Starting as a centurion, he fought his way through the chaos of the world.

Chapter 141 Meeting
Lu Ming did not raise his own banner along the way, but simply headed towards the imperial city.

The sights he saw along the way made him frown.

Everywhere were ruins left after the war, and ragged people wept in the ruins.

Their cries of agony were heartbreaking.

The refugees lay haphazardly by the roadside, their eyes gleaming with the malice of wolves.

They realized that Lu Ming's team was quite strong, which is why they didn't dare to approach.

If it were anyone else, they probably would have pounced on them already.

However, after a few close calls, they finally arrived in the capital city two months later.

During these two months, Lu Ming did not neglect his cultivation.

Now, his cultivation level has reached the late stage of Core Formation.

"Xuanwu Golden Bell Cover" has broken through to the mid-stage of the fourth level.

The "Xuanhuang Chudian" was already in the late stage of the third level.

His true combat strength is enough to crush someone in the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion realm.

With such cultivation, he might not be considered top-tier within the Great Yu territory, but he was definitely a master.

When they arrived outside the capital city, they looked at the scene inside.

A feeling welled up in my eyes.

Although things are in complete chaos outside, it must be said that Shangjing, this ancient capital, truly deserves to be the most prosperous city in Dayu.

Various runes are engraved on the mottled city walls that are at least thirty feet high.

Mysterious and profound.

It gives people a sense of antiquity and vicissitude, with armored soldiers holding sharp blades patrolling on the city wall.

Their steps were heavy, clearly those of the elite Imperial Guards.

Their cultivation levels were all at the Qi Condensation Realm.

The general at the city gate was even at the Qi Refining stage.

Especially in the clouds above the city, he saw a pale golden dragon roaring.

Although there are many gaps above.

But it still retains its majesty.

Small, fine beams of light converged on it from all directions.

However, the rate of loss is even faster.

This made Lu Ming sigh.

That was the projection of the underground dragon vein in the air.

When the world is in chaos, the dragon veins will inevitably be damaged.

Then, a divine light appeared in his eyes. He tried to extend his divine sense and was able to make contact with the dragon vein.

However, he quickly left because he had other things to do and couldn't linger there any longer.

When Lu Ming and his group arrived at the entrance, their official travel permits were checked one by one. Only after confirming that there were no problems were they allowed to enter.

The streets are really wide.

After renovation, the streets of Hongdufu are much wider than before.

However, the road in front of them was five or six times wider than the streets of Hongdu Prefecture.

There were not only paths for pedestrians, but also paths for horse-drawn carriages.

The people in the city have a much better mental outlook than those outside.

Many of them were dressed in brocade.

Talk and laugh.

There were quite a few people sitting in the teahouses and taverns near the city gate.

They seemed to be saying something.

Zhang Meng asked softly from outside the carriage, "My lord, shall we go directly to the Prime Minister's residence?"

"Okay, let's go straight there!" Lu Ming said calmly.

Then, the curtains were drawn.

Looking at Li Xirou beside him, he said, "I'll take you out for a walk another day. This capital city is really different from the outside world."

“Yes!” Li Xirou nodded.

As the carriage traveled through the streets.

After walking through the city for about an hour, they finally arrived outside the Prime Minister's residence.

At the same time, in Li Yan's backyard, the Empress, dressed in men's clothing, was sitting at a stone table, drinking tea.

Although she was dressed in men's clothing, her stunning beauty was still undeniable.

And it also carries a hint of nobility.

With her jade-like hands, she held a teacup and looked at Li Yan.

"Teacher, you've been recuperating for months, aren't you going to court yet?" she said with a wry smile.

During this period, it was natural to feel the estrangement between the two, which made Li Yan very resentful.

But there is no way.

As an emperor, one must be ruthless.

On matters of principle, there is no room for retreat.

Because it is an abyss.

"Your Majesty, you know my health condition. For some time now, I have been struggling despite my illness. Now that the attacks from the various rebel kings have finally weakened, I naturally need to rest. I hope you will understand."

Li Yan stood up and cupped his hands in greeting.

The Empress shook her head helplessly. "Teacher, you and I are quite different now."

"There is a distinction between ruler and subject, and the rules must still be observed," Li Yan said with a smile.

Although the two seem close, the feelings they once had are no longer there.

The Queen sighed and said nothing more.

But just then, Uncle Fu cautiously walked in.

Upon seeing the Empress, beads of sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.

He clearly had no idea that the Queen was there.

After gaining cultivation, the other party became increasingly elusive, appearing only briefly and not appearing at all. When they came to Li Yan's residence, they did not enter through the main gate.

After seeing such a scene.

He then bowed to the Empress.

"I have met His Majesty!"

The Empress waved her hand dismissively.

Then, Uncle Fu walked up behind Li Yan and whispered in his ear, "Master, the young master has arrived."

