Chapter 156: The Emperor is Dead

The Emperor was in no position to care about how the Yang family might react. Things had already escalated to such a point that he had lost more than enough face; if he did not quell this matter quickly, there was no telling how many people would come to learn of his sordid secrets.

Whenever he thought of this, a deep resentment boiled within him toward the person who had caused him to suffer such utter humiliation.

Naturally, the one who had orchestrated these underhanded maneuvers behind the scenes was the target of the Emperor's greatest animosity. However, Zhou Tian and Wu Zhao had left no tracks behind after executing their plot. If the Emperor wished to find any "incriminating evidence" against them, he could forget about it. Although he might harbor suspicions concerning Wu Zhao, he possessed zero proof. Under these circumstances, the Emperor found himself with no outlet for his fury other than to direct it entirely upon Empress Yang.

Under the weight of the Emperor's wrath, the eunuchs who excelled at reading his moods moved with unprecedented speed. Barely minutes after the imperial edict was issued, Empress Yang and the fake eunuch who had shared the scandalous photographs with her were dragged by other eunuchs into the presence of the Emperor.

Gazing down at the two figures kneeling before him, a complex swirl of emotions arose within the Emperor. Although Empress Yang had never won his favor, he had always held her in considerable regard due to the powerful influence of the Yang family. In the Emperor's original plans, while the other women of the inner palace were destined to die, she and Wu Zhao were the only ones slated to survive.

As for the fake eunuch, it went without saying that as the Emperor's favorite, he had frequently engaged in intimate relations with him. Under normal circumstances, even upon discovering that the man was a fake eunuch who had illicitly consorted with the Empress, the Emperor would likely have turned a blind eye. But this incident had blown up far too dramatically. At present, his dignity as the sovereign had been thoroughly ruined. Regarded as the culprit behind this supreme humiliation and the cuckolding, the Emperor's gaze toward the fake eunuch grew deeply alienated despite their past relationship.

"Your Majesty, we have been wronged! Why would you have us seized? We have committed no crimes!" Because everyone already anticipated the grim fate awaiting the pair, the entire palace gave them a wide berth; naturally, no one had bothered to inform them about the circulating scandalous photographs. Consequently, right up until the moment they were hauled before the Emperor, both Empress Yang and the fake eunuch remained entirely oblivious to the true cause of his incandescent rage.

Initially, their pleas for mercy were merely desperate bids to save their skins, hoping to muddle through by sheer luck. Unaware of how much the Emperor already knew, their performance only served to fan the flames of his fury. Without a second thought, the Emperor grabbed a stack of photographs and hurled them directly at the two kneeling figures below.

"Look closely at these! Tell me what these abominations are!"

"This..." Though initially baffled by the scale of the Emperor's anger, the moment the two picked up the scattered photographs from the floor and laid eyes upon the imagery depicted within, the color drained completely from their faces. In that instant, they understood precisely why the Emperor was harboring such murderous rage toward them.

Yet, knowing the reason behind the Emperor's fury was one thing; admitting to the deeds they had committed was an absolute impossibility.

If they refused to confess, however slim the odds, they still retained a thread of survival. But should they actually acknowledge their transgressions, given the magnitude of their crimes, the Emperor would likely not be appeased even if they were sliced into a thousand pieces.

Even with powerful backers behind them, under the catastrophic impact of the current scandal, both Empress Yang and the fake eunuch knew full well that their patrons would never stick out their necks to protect them. Driven by frantic panic, they began to vehemently deny the reality depicted in the photographs.

Seeing their reaction, the Emperor grew even more incensed.

Although he could not fathom how the photographs had been produced or what uncanny methods the perpetrators had utilized, the ability to generate imagery of such terrifying authenticity meant it was an absolute certainty that Empress Yang and his trusted confidant had shared an illicit liaison.

Realizing that the pair refused to plead guilty despite the undeniable evidence laid out before them, a surge of murderous intent flared within the enraged Emperor.

Sensing the Emperor's lethal aura, the two figures below grew even more frantic. Empress Yang began to chant incessantly about the meritorious service of the Yang family, desperately hoping to leverage the clan's influence to force the Emperor to spare her life. She no longer dared to dream that he would pretend nothing had happened; she merely prayed to preserve her miserable skin.

