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

After seeing Lu Chen to the door, Lu Yi watched Lu Chen's carriage drive away. At this moment, Xue Linglong said to Lu Yi, "Husband, didn't you say before that the Northern King was after the whole world? For him, wouldn't it be simpler to just march south under the pretext of serving the emperor? Why did he need to lend you troops?"

Upon hearing Xue Linglong's question, Lu Yi chuckled as he watched the carriage carrying Lu Chen disappear into the distance, and then said, "Because he can't be sure if there really are any Celestials in the capital."

"The weapons of the Northern Kingdom are indeed formidable, but they are utterly useless in the face of the Celestials."

"Although he has some connection with Xuan Yue Palace, it's unlikely that the celestial being in Xuan Yue Palace would listen to him in everything. Moreover, given the possibility of celestial beings existing in the capital, the celestial being in Xuan Yue Palace probably wouldn't risk accompanying him south to defend the king."

"Although my coup failed, I still have many supporters. After all, I am the eldest son of the legitimate wife. As long as I occupy Heyang County and gather people from all over the world under the pretext of serving the emperor, many forces will surely join me."

"At that time, I will be able to gather a huge force and lead troops to the capital again."

"The power I have gathered can not only help the Northern King deplete the imperial army, but may also test whether there are any celestial beings in the capital. The Northern King only needs to pay a very small price, and I believe he should know how to choose."

Upon hearing Lu Yi's words, Xue Linglong thought to herself, "I originally thought Lu Yi was just a good-for-nothing, but I didn't expect him to actually have some brains."

However, the Northern King might not agree.

If the Northern King is confident in his own strength, he will most likely lead his troops south to defend the emperor, and there will be no need for Lu Yi to test the strength of the court for him.

Now it depends on what the Northern King thinks.

After returning to the Northern Prince's Mansion, Lu Chen immediately had someone summon Zhuge Chongguang to his study and told him what Lu Yi had just said to him.

Upon hearing Lu Chen say that Emperor Xia possessed an evil treasure that could potentially allow someone to break through to the Celestial Realm, even Zhuge Chongguang was taken aback. If Emperor Xia truly possessed such a treasure, then there would probably already be Celestial Realm beings in the capital by now.

This is extremely disadvantageous for the northern country.

Although there are also celestial beings in the North, there are too many unknown possibilities when celestial beings are compared to each other. No one knows whether the celestial beings in the North are more powerful or those in the capital are more powerful.

Moreover, that evil treasure might not only be able to create one Celestial Being, but could very well create many more. If the Northern Kingdom rashly sends troops south, it might end up kicking a hornet's nest.

After a moment of silence, Zhuge Chongguang said, "Your Highness, if such an evil treasure truly exists, then we may need to reconsider our options."

Lu Chen asked, "Has the Grand Scholar ever heard of any similar treasures that can help someone break through to the Celestial Realm?"

Zhuge Chongguang replied, "No, this old minister has lived for so many years and this is the first time I have ever heard of such a treasure."

"If news of such a treasure had leaked out before, the grandmasters of the world would probably have been in an uproar."

Throughout history, very few martial artists have been able to break through to become Celestials. Most people cultivate to the level of Grandmaster and then can only wait to die.

If those old guys knew that there were treasures in this world that could directly allow someone to break through to the Celestial Realm, those Grandmasters would definitely rush to seize them without hesitation, since they wouldn't live for many more years anyway.

If they could seize that treasure and use it to help them break through their limits, they would not only possess power that could crush all martial artists in the world, but they would also be able to live for countless more years.

Lu Chen thought for a moment, then asked the system, "System, do you know of any treasures in this world that can directly allow someone to break through to the Celestial Realm?"

This question cannot be answered at this time.

Lu Chen was speechless. What did he mean by "cannot answer for the time being"? Yes or no.

After sensing Lu Chen's thoughts, the system continued to provide prompts.

Such a thing does not exist in this world, because the only condition for becoming a Celestial Being is passing the test of the Heavenly Dao's will. Even if there were a shortcut to becoming a Celestial Being, it would be a treasure from another world, and if one forcibly tries to become a Celestial Being through other means, there is a very high chance that one will be destroyed by the Heavenly Dao.

Upon hearing the system's reply, Lu Chen fell into deep thought. If Emperor Xia truly possessed a treasure that could directly transform someone into a celestial being, then that treasure could not possibly be from this world, but rather came from another world.

and many more……

Lu Chen suddenly thought of something. The information he received was told to him by Lu Yi, who inquired about it from the heavy cavalry. Was it possible that the heavy cavalry transporting the treasure didn't actually know its specific function?

Perhaps the so-called news that it can help people break through to the Celestial Realm is just a rumor, and that the treasure actually has other uses.

Thinking of this, Lu Chen breathed a slight sigh of relief. If that was the case, then there was nothing to worry about.

Seeing that Lu Chen remained silent for a long time, Zhuge Chongguang said from the side, "Your Highness, why don't you temporarily agree to the First Prince's request to help him occupy Heyang County, and then help him consolidate his power? When the First Prince and Prince Zhao attack the capital, we will naturally know whether there are any Celestials in the capital."

