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

Chapter 64 Madam, you don't want anything to happen to your son, do you?

Chapter 64 Madam, you don't want anything to happen to your son, do you? (Please subscribe)

Lu Wenyuan?

Why is he here?

During this period, Lu Zuo lived and ate in the Imperial Study and did not meet with any court officials.

This was the first time that representatives from the six great families had come to request an audience.

"Announce."

At a single command, a eunuch's shrill voice immediately rang out from outside the door: "Summon the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Lu Wenyuan, to an audience!"

Immediately afterwards, the door to the Imperial Study slowly opened, and Lu Wenyuan stepped in, holding a gold medal in both hands, and knelt down on the ground with a thud.

"Your subject, Lu Wenyuan, pays his respects to Your Majesty."

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

The fact that none of the six great families showed up on the day of the palace coup speaks volumes.

Lu Zuo guessed that they had already reached an agreement with Shi Wenqing and were just waiting to reap the benefits afterward.

But he didn't care; as long as he consolidated some power, he could remain a tyrannical ruler without any real trouble.

Who cares if the Southern Chen court is in turmoil?

"A get-out-of-jail-free card?"

Lu Zuo glanced at it and felt a little strange. The Lu family hadn't shown up that night, and he didn't have any evidence that Lu Zuo had colluded with Shi Wenqing.

Even if there were any, it would be unwise to clash with powerful families at this time.

Why are you holding up a gold medal to see me?

"Lu Qing, what do you mean by this?"

Lu Wenyuan did not answer directly, but instead kowtowed three times before saying, "Your Majesty, the late Emperor has bestowed upon me a pardon from death."

"If a member of the Lu family commits a crime, they may be pardoned nine times."

"Today, this old minister dares to come before me to plead for my younger sister."

"Although she married into the Shen family, she never participated in the rebellion; it was all because of her foolish son's reckless behavior."

"Your Majesty, I implore you to forgive my sister's transgression!"

All nine great families had intermarriages. Although Lu Zuo beheaded the male members of the Shen family of Wuxing and the Shi family of Luxing, he did not exterminate the female members, following Ren Zhong's advice.

He simply couldn't remember which one was Lu Wenyuan's sister.

Seeing Lu Zuo's puzzled expression, Lu Wenyuan said, "Your Majesty, my younger sister is Lu Qingyuan, the mother of the rebel Shen An."

He had no recollection of Lu Qingyuan, but Shen Anke always remembered her.

This guy has been operating in Nantong for many years, and everyone from top to bottom is his loyal follower. He basically controls the area.

Given the current situation of the Shen family in Wuxing, Shen Xun of Dongyang is highly likely to betray them.

If so, these die-hard supporters of Shen An will surely respond to Shen Xun and stir up a turmoil.

At that time, the Southern Chen dynasty would probably fall into chaos on its own, even without the Sui dynasty attacking it.

With this in mind, Lu Zuo listened to Zhu Yuyan's advice and spared Shen An's life for the time being, planning to kill him after conquering Nantong.

Since Shen Andu has survived for the time being, it wouldn't be unreasonable to spare his mother's life as well.

Moreover, the palace coup had just ended, and the court was in a state of turmoil.

Doing a favor for the Lu family of Wu County would also help stabilize the situation.

"Since the late emperor has bestowed upon him a pardon, I can forgive Lu Qingyuan's crimes."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. This old minister kowtows to express his deepest gratitude for Your Majesty's boundless kindness."

Lu Wenyuan kowtowed repeatedly, expressing his gratitude with great emotion.

Lu Zuo smiled and said, "Minister Lu, a disturbance in the palace has caused unrest and unease among the people in the court."

"Who knows? There might still be some unscrupulous individuals plotting something in the shadows."

"As my trusted minister and the Grand Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat, you must put your mind to it."

This is telling me to keep the six great families in check and prevent any further trouble.

Lu Wenyuan instantly understood the meaning of those words and immediately kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, with this old minister here and the Lu family of Wu County here."

"There will be absolutely no trouble in Jiankang!"

"That's good."

Lu Zuo waved his hand: "Go ahead."

The next day, at Shuyu Studio.

[Missed the morning court session; internal strength +5.]

[Enchanted by beautiful women, physique +1.]

[Colluding with the demonic path, Demonic Heart +2.]

[Digging your own grave, bonus reward: Charm skill +10.]

[Excessive indulgence in lust, bonus reward: Cultivation +733.]

"Zhang Lihua is giving me less and less cultivation power—"

"We need to find some new experts."

