You, a tyrannical ruler, roam the heavens; you cannot understand my joy.

More than two hours later...

Fan Qinghui leaned weakly on the cold floor tiles, a few strands of her hair falling loosely and lazily down her cheek.

Her plain silk dress was open at the collar, revealing a small section of her fair neck. She lay limply in front of the Buddha statue, panting and covered in sweat.

Bi Xiuxin leaned against the edge of the lotus seat in front of the Buddha statue, her eyes slightly closed and her chest rising and falling gently.

The lightly applied makeup on her face gave it a subtle glow, and the fine beads of sweat on her forehead added a touch of languid charm to her otherwise beautiful and ethereal appearance.

The two of them leaned against the solemn and majestic Buddha statue in this awkward posture, their bodies shrouded in an aura of exhaustion.

Scattered strands of hair, slightly flushed cheeks, and tired eyes intertwine to create a complex and fragile charm that seems out of place in this serene Buddhist temple.

"My sins, my sins..."

Fan Qinghui stretched her slightly sore waist, knelt on the prayer mat in front of the Buddha statue, put her hands together, and looked devout.

"Amitabha……."

"A tyrannical ruler!"

"You're really going too far!"

In the past, they only asked me and my senior sister to chant sutras, but now they are doing such a thing in front of a solemn Buddha statue?

absurd!

Shameless!

Bi Xiuxin also straightened up and repented before the Buddha.

"Buddha, even if I were to offer my body to the demon, I could not redeem this tyrant."

"May this wretched child soon become the ruler of a fallen kingdom!"

Offering themselves to the demons was one thing, but Lu Zuo's attitude of treating them, these noble Buddhist disciples, as mere tools was something the two women found hard to accept...

The two sisters exchanged a glance, then sighed softly together.

"well……"

Just bear with it. As long as the Sui army comes to the city gates and takes the Imperial Seal, I won't have to endure it anymore.

Cihang Jingzhai ordered two women to feed the demon with their bodies and bewitch Lu Zuo. In addition to fighting against the Yin Gui Sect, the more important reason was to infiltrate the palace and steal the imperial seal.

With the Imperial Seal in hand, Cihang Jingzhai could later claim to be "choosing a ruler on behalf of Heaven" and ally with any force that had the potential to seize power when the world was in chaos.

At that time, the influence of Buddhism can be further expanded, and the ultimate goal of Buddhism can be achieved!

Transform the Central Plains into a theocratic state!

……

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

"These two Buddhist saintesses are truly remarkable."

Lu Zuo sat on the dragon bed, shaking his head and chuckling softly. Although he was clearly unwilling, he still adopted a submissive and compliant posture...

The women of Cihang Jingzhai are truly dedicated to their careers.

Thinking of this, Lu Zuo suddenly remembered something.

In the original novel, did Shi Feixuan already have an affair with Li Shimin?

Otherwise, there would be no reasonable explanation for her various actions.

It would make much more sense if they had already pledged allegiance to Li Shimin...

Through Fan Qinghui and Bi Xiuxin, Lu Zuo finally saw through the true nature of the women of Cihang Jingzhai.

Well...

Aside from their glamorous appearance and status, they were no different from prostitutes.

They were all willing to sacrifice something for a certain goal.

The difference is that brothel women are only after money, while women in seclusion are after much more.

"Ignore them both."

"From now on, just treat her like a courtesan..."

Lu Zuo sorted out his thoughts and decided to rest for the night and wait until tomorrow morning court to appoint Zhang Zhongjian before thinking about what to do next.

.......

At this moment, in the main hall of the Lu residence.

Lu Wenyuan sat upright in the main seat, holding a plain white porcelain covered bowl in his hands, the tea in the bowl was a clear yellow color.

He watched quietly as the white steam rose from the tea noodles, his gaze somewhat distant.

"Gentlemen."

"Now that Ren Zhong is dead, there is an opportunity to fight for military power among the five major camps and the Nanxu Navy."