His voice was very low.

Moreover, they tried their best to cover it with their true energy.

If it were an ordinary person, even someone with Qi cultivation, they might not be able to hear it.

But what is the Empress's cultivation level now? She is a true late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

No, after this period of cultivation, she has reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage.

Therefore, it was naturally easy to hear clearly.

He involuntarily raised an eyebrow.

Foreign princes and nobles, without being summoned or submitting any memorials, dared to appear silently in the capital.

Her hands involuntarily clenched.

His gaze turned cold at that moment.

Upon hearing the news, Li Yan's gaze flickered slightly.

Even though he had weathered countless storms, he still felt a chill run down his spine at this moment.

Why did he have to come when the Empress was here?

Just as he was about to speak and ask Uncle Fu to take Lu Ming and Li Xirou to the side courtyard,

The Empress's calm voice rang out, "Since Marquis Zhige has come, I will naturally meet him. However, this is not the palace, so it is best not to let Marquis Zhige know my identity for the time being."

As soon as he finished speaking, a look of surprise flashed across Li Yan's eyes.

Then, he waved his hand at Uncle Fu and said, "Do as His Majesty says."

Then, Uncle Fu walked backwards out of the yard.

At that moment, he felt deep regret.

But now, it's too late to say anything.

Composing himself, he went to the front hall and said to Lu Ming and Li Xirou, "Young Master, Master wants you to come over, but there are other guests. Otherwise, this old servant will take the young mistress to the back courtyard first?"

"Well, that's it."

Lu Ming had no doubts.

Then he looked at Li Xirou and said, "You go and keep your godmother company first, I'll go find my godfather."

Li Xirou nodded obediently.

They followed Uncle Fu to the backyard.

As for Lu Ming, he was led by a maid to Li Yan and the Empress's place.

When he arrived, the Queen was drinking tea.

He didn't even lift his head.

She was concealing the cold glint in her eyes.

With a chilling murderous intent. Disobeying an imperial decree is a capital offense, no matter the time.

"Greetings, Godfather!" Lu Ming's voice rang out, tinged with a smile.

Li Yan, however, remained unfazed.

He chuckled and said, "Don't be so polite."

Then, pointing to the Empress, he said, "This is a close friend of mine, Young Master Yu, despite our age difference."

Lu Ming looked at the other person.

The Queen raised her head as well.

But the next moment, she froze.

The murderous intent that had been in his eyes quickly faded, replaced by a fleeting look of surprise.

Empress Da Yu never expected this.

The person he had been searching for for so long turned out to be Zhigehou, Li Yan's godson.

All the emotions in my heart were instantly replaced by surprise.

After a moment, he realized what was happening and looked at Lu Ming, saying, "This must be the famous Marquis Zhige. He dominated the southern border and recovered six prefectures. He is indeed extraordinary."

The voice that rang out carried a hint of praise.

This scene surprised Li Yan somewhat, after all, he knew the Empress very well.

Lu Ming's secret return to Beijing must have displeased the other party.

Even if the current situation forces us to do nothing, we cannot do anything to the other party.

But they would never openly praise them.

At this point, making a few sarcastic remarks would be in line with the other person's temperament.

After all, this empress's personality was truly terrible.

"Young Master Yu, you flatter me. I am merely serving the court and have no other choice," Lu Ming said with a wry smile.

"Oh? What do you mean by 'helpless'?" The Empress seemed not to understand Lu Ming's perfunctory words, but instead asked with great interest.

"I was born into poverty and lived during a time of great chaos, with enemies everywhere. The only way to protect my family and the people I care about is to constantly improve my own and my subordinates' strength, rather than fighting in this chaotic world."

If I could, I would prefer rural life.

Lu Ming then sat down as well.

After saying that, he picked up the tea that the maid brought him and took a sip.

At this moment, Li Yan felt somewhat nervous.

As the saying goes, serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; he was worried that Lu Ming might say the wrong thing.

He angered the empress before him.

Nowadays, what the other party fears most is someone saying that the world is in chaos.

Lu Ming said it to his face.

How could he not worry?

However, to everyone's surprise, the Empress smiled and said, "That makes a lot of sense."

At this moment, the other person looked at Lu Ming as if he were looking at an old friend of many years.

There was no anger at all.

This piqued Li Yan's curiosity.

In the time that followed, the Empress seemed very eager to learn more about Lu Ming.

I asked a lot of questions.

She was usually the one asking the questions, while Lu Ming was the one answering.

Li Yan sat to the side, barely able to get a word in edgewise.

Until the sun sets.

The Empress stood up and said with a smile, "I'll take my leave now. I really hit it off with Brother Lu today. See you next time."

"must!"

Lu Ming stood up and said.