"I wonder if Zhu Yuyan's injuries have healed yet—"

On the night of the palace coup, Zhu Yuyan, Chu Yunlong, the Yin-Yang Judge, Su Yanzhi, and others were all seriously injured and have not yet recovered.

General Ren Zhong also collapsed outside the palace gate the next day and has not yet regained consciousness.

Of all Lu Zuo's confidants, only Zhang Lihua suffered minimal damage; she recovered completely after a few days of rest.

As I pondered, a word of advice rang in my ears.

He turned around and saw Zhang Lihua open her beautiful eyes, slowly waking up, her eyes reflecting the first ripples of spring, shimmering with a hazy glow.

She stretched lazily, her nightgown tie loosened halfway, the collar slipped open diagonally, and her snow-white skin was tinged with a warm hue by the morning light.

The fabric undulates, outlining the full curves of the waist and chest, exuding the soft charm of a mature woman.

"Your Majesty woke up very early—"

Before she could finish speaking, a tremendous force struck, pressing Zhang Lihua, who had just gotten up, back onto the bed.

"My beloved concubine—"

"Tell me the key to cultivating the Three Elements into One."

A short while later, Zhang Lihua's voice rang out in Shuyu Studio.

One hour later.

Zhang Lihua slumped softly on the couch, looking at Lu Zuo with a hint of resentment in her eyes.

"How can he have so much energy?"

"Last night's ordeal left my bones completely weak—"

"But he woke up early today, still full of energy and vitality."

Zhang Lihua was convinced by Lu Zuo's words.

His heart was filled with resentment.

People risk their lives for you, but once things stabilize, they start causing trouble again.

well----

What a miserable life.

Lu Zuo straightened his clothes while frowning and thinking to himself, "Zhang Lihua's teaching level is far inferior to Zhu Yuyan's."

"Let's ask her to explain the Three Elements Return to One, and also check on her injuries."

More than ten days have passed since the palace coup.

The tense atmosphere and sense of impending doom that had gripped Jiankang City in recent days were gone.

The streets were bustling with people and vehicles, the shouts of vendors, the sounds of storytelling in teahouses, conversations, and noise all blended together, presenting a lively scene from the past.

Lu Zuo changed into civilian clothes and, accompanied by Shangguan Jing, Gu Han, two black-clad guards, and a dozen or so Right Guard soldiers, strolled through the streets toward Zhu Yuyan's residence.

"Aunt, don't worry."

"Since His Majesty did not kill An'er, there must still be a chance for things to turn around."

"You should rest at home and recuperate. After His Majesty's anger subsides in a few days, Father will try to rescue him."

A man's voice caught Lu Zuo's attention.

He stopped and looked in the direction of the sound. He saw a young man standing in front of a carriage on the side of the street, talking to a woman in black.

This woman is tall and slender, with a full, peach-like bottom and a voluptuous chest. Her cascading black hair is held up by a simple hairpin, with strands of hair gently cascading down her neck.

Her skin was as delicate and fair as mutton fat jade, her two red lips were full and glossy, and her temperament contained a kind of lush and mature charm.

"well----"

The woman sighed softly, her slightly hoarse voice carrying an indescribable allure: "Now that things have come to this, there's no other way—hmm?"

Suddenly, her eyes lit up and fell on Lu Zuo, a hint of excitement appearing on her worried face.

But it quickly turned into endless melancholy and faded away.

The Shen family of Wuxing secretly colluded with the enemy state and even instigated a palace coup, committing treason and rebellion. How could such a heinous crime be easily forgiven?

Even if he knelt before him and kowtowed a thousand times, his son might not be able to get out of the prison.

"His Majesty."

Shangguan Jing leaned closer to Lu Zuo and lowered his voice, saying, "She is Shen An's mother, Lu Qingyuan."

"The other one is Lu Wenyuan's third son, Lu Ming."

It was her!

Shen An's mother is so young?

This woman knows martial arts!

Lu Zuo's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly judged that this woman's cultivation level was not low!

After all, Shen An is already twenty-six years old this year. Even if this woman gave birth before she was twenty, she should be in her early forties now.

But apart from her mature demeanor, her appearance showed no signs of aging; she remained as beautiful as a woman in her twenties.

"Greetings, Young Master Chen."

While he was pondering, Lu Qingyuan and Lu Ming stepped forward and bowed to greet him.

She parted her red lips slightly, seemingly wanting to plead for her son, but Lu Ming beside her tugged at her sleeve, stopping her from speaking.

