Chapter 492

Bianjing City, the imperial palace, the side hall of the Purple Hall.

This is not the main hall where grand court assemblies are held, but the place where the emperor handles daily affairs and summons his trusted ministers;

The furnishings are elegant yet practical, everywhere exuding an inward, restrained dignity.

Emperor Chen Hong sat upright behind the imperial desk, wearing ordinary robes, with no crown on his head;

His brow already bore a dignified bearing, his composed demeanor complementing his decade‑plus reign.

Approaching forty, streaks of gray appeared at his temples, and the corners of his eyes bore the marks of toil;

These are the inevitable marks time leaves on an ordinary person, unchanged by any miracle.

At the lower end of the desk, the three guardians Zhang Cheng, Wang Ru, and Zhao Lao Nian were already seated.

They still retained youthful appearances, forming a stark contrast with Chen Hong;

At this moment, everyone's gaze focused on the hall door, carrying a barely perceptible anticipation.

The eunuchs and palace maids attending inside the hall had already been dismissed;

Only trusted guards remained stationed outside the door, ensuring this meeting remained absolutely secret.

The hall door was pushed open silently, and two figures stepped inside.

Leading them was Chen Wen, who had shed his disguises and resumed his true appearance.

Although he still wore ordinary cloth robes, the aura forged by weathering two worlds' turmoil—especially the inward, deep presence after breaking through to Lv. 4—made everyone in the hall sense it.

"Your subjects pay their respects to Your Majesty."

Chen Wen and Qian Gui bowed deeply, their ceremony flawless.

Even though they were father and son, even though they were the founding lord and his guardians, in public the ruler‑subject distinction could not be abandoned.

Chen Hong immediately rose from behind the desk, stepped forward quickly, and personally took Chen Wen's arm to stop him from continuing the bow.

His voice carried an uncontainable excitement.

"Father… no need for so much ceremony!"

"Please, take a seat quickly."

He guided Chen Wen to sit on the cushion beside him, his gaze lingering on his father's face a moment to confirm he was well, then he returned to the main seat.

Qian Gui silently took a place at the lower end beside Zhang Cheng and the others.

"Father, this journey has been arduous."

Chen Hong spoke first, his tone concerned yet pragmatic.

"The False Song side—has the situation developed exactly as we expected? Can Zhao Heng, backed by the Iron Crow Army, stabilize the situation?"

Chen Wen gave a slight nod, his expression calm.

"Zhao Heng has ascended the throne and changed the era name to Xianping."

"The False Song court is plagued by deep‑rooted ills, while the rising power of the Jin in the north advances swiftly; internally it is stable enough but lacks ambition."

"The Iron Crow Army is determined to uphold the 'script'; it will surely act later."

Zhang Cheng stroked his beard, pondered, then said via the interface:

"The western light curtain separates us; though False Song shares our geography, its fate has diverged greatly from ours;"

"now it seems turmoil there is inevitable."

Wang Ru's eyes were sharp, she focused more on the practical impact:

"Your Majesty, if False Song's interior is unstable, could it drive a mass of refugees to strike the light curtain? Or give the Iron Crow Army an excuse to intensify infiltration?"

"In the short term, False Song's focus will be on internal consolidation and coping with northern pressure."

Chen Wen analyzed.

"The light curtain's exclusion rules remain; large‑scale passage is not easy."

"Yet the Iron Crow Army will surely exploit its internal troubles and external threats to accelerate its predetermined script, thereby restoring and enhancing its authority."

Zhao Lao Nian scratched his head, more concerned about technical matters:

"Your Majesty, how does passing through that light curtain feel now compared to before? Does my improved stabilizer work?"

"The repulsive force has weakened by fifteen percent, cooldown time shortened, and stability improved."

Chen Wen affirmed his achievement.

"Lao Nian, you've done well. This is a long‑term plan requiring continual refinement."

Hearing this, Zhao Lao Nian's face broke into a simple yet proud smile.

Chen Hong listened to the discussion, his fingers lightly tapping the desk, as if in thought.

After a moment, he turned to Chen Wen and asked the most crucial question:

"Father, your letter mentioned that the foundation of Liangshan's 'Northward Aspiration' has been laid, yet False Song's northern border is perilous. What should our dynasty do next?"

Once again, all eyes in the hall gathered on Chen Wen.

Chen Wen sat upright, his voice steady and clear:

"In False Song's north, the rise of the Jin is already a fait accompli; great change is imminent."

