LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 3 - A Thousand Riders Sweep Across the Ridge!
Han Marquis’s Mansion
Luo Jinxuan’s face was haggard, her expression weary.
She had spent the entire night—an entire sleepless night—finally figuring out the basics of the game.
First, based on the information gathered from reality, this game was most likely real.
No, it would be more accurate to call it a simulation. After all, she could control the actions of the characters within the simulation.
A simulation might not reflect reality, but it could reveal future trends, which was an incredible opportunity.
Thinking of this, Luo Jinxuan couldn’t help but feel a bit excited. Although the Great Jing Dynasty, since its founding, had always had legends of immortals and gods—there were even rumors that the founding ancestor was a person chosen by destiny, with the most noble bloodline flowing through the royal family.
But these were stories from centuries ago. Ever since the royal family moved eastward, tales of immortals and gods had faded from view.
However, the strange phenomenon she encountered now was undoubtedly the strongest evidence.
Destiny is on my side!
Luo Jinxuan grew more eager and was about to issue orders to the characters within the simulation.
Suddenly, a piece of information popped up.
[Year 519 of the Jing Calendar, good news from the frontier.]
[A Thousand Riders Sweep Across the Ridge—Lu Ping]
Luo Jinxuan saw a brand new character card.
In the background, Lu Ping was holding a Fangtian halberd, slashing through the neck of a Quanrong general. Blood spurted like a column from the enemy’s throat, while Lu Ping’s face remained arrogant and indifferent.
Behind him, a thousand cavalrymen in cold-colored armor charged forward on warhorses, bows in their left hands, spears held upright in their right. As the army advanced, they kicked up clouds of dust, leaving behind only flames and corpses in their wake…
Luo Jinxuan was deeply shocked. Was this the power of a golden character card?
It’s worth mentioning that in the game, each character was color-coded to highlight their value.
The servants in her mansion, or minor officials, were all white character cards. A few scholars and some affiliated court officials were blue character cards.
As for her uncle, Right Minister Li Wenfu, a senior minister in the court, he was merely a purple character card.
The only golden character cards she had seen were Lu Ping and her father, the king.
[A Thousand Riders Sweep Across the Ridge. With a bow drawn like a full moon, look northwest, and shoot the Heavenly Wolf!]
In the game, urgent reports poured in from the frontier. Starting with a slight advantage, Lu Ping formed a thousand-man heavily armored cavalry unit and led numerous charges against the enemy formations. He then launched a night raid on the Quanrong camp, burning their encampment over a hundred miles, and annihilating a thirty-thousand strong Quanrong army.
[Great Victory at Mount Qi!]
This battle directly crippled the Quanrong forces on the western border of the Jing Dynasty. For at least a short time, the Quanrong would not have the strength to raid the borders.
This victory could secure a decade of peace for the frontier!
[The king was greatly pleased and appointed Lu Ping as General Who Conquers the West, granting him a rank equivalent to the Six Ministers and gifting him a fief a hundred miles west of Luoyang!]
Luo Jinxuan was delighted, feeling a sense of accomplishment as if she had personally nurtured a subordinate who had risen to prominence.
However, she soon realized that having such a capable subordinate might not always be a good thing.
Take, for instance, the fact that her father couldn’t resist the temptation to bring Lu Ping under his command. No, he had already done so.
Even the Chu Marquis, Luo Yingci, was secretly trying to win Lu Ping over.
Fortunately, when she clicked on Lu Ping’s character card, she confirmed that he was still loyal to the Han Marquis faction, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
“Lacking provisions? Send them!”
“Not enough warhorses? Provide them!”
After receiving a letter from Lu Ping, Luo Jinxuan waved her hand without hesitation and sent a large quantity of supplies from her mansion. She also wrote back, assuring him to fight the war with peace of mind, as she would handle the logistics, so there was no need to worry.
A loyal and capable subordinate who could fight battles and was wholeheartedly devoted to her, actively spreading the influence of the Han Marquis faction and winning over court officials—what a loyal minister!