"But the emperor doesn't trust the six great families. Do you have any good strategies?"

Grand Minister of Agriculture Yu Hongsheng stroked his beard and spoke first: "Lord Lu, what are your concerns about this matter?"

"Seven or eight out of ten officials appointed by the imperial court are from our families, or have kinship or old friendships with us."

"Most of the lower-ranking officers and soldiers in the five major battalions are my family retainers, or my protégés who were promoted."

"In my opinion, no matter who Your Majesty appoints as commander-in-chief, you will ultimately have to rely on these soldiers."

General Su Bojian nodded: "Lord Hongsheng is right."

"Among those five major camps, how many men, from the deputy general down, have a past relationship with the Su family of Qiantang?"

"In fact, many of their careers were even promoted by me back then!"

"This military power can only be given to our people!"

Lu Wenyuan chuckled: "I agree with what you all have said."

"but……"

"Don't forget, everyone, Dongyang has already produced a Lu Zuo, and he's making a name for himself there."

"It's hard to guarantee that His Majesty won't create a second Lu Zuo..."

"I believe this matter should be handled with caution. It would be best to have one of our men..."

……

The next day, early in the morning.

[Missed the morning court session; internal strength +6.]

[Enchanted by beautiful women, internal strength +3.]

[Colluding with the demonic path, Demonic Heart +5.]

[Excessive indulgence in lust results in an extra reward: Cultivation +2219, Zen Enlightenment +10.]

[Leading a rebellion, utterly absurd, Dao Enlightenment +2.]

The latest update is now live and awaits your interpretation.

[Reusing a wicked concubine can bring ruin to a country; calligraphy +10, painting +10, chess +10, musical instrument skills +10.]

"Add your cultivation to the point that the world loses its color."

[Consuming 2219 points of cultivation, the "World Loses Color" technique has reached its peak.]

In an instant, a strange change occurred in the space within several feet around Lu Zuo.

The light froze, the air solidified, and even the finest dust particles remained suspended in mid-air, no longer drifting.

An absolute stillness and tranquility enveloped the Hall of Mental Cultivation, as if everything was returning to nothingness, and the flow of time became unusually slow, almost to the point of stopping!

During this time, Lu Zuo collected martial arts techniques from various schools while simultaneously cultivating using his cheat-like abilities.

As of today, all the martial arts techniques I have acquired have been mastered to perfection!

"It's time to face those court officials..."

Lu Zuo stood up, changed into his dragon robe, and left the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

……

A short while later, in the Golden Dragon Hall.

Lu Zuo sat on the dragon throne, glanced at the eunuch beside him, and ordered, "Proclaim the imperial decree."

The old eunuch bowed in agreement, then stepped forward, unfurled the prepared bright yellow silk, cleared his throat, and proclaimed in a high-pitched, drawn-out voice:

"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:"

"I have inherited the great throne and rule over all the lands. I work diligently day and night and promote only the talented."

"Now we have Lu Zuo, the Prefect of Dongyang, who has a keen eye for talent and recommends the virtuous Zhang Zhongjian. He is loyal and brave, and has profound strategic skills. He is capable of undertaking great responsibilities."

"In these turbulent times, the nation needs capable generals."

"Special decree: Zhang Zhongjian is promoted to commander-in-chief of the five battalions in the capital, and concurrently serves as the admiral of the Southern Xu Navy, overseeing all military affairs of the capital region's land forces and the Southern Xu Navy."

"The officers and soldiers of the five major camps in the capital and the naval forces of Nanxu are all under my command. I hope you will be diligent and cautious, strengthen the army and military, and secure our borders to live up to my expectations."

"A proclamation was issued, both domestically and internationally, so that everyone may know."

"So be it!"

After the imperial edict was read aloud, the old eunuch closed the silk scroll and stepped aside.

The officials in the hall had different expressions: some were surprised, some were puzzled, and some seemed to be deep in thought.