"In that realm I can faintly sense the northern war‑killing qi surging skyward; the False Song court is unequal to the task."

"The Liangshan 'Northward Aspiration' faction is a key piece we have placed, intended to stem the tide when it has already turned and to preserve China's vital essence."

He paused, then continued:

"Yet relying only on Liangshan's internally suppressed forces is far from enough."

"I intend that our Chen dynasty should increase investment in the Shandong covert line, especially in technology, intelligence, and specific material support."

"To help 'Northward Aspiration' quickly become an independent force, a pillar in the resistance against the Jin."

"Technical support?"

Chen Hong keenly caught the point.

Father is referring to...... the devices developed by the Ministry of Works based on the new theory?

Exactly.

Chen Wen nodded.

Heart Guard Talisman, Dispel Malignance Ritual, Small Vortex Machine—these show a significant effect against enemies affected by the Iron Crow Army's nefarious energy.

The Northward Aspiration core can be prioritized for installation.

Furthermore, my ability has recovered to sixteenfold effect, and the former Bestowal ability has also returned.

His tone was flat, as if stating something that ought to be.

The use of this technique is more facile than before.

Upon these words, everyone in the hall, except Qian Gui who already knew, showed expressions of realization and excitement.

They deeply understood what the Bestowal ability meant.

Zhang Cheng's eyes flashed with a sharp light:

The sovereign's divine power has recovered—this is a great joy! If it can be applied to elites or key artisans, its assistance to the overall situation is immeasurable!

Wang Ru then thought deeper and asked the core question:

Your Majesty, when this technique is used in the other world, will it, as before, consume our dynasty's Fortune Momentum?

Not for now.

Chen Wen gave a clear answer.

Intervening in this 'script world' essentially means setting things right, opposing the twisted history maintained by the Iron Crow Army.

Success would instead slightly increase our dynasty's Fortune Momentum.

Only when my ability rises to a higher level, touching the world's fundamental rules, will it begin to slightly consume Fortune Momentum and incur a cost.

Hearing this answer, everyone visibly relaxed.

Chen Hong pondered for a moment, his gaze gradually becoming firm.

He looked at Chen Wen and made a decision:

What Father said is indeed the fundamental strategy.

The people of the False Song are also our Huaxia compatriots; how can we stand by and let them fall under the barbarians' iron hooves?

Supporting the Northward Aspiration is both for salvation and to sever the Iron Crow Army's aid, and it is also crucial to our Chen dynasty's grand plan to transcend.

He turned to Zhang Cheng, Wang Ru, and Zhao Lao Nian.

Minister Zhang, you will oversee subsequent liaison with Shandong and the coordination of material allocation.

Wang Ru, the Jing'an Office must strengthen its work against the False Song, especially gathering intelligence on the Northern Frontier, and ensure the safety of supply routes.

Minister Zhao, the Ministry of Works will fully cooperate, optimizing channels, developing and allocating the needed devices, listing them, with the Inner Treasury and Ministry of Revenue coordinating support.

We, your subjects, receive the order!

Zhang Cheng, Wang Ru, and Zhao Lao Nian all bowed in unison.

Chen Hong's arrangement has already raised support for the Northward Aspiration Army to the level of national strategy.

Chen Hong finally looked at Chen Wen, his tone carrying respect and reliance:

Father, the specific plan still needs you to take the helm.

The entire Chen dynasty stands as a rear support.

Chen Wen looked at his son, already fully mature and bearing the demeanor of a wise ruler, and a glint of relief flashed in his eyes.

He nodded.

Specific details, to be discussed later.

For now, I first need to go with Lao Nian to the Ministry of Works to check the progress of the new equipment.

In the court, we must still maintain outwardly the doctrine that the late emperor has passed.

As for these matters, Your Majesty and everyone, please take care of them.

The meeting has thus concluded, the tone set.

The Chen dynasty's massive state apparatus will begin to operate more efficiently for that spark named 'Northward Aspiration' beyond the light curtain.

The ruler and ministers again discussed some details, then each went their separate ways.

Chen Wen, accompanied by Qian Gui, went straight with Lao Nian to the Ministry of Works office.

Inside the hall, only Chen Hong remained.

He stood by the window, gazing at the prosperous scene of Bianjing outside, yet his mind had already flown to that 'script world' shrouded in war clouds.

He knew that what his father brought back was not just a plan, but also a herald of a cross-world expedition.

And the Chen dynasty will play a crucial role in this expedition.