Chapter 343

Great Chen, Bian Liang Huangcheng.

Chen Wen stood at the high place of the Soaring Phoenix Pavilion, leaning on the railing to gaze into the distance.

It was deep autumn, the sky high and clouds pale, the whole Bianliangcheng lay before his eyes, crowds flowed like a shuttle in the markets, ships came and went without cease at the transport wharves, a scene of thriving prosperity.

Corresponding to this external scene was the unprecedented vigorous feeling within his body.

The mysterious yellow Fortune Momentum vortex was no longer slowly circulating; instead, as if infused with new vitality, it spun joyfully and powerfully, its volume seeming to have expanded by a notch.

It was a tangible sense of 'growth' and 'substance'.

It seemed as if the dynasty's bones had become stronger, its foundations deeper.

It was not just him who sensed this.

Within a few days, the memorials sent up from all over also subtly corroborated this change.

A memorial from Huainan reported that the late rice harvest was imminent, growth generally better than previous years, expected to be a rare bumper year; areas previously forecasted for minor drought unexpectedly received timely rain.

Another military report from Hebei mentioned that border patrol troops were recently in exceptionally high spirits; during daily drills, whether archery and horsemanship or formation coordination, they seemed improved, and epidemics in the army had greatly decreased compared to the same period last year.

Even in the court, Chen Wen could faintly notice that officials wearing the 'Heart-Guarding Talisman' had the gloom and agitation left by 'Shade Erosion' fade considerably, their thoughts clearer and swifter when discussing affairs.

All these signs, though they seemed coincidental, when gathered together pointed to a common fact: the nation's Fortune Momentum was thriving.

"This is the Fortune Momentum giving back…" Chen Wen realized in his heart.

Interfering with the False Song and the mirror Khitan's twisted covenant node, and successfully establishing friendly relations with the genuine Khitan, this series of measures was like removing a tumor attached to the nation's Fortune Momentum, and like injecting a strong-heart stimulant, making Great Chen's foundations ever more solid, and the Fortune Momentum naturally rose.

He could feel that now, when using Massive Endowment or Extensive Endowment to accelerate projects benefiting the people's livelihood, the sense of Fortune Momentum consumption, and the accompanying sense of detachment that might incur a cost, had clearly weakened.

The balance point between using his ability and incurring a cost seemed to have shifted somewhat in his favor.

"The balance of Fortune Momentum is not fixed." He mused, "By strengthening ourselves and weakening our opponents, we can broaden the limits of this balance and gain greater maneuvering space."

This is undoubtedly excellent news for his future, more precise and effective use of his own abilities.

……

Beyond the light curtain, deep within the False Song imperial palace.

The scene inside the secret chamber, however, formed a cruel contrast to Great Chen's vigorous vitality.

The azure crystal serving as the core of power now glowed extremely dim, its surface covered in fine cracks, as if it might shatter completely at any moment.

The shadows coiling around the crystal were so thin they could hardly coalesce; the already illusory figure of the Iron Crow Army's master was now as faint as a wisp of blue smoke that might dissipate at any moment.

Only those two crimson points of light continued to burn stubbornly, yet that light was filled with pain and cruelty.

"Why… why is the recovery so little…"

A hoarse voice echoed in the secret chamber, carrying incredulous anger and weakness.

He had indeed, by forcefully pushing that twisted 'Chanyuan Covenant' node, drawn some 'corrective force', preventing his situation from worsening further.

But this force was far below his expectations.

It was mixed and chaotic, filled with the resentment of the False Song envoys, the humiliation of Zhao Kuangyin, and the massive 'noise' caused by the covenant itself deviating from historical truth.

What made him even more unable to bear it was that, while he was drawing this weak force, he could clearly sense that, on the eastern side of the light curtain, that damned variable dynasty, its Fortune Momentum was growing rapidly like oil on fire!

That vigorous, vibrant force was like a huge, bright mirror, reflecting his current embarrassment and inadequacy.

