Chapter 140: Yanbei has many men of generous and tragic songs; it is a land where dragons rise!

【Ten years of time for Zhou Zhen, countless days and nights, the ecstatic event he had dreamed of day and night!】

【Recovering the Jiangnan noble families!】

【Is the scene before his eyes not exactly what Zhou Zhen had dreamed of?】

【Zhou Jinyu looks up at you, who are in the seat of honor, trying to find a trace of fluctuation on your face.】

【What a pity!】

【Your face is only calm, without a hint of joy.】

【"Lu Chen, where exactly do your ambitions lie!"】

【Zhou Jinyu has been thinking for a long time in her heart.】

【A faint voice comes, breaking her train of thought.】

【"Install Zhou Jinyu's son as Emperor!"】

【A plain and simple sentence!】

【In the Hall of Supreme Harmony!】

【It echoes lingeringly!】

【After hearing this, Zhou Jinyu slowly reacts. Without any words, she cannot help but sniff, and two lines of clear tears stream out from her beautiful eyes.】

【Zhou Jinyu slowly stands up and performs a grand salute to you, her forehead touching the ground, her voice trembling as she says:】

【"Zhou Jinyu thanks the Lu Shaobao!"】

【Zhou Cheng, standing to the side, witnesses all this, his heart filled with mixed feelings.】

【He had long known this would be the result, but when truly facing it, he still cannot hide his disappointment.】

【Only Tuoba Shuyi knows you very well; his gaze looks at you, as if returning to the time when they looked at each other on the banks of the Yellow River.】

【Xie Chunan seems to have known this would happen, while the others feel surprised, yet also feel it is within reason.】

【They had not expected that you would give up at such a critical moment!】

【If you were to raise your arms and call out at this time to ascend the throne as Emperor, there would be nothing they could do!】

【But thinking about it again!】

【Such a situation might be the best result for the Jiangnan noble families.】

【There is an unexpected joy on their faces.】

【Wang Yang knows in his heart that your heart is not here.】

【The son of Empress Zhou Jinyu was just born this year; he is only an infant!】

【With a young ruler and a suspicious nation, neighboring countries easily invade; with merits shaking the master, one must dwell in peace and think of danger.】

【Such a situation indeed makes people feel worried.】

【However!】

【After carefully weighing it, everyone begins to discover the subtlety within.】

【If Zhou Cheng were to succeed to the throne, the Jiangnan noble families would likely face direct suppression from imperial power; after all, the conflict of interests between them has existed for a long time.】

【If Lu Chen were to succeed to the throne, the consequences would be even more unpredictable.】

【Now, as an Empress Dowager without power or influence, Zhou Jinyu holds no real power, and with the new Emperor being young, imperial power naturally appears weak.】

【Such a situation seems to have become a "decent" state for the Jiangnan noble families instead.】

【Weak imperial power means the noble families have more room to exert their influence and safeguard their own interests.】

【The group of Jiangnan noble families hurriedly expresses their compliance, saying one after another:】

【"We obey your command!"】

【Following a shout from someone familiar with worldly wisdom, everyone reacts and hurriedly turns to Zhou Jinyu, respectfully bowing and saying:】

【"Greetings, Empress Dowager!"】

【For a time, the people of the Jiangnan noble families follow suit.】

【"Greetings, Empress Dowager!"】

【However!】

【Amidst this uniform kneeling, the Lu Army stands as firm as a rock, their eyes determined and cold, as if all this has nothing to do with them.】

【Such a contrast makes the originally solemn scene appear somewhat comical, as if a group of people is performing, while the Lu Army is an audience watching coldly from the sidelines.】

【Lu Yu smiles at this.】

【Although the laughter is not loud!】

【It is exceptionally piercing, causing the Jiangnan noble families to pause, their faces turning pale and red.】

【If it were ordinary times!】

【They would likely be furious at such a slight and would scold them roundly, but now they can only cough a few times to cover their embarrassment, having to stand quietly below and wait.】

【The situation has changed!】

【At this moment!】

【Feng Haiping steps out with a deep voice, saying: "Feng Haiping hopes the Lu Shaobao will once again take command of the Lu Army to bring peace to the world!"】

【Once these words are spoken!】

【The various Jiangnan noble families are still immersed in confusion and bewilderment; when did the Lu Shaobao not have command of the Lu Army?】

【They do not understand the deep meaning behind it!】

【Xie Chunan walks out slowly, his tone firm as he says:】

【"The northern lands are engulfed in flames of war, adjacent to the Northern Wind, and also close to Chu and Han; it is the gateway to Daqing, and its importance is self-evident."】

