My chat group is full of female losers

Chapter 366 Tianshu
Meanwhile, inside the palace, Chu Lu was still patiently waiting.

Suddenly, a series of footsteps burst in.

A head eunuch rushed in and reported in a tense voice, "Your Majesty! The Prefectural Government of the Capital has sent an urgent report. The Minister of Revenue, Jia Ruhui, and his entire household of sixty-three people have all died suddenly in their residence overnight!"

The extermination of an entire family of a Beijing official is no small matter.

Chu Lu slowly opened his eyes and looked at the eunuch.

The eunuch held the memorial from the Jingzhao Prefecture high in both hands.

Chu Lu took the memorial and examined it, discovering that it was not just a simple case of annihilating a family. Jia Ruhui's death was so gruesome and horrifying that it seemed impossible for a living person to commit such a crime.

Chu Lu's expression sharpened, and three words immediately flashed through his mind.

—The female lead.

Although Jia Ruhui was only a minor supporting character with few scenes, there's no reason for him to die suddenly for no apparent reason.

It's clear that the powerful female characters in the vicinity have begun to eliminate the characters in the capital.

After all, they went to kill the people of Zhengyangmen, the people of Liuzhou, and the White Flag Army on the border. There was no reason for them to let go of the people in the capital.

This is undoubtedly a problem.

After pondering for a while, Chu Lu said, "This matter is of great importance, and I will personally oversee it. I will have the Court of Judicial Review report all the clues related to the case."

He planned to first assess the situation. If it wasn't too critical, he would set it aside for the time being. After all, Tian Shu was already within reach, and there was no room for any unexpected events.

The head eunuch acknowledged the order and withdrew.

Because the female lead and her group always acted recklessly and didn't bother with concealment, a jumble of clues flooded Chu Lu's mind in just half a day.

There was even a portrait of the murderer drawn by a witness inside.

The remarkably accurate portrait was laid out on the imperial desk. Chu Lu and Qin Su both looked at the figure in the painting, and then their expressions changed simultaneously.

The painting depicts a woman in a red dress, whose eyes are captivating, exuding a bewitching allure that seems to transcend the paper.

“It’s Fei Wu,” Chu Lu said expressionlessly.

"Yes." Qin Su nodded solemnly. "It's Fei Wu."

Fei Wu, one of the organization's four department heads, is the superior of this group of female protagonists. She's a boss that requires a correction value of 100 to defeat.

"Why is it her?" Chu Lu muttered to himself. "Is it because the group leader has appeared here many times that he's worried he's still lurking here, so he chose to come in person?"

"That's about it," Qin Su said.

Chu Lu clicked his tongue, unable to think of a solution for the moment.

“Tomorrow is the day we meet with Tian Shu,” Chu Lu said after a moment of thought. “There’s only one day left. Judging from the fact that she started by targeting a marginal character like Jia Ruhui, she probably plans to gradually eliminate everyone in the capital from the outside in. It won’t be my turn today. So it’s okay, there’s still time!”

However, despite saying that, Chu Lu's unease did not truly dissipate.

After that, he spent a sleepless night, waiting anxiously until dawn, and then immediately got up to wash and go to the morning court.

Afterwards, he went to the Imperial Study to wait for Huo Qi's news. During this time, he was restless, either tapping on the Imperial Desk or pacing back and forth.

Huo Qi requested an audience only after being informed by a eunuch.

He was immediately delighted, sat down behind the imperial desk, and then summoned him in.

Huo Qi, dressed in the black uniform of the Imperial Guard Commander, walked to the imperial desk and said in a deep voice, "Your subject Huo Qi greets Your Majesty."

Chu Lu asked, "Is everything ready?"

Chu Lu's voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly. At this moment, he suddenly became nervous, fearing that something unexpected might happen again.

"Your Majesty," Huo Qi replied, clasping his hands in a fist salute, "all the spies and elite troops are in place as planned, awaiting Your Majesty's command."

Chu Lu suddenly stood up and couldn't help but shout "Good!" Then he said, "Let's not delay, let's set off immediately!"

# # # # # #
West of the city, the canal wharf.

A grain warehouse that had been abandoned for many years looked as dilapidated as a ruin in the morning mist.

Old Li, who is Tian Shu's contact, is dressed as an ordinary porter and seems to be wandering aimlessly around the dock area.

On the second floor of a nearby teahouse, Chu Lu and Huo Qi, along with several others, were watching Old Li's every move through the cracks in the window.

