[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten":3,"chapter-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-176":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Simulated to Reality: I Once Looked Down Upon Ten Thousand Ages?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2347191,4587,"Chapter 176: The Grand Army Enters the City, Tyrannizing the World!","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-176",176,"\u003Cp>【Within the Imperial City Bureau!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【A city guard captain, dust-covered and weary, dismounted and hurried forward, shouting loudly, echoing through the hall:】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【“Urgent military report! Notify the Central Marshal immediately!”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【He had raced here without pause, still gasping for breath, his face pale with terror.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Arriving before the hall, he bowed urgently and reported: “My Lord Central Marshal, scouts at the North Gate have sent urgent word—enemy forces have been spotted on the southern routes.”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【His voice trembled with fear and urgency: “The enemy army is less than fifty li from the capital!”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【“Reports indicate their numbers rival a tidal wave—likely no fewer than one hundred thousand!”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【At these words!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【All within the hall turned ashen, struck dumb with shock.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【One hundred thousand troops descending beyond the capital walls!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【This had not happened in decades.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【As Xie Linghao recalled the era of Emperor Huizong, a vision of biting northern winds flashed in his mind—he stammered in panic: “Could it be… that the Northern Wind has crossed the border and invaded our land?”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The Northern Wind is coming south!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【At this declaration, the hall erupted in chaos—fear and dread spread like plague.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Xie Linghao, unable to suppress his rage, slammed his fist against a pillar, shaking it: “One hundred thousand troops, less than fifty li away—and only now do we hear of it?!”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【One hundred thousand troops, iron hooves thundering—should have loomed like dark clouds over every relay station, every watchtower. How could such an army move unseen until now?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【All present were filled with doubt, unable to believe it.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【“There are so many cities along the way—a hundred thousand troops? Even a pig would have spotted them!”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The captain’s face darkened with fury: “The Western Depot and Eastern Depot agents were recalled to the capital yesterday. The Gold-Wardens and city gate captains were fighting each other. Reports were submitted—but vanished without trace.”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【“Had the nearest beacon tower not sent up smoke, we’d still be blind!”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Xie Linghao let out a heavy sigh. The Emperor distrusted his officials deeply—every memorial had to pass through layers of scrutiny before reaching His Majesty’s ears.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The sovereign and his ministers distrusted each other.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【And the ministers, in turn, doubted the Emperor—petitions passed through endless reviews and delays.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Zhou Zhen sought to establish a Grand Secretariat to centralize military command—but opposition from all sides had rendered it ineffective.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【In the past, each agency performed its duty, delivering reports directly to the military council and the throne. Now, with the Eastern and Western Depots destroyed, and the Gold-Wardens locked in conflict with the gate captains…】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The capital’s defense and military intelligence have collapsed entirely!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【At these words, all fell pale, their minds in disarray.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The name “Northern Wind” was once known throughout court and realm—its cavalry had turned mountains and rivers to ruin, and common folk fled at its approach. Now it was coming south toward the capital.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【This situation chilled the heart to ice.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Zhang Lin’s heart clenched: “The capital is in chaos now—and the Northern Wind is coming south. What do we do?”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Yet!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Just as panic gripped the hall and gloom hung thick in the air…】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Dai Zhong suddenly smiled.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【His smile today outshone all he had shown in the past decade!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【“The Northern Wind? Hmph. How dare it come south?”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【“If the Northern Wind breaks its pact and crosses the Yellow River, the Lu family army will march north without hesitation.”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【At this, the crowd calmed. Upon reflection, it made no sense.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【No one cared now that Dai Zhong misnamed the Lu family army and the Zhenbei army.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Even without the Zhenbei army, the capital held three border garrisons—enough to muster two hundred thousand troops.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【For the Northern Wind to come south, it must face three hundred thousand Zhenbei troops. It was nearly impossible.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The northern lands of Daqing and the Northern Wind were sworn enemies.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【“Scouts report—the enemy banners… bear the Lu family crest.”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The captain’s voice trembled with uncertainty, each word striking the hearts of all present.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【At these words, the hall’s atmosphere shifted instantly—faces twisted with shock and confusion.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Deng Ping’s expression remained calm, but his heart churned like a storm-tossed sea.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【He had learned from the current Minister of Rites, Xie Chunan, that the Lu family army might march south—and had prepared accordingly. Yet facing this truth now, he still could not believe it.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The Lu family army—this iron-blooded force forged by Lu Chen—though fifteen years had passed, still remained fiercely loyal, willing to follow him still.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【This was utterly terrifying!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【All men feared death and prized profit, forgetting righteousness. Yet the Lu family army defied all logic.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Dai Zhong laughed aloud, delighted: “At last—they’ve come!”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Behind the screen, three women all wore expressions of shock, each differing in tone.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The Lu family army is marching south.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Xie Lingxuan stared at you, her gaze fixed and vacant.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Fifteen years after leaving Mount Zhongnan, the hermit Daoist had stepped out—and once again became the Lord Protector who once dominated the world.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Zou Shuning’s eyes flickered with sudden understanding—she now grasped the true reason your brother and you dared come to the capital.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【With one hundred thousand Lu troops surrounding the city, the capital is already in your hands.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Yet she still harbored doubt: how had the Empress Dowager and the Emperor so suddenly torn apart, becoming bitter enemies?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【With the southern aristocratic clans joining forces, they could surely resist one hundred thousand Lu troops.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【What exactly had happened?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【All this maneuvering among factions—you were the fisherman all along.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Zou Shuning found you more mysterious than ever—you were a riddle, and the more she failed to solve you, the more she longed to uncover your true face.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Lu Yu smiled: “Today is truly lively!”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You looked at the sky, the hour.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You entered the capital at dawn beneath thin mist—and in a single day, all dust had settled.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You said calmly: “Let’s go. To the palace. To meet the Son of Heaven.”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You stepped out the front gate of the Imperial City Bureau. Lu Yu walked beside you. Dai Zhong followed silently behind.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【At this moment!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The captain who brought the news hesitated, glancing at Deng Ping, awaiting further orders. Deng Ping paused, then gave his command:】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【“Inform all our men: once the Lu family army enters the city, remain calm. Do not provoke conflict. Return to your barracks. Do not linger here.”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The captain bowed and hurried away.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Deng Ping watched your retreating back, sighed deeply—so many autumns have passed.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【As for how the Lu family army would enter the city—Deng Ping never doubted it.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Ten years ago, an invisible hand had already laid its plans in the shadows, arranging every detail perfectly, waiting for this moment.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【As Xie Chunan had said, people rarely make choices—they are swept along by circumstance, forced to follow the tide.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Better to die as an old pawn than to rebuild the board anew.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Fifteen years later, this Lord Protector returns to the capital with overwhelming force.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Lu Chen, Lu Chen—what choice will you make?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Today’s decision will determine the fate of Daqing, the course of the world.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I feel ashamed—I promised extra chapters but never delivered. I wanted to end the capital arc quickly and skipped much plot, but I needed a proper endpoint!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank you, all my benefactors—for all your talk, I still see many of you here, still reading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1232,"2026-06-21T01:32:57.622Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a886021c57e6a61c6541d29a02d16815427380e1ae310ef488ca8246b249b4c4","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-177","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-175",728,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsimulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-cover.jpg"]