Li Yan also stood up, clearly intending to present it to the Empress, but was stopped by a look from her.

After seeing her leave.

Li Yan pulled Lu Mingdao and said, "Come on, let's have a good drink together today."

Upon hearing the voice, the latter naturally did not refuse and immediately nodded.

They followed Li Yan and walked towards the back.

Meanwhile, the Empress returned to the palace.

She had changed her clothes, and she was clearly in a good mood.

Sitting in his bedchamber, he ate the spiritual fruit on the table.

He was looking out the window, lost in thought.

Just then, the female official in green cautiously walked in.

"Your Majesty, what are your orders?"

It turned out that as soon as the Empress returned, she ordered her female officials to be summoned.

Hearing the sound, she put down the fruit and said calmly, "Didn't Marquis Zhige submit a memorial last time requesting the lifting of the sea ban? I approved it, but I told him to keep the commotion to a minimum and not to make a big fuss."

Curiosity appeared on the face of the female official in blue.

I don't know why the Empress, who hated Lu Ming so much just a few days ago, has suddenly become so easy to talk to.

However, he dared not ask any further questions and could only respectfully reply, "Yes, sir!"

Then, as if remembering something, she said, "Your Majesty, there is one more thing. The envoys from Great Xia will be arriving in the capital in the next few days. It is said that they first visited various rebel kings before coming to our capital."

Moreover, a proud prince has also arrived, and it seems that the group contains experts from various rebel kings.

Their visit to our capital this time is probably not with good intentions.

The Empress curled her lip and said indifferently, "I knew they had no good intentions. An extraterrestrial dynasty is nothing but a puppet of a sect, yet they dare to openly challenge our orthodox humanity. They are truly ignorant."

Then, shifting his gaze, he continued, "It seems the situation is getting increasingly chaotic."

She said this when she got to this point.

His gaze darkened.

"It is said that the prince has reached the peak of the Golden Core stage, but he is very strong in combat. He once defeated a Purple Mansion stage cultivator. Even the inner sect experts in the sect are no match for him."

This time, they seem to be challenging the masters of our Great Yu Kingdom.

The female official in green whispered.

They were afraid of angering the Empress.

Seeing that the other party remained expressionless, he continued, "Moreover, this time, before the person even arrived, they had already issued a challenge, demanding a fair fight between those of the same cultivation level."

The voice of the female official in green robes rang out.

The Empress nodded.

"I understand. This matter is of great importance. We will discuss it during the court meeting tomorrow. You may leave now."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The lady-in-waiting quickly took her leave.

As she left, the Empress's jade-like fingers toyed with the spiritual fruits on the plate.

He seemed to be thinking about something.

Meanwhile, inside the Yongwang Mansion.

Liu Xuan sat to the left of Prince Yong. "Your Highness, the envoy team from Great Xia this time has hidden many experts from various rebel kings. Will they be wiped out when they go to the capital? If the Empress finds out, our plan may not succeed."

As he spoke, a hint of worry appeared in his eyes.

After all, the people going were his own men, and they were carrying valuable treasures. If something happened to them, it would be difficult to explain to the sect.

"Don't worry, they've been planted in the Great Xia's ranks as envoys. This is a perfectly legitimate and aboveboard strategy. Even if the Empress in the capital knows about it, there's nothing she can do unless she goes to war with Great Xia. As long as the Dragon-Eating Nails are fired into the capital, the dragon veins will definitely tremble again."

Prince Yong said with a smile.

Then, after taking another sip of tea, he said, "After leaving Penglai this time, not only have our people broken through, but many members of the royal family have also broken through their cultivation levels. If we don't stop this soon, the situation will become even more difficult in the future."

He spoke slowly and deliberately.

Very stable.

He then continued, "Once we destroy the capital this time, nearly half of the Great Yu's foundation will be destroyed. This will allow even stronger experts to enter the sects."

He said with a smile.

As he spoke, the coldness in his eyes intensified.

Liu Xuan, who was standing to the side, did not say anything more.

Although I still felt uneasy, I had a feeling that something bad was going to happen.

However, since they were assisting Prince Yong, they did not say much.

All we can say is, "Your Highness is wise."

"Hehe!" A smile appeared on Prince Yong's face.

I picked up my teacup and took a small sip.

After a moment's thought, the Empress summoned the female official in blue to her bedchamber once more.

Looking at the other person, his eyes flickered, and he said calmly.

"Go to the Prime Minister's residence. Tomorrow, summon Marquis Zhige to the palace!"

Upon hearing the voice, the female official was startled. Wasn't Marquis Zhige in the Southern Frontier? How could he be at the Prime Minister's residence?

I saw the look of surprise on her face.

The Empress didn't bother to say more, simply stating, "Just do as I say."

"Yes, sir!" The female official hurriedly withdrew after receiving the order.

(End of this chapter)