Chapter 40

【Imperial concubines, royal relatives, families of officials.】

【Amidst the singing and dancing, the flowers are competing for beauty, like a hundred flowers blooming together.】

【The leader of the crowd is the current Empress, the biological mother of the Second Prince.】

【Beside the Empress, a bright and beautiful woman is eye-catching; she has a tall figure, noble temperament, and a compelling heroic spirit.】

【This is the Princess of Northern Wind.】

【Perhaps it is the woman nourished by the Northern soil that makes her the tallest among all the women, and thus the most outstanding among them.】

【It is rumored that she is skilled in horse riding and archery, not losing to men at all.】

【Since marrying into this prosperous capital four years ago, as a princess for peace, she has stood firm in the capital in just four years.】

【The Second Prince has deep feelings for her, and to show his devotion, he even dismissed all the concubines in his home one by one.】

【The Princess of Northern Wind pleaded for them many times, but the Second Prince's mind was made up.】

【The endings of those concubines were quite miserable; some became servants, and some drowned in ponds.】

【The reasons for this are known to few.】

【Therefore, the Second Prince was crowned with the name of "heartless."】

【She is also like a fish in water in the Great Qing royal family; the Empress treats her as her own, and she is also very close to the wives of the hundred officials in the court as sisters and best friends.】

【This Northern Wind princess, her wrist is not high!】

【After exchanging greetings with the Empress and the concubines.】

【You quietly retreated to the side and watched silently.】

【Lu Yu watched his nose and heart, not interested at all.】

【Among this group of beauties, there is no lack of flickering eyes, faintly revealing curiosity and exploration of you.】

【After all, you were once in full swing, famous throughout the world, granted the title of Lu Shaobao and the power to open three mansions, as if you were only one step away from soaring to the sky, with blue clouds in sight.】

【At that time, countless beauties were obsessed with you, pouring out their youth for you.】

【However, things are unpredictable, and in the end, they only waited for the news of your retirement to Zhongnan, and the former glory was lost, turning into a commoner.】

【This news was like a biting cold wind sweeping across the lake, making the fire of enthusiasm in the hearts of countless women instantly extinguish, turning into a piece of cold disappointment.】

【In the torrent of power, even a hero who has made great military achievements, once he loses power, is nothing more than a passing cloud, fleeting.】

【Your former brilliant battle achievements, under the dissipation of power, became insignificant, not even as good as the peddlers walking the streets.】

【And now, the Second Prince advocates peace, the Empress is his biological mother, and you are no longer that hero famous throughout the world.】

【Naturally, no one dares to touch the Empress's bad luck, risking the risk of offending the Second Prince and the Empress to cling to you, a general of the former main-war faction.】

【In this vortex of the palace, who dares to challenge the Empress's dignity and question the Second Prince's decision? Everyone avoids it, fearing to be involved with you.】

【Now, in this palace, no one greets you, leaving only a piece of loneliness.】

【Separated from you far away, leaving a piece of open space.】

【The families and young masters of the hundred officials are more carrying a bit of sarcasm and sneer.】

【The former Lu Shaobao Lu Shen Zhou, today's Daoist Lu Chen.】

【The same person, but it has been turned upside down.】

【At this time, however, one person walks toward you.】

【That Princess of Northern Wind.】

【With her noble status, naturally no one dares to say anything!】

【"Zhou Jinyu has met Lu Shaobao?"】 She said softly, making people intoxicated.】

【The voice was even more delicate than that of a Southern woman.】

【After marrying into Great Qing, she requested to change her name, and the Emperor was very happy and bestowed upon her the imperial surname Zhou.】

【Named Zhou Zhou Jinyu.】

【This name is both her new identity and the beginning of her new life.】

【The Second Prince was granted the title of Prince of Han.】

【"Lu Chen, has met the Princess of Han."】

【Zhou Zhou Jinyu's gaze flowed on you like autumn water.】

【"Lu Shaobao, actually this is our second meeting?"】

【You were confused; in your memory, you truly have no impression of having met this Princess of Han.】

【Zhou Zhou Jinyu smiled: "Back then, Lu Shaobao led the iron cavalry to go straight to Huang Long Prefecture, and I saw your figure from the city gate from afar, but the distance was too far, so I couldn't see clearly."】

【She paused and continued: "At that time, I always thought Lu Shaobao was a hero with iron blood, but I didn't expect that when we met again today, you are actually a... Daoist."】

【Perhaps not far away, the group of women and noble young masters behind were listening carefully.】

【Since this Princess of Han talked to Lu Chen, everyone pricked up their ears and listened carefully.】

【Speaking of this!】

【Someone behind laughed out loud, as if someone took the lead, the voice became louder, attracting everyone to look back.】

【"Hero... Daoist, haha."】

【"What is said is not false, the metaphor is wonderful."】

【Even that Empress who is the mother of the world couldn't help but have a shallow smile at the corner of her mouth. However, the smile disappeared in a flash.】

【The Empress frowned slightly, feeling that it was somewhat inappropriate.】

【The noisy voices around gradually subsided, and everyone's eyes focused on you again, looking forward to it, expecting your reaction.】

【You, however, appeared light and breezy after hearing this, as if these words had nothing to do with you.】

【Zhou Zhou Jinyu's gaze was also tightly locked on your face, trying to capture any emotional fluctuation of yours.】

【However, you were like an outsider, unmoved.】

【She continued: "Back then, Lu Shaobao was in Huang Long Prefecture, it was truly like black clouds pressing on the city, the city was about to be destroyed..."】

【She shook her head lightly, with complex light in her eyes: "Forget it, those are all past clouds, they shouldn't be mentioned again."】

【You nodded.】

【You have long since not wanted to be remembered for the things back then, now you just want to practice Daoism leisurely.】

【This Northern woman saw your expression and suddenly said without giving up: "Zhou Jinyu didn't want to say these things, but since Lu Shaobao you don't want to listen, I feel it is necessary to say it."】

【You showed helplessness.】

【This Northern woman added a bit of memory and said slowly:】

【"Back then, when the Lu Family Army fought outside Huang Long Prefecture, all the soldiers of Northern Wind were terrified."】

【"At that time, there were more than twenty thousand troops stationed in Huang Long Prefecture, while the Lu Family Army had only eight thousand."】

【"I was thinking, twenty thousand troops were waiting for work, fighting against those eight thousand Lu Family Army, could they not win?"】

【She paused and continued:】

【"My brother Tuoba Tuoba Shuyi, who had a heroic spirit since childhood, didn't even have the courage to fight, and only prepared to wait for death in the city."】

【"At that time, I really wanted to scold him for not being a man."】

【"As a general, he should lead the soldiers to fight bravely, instead of choosing to escape."】

【"Now it seems that it was the best decision back then."】

【She spoke slowly, as if talking to herself, and as if asking for your opinion.】

【Zhou Zhou Jinyu turned to you, with a hint of expectation in her eyes: "Lu Shaobao, do you think the peace talks in the South back then were the best decision?"】

【You were just about to answer when a crisp and firm female voice suddenly came from behind Zhou Zhou Jinyu, interrupting your conversation.】

【"Great Qing shouldn't have sought peace, Lu Shaobao should have gone straight to Huang Long Prefecture."】

【For a moment, the whole audience was shocked.】

【You looked in the direction of the voice!】

PS: The update tonight is too late, a bit late, I will change the typos later, and change some sentences.

The pace has accelerated, I think there will be no such plot later, thank you all for the typos you changed!!

(End of chapter)