Cultivation Begins with Caring for Sister-in-law-Chapter 436: Xu Guozhong Assassinated

Linzhou.

After Xia Zhiqing gave birth, Chen Mo accompanied them in Xiangyang City for more than half a month, then picked up the previously postponed task of inspecting the entire Linzhou.

The inspection was completed before spring.

Chen Mo paid special attention to the shipyards.

The Jiangdong Wu Family’s navy is considered first-class, and their shipbuilding skills have been passed down for a thousand years, far surpassing the Nangong Family.

After forming an alliance with the Wu Family, they provided support to Chen Mo in warship construction and navy training.

With the combined efforts of the Nangong Family and the Wu Family, the overall strength of the Fish Scale Guard has been significantly enhanced.

After the inspection, Chen Mo was very satisfied.

Although the Xiao Family had allied with him, he would only be at ease when he truly had Jiangnan under his control.

Therefore, after spring, he planned to send Nangong Xian and Wu Changlin to lead the Fish Scale Guard and the Wu Family’s navy into Jiangnan to take over the Xiao Family’s private troops.

Indeed, unlike the Wu Family, Chen Mo would never allow the Xiao Family to have their own private army.

Furthermore, regarding the Vermilion Bird Guard.

After ensuring that the Red Coat Cannons had no quality issues,

Chen Mo allocated more silver taels to the Vermilion Bird Guard.

He invested the ’dowry’ obtained from Prince Huai entirely in the Vermilion Bird Guard to expand the workshops and research Flower Bullets.

Previously, the Vermilion Bird Guard could only produce one Red Coat Cannon a month.

With the expansion of workshops and the increase in furnaces,

it’s conservatively estimated that producing five Red Coat Cannons a month is no longer a problem.

Regarding gunpowder, Chen Mo no longer needed to extract nitrate from urine, as he found a nitrate mine in Linzhou.

...

Luonan.

Empress Xu Ying collapsed to the ground weakly, her eyes full of fear.

She tried to get up, but her whole body trembled uncontrollably, and her eyes gradually became moist.

The maid hurriedly helped her up.

Just now, she received the news.

Lu Sheng launched a coup, and her father was killed by Lu Sheng.

The Xu Family was also raided, and the entire family was thrown into prison by Lu Sheng.

"Hahaha."

At this moment, Emperor Chu Nan walked into Xu Ying’s chambers, laughing heartily.

Indeed, he was there to gloat.

He had no feelings for Empress Xu, only anger and hatred.

Had it not been for Xu Guozhong’s coercion, he would not have married Xu Ying, let alone elevated her to Imperial Consort, and certainly wouldn’t have been forced by Xu Guozhong to dethrone Liang Ji and install her as Empress.

Moreover, relying on her father Xu Guozhong’s power, Xu Ying oppressed the other concubines in the harem, not allowing them to become pregnant.

Chu Nan even suspected that the reason Liang Ji had not been pregnant all these years was due to Xu Ying bribing palace staff to interfere behind the scenes.

All these made Chu Nan resent Xu Ying immensely.

"That old thief Xu Guozhong is finally dead. I have been cursing him day and night, hoping and praying for his death, even learning those witchcraft curses myself. Heaven has finally taken notice, hahaha... cough cough..."

Perhaps too excited, Chu Nan’s face turned red as he coughed a few times.

It had been eleven years.

Since he ascended to the throne, Xu Guozhong had been pressing down on him for eleven years.

Except for the first two years of his reign, which made Chu Nan feel like an emperor exercising his powers, after that, beyond Celestial River, nothing could be done without Xu Guozhong’s approval.

If not for Liang Ji being chosen by the former emperor when he was alive, even the position of Empress wouldn’t be something he could decide.

This had made his life very stifling.

Made him feel less like an emperor and more like someone else’s prisoner. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Now, the great mountain pressing down on him, making it hard for him to breathe, was finally gone.

"I only regret not being able to personally slay the Xu thief to relieve my heart’s resentment." These words were spoken by Chu Nan with a powerful tone.

Xu Ying shed tears silently, her body trembling again.

"With Xu Guozhong dead, no one can stop me now. I will dispose of you, this venomous woman, and reinstate Liang Ji as Empress. I will revive the imperial administration." With great enthusiasm and ambition, Chu Nan spoke.

He was still fantasizing that with Xu Guozhong dead, he could regain control of the imperial power.

Saying this, he glanced at the maid supporting Xu Ying and yelled, "Who allowed you to hold her? Get out!"

The maid didn’t move immediately but looked at Xu Ying.

She had entered the palace with Xu Ying as her personal maid and followed Xu Family’s commands.

This act undoubtedly made Chu Nan very angry: "What, does my word mean nothing here? Do you believe I won’t execute nine generations of your family..."

The maid was frightened, immediately released Xu Ying, and knelt before Chu Nan, kowtowing: "Your Majesty, forgive me, Your Majesty, forgive me..."

Without the maid’s support, Xu Ying, in deep sorrow, sat heavily on the ground.

"Get out quickly." Chu Nan shouted.

The maid quickly left the Empress’s bedroom.

This made Chu Nan feel a slight pleasure from the return of power, his smile growing even broader.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

"Grand General, you can’t go in, this is the Empress’s bedroom, both His Majesty and Her Majesty are inside, you..."

"Get out."

Hui Cheng kicked away the eunuch blocking the way and followed Lu Sheng into the Empress’s bedroom.

Seeing Lu Sheng barging in, Chu Nan frowned slightly, feeling displeased, but pretended to be calm and lightly chuckled, "General Lu has arrived. General Lu, in killing the Xu thief and saving me from peril, deserves a proper thank you. I have decided to appoint General Lu as Prime Minister..."

However, before he could finish his words,

Lu Sheng directly interrupted him.

Lu Sheng was not Xu Guozhong; he was a straightforward man who disliked roundabout ways. He directly ordered, "Someone, prepare the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone for His Majesty."

Then he looked at Chu Nan, "Your Majesty, to stabilize Luonan inside and out, a decree is needed, I will dictate, and you will write it."

After saying this, he placed the Heirloom Seal of the Realm, which he took from Xu Guozhong, in front of Chu Nan.

Chu Nan’s expression changed, realizing that Lu Sheng was about to act in the manner of Xu Guozhong.

Chu Nan’s body suddenly weakened, his eyes dull, his limbs limp, like a marionette manipulated by Lu Sheng.

He never imagined that Lu Sheng would do things even more egregiously than Xu Guozhong.

Firstly, Lu Sheng had Chu Nan admit his fault of employing unsuitable people, allowing Xu Guozhong to control the government, create chaos, cause suffering, and harm the people.

Then he made Chu Nan depose Xu Ying as Empress and demote her to slave status.

Finally, Lu Sheng made Chu Nan abdicate in favor of the King of Qi, appointing Lu Sheng as Assistant Minister and Prime Minister, while Hui Cheng was made Grand General.

The King of Qi was the son of Chu Nan.

He was born from a maid whom Chu Nan favored when he was Crown Prince while drunk.

The King had never been in the limelight.

...

On the other side.

In the Cold Palace.

"My Lady, good news, good news." A palace maid ran to the Cold Palace to convey the news of Xu Guozhong’s assassination to Liang Ji.

To the palace maid, with Xu Guozhong dead, Empress Xu would soon be deposed, and Liang Ji would soon leave the Cold Palace. She must curry favor now.