Gu Chengyin finished his account. Holding the red sandalwood box in both hands, he took a step forward, bowed, and said, Your Highness, inside this box is the first token of sincerity offered by Shangguan Yuan. It contains crucial evidence. Please examine it, Your Highness.
However, Luo Zhao did not speak immediately, nor did she even look at the box.
Time slipped away in silence, every second feeling exceptionally long.
Standing to the side, Shangguan Yunying could not help but hold her breath, looking at Luo Zhao with some concern.
She was terrified that Her Highness would blame Gu Chengyin for acting on his own and setting his sights too high.
After all, their initial plan had only been to pick off a few minor targets.
Eventually, a smile bloomed on Luo Zhao's face, little by little.
It was not her usual cold, aloof smile, nor the oppressive sneer she wore in the royal court.
Instead, it was a hearty smile from the depths of her heart, filled with endless emotion, admiration, and even the exhilaration of feeling that heaven was on her side.
She shook her head gently, as if letting out a sigh that had crossed a long period of waiting.
I have waited for this sincerity for far, far too long.
Her gaze fell on Gu Chengyin's face, her eyes complex and hard to read.
I thought of many people who might deliver this sincerity to me, but I never expected...
She paused, every word carrying the weight of a thousand pounds.
...that in the end, it would be you who brought it.
This statement was an affirmation, a sigh of emotion, and a complex, indescribable evaluation.
Having said that, she stopped looking at Gu Chengyin and turned to Shangguan Yunying, her tone returning to its usual calm decisiveness.
Yunying.
This humble servant is here! Shangguan Yunying quickly responded.
Draft a decree.
Shangguan Yunying was stunned for a moment. Draft a decree? Now?
Not daring to ask further, she immediately walked briskly to the desk on the side, unrolled a specially made bright yellow silk scroll, ground the imperial ink, picked up a slender purple-hair brush, and looked up at Luo Zhao.
Luo Zhao slowly stood up from the vanity. Her plain white nightgown flowed like water with her movements.
She walked to the center of the bedchamber. The morning light filtered through the lattice window, plating her with a faint halo.
With her back to Gu Chengyin, facing the rising sun outside the window, her voice was clear and majestic, echoing distinctly in the quiet bedchamber.
When I was trapped in Beihe City, I made a promise.
Word by word, she repeated the soul-stirring vow, as if to awaken that determination and spirit once more.
With a ten-day limit, I shall descend upon the Divine Capital.
Whoever achieves this great feat, regardless of their background or past...
I promise to make them a Marquis and appoint them as Prime Minister!
She turned slightly, her gaze falling on Gu Chengyin, carrying the scrutiny and reward of a sovereign.
Gu Chengyin.
Your subject is here, Gu Chengyin bowed and replied.
You led the Golden Feather Guard, escorting me north through the encirclement and pursuit of hundreds of thousands of rebels in Luoshui Commandery. You broke the deadlock in seven days, achieving a flawless and swift victory.
This is an unparalleled merit!
Furthermore, yesterday, you convinced Shangguan Yuan for me, obtaining crucial evidence to help me cleanse the court, eliminate the parasites, and pave a smooth path forward.
This is the talent of a pillar of the state!
Luo Zhao's voice suddenly rose, carrying an unquestionable decisiveness.
To appoint a Prime Minister requires seniority, timing, and court discussions. But to confer the title of Marquis, I can decide with a single word!
She turned to Shangguan Yunying at the desk and said deeply.
Transmit my decree!
Shangguan Yunying held her brush, waiting with rapt attention.
Gu Chengyin has shown great merit in escorting me north. He possesses both wisdom and courage, outstanding abilities, and commendable loyalty. Furthermore, he has the ambition to cleanse the political landscape and the ability to stabilize the realm. He has deeply earned my trust and has not disappointed my expectations.
He is hereby specially titled as...
Luo Zhao paused, her gaze once again falling deeply on Gu Chengyin, as if to firmly imprint his expression at this moment into her mind.
Then, her red lips parted slightly, and she uttered a title that would shock countless people into silence.
Marquis Bingjian.
Shangguan Yunying's wrist jerked violently, and a drop of thick ink almost fell onto the pristine white silk! She forcefully steadied her mind, though her heart was already turning over like a stormy sea!
Since the founding of the Great Luo Dynasty, no one could be made a Marquis without military merit, and most Marquis titles were County Marquises or Village Marquises, named after places.
Using the word Bingjian, meaning shoulder-to-shoulder, as a title was unprecedented! What did this title mean?
To stand shoulder-to-shoulder with whom? The depth of its meaning and the weight of such favor were simply unbelievable!
Gu Chengyin was also shocked in his heart and looked up at Luo Zhao.
The morning light filled the hall, illuminating Luo Zhao's figure like a deity.
Luo Zhao's voice returned to calmness. Gu Chengyin, I hope you will not fail this title, nor fail my expectations.
With the decree issued, the dust settled.
As the Crown Princess, although Luo Zhao's power was not as great as the Emperor's, she still possessed many privileges.
The special decree to confer noble titles was personally confirmed by Emperor Luo and written into the Crown Prince Etiquette System.
It was one of the most attractive powers in her hands and the one that best reflected imperial favor.
However, since Luo Zhao had been established as the Crown Princess, she had never used this power.
Whether it was her most trusted Shangguan Yunying or Chen Busha, who had traveled thousands of miles to rescue her.
She had not easily bestowed this reward. It was not out of stinginess, but because she deeply knew that this power was precious and could not be granted lightly.
It was not until she was trapped in Beihe City, driven into a desperate situation, that she made the promise of conferring titles and prime ministerships out of indignation and resolve.
This was both to boost morale and to establish her own determination to burn her bridges and fight to the death.
In the end, this long-awaited favor fell upon Gu Chengyin.
Shangguan Yunying quickly calmed her emotions and neatly transcribed the decree dictated by Luo Zhao onto the bright yellow silk. The wording was rigorous and standard, highlighting the honor and achievements of the Marquis.
After finishing writing, she held it up with both hands. Luo Zhao took it, briefly examined it, and then took out the Crown Princess's golden seal from a brocade box on the side. Dipping it fully in cinnabar, she firmly stamped it at the end of the silk.
The seal is set, the decree is complete.
Luo Zhao handed the silk to Shangguan Yunying. Yunying, personally oversee this. Immediately hand it over to the Ministry of Personnel to be stamped and filed for the record, and promulgate it according to the regulations without delay.
Yes, Your Highness!
Shangguan Yunying accepted the order and carefully put away the silk scroll. She knew exactly what it would mean once this decree was officially issued.
She cast a complex and hard-to-read glance at Gu Chengyin, then quickly backed out of the bedchamber to make the arrangements.
Inside the hall, only Luo Zhao and Gu Chengyin remained once more.
The aftermath of the title conferment still rippled in the air, but Luo Zhao had already turned her attention back to official business.
She walked to the desk and looked at the red sandalwood box.
When the lid was lifted, inside lay a thick stack of documents, along with several sealed letters.
On the very top rested a folded piece of plain stationery.
Luo Zhao picked up the plain stationery and unfolded it.
On it was Shangguan Yuan's own handwriting. The handwriting was slightly messy but vigorous enough to pierce the paper, clearly written in one go under extreme concentration.
The content was not detailed evidence, but more like a guiding index.
Luo Zhao's gaze quickly swept over the names and related matters on it, as well as the heart-stopping name it ultimately pointed to.
A moment later, she slowly closed the stationery, shook her head gently, and felt somewhat surprised.
I never expected... the one Shangguan Yuan singled out.
Would actually be him.
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!
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.
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
