Northern King Mansion, East Courtyard.
Chen Wanrong and Lin Wanyun sat quietly in the secluded pavilion, watching the sun inch toward the western horizon. An hour had passed, yet not a single maid or servant from the Northern King Mansion had come to summon them to treat the concubine in labor.
The silence left them puzzled.
Amniotic fluid rupture was no trivial matter, especially in this era when medical knowledge was limited and death during childbirth remained painfully common. "two lives in one corpse" this phrase was more than a saying; it was a grim reality etched into the lives of many women.
And yet, no one called for their aid.
They were from Xuanyue Palace—one of them, the Palace Master herself. With the healing techniques passed down from their sect, saving a woman in such peril was well within their capabilities.
Was the Northern King so indifferent to their help?
Did he not trust them?
Just then, Lin Wanyun's sharp eyes caught sight of a maid returning from the North Courtyard—the same one who had been sent to assist earlier. Lin Wanyun rose from the stone bench without hesitation and walked up to her, her voice gentle but firm. "Little girl, how is Madam Xiao Zhou?"
The maid paused for a brief moment. Some truths could not be casually revealed in a royal residence. So, she kept her reply simple: "Madam Xiao Zhou is safe. She has given birth to a child for the King."
Hearing those words, Lin Wanyun was momentarily taken aback.
So, someone else had managed to stabilize the crisis?
It seemed that there were experts hidden within the Northern King's residence—perhaps even more skilled than she had anticipated.
Lin Wanyun turned back toward the pavilion and addressed Chen Wanrong respectfully, "Palace Master, it seems our opportunity will have to wait until after the barbarians retreat."
The "opportunity" she referred to was, of course, their chance to earn favor from the Northern King.
If Chen Wanrong wanted to draw Lu Chen's attention wanted him to truly see her, appreciate her worth, even perhaps… fall for her she needed time and more than just her beauty.
When they had first arrived in the Northern Territory, they assumed it would be simple. The Northern King had a reputation for being lecherous, and Chen Wanrong's appearance was unmatched—even crowned one of the most beautiful women in the empire. They thought a single glance would be enough.
But that illusion shattered after their first conversation with Lu Chen.
Despite his reputation, the man had a mind sharper than most. He wasn't a fool to be swayed solely by appearance. If anything, he seemed immune to seduction altogether. Worse yet, he was wary—cautious of anyone approaching with ulterior motives.
Getting close to such a man required more than charm.
They had to show value. Be useful. Prove themselves in ways that no other woman had.
If they could assist him in battle, in governance, or with the people if they could appear indispensable only then could they gradually earn his trust. Only then could he see Chen Wanrong as more than just a pretty face.
Unfortunately, time was not on their side.
The barbarians were on the move, and Lu Chen might not survive the upcoming war.
That was the cruel reality.
A quiet shadow passed over Chen Wanrong's eyes. Her thoughts drifted unbidden to the past.
When the Great Xia army marched upon the Chen State, her father had done the same as Lu Chen now. He sent his wife and daughter away ahead of time, choosing to make his final stand within the capital walls.
He died on those walls.
She had been young then, but the memory remained—a father's final silhouette against a burning sky.
And now, in a twist of fate, she found herself here—safe within enemy territory—while the son of her father's killer stood against foreign invaders just as her father once had.
The irony stung.
—
Meanwhile, Lu Chen had left Zhou Youyou's chamber after ensuring both mother and child were safe. He made his way into the quiet sanctuary of his study, his mind already consumed by what the system had just rewarded him.
Fifty thousand black cavalry.
The thought alone caused his heart to pound.
He immediately spoke, "System, where are the fifty thousand black cavalry right now?"
The war with the northern tribes loomed large, and Lu Chen had been racking his brain for a solution. The barbarians had three hundred thousand cavalry—highly mobile, experienced in raids, and quick to scatter when outmatched.
Even with heavy artillery like the 122mm howitzer at his disposal, it would be hard to kill them all. The cannon might destroy their front lines—but those who fled? No one in Beijun could catch them.
Beijun only had thirty thousand troops, of which a mere few thousand were mounted, and most of those barely trained.
He needed a mobile force. A hammer to strike from behind.
And now, he had it.
With fifty thousand elite cavalry, he could lie in wait behind Wanning Valley. Once the barbarians entered, he would seal the exit behind them.
If they tried to flee, his black cavalry would pursue. If they tried to fight, they'd be surrounded.
The perfect trap.
Lu Chen almost wanted to laugh. The system truly never failed to deliver exactly what he needed.
Just then, the system gave another prompt:
[Currently, the 50,000 Black Cavalry are stationed at the foot of Yan'an Mountain, northeast of Beijun. They have received your summons.]
Lu Chen's eyes narrowed.
So close?
It made sense. All his subordinates gained through the system came with implanted identities—histories that made them seamlessly blend into this world.
But if these men were already stationed in the northeast... Were they barbarians?
Lu Chen immediately asked, "System, are the Black Cavalry and the 500,000 civilians I received all barbarians?"
[The implanted identities of the 50,000 Black Cavalry and the 500,000 people are survivors of the Dayu Dynasty. Five hundred years ago, they fled to the northern mountains to escape war and have lived in seclusion ever since.]
[Their priests have interpreted the Mandate of Heaven and now recognize you, the Northern King, as the Heaven's chosen. They will follow you to unify the world.]
Lu Chen exhaled deeply.
Not barbarians, then—descendants of an ancient dynasty.
And Dayu… Dayu was the foundation of Daxia. The roots of its people. The idea that these survivors had returned to the world stage now, recognizing him as their emperor-to-be… It sent chills through him.
He then asked, "If I send the official command, how long will they take to arrive?"
[At least half a month.]
Lu Chen's lips curled into a smile. "Half a month… That's enough."
—
Far to the north.
At the foot of Yan'an Mountain stood a city unlike any in the northern wilderness.
Its buildings resembled those of Great Xia—grand, symmetrical, and ancient in style. One could be forgiven for thinking this city was part of the empire.
But it wasn't.
This was Dayu City—the last remnant of a fallen dynasty.
On its bustling streets, people moved with ease, laughter echoing from merchant stalls. Horses clopped along cobbled roads, and children played in open squares.
Then, without warning, everything stopped.
The carriages halted. Merchants froze. Children looked to the sky.
All eyes turned south.
In the grand Lord's Mansion at the heart of Dayu City, an old man sat before a cracked tortoise shell, his eyes gleaming with fervent light. He turned to two towering warriors clad in obsidian-black armor and declared:
"The Mandate of Heaven points south. The Human Emperor has revealed himself. The time has come to re-enter the world!"
Moments later, war horns blew.
Two generals mounted their steeds and led a thunderous procession southward—toward Great Xia, toward Beijun.
—
That evening, under a sky of quiet stars, Chu Yuqin walked through the palace grounds after dinner. A light wind tugged gently at her sleeves as she made her usual round to check the inner courtyard.
Though lanterns flickered here and there, their glow barely touched the shadows between walls and corridors.
Then she saw it.
A dark figure—silent as a ghost—slipped into the courtyard where Bai Qingqing lived.
Chu Yuqin's brows furrowed.
With a quick motion, she sprang upward, landing silently atop the wall. Her eyes tracked the figure's movement precisely.
Sneaking around the inner courtyard at this hour?
Suspicious indeed.
And she would not let it pass.
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