[{"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-270":6,"glossary-terms-4587":23},{"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},2347285,4587,"Chapter 270: Slaying the White Horse to Swear an Oath, a Bird in the Cage of Heaven and Earth","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-270",270,"\u003Cp>【At the banquet!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Everyone emitted their own aura, to varying degrees.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Those who have held high positions naturally carry an air of dignity!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Even the monarch of Han, though outwardly showing great appreciation for the dancers’ performance, harbored an almost imperceptible disdain in his eyes.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【This disparity in status and identity seemed like an innate chasm, impossible to cross.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【But on Lu Chen, there was none of it.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【It startled her!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【As night deepened, the songs and dances within Gaoque Tower faded, shifting focus to the main matter—each side began detailed negotiations on the specifics of the alliance.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The final decision!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【At the banks of Zhi River the next day, a white horse would be slain as oath, sealing the alliance.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Until the horizon began to lighten.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Movement began on the second floor!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【At this moment.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Inside a side room on the second floor, a group of dancers waited in silent vigil, their breaths held so lightly they dared only crack open a sliver of the door, peering through the narrow gap toward the room that would decide their fates.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Their hearts were filled with dread and unease; every footstep outside made their chests tighten.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【These women of Beifeng had once been daughters of official families.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Their families’ misfortunes in court had dragged them down, stripping them of status, reducing them to entertainers and courtesans, doomed to lifelong servitude!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Though lowly in station, their lives were affluent—dressed in gold and silver, surpassing even wealthy young ladies.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Yet they had no freedom!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【A few days ago.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The Grand Supervisor of the Ritual Chamber brought unexpected news:】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【If they performed their dances and songs flawlessly at Gaoque Tower’s banquet, they would be freed from slavery and restored as commoners.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Upon hearing this, the women eagerly volunteered!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The Grand Eunuch smiled and warned them: if their performance failed to begin as scheduled or any mistake occurred, every participating dancer would face execution.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【This cruel decree plunged the dancers’ hearts back into despair; they became painstakingly cautious.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The lead dancer had spent nearly a decade among the entertainers, the most seasoned among them.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【If we cannot have human rights, better to die.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Many sisters were stirred by this.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Some were older women, like golden cage birds with no freedom—what difference did they have from the dead?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Others sought to be with their lovers outside; only by shedding slavery could they marry legitimately.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【They carefully selected twenty-eight sisters skilled in song and dance, throwing themselves into intense, grueling rehearsals.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【In just three days and nights, they barely slept, repeating every movement, every expression over and over.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【At this crossroads of fate, no one dared slacken!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【They waited only for today!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【They had not slept a wink; the twenty-eight dancers were filled with tension.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【At this moment!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The second floor finally stirred.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The lead dancer—the eldest and most accomplished among them—gathered her courage, boldly pushing open half the window to look out.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【She saw!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Inside the chamber, shadowy figures descended slowly down the stairs to the first floor.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Her timing was slightly late—only two figures remained.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【One of them smiled faintly at her.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【It was Lu Chen!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Her heart jolted; she slammed the window shut with a sharp, abrupt snap—startling the group of women behind her, who exchanged uneasy glances, fearing disaster had struck!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Just as tension gripped them, footsteps approached from afar; the women tensed again.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The door burst open—it was the powerful Grand Eunuch of the Ritual Chamber, his face unmistakably gleeful.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【“Ladies, you labored through the night. His Majesty is delighted and has issued an edict: your slave status is revoked. From this day forth, you are free women, commoners.”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【“Whether you choose the Celestial Court’s Ritual Chamber or the tender embrace of Qingxiao Tavern, the heavens and seas are yours—you are no longer entertainers!”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【With that, he turned and hurried away.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Left behind were the dancers, stunned, joy and disbelief mingling in the room.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The Grand Eunuch’s voice was shrill; the women felt as if in a dream. Tears streamed down their faces as they clung to one another, weeping with joy.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【But the lead dancer paid no heed—she hurried to the window, gazing down at Gaoque Tower.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【He had mounted his horse and ridden off; her heart sank with loss.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【A sister beside her wiped her tears, asking with confusion and hope:】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【“Sister Rong, where shall we go now? Back to Chengtian?”