Chu Yuqin's expression darkened the moment she heard the urgent report from her personal guards.
"Warriors in strange garb? Who dares stir up trouble at the Northern Palace?"
Ever since the last failed assassination attempt by the Blood Moon Tower, no one in the entire Northern County had dared to even glance disrespectfully at the Northern Palace. Everyone in the region knew that a formidable master resided here now. Who would be foolish enough to provoke them again?
And now, someone had come to their doorstep?
Chu Yuqin turned her gaze to Lu Chen and said grimly, "Chen'er, I'll go and take a look first."
Lu Chen stood up calmly. "Aunt Chu, I'll come with you."
Chu Yuqin hesitated for a moment. She was about to refuse, but when she recalled the strange and powerful weapon Lu Chen possessed—along with the fact that he was now a proper cultivator—she simply nodded and said nothing further.
Together, they made their way toward the palace gates.
As they arrived at the entrance, the scene before them wasn't what they had expected. The so-called "warriors in strange costumes" stood in orderly rows, unmoving, respectful, and devoid of any hostility. They weren't making a scene—on the contrary, their stance was almost ceremonial.
Lu Chen narrowed his eyes and quietly observed them. Each man was dressed in a distinct uniform—a dark Feiyu cloak layered over tight-fitting combat attire. These were not ordinary warriors. The attire alone carried a sense of authority and cold, sharp precision.
They were Jinyiwei.
Chu Yuqin blinked in surprise, her suspicion wavering. This wasn't the disorderly mob she'd envisioned. Their disciplined formation, identical uniforms, and unshakable presence reminded her of an elite faction—perhaps one tied to the imperial court. Yet... she had never heard of any organization within the Great Xia Dynasty that wore these kinds of uniforms.
Her instincts flared as she extended her spiritual sense to scan the group.
She immediately sensed something troubling.
The man at the front—his cultivation base was on par with her own.
And behind him, five warriors exuded power at the peak of the ninth rank. The rest of the warriors, coming in and out of the two carriages behind them, were no less than fifth-rank cultivators. This was no ordinary force.
Even the Blood Moon Tower, during their last attempt on Lu Chen's life, hadn't dispatched so many high-ranked warriors.
Where had this army come from?
What did they want?
But the one who made Chu Yuqin truly uneasy was the leading man. The overwhelming pressure he exuded… it made her feel as if she were standing before a sleeping beast. Could he be a grandmaster? No—he might be even stronger than a mere half-step grandmaster!
Just as she opened her mouth to question them, the man stepped forward without a hint of arrogance, dropped to one knee, and cupped his fist in salute toward Lu Chen.
"Commander of the Jinyiwei, Qin Yushan, greets His Majesty!"
"I failed to report to His Majesty in time. This subordinate accepts all punishment."
As soon as he finished, the entire formation of Jinyiwei warriors behind him dropped into kneeling positions in perfect sync.
Chu Yuqin was struck speechless.
His Majesty?
What?
When did Lu Chen gather such powerful subordinates?
Until now, she had only known of Li Feng following him to Northern County—a seventh-rank warrior. But this… This was beyond anything she had expected. Five ninth-rank cultivators, hundreds of fifth-rank warriors, and one man whose aura surpassed even her own!
What kind of force was this?
Lu Chen remained calm. He examined Qin Yushan's details through the system interface.
> [Name: Qin Yushan]
[Identity: Commander of the Imperial Guards, owner of Yuelai Tavern in Beijun. Upon discovering your identity, he immediately gathered the Jinyiwei of Yancheng to report to you.]
[Strength: Grandmaster]
[Loyalty: 100]
He also casually glanced at the other Jinyiwei. Just as the system indicated, each had a loyalty score of 100. The system had truly gone beyond expectations—training and preparing an elite force for him without any flaws.
Lu Chen smiled lightly. "Commander Qin, rise. There's no need to remain at the palace gates. Come inside."
There were still civilians passing by. A gathering of this scale would undoubtedly spark rumors. It was better to talk inside.
Qin Yushan stood, gave a brief hand signal, and silently led his subordinates into the palace.
Once inside, Lu Chen brought them to the martial training ground. Only then did Chu Yuqin lean closer and whisper with furrowed brows, "Chen'er, when did you gather so many experts? Why didn't I hear anything about it?"
This was no small matter. A single expert might be easy to overlook, but seeing a fully uniformed and disciplined force like this, even she could tell this was a formal organization.
Had Lu Chen created an entirely new faction right under everyone's noses?
Lu Chen chuckled softly. "Aunt Chu, there's still a lot you don't know about me."
Chu Yuqin rolled her eyes at him. But remembering his fate as someone destined for immortality, she could only sigh in her heart and let it go.
Lu Chen then turned to Qin Yushan and asked, "Commander Qin, give me a detailed report on the current state of the Jinyiwei."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Qin Yushan stepped forward and reported without hesitation.
"The Jinyiwei currently number five thousand. They are stationed across various counties of the Great Xia Dynasty. All of them are warriors of the fifth rank and above. Among them, eleven have reached the ninth rank. Two are grandmasters—myself and Commander Liang Zong."
Chu Yuqin, standing silently at Lu Chen's side, was utterly dumbfounded.
Five thousand warriors of fifth rank and above?
And two grandmasters?
Was this still the Lu Chen she knew?
How had he built such a terrifying power base in secret?
If he possessed such a force, what was the point of acting like an unremarkable, talentless noble in the capital? Even the other princes, with their strong backers and secret forces, couldn't match this kind of raw power.
With the backing of such an elite force, if Lu Chen also secured the support of the Chu Clan and the Jiangnan aristocrats, then the position of Crown Prince would be within his grasp—untouchable by any other.
She couldn't understand it.
Why the charade? Why pretend to be a wastrel for so long?
Of course, what she didn't know was that Lu Chen had only recently acquired the Jinyiwei. It wasn't a force he'd spent years building—it had been delivered to him by the system.
The reason he had Qin Yushan provide this introduction was precisely so that Chu Yuqin could understand what kind of strength he now wielded.
"Commander Qin," Lu Chen said at last, "show me the intelligence that the Jinyiwei has collected."
At his command, several Jinyiwei behind Qin Yushan stepped forward, carrying large, heavy boxes stacked with scrolls and documents.
"Your Majesty, these are the reports we've compiled on the current state of the Great Xia Dynasty. Please review them."
Lu Chen was momentarily taken aback. There was far too much for him to process today.
"Send these to my study," he instructed. "For now, just brief me on any recent developments in the capital."
Qin Yushan's expression sharpened. "Yes, Your Majesty. I received a pigeon message from my counterpart in the capital just yesterday. A major incident occurred recently."
The atmosphere turned serious in an instant. Lu Chen's and Chu Yuqin's gazes sharpened.
Qin Yushan continued, "The remnants of the Chen Kingdom attempted another assassination against His Majesty. They failed and fled the capital. Although the imperial forces scoured the city, the assassins vanished without a trace. It was ultimately the Shadow Guards who uncovered their escape route—through the Duke Mu's Mansion."
"As a result, the entire Duke Mu household has been imprisoned, awaiting formal trial."
Lu Chen froze.
His mind reeled.
That old fox—my cheap father-in-law—he's gotten himself into trouble again?!
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