Cultivation Simulator: Starting From The Empress' Palace

”Ling’Er, why are you in such a hurry? Has something happened?”

Zhao Fujin looked at Ling’Er, who had walked in anxiously, and asked.

”Your Highness De Ning.” Ling’Er respectfully saluted Zhao Jiangning, then said to Zhao Fujin, ”Your Highness, there has been a great victory in Nanyang, the rebel army’s main forces have been annihilated, and all thirty-two cities of Nanyang County have been recaptured by the army.”

With these words,

Zhao Jiangning and Zhao Fujin both showed joyful expressions.

As the Empress, naturally, she saw this land as the Zhao family’s possession.

The rebellion in Nanyang had been suppressed, so their Zhao family’s land was naturally stabilized.

”This is great news, wonderful news, rewards for everyone.” Originally listless, Zhao Fujin became excited, waving her hand.

”Thank you, Your Highness.” Ling’Er responded, then added, ”Your Highness, do you know who earned the highest merit?”

”Who else, if not General Huangfu?” Zhao Fujin was taken aback.

”Could it be General Xiao?” Zhao Jiangning thought it was Xiao Teng.

”Neither.” Ling’Er smiled mysteriously, teasing them.

”Ling’Er, are you asking to be punished? Speak quickly.”

Zhao Fujin glared at her but didn’t actually mean to punish her.

Although they had a master-servant relationship, their bond was quite good.

”It was Chen Hong.” Ling’Er exclaimed in surprise, ”According to the information I heard, the battle report states that Chen Hong foresaw the enemy’s moves, led the charge, and killed the rebel main general, among other feats. It’s a long list.”

Ling’Er chattered on and on.

The eyes of the two empresses widened.

Zhao Jiangning said, ”Ling’Er, say it again.”

Ling’Er then repeated it once more.

The surprise on the faces of the two empresses grew more intense.

Zhao Fujin said with suspicion, ”To become a main general of the rebels, one surely has significant strength. How did Chen Hong, merely a Seventh Grade Martial Artist, manage to kill the enemy’s main general?”

Zhao Jiangning also wanted to ask this question.

”I heard he is an Innate Martial Artist,” Ling’Er said.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Fujin showed a skeptical expression: ”Ling’Er, are you sure you didn’t mishear? You’re saying it was Chen Hong?”

”Absolutely, how would I dare deceive Your Highness? It was indeed Chen Hong; I confirmed it several times to be sure I didn’t hear wrong,” Ling’Er shook her little head and said.

Zhao Fujin still found it hard to believe, so she decided to investigate further herself.

The results indeed matched what Ling’Er had said.

The astonishment on Zhao Fujin’s face lingered for a long time.

...

Sharing the same expression as Zhao Fujin,

were Consort Yu and Consort Jing.

Both were playing mahjong in Jingru Palace when they learned of the news.

The mahjong tiles in their hands fell to the ground.

Chen Hong’s extraordinary performance made them feel as if they were hearing a fantastical tale.

”An Innate Martial Artist, no wonder that guy doesn’t hold me in regard.”

Consort Yu muttered to herself.

Despite not receiving the Emperor’s favor, Consort Yu could still intimidate a number of concubines in the harem because she had a brother who was an Innate Martial Artist.

”This guy usually keeps a low profile, and it hasn’t been long since he made a remarkable impact.” Consort Yu sighed, thinking she might draw closer to him once he returned in triumph.

”Did you do it for me?”

Ye Wanqiu felt as if her heart was melting.

When Chen Mo told her he was going to fight in Nanyang, it was to elevate his position and earn the right to be with her.

In the Imperial Palace,

many women felt a shift in their hearts at that moment.

...

Nanyang County, Celestial River City.

”Sigh, now that Nanyang is in such chaos, and those rebels are beasts, women have been ravished, you can’t see any women in the city. How can I find a maid for the master?”

Liu Dan strolled on the streets with Gao Zheng and others, trying to find a few reasonably good-looking ones from among the refugees, but it was hard to even see women, most were old and children, let alone find anyone good-looking.

Moreover, the tasks assigned by those at the top,

some subordinates were always overthinking, believing they grasped deeper meanings, hoping to be favored.

Someone said, ”Gao, doesn’t our master already have Luo Zhen, Nanyang County’s number one beauty? How many people under heaven can compare to her? Why are we still looking for women?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Gao Zheng smacked the back of his head and said, ”What women? Are you incapable of speaking? Maids, maids, as handmaids, and they are paid, with their consent, not stealing women...”

This slap from Gao Zheng was strong enough to stumble the person, nearly knocking him to the ground, and then he rubbed the back of his head: ”I understand, I understand...”

After patrolling the city, they still found nothing.

Suddenly, the person who got slapped earlier said, ”Why don’t we try looking in the countryside?”

Celestial River City is a county town, and the city is the richest part of a county. When the rebels took Celestial River City, they only looted the city, and although they also affected the countryside, it wasn’t as severe as in the city.

Furthermore, if the rebels did indeed come, the countryside folk could escape into the mountains and hide, emerging after the rebels left.

This wasn’t just true for Celestial River City; nearby towns were the same.

Gao Zheng quickly grasped this: ”Let’s gather the brothers.”

The man was baffled: ”Gao, didn’t you say not to forcibly take women?”

”Smack!” Gao Zheng slapped the back of his head again and said, ”You’re talking nonsense. Haven’t you heard that desolate and remote places breed rogues? In such chaotic times, with so few of us going, if something happens, we wouldn’t even know how we died.”

”As always, Gao considers everything...”

...

Lu Family Hamlet, a few dozen miles from the county town, being rural, wasn’t heavily affected by the rebellion.

However, despite being spared from the rebellion, under drought and heavy taxes, surviving in Lu Family Hamlet was hard.

Especially after the rebellion, acts of arson, murder, and robbery frequently occurred in Lu Family Hamlet. With the county’s fall, even if robbed, the people of Lu Family Hamlet couldn’t report it to the authorities.

Lu Wang was the ”notorious” hooligan of Lu Family Hamlet.

Here, notorious meant in Lu Family Hamlet, he engaged in acts of stealing chickens and dogs.

Before the disaster and chaos, he couldn’t create significant trouble.

But after the disaster, with a group of people under him, he quickly became a tyrant in Lu Family Hamlet.

Things he previously dared not do, he now dared to.

With a mindset of preferring to lead in a small place than be at the bottom in a large one, and hoping to reign in Lu Family Hamlet, he didn’t even lead people to join the rebels, instead hoping the rebellion wouldn’t affect Lu Family Hamlet too much.

”Bang!”

Lu Wang led his gang and kicked open the door of a courtyard.

The woman inside, who was boiling wild vegetables, was startled, and upon turning to see Lu Wang and his men, she became even more fearful and uneasy:

”Lu Wang... What do you want? Don’t... don’t come over...”

The sight of her fear and unease only fueled Lu Wang’s fervor: ”Sister-in-law, have you thought it over? I’ve given you enough time.”