[{"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-47":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},2347062,4587,"Chapter 47: The Sword That Guards the Nation: Between River and Court","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-47",47,"\u003Cp>Your expression remained calm, unresponsive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daqing indeed remained secluded in one corner; the previous Emperor Hui favored Daoism, pursued the art of immortality, sought to govern through non-action, and for fourteen years never attended court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Governance thus decayed; corrupt ministers seized power, and the people suffered in dire misery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As uprisings surged and the realm plunged into chaos, Beifeng took the opportunity to march south.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emperor Hui fled in panic, betrayed by his own ministers, and Beifeng captured him, taking him back to Liaodong as a prisoner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, you led your army, just one step away from striking straight at the heart of the enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet within the capital, twelve imperial edicts raced forward on swift horses, each word cold and piercing—only the word “retreat” hung supreme.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You had no choice but to withdraw your troops!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless Lu family soldiers seethed with resentment and sorrow, yet could do nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beifeng sent an envoy south, proposing a marriage alliance to forge a pact between the two states, echoing the harmony of Chu and Jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beifeng promised to return the treasures looted from the capital during that time, to restore Emperor Hui to his throne, and for the Beifeng princess to marry Daqing’s second prince.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That same year, Beifeng dispatched a large army to escort Emperor Hui southward; he died of illness en route.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The news did not reach the realm until the next year; Daqing did not pursue the matter, and instead, when the second prince married the northern princess, a general amnesty was declared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Lu Chen marched north to strike at the Yellow Dragon Citadel, the eighth prince’s three-day kneeling plea for military action truly shook the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three days and nights—clear proof of his sincerity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even your father praised him highly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though you stood outside the affair and knew none of the details, from then on, the eighth prince, Prince Jing, transformed from an ordinary prince into a figure of immense prestige in court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This move won the hearts of the pro-war faction; Zhou Cheng also solidified his position in court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for that phrase: “The royal cause does not settle in seclusion!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who could truly know how much sincerity lay behind it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Zhou Cheng presented this map to you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at you with expectation, his eyes filled with earnestness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yu was indifferent; he had always trusted your decisions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Jinchan’s heart tightened; he understood the profound implications behind this map.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In today’s court, the pro-war and pro-peace factions remain locked in unceasing conflict.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pro-peace faction, led by the second prince, enjoys overwhelming support from southern clans; the pro-war faction nearly perished years ago, with all six ministries now under pro-peace control—only the Lu family army’s northern campaign to reclaim lost territory revived them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet as Lu Chen retreated into seclusion and peace gradually settled over the realm, the trend toward rest and recuperation grew stronger, and the pro-peace faction regained the upper hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In four years, the Lu family army no longer exists; it has been reorganized into the Zhenbei Army, and the former twenty-six generals of the Lu household have been scattered to the four corners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We assumed Lu Chen’s renown had faded with time, yet during the New Year’s blessing ceremony, nearly three hundred thousand people from the north gathered at Mount Zhongnan, streaming endlessly along the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many in the north have built temples honoring Lu Chen and his father; households commonly hang portraits of the Young Protector.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, court memorials flooded in, accusing Lu Chen of honoring only the Young Protector, ignoring the emperor’s boundless grace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This sparked fierce debate in court, yet ultimately faded without resolution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over these four years, controversy over Lu Chen has never ceased; if he supports the eighth prince, it will shake the capital and draw the gaze of the entire realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, you stand at a crossroads,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You decide…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>1. Accept this map, and you may step into the court’s whirlpool—treacherous and unpredictable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>2. Reject this map, and you risk losing a chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>3. Enter directly, and seek the unknown. (1\u002F3)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Ke weighed these three options in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Accepting this map means possibly sinking into factional strife.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Ke originally planned to spend the next ten years cultivating in seclusion, waiting for the return of spiritual energy, to seize that fleeting opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew he could not waste time on this matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Ke recalled his last direct involvement—the tangible feelings it stirred, altering his emotions toward Lu Yu and his father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be drawn into factional politics would be to gamble the fate of the entire Lu family and its army—something he could not bear to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Ke chose option 2: Reject this map, risking the loss of a chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You refused Zhou Cheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Cheng sighed slightly, yet immediately regained his composure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Ji’s face darkened; he resented inwardly—Lu Chen had long lost his official rank, now merely a Daoist on Mount Zhongnan, yet he grew arrogant from a few victories, forgetting his origins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ruler is the standard for the minister; the minister serves the ruler—this is an eternal truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the ruler commands death, the minister must obey—this is the ancient rule.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The master is of imperial blood, destined to one day hold the imperial insignia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Ji has seen countless nobles, too many to count, yet in the end, they were nothing but gatekeepers outside the master’s mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Ji kept these thoughts buried deep within, daring not to show even a trace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Cheng smiled openly; he had long anticipated this outcome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gently rolled up the map scroll and placed it calmly upon the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Jinchan had intended to intervene and smooth things over, but Zhou Cheng halted him with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Cheng laughed heartily, with a certain air of freedom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Protector, this is our first meeting, yet over the past ten years, your figure has haunted my mind countless times—in dreams, I’ve already shared wine with you, calling you ‘Wu’ai of Shenzhou.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words made Lu Yu frown; the name “Shenzhou” was one only Lu Chen’s father had dared to use among the Lu family army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You bowed slightly, respectfully replying: “Your Highness, this humble subject dares not stand shoulder to shoulder with you in name.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Cheng waved his hand, signaling no need for such formality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shenzhou, I spent my first half-life studying Dao and cultivating virtue, delving into military texts and strategy, yet life is like a game of go—I still feel I have accomplished nothing, lived aimlessly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Cheng spoke slowly, each word deliberate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shenzhou, don’t find me tedious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When Emperor Hui fled in panic, Beifeng’s three hundred thousand troops crossed the Yellow River; the frontlines suffered defeat after defeat, while court officials bickered endlessly—surrender or fight!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I kept wondering—if Beifeng marched all the way to today’s Jiangnan, what would I do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Flee? Where to? Or bow and submit?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Throughout history, under iron hooves and blades, no scholar class ever held its dignity—only the literati wrote surrender petitions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They merely Huanle  another master!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If Daqing falls, what will become of its countless subjects? Will they truly become meat for slaughter, or beasts to be driven?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No one seems to care—but I, Zhou Cheng, care.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Cheng said solemnly: “The rise and fall of the state is not the people’s burden.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At home, I often hung a sharp sword above my bed, wondering: when Beifeng cavalry finally breached the city gates, when ministers fled south in silk robes, kneeling to beg for life—would I, Zhou Yuanjian, remove my crown, draw my sword, and ride alone northward?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How glorious that would be!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Cheng, courtesy name Yuanjian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint smile appeared on Zhou Cheng’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Looking back, my youthful thoughts now seem absurd.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yet that year, you, Young Protector, emerged out of nowhere—sixty thousand troops repelled eight hundred thousand, altering the fate of the realm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since then, I have taken down the sword from my wall.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For I knew Daqing now had its true sword of protection.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1346,"2026-06-21T01:32:57.622Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","7c0261244c6e72ffd065af5603a15badd8fbbbfdb4e24ef0d6f8f0aac09858e5","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-48","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-46",728,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsimulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-cover.jpg"]