While the fake eunuch lacked the backing of a powerful lineage like the Yang family, he possessed his own unique advantage. Disregarding his current surroundings, he repeatedly emphasized his identity as a "eunuch" and dropped numerous subtle hints regarding his intimate relationship with the Emperor, hoping this tactic would dispel the Emperor's suspicions.

Had there been no photographs, had this scandal not become the talk of the entire empire, the Emperor might truly have pardoned them. Unfortunately, due to Zhou Tian scattering the photographs far and wide, the situation had spiraled entirely out of control. Now, with evidence firmly established, even if the accusations had been false, the momentum of events dictated that both Empress Yang and the fake eunuch were now condemned to die without exception.

Reflecting upon his grim predicament, the Emperor lost all desire to continue conversing with Empress Yang and the fake eunuch. With a flick of his sleeve, he ordered the guards to drag them away...

By the following day, news rippled through the imperial palace.

The newly appointed Empress Yang had contracted a sudden, virulent disease, and despite the best efforts of the imperial physicians, she had passed away. As for the several imperial princes she had borne, announcements of their deaths were issued under various convenient pretexts. Although no official word was leaked regarding the fake eunuch, those well-versed in the palace grapevine knew that he had been executed by imperial decree on the exact same day as the Empress.

In the period that followed, perhaps deeply affected by the psychological trauma of the incident, the Emperor engaged in a series of erratic and drastic actions.

After purging a wave of imperial concubines and members of the royal family in a bloodbath meant to vent his frustrations, the Emperor fell gravely ill. Having severely curtailed the power of the Yang family, he subsequently delegated the majority of the Yellow and Di Empire's administrative authority down to his ministers.

It could be said that while this crisis brought ruin to many, it yielded immense gains for an equally large number of individuals. The officials recently promoted formed one faction, while Wu Zhao—who reclaimed her position as Empress in the wake of Yang's demise—certainly counted among the primary beneficiaries.

On the surface, both Zhou Tian and Wu Zhao had remained entirely invisible throughout the unfolding of the scandal. Yet the emergence of the photographs and the path by which the Emperor viewed them were inextricably linked to their meticulous planning. Operating entirely behind the scenes, they had successfully steered the sequence of events to culminate precisely according to their desires.

Naturally, as Wu Zhao had previously predicted, while appearances suggested that she and Zhou Tian had reaped massive rewards, the Emperor had undoubtedly begun to harbor deep suspicions toward her. The only reason he had not yet made a move was his current lack of solid proof. Should the day ever arrive when he discovered that Zhou Tian was the mastermind, both Wu Zhao and Zhou Tian would inevitably face his relentless vengeance.

However, regarding this minor lingering hazard, neither Zhou Tian nor Wu Zhao cared in the least.

The Emperor would never have dreamed in his wildest fantasies that every single one of his reactions had fallen right into Wu Zhao's calculations. Whether it was his method of disposing of Empress Yang or his subsequent political maneuvers, everything had been anticipated by Wu Zhao long in advance. Taking advantage of the Emperor's blind spots, she had quietly woven a vast network of influence.

Most of the officials who had originally opposed Empress Yang's ascension were now viewed by the Emperor as loyal ministers; given the circumstances of the scandal, the Emperor naturally felt a degree of gratitude toward those who had sought to preserve his dignity. Guided skillfully by Wu Zhao, her own loyalists had successfully embedded themselves within that faction. Consequently, while a significant portion of the officials newly promoted by the Emperor were indeed loyalists genuinely serving the Li family, a vast number of them were now thoroughly devoted dead-set partisans of Wu Zhao.

Therefore, despite the Emperor's vigilance, which made it appear as though Wu Zhao remained restricted within the inner palace without any real authority, the reality was entirely different. When the Emperor relinquished power due to his personal breakdown, Wu Zhao had imperceptibly seized nearly ten percent of the total authority within the Yellow and Di Empire.