Lu Chen came to his senses and said, "Alright, then I will agree to help the Crown Prince occupy Heyang County."

"However, I do not believe that my father possesses a treasure that could directly transform a person into a celestial being. I suspect that he has obtained some kind of weapon."

Lu Chen wanted Lu Yi and the other vassal kings to test the Xia Emperor and see what tricks he could come up with.

Moreover, he is not in a hurry. Yelü Nanyan and Xiao Wenyao are pregnant, so he can make two preparations. On the one hand, he can send Lu Yi to test the Xia Emperor, and on the other hand, after the child is born, the strength of the Northern Kingdom will surely be further enhanced.

The system once said that the more offspring he has, the richer the rewards he may receive later. The system had previously rewarded him with a Celestial Realm expert.

If they're lucky, perhaps when Yelü Nanyan and Xiao Wenyao's child is born, it will also be able to become a celestial being.

Of course, this was just Lu Chen's guess.

There's still almost a year left, and Lu Chen can afford to wait that long.

However, although he had decided to help Lu Yi occupy Heyang County, Lu Chen did not intend to send troops south immediately. He planned to delay for a while and let Lu Yi wait.

For the next few days, Lu Chen simply ignored Lu Yi.

Lu Yi was initially very confident, believing that after hearing what he said, Lu Chen would likely immediately agree to send troops to help him occupy Heyang County.

Several days passed, and there was still no movement from the Northern Prince's Mansion. As time went by, Lu Yi couldn't stay in the mansion any longer, so he came up with a good idea: he sent Xue Linglong to the Northern Prince's Mansion to pretend to get along well with Lu Chen's female relatives and then take the opportunity to find out Lu Chen's attitude.

North Palace.

Mu Zixuan was checking the account books in the courtyard when a maid suddenly entered and said, "Your Highness, there is a woman outside who claims to be Miss Xue and requests an audience. She says she is an acquaintance of yours."

Upon hearing this, Mu Zixuan was taken aback for a moment.

Miss Xue?

Who is that?

However, Mu Zixuan quickly realized that the only person she knew with the surname Xue was the Crown Princess.

Although the Crown Prince and Crown Princess fled to the Northern Kingdom, the Crown Prince was still a traitor, so he could not make a public appearance.

Therefore, if Crown Princess Xue Linglong wanted to see him, she couldn't directly say that she was the Crown Princess; she could only give her surname.

Thinking of this, Mu Zixuan said, "Take her to the Hundred Flowers Garden, and also call Madam Chu to come with me to see Miss Xue."

"Yes, Your Highness."

The maid then turned and left the courtyard.

Mu Zixuan also got up from her chair and tidied up the account books in front of her.

As Mu Zixuan walked out of Fengyun Courtyard, she ran into Chu Yuqin, who asked curiously, "Zixuan, I heard from the maid that you wanted me to meet someone with you?"

Mu Zixuan said directly, "Yes, I'd like to see the Grand Princess."

Upon hearing this, Chu Yuqin's expression instantly turned serious. She said thoughtfully, "It seems she wants to find out some information."

Chu Yuqin continued, "Where is she now?"

Mu Zixuan replied, "I had my maid take her to the Hundred Flowers Garden to wait. Let's go there now."

As soon as she finished speaking, Mu Zixuan headed straight for the Hundred Flowers Garden in the outer courtyard.

"it is good."

Chu Yuqin followed without hesitation.

Soon, the two arrived at the Hundred Flowers Garden. Xue Linglong was already waiting in the pavilion in the garden. Upon sensing someone's arrival, she immediately got up from the stone bench.

Just as her gaze fell upon Chu Yuqin, she was suddenly taken aback.

Grandmaster?

Xue Linglong had naturally met Chu Yuqin before. Back then, Chu Yuqin was known as the female sword immortal by many people in the capital, and she was very famous.

However, Chu Yuqin was only a ninth-grade musician at that time.

When Chu Yuqin came to the Northern Kingdom with the Northern King, she hadn't even reached the half-step Grandmaster realm yet, so how could she have become a Grandmaster so quickly?

How does she do it?

Xue Linglong quickly calmed her shock and hurried towards Mu Zixuan and the others. Mu Zixuan and Chu Yuqin stood before Xue Linglong, bowed, and said, "Greetings, Crown Princess!"

Upon hearing this, Xue Linglong quickly took the arms of the two women and said, "My two sisters, you mustn't! I am now a guilty person, no longer the Crown Princess. I cannot accept your bow."

Mu Zixuan said with a smile, "As long as His Majesty does not appoint another crown prince, then Sister Xue, you will still be the Crown Princess."

Xue Linglong said, "This identity is rather sensitive now, so please don't call me Crown Princess anymore. Let's just call each other sisters from now on."

At this point, Xue Linglong grabbed Mu Zixuan's wrist and said, "Zixuan, when you left the capital, you were still quite naive. I never expected that in just a few years, you would become so elegant and have the charm of a mature woman."

"The Northern King is truly blessed to have married you!"

