Luonan.

As the capital during the founding period of the Great Song, even after the chaos caused by the earthquake prompting the capital to move to the Celestial River, Luonan holds a special significance for the Great Song. Therefore, the subsequent development of Luonan did not stagnate and has steadily moved forward.

Luonan also hasn't been affected by disasters or wars, and now, it's incredibly prosperous, with a population exceeding one million.

Moreover, as the former capital, the imperial palace built during the founding has been preserved.

Night falls.

The bright moon hangs on the eaves, the hazy moonlight cloaks the corner towers and palace chambers within the high walls with a thin layer of silver light, giving the palace walls of Luonan an extra touch of desolation.

Chu Nan stands at the window of the high pavilion, hands on the windowsill, leaning slightly outward, his gaze surveying the densely arranged palace chambers and the intersecting paths outside the window.

Ever since the capital moved to Luonan, he has been imprisoned in this high pavilion, named as the Emperor, but in truth, a prisoner.

For several days, he has stood here daily observing the terrain outside, the palace chambers and paths visible from the window have almost been completely memorized by him, and even the shift hours and patrol routes of the nearby Imperial Guards are entirely within his grasp.

Yet he hasn't found a single flaw from these observations.

Chu Nan is now merely a puppet in Xu Guozhong's hands; how could Xu Guozhong allow Chu Nan to escape? Naturally, he is strictly watched.

"Ancestral spirits, will the Great Song truly perish in my hands?"

Chu Nan looks at the night outside the window, muttering sadly.

"Your Majesty, I have prepared a bowl of mung bean soup for you."

At this moment, soft footsteps approach from behind Chu Nan and stop just two steps away, a graceful figure standing there.

The visitor is none other than Chu Nan's Empress, Liang Ji, a legitimate daughter of the Liang Family, and her father is the current Imperial Father-in-law and Clan Leader of the Liang Family, a personage of high status.

Besides her noble status, Liang Ji is also eminent for her figure and appearance, earning her place as Empress.

Before coming to the pavilion, Liang Ji specifically changed into a light palace skirt and applied light makeup.

However, at this moment, Chu Nan has no interest in feminine allure.

"Empress, you've worked hard."

Chu Nan turns and takes the mung bean soup from Liang Ji's hands.

As soon as he takes a sip, a breeze blows in through the window; the white candles on the candlestick flicker, casting a dim yellow light throughout the room.

The door is pushed open, and a middle-aged scholar-like man enters accompanied by two eunuchs, one of whom carries a tray with a white jade wine cup on it.

Gentle candlelight shines on the wine cup, reflecting a smooth, polished glow, looking quite charming.

Liang Ji turns to look, her phoenix eyebrows instantly furrowed, and she shouts, "Impudent, this is His Majesty's quarters. You dare to intrude without notice, Xu Guozhong; do you even have His Majesty in your eyes?"

Liang Ji waves her hand, causing the pearl hairpin on her bun to tremble slightly.

"Do not be disrespectful." Chu Nan raises his hand slightly and asks the scholar-like visitor, "Chancellor Xu, you're usually busy with state affairs, how do you have the leisure to visit my residence?"

"I serve with utmost loyalty to Your Majesty, exhausting my mind for the realm of Great Song. I thought Your Majesty understood my diligence, yet I didn't expect to be viewed as a treacherous rebel by Your Majesty, which pains me deeply."

Xu Guozhong already fully understands why the Loyalist Army wants to attack him - it's all due to Chu Nan's Emperor's Blood Letter.

While in the Celestial River, Xu Guozhong had to deal with state affairs and contend with the Loyalist Army, hence he set the matter aside; now that he has free time, he must settle the score properly.

"Chancellor Xu, could there be some misunderstanding in this?" Chu Nan's expression changes and he says.

"What misunderstanding could there be? If Your Majesty doesn't understand my loyalty, you could discuss it directly with me. Why did you malign me in front of others, writing that Emperor's Blood Letter.

Prince Huai is ambitious; inviting him to the capital is akin to negotiating with a tiger. If I hadn't rescued Your Majesty from the Celestial River, you'd already be a corpse." Xu Guozhong coldly states.

"Impudent." Liang Ji snaps.

"Slap!"

No sooner were the words spoken than Xu Guozhong backhanded a slap onto Liang Ji's face.

Xu Guozhong, an Upper-Grade Martial Artist, even without using Innate Spiritual Qi, was not something someone like Liang Ji, a Middle-Grade Martial Artist, could withstand; she was directly slapped to the ground, her cheek swelling up.

Chu Nan's eyes widen, retreating two steps in terror, never having imagined Xu Guozhong would dare strike even his Empress.

Liang Ji covers her face, coughing out a mouthful of blood, "Audacious Xu Guozhong, you dare defy ranks."

"Your Majesty..." Liang Ji looks at Chu Nan, but he is too frightened to utter a word.

Liang Ji feels disappointed, that the Emperor even lacks the courage to rebuke.

"With the Empress Dowager deceased, I fear Your Majesty grieves excessively, hence I've prepared a cup of amber wine, intending to offer it to Your Majesty." Xu Guozhong signals to the eunuch, who immediately approaches with the tray to Chu Nan.

"Empress Dowager..." Upon hearing this, Liang Ji's phoenix eyes widen, her small hand covering her mouth, her gaze terrified; how could the Empress Dowager pass away so suddenly, the only possibility is Xu Guozhong's foul play, tears fall down her cheeks.