Old Li's acting skills are award-worthy. One moment he's joking around with someone, the next he's squatting down to fix his worn-out straw sandals. Every movement is so natural, as if he was born to be there, but out of the corner of his eye, he's already scanned his surroundings at least three times.

He slowly walked into the granary, a stench of rotting grain and damp earth hitting him. He didn't act immediately, but stood at the doorway for a full ten breaths, allowing his eyes to fully adjust to the darkness.

Then he walked to a marked main pillar in the center of the granary, raised his hand, and tapped the pillar with a force that was heavier at the front and lighter at the back.

Thump, thump, thump... tap, tap.

Three long and two short.

The sound echoed in the empty granary.
Logically, the same response should follow.

However, the granary was eerily silent.

Only the mournful sound of the wind pouring in through the hole echoed continuously.

Time passed by, one breath at a time.

In the teahouse, Huo Qi unconsciously tightened his grip on the knife hilt. Fine beads of sweat also appeared on Old Li's forehead.

Just when everyone thought the plan had changed, a series of three long and two short knocks responded from the deepest part of the granary.

The first password was matched.

Old Li's tense nerves relaxed slightly, but immediately tightened again. He cleared his throat, cupped his hands around his mouth, and imitated a mournful owl's cry: "Coo-hoo!"

The sound seemed particularly eerie in the empty space.

This time, the response came very quickly.

But instead of the same response, a hoarse, low voice asked, "Why does a lone bird cry at night?"

This is the code to begin the second step.

Old Li immediately said, "It is because the night is dark and I long to live with my kind."

This was their agreed-upon secret code. After saying this, Tian Shu was supposed to appear and exchange information with Lao Li.

This was a crucial moment, and Chu Lu and Huo Qi both stared intently at the granary.

Half a minute later, or perhaps an incense stick's time later.

The hoarse voice finally rang out again: "Since we are of the same kind, why not come closer and have a chat?"

The connection was successful!

Then, a tall figure emerged from the shadows of the granary. He wore a straw hat and his face was covered with a black cloth, so his appearance was not visible, but he had a calm and experienced demeanor.

It's him!

Chu Lu nodded slightly to Huo Qi beside him. Huo Qi immediately understood and, facing the window, flicked his finger to imitate a short, sharp cuckoo call.

This is a signal to take action!
The moment the signal was given, the elite Imperial Guards lying in wait suddenly sprang into action, closing in from all corners and instantly sealing off all the exits of the granary!
The man was clearly caught off guard by the ambush. Startled, he tried to resist, but he was already trapped. In just a few moves, the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards pinned him to the ground.

Once they confirmed that the target had been subdued, Chu Lu and Huo Qi immediately rushed in.

Arriving at the granary, Chu Lu's heart raced. He rushed straight to Tian Shu, ripped off the man's black cloth, and said, "Finally caught you!"

Beneath the black cloth, there was neither a fierce-looking man with a bushy beard nor a desperate fugitive with crisscrossing scars.

It was an extremely ordinary face, even somewhat bland.

He had a thin, square face, looked to be in his forties, and had sallow skin. His eyebrows, eyes, nose, and mouth looked like a clay figure casually sculpted by God; not a single feature was memorable.

If you threw this face onto the streets of Beijing, you wouldn't even be able to find him.

But the moment he saw that face clearly, Qin Su's voice exploded in his mind, filled with rare shock: "How could it be him?!"

Chu Lu's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately asked, "What's going on? This person isn't right?"

"Absolutely not! He's not Tian Shu!" Qin Su's tone was resolute. "He's Zhang Laosan!"

Chu Lu's expression changed slightly, but his mind remained exceptionally clear. He first waved for Huo Qi to tie the men up securely, then ordered his men to search the granary inside and out to ensure no one else was missed. Only then did he mentally ask, "And who is Zhang Laosan?" Qin Su quickly explained, "He's Tian Shu's most trusted subordinate. In the original novel, he sneaked into the capital as a refugee and, relying on his previous connections, gradually infiltrated the army."

Tian Shu's plans—spreading rumors and turning the army against its leader—were almost all orchestrated by him. He's a ruthless character, but he's definitely not Tian Shu himself!

“But Lao Li insists that the person who came to make contact was Tian Shu.” Chu Lu frowned. “He confessed under the influence of the correction value and couldn’t possibly be lying.”

The inconsistencies and numerous suspicious points suggest that I have no choice but to interrogate Zhang Laosan myself.

