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

Chapter 299 The Far North

Hearing the baby crying in the room, Chu Yuqin was stunned. Yesterday, she had asked Mu Zixuan and Da Zhou and Xiao Zhou about the process of childbirth. She heard them say that with Lu Chen around, childbirth was painless and the baby could come out of the belly in no time.

Chu Yuqin was initially skeptical, thinking it would be somewhat difficult no matter what, but she was surprised to find that what Mu Zixuan and the others said was actually true.

She felt absolutely nothing; her only son just contracted and the baby came out.

At this moment, Chu Yuqin felt a continuous warm current flowing into her body. As Lu Chen's spiritual power entered her body, the stretch marks on her belly gradually disappeared, and other parts of her body began to repair themselves. Soon, her body returned to the state before she gave birth.

At this moment, the midwife brought the baby to Lu Chen and said, "Congratulations, Your Highness, it's a son."

Lu Chen smiled faintly, took the child, placed him on the bed, and infused him with some spiritual energy to give him stronger resistance.

Chu Yuqin had regained her strength. She slowly sat up from her lying position, then turned to look at the child on the bed with a kind smile on her face.

Chu Yuqin gently stroked Lu Chengwang's cheek with her jade-like hand and said with a smile, "Wang'er, your father is a big bad guy. Don't be like your father when you grow up."

Hearing this, Lu Chen laughed and said, "Yuqin, what are you saying? What do you mean I'm a big bad guy? How am I bad? Besides, Wang'er is still young, he can't understand what you're saying."

Chu Yuqin looked at Lu Chen and said, "Chen'er, I know you've been busy these past few days. Now that you're free, go ahead and do what you need to do."

Lu Chen laughed and said, "We already have a child, so why call him Chen'er?"

Hearing this, Chu Yuqin blushed. Even after so much time had passed, she still hadn't changed her ways and had gotten used to calling him that.

Then Chu Yuqin said softly, "Husband... Husband, you go ahead and do your work. I've recovered."

Seeing the blushing beauty in front of him, Lu Chen lowered his head and whispered in Chu Yuqin's ear, "My wife, you should rest well. After a few days when things aren't so busy, I'll come to your room every night to keep you and the child company."

Hearing this, Chu Yuqin's face flushed slightly, and she instantly understood what Lu Chen meant.

Lu Chen didn't continue teasing Chu Yuqin. After he finished speaking, he got up and left the delivery room, heading to his study.

He wanted to see what the system had rewarded him with this time.

After entering the study, Lu Chen sat in his seat, opened the system interface, and checked the system prompts.

[Congratulations, host, on gaining an offspring. Reward: 200,000 troops, plus two Grandmaster-level generals and a population of one million.]

[Population Implantation Identity: Descendants of the Great Yin Dynasty, currently residing in the far north.]

[The host can send them a command. Do you want to convey the command to them?]

Lu Chen thought for a moment, then said, "Send them to the Northern Kingdom to report to me on the situation in the far north."

The people of the far north have accepted your orders and will arrive in Yan City in three months.

Upon hearing the system notification, Lu Chen was stunned. Three months?

So long?

How far north is the far north?

It only takes about a month to travel from Dayu City to Yan City, but it takes three months to travel from the far north to Yan City, adding a full two months to the journey.

If it's already this cold in Yancheng, I wonder how cold it must be in the far north. How can the people living in the far north survive?

Just as Lu Chen was deep in thought, a maid's voice rang out from outside the study, "Your Highness, Commander Wu requests an audience!"

Hearing this, Lu Chen snapped out of his reverie and said, "Come in."

The next moment, Wu Yuan pushed open the door and entered the study. Lu Chen hadn't seen Wu Yuan for several months since he was sent to supervise the construction of the railway. Lu Chen asked, "Is the railway almost completed?"

The railway from Dayu City to Yan City was under construction simultaneously at both ends, so Lu Chen didn't know much about the construction process. He only knew that the railway was being built very quickly.

Wu Yuan replied, "It's already in line with the standards, and we can start testing in a few days."

Hearing this, Lu Chen smiled slightly and then said, "You've done a good job. Thank you for your hard work these past few days."

Wu Yuan said, "This is all thanks to Lord Xuanyuan; I did nothing."

Lu Chen seemed to realize something and continued, "When you get back later, tell Lord Xuanyuan to continue surveying the terrain north of Dayu City. I plan to build another railway to the far north soon."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuan was taken aback.

The far north?

Why build a railway to the far north?

The far north is so cold that no one lives there.

Just as Wu Yuan was thinking this, Lu Chen spoke up: "My people live in the far north, and I need to strengthen my ties with them."

Upon hearing Lu Chen's words, Wu Yuan immediately realized why the prince wanted to continue expanding northward; it turned out that the Northern King still held power in the north.

Wu Yuan then said, "I understand. I will tell Lord Xuanyuan later."

As Wu Yuan finished speaking, the maid's voice came from the study door again, "Your Highness, Commander Qin requests an audience."

Lu Chen said calmly, "Come in."

Then, Qin Yushan pushed open the door and entered the study. Upon seeing Qin Yushan, Wu Yuan said, "Your Highness, if there is nothing else, I will take my leave."

Wu Yuan only came to inform people that the Luchen Railway had been connected to the main line; he had nothing else to do.

Lu Chen said, "Okay."

Wu Yuan then turned and left.

After Wu Yuan left, Qin Yushan finally spoke, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness!"

"Your Highness, good news! The Dongfang family's merchant ships have been refitted and successfully completed their trial voyage last night."

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen was taken aback. The modification was complete?

Is it that fast?

Lu Chen then asked, "Did the steam turbine work?"

Qin Yushan said, "It has worked. The modified warships no longer need manpower or wind power. The steam generated by burning coal alone is enough to propel the large ships."

"However, the steamships converted from wooden boats cannot operate for long, so the Dongfang family has left the sails on board and has not moved them."

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen thought for a moment. After all, a wooden boat is a wooden boat. Even if the boiler's heat is well insulated, it may still have some impact on the wooden hull.

Of course, this was also the first time the Dongfang family had converted a wooden boat into a steamship; it was good enough that it was usable.

Perhaps once they gain more experience in the modification, the insulation effect will be better in the future, and the impact of the steam turbine on the wooden hull will be reduced.

Regardless, as long as it works, that's fine.

Lu Chen then said, "Immediately tell Wei Siyuan to move the army from Anping City to the east and train them using the warships modified by the Dongfang family."

Now that the warships have been built, there is no need for Wei Siyuan's naval soldiers to remain on shore.

They will first train using modified wooden steamships, so that when steel steamships become available, the northern navy will be able to adapt immediately.

(End of this chapter)