Mu Zixuan said, "Sister, you are joking. I am truly blessed to be able to marry the prince."

The Xue and Mu families were both prominent clans in the capital. The two families had some dealings in the past, so Mu Zixuan and Xue Linglong had met quite a few times, but they weren't particularly close.

Seeing Xue Linglong calling her "sister" so affectionately, as if they had a very good relationship, Mu Zixuan became more wary.

At this moment, Mu Zixuan took Xue Linglong's hand and walked towards the pavilion, saying as they walked, "Sister Xue, let's go sit in the pavilion and chat."

Xue Linglong said, "Okay."

The three of them then sat down in the pavilion. Mu Zixuan then said to the maid beside her, "Xiao Rou, quickly have someone make tea, the best tea from the Prince's mansion."

The maid immediately understood Mu Zixuan's meaning, "Yes, Your Highness, this servant will go right away."

Mu Zixuan then said, "Sister Xue, you must have gone through a lot of hardships on your way to the Northern Kingdom."

Upon hearing this, Xue Linglong sighed and remained silent, a sad expression on her face.

Mu Zixuan quickly comforted her, saying, "I'm sorry, Sister Xue, I shouldn't have brought this up. Sister Xue, don't be sad, it's all in the past."

Xue Linglong grasped Mu Zixuan's hand tightly and said, "Sister Zixuan is right, all of this is in the past."

"It's all thanks to Ninth Brother. If it weren't for Ninth Brother taking us in, I'm afraid that dozens of people from the Eastern Palace would have ended up with their heads rolling."

At this point, Xue Linglong looked into Mu Zixuan's eyes and said, "Sister Zixuan, I really envy you. After marrying the King of the North, you came to such a prosperous and beautiful place as the Northern Kingdom, where you lived a happy life as a wife and mother, far away from the strife, and you don't have to live in fear every day."

Mu Zixuan said, "Sister, you don't know this, but when we first came to the Northern Kingdom, it wasn't like this. The Northern Kingdom has become so prosperous thanks to the Prince."

Xue Linglong said, "Alas, everyone in the capital misjudged him back then. No one could match Ninth Brother's talent. If Ninth Brother hadn't left the Northern Kingdom, perhaps he would be the Crown Prince now, and Great Xia wouldn't be in this situation where treacherous officials are in power."

Mu Zixuan said, "Sister Xue is joking. The Prince has no such intention. Compared to the position of Crown Prince, the Prince prefers to take more wives and concubines and live a carefree life."

At this point, Mu Zixuan asked, "Sister Xue has been in the Northern Kingdom for a few days now. I wonder if she's getting used to everything there?"

"If you need anything, please feel free to ask."

Xue Linglong replied, "I've gotten used to the food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, but since coming to the Northern Kingdom, I don't even have anyone to talk to in the Lu residence."

Xue Linglong's social circle was confined to the capital city. Now that she has left the capital and come to the north, she knows almost no one, let alone has any friends.

Mu Zixuan immediately said, "If Sister Xue feels lonely in the Northern Kingdom, she can come to the Northern Prince's Mansion more often to talk and chat with me."

Xue Linglong sighed softly, "Luckily I know Sister Zixuan. If Sister Zixuan weren't in Yancheng, I really wouldn't know who to talk to."

At this moment, the maid brought a kettle into the pavilion, quickly brewed tea, and poured a cup for each of Mu Zixuan and the other two.

Mu Zixuan said, "Sister Xue, this is the best tea from the Prince's Mansion. This tea has the function of refreshing the mind. You should try it."

Upon hearing this, Xue Linglong was not on guard at all. As a member of the Demonic Sect, she was quite sensitive to poison, and she could instantly tell whether there was poison in the tea.

Xue Linglong picked up her teacup, covered it with one hand, and took a small sip.

The next moment, Xue Linglong's heart trembled. This tea actually had the function of refreshing the mind and even made the circulation of spiritual energy in her body much smoother.

Xue Linglong then put down her teacup and said to Mu Zixuan, "Sister Zixuan, this tea must be very rare. It's such a waste to just brew it for me like this."

Mu Zixuan smiled and said, "This tea is indeed quite precious, but that's in comparison to people outside. The people in our royal palace drink this tea."

Xue Linglong thought to herself, "No wonder Chu Yuqin was able to break through to the Grandmaster realm in such a short time. It seems that the Northern Prince's Mansion has many secrets."

Following Lu Yi north was definitely the right decision.

At this moment, Chu Yuqin was carefully examining Xue Linglong. She was a little confused. Lu Chen had told them that Xue Linglong was a Grandmaster, so why couldn't she sense any Grandmaster aura on Xue Linglong? It was as if Xue Linglong was just an ordinary person.

Could it be that he has cultivated some kind of technique to conceal his aura?

To be able to conceal her martial arts aura so thoroughly, the cultivation technique she practices must come from an exceptionally powerful force. Xue Linglong's backing is no simple matter. Chu Yuqin became even more vigilant, fearing that Xue Linglong might harm Mu Zixuan. (End of Chapter)