Chapter 34: A Marquisate Is Not My Aim—Simulation Ends

The iron cavalry of the Northern Wind delegation, riding with biting cold winds, finally shattered the silence of the southern ancient capital.

This news spread rapidly among the scholars of the capital, as if a single stone had stirred a thousand waves.

Southern scholars rushed to spread the word, ensuring the arrival of the delegation’s caravan in the capital became widely known.

Streets of the ancient capital teemed with carriages and crowds, voices rising in clamor; the people flooded to both sides of the roads, straining their necks to catch a glimpse of the Northern Wind delegation.

The delegation’s caravan slowly entered, and the princess and generals dismounted personally at the imperial gate, showing profound humility and respect.

This was the most resolute day Daqing had seen in twenty years.

For days, court officials had debated endlessly over peace negotiations versus war.

In the end, the reigning emperor decided that Northern Wind would return six provinces and agree to a marriage alliance.

When the order for the Lu family army to return home arrived, your father stared at the imperial edict in his hand, a flicker of helplessness in his eyes.

The Lu family army’s morale was high, bolstered by the addition of northern volunteer forces; the capture of Huanglong Mansion seemed within reach.

Yet imperial command could not be defied; he could only let out a deep sigh: “Eight thousand li of clouds and moon—now reduced to dust and soil.”

Your father’s petition to continue fighting vanished into the void, unacknowledged, and instead earned him a demotion by one rank.

Yet barely half a month later came another golden decree, summoning you and your father and brother to the capital for enfeoffment.

Holding the golden decree in hand, you decided—

1. Ignore all orders, strike directly for Huanglong Mansion.

2. Obey the command and return to the capital to receive your title.

3. Retire to your homeland and resume your cultivation in the mountains.

4. Personally participate (1/3)

Yu Ke looked at the four options.

He couldn’t help but ponder: if he chose Option 1, ignoring all orders to strike directly for Huanglong Mansion—

What then? After all, if they won, the realm would still be Daqing’s.

To launch a reckless attack would invite court censure—utterly unnecessary.

He had been off the mountain five years and already altered the course of the world; this simulation should yield a substantial reward.

The side quest was already completed.

The main goal of the simulation remained cultivation.

Yu Ke decided to choose Option 3: retire to his homeland and resume cultivation in the mountains.

Your father had already sensed your desire to resign; though he sighed in regret, he understood your unwavering resolve to pursue the Dao.

Your younger brother also intended to return to the mountains to cultivate—he had long been clamoring to go back to Mount Zhongnan.

Wang Yang, upon hearing the news, galloped through the night to plead with you, but your resolve to cultivate remained unshaken.

He could only sigh: “Daqing has lost a pillar of the sea.”

You personally penned a formal resignation, submitting it to the court, requesting to retire to Mount Zhongnan and pursue the Dao of naturalness.

This resignation, passed through the hands of the Grand Eunuch Ma Bao, reached the emperor’s desk. Ma Bao took the document and sighed: “Shaobao, your future shines bright—just a flutter of your wings, and you could soar to the clouds, be made a prince or chancellor. Why seek the Dao on Mount Zhongnan?”

You replied with a calm smile: “I rode eight thousand li through the northern winds—not for a marquisate, but to strengthen the realm.”

Your resignation reached the capital and instantly sent shockwaves across the land.

People debated your decision—some praised your noble integrity, others mocked you as a reckless warmonger, resentful of imperial will, acting out of spite.

Ma Bao actively promoted your story, and soon the phrase “A marquisate is not my aim” became a celebrated tale, spreading far and wide.

The emperor, however, was deeply pleased by your resignation; he issued an edict to relocate your father to the south, appointing him Military Governor of Dingguo Army and Historian of Wanshou Temple, and granting him a fief in the capital.

Though this post was ceremonial, it was a legitimate first-rank position, clearly demonstrating the emperor’s great favor toward the Lu family.

Many officers of the Lu family army received high appointments, but key posts had already been filled by court generals.

Seeing this, you understood the emperor still harbored suspicion toward the Lu family army, now numbering a hundred thousand, and could not fully trust them.

On this day, you were twenty-six. You and your brother packed your belongings, preparing to depart for Mount Zhongnan.

You put on again the long-forgotten Daoist robe.

Unknowingly, the news spread across the entire north. Outside the Lu family camp, countless civilians poured in from all directions, surrounding the camp so tightly not even a needle could pass.

Your father told you these simple northern folk had come to bid farewell to you both.

A warmth surged in your heart; you stepped out of the camp gate and saw men, women, and children, their eyes shimmering with reverence and reluctance, chanting your honorific title—“Shaobao.”

In their hands they held eggs, flatbreads, clothing—anything to ensure you wouldn’t suffer cold or hunger on your long journey. Yet you gently refused each gift, though your heart swelled with warmth.

Tears filled their eyes; some felt injustice—for those in the south, unaware of the truth, claimed you had feigned resignation out of arrogance and entitlement.

But the northern people knew the hardships the Lu family army had endured; they understood the Lu family’s character and duty.

“Rather freeze than dismantle a house, rather starve than plunder”—it was no empty slogan.

They had witnessed firsthand the brutality of the Northern Wind army; countless homes reduced to ruins, families torn apart by war.

Twenty years of national humiliation—could such weight be measured against a simple marriage alliance between two states?

You gazed at those who had come to see you off; many officers of the Lu family army wept, covering their faces.

In that moment, a profound, indescribable shame rose within you.

Though you had reclaimed the old mountains and rivers over these six years, you still felt you had accomplished nothing.

You and your brother bowed deeply to the farewell crowd, expressing your gratitude and respect, then turned and walked away without looking back.

That day, heavy snow fell, swirling endlessly for three days and three nights.

A ballad spread through the north: “Who says heaven is unkind? The whole sky’s snow sends one man on his way.”

That autumn, you returned to Mount Zhongnan; the mountain’s red leaves blazed like fire—you had not set foot there in six years.

Liu Jinchan met you both personally at the mountain’s base, his face beaming with joy.

Your three-crossing-of-the-Yellow-River campaign had become a legend among the sect’s disciples, who now held you in the highest esteem.

Former disciples who once looked down on you now shed their arrogance, bowing to you with deep reverence.

Yet you paid it no mind, continuing your cultivation with single-minded focus—every morning, ascending and descending the mountain, rain or shine.

That winter, the Three True Ones and One Teaching of Mount Zhongnan were officially recognized by the court as the orthodox Daoist school, their prestige rising daily.

In the following three years, you trained relentlessly each day; though progress was slow, your perseverance and discipline earned admiration—you still practiced your stances long after midnight.

After countless nights and days of tireless effort, your cultivation finally reached the sixth level of the Great Huangting Scripture, and you entered the ranks of the second-tier martial world.

On this day, you turned thirty.

Prompt: Today’s Heavenly Reincarnation simulation has ended. Please return tomorrow. Save file recorded.

One day in the mortal world equals ten years in the cauldron.

Save time: thirty years.

Reminder: You altered the fate of the world within ten years, sparing northern civilians from war’s suffering. You have earned a reward from the Kunxu World. Drawing now…

(End of Chapter)