In the days that followed, because the Emperor was consumed by shame and wished to avoid the public eye, peace reigned over Wu Zhao's domain. Perceiving no immediate danger, Zhou Tian took his leave of the imperial palace, preparing to return to the capital. Naturally, before departing, he did not forget to bestow upon Wu Zhao several potent magical artifacts for self-preservation. Though the Yellow and Di Empire's military might generally ensured Wu Zhao would rarely need them, one could never be too careful. To safeguard her against unforeseen perils, Zhou Tian spared no expense in outfitting her.

Yet Zhou Tian never anticipated that merely halfway into his journey back to the capital, he would receive a distress message from Wu Zhao once again.

Unaware of what could possibly have transpired at the palace, Zhou Tian knew that the dispatch of a distress signal meant she must have encountered severe trouble. Though perplexed that crisis had struck the moment his back was turned, he wasted no time pondering the matter. The very instant he received the letter, he immediately altered his course and sped back toward the imperial palace.

Employing the Five Elements Escape Technique, Zhou Tian slipped effortlessly past the heavy guards and infiltrated the palace once more. The moment he arrived outside Wu Zhao's residential quarters, an abnormal premonition struck him instantly.

"She's even activated the defensive array? What on earth has happened?" As he drew close to the palace hall, he sensed that the array he had previously gifted Wu Zhao for her protection had been fully triggered. While the formidable defense of the array meant Wu Zhao's immediate safety was assured, Zhou Tian's curiosity was piqued to its absolute limit regarding the events that had transpired in his absence.

Lingering outside no longer, Zhou Tian sidestepped the surrounding guards and glided soundlessly into Wu Zhao's chambers.

Every single trump card in Wu Zhao's possession had originated from Zhou Tian; consequently, while her defensive formations could successfully bar outsiders, they were utterly nonexistent to him. Surveying the layout of the array flags, Zhou Tian took a few casual strides and stepped directly into Wu Zhao's bedchamber.

The scent of fresh blood drifted into his nostrils as he approached. A jolt of panic surged through him, fearing that Wu Zhao had been injured, and he rushed headlong into the room.

Only to halt dead in his tracks...

The sight that greeted him inside the chamber left him utterly dumbfounded. Staring at the corpse sprawled upon the floor, Zhou Tian blinked in bewilderment and asked Wu Zhao, "What is the meaning of this?"

Zhou Tian had every reason to be shocked. Having rushed back under the impression that Wu Zhao was facing grave peril, he discovered she was entirely unharmed, while a dead body lay cold within her room. What startled him most was the identity of the deceased; had he not witnessed the scene with his own eyes, he would never have believed in a million years that this particular individual would end up dead inside Wu Zhao's bedchamber.

***

In response to Zhou Tian's inquiry, Wu Zhao appeared to snap out of a trance. Casting a glance toward him, she immediately collapsed into his embrace and poured out the entire sequence of events.

Truth be told, the current predicament was enough to give Zhou Tian a headache!

Just as Zhou Tian and Wu Zhao had surmised, once the Emperor had calmed his frayed nerves to a degree, he immediately began to suspect whether the initial scandal had been masterminded by Wu Zhao. And just as they had correctly anticipated, having already alienated the powerful Yang family, the Emperor did not dare to provoke the Wu family as well. Lacking any concrete evidence, no matter how intense his suspicions were, he dared not take direct action against her.

Yet, while Wu Zhao had calculated every single variable, she had failed to accurately predict the sheer depravity of the Emperor's psychological recoil...

Trapped in a state of suffocating frustration over his inability to punish Wu Zhao despite his suspicions, the Emperor had conceived a twisted method of retaliation that never crossed her mind.

The fact that the Emperor favored eunuchs did not mean his physiological functions were completely impaired; his aversion to women stemmed from preference rather than inability. If Wu Zhao had been as promiscuous as the late Empress Yang, his hands would indeed have been tied. However, because Wu Zhao was one of the rare women in the inner palace who adamantly refused to engage in intimacy with men, she had cultivated an aura of someone who deeply treasured her chastity.

Naturally, the Emperor did not flatter himself that Wu Zhao was preserving her virtue for his sake. Though she rarely voiced her disdain, he was acutely aware that this Empress held him in contempt. Her refusal to submit to the male members of the royal family was rooted in her unwillingness to become a mere plaything for men.

