Cultivation Begins with Caring for Sister-in-law-Chapter 437: Granting Chen Mo the Former Empress

Chapter 437: Chapter 437: Granting Chen Mo the Former Empress

Liang Ji was deposed by Chu Nan and sent to the Cold Palace. At first, she was indignant, but gradually, she came to terms with it.

She transformed the Cold Palace into a Buddhist hall, donned simple monastic robes, and assumed the appearance of a nun. When the Palace Maid entered, she was meditating and cultivating. She realized that ever since she came to terms with it, her cultivation progressed rapidly.

Though she appeared as a nun, Liang Ji was exquisitely graceful, her beauty radiant, and her slender figure elegant. Even wrapped in the loose monastic robes, she couldn’t hide her lithe and graceful demeanor.

Hearing the Palace Maid’s words, even she, who had somewhat accepted her fate, couldn’t help but show a moved expression.

After all, the last time the Loyalist Army tried to deal with Xu Guozhong, nothing happened. Now Xu Guozhong was suddenly assassinated; it was truly surprising.

Startled for a moment, Liang Ji responded with a simple "Oh."

Faced with Liang Ji’s calm reaction, the Palace Maid became anxious. She had hoped to ingratiate herself with Liang Ji, but with such indifference from Liang Ji, she didn’t know how to proceed.

The Palace Maid said, "Your Grace, shouldn’t you be happy? Now that Chancellor Xu... no... Xu Guozhong is dead, Your Majesty can reinstate you as the Empress."

"Heh," Liang Ji let out a cold laugh upon hearing this.

Although she was deposed due to Xu Guozhong’s coercion, her heart was filled with disappointment and resentment towards Chu Nan’s weakness and ineptitude.

Currently, her greatest wish was to leave this deep palace and live as an ordinary woman. Being an Empress was something she truly no longer desired.

However, with her background, wanting to be an ordinary woman was impossible.

Just then, a series of urgent knocks came from outside the Cold Palace. The eunuch guarding the entrance opened the door and was met by the eunuch in charge of the Ritual Department.

With a cheerful demeanor, he said, "By order of Your Majesty, we’ve come to escort the Empress Dowager back to Kunning Palace."

"Empress Dowager?!" The eunuch guarding the Cold Palace was stunned.

...

Xu Guozhong’s demise was due to underestimating Lu Sheng.

Gaining Xu Guozhong’s trust and appointed as the Grand General, Lu Sheng held significant influence in the Xu Army.

The increasing power also made Lu Sheng uneasy.

Thus, he made two strategic moves.

The overt move was to place his men conspicuously in the army, ensuring Xu Guozhong was aware of their allegiance to him.

The covert move involved secretly bribing some senior generals in the army.

After the incident with Hui Cheng’s concubine being taken.

Both Xu Guozhong and Lu Sheng wanted to make the first move.

Xu Guozhong summoned all high-ranking generals except those placed by Lu Sheng, formulating a secret plan to eliminate Lu Sheng’s men and target Lu Sheng.

But his plan was leaked by someone he trusted, who informed Lu Sheng in advance.

Thus, Lu Sheng acted before Xu Guozhong.

A punch from a strong youn will always dominate.

Xu Guozhong, in the end, was old.

Whereas Lu Sheng was in his prime.

Ultimately, it was Lu Sheng who slew him.

Although Xu Guozhong was dead, in Luonan, there were still many of Xu Guozhong’s followers. To quickly take control of the Capital,

Lu Sheng heeded his staff’s advice: purge the Xu Faction and align with those Xu Guozhong had oppressed.

The Liang Family was a priority.

Although the Liang Family was deeply entwined with Prince Huai and King Chong, they had enmity with Xu Guozhong, not Lu Sheng.

As long as the benefits were sufficient, they could still join forces.

Thus, Lu Sheng had Liang Ji made Empress Dowager.

Meanwhile, in Lu Sheng’s study, he was deliberating with his advisers on who were potential allies and who were enemies to be dealt with around the realm.

"Currently, the most prominent figure is Grand Commandant Chen Mo, who holds Qing, Yu, Lin, and Huai Four States, allied by marriage with the Wu Family, and formed alliances with Western Liang Qiang Race and Shu Residence’s Yang Xian. The Xiao Family has also joined him, boasting an army of two hundred thousand. Having just eliminated Xu Thief, the Prime Minister needs to stabilize the Luonan situation; he shouldn’t antagonize Chen Mo but rather try to ally with him," an elderly advisor suggested.

"I disagree. The Prime Minister previously killed Xiao Chongrong, forming a deadly feud with the Xiao Family. Now that they’ve allied with Chen Mo, how can the Prime Minister align with Chen Mo?" another advisor opined.

"The world chases after profit. Coming together or not is merely a matter of benefits. Precisely for this reason, the Prime Minister should build good relations with Chen Mo. As long as Chen Mo doesn’t target the Prime Minister, there will be ample time to control Luonan, and any grudges will become irrelevant.

Furthermore, Chen Mo’s current targets are Prince Huai and King Chong; he won’t oppose the Prime Minister for the Xiao Family. Hence, it would be prudent to seize this opportunity to gain favor," the elderly advisor slowly elaborated.

"That makes sense." Lu Sheng agreed with the elderly advisor’s remarks. For now, he needed time to consolidate all of Xu Guozhong’s assets, whether he could win Chen Mo over didn’t matter as long as Chen Mo didn’t attack him.

"Then according to Elder Yang, how should we express goodwill to Chen Mo?" Lu Sheng inquired.

The elderly advisor pondered and said, "The Prime Minister simply needs to express to Chen Mo that neither side will interfere with the other; thus, some token gesture in Your Majesty’s name should suffice."

"What might that token be?"

"Rumor has it that Chen Mo has a fondness for women, especially those married. Liang Song’s wife Ning Clan and Prince Huai’s wife Xiao Clan are now both in Chen Mo’s possession..." The elderly advisor deliberated for a moment and continued, "Recently, the Music Bureau has a new batch of penalized families. The Prime Minister could select some to gift to Chen Mo."

"Very well. I was also unsure what to do with Xu Ying, so I’ll grant her to Chen Mo."

Xu Ying was the former Empress, and Lu Sheng felt this gesture was quite generous.

However, as soon as Lu Sheng finished speaking, the advisor who had previously raised objections said, "Prime Minister, Xu Ying is the former Empress. Her status is extraordinary, gifting her to Chen Mo might be a bit... reckless."

"That’s wrong. Xu Ying was deposed by the former Emperor, demoted to slavery, becoming a penalized family member, no longer part of the Imperial Family. Moreover, she hasn’t borne the Dragon Lineage. There are prior examples in the former dynasty, it’s not inappropriate," Elder Yang replied.

...

Meanwhile,

In the Celestial Prison.

Xu Yu, dressed in prison garb, lay on the cell floor, barely alive, his body covered in wounds.

When he was the Prime Minister’s son, he made too many enemies. Now, having fallen from grace, he received a brutal beating from the wardens upon being thrown into the Celestial Prison.

"Clang..."

The sound of the cell door opening.

Xu Yu laboriously raised his head and upon seeing who entered, his face immediately changed.

"Young Master Xu, we meet again," Hui Cheng said with a sinister grin as he walked into the cell.

Xu Yu’s body trembled involuntarily.

Hui Cheng did not attack Xu Yu but squatted in front of him and said, "I remember back then, Young Master Xu said a phrase: that I should feel honored that you would favor my woman..."