[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-dragon-lies-hidden":3,"chapter-the-dragon-lies-hidden-the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-972":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Dragon Lies Hidden",{"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},2290270,4477,"Chapter 972","the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-972",972,"\u003Cp>In the deep palace of Zhao Guo, the Zhao Wang sat in his study, the light above his head illuminating only a circle around the desk, leaving the rest shrouded in shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zhao Wang most enjoyed reviewing memorials in such an environment; when weary, he would glance around, and the darkness swallowing the surroundings gave him a surreal sense of being adrift in emptiness. When he was very, very young, the Immortal Ancestor had taken him on a journey through the Void, showing him the splendors of countless realms, planting the seed of cultivation in his small heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, his elder brother, who had inherited the throne, died unexpectedly, leaving no heir. At the time, he was still too young to understand what had happened, yet he was thrust onto the Zhao Wang’s seat. Only as he grew older did he gradually realize his brother must have been manipulated by hostile immortals, hence his mysterious death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once he understood this, the Zhao Wang often wondered: why did that hidden immortal want him to ascend the throne?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more he learned as he matured, the more he sensed the terrifying power of that immortal. Even his own Immortal Ancestor could not trace the immortal’s origins, and could only suppress the matter entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why him? Did that immortal believe the Zhao state’s thousand-year legacy would perish in his hands? With this thought, the Zhao Wang became obsessively diligent, sleeping only three hours a day, terrified that any misstep might betray his ancestors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after decades of tension, he now suddenly felt exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zhao Wang rubbed his face and continued reading the memorial. This one bore red markings—indicating urgent military news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The memorial came from Bi Shui Waters: the Qingming army had crossed the border; Li Cheng led his troops in fierce battle, enduring a day of bloody combat before being defeated, with fifty thousand captured and total casualties nearing one hundred fifty thousand. Li Cheng refused to retreat, fighting to the last moment until he was captured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rarely did the Zhao Wang lose his temper; instead, he stared at the memorial for a full quarter-hour before softly tapping a small bell and ordering, “Summon Cui Shutong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later, Cui Shutong, now promoted to Minister of War, entered the study. It was nearly dawn; he had merely slept in his robes and arrived at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zhao Wang said, “Bi Shui has fallen. Next comes Yu Yang Commandery. Return to your domain immediately, fortify with your own forces. I will send you another one hundred fifty thousand infantry and one hundred thousand cavalry—all under your command. This battle, we shall meet Wei Yuan head-on and see if he truly lives up to his legend.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Shutong bowed and departed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he had even left the palace, he saw the Sixth Princess hurrying toward him, as if preparing to depart. Cui Shutong immediately stepped aside to let her pass. But a woman in red clothing beside her suddenly halted and said, “Commander Cui?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This humble official,” Cui Shutong replied, bowing with proper protocol for a superior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, he had long been enfeoffed as a noble, and as Minister of War, his rank was second rank—far higher than the red-clad woman’s. But her family was illustrious, and she was the Sixth Princess’s closest confidante, notoriously domineering; thus, Cui Shutong dared not be careless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commander Cui has just received an imperial decree?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Shutong vaguely recounted the Zhao Wang’s orders. He deliberately omitted details—troop movements could be uncovered instantly by the Crown Prince’s or Sixth Princess’s spies in the army; better to make a gesture of goodwill now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing the Zhao Wang’s decree, the red-clad woman’s eyes lit up. She turned to the Sixth Princess and said, “We can command the cavalry!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sixth Princess slowly nodded. Cui Shutong inwardly cursed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan did not deploy only one force. Besides his main army, three other units pressed against the Qing-Zhao border, pinning Zhao’s frontier troops in place. Simultaneously, Wei Yuan used his authority over southern military operations to order the five southwestern commanderies of Xi Jin to advance toward Zhao territory, tying down Zhao’s forces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qingming army marched with astonishing speed. By the time Cui Shutong returned to Yu Yang Commandery, Wei Yuan’s vanguard had already arrived, capturing two outer counties without a single drop of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Shutong, a seasoned commander, chose the commandery city and a neighboring county as anchors, erecting extensive fortifications between them and establishing fortified camps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The terrain here was narrow, restricting large-scale maneuvers. But the deployment ground beyond was open plain; if Wei Yuan failed to break Cui Shutong’s line, he would be vulnerable to Zhao’s famed cavalry charges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan rested only one day, then launched his assault the next. Cui Shutong inwardly groaned, wondering whether the Sixth Princess and the red-clad general’s cavalry would arrive in time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As daylight fully broke, standing atop the commandery wall, he could already see the rolling aura of the Qingming army approaching. The aura was so densely concentrated it struck dread into the heart.\u003C\u002Fp>",848,"2026-06-20T03:38:38.899Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","b821348c46f1586cc8f69126f7dd50d0e3c7c9853a6bf6ae4161b85c22246942","the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-973","the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-971",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-dragon-lies-hidden-cover.jpg"]