Cultivation Simulator: Starting From The Empress' Palace

A revolution in the palace was imminent. If it failed, she and the Xiao Family would no longer be able to protect Fujin. Therefore, if Fujin and Wu Chang’an arranged their marriage now, her future safety would not be a worry.

Zhao Fujin turned her head slightly in Xiao Yunxi’s embrace, then looked up at her with red-rimmed eyes and said, ”But I met him today, and I don’t like him.”

”Fujin...” Xiao Yunxi wiped the tears from her eyes and continued, ”As a noblewoman of the Imperial Family, from the moment you were born, you lost the right to choose your own husband in some respects...”

”Mother, is there really no way?” Zhao Fujin sobbed.

Xiao Yunxi looked at Zhao Fujin’s pitiable face, sighed, and said nothing.

...

On a hillside three miles away from Haiqing Lake, this was the command center set up by Xu Dabong for the operation against bandits. Over 5,000 troops from five camps strictly controlled all entrances and exits of Haiqing Lake, allowing no bandit to escape.

In the tent, Xu Dabong lay on a rocking chair. After seeing a similar chair in an official’s mansion last time, he crafted one based on memory. Although it wasn’t as exquisite as the one in Chen Mo’s mansion, at least it wasn’t missing any arms or legs, and the style was the same.

Beside him was a half-meter high block of ice, yet Xu Dabong was still unbearably hot. The temperature in Bianliang was already high, and being in the mountains after a sun shower made it even more stifling.

”General, why don’t you take off your armor? Anyway, those bandits inside wouldn’t dare to attack,” said a personal soldier nearby.

Indeed, the reason Xu Dabong felt so hot was largely due to the airtight armor he was wearing.

Xu Dabong had long wanted to take it off, but military discipline was strict, especially since Chen Mo took power, emphasizing that during wartime, even when sleeping, soldiers should wear their armor.

Xu Dabong feared someone would report him to the officials if he took off his armor, and he didn’t want to set a dishonorable example for his subordinates.

Yet this was in his own tent, surrounded by his personal soldiers. His subordinate was right; those bandits wouldn’t dare to attack. He thought it should be okay to take it off and rest for a while.

He coughed lightly and said, ”There’s sense in what you say, but we shouldn’t let our guard down. You, go stand guard outside...”

”General...” The soldier pulled a long face. He had suggested taking off the armor hoping he could also slack off after Xu Dabong did, but now was being sent to stand guard outside the tent instead.

Under such a blazing sun.

However, the soldier didn’t dare resist and simply responded with, ”Yes.”

Just as he was about to leave the tent, an armored officer rushed in. Xu Dabong, halfway through removing his armor, hurried to put it back on, flustered.

Just as he was about to reprimand, the officer took a glance at both Xu Dabong and the soldier, shuddered with a misinterpretation of the scene, and quickly said, ”General, there’s an urgent letter from the official.”

Saying this, he handed over the letter.

The soldier received the letter and handed it over only after Xu Dabong properly dressed in his armor.

Initially embarrassed, upon reading the letter’s contents, Xu Dabong suddenly became invigorated, loudly announcing, ”Brothers, we finally don’t have to stand guard in this godforsaken place anymore. Sound the Summoning Drum, to my main tent.”

The soldier dashed out, and soon the sound of drums pounded.

The officers resting in their respective camps quickly headed for the main tent.

Soon, all the camp commanders and deputy commanders gathered in the main tent; all were robust soldiers and martial artists of the Sixth or Seventh Grade.

As for Xu Dabong, his strength wasn’t comparable to theirs; it was only because he followed Chen Mo from the start that he became the main general.

”Brothers, the opportunity to earn merit has come. The official said we could close the net now. If these bandits do not surrender, we’ll use them for combat training, sending a team to attack the mountain daily until they submit.”

The official said that although it’s just training, there would be rewards for every victory.

The officers below stirred with excitement, each face lit with joy.

Of course, achieving success was foremost; moreover, they finally no longer had to stay in such a dreadful place compared to the days spent in Bianliang before. This place was simply uninhabitable.

Surrounded by Haiqing Lake, the low-lying and humid terrain was all the more unbearable with high temperatures. At night, various snakes, insects, and rodents roamed, causing extreme discomfort.

Additionally, they hadn’t participated in the last Nanyang rebellion, so they lacked combat experience, only training their bodies and honing formations on the drill grounds each day.

Now, they could finally engage in actual combat, wanting to prove themselves.

Therefore, they hoped these bandits wouldn’t accept surrender too soon.

...

Just as Chen Mo had thought.

This bunch of bandits in Haiqing Lake were indeed the result of collusion among several Jianghu forces. Seizing the chaos when the Imperial Court couldn’t reach them, they came out looting and recruiting men, strengthening their teams with ambitions for the future.

However, they adhered to Jianghu ethics by sparing the elderly, weak, women, and children. Their targets for robbery were passing caravans, rich people, officials, and large local families in surrounding counties...

This promptly caught the attention of the Imperial Court.

The court sent a ”grand army” to annihilate them.

However, they weren’t a rabble; they thrashed this military force until it fled in panic.

These soldiers truly had no martial decorum; merely a day passed before sending over ten thousand men to attack them.

Correct, the stance Xu Dabong staged was indeed of a ten-thousand-strong army.

Encircling the entire Haiqing Lake.

Yet, how could they be afraid? Did the leaders of these soldiers have no brains? Encircle them to cut off food and water?

They had plenty of food in their mountain stronghold and all the time to wait them out.

They weren’t afraid.

Days passed.

This garrison finally could endure no longer, resorting to negotiation for surrender.

It was utterly delusional; they refused.

They observed the infuriated soldiers burning the reeds in Haiqing Lake.

In desperation, small units were sent to attack them like cornered animals.

”No, what is that?”

As soon as a band of bandits showed themselves, Xu Dabong ordered the trebuchet, meant for siege warfare, to launch, hurling massive stones towards the mountain stronghold.

”Brothers, charge for me!”

”Charge, kill!”

...

Chen Mansion.

Chen Mo stayed at the mansion with nothing to do and couldn’t be with women, fearing it might leak.

So he practiced calligraphy in the study.

When autumn comes, on September the eighth, my blossoms open and all others perish.

The aroma permeates Chang’an, the whole town dons golden armor.

Yet his handwriting wasn’t very appealing; a poem filled with Killing Intent surprisingly lacked any sense of Killing Intent.