When Mu Zixuan made her suggestion, Lu Chen's eyes brightened. Her idea made sense.
Back then, his focus had been confined to Beijun, largely because he wasn't powerful enough yet and didn't want to draw too much attention. He'd only just arrived in Beijun and was nearly penniless. Even if he had posted a notice for a concubine selection, it was unlikely that noble families from other regions would have sent their daughters to a destitute and unproven prince.
But times had changed.
Now, the Northern Palace's perfumes, soaps, and fine goods had spread across the entire Great Xia Dynasty. The world knew that the Northern Prince's residence brimmed with wealth.
If he issued a notice now—announcing a selection for concubines—many noble families would be unable to resist the lure. They'd certainly send their most beautiful daughters to the Northern Prince's Palace, hoping to form an alliance through marriage.
With a wide enough selection, Lu Chen was confident he'd find women who scored over ninety points on his mental scale.
After pondering silently for a moment, Lu Chen looked at Mu Zixuan and nodded. "Very well. We'll do as my beloved consort suggests."
Delighted by his approval, Mu Zixuan quickly followed up. "Your Highness, may I personally oversee the selection?"
Lu Chen chuckled and drew her into his embrace, gently running his fingers through her hair. "You've just given birth. You should be resting, not running around helping me find another wife."
Although Lu Chen was known to be a bit of a scoundrel, he wasn't so heartless as to trouble his wife, who had just given birth, with arranging his next marriage. It simply wasn't his style to treat her that way.
But Mu Zixuan looked at him with unwavering determination. "I want to share your burdens, my king. Please, leave this matter to me."
Her radiant eyes locked with his, soft yet insistent.
Lu Chen was moved. How could he refuse her when she looked at him like that? After a moment, he relented. "Alright. I'll trouble you with the arrangements—but I must be present during the final selection."
Mu Zixuan beamed with happiness. "Of course, Your Highness. I'll make sure you choose the concubines yourself."
…
A few days later, an official notice was sent from the Northern Palace to every corner of the Great Xia Dynasty: the King of the North was seeking concubines.
As soon as the news spread, the entire court and common folk of Great Xia erupted in uproar.
Within Beijun, however, most people didn't think it was a big deal. Ever since Lu Chen had taken charge, he hadn't done anything that made life harder for the people. Quite the contrary—he had introduced a new grain called "potato," which promised harvests of over 1,000 kilograms per acre. The Northern Palace had already started trial cultivation across Beijun.
If potatoes succeeded in spreading, Beijun's food crisis would become a thing of the past. So the people were willing to turn a blind eye to Lu Chen's indulgences. Besides, this was his fiefdom. He could do what he pleased.
More importantly, criticizing the King of Beijun inside his own territory wasn't something any sane person would do—unless they had a death wish.
But the rest of the Great Xia Dynasty didn't see things that way.
In other provinces, Lu Chen's announcement caused widespread criticism. The general consensus was that the Northern King was licentious, decadent, and unfit to rule. Word had already spread about the many beautiful concubines he kept in his palace, and now he wanted to select even more from every region?
Wasn't he just tired of the women in Beijun and now eyeing the daughters of other nobles?
Scholars and literati across the empire were enraged. Many had hoped to take in talented and beautiful women as concubines themselves—how could they compete if Lu Chen swept up all the beauties?
Soon, articles and poems began to circulate condemning the Northern King's behavior.
Within the imperial court, voices of opposition grew louder.
Censors began submitting impeachment memorials—though not out of genuine moral concern. As always, politics lay at the heart of it. Most of the officials raising objections were part of the Eighth Prince Lu Shuyun's faction. Their goal was simple: discredit Lu Chen at every turn.
Even though the Chu family had distanced itself from Lu Chen long ago, that bloodline tie still existed. And as long as it did, Lu Shuyun's supporters would seize every opportunity to smear him.
They weren't foolish enough to believe that impeaching Lu Chen would strip him of his title. The throne of a vassal prince in Great Xia couldn't be taken away so easily. Only rebellion or treason would bring about such a fate.
As long as Lu Chen stayed within his fiefdom and didn't challenge the central court, Emperor Xia had no reason to interfere. In fact, the emperor secretly preferred vassals like Lu Chen—those who kept to themselves, indulged in luxury, and posed no threat.
If every prince in Great Xia behaved like the King of Beijun, governing the empire would be far easier.
So, when the impeachment reports reached Emperor Xia, he barely glanced at them. His focus was on more important matters.
After the morning court session, the emperor made his way to the imperial gardens. He wasn't the least bit interested in the court's noisy chatter. He had something far more serious to discuss.
In a secluded pavilion by a lotus pond, the national grandmaster, Situ Ce, was already waiting.
Unlike the other officials, the grandmaster was not required to attend court sessions. It was one of the privileges of his special status.
As Emperor Xia stepped into the pavilion, a shadow guard in black armor appeared before him and knelt.
"Your Majesty," the shadow guard said solemnly, "we've discovered that the remnants of the Chen Kingdom did not infiltrate the palace to assassinate you. They were looking for something."
The emperor's eyes narrowed slightly. Just as he suspected. It never made sense for just two half-step masters to charge into the heart of the imperial palace for an assassination. It would've been suicide.
He turned toward Situ Ce. "What do you think they were after?"
Situ Ce answered calmly, "There's only one thing that would compel the Chen remnants to take such a risk—the imperial seal of the Chen Kingdom."
"It's said that the seal is the key to the kingdom's treasure vault. After we conquered the Chen Kingdom, that vault was never found. But the royal family surely knows where it is. If they intend to restore their nation, they'll need vast wealth—and that vault would give them the gold and silver they need to raise an army."
Emperor Xia scoffed. "Even I don't know where the seal is. They think they can find it by sneaking into the palace? How laughable."
The shadow guard stepped forward again. "Your Majesty, we've uncovered something else."
"Speak."
"It appears the Chen remnants may be in contact with Xuanyue Palace. After they vanished from the capital, disciples of Xuanyue Palace were spotted near their last known location."
At the mention of Xuanyue Palace, Emperor Xia's expression darkened instantly, as if some painful memory had been stirred.
"I see," he said grimly.
Then his gaze shifted. "How is Xiao Chen doing?"
The guard replied respectfully, "Since the Ninth Prince arrived in Beijun, he has remained within the palace and appears to be enjoying a life of leisure. Nothing out of the ordinary has occurred. Also, his consort recently gave birth to a healthy prince."
Emperor Xia nodded faintly. "Good. You may leave."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
After the shadow guard vanished into the shadows, the emperor turned to look at the lotus pond, his hands clasped behind his back. The fish swam lazily beneath the surface, undisturbed.
He spoke softly, as if to himself. "Grandmaster, tell me… do you think the grandmaster serving Xiao Chen wasn't sent by the Chu family, but by Xuanyue Palace instead?"
A heavy silence followed.
Lu Chen's mother, Chu Yue, had once been the revered Goddess of Xuanyue Palace. Until now, Emperor Xia hadn't given that connection much thought.
But after hearing the shadow guard's report… he realized, perhaps too late, that Lu Chen's identity was far more complicated than he'd imagined.
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