Just as the old patriarch forced me to my death, I achieved the unity of Dao and fruition.

"King Xuan and his crown prince...died for their country!"

When Chen Xiao heard the messenger's shout, he felt a jolt in his head.

The noise that had been coming from the front yard of the Prince's Mansion seemed to disappear instantly.

The army suffered a major defeat at Chenshayuan, and the imperial army of 300,000 men that was sent to quell the rebellion collapsed completely.

Of the 100,000 Northern Shuo Xuanjia soldiers, less than 3,000 returned.

Most importantly, Xuanwang Gu Cangyue and his heir Gu Changming both died there!

At that moment, Chen Xiao felt as if half the sky had collapsed over Beishuo Prefecture.

For thousands of years, the Xuanwang Mansion has guarded the northern border, and Gu Cangyue is the mountain that weighs down on the heads of all counties, tribes, and border tribes.

Now that the mountain has collapsed and the prince is gone, the entire palace is bound to be in chaos!

But after the initial panic subsided, another thought uncontrollably popped into Chen Xiao's mind.

The Xuanwang lineage now has only the second young master as its sole male heir!

If the young master inherits the throne, what will be his status as the commander of the personal guards who has been by his side since childhood?

The moment this thought popped into Chen Xiao's head, he felt it was somewhat outrageous.

The bodies of the prince and the crown prince were barely cold when he had already begun to think about the succession of a new king.

But instead of slowing down, his foot speed actually increased.

Inside the Prince's residence, those who heard the news were thrown into chaos.

Some people ran towards the Crown Prince's residence, some rushed towards the council hall, and several elders from collateral branches immediately summoned their confidants.

Chen Xiao saw this and became increasingly anxious.

At this moment, if you hesitate even for a moment, you might lose more than just a chair!

He walked through the corridor and headed straight for the courtyard where Gu Changjin was.

The courtyard gate was tightly closed. Just as the two guards standing outside were about to salute, Chen Xiao pushed the gate open.

Normally, without the young master's order, he would never dare to be so rude, but now he couldn't care less!

"Young master! Something terrible has happened!"

"King Xuan and the Crown Prince...they perished in the Battle of Shensha Plain!"

The sound reached into the courtyard.

Chen Xiao originally thought he would see a panicked and even distraught second young master who could hardly accept the bad news.

But after he saw the situation inside the courtyard clearly, he was stunned for a moment.

Gu Changjin remained lying in that rocking chair.

Sunlight filtered through the flowers and leaves, falling on his robes and face.

The courtyard was surrounded by rare and exotic flowers and plants that had been brought in over the past ten days, in shades of crimson, silver, and dark green, densely packed together.

A gentle breeze blows, and thousands of branches and leaves sway lightly at the same time.

Gu Changjin simply nodded slightly, his face showing no sadness, fear, or even the slightest surprise.

It was as if Chen Xiao was talking about something trivial that he already knew.

"That's a good thing, Chen Xiao."

Chen Xiao's pupils contracted.

He subconsciously looked up at Gu Changjin.

Gu Changjin was also looking at him, a faint smile playing on his lips.

This statement was clearly a test.

The death of the father and brother is not a good thing for the Gu family.

This is not a good thing for Beishuo Prefecture either.

But for the second son, who had never been groomed as an heir, this was the only chance in his life to grasp the power of the Xuan King.

Gu Changjin wanted to see whether Chen Xiaozhong was a former master of the Gu family or simply himself.

After a brief silence.

thump!

Chen Xiao immediately knelt down and kowtowed heavily.

"Your Highness, the Xuan King!"

Without hesitation, and without uttering a single word of advice to him to accept his loss.

That address of "Your Highness Xuanwang" already indicated Chen Xiao's choice.

"Your Highness, the military report has just arrived at the residence, and the imperial decree from Tianjing is still en route. This is our only chance!"

"Your Highness, please proceed immediately to the council hall and, as the only male descendant of the Xuan King's lineage, summon the former officials of the royal court and the commanders remaining in charge of each camp!"

"The royal seal, military tally, treasury, communication array, and the nine gates of the royal palace must all be placed under Your Highness's control immediately!"

"Especially the Crown Prince!"

Chen Xiao raised his head, his eyes no longer showing the initial panic, but only determination.