Under these psychological conditions, the Emperor's bitter hatred had reached such a fever pitch that it fundamentally warped his behavioral impulses. Whether triggered by his pent-up fury or the lingering psychological fallout from the fake eunuch incident, the Emperor abandoned reason. Consumed by his miserable plight, he snapped under the pressure and resolved to forcibly violate Wu Zhao.

Of course, using the term "forcibly violate" was subjective; from the perspective of the Emperor—and indeed most citizens of the Yellow and Di Empire—a sovereign demanding physical intimacy with his Empress was a matter of natural law.

Yet the Emperor could never have anticipated that Wu Zhao, whom he viewed as a fragile, ordinary woman, harbored a vast arsenal of life-saving magical items gifted by Zhou Tian, despite her relatively modest personal cultivation. When the Emperor forced his way into her chambers alone to execute his designs, Wu Zhao, consumed by sheer terror, struck back with overwhelming force and inadvertently beat him to death.

Hearing this narration, Zhou Tian genuinely lacked the words to express his feelings.

To be frank, upon hearing Wu Zhao's account, Zhou Tian felt a fierce impulse to exhume the dead Emperor and whip his corpse a few more times. How dare he lay a hand on his woman? If he hadn't provided Wu Zhao with defensive talismans, and the Emperor had actually succeeded, he would have suffered an unimaginable loss!

Yet, after regaining his composure, a wave of pity washed over him for the deceased sovereign. A crown prince ruined by his own father's romantic escapades, transforming him into a quasi-homosexual; abandoning a harem of three thousand beauties to chase after effeminate eunuchs—that was his own prerogative, and if it brought him happiness, so be it.

But as an Emperor, not only had he acted as a pimp for his own concubines, but he had also been repeatedly cuckolded without his knowledge. That alone was tragic enough. To make matters worse, he was driven to despair by Wu Zhao with no outlet for his rage, only to botch his desperate attempt at retaliation and lose his miserable life instead. Hearing of such a tragic trajectory, one couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy.

Still, sympathizing with the Emperor in his heart was one thing; Zhou Tian certainly wasn't going to voice such sentiments in front of Wu Zhao. Otherwise, given how deeply she resented the late sovereign, there was no telling what she might do.

Standing in solidarity with Wu Zhao, Zhou Tian gave the dead Emperor's corpse a hearty thrashing before turning to comfort her: "It's alright, it's alright now. Didn't you kill him? Rest assured, with me protecting you, no one can harm a hair on your head. If anyone ever dares to plot against you again, just kill them the same way. I will always protect you."

Soothed by Zhou Tian's reassurances, Wu Zhao gradually steadied her emotions.

Given her formidable statecraft, committing murder would normally not have caused her to lose her composure to this extent. However, this was her very first time taking a life, and the victim happened to be the reigning sovereign of the Yellow and Di Empire. That initial shock had triggered her temporary loss of control. Now that her mind had settled, Wu Zhao swiftly reverted to her usual collected demeanor.

Stepping out of Zhou Tian's embrace, she cast a cold, detached glance down at the Emperor's corpse before speaking rationally to Zhou Tian: "Now that I've killed him, if this news leaks out, it will instantly plunge the Yellow and Di Empire into absolute chaos. Though I should be able to weather the storm, once the empire descends into civil unrest, all our previous scheming will come to naught."

"Do you truly desire to become empress that badly?" To be honest, despite Wu Zhao constantly referring to their grand design, Zhou Tian had never truly supported her political ambitions. He only intervened time and again because she kept begging him for assistance. Now that matters had reached this juncture, while Zhou Tian possessed the capability to help her, he fundamentally disagreed with her quest for absolute imperial power. Before committing further aid, he felt it necessary to confirm whether she remained utterly steadfast in her ambition.

Having spent countless years alongside Zhou Tian, Wu Zhao understood him intimately. The subtext in his question was glaringly obvious. A flicker of joy crossed her features before she nodded with absolute resolve: "My ambition has never wavered. If the opportunity presents itself, even if I were to reign as Empress for a single day, I wish to experience that supreme peak."