Chu Lu walked up to Zhang Laosan and questioned him, "You're not Tian Shu. Tell me, why are you impersonating Tian Shu? Where is the real Tian Shu?"

Zhang Laosan raised his head, his eyes full of disdain. He spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and sneered, "You tyrant! You dare to know the whereabouts of the commander-in-chief? Keep dreaming! If you have the guts, give me a quick death. If I even flinch, I'm not a hero!"

Chu Lu's face showed no extra expression. He was too lazy to waste words and directly activated the correction value.

Just moments ago, Zhang Laosan had been looking like he was going to his death with great courage, but in an instant, he seemed to have lost his soul, his eyes were glazed over, and he collapsed completely.

"Are you willing to tell me now? Where is Tian Shu?"

Zhang Laosan's mouth opened uncontrollably, and the first words he uttered were like a thunderbolt, leaving Chu Lu and Qin Su stunned: "Tian Shu has already left. I had no choice but to take his place and continue the plan."

"Gone?" Chu Lu suddenly snapped out of his daze and immediately asked, "Why did he leave? Where did he go?"

A hint of resentment flashed across Zhang Laosan's face: "Wasn't it all because that damned woman squeezed us out! We brothers worked so hard, and in the end, we weren't even as important as a woman!"

Then, he poured out all his grievances.

It turns out that Xie Guhong had taken a concubine some time ago. This woman was cunning and adept at stirring up trouble and sowing discord, driving away Xie Guhong's brothers and even his legal wife.

Tian Shu couldn't bear to watch any longer and tried to persuade Xie Gu Hong countless times, but Xie Gu Hong seemed to be under a spell, getting angry at anyone who spoke ill of her. Tian Shu was completely heartbroken and stormed off in a fit of anger. Her whereabouts are currently unknown.

After hearing this, Chu Lu immediately understood that the protagonist of the dungeon was being entangled with the female lead.

He was somewhat surprised by this, but not at all surprised.

After all, the emperor he possessed was just a minor character in the original work, surrounded by a bunch of strong female characters. It would be strange if the protagonist of the alternate story didn't have any of them by his side.

However, the female lead's palace intrigue actually managed to drive away Tian Shu...

Chu Lu frowned, feeling a bit annoyed.

After all, Tian Shu was the only one left, and they were just one step away from reaching their goal, but it was like trying to cut a price on Pinduoduo – they just couldn't get there no matter what they did.

First, they said that Tian Shu's identity was unknown and that they had to arrest his subordinates for interrogation. After finally arresting his subordinates, Tian Shu turned away because the Third Princess was attacking the capital.

After the Third Princess calmed down, they finally lured out Tian Shu, only to find out that the real Tian Shu had already been driven away by the main female lead, and what remained was a fake?!
Even Chu Lu couldn't bear these repeated accidents.

Especially considering that Fei Wu had already entered the capital and that he didn't have much time left, it was even harder for him to remain calm.

He took a deep breath, then looked at Zhang Laosan, intending to ask him if he knew any clues about the whereabouts of Tian Shu.

At this moment, Qin Su's slightly hurried voice rang out: "Chu Lu, that concubine is the main female character!"

"Hmm. I know." Chu Lu replied perfunctorily, then asked as if he had suddenly thought of something, "By the way, can you guess where Tian Shu would go in a fit of anger? Are there any details or hints about this in the original work?"

However, Qin Su's tone became increasingly urgent: "Chu Lu, don't worry about Tian Shu for now, we must act immediately and go find Xie Gu Hong!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Lu asked with slight surprise, "Going to Xie Guhong now? Isn't that too risky? Does Tian Shu really have no other options? Is the only thing left to do to improve the stats of the main character in the instance?"

"It's not just a matter of the correction value, it's also about that concubine! Any later and the fragments would have been destroyed by her!"

"What's going on?" Chu Lu was confused. "The female lead shouldn't know about the fragments, right?"

"The child Xie Guhong gave birth to," Qin Su's voice was quick and urgent, "is a boy!"

Chu Lu still didn't understand.

Qin Su practically shouted, "They resent the little boy!"

Chu Lu was stunned for a moment, then his expression changed drastically as he instantly understood.

He turned to Huo Qi and ordered, "Take this man into the imperial prison."

Before Huo Qi could respond, he had already turned around and strode out, his mind frantically calculating how to get to Xie Guhong's territory as quickly as possible.

##########
Meanwhile, in the female lead's chat group.

The group chat was buzzing with excitement as everyone was intensely discussing Fei Wu's crazy plan.

"It has to be Minister Fei Wu! Her aura is simply overwhelming!"