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The woman’s name was Ouyang Rongyue.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【After hearing this, Ouyang Rongyue paused, then a thought struck her.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【“To Yan!”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Her father had been killed after Tuoba Shuyi seized power—she bore blood vengeance against the north.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【To Yan, under the rule of the Prince of Yan!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the banks of the Zhi River, the winds and clouds converge!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Forty to fifty thousand cavalry stood in formation, their dark ranks lining both shores, turning the banks of Zhi River into a solemn, chilling scene!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Strong winds surged!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The waters of Zhi River churned violently!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Beside the grand bridge spanning Zhi River, war drums pounded.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【It was said that a white horse possessed divine power to bridge heaven and earth; sacrificing it could forge an eternal alliance.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Tuoba Shuyi, following ancient rites, ordered a pure, flawless white horse brought to the banks of Zhi River.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【At his command, a sharp blade sliced through the air—the horse cried out, its blood gushing forth, staining the earth beside Zhi River red.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【A massive bronze cauldron was carried by several guards to the site.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The white horse’s blood was carefully poured into the cauldron.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Tuoba Shuyi, clad in battle armor, his gaze resolute, dipped his finger into the steaming blood and smeared it on his forehead.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【He swore before Zhi River and Changsheng Tian!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【By the oath of the white horse, the four nations and Yan shall harm not each other for ten years.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Whoever breaks this oath, all four nations shall unite against them!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Yuwén Yán and Gongsun Zhongshu followed, staining their brows with blood.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The Empress of Qianyuan, too, stood by the riverbank beneath the long wind, lifting her mask.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【A face of exquisite beauty stunned the crowd; she slowly swore her oath.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You stood last here, swearing the oath.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【“In Yanbei, ten years of rest and recuperation!”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【With your oath sealed.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Drums pounded again, horns blared high.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【A golden eagle soared through the sky!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Tuoba Shuyi and the others smiled.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【We shall vie for the world again in ten years!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You did not linger—you could cross the bridge and return north.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You took your leave.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You and Lu Yu crossed the bridge slowly, above the ten thousand soldiers on either shore.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Tuoba Shuyi watched your back, lost in thought.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Yuwén Yán looked at the two of you, his smile fading.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The Empress replaced her ghost mask, expression hidden, and did not turn back for a long while.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Gongsun Zhongshu also took his leave.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The Oath of the White Horse was complete.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The world would know peace for ten years.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Chen and Lu Yu crossed the bridge slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spur the horse!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Autumn is clear and crisp!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Chen replaced his straw hat and gazed at the Beifeng soldiers on both banks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind along the flood-control river blew upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Chen pressed one hand down on his straw hat to keep it from blowing away, looked up at the Beifeng sky, and said slowly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A bird in heaven’s cage, rain over rivers and halls, life like a floating duckweed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yu chuckled after hearing it: “Brother, that doesn’t rhyme.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Chen smiled and whispered, as if only he could hear:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Playing chess with the ones above!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1271,"2026-06-21T01:33:00.595Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","0075b4f41dedd8b92d1a21f4399fd655689bcf3eda9214a18da654b44db27542","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-271","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-269",728,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsimulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-cover.jpg",{"terms":24},[25,29,33,37,41,45,49,53,57,61,65,69,73,77,81,85,89,93,97,101,105],{"id":26,"raw_term":27,"original_term":28},1799945,"Lu Chen","陸沉",{"id":30,"raw_term":31,"original_term":32},1799946,"Wu Ying","武纓",{"id":34,"raw_term":35,"original_term":36},1799947,"Gongsun Pingxi","公孫平溪",{"id":38,"raw_term":39,"original_term":40},1799948,"Yu Ke","俞客",{"id":42,"raw_term":43,"original_term":44},1799949,"Dou Gu","竇固",{"id":46,"raw_term":47,"original_term":48},1799950,"Huang Yu","黃鈺",{"id":50,"raw_term":51,"original_term":52},1799951,"Yu Xu","虞許",{"id":54,"raw_term":55,"original_term":56},1799952,"Zhou Cheng","周成",{"id":58,"raw_term":59,"original_term":60},1799953,"Liu Wen","劉溫",{"id":62,"raw_term":63,"original_term":64},1799954,"Zhou Jinyu","周錦瑜",{"id":66,"raw_term":67,"original_term":68},1799955,"Feng Haiping","封海平",{"id":70,"raw_term":71,"original_term":72},1799956,"Tuoba Hongyan","拓拔宏宴",{"id":74,"raw_term":75,"original_term":76},1799957,"Zhou Xuan","周玄",{"id":78,"raw_term":79,"original_term":80},1799958,"Gu Yi","顧議",{"id":82,"raw_term":83,"original_term":84},1799959,"Tuoba Shuyi","拓拔術遺",{"id":86,"raw_term":87,"original_term":88},1799960,"Lu Jiaxuan","陸佳軒",{"id":90,"raw_term":91,"original_term":92},1799961,"You'an","幼安",{"id":94,"raw_term":95,"original_term":96},1799962,"Lu Yu","陸羽",{"id":98,"raw_term":99,"original_term":100},1799963,"Yuwen Liqian","宇文璃淺",{"id":102,"raw_term":103,"original_term":104},1799964,"Su Beihai","蘇北海",{"id":106,"raw_term":107,"original_term":108},1799965,"Old Li","老李頭"]