Chapter 32: Jianghu Temple, the Sword of Protecting the Nation [Your face remained calm and you did not react.] [Daqing was indeed a remote place. The previous emperor, Emperor Huizong, was fond of Taoism and the art of longevity. He attempted to rule by doing nothing and ruled the country with his hands off. He never attended court for fourteen years.] [As a result, the government was in disarray, treacherous officials came to power, and the people lived in dire straits.] [As uprisings continued and the world became chaotic, the north wind took the opportunity to move south. ] [Emperor Hui was in a panic and was attacked by his subordinates. Bei Feng took Emperor Hui back to Liaodong and made him a prisoner.] [Back then, you led a large army and were only one step away from striking directly at Huanglong.] [However, in Kyoto, twelve imperial edicts were issued at a rapid pace, and every word was icy and piercing, with only the word "retreat" hanging high in the air.] [You have no choice but to retreat! ] [Countless Lu family soldiers were filled with resentment and sadness, but they could do nothing about it.]

[The Beifeng delegation went south and proposed a marriage proposal, hoping that the two families would form an alliance and create a good relationship between Chu and Jin.] [Beifeng promised to return the treasures of Kyoto that were looted that year and send Huizong back to the court, and Princess Beifeng would also marry the second prince of Daqing.] [In the same year, Bei Feng sent a large army to escort Emperor Qing Huizong southward, but died of illness on the way.] [The following year, this news spread to the world. Daqing did not pursue the matter. Instead, when the second prince married the eldest princess of the north, he issued a general amnesty.] [When Lu Chen went north to attack Huanglong Mansion, the Eighth Prince knelt for three days to request the army to go to war, which was indeed famous in Kyoto. ] 【Three days and three nights, it is enough to show his sincerity.】 [Even your father praised him highly.] [Although you are outside the situation and do not know the details, the eighth prince, Prince Jing, has since transformed from an ordinary prince into a prestigious figure in the court.] [This move won the hearts of the pro-war faction, and Zhou Cheng also gained a firm foothold in the court. ] 【As for the saying that a king's career cannot be half-hearted! 】 [How much truth there is in it, who can know? 】 【At this time, Zhou Cheng will give you this picture. 】 [He looks at you expectantly, his eyes full of sincerity.] [Lu Yu doesn't care. He always believes in your decision.] 【Liu Jinchan's heart trembled, and he knew the deep meaning behind this picture.】 [In the current court, the two factions of those who advocate war and those who advocate peace are arguing endlessly. ] [The peace faction, led by the second prince, has the full support of the southern clans and is very powerful. The pro-war faction was nearly destroyed a few years ago, and all six ministries in the court were controlled by the peace faction. Fortunately, the Lu family army went north to recover the lost territory, and was able to revive. ] [However, as Lu Chen retired, the world gradually returned to peace, and the trend of recuperation became increasingly clear, and the peace faction once again gained the upper hand. ] [Four years later, the Lu Family Army no longer exists and is reorganized into the Zhenbei Army. The twenty-six generals of the former Lu Family Pavilion are also assigned to different places.]