Chu Nan also trembles slightly, looking somewhat angrily at Xu Guozhong standing before him, considering him deranged.

Seeing the wine cup on the tray, Chu Nan vaguely guesses, "Chancellor Xu plans regicide?"

Xu Guozhong remains silent, gesturing to the other eunuch, who steps forward to lift the wine cup from the tray, seemingly ready to personally serve it to Chu Nan.

Chu Nan retreats step by step in fear.

Liang Ji rises to shield Chu Nan, but he, whether out of fear or otherwise, unexpectedly shivers and sits down on the ground.

Seeing this, Liang Ji feels a rush of shame and anger, that a dignified Emperor could act so unstable, she supports Chu Nan while shouting at Xu Guozhong: "You dare commit regicide, aren't you afraid of being reviled by the world, bearing infamy through the ages?"

Xu Guozhong raises his hand slightly, the eunuch stops immediately, he observes the woman before him, commendable as a Liang Family Girl, steadier than the Emperor.

Yet he ignores Liang Ji, instead looking at Chu Nan, "But I know this was definitely not Your Majesty's intention, surely someone elsewhere influenced it; Your Majesty listened to others, only then did you make such a mistake, am I right?"

Xu Guozhong's words carried a tone of questioning.

"Yes... yes." Chu Nan replied in a hurried panic.

"I knew it, is it the Empress?" Xu Guozhong looked at Liang Ji.

"No."

"Hmm?" Xu Guozhong glanced fiercely.

Frightened, Chu Nan had no choice but to nod.

Liang Ji looked at Chu Nan in astonishment, never expecting that he would push her forward to save his own life.

"I always knew it was that vicious Empress who deceived the Holy Listener, leading Your Majesty to commit such errors, truly unforgivable."

Xu Guozhong signaled to the eunuch, who then offered the poisoned wine to Liang Ji.

Liang Ji turned her gaze to Chu Nan, but he averted his eyes to avoid hers, causing Liang Ji's heart to fill with despair.

"Please, Empress, drink this wine," the eunuch said.

Liang Ji's face turned slightly pale, hesitating for a long time before finally biting her red lip, saying: "This matter is solely my doing, unrelated to Your Majesty. Xu Thief, I will transform into a vengeful spirit and seek your life."

After speaking, Liang Ji took the cup from the official's hand and drank it in one gulp.

"Clang..."

The cup fell to the ground, the wine was so intense that it brought tears to Liang Ji's eyes.

Liang Ji thought she would die, but after a moment, she felt no agony tearing her inside.

Chu Nan glanced over.

"Clap clap." Xu Guozhong laughed, clapping his hands, and said: "The Empress's vengeful spirit won't be forming; I said this was merely a cup of yellow wine."

Xu Guozhong wasn't foolish; he wouldn't commit such a flagrantly outrageous act.

He merely wanted to intimidate Chu Nan to ensure he remained a compliant puppet, without wild thoughts.

Both Liang Ji and Chu Nan were taken aback.

Chu Nan felt a mix of shame and regret, unable to meet Liang Ji's eyes.

But immediately, Xu Guozhong's smile faded, and he said: "The Empress harbors resentment, defies instructions repeatedly, cannot nurture other princes, fails to maintain discipline. In the inner palace, seeing hawks and falcons is no longer suitable for Empress."

Chu Nan had offspring, but none were born of the Empress or the Imperial Consort; instead, it was a palace maid who carried his child.

Upon hearing this, both Chu Nan and Liang Ji's expressions changed.

Xu Guozhong's words clearly aimed to have Chu Nan depose the Empress, accusing Liang Ji of harbouring grievances, violating feminine virtue, unable to teach the other princes, and even likening her to a predatory bird.

If these words were revealed to the world, Liang Ji's reputation would be ruined.

Indeed, Liang Ji's face turned ashen upon hearing this.

Xu Guozhong continued: "The Imperial Consort is gentle and virtuous, suitable to be Empress."

Then he looked at Chu Nan: "What does Your Majesty think?"

The Imperial Consort was Xu Guozhong's daughter.

Xu Guozhong was intent on elevating his daughter to the position of Empress.

Under Xu Guozhong's pressure, Chu Nan avoided Liang Ji's gaze and nodded: "Okay."

Liang Ji felt completely drained, sitting on the ground in utter despair.

"Then I ask Your Majesty to promptly issue a decree, announcing to the world..."

...

June 25.

This was also the second day after the Emperor issued the decree to depose the Empress, and Chen Mo's military report finally reached Luonan, and after numerous relays, arrived in Xu Guozhong's hands.

Xu Guozhong had no impression of Chen Mo as a person.

But he was quite interested in the content of Chen Mo's report.

Liang Song, the brother of Situ Liangmu, was captured alive by Chen Mo.

This was indeed thrilling news.

Most importantly, it could boost the Imperial Army's morale.

Xu Guozhong, being the person he was, even sensed from the report that Chen Mo intended to break away from the Celestial Master Army and establish himself independently.

He naturally supported this.

After all, if not for dire necessity, he wouldn't attempt to recruit the Celestial Master Army.

So the situation ought to be as chaotic as possible.

In the report, aside from capturing Liang Song, Chen Mo mentioned he also captured Liang Song's daughter, Liang Xue.

Xu Guozhong immediately recalled that Liang Xue had a marriage contract with Crown Prince Chong.

After pondering for a while, he devised a plan to disgust Crown Prince Chong.

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