【"There is currently no one in the court who can shoulder this heavy responsibility, so I earnestly request the Lu Shaobao, for the sake of the nation, to once again hold the commander's seal of the Lu Army."】

【His words are sincere and heartfelt.】

【Zhou Jinyu has wiped away her tears and quietly stepped to your side.】

【For the first time, she straightens her back, her hands lightly folded at her waist, revealing the solemnity and bearing of an Empress, and declares:】

【"The Lu Shaobao has brilliant military achievements and unparalleled merits. According to Daqing law, he should be enfeoffed as a Prince to manifest his virtue."】

【Hearing this, Xie Chunan hurriedly bows and says: "The Empress Dowager is wise."】

【Dou Gu also bows slightly and says: "The Empress Dowager is brilliant. Since ancient times, Yanbei has had many men of generous and tragic songs. Among the five northern frontier states, Yan State should be the first!"】

【Zhou Jinyu's eyes sweep lightly over the crowd, she glances at you, her tone calm but resonant:】

【"The Lu Shaobao shall be the Prince of Yan, granted the Nine Bestowals, allowed to have guards when entering or leaving, and shall have command over the military and political affairs of the five states of Yanbei."】

【Once these words are spoken, it is like a precious sword piercing into stone, and like a brilliant thunderclap suddenly sounding.】

【In just a few words, Yanbei is settled!】

【Xie Chunan immediately kowtows, his movements agile, his voice carrying an undisguised excitement: "Xie Chunan pays respects to the Prince of Yan!"】

【The high-ranking officials of the Jiangnan noble families look at each other in dismay; for a moment, emotions of astonishment, confusion, and even panic intertwine, and no one dares to speak first.】

【Someone wants to open their mouth to object, the words already on their lips, but they are forcibly suppressed by the invisible pressure around them, leaving only full shock!】

【Lu Chen is the Prince of Yan!】

【This move is truly unprecedented in the four hundred years since the founding of Daqing.】

【The ancestral teachings of Daqing state that no one without the surname Zhou can be enfeoffed as a Prince, and no one without brilliant military achievements can be enfeoffed as a Marquis.】

【Anyone who is not of the Zhou clan and becomes a Prince shall be attacked by all under heaven.】

【And now!】

【Lu Chen has leaped to become the Prince of Yan, his weight is heavy, the five northern states are vast and boundless, and the vastness of his territory can almost be compared to Jiangnan.】

【It is as if a giant axe has silently split Daqing in two.】

【With Lu Chen's current prestige and ability, the northern lands have almost become a new country.】

【Some still have expressions of disbelief on their faces, as if they are still immersed in the sudden change and cannot extricate themselves.】

【But the generals of the Lu Army already have an unprecedented light in their eyes.】

【"Feng Haiping pays respects to the Prince of Yan!"】

【A burly general is the first to kneel and bow, his voice loud, like the beating of war drums.】

【"Dou Gu pays respects to the Prince of Yan!" Dou Gu follows closely behind, his tone firm!】

【"Liu Wen pays respects to the Prince of Yan!", "Jia Fu pays respects to the Prince of Yan!"... For a time, the sounds of kneeling and bowing echo one after another in the hall.】

【These sounds converge, like thunder exploding in the empty hall, shaking people's hearts and making it difficult to calm down.】

【And those old officials of Daqing, who have experienced the winds and frosts and are well-informed, now cannot hide the shock and astonishment on their faces. Their gazes shift back and forth between Lu Chen and the kneeling generals, unable to recover for a long time.】

【Until Feng Haiping's cold voice comes:】

【"Could it be that you lords feel the Lu Shaobao cannot be enfeoffed as a Prince!"】

【It seems there is the sound of swords clashing!】

【The crowd is flustered and hurriedly kneels down, saying:】

【"Pay respects to the Prince of Yan!"】

【Zhou Jinyu also performs a graceful salute.】

【Liu Wen and the others are excited in their hearts; from now on, the Lu Army truly has its own territory.】

【A land where dragons rise!】

【Liu Wen looks at the "Northern Governance Essentials" in his hand, his hands trembling, "In just ten years, Yan land will be the wealthiest in the world."】

【Then, emerging from this land, sweep across the world!】

【Settle the war of the five countries, and reopen the Great Unification!】

Godfathers, begging for data, recently on a recommendation, thank you, thank you.

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(End of chapter)