Lu Zuo smiled faintly: "Lu Ming, your aunt has something to say, why are you stopping her?"

"This—I—I'm afraid that Auntie's words might be rash and displease His Majesty."

Lu Zuo: "I'm actually looking into Shen An."

"Madam Lu, please come with me."

"Yes."

Lu Qingyuan's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly agreed, following behind Lu Zuo.

Lu Ming had a vague feeling that something was wrong and was about to follow, but Gu Han stopped him.

"Young Master only called for Madam Lu."

"Go back now."

A short while later.

Lu Zuo led his men to the courtyard where Shen Luoyan had previously lived.

Since she left, the courtyard has been empty, but someone is still responsible for cleaning it every day.

Lu Qingyuan followed Lu Zuo with her head down, her heart pounding with anxiety, wondering why the emperor had brought her to this courtyard.

She had no idea what he wanted to say when he called her over.

With a creak—

Lu Zuo stopped in front of the bedroom, pushed open the door, walked in, and sat down on the tatami mat in a very natural manner.

bedroom?

Why did he bring me to the bedroom if we weren't talking in the living room?

Could it be that...?

Lu Qingyuan recalled Lu Zuo's reputation for womanizing and vaguely guessed what was going on.

She gritted her teeth and forced herself to go inside. As soon as she stepped in, Gu Han slammed the door shut.

"What did you want to say to me on the street just now?"

Lu Qingyuan pursed her rosy lips, stepped forward gracefully, and knelt down at his feet.

She looked up, her eyes glistening with tears, her voice soft and sorrowful: "Your Majesty—"

"Shen An committed such a heinous crime only because he was confused for a moment."

"Your Majesty, I implore you, in consideration of the Lu family of Wu Commandery's utmost service to the Great Chen Dynasty, to spare his life!"

Lu Zuo snorted lightly: "Treason and rebellion are crimes punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family!"

"I have already shown the Lu family of Wu County the grace of Heaven by sparing you."

"You still want me to spare your son?"

"Madam, aren't you being a bit delusional?"

Lu Qingyuan was speechless, stammering, "This—I—"

"but----"

Lu Zuo leaned down, his right hand reaching out, his thumb lightly stroking the delicate skin of her chin: "If you perform well, Madam, I might consider it."

Lu Qingyuan's breathing became slightly erratic, her long eyelashes trembling slightly: "Your Majesty—what do you wish me to do?"

"If you continue to feign ignorance, I will immediately send men to have Shen An executed by slow slicing!"

"don't want!"

Lu Qingyuan gasped in surprise, instinctively moving closer to Lu Zuo and wrapping her arms around his legs: "Your Majesty, please, please don't—"

"I...I know what to do."

After saying that, she stood up gracefully, her breathing became rapid, and her chest rose and fell slightly with each breath.

After a pause, Lu Qingyuan slowly raised her hand, her slender fingers landing on the front of her dress, gently tugging...

evening.

The evening light streamed through the carved window lattice, gently bathing the bedroom in a soft, warm glow.

"It's so great to be a tyrant!"

"As the legitimate daughter of the prestigious Lu family, with her innate talents fully developed, she can be taken from and manipulated at will."

He glanced at Lu Qingyuan beside him, whose hair was disheveled, face flushed, and body glistening with sweat, and thought to himself, "Has this been debauched enough?"

After breaking free from control, Lu Zuo no longer needed to return to the palace every night.

A slight thought crossed his mind, and he said in a deep voice, "My temper is still quite volatile. Put your hair up."

what?

Isn't that enough?

After being tormented for almost a day, Lu Qingyuan's back ached and she was nearly powerless, but she could only get up again to serve this tyrannical emperor.

The next day, early in the morning.

— As soon as Lu Zuo opened his eyes, the prompt from the cheat system appeared right on time.

[Missed the morning court session; internal strength +5.]

[Enchanted by beautiful women, internal strength +1.]

[Excessive indulgence in lust, bonus reward: Cultivation +1533.]

[Coercing a mother: Bonus reward, Martial Arts +30 (affects the speed of martial arts training and comprehension of Martial Arts).]

"So much cultivation?"

Lu Zuo's eyes lit up, and he suddenly sat up from the couch.

"Zhang Lihua has just stepped into the threshold of the Three Elements Return to One, and can only provide a little over a thousand points at most."

"And Lu Qingyuan, a master of the Innate Realm, actually—"

"It's because of the number of people!"

He slapped his thigh suddenly, muttering to himself with some annoyance, "Why didn't I realize this sooner?"