Cultivation Simulator: Starting From The Empress' Palace

Looking at Zhao Jiangning like this.

If you didn’t know any better, you’d think Chen Mo had done something unforgivable.

But Chen Mo was thick-skinned, completely unconcerned, and since there was no one else around, he began to coax and comfort her, showering her with all kinds of sweet words.

Yet even as she sobbed quietly, she still remained unmoved.

This left Chen Mo a bit helpless. Suddenly, he thought of a trick, changed his attitude and said, ”We’ve already kissed, I’ve already touched you, I’ve taken advantage of you, your innocence is lost. Since you don’t want to be with me, I won’t force you. From now on, you take your road and I’ll take mine...”

As he spoke, he got up, patted his butt, and prepared to leave.

There was a vibe of ”pull up his pants and deny everything”—the kind of guy who beds a girl and then abandons her, a bastard who takes all he can and cares about nothing else.

But when Zhao Jiangning heard Chen Mo say he’d used her and now wanted to toss her aside like a dirty rag, she was stunned, her face turning even paler, looking just like someone who’s been played and is now about to be dumped. She said, ”Stop right there.”

Hearing that, Chen Mo paused his steps, thinking to himself that it was working, but wanting to push her a bit more, he kept up the act: ”What, regret it now? Too late! Anyway, if I really ended up with you, you’d just be a burden. I’ve figured it out—I’m telling you, don’t think you can cling to me...”

Hearing that voice, which was completely different from his previous gentle manner, Zhao Jiangning’s body trembled slightly. She thought Chen Mo was showing his true colors—this was the real him—and her eyes turned red, filling with tears.

She was scared: ”You...you’re not human, how can you treat me like this, you...you can’t leave...”

But Chen Mo didn’t stop.

Zhao Jiangning threw off her bedding, not caring about her messy clothes, and got out of bed barefoot, chasing after him. When Chen Mo was just about to leave the room, she grabbed him tightly.

”You can’t leave, don’t go...”

She was terrified that Chen Mo would abandon her.

She’d already lost so much, and now, seeing Chen Mo about to leave for real, she was truly frightened. No matter what, she couldn’t let him go:

”I was wrong, don’t leave, I’ll listen to you, whatever you want, just don’t leave me, don’t throw me away...”

Zhao Jiangning cried her heart out.

Now, Chen Mo was all she had.

Only when you’ve lost something do you understand its worth. Scenes from their first meeting, their first treatment—all flashed through her mind, lingering, her heart pounding.

He never minded that she was once married, helped and cared for her.

On learning that she wasn’t feeling well, he even brought her brown sugar water himself.

Whether Chen Mo had done all this just to get her—deliberately or not—

At least all of this, she’d never experienced before.

Now, with Chen Mo ready to leave, Zhao Jiangning was so shocked and hurt that it felt like the sky was collapsing.

Unknowingly, she’d developed a powerful dependence on Chen Mo.

This sense of dependence had been planted the day Chen Mo first treated her, when she realized her illness could be cured and saw hope for the future.

Later, with Chen Mo treating her again and again, arranging her lodging, guards, and maids, this dependence grew to its peak.

”Really?” Chen Mo said.

”Mhm, mhm.” Zhao Jiangning hurriedly nodded.

But just then, Chen Mo pried her hands off his waist. As she was about to be heartbroken, Chen Mo turned around, gently wiped away her tears from the corner of her eyes, and his voice softened: ”Silly girl...”

With that, he picked her up around the waist and placed her back on the bed.

When he let go of her,

Zhao Jiangning grabbed Chen Mo’s hand: ”Don’t go.”

Chen Mo paused, then patted the back of her hand: ”I’m not going.”

He wondered whether he’d pushed her a little too far...

”Then you?” Zhao Jiangning was afraid that if she let go of him, Chen Mo would disappear.

”It’s already dark, I’m going to get you something to eat,” said Chen Mo.

”Just let the servants do it,” said Zhao Jiangning.

Chen Mo thought for a bit: ”Alright then.”

That night, Chen Mo stayed with Zhao Jiangning all night.

Of course, they only slept in each other’s arms.

...

The sky began to lighten with the dawn.

Zhao Jiangning instinctively reached out, and when she found nothing but emptiness, she suddenly woke up, her eyes opening wide as she searched the room frantically.

When she found no sign of anyone, her face turned pale at once, her body almost collapsing.

”You’re awake?”

Suddenly, the beaded curtain rustled, and Chen Mo came in carrying a tray.

”Uwu...”

On seeing Chen Mo, Zhao Jiangning couldn’t hold back and burst into tears, rushing off the bed and throwing herself at him.

Chen Mo quickly lifted the tray in his hands, so it didn’t get knocked over. On the tray was the breakfast Chen Mo had prepared for Zhao Jiangning.

”You...what’s wrong?” Chen Mo asked.

”I...I thought you’d left me.”

Chen Mo froze: ”Didn’t I explain last night? I was joking, just trying to scare you.”

Zhao Jiangning stayed silent—she believed it was real.

...

Over on the other side.

Zhao Jiang had already marched out of Youzhou, and all the vassal princes who received his call to arms started raising their troops and headed for a place called ”Ju City” for a military alliance.

Ju City wasn’t especially important, but it was the most convenient county town for all the vassal princes to gather.

The vassals responding, besides Zhao Jiang, included Zhao Qi, Zhao Yu, Zhao Lu, and Zhao He.

Zhao Qi and Zhao Yu were Zhao Ji’s uncles.

Zhao Lu and Zhao He were Zhao Ji’s brothers.

But Zhao Jiang, of course, was the strongest among them.

This time, he brought four hundred thousand men from Youzhou.

Of the four before him, the most Zhao Lu could muster was just a hundred thousand men.

Altogether, they had six hundred thousand troops.

Aside from the vassal princes, thirteen other forces—Governor of Qihai, Governor of Nanhai, Governor of Hulin, State Governor of Yangzhou, and so on—also answered the call.

But they brought even fewer men.

The smallest force being only a thousand.

So, the total number of the Eighteen Lords was less than nine hundred thousand.

But they boasted about having an allied force of two million.

Their mighty army rolled toward Ju City.

...

When Xiao Yunqi got the news, it was already two days later.

The sixty-first day of the great turmoil.

As soon as Xiao Yunqi found out, he exploded in anger.

He didn’t expect that after sending so many people, none of them could bring back Zhao Bo.

What’s more, Zhao Bo even made it safely to Yangzhou, and in a short time, gathered sixty thousand troops to attend the alliance meeting.

Furious, Xiao Yunqi massacred Zhao Bo’s family in Bianliang.

Zhao Bo’s family weren’t just ordinary officials—they were imperial relatives.

This move terrified the Zhao family clan in Bianliang.

They all went to Zhao Chong, asking him to punish Xiao Yunqi.

But Zhao Chong didn’t have the guts—he refused them all.

Yet Xiao Yunqi was afraid things would get out of hand, so he had Xiao Yunxi start presiding over imperial affairs behind the curtain.