"Over the years, the Crown Princess has managed the affairs of the Crown Prince's household and has already amassed a considerable network of connections. Now that the Prince and the Crown Prince are gone, she will surely use the Crown Prince's old orders to win back the hearts of the people."

"And those elders from the collateral branches of the clan."

"They are all obedient in ordinary times, but if no one is in charge of the Xuanwang Mansion, they may well have other ideas."

"Your Highness cannot wait for the imperial decree!"

"The imperial edict has arrived, granting His Highness only a title. But if, before the edict arrives, the Prince's military power, finances, and popular support are seized by others, then even if His Highness ascends the throne, it will be nothing more than an empty shell!"

Chen Xiao spoke quickly, but his points were clear and logical.

First, control the Prince's Palace; then, stabilize the morale of the army; and finally, wait for the imperial court to bestow official titles.

As for sadness?

You can be sad anytime.

Once power is lost, it may not be able to be regained!

Gu Changjin's smile deepened.

He is indeed a useful person.

Chen Xiao's cultivation level wasn't high, and his vision wasn't particularly outstanding either.

But he was loyal enough and decisive enough.

In the original timeline, this person suddenly learned that his father and brother had died in battle. Overwhelmed with grief and panic, he had no time to deal with these matters.

By the time he came to his senses, Lady Liu had already taken control of the treasury with the old decree of the heir apparent, and had also taken over the remnants of the Xuanjia army through Gu Cangyue's arrangements before his expedition.

Seeing that the situation was settled, the elders of the collateral branches and the former officials of the royal court naturally sided with Lady Liu.

In the end, Gu Changjin, the new Xuan King, could only truly command a few hundred personal guards, including Chen Xiao.

One step at a time, one step at a time.

But this time, of course, it won't be like that.

"Well said."

Gu Changjin slowly got up from the rocking chair and straightened his sleeves.

"Then let's go."

"Go and see the turmoil in people's hearts."

Chen Xiao quickly got up, ready to go forward and help him up.

But as soon as he took a step, a series of rustling sounds suddenly came from all around him.

Shashasha, shashasha.

The flowers and plants that originally filled the courtyard were now spread out to both sides.

The crimson spirit flower closed its petals, and its stem rapidly elongated in the spiritual light.

The silver-leaved herb sprouted roots, its leaves overlapping each other, transforming into a layer of armor that gleamed with a cold light.

The green vines silently coiled around each other, their roots, stems, and leaves constantly reorganizing under the guidance of the Myriad Spirits Seed, eventually outlining a complete human figure.

From the outside, they are almost indistinguishable from humans.

Some were clad in dark green armor, some were covered in crimson scales, and others had long, thin leaves hanging down their shoulders like silver capes.

Their faces were either cold and stern or delicate and handsome. Only the faint veins and patterns on their brows, the backs of their hands and necks, and the blue spiritual light deep in their eyes revealed that they were not true living beings of flesh and blood.

One, ten, a hundred... In the blink of an eye, nearly a thousand plant soldiers emerged from among the flowers and plants in the courtyard!

Each of them possesses basic intelligence, enabling them to understand commands and distinguish between friend and foe.

The aura emanating from this single individual was no less than that of the battle-hardened guards meticulously trained by the Prince's mansion.

What's even more terrifying is that the myriad spiritual seeds within all the Dao soldiers originate from the same source.

As they stood in formation, nearly a thousand streams of energy instantly merged into one, forming the spirit of the grass and trees.

They simply stood there quietly, and the wind in the entire courtyard stopped.

Chen Xiao's outstretched hand froze in mid-air.

He stared blankly at the army that had appeared out of nowhere, his mind a complete blank.

For the past ten days, he has personally guarded the courtyard.

But my young master only planted flowers and plants in the courtyard for ten days, and he actually grew an elite Taoist army of nearly a thousand people?

Gu Changjin had already passed him and headed towards the courtyard gate.

Nearly a thousand grass and wood soldiers turned around at the same time, their eyes glowing with a faint blue light.

"What are you spacing out for?"

Gu Changjin didn't turn his head back.

"Walk!"

Chen Xiao snapped out of his daze, straightened up, and strode after him.

The gates of Zangfeng Temple, which had been closed for ten days, were now fully opened.

Gu Changjin walked at the very front.

Chen Xiao was half a step behind.

Behind them, nearly a thousand grass and wood soldiers silently stepped out of the courtyard gate, forming an endless stream of dark green.