One man could suppress three kingdoms!
Military generals are indispensable in battle, especially those capable of defeating ten thousand men; they are the spiritual pillar of an army. Yet now, the tens of millions of troops in the three vassal states lack capable commanders.
Without generals, the army is paralyzed, unable to be mobilized. If the royal family were to attack at this time, the vassal states could easily fall into disarray and collapse from within.
The three princes, gathered together, were all frowning with worry. Their lies had failed; they had made their move, and if they surrendered, even if the other side agreed, they would not have a good end.
If it were before, surrendering would have ensured they could remain princes, enjoying wealth and honor, and even if their military power wasn't completely stripped away.
But now, even if they didn't outwardly show any resistance, no one could guarantee
against future retribution. But not surrendering meant certain defeat, and their fate would be dire.
The tide had turned; they suddenly realized the terrifying power of the Northern King had reached such an extent that they felt a profound sense of powerlessness.
They had initially held the initiative, but now they had relinquished it and even cornered themselves.
Their three locations were surrounded.
Just moments before, a mutiny had occurred within the army; the remaining two elite warriors had rebelled, leading their troops to surround the council hall.
…
The Northern King was stunned when he received the surrender of the three princes. He had only been preparing to rest for two days before launching an attack, but unexpectedly, they surrendered.
At first, he didn't believe it, but Qin Chuan told him it wasn't a feigned surrender.
Accept!
The initial success of the operation was unbelievable even to the Northern King himself; the Mingyue Kingdom had been unified so quickly. He truly found it hard to believe.
Qin Chuan, on the other hand, wasn't too surprised. He had anticipated it from the beginning, though not so quickly, but it was only a matter of time.
He certainly hadn't expected it to force some people to rebel and surrender directly. This was good; it saved trouble and prevented widespread bloodshed.
After all, the enemy's army numbered in the tens of millions; once the fighting began, countless people would die. Last time, just one battle resulted in a million casualties.
While the Northern King was busy reorganizing, Qin Chuan and Yu Qing enjoyed a rare moment of leisure, savoring their time together—a time for just the two of them to chat.
This woman was very composed; they could kiss, sleep together, and even have physical contact, but she simply wouldn't touch them.
This made Qin Chuan want to vomit blood. He was a normal man, a healthy man, a man with exceptionally good health. Right before him was a woman who could make any man die for her charms, but…
Yu Qing couldn't help but laugh at Qin Chuan's helpless expression: "Can't we just talk properly? Why do you always think about such filthy things?"
"Do you know what I'm thinking?" Qin Chuan asked, looking at Yu Qing with a bitter face.
"I can tell from your expression that it's definitely not good news." Yu Qing rolled her eyes, then rested her head on Qin Chuan's arm, smiling at him.
"Don't you feel tortured?" Qin Chuan said, feeling utterly defeated. Did he have no charm whatsoever in her eyes? Why was she so calm?
"No, I feel great," Yu Qing said with a light laugh.
"I'm right here in front of you, you can bully me however you want, do whatever you want. Aren't you curious? Aren't you curious about my body? Do you think I have absolutely no charm?" Qin Chuan drew Yu Qing's attention to himself, but his words surprised her.
Qin Chuan stopped, looking at Yu Qing with confusion.
Yu Qing reached out and pinched Qin Chuan's cheek: "How can you be so shameless, spouting nonsense with such self-righteousness..."
Qin Chuan grabbed her hand that was pinching his cheek, affectionately leaning in to rub his nose against her delicate nose. That tenderness, that affection, made Yu Qing blush.
She didn't flinch, her gaze towards Qin Chuan softening, carrying a hint of something indescribable. She softly said, "It's so good to have met you."
Qin Chuan was taken aback, then smiled, "My little darling can say sweet nothings too, and so sweetly at that. Come on, say another one for your husband."
Yu Qing gave him a slight reproachful look, smiling, "Disgusting!"
"Having practiced medicine for many years, I know nausea is usually a symptom of pregnancy. Come on, let me take your pulse."
"Qin Chuan! Stop it." Yu Qing, annoyed, wrapped her arms around Qin Chuan's neck, subconsciously pulling him into her embrace, preventing him from speaking and also from looking at her like that.
Qin Chuan's face was enveloped in softness, incredibly supple, and fragrant—a truly gentle haven, indescribably wonderful.
When Yu Qing realized what was happening, she tried to push him away, but he held her tightly, unwilling to let go. Yu Qing was both angry and amused.
But she felt a little panicked; this jerk was getting more and more outrageous. She gently reached out and twisted his ear.
"You jerk, you stinky thing, enough already…" Yu Qing twisted his ear and pulled him up.
Yu Qing's face was already flushed.
"Not enough," Qin Chuan said shamelessly.
He smacked his lips, looking satisfied, which made Yu Qing tremble slightly. This scoundrel! She was the one who had hugged him today.
Qin Chuan looked at Yu Qing, who was huffing but not really angry, and picked her up in a princess carry. They strolled along the mountaintop under the sunlight, facing the wind, stepping on the grass, smelling the fragrance of the air. This moment felt so wonderful.
"Qin Chuan, what do you think will happen in the future?" Yu Qing said lazily.
"In the future, you'll become my wife, and we'll have a bunch of little babies. Hmm, how about ten? Mostly girls. You can hold five, and I'll hold five..."
Pfft!
Yu Qing laughed. Sometimes he was incredibly serious, and sometimes he was utterly roguish. But she had unconsciously realized that she had changed too. If it were before, she wouldn't have believed that she could talk about such nonsense with a man and be happy about it...
Perhaps this was change, a subtle, gradual transformation that had unknowingly made her unbelievable.
"It's over in Mingyue Kingdom. We should be leaving soon. After Mingyue Kingdom is unified, we'll be eligible to be recommended for a higher level," Yu Qing said.
"Do you think Mingyue Kingdom will fall into chaos again after we leave?" Qin Chuan asked after thinking for a moment.
"No, the Northern King has the ability," Yu Qing said softly. Qin Chuan
was taken aback, looking at Yu Qing with a hint of resentment: "You know him so well!"
Yu Qing understood when she saw Qin Chuan's expression; he was jealous. She smiled and gave him a reproachful look. She knew Qin Chuan was just teasing her, and she genuinely felt quite happy.
She tilted her head and kissed him on the cheek, then quietly nestled in his arms, closing her eyes and enjoying the tranquility of the moment.
Mingyue Kingdom was undergoing political maneuvering. From top to bottom, the emperor had relinquished all power to the Northern King, who would soon ascend the throne.