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

King Qi placed high hopes on Wanchang City. In his view, Wanchang City was located in the Dichang Valley, which was both offensive and defensive. As long as Wanchang City was defended, the northern army would be unable to continue its southward advance.

Not long after, Wanchang City was captured by the Northern Army.

Moreover, after the Northern army captured Wanchang City, they immediately elected a new prefect and began to reform the land policy, handing over all land ownership to the Northern King and significantly reducing taxes to one-hundredth of the total tax.

King Qi couldn't believe how the King of the North dared to do this. Not only did he exempt other agricultural taxes, but he also imposed a tax of one-hundredth of the total. Even if he were to fight back in the future, the locals probably wouldn't support him as King Qi anymore.

Has my nephew gone mad?

Agricultural taxes are the foundation of their feudal rule; how dare he set the taxes so low!

Of course, what King Qi is most worried about now is not the tax issue, but whether he can defend the State of Qi.

Now that Wanchang City and Dongri City have fallen, the Qi Kingdom has lost 200,000 troops in one fell swoop.

The capital still has some troops, and if they conscript men now, they can gather about 200,000 soldiers again in a short period of time.

These soldiers are basically not very combat-effective, but they are still good at blocking arrows.

Despite being ill, Prince Qi still issued orders despite his illness in order to resist the northern army.

Prince Qi is now completely bound to the war chariot. Even if Prince Qi wanted to surrender now, those aristocratic families would not allow him to. If Prince Qi, as the leader, were to surrender, what would happen to those aristocratic families?

They had heard about the things the Northern army did after occupying Wanchang City, especially the matter of taking the land back into the hands of the Northern King, which deeply agitated them.

Noble families would absolutely not allow such a policy to be applied to them.

Soon, the Qi Kingdom once again assembled an army of 200,000, but most of these soldiers were peasant soldiers who had been captured and had no fighting ability whatsoever.

But now that the situation is so critical, it doesn't matter whether these peasant soldiers have any fighting ability or not.

In an effort to prevent the Northern King from conquering the Qi Kingdom, the powerful families within its borders tried every possible means.

Inside Anping City.

In the dead of night, Lu Chen looked at the battle report sent back by Xuan Yuan Chen and couldn't help but sneer.

Are these powerful families in Qi really planning to perish together with him?

However, if you hit a stone with an egg, only the egg will break.

Just then, Bai Qingqing, dressed in a black guard uniform, entered the study. "Your Highness, it's time to rest."

Lu Chen was traveling south with Xuan Yuan Chen this time. He was not the commander-in-chief and did not lead any troops, so he had maids to serve him, and Bai Qingqing was one of them.

Ever since Lu Chen left the Northern Prince's Mansion and went south, Bai Qingqing has been in charge of arranging Lu Chen's life. What Lu Chen eats every day and when he rests at night are all arranged by Bai Qingqing.

Before heading south, Chu Yuqin had told Bai Qingqing that she must take good care of Lu Chen, so Bai Qingqing paid special attention to Lu Chen's life.

Of course, even if Chu Yuqin hadn't reminded her, she would have taken good care of Lu Chen.

Seeing Bai Qingqing's expressionless, aloof, and stunningly beautiful face, Lu Chen put down what he was holding and said, "Alright, it's time to rest."

Lu Chen then followed Bai Qingqing back to the room. After entering the room, Lu Chen said to Bai Qingqing, "Xiao Bai, you can stay here tonight."

Upon hearing this, Bai Qingqing showed no reaction. She was already used to serving the emperor in bed, and this was nothing new to her.

"Yes, Your Highness."

As soon as Bai Qingqing finished speaking, Lu Chen pulled her into his arms, putting his arm around her slender waist and saying, "Little Bai, you've been back by my side for so long now, why are you still so reserved?"

As Lu Chen spoke, he reached his hand inside Bai Qingqing's clothes.

Bai Qingqing, who had been expressionless, finally blushed. However, she didn't say anything, but just leaned quietly in Lu Chen's arms, letting Lu Chen do whatever he wanted to her.

Seeing a blush appear on the cold and beautiful woman's face, Lu Chen could no longer hold back and carried Bai Qingqing to the bed.