[I thought Lu Chen's reputation had faded with the years, but who would have thought that nearly 300,000 people from the north would gather at Mount Zhongnan to pray for blessings at the end of the year, and the number of people kept coming all the way.] [Many people in the north built temples for Lu Chen and his son, and often hung their portraits in their homes.] [For a time, the court memorials all criticized Lu Chen, saying that he only respectfully called him Shao Bao and did not consider the emperor's great grace.] [This move sparked heated debate in the court, but ultimately nothing came of it.] [In the past four years, the controversy about Lu Chen has never stopped. If he supports the Eighth Prince, it will surely cause a stir in the capital and attract the attention of the world. ] So, you stand at the crossroads of choice. 【You decide……】 1. If you accept this picture, you may step into the whirlpool of the court, which is full of twists and turns and difficult to predict. 2. If you reject this picture, you may miss an opportunity. 3. Get involved and explore the unknown. (1/3) Yu Ke weighed these three options in his mind. Accepting this picture means that you may be deeply involved in party and government disputes. Yu Ke originally planned to devote himself to Taoism for the next ten years, waiting for the time when spiritual energy would revive and seize that fleeting opportunity. He knew very well that he couldn't waste time on this matter. Yu Ke recalled the last time he personally participated in it, and the real feeling he had, and he had a different feeling towards Lu Yu and his father. If he got involved in party affairs, he would undoubtedly be gambling with the fate of the entire Lu family and the Lu family army, which was something he did not want to see. therefore! Yu Ke chose 2. If you reject this picture, you may miss an opportunity. 【You rejected Zhou Cheng. 】 [Zhou Cheng sighed slightly, but his expression quickly returned to calm.] [Chen Ji's face was gloomy. He was dissatisfied in his heart. Lu Chen had long lost his official status and was now just a Taoist priest in Zhongnan Mountain. He actually thought highly of himself because of a few victories and forgot his origins.] [The ruler is the leader of the ministers, and the ministers are the assistants of the ruler. This is an eternal truth.] [If the ruler wants his subjects to die, the subjects must obey. This is an eternal rule.] [The master is a noble, and is expected to wield divine weapons in the future.] [Chen Ji had met countless nobles, but in the end, they were just watchdogs outside the master's mansion.] [Chen Ji could only keep these thoughts deep in his heart, not daring to reveal them at all.] 【Zhou Cheng smiled. He had expected this situation to happen.】 [He gently rolled up the map scroll and placed it on the table calmly.] 【Liu Jinchan wanted to come out to smooth things over, but Zhou Cheng stopped him with a smile.】 【Zhou Cheng laughed heartily, looking quite carefree.】

[“Young Master, today is the first time we meet. In fact, your image has lingered in my mind countless times over the past ten years. In my dreams, I have already had a drink with you and told you to “God of War”.] [This made Lu Yu frown. In the Lu family army, only the name of Shenzhou was called father.] [You bow slightly and return the greeting respectfully: "Your Highness, how dare I be on the same level as Your Highness?"] 【Zhou Cheng waved his hand, indicating that there was no need for courtesy.】 [“Shenzhou, I spent the first half of my life studying Taoism and cultivating myself, and also dabbled in military books and strategies, but the world is like a game of chess, and I still feel that I have accomplished nothing and have been mediocre.”] 【Zhou Cheng sighed and spoke word by word.】 [“Shenzhou, don’t think I’m nagging.”] [“Back then, Huizong fled in panic, Beifeng led 300,000 troops across the Yellow River, and they fought repeatedly on the front lines after repeated defeats. The court was arguing over whether to surrender or fight!”] [“I was just wondering, if the north wind hits Jiangnan again, what should I do?”] [“Escape? Escape to somewhere, or surrender!”] [“Throughout the dynasties, the noble families no longer had integrity under the iron hoofs and swords and guns. The scholars who were always trying to surrender were the ones who showed their true colors.”] [“They just changed their master!”] [“If Daqing falls, what will happen to the countless people of Daqing? Will they really become fish at the mercy of others, or livestock at the mercy of others?”] [“It seems like no one cares, but I, Zhou Cheng, do.”] 【Zhou Cheng said in a deep voice: "The rise and fall of a country is not the fault of the people."】 [“When I was at home, I often hung a sharp sword in the room. I was thinking, when that time really came, the Beifeng cavalry would break through the city gate, and all the ministers would cross the river to the south in their proper attire, kneeling on the ground to try to survive. Only I, Zhou Yuanjian, would take off my official hat, hold my sword, and ride north alone.”] [“That’s great!”] 【Zhou Cheng, courtesy name Yuan Jian.】 [Zhou Cheng couldn't help but smile a little more.] [“Thinking back on my youthful thoughts now, they seem particularly ridiculous.”] [“But, that year, you, the young master, suddenly appeared, and with only 60,000 men, you defeated an army of 800,000, changing the world’s situation.”] [“From now on, I will no longer hang a sword in my house.”] [“Because I know that Daqing has the real sword to protect the country.”] (End of this chapter)