"I truly fail to understand your mindset." Shaking his head with a resigned sigh, Zhou Tian adopted a serious expression. "You have killed the Emperor, and I neither can nor will resurrect him. However, I possess several methods of corpse manipulation that will allow you to animate his remains and control his movements. As long as outsiders are kept at a safe distance, no one will be able to tell the difference. You can leverage the convenience of controlling his corpse to transfer all imperial authority into your own hands. Provided you have the capability, ascending the throne as empress should present no further obstacles."

Corpse manipulation?

Upon hearing these words, an image instantly flashed through Wu Zhao's mind: Zhou Tian draped in the dark robes of a necromancer, waving his hand as a horde of skeleton warriors clawed their way up from the subterranean depths...

"Stop right there!" As if reading the bizarre imagery flickering through her thoughts, Zhou Tian abruptly raised his voice to shatter her reverie. With dark lines etched across his forehead, he explained, "The corpse manipulation I speak of bears zero resemblance to the nonsense running through your head. Necromancers merely control skeletons and restless spirits; the techniques I possess operate on an entirely different plane of existence."

"Then what method are you referring to?" Intrigued by Zhou Tian's mysterious tone, Wu Zhao eagerly pressed him for details regarding this so-called art of corpse control.

"The techniques in my possession are numerous, but they generally fall into two categories: material-based control and magic-based control. The first method establishes a connection between a specialized magical artifact and the corpse; whoever commands the artifact controls the body. Its advantage lies in its simplicity and ease of operation, but its vulnerability is equally apparent—if the artifact falls into enemy hands, control of the corpse is instantly lost. The second method lacks such weaknesses, but the practitioner must study Demonic and Ghost Arts. The Demonic path is unorthodox; while it offers a swift entry and rapid power gains in the early stages, it becomes notoriously difficult to progress once a certain threshold is reached, frequently resulting in insurmountable bottlenecks."

"I choose the second method."

Zhou Tian frowned upon hearing her choice. Evidently, he thoroughly disapproved of her decision, practically radiating opposition.

Regrettably, Wu Zhao refused to alter her resolve based on his attitude. Spotting his disgruntled expression, she offered a faint smile and patiently explained her reasoning: "My innate aptitude for cultivation is mediocre; whether I practice martial douqi or elemental magic, I am unlikely to achieve any grand heights. Since that is the case, studying this Demonic Ghost Path of yours makes little difference. Furthermore, according to your description, this path allows for rapid initial progression, which will immediately bolster my strength. As for the distant future—how can there be a future if I fail to survive the present? Moreover, the weakness of the first method is far too glaring. If I must rely on an external item every time I animate the Emperor's corpse, the truth will inevitably be exposed over time. Given that, I have no choice but to opt for the second method."

Listening to her logical breakdown, Zhou Tian sighed helplessly, genuinely at a loss for words.

The obsession with becoming empress had long since transformed into Wu Zhao's core执念 (obsession). To fulfill this ultimate ambition, she was willing to brave any hazard. Even though she understood that her choice was detrimental to her long-term prospects, the fact that it offered the most secure path to the throne prompted her to make the decision without a moment's hesitation.

Though Zhou Tian opposed her choice a thousand times over, he had no way to sway her stubborn conviction. With a resigned sigh, he finally relented and instructed her: "Since you are dead set on this path, I will impart the technique to you. However, you must promise me one thing: never force your cultivation advancements prematurely unless you are absolutely certain. While demonic practitioners advance by leaps and bounds, it frequently leads to an unstable foundation. Besides, you won't need to rely heavily on personal combat prowess anyway, so there is no need to rush your individual strength."

"Understood, understood." Whether Wu Zhao actually took his warnings to heart remained a mystery, but she nodded obediently enough. As for her true thoughts, only she knew.

Helpless in the face of her obstinacy, Zhou Tian retrieved a manual of Ghost Dao cultivation he had purchased from the system store and handed it to her.

"《Reincarnation Scripture》, priced at eight million spiritual energy points."

While its price tag placed it slightly below the 《True Dragon Secret Codex》, when compared to a manual heavily laden with draconian mystic techniques, a valuation of eight million spiritual energy points was more than enough to establish the profound value of the 《Reincarnation Scripture》.