The most crucial tasks of defending the capital region and the navy of the Chen Kingdom were entrusted to a "newcomer" who was neither from a noble family nor had he been in the military for long.

How can this be?

How can this be allowed?

"His Majesty!"

Among the officials, Su Bojian was the first to stand up and object: "I believe this is absolutely unacceptable!"

"Matters of national importance are not child's play!"

"The five battalions of the capital and the naval forces of Nanxu are the lifeblood of the nation. How can they be entrusted to a person with shallow qualifications and an unknown background?"

"Lu Zuo's recommendation of such a person demonstrates a poor judgment of character; I humbly request Your Majesty to reconsider!"

Seeing him step forward, Wei Huizhi from the six great families also stood up: "Your Majesty, General Su is absolutely right."

"Lu Zuo is a man who abuses cruel laws in the local areas, slaughtering gentry and harming innocent people!"

"In Dongyang and Nantong, countless aristocratic families with centuries-old traditions were wiped out and their entire households exterminated on trumped-up charges, shocking the intellectual community and arousing the wrath of both gods and men!"

"This scoundrel is even more audacious, daring to distribute Buddhist temple properties and aristocratic lands to ordinary people. This is an open act of buying people's hearts!"

"How are their actions any different from those of rebellious traitors?"

"If this continues, moral order will collapse, hierarchy will be reversed, and the nation will cease to exist!"

"Now, he has actually recommended Zhang Zhongjian to take command of the military and naval forces in the capital region!"

"Lu Zuo already controls the vital financial and grain supply areas in the southeast, and now he's plotting to seize military power in the capital. His wolfish ambitions are crystal clear!"

"This isn't forming cliques for personal gain; it's plotting to usurp the throne!"

"His Majesty!"

"Lu Zuo, this scoundrel, has committed heinous crimes. To not kill him is to appease public anger and to not only kill him, but also to ensure the safety of the nation!"

Upon hearing this, many civil and military officials stepped forward, their expressions indignant and their voices filled with fervor, echoing, "Lu Zuo, this scoundrel, has committed heinous crimes. To not kill him is to appease public anger, to not not kill him is to not secure the nation!"

Ok?

Lu Zuo looked down and discovered something interesting.

They assumed that the six great families were an unbreakable alliance in the court, and that whatever they said, all the civil and military officials would agree with.

Today, a small percentage of people did not follow?

No sooner had Lu Zuo's thought crossed his mind than Zhou Mingyuan, the Imperial Censor, stepped forward and said, "General Su and Lord Wei are mistaken!"

"His Majesty has issued an imperial edict, clearly stating that only the talented will be promoted."

Whether Zhang Zhongjian was capable or not should be judged by his subsequent political achievements; how can he be criticized because of his background?

"As for Lu Zuo, his achievements in Dongyang and Nantong—rectifying officialdom, surveying land, and pacifying displaced people—have resulted in full granaries and social order in both places. These are achievements that are evident to all!"

"Where does this talk of indiscriminate killing and cruelty come from?"

"Is it a crime if rectifying long-standing problems infringes on the interests of certain individuals?"

Immediately afterwards, Li Wen, the Vice Minister of Revenue, also stepped forward: "I second that proposal."

"I second that opinion."

"I second that opinion."

"I second that opinion..."

Officials such as Zhao Bingde, a senior official in the Ministry of Works, and Sun Jingxiu, an official in the Imperial Academy, also stepped forward to openly confront the six powerful families.

Immediately, the two groups began arguing in the main hall.

You accused me of having ulterior motives, I accused you of having bad intentions, and we argued endlessly.

When things got heated, several of the more short-tempered military officers started rolling up their sleeves...

"Hey, this is interesting."

Looking down, Lu Zuo pondered to himself, "When did this monolithic court split into two factions?"

After a moment's thought, he roughly guessed the reason.

Is it...

Are Zhou Mingyuan, Li Wen, and others all under Zhang Lihua's command?

A member of the "Demon Concubine Party"?