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墨書 Inktalez
Lu Chen and the others stood on the ship, watching as the large vessel slowly drifted further away from Giant Barbarian Island.
Seeing this scene, Lu Chen felt extremely complicated. This time, they had completely offended the Giant Yi Nation, which might affect their future attacks on the Central Plains and the relationship between Sun Zizhao and Giant Barbarian Island. In short, it was more harmful than beneficial.
Moreover, their safe withdrawal from Caojing was largely due to the support of the Crown Prince, who had ordered to block those pursuing them. Even the Mountain Clan members were scolded back by him.
At this critical moment, after being cleansed of his demonic nature, the Crown Prince had surprisingly turned into a good person, a benevolent individual who wouldn't even harm an ant.
Thinking about the journey so far, Lu Chen couldn't help but feel a bit emotional, his mood slightly complex; it was a mix of feelings.
"What's wrong, Lu Chen? Are you unhappy?"
At that moment, Yue Shaoting walked out from the cabin and slowly spoke to Lu Chen. She looked troubled and clearly exhausted; it was no wonder she didn't know how long it had been since she had a proper rest, living mostly in toil.
Lu Chen shook his head but didn't say anything. Yue Shaoting blinked her eyes and took a deep breath, saying, "Lu Chen, I know I was willful this time. Your help might lead to the Giant Yi Nation never being able to ally with Sun Zizhao in the future."
Lu Chen shook his head and replied, "Shaoting, why dwell on this? You are a wonderful daughter and will be a qualified woman in the future. You haven't done anything wrong. As for ruining the relationship between Giant Barbarian Island and the Sun Family, I will take full responsibility for that."
Although they were not friends before, after this incident, it would be impossible for them to become friends in the future; it would be quite difficult.
"How is your father?" Lu Chen asked as he put his arm around Yue Shaoting's shoulders and stood beside her.
"I gave him some medicine; he is already asleep now. He has suffered a lot in prison; it's all my fault," Yue Shaoting said with some self-reproach.
"Shaoting, don't think about those unhappy times anymore. We should look forward, shouldn't we? Isn't everything better now? Although your Yue Family's foundation on Giant Barbarian Island will never recover, I believe that once you settle in the Central Plains, it will be just as good," Lu Chen said.
If Yue Shaoting and her father wanted to settle in the Central Plains, Lu Chen would naturally help them with everything regarding citizenship and finances without any worries.
Of course, this was just Lu Chen's one-sided wish for now; Yue Shaoting and her father had yet to express their stance.
But what did it matter? Now that Yue Shaoting and her father could no longer return to Giant Barbarian Island, no one knew how severe the consequences would be if they did. The Mountain Clan would certainly not let them off easily.
"Shaoting, it's cold outside; let's go back inside the cabin."
Lu Chen said as he embraced Yue Shaoting. She nodded like a well-behaved kitten and followed him inside.
The colors gradually darkened, and the sea became pitch black as two large ships cut through the waves in the darkness.
Giant Barbarian Island had disappeared from sight, leaving only the vast ocean around them.
For the next few hours, the ships slowly sailed northward. After the fifth hour, they entered the port of Yushan Kingdom's Naval Base. After nearly a month of sailing, they finally came to a stop, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Lu Chen paid a visit to Naval Minister Adolf and presented some gifts he had brought back from the Wasteland Continent.
Afterward, Lu Chen and his companions were invited into the Naval Minister's residence to rest and recuperate.
During this time, someone arrived from the Yushan Kingdom Royal Palace. Lu Chen was not familiar with this person, but her purpose was quite special.
The visitor was a maidservant close to Zhulian Queen. As soon as she arrived, she took Lu Chen to a private place to talk, and Yue Shaoting did not dare to interrupt.
"Lu Chen, Son-in-law, you have finally returned. Our Queen has been mentioning you for quite some time," said the maidservant, who was fair and pleasant-looking. She was there to convey the Queen's message.
"What did you call me? Son-in-law? Hehe." Lu Chen chuckled awkwardly, unsure of what the Queen was up to. Being called Son-in-law meant he was essentially a prince consort of Yushan Kingdom.
He understood that Zhulian Queen's status had changed and that she could not easily leave the palace or meet with someone like him, who held no official position.
The maidservant replied, "This matter is still unknown to outsiders, but we privately refer to you this way."
"You should know how serious the consequences would be if your words got out. Even you would face severe repercussions," Lu Chen warned. He was not joking; after all, it concerned the Queen's reputation.
Even if the Queen did not pursue it, those ministers would never allow such matters to happen.
