Zhou Youyou and Zhou Xiaoxiao lay in Lu Chen's arms, sobbing non-stop. Zhou Youyou's eyes were red and swollen from crying.
Zhou Xiaoxiao wiped her tears and choked, "Your Highness, if you really can't stop the barbarians, you must retreat to the south."
Zhou Youyou hugged Lu Chen tightly by the waist, resting her head against his chest. "Wuwuwu... Your Highness, I'll wait for your good news in Anping City."
At that moment, Mu Zixuan, who stood nearby, also looked at Lu Chen and said softly, "Your Highness, I'm leaving now. You must take care of yourself."
Lu Chen gave a reassuring smile and replied, "Don't worry, this war won't drag on too long. It'll be over within half a year, at most."
Hearing they might see Lu Chen again in half a year, Zhou Xiaoxiao and Zhou Youyou cried even harder, and even Mu Zixuan's eyes turned red, as though she too would break into tears.
Lu Chen gently consoled them, "Alright, alright, my darlings, don't cry anymore. As soon as the war is over, I'll send someone to pick you up personally."
While Lu Chen comforted his wife and concubines, Chu Yuqin didn't interrupt. She had already said everything that needed to be said and trusted that Lu Chen knew what he had to do.
She quietly approached Bai Qingqing and whispered, "Xiaobai, for the next few months, you'll be the only one staying by Chen'er's side. His safety will be in your hands."
When Chu Yuqin said "only," she was referring to the women in Lu Chen's life. Naturally, not everyone was leaving. Most of the palace staff—maids and servants—would remain. After all, Lu Chen was still living in the palace, and it wasn't feasible to leave him without care.
Bai Qingqing responded with a soft "Mm" and didn't say much more.
Truthfully, she hadn't expected that Lu Chen would choose to leave only her by his side, which made her all the more nervous.
Just the thought of being the sole woman left with Lu Chen day and night—after remembering the things he had done with her—made Bai Qingqing's heart skip a beat.
Although she was a master, her slender legs trembled slightly at the mere thought of Lu Chen's "ferocity."
As Lu Chen's wives and concubines prepared to leave, Wang Qingci came up to him, visibly reluctant. As the one most often "tormented" by Lu Chen, she naturally had mixed feelings about parting.
She looked into Lu Chen's eyes and asked, "My lord, are you truly not letting me stay?"
Lu Chen said with a calm smile, "No. Even if you are my slave girl, you're also my woman. I don't want to see my woman get hurt."
Wang Qingci was stunned.
She had thought Lu Chen merely treated her as a venting tool, but hearing him say this—her heart warmed. He actually cared.
Then Lu Chen suddenly remembered something and added, "Starting today, you'll withdraw from the Misty Rain Pavilion. You don't need to remain undercover anymore."
Wang Qingci blinked, caught off guard. She had hoped to prove her worth through her infiltration. As long as the Eighth Prince continued plotting, she could gather valuable intel.
But Lu Chen explained, "Ever since we arrived in Beijun, I've already suffered two assassination attempts from the Blood Moon Tower, yet you remained unscathed. No matter how foolish Lu Shuyun might be, he must already suspect you've betrayed him."
Wang Qingci thought about it—and realized it made sense.
Still, if she wasn't undercover anymore, how would she prove her value? Was she really just going to stay by Lu Chen's side as his "scabbard"?
As if reading her mind, Lu Chen added, "After this war with the barbarians is over, I'll arrange something suitable for you."
Wang Qingci's eyes lit up. "Prince, do you mean it?"
She didn't know what that role would be, but anything was better than doing nothing but warming his bed.
Lu Chen nodded. "Yes."
He hadn't thought about the exact role yet—but he certainly didn't plan to let Wang Qingci idle. With such a seductive woman constantly at his side, it was too easy to lose control.
Among all the women around him, it was Wang Qingci who could drive him the craziest. The fact that she was his "slave girl" made him want to conquer her endlessly.
Such a woman wasn't suitable to remain by his side every day. If he let her truly capture his heart, how would the others around him ever bear him children?
Meanwhile, in the distance, Chen Wanrong and Lin Wanyun stood silently, observing Lu Chen bidding farewell to each of his women.
They were slightly taken aback by the scene.
Rumors claimed the King of the North was a debauched, unfeeling man—but these women clearly had deep affection for him.
Chen Wanrong realized that all the intelligence their Xuanyue Palace had gathered on the King of the North was completely off the mark.
She didn't blame the intelligence network, though. Rather, she felt that the King of the North must be incredibly skilled at hiding his true self.
After all, if he weren't hiding something profound, the entire court wouldn't regard him as a complete failure.
Lin Wanyun sighed beside her. "I hope the King of the North can truly hold off the barbarian invasion and survive."
Lu Chen was, after all, the son of her late friend. Despite their allegiances, she genuinely hoped he would make it through this trial alive.
Using Lu Chen's blood for the Fulong Curse… that would be a matter for later.
She glanced at Chen Wanrong. The young woman's gaze was fixed on Lu Chen and his heartfelt goodbyes, as if reminiscing about something long past.
Indeed, this scene reminded Chen Wanrong of the day her father sent her and others away from the Chen Kingdom's imperial capital.
They, too, had been reluctant to part.
When she finally returned to the capital, everything had changed. Her father and all their kin were nothing but bones.
In that moment, Chen Wanrong hesitated. Did she really still want to use Lu Chen for the Fulong Curse?
Did she want to destroy this beautiful, almost sacred moment?
Eventually, after all the farewells, Lu Chen waved and said, "Alright, time to set out! Do your best to reach Anping City as soon as possible!"
As Zhou Youyou and Zhou Xiaoxiao climbed into the carriage, they leaned out of the window, sobbing and calling out:
"Your Majesty, take care of yourself!"
"Your Majesty, I'll wait for your letters every day! Wuwuwu…"
Lu Chen didn't cry like them. He smiled and waved at the receding convoy.
Watching the carriages disappear into the distance, Lu Chen felt a sudden sense of clarity.
Now that all his most important people were safe and gone, he could fully focus on preparing for a decisive battle with the barbarians.
He turned and walked back into the palace without a word.
***
At the same time, the southern-bound convoy, led by Mu Zixuan and the others, was massive.
Not only did it include the palace's carriages, but also the entire Mu Family convoy and many civilians.
For their safety, Lu Chen had specifically instructed Mu Xingping to lead a group of Jinyiwei as escorts, along with several ninth-rank martial artists.
There was absolutely no concern about their security.
But as the convoy slowly moved south, people in Beijun began to take notice.
Rumors quickly spread that something major had occurred.
Some whispered that the barbarians were about to go south—and in order to preserve his life, the King of the North had abandoned Beijun and fled.
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