"Exactly! They actually thought of killing everyone to force the group leader to reveal his plan. Is that something a human could come up with?"

"Sigh, it's a pity. With this, we've missed our chance to make a contribution."

"Alright, you should be grateful if you can just get through this peacefully. In the end, there were a lot of people in this dungeon, so you weren't really going to make a big contribution."

Just then, Su Lianyue suddenly said, "No, I was incredibly lucky, just in time..."

Before she could finish her sentence, she was rudely cut off by another person.

"I know, I know! You just happened to become the protagonist's bedmate, and you were about to make a great contribution, but then the group owner suddenly appeared and ruined everything, right? My goodness, you've said that eight hundred times already, we're all tired of hearing it!"

Su Lianyue was momentarily speechless, then retorted, "Where did I say it eight hundred times? At most four or five times. Besides, I've encountered such bad luck, what's wrong with me complaining a few times?"

She intended to defend herself, but her words only drew more ridicule from others.

"Okay, okay, you're the most pitiful one. Compared to Jiang Miaoyan and Xiao Jiu, who were killed by the group owner, and compared to the Third Princess and the others who suffered a crushing defeat, you're the one who got lucky and found a winning lottery ticket on the road, only to discover it had expired. Waaah, I feel so sorry for you."

"Yes. That's so pitiful. Why don't you go and complain to Minister Fei Wu? She'll definitely be moved by your miserable experience and offer to compensate you."

"Yes, I'll compensate you with two slaps."

"Hahaha."

Seeing the sarcastic remarks coming from all sides, Su Lianyue on the other side of the screen turned ashen with anger. She didn't bother replying again and stormed out of the group chat.

In an elegantly decorated side room.

On one side of the room was a cradle, inside which a beautifully sculpted baby boy was sleeping soundly, with an exquisite longevity lock hanging around his neck.

A beautiful woman sat beside the cradle.

She wore a light green silk dress, and her whole person looked like a lotus flower just emerging from the water, untouched by the world's hustle and bustle.

Her face was round and oval, her skin as white as new porcelain, and her eyebrows were lightly drawn, like distant mountains. But what was most captivating were her almond-shaped eyes. With a gentle ripple in her gaze and a slight upturn at the corners, she seemed to have suffered a great injustice, appearing pitiful and vulnerable. Just one glance from her could melt even the hardest heart into a pool of spring water.

However, this face, so pure it seemed to drip with moisture, was now filled with malice.

Su Lianyue gritted her teeth and cursed, "A bunch of idiots! All they do is be jealous and gloat!"

Just then, the door was pushed open, and a tall, resolute-looking young man walked in. He looked tired, but his heroic air was undeniable; it was Xie Guhong.

Upon seeing the main character of the dungeon appear, Su Lian Yue's expression instantly changed, revealing an adorably gentle demeanor. She gracefully approached him, her voice soft: "Gu Hong, are you done with your work?"

"No, I just took some time to come and see you and the child." Xie Guhong's eyes softened as well.

The two walked to the cradle and looked at the baby sleeping soundly inside. Xie Guhong's face was full of a father's smile: "This kid is just so lovable."

Su Lianyue picked up the baby with great affection, her face filled with a feigned maternal glow: "That's right, just looking at him every day makes me feel at peace."

Looking at this heartwarming scene, Xie Guhong sighed, "Although he's not your biological son, you two seem even closer than a real mother and son."

Su Lianyue smiled sweetly: "This child and I might have been mother and son in our past lives."

A hint of heartache flashed in Xie Guhong's eyes: "It's just that you've been wronged. Now that Lord Su has been murdered, I will never forgive that tyrant. I will be setting off in a few days to attack the capital. I'm afraid I won't be able to spend much time with you and the children during this period."

"Don't complain," Su Lianyue nestled into his arms. "Being able to share your burdens is the happiest thing in my life."

After lingering together for a while, Xie Guhong hurriedly left.

The moment he stepped out the door, the smile on Su Lianyue's face vanished.

She looked at the baby in her arms, her eyes filled with undisguised disgust.

She tossed the baby back into the cradle as if it were dirt. The rough action startled the baby awake, and it burst into tears.

"This is so annoying!" She glared at the wailing baby. "I'm stuck in this godforsaken place every day, being this little beast's wet nurse. When will this ever end?"

She stared at the little face that was red from crying, growing increasingly impatient, and her expression darkened: "That little brat is so annoying, I might as well find a chance to throw him away."

(End of this chapter)