That growing force was even continuously canceling and purifying the corrective force he had just drawn, which was already weak!

One wanes, the other waxes!

Not only had he failed to recover much, but because of the opponent's strengthening, his situation had become even more difficult!

"Chen Wen… again you… opposing me at every turn!"

Vicious thoughts surged in the secret chamber, yet they could not alter the cruel reality.

He had originally planned that, after pushing this node to restore some strength, he would immediately activate the more destructive later stage of the 'Clearing Agreement'.

But now, his remaining strength was already struggling to maintain 'Shade Erosion', let alone activate stronger measures.

He needed time, needed more 'nodes' to be pushed, to accumulate strength.

Where would the next opportunity come from? Would the other side still give him this chance?

An unprecedented sense of crisis seized him.

……

False Song, Hall of Supreme Reverence.

Zhao Kuangyin looked at the envoy presenting the treaty document, its ink still wet yet already weighty as mountains, his face dark as iron, the veins on his arms bulging from straining to restrain himself.

The palace attendants and eunuchs standing in the hall held their breath, not daring to exhale, fearing to provoke the emperor on the verge of violent rage.

"Good… good an 'old precedent'! Good a Yelü Wuzhi!" Zhao Kuangyin's voice squeezed out from between his teeth, icy and piercing.

The high tribute figure was like a red-hot dagger, cruelly gouged into his heart.

This was not merely a matter of money, but a trampling of dignity, a humiliation of the state!

He seemed to already see that the domestic finances, already strained, would be worsened further, the people would bear heavier exploitation, and those dark forces dissatisfied with him would also seize the chance to stir up trouble.

And all of this was merely to satisfy the so-called 'node' of the behind-the-scenes black hand!

What a stifling position for this emperor of mine!

"Your Majesty," the envoy prostrated on the ground, voice trembling with tears, "I… I deserve ten thousand deaths! That Yelü Wuzhi's attitude is unyielding, behind him seems… seems to be some evil force urging him on, I… I really…"

Zhao Kuangyin fiercely waved his hand, cutting off the envoy's apology.

He knew the fault did not lie with the envoy.

Under that invisible manipulation, both the envoy and he were merely pawns without free will.

"I, I know." He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging anger and humiliation, "You have worked hard; go rest first."

The envoy, as if granted a pardon, crawled out of the hall rolling and tumbling.

In the empty hall, only Zhao Kuangyin's heavy breathing remained.

He walked to the hall's door, gazed eastward, his eyes seeming to pierce the invisible light curtain, straight toward Bian Liang Huangcheng.

"Chen Wen... you must be laughing at me right now..."

"Laughing at my helplessness as a puppet emperor, laughing at the humiliating treaty I signed!"

"Hatred, like a poisonous vine, grew wildly in his heart."

"The fear and resentment toward the owner of the Iron Crow Army, the unwillingness toward his own situation—all of it transformed at this moment into a bone-deep hatred for Chen Wen, that 'variable'."

"If it weren't for Chen Wen, how would he have come to this? He might have already unified Zhongyuan, becoming the true ruler of all under heaven, and would not have to submit to others and sign such a treaty!"

"You wait... you wait for me..."

"Today's humiliation, I will repay it a hundredfold!"

"One day, I will personally flatten your Bian Liang, returning all the humiliation you inflicted upon me!"

"He let out a low, hoarse roar, like a wounded beast, unleashing an unwilling roar in the empty great hall."

"This diplomatic defeat and the ensuing humiliation completely ignited Zhao Kuangyin's most extreme hatred in his heart."

"He was no longer merely following the 'script'; he was now seeking revenge!"

"To wash away today's shame, he was willing to pay any price, even to make a deeper deal with the devil!"

"On either side of the light curtain, one side Fortune Momentum flourished, like the rising sun; the other side heavy resentment surged with dark currents."

"A new storm was already brewing silently."