Such loyalty must be rewarded generously!
Just as things were looking up, and the position of crown prince was within reach, the screen suddenly shifted.
[Year 523 of the Jing Calendar, autumn—your father is gravely ill, and the court is in turmoil!]
Luo Jinxuan felt dizzy. Her father… was gravely ill?
Although she sought to claim the position of crown prince, she had never wished for her father’s early death.
[Year 525 of the Jing Calendar, winter—the emperor passes away at the age of fifty-six, posthumously titled Xiang Wang. He was buried in the royal mausoleum, and the throne was passed to the eldest princess, Luo Jinxuan. Right Minister Li Wenfu, Chu King Xiong Shang, and Prime Minister Kuang Qi were appointed as regents.]
Li Wenfu was a senior minister in the court, Xiong Shang was the king of the Chu Kingdom and the maternal grandfather of Luo Yingci, the Chu Marquis, while Kuang Qi was the head of palace affairs.
[Year 526 of the Jing Calendar—Luo Jinxuan, the eldest princess and Han Marquis, ascends the throne.]
[In the same year, Chu King, Xiong Shang, falls gravely ill and withdraws from court. Right Minister Li Wenfu, in alliance with Prime Minister Kuang Qi, assumes the role of regent under the pretext of being the emperor’s uncle and guardian.]
[The external family seizes power!]
A series of information bombarded her, and Luo Jinxuan barely had time to process it. When she finally saw that her uncle had assumed regency, she stood in shock.
“Uncle… assumed regency?” Luo Jinxuan bit her lip, her heart filled with confusion.
She had anticipated that her father’s sudden death would leave her, although crowned as emperor, without enough power to fully control the court.
But she never imagined that the first person to challenge her would be the uncle she had always respected the most.
When she instinctively tried to issue orders, she found that there was no one left to command.
Her path to the throne seemed smooth, but in reality, she was nothing more than a puppet, with the main power in the hands of Li Wenfu.
The so-called Han Marquis faction was mostly composed of Li Wenfu’s cronies, with a few others brought over under her name by Li Wenfu.
This resulted in most people knowing the Right Minister but not the Han Marquis.
When she tried to bypass Li Wenfu and directly issue orders to her subordinates, she was instead reported.
[You have been imprisoned.]
In the game, Li Wenfu launched a major purge. He replaced the palace guards and attendants with his own loyalists and imprisoned her within the palace, forbidding her from leaving.
The wolf’s ambition was now laid bare!
Despite this, Luo Jinxuan found herself powerless.
Without her own force, with her movements restricted, and unable to issue orders, how could she possibly contend with Li Wenfu?
The thought of this left Luo Jinxuan feeling a deep sense of despair.
[Year 527 of the Jing Calendar—Lu Ping, the General Who Conquers the West, sends you a letter.]
Wait!
Is there still hope?
Luo Jinxuan forced herself to stay focused, reading on with anticipation.
Then she discovered…
“What? The Quanrong are almost pacified?”
Luo Jinxuan found it hard to believe.
She knew Lu Ping was capable, but she hadn’t expected him to be this formidable!
In just a few years?
The Quanrong threat that had plagued the royal family for decades was almost completely eradicated?
But thinking back to how Lu Ping had severely damaged the Quanrong in previous rounds, and now eight years had passed in the simulation, perhaps it wasn’t entirely impossible to accept that the Quanrong could be pacified.
However, compared to her actions in the simulation, where it seemed that Li Wenfu was the one handling everything, while she did nothing but study the rites and stamp approvals…
No wonder she ended up in a situation where treacherous ministers took control, and power slipped from her grasp.
As Luo Jinxuan lamented her past actions, she suddenly noticed that the “Issue Orders” button on the interface had lit up again.
“?”
Luo Jinxuan clicked on it, discovering that she could indeed issue orders once more.
But she could only do so through the messenger who delivered Lu Ping’s letters.
After some thought, she decided to issue a secret edict.
“Clear the court of traitors, restore the nation!”