."

Dongfang Longyue let out a soft sigh, and did not continue speaking.

Although Dongfang Longyue hadn't explained herself clearly, Lu Chen already understood the question she wanted to ask. Lu Chen then said, "I'm not demanding that you marry into the royal family in half a month, nor will I be angry about your choice. Anyway, you're already my woman, and I will respect whatever you choose."

"If you decide to stay at the Eastern News Agency, then you can stay there. I will first have the Northern Prince's Mansion create a newspaper, and once you are willing to accept a formal title, I will give you the Northern Prince's Mansion's newspaper."

Dongfang Longyue said, "Thank you... Your Highness..."

Lu Chen smiled slightly and placed his large hand heavily on her. "Are you still calling me Prince?"

Dongfang Longyue blushed, unsure of how to address him.

Lu Chen continued, "Wife, call me 'husband' so I can hear it."

At this moment, Dongfang Longyue felt her mind go blank, and she inexplicably cried out, "Husband... Husband..."

Dongfang Longyue now understood what had happened at the Prince's mansion today.

No wonder the princess treats her so well.

No wonder the women of the Northern Prince's Mansion get along so well.

In other royal residences, the women would inevitably scheme and fight for the emperor's favor, seeing other women as rivals.

But things were completely different at the Northern Prince's Mansion.

If there were women in the Northern Prince's Mansion vying for his favor, I'm afraid that woman wouldn't be able to withstand Lu Chen's affection. Lu Chen is already a Grandmaster, and he's not just any ordinary Grandmaster.

Princess Bei was just an ordinary person. How could an ordinary person be a match for Lu Chen, a grandmaster?

Not to mention ordinary people, even martial artists are no match for Lu Chen. Therefore, in the Northern King's Mansion, all the women of the Northern King's Mansion united to deal with this evil Lu Chen. This is why the women of the Northern King's Mansion seem so united and harmonious.

early morning.

Lu Chen opened his eyes groggily.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he found a stunningly beautiful face looking at him.

Dongfang Longyue had already woken up. As the editor-in-chief of the Dongfang Daily, she had to go to the Dongfang Daily today to report, edit, and review news articles, so she woke up relatively early.

However, after she woke up, she didn't dare to move at all. At this time, Lu Chen was still lying on top of her and holding her body, looking like he was sleeping soundly.

After spending the night together, she had completely accepted Lu Chen. She had only one thought in her mind: the chosen one truly lived up to his name; he was simply irresistible.

Seeing Dongfang Longyue's beautiful eyes staring straight at him, Lu Chen smiled and said, "Sorry, I accidentally fell asleep last night. I hope I didn't crush you."

Dongfang Longyue said, "I'm fine as long as Your Highness is happy."

Lu Chen suddenly remembered that Dongfang Longyue had to go to the newspaper office today, so he immediately stood up and said, "You have to go to the newspaper office today, so I won't take up your time."

As Lu Chen stood up, Dongfang Longyue immediately felt her body grow colder. She quickly stood up as well and said, "Your Highness, let me help you get dressed."

Lu Chen did not refuse; he got out of bed immediately.

With Dongfang Longyue's help, Lu Chen got dressed and left Dongfang Longyue's room.

Watching Lu Chen's departing figure, a slight smile appeared on Dongfang Longyue's lips. She suddenly felt somewhat fortunate that she hadn't chosen to marry those poets and talented men back in Jiangnan, otherwise she probably wouldn't be able to become the Northern King's woman today.

Although the Northern King is somewhat lecherous, his excellence is unmatched, and she is now 100% satisfied with him.

After Lu Chen's figure completely disappeared from Dongfang Longyue's sight, Dongfang Longyue finally came to her senses that she still had to go to the newspaper office today. She quickly asked her maid to bring hot water, took a bath, and after a simple dressing, went to the Dongfang Newspaper Office.

(End of this chapter)