Finally, under Lu Chen's guidance, Bai Qingqing finally called him "husband".

the next morning.

With Bai Qingqing's help, Lu Chen got dressed.

He was just about to eat the breakfast prepared by the servants when a maid came to him and said, "Your Highness, the head of the Qi family requests an audience."

Hearing this, Lu Chen was stunned for a moment.

Head of the Qi family?

That Qi family?

Lu Chen then asked, "The Qi family? Where did this Qi family come from?"

The maid replied, "It's a prominent family within the Qi Kingdom. Their family is located in Wanchang City. According to the family head, he was instructed by General Xuanyuan to come and see you."

Upon hearing the maid's words, Lu Chen finally realized that they were from a prominent family in Wanchang City.

After Wanchang City was captured, the ownership of land in Wanchang City and the surrounding area changed hands. Lu Chen had heard about this in Xuan Yuan Chen's letter. The first family in Wanchang City was particularly cooperative, not only handing over a lot of gold and silver treasures, but also actively cooperating with the change of land ownership.

Lu Chen pondered for a moment, and finally decided to meet the head of the Qi family.

Originally, the head of the Qi family was just a local aristocratic family and was not qualified to meet Lu Chen, a vassal king. However, Lu Chen considered that the Qi family still had some influence in the Qi Kingdom and could support the Qi family to set an example for other small families.

After breakfast, Lu Chen met with the head of the Qi family. The head of the Qi family came to see him, but there was nothing important to discuss; he just came to express his loyalty.

Furthermore, the head of the Qi family cleverly handed over the list of aristocratic families within the Qi Kingdom who funded the Qi King's resistance against the northern army's southward advance to Lu Chen, making him a clear-cut traitor to the Qi Kingdom.

With the list provided by the Qi family, Lu Chen would have a better idea of ​​how to settle accounts with those powerful families. Of course, it's possible that the Qi family wanted to use someone else to do their dirty work, but Lu Chen didn't care. He was already planning to clean up the powerful families within the Qi Kingdom anyway.

After meeting with the head of the Qi family, Lu Chen gave Xuan Yuan Chen a military order, instructing him to advance towards the capital of Qi Kingdom.

At the same time, Lu Chen no longer stayed in Anping City, but led 50,000 soldiers south to Wanchang City.

Lu Chen no longer needs to personally go to the front line of the battlefield. He is the king, and fighting is not his job. He only needs to command from behind. How to use people is a question that he, as a ruler, should think about.

When Lu Chen arrived in Wanchang City, the streets were deserted as the people of Qi Kingdom lined both sides of the road to warmly welcome him.

Putting everything else aside, the tax exemption alone is enough to make ordinary people grateful to Lu Chen.

Previously, the State of Qi was controlled by local powerful families, and there were all sorts of taxes, which were not only numerous but also complicated. When the King of the North came, he directly abolished all those taxes, so how could he not be loved by the people?

When Lu Chen arrived in Wanchang City, Xuan Yuan Chen had already led an army of 150,000 straight towards the capital of Qi Kingdom. In the following half month, Xuan Yuan Chen advanced at a rate of almost one city being captured every day.

As news of the city's fall reached the capital of Qi Kingdom one after another, King Qi grew increasingly fearful, as did the powerful families of Qi Kingdom.

Finally, within a short month, Xuan Yuan Chen did not disappoint Lu Chen's expectations and led the 150,000-strong army of the Northern Kingdom to the capital of Qi Kingdom.

When King Qi learned that the Northern army had arrived in the capital, he was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground.

At this moment.

The capital of Qi Kingdom, inside the Qi Prince's Palace.

Prince Qi sat on the ground, his face filled with fear.

"How is that possible..."

"How could it be so fast..."

At this moment, Princess Qi, supporting Prince Qi, said anxiously, "Your Majesty, let's escape!"

Princess Qi's words instantly provoked Prince Qi, who immediately retorted, "No! I will never run away!"

"I still have two hundred thousand troops!"

"I have already written to the imperial court, and they will certainly send troops to support us. I refuse to believe that the Xia Emperor would stand idly by and watch the Qi Kingdom be destroyed!"

Prince Qi's face was contorted with rage, yet he still showed no intention of fleeing or surrendering. (End of Chapter)