"We know that’s why we are doing this. I am here to convey the Queen's message. She misses you very much and hopes you can visit her when you have time," the maidservant said directly.
With her presence here, Lu Chen felt as if Zhulian Queen herself were present.
Lu Chen looked up and gazed into the distance with deep emotion. "I actually want to take a detour to see the Queen as well, but it is not appropriate right now due to our differences in status. Besides, I have many things to attend to."
The burden on Lu Chen's shoulders was heavy; Qi Kingdom had already risen in rebellion, followed closely by Han Kingdom. Then there were issues with Prairie King and other governors—everything was chaotic and the situation was very severe.
"Then, Son-in-law, what are your plans next? In any case, I will relay your words to the Queen exactly as you said." The maid acted as a bridge for communication between Lu Chen and the Queen, ensuring that everything discussed was conveyed faithfully.
"I will be leaving Yushan Kingdom and likely won't return for a long time. If I do come back, it will be quite a while from now, so the Queen need not worry about me," Lu Chen reassured the Queen.
Indeed, after this departure, he would not be back for a considerable time unless there was a coup in Yushan Kingdom or some major event that might require his return.
Lu Chen and the maid exchanged heartfelt words before she left that night. Once her message reached Yushan Kingdom Royal Palace, Zhulian Queen wept bitterly, nearly falling ill.
Even Lu Chen did not anticipate such an outcome. However, by that time, he had already arrived in the Central Plains and was preparing to meet Sun Zizhao.
At this moment, Sun Zizhao had already raised the banner of rebellion ahead of time, calling for the restoration of the Han Dynasty and began recruiting soldiers to prepare for a significant campaign.
After a few hours of rest, Lu Chen and his companions departed from Naval Base, heading towards the Central Plains.
The large ship took to the waterways while Lu Chen and his group traveled overland. Along the way, Lu Chen continuously received letters from Sun Zizhao regarding matters related to the uprising.
Sun Zizhao did not solely rely on Lu Chen for advice; he had many capable individuals around him—both civil and military officials. More often than not, he was simply updating Lu Chen on their latest progress.
Sun Zizhao's recent development included gaining the support of the Governor of Fishing Yang Province, who directly pledged allegiance to him. They quickly captured several cities across ten provinces with little effort.
This was largely due to Governor Liu Fang being a friend of Sun Zizhao. Most of the provincial governors or commissioners within that state were Liu Fang's former students, making it relatively easy to take control of the entire state.
However, despite having gained one state and establishing a regular army with equipment, Sun Zizhao's forces were still insignificant compared to other warlords—like comparing ants to elephants.
After all, Sun Zizhao had just taken control of this state; his foundation was unstable. In contrast, Qi Kingdom and Han Kingdom had already secured numerous affluent prefectures with solid foundations and formidable strength.
Nevertheless, Sun Zizhao had raised the banner of rebellion. In the coming period, many people were expected to respond and join his cause; it remained to be seen how effective this would be.
Lu Chen was well aware of these circumstances but felt powerless to assist at this moment.
Currently, Sun Zizhao and his army needed training and rest to build up their supplies and strength; otherwise, they would lack the resources to engage in battle. It was likely that before any conflict even began, soldiers would flee one by one.
This matter would naturally be handled by Sun Family. They possessed ample wealth and food; sustaining tens of thousands of troops would not pose any problem at all.
Lu Chen disembarked from Heishuiguan and quickly rode past the entrance of the Five Element Sect, directly entering Qi Kingdom. He then traversed through the five states of Qi Kingdom, officially stepping into the territory of the Eastern Seven States.
The Central Plains had long descended into chaos, filled with bandits and refugees. The cries of despair echoed everywhere, and there were corpses left unburied on the roads, exposed in the wilderness, creating a scene of extreme tragedy.
Lu Chen and his companions did not linger and continued to ride south, entering Yuyang City to meet Sun Zizhao.
This was the first time in many years that Lu Chen and Sun Zizhao had met; they had truly waited a long time for this moment, and both had undergone significant changes.
Lu Chen exuded an air of experience, while Sun Zizhao appeared steady, increasingly embodying the aura of an emperor.
Over these years, Sun Zizhao had come to regard Fishing Sun as his home. Now that he had begun his endeavors, he also considered Fishing Sun as his center for discussions on any major matters.
In the future, he would undoubtedly treat this place as a capital city, holding significance akin to that of Giant Yi Nation's Caojing.
Afterward, Lu Chen took out a complete map and spread it on the table to discuss geography with Sun Zizhao.
On this map, Lu Chen observed the territory currently occupied by Sun Zizhao and the various situational aspects.
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