Cultivation Simulator: Starting From The Empress' Palace

[Day Sixty-six: Xiao Yunqi poisoned and killed the Supreme Emperor Zhao Ji with wine. News spread, shocking the court and the public. After Zhao Fujin found out, she fainted from grief and later cursed Xiao Yunqi, proclaiming that even the heavens did not support him, and he was a target for everyone to kill.

After Xiao Yunqi learned of this, Zhao Fujin was imprisoned by him under Xiao Yunxi’s protection.]

[Day Sixty-seven: The State Preceptor rescued Zhao Fujin and severely injured Xiao Yunqi.

On the same day, Zhao Chong was deposed, and Xiao Yunqi supported Zhao Ji’s youngest son, Prince Pingqing, to ascend the throne.]

...

[Day Seventy: After the alliance, the massive army of the Eighteen Lords, with overwhelming force, approached Nanyang. Xiao Yunqi dispatched you to lead an army of a hundred thousand to strike.]

...

[Day Seventy-two: You led the army and reached Qinyang County, less than a hundred miles from Nanyang.]

[Simulation ends, you may retain one of the following.]

[One, ten days of martial art experience.]

[Two, ten days of heart method realm experience.]

[Three, ten days of combat experience.]

Chen Mo chose three.

Upon contemplating the simulation’s content, he immediately furrowed his brows.

Poisoned wine to kill Zhao Ji.

Imprisonment of Zhao Fujin.

Deposition of Zhao Chong.

The State Preceptor taking action and injuring Xiao Yunqi.

Impressive.

In such a short time, Xiao Yunqi doesn’t even want to be a powerful minister and has started coveting the throne.

He truly disregards the Eighteen Lords.

Moreover, the other side allegedly has an army of two million, and these two million troops are not like the rabble during Nanyang’s rebellion; they are a real army.

To lead a hundred thousand to attack two million.

Isn’t this like striking a stone with an egg?

”No, no, we can’t let Xiao Yunqi continue this; otherwise, it will all go astray.”

Chen Mo began to devise strategies.

...

Although Jiangnan erupted in turmoil, unlike Nanyang, it is still under the control of the Imperial Court, and in the entire Jiangnan, there are still hundreds of thousands of auxiliary troops.

And most of these auxiliary troops are controlled by the Wu Family.

Somewhere in Jiangnan.

A serene and isolated valley.

A stream runs through the valley, culminating at a series of orderly pavilions, from whose chimneys smoke ascends in spirals.

”Coo...”

A crisp bird cry echoed above the valley, piercing through the thick cloud layers, wrapped in dazzling light, swooping down.

Inside, surrounded by mountains, women on either side of the stream bent over, pounding clothes on stones, while a bird with black feathers like an eagle, but with a golden beak and only eagle-sized, flew over them, heading toward the tallest pavilion at the end.

The pavilion was set against a mountain wall, half of it inside the hollowed-out mountain.

The pavilion had two floors, with the top resembling a spacious courtyard, surrounded by railings, with rows of flower pots placed under the railing.

Whatever was planted in the pots, vines grew covering the railing.

In the center of the courtyard, a deck chair was placed.

Beside the deck chair, there was a table, on which a birdcage was placed.

Soon, a black bird appeared above the pavilion, and after circling, it landed on a perch inside the birdcage, triggering the cage’s mechanism.

The bell atop the birdcage rang, accompanied by corn kernels falling from it. Once all the corn kernels had fallen, the bell stopped ringing, and the bird lowered its neck, pecking at the corn kernels.

”Creak...”

A wooden board not far from the deck chair was lifted, revealing a descending staircase, and a young girl dressed in plain clothes with hairpins walked up.

”Ling’er, you’ve worked hard...”

Upon seeing the black bird, a faint smile appeared on the girl’s face.

The girl was not of advanced age. Despite her peasant dress, her face was extremely beautiful, with deeply carved features, as if sculpted. Her hair, like pure golden silk, was loose and wild, reaching the ground, with golden eyebrows slanting into the bun, naturally exuding a vigorous air.

No matter who saw her for the first time, they would not associate her with a peasant girl, as the nobility in her could not be hidden by her attire.

She removed a small paper tube from Ling’Er’s leg, opened it and took out a rolled-up letter.

After reading the contents of the letter, her well-defined eyebrows furrowed, yet they were still notably attractive, as she muttered to herself, ”Chen Hong’s younger brother, Chen Mo, Deputy Commander of the Infantry Division.

Uncle is getting more outrageous, selling me out just so his son can marry Fujin the Empress...”

Her voice was light and agile, and a trace of anger appeared in her bright eyes. She circled the deck chair a few times with the letter, before swiftly heading downstairs to fetch writing materials.

Then she scattered a handful of corn kernels in the birdcage, gently stroking the black bird’s shiny feathers, laughing lightly as she said, ”Ling’er, I must trouble you to make another trip.”

This bird, known as the Eagle Goose, is extremely rare, possessing the ferocity of an eagle, along with superior speed and endurance, capable of flying at an altitude of ten thousand meters, yet difficult to tame.

In the market, an untamed Eagle Goose is worth a fortune.

A tamed Eagle Goose’s value is incalculable.

The Eagle Goose, called Ling’er by the girl, picked up a corn kernel and placed it in the girl’s hand.

The girl did not mind and directly ate it.

She then started writing a reply with ink.

...

Great Turmoil, Day Sixty-three.

Ju City.

The Eighteen Lords arrived one after another, setting up their camps and holding an alliance meeting, with three hundred miles of military camps stretched out.

King Yan, Zhao Jiang, slaughtered cattle and sheep, convening the lords to discuss military strategies.

Inside the camp, King Yan Zhao Jiang loudly exclaimed, ”Xiao Yunqi has deceived the heavens and imprisoned the emperor, slaughtering important ministers of the nation, cruel and inhuman... Today, under the secret edict of Your Majesty, we gather righteous troops to annihilate the villains...”

The other ”lords” responded, swearing to rescue the emperor from peril.

Zhao Qi and Zhao Yu exchanged glances, the former raising his wine cup and saying, ”For righteousness, there must be an Alliance Leader, everyone must obey the leader’s orders and then march, otherwise, even with more people, it’s just a pile of loose sand, without cohesion.”

Zhao Yu nodded, then said, ”King Yan is virtuous and talented, with a strong and well-equipped military, having protected the borders of the Great Song for over a decade, he can be the Alliance Leader.”

Following Zhao Qi and Zhao Yu’s remarks, others raised their wine cups, took a sip, and subconsciously glanced at Zhao Lu and Zhao Bo.

Among them, Zhao Bo put down his wine cup and said, ”In these difficult times for the nation, everyone should unite against the enemy, King Yan’s natural talent makes him suitable as the Alliance Leader.”

”Oh, not at all,” Zhao Jiang waved dismissively, feigning refusal.

Then Zhao Lu also pushed for Zhao Jiang to become the Alliance Leader.

Zhao Jiang declined again.

Then everyone requested Zhao Jiang to be the Alliance Leader, all saying that King Yan could not refuse.

Zhao Jiang reluctantly agreed.

Afterward, a three-tier platform was erected on the parade ground, with five banners displayed, topped with a white standard and a yellow axe.

The ”lords” invited Zhao Jiang to ascend the platform.

ps: Writer’s block, hence slightly quickening the pace.

The ”lords”