Although the 《Reincarnation Scripture》 might not reign as the absolute pinnacle among demonic arts, within the specific lineage of Ghost Cultivation, it stood undeniably among the finest techniques in existence.

Ghost cultivators rarely possessed overwhelming frontal combat power; their strength lay entirely within the realm of the 'uncanny.'

The spells of ghost cultivation numbered in the millions, forming a system far more vast and intricate than orthodox righteous doctrines. Arts involving corpse manipulation, soul-summoning, and spirit-commanding enjoyed immense renown. As long as one mastered any single branch of these arts, claiming invincibility among peers might be an overstatement, but relying on bizarre and unpredictable offensive methods meant they rarely suffered a disadvantage against anyone—save for entities like Buddhist cultivators whose techniques specifically countered them.

Contained within the 《Reincarnation Scripture》 were myriad arcane spells of ghost cultivation, with corpse manipulation techniques alone numbering in the hundreds.

Once Wu Zhao achieved preliminary mastery over the scripture, animating and controlling the Emperor's corpse would pose no difficulty whatsoever. However, the immediate challenge lay in the fact that her foundation was exceptionally poor, compounded by the cultural differences between the two worlds. Her comprehension of the 《Reincarnation Scripture》 was, frankly, atrocious. To achieve even basic entry into the discipline, she required instruction in fundamental principles. For this reason, Zhou Tian was forced to remain within her palace chambers, patiently guiding her through the foundational theory of ghost cultivation.

***

While Zhou Tian tutored Wu Zhao in the basics of ghost arts, a minor storm was brewing outside.

Though the Emperor had largely ceased managing state affairs and delegated the lion's share of authority to his ministers, he remained the sovereign. Even if he remained hands-off, matters large and small still required his final seal of approval to be implemented.

Under such circumstances, with the Emperor dropping dead inside Wu Zhao's palace, his absence went unnoticed for a short while, but as days passed without him holding court, problems inevitably arose.

Had the Emperor vanished?

The disappearance of a sovereign was a monumental crisis for any empire. If confirmed, it was a certainty that the long-dormant Yellow and Di Empire would plunge into violent turmoil, thoroughly reshuffling the distribution of political power.

Naturally, save for a handful of ambitious conspirators, the vast majority of officials and nobles who had grown accustomed to comfort and luxury had zero desire to see the empire fracture. With the Emperor missing, they formed the most anxious faction, dispatching subordinates outside the palace daily to fish for information. If ordinary citizens were permitted entry into the imperial precinct, the palace grounds would likely have been turned upside down several times over.

Just as the ministers were running around like headless chickens, Wu Zhao—having finally mastered the corpse-control techniques of the 《Reincarnation Scripture》 with Zhou Tian's assistance—finally stepped out of her palace, supporting the animated corpse of the Emperor.

Having searched fruitlessly for the missing sovereign for days, the courtiers were utterly flabbergasted to suddenly witness Wu Zhao supporting the Emperor as he emerged from her residential quarters.

What on earth was happening?

If the Emperor's peculiar proclivities had previously been a secret known only to a select few, the dissemination of the scandalous photographs among the ministers had made his private affairs an open secret throughout the capital.

Now, everyone was bewildered to suddenly see the Emperor—who should never have set foot in the Empress's palace—emerging from it after such a prolonged disappearance.

Regardless of their confusion, while whispering about the Emperor's quirks behind closed doors was acceptable, none of them dared to broach the subject to his face. Swallowing their astonishment, they hastily stepped forward and bowed in unison: "Greetings, Your Majesty, Your Empress!"

"Rise, be excused!" After Wu Zhao and the puppet Emperor acknowledged the courtiers, the sovereign—manipulated entirely by Wu Zhao—gazed coldly down at the officials and demanded, "Speak! What is the meaning of gathering here to disturb Us?"

"Your Majesty, the lords have been waiting for you in the imperial study for days. Your prolonged absence has caused mountains of official memorials to pile up, awaiting your verdict."

