The Crown Prince’s Palace.
“You’re saying that Gu Chengyong told your mother to act as a witness and accuse him?”
Luo Zhao sat behind the desk, a memorial to the throne still in her hand, unfinished.
But at this moment, her attention was no longer on the memorial.
Her eyes fixed on Shangguan Yunying, who stood before her, her brow slightly furrowed, as if confirming she hadn’t misheard.
The intelligence network of the Imperial Household Office had long been unrolled, and every move within the Censorate was visible to her.
Luo Zhao had thought she would receive news of how Gu Chengyong was handling the situation.
She had expected to hear amusing tales about Cui Zhenji being thwarted, or scenes of officials from the Three Departments gaping in shock.
But instead, she received something utterly unexpected.
Jiang Jianli had come forward as a witness—to accuse Gu Chengyong.
And the strangest part was that Gu Chengyong had instructed her to do so.
Shangguan Yunying nodded, her expression equally complicated.
Clearly, when she had first learned of this news, she had been just as surprised.
“My father told me,” Shangguan Yunying said.
“He said it was Gu Chengyong who helped him find this token of allegiance.”
Luo Zhao’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“A token of allegiance?”
“Yes.”
Shangguan Yunying continued, “As long as Mother steps forward as a witness, the Shangguan family will have a reason to go to Shanshui City. At the same time... the outside world will speculate whether there has been internal strife within the Crown Prince’s faction.”
Luo Zhao fell silent, her mind spinning rapidly.
She traced the entire chain of events from beginning to end.
Gu Chengyong had indeed expressed his wish for the Shangguan family to go undercover in Shanshui City. She had known this early on and had agreed to it.
If the Shangguan family could infiltrate internally, it would be an immense boon for the Crown Prince’s faction.
But the problem was that Shangguan Yuan’s identity was far too sensitive.
He still bore the label of being half a member of the Crown Prince’s faction.
How could the Princes’ faction easily trust someone like that?
And how could the other emerging aristocratic families of Luodu remain free of suspicion?
Though the Shangguan family represented the emerging aristocracy, that was only because Shangguan Yuan was a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.
His status was rooted here, but it did not mean that all emerging aristocratic families would trust him unconditionally.
They all had their own interests to weigh, their own schemes to consider.
No one would blindly follow simply because of someone’s high position.
So Shangguan Yuan needed a token of allegiance.
One that would both convince the Princes’ faction and reassure the other emerging aristocratic families of Luodu.
And what could be more persuasive than Jiang Jianli stepping forward as a witness?
Who was Jiang Jianli?
She was the mother of the Chief Female Official Shangguan Yunying, and the sole beloved wife of Shangguan Yuan.
Though the relationship was somewhat complicated, in the eyes of outsiders, she and Gu Chengyong were on the same side.
For one of their own to come forward and accuse another—what did that mean?
It meant that trouble had brewed within the Crown Prince’s faction.
It meant that Gu Chengyong and Shangguan Yuan had an irreconcilable conflict.
It meant that Luo Zhao had chosen Gu Chengyong, leaving the Shangguan family with no choice but to “abandon the darkness for the light.”
With this token of allegiance, neither the Princes’ faction nor the other emerging aristocratic families of Luodu would be as resistant to the “defecting” Shangguan family.
There might still be doubts, there might still be caution, but at least the foundation for mutual benefit and cooperation would be laid.
On that foundation, subsequent matters could be negotiated slowly.
Having worked through this logic, Luo Zhao’s expression turned complicated.
She couldn’t help but bite her lower lip, her teeth pressing into it until it turned faintly pale, betraying the turmoil within her.
He had only wanted to use this joint court trial to see if he could bring down Gu Chengyong just a little.
But he never expected that, while deeply entangled in a scheme, Gu Chengyong would use it to advance his own plans for the Shangguan family.
He turned the blade meant for him into a piece on his own chessboard.
He transformed what should have been a crisis into an opportunity for a mole within the Shangguan family.
Luo Zhao had indeed anticipated that Gu Chengyong would handle things with ease.
But she never imagined that Gu Chengyong wouldn’t just handle it—he would arrange everything for the Shangguan family so thoroughly.
That bastard... how could he be this clever!
Luo Zhao gritted her teeth even tighter: "Aren’t he afraid of shooting himself in the foot with this move?"
Shangguan Yunying said nothing. She understood that Luo Zhao’s mood was complicated right now.
On one hand, she was shocked by Gu Chengyong’s tactics. On the other, she was furious at her own failure.
Her scheme was meant to suppress him, yet Gu Chengyong didn’t care at all.
Not only did he not care, but he also tidied up everything he needed to do along the way.
It was as if everything Luo Zhao had done was nothing more than a childish tantrum.
And that, precisely, made Luo Zhao even more livid.
Thinking it over, Shangguan Yunying could somewhat grasp Her Highness's feelings.
But she didn’t forget that there was still important business to attend to.
“Your Highness,” Shangguan Yunying spoke, drawing Luo Zhao’s attention back.
“Father says that during this time, he will not contact the Crown Prince’s faction. In fact, there may even be some conflicts.”
“Please understand.”
Luo Zhao looked up at Shangguan Yunying, her gaze returning to calm.
“Mm, I understand.”
Luo Zhao wasn’t surprised by Shangguan Yuan’s approach.
Though she still couldn’t outplay Gu Chengyong for now, it didn’t mean she hadn’t grown.
A show must be put on completely. Whether Second Prince Luo Yanchen believed it or not didn’t really matter.
As long as the benefits were great enough to convince the princes’ faction, that was enough.
The will of an interest group wouldn’t waver because of an individual.
After all, the Shangguan family was a rising power spanning Divine Capital, Luo Capital, and the cultivation sects.
How could the princes’ faction resist such strength?
Once contact was made and deals were struck, false pretenses would gradually turn into reality.
But even knowing this, Luo Zhao was still deeply irritated.
Because Gu Chengyong’s move made it clear:
He had never taken this joint court trial seriously.
Not only did he have confidence in his own ability and tactics, but he also had full backing—
And that backing was, without a doubt, Lin Qingyan.
Luo Zhao recalled last night’s scene.
Lin Qingyan’s unabashed favoritism.
With the protection of this Golden Core immortal, even if the sky fell, Gu Chengyong would come through unharmed.
Luo Zhao bit her lip. She had no way to handle her aunt.
Lin Qingyan was bound by no rules.
She was no court official, so the cabinet held no sway over her.
She was no sect disciple, so no sect rules could restrain her.
There was only one way to command this Grand Astrologer hermit.
The more Luo Zhao thought about it, the angrier she got, the more unwilling she became.
She had originally planned to hold something back.
But now it seemed that bastard didn’t need her restraint.
If that was the case, don’t blame her for burning the bridges.
A flicker of resolve passed through Luo Zhao’s eyes.
She reached out, took something from the drawer of her desk.
It was a specially made Luoshan Token.
Shangguan Yunying’s heart leaped at the sight of this token.
That design.
That emblem.
This Lushan Token.
Is specially used to contact the Heavenly Master Mansion.
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