"I thought it was some earth-shattering crisis! Making such a massive commotion over a few worthless documents?" Flinging his hand away in exaggerated annoyance as a tyrannical ruler would, the puppet Emperor seemed to have a sudden thought and commanded, "Doesn't the Empress always express deep concern for state affairs? Very well, henceforth, all memorials shall be delivered to her for review. I trust the Empress will accept this responsibility!"

A collective shudder ran through the assembled officials upon hearing this decree. What on earth was the Emperor implying?

His words were far too suggestive. Handing over the state memorials to the Empress for review—was that something an Emperor in his right mind would utter? Memorials could be reviewed by the sovereign or by ministers, but given the ancient taboo against interference in state affairs by the inner palace, under no circumstances should the power of governance be transferred into the hands of an Empress!

Consequently, upon hearing the order, nearly everyone present assumed the Emperor was testing the Empress, or rather, setting a trap to corner her. If Wu Zhao dared to give an improper response, the Emperor would likely flip out on the spot.

A number of officials who harbored ill will toward Wu Zhao immediately wore expressions of schadenfreude.

However, their smugness was short-lived.

"Understood."

She actually accepted it.

While everyone anticipated that Wu Zhao would politely decline the Emperor's proposal, she unexpectedly accepted the imperial assignment without batting an eye. Her reaction struck everyone dumb.

Even more shocking to them was that upon hearing her acceptance, the Emperor exhibited no trace of anger. He merely gave a slight nod and said nothing more.

Until Wu Zhao escorted the Emperor away, the surrounding officials remained rooted to the spot in a daze. Only after the royal couple had vanished into the distance did they snap out of their stupor, exchanging horrified glances filled with shock and suspicion.

What on earth was going on?

None of them could fathom why the Emperor's behavior had turned so erratic after his mysterious period of absence.

Wu Zhao's formidable intellect was an open secret within Qilin City. Back when she still resided within the Wu family, she had served as their primary strategist. Had the Wu family possessed any better candidate to contend for the position of Empress, and had they known the Emperor's peculiar tastes in advance, they likely never would have parted with Wu Zhao to send her into the palace.

Because her brilliance was widely acknowledged, the former Emperor had consistently guarded against her. Now, seeing the Emperor—who had always been wary of Wu Zhao—voluntarily surrender supreme authority to her, while she accepted it without hesitation, this abnormal display was sufficient to spark deep paranoia in the hearts of the courtiers.

What lay behind the Emperor's erratic transformation?

Had Wu Zhao taken him hostage? Or had the Emperor and his Empress finally developed a genuine bond?

Regardless of how outsiders speculated about the Emperor's bizarre conduct, events continued to roll forward on their predetermined trajectory. Although the Yellow and Di Emperor possessed a uniquely deviant sexual orientation, his administrative acumen remained intact. Despite his recent delegation of power, because the transition was still fresh, he retained absolute, supreme authority throughout the empire.

Therefore, regardless of external speculations and opposition, backed by the Emperor's unyielding posture, the situation accelerated precisely in Wu Zhao's favor. Following the imperial decree, Wu Zhao formally initiated her campaign to absorb the sovereign's authority.

Initially, recalling the previous crisis, Zhou Tian did not rush to leave the palace. Uncertain whether further dangers awaited Wu Zhao, he remained behind to shield her for a period.

Only when Wu Zhao had firmly consolidated a substantial portion of the Yellow and Di Empire's authority, and Zhou Tian confirmed that she could seamlessly manipulate the Emperor's corpse without any risk of the 《Reincarnation Scripture》 being exposed, did he finally set his mind at ease. Bidding her farewell once more, he departed Qilin City.

No further accidents occurred, and this time Zhou Tian enjoyed an uneventful, smooth flight back to the capital. However, upon his return, he discovered to his surprise that during his brief absence, the capital had encountered some minor troubles of its own.

Strictly speaking, rather than labeling this trouble as Zhou Tian's problem, it was more accurately Wu Zhao's headache. Yet, due to the intimate ties binding him to Wu Zhao, her predicaments could never be ignored by Zhou Tian. Thus, what should have remained solely Wu Zhao's burden ultimately morphed into Zhou Tian's affair as well.

(A million thanks to Grand Tiger Military Baby for the monthly ticket! This old monk bows in deepest gratitude!)