As Long As All Opposition Is Killed, No One Will Oppose Me.

The sound of hurried footsteps grew closer, and a figure appeared before Chu Lu.

The person was dressed in a magnificent crimson palace gown, their flowing sleeves as if woven from clouds and mist. Their smooth, long hair was styled into an intricate "lingyun" bun, adorned with a golden filigree hairpin inlaid with red rubies and decorated with two phoenixes and kingfisher feathers.

This person possessed an air of grace and nobility.

However, their somber expression and the sword in their hand lent them a dangerous aura.

This person was clearly the Empress.

The Empress approached Chu Lu, first coldly scanning the imperial physician and Xiao Lizi beside him, before turning to Chu Lu and asking, "Your Majesty, I heard you killed Liu Fenggu. Is this true?"

"It is," Chu Lu replied expressionlessly.

Flames instantly ignited in the Empress's eyes. She had initially held a sliver of disbelief, thinking it was too outlandish and perhaps a misunderstanding. But seeing Chu Lu calmly admit it, that last shred of doubt vanished.

"My cousin served the country diligently, a pillar of the state, the backbone of Dayan. How could you kill her?!" The Empress was furious, too angry to even ask for a reason. She pointed aggressively towards the door and declared, "Get up and kowtow to my cousin's remains to apologize!"

Chu Lu looked at her coldly and asked, "What if I refuse?"

With a clang, the Empress drew the Imperial Sword.

The long, straight blade, like a coiled silver dragon ready to strike, emanated a chilling aura.

"The late Emperor bestowed this Imperial Sword upon my Liu family so that we could execute corrupt rulers from above and treacherous ministers from below," the Empress said sinisterly. "Your Majesty has unjustly harmed a loyal subject, making you a corrupt ruler. You shall be executed!"

Xiao Lizi, loyal to the core, turned pale at the sight.

Despite her trembling legs, she stepped forward to stand before Chu Lu, ready to shield him from the blade.

"Little eunuch, do you wish to die as well?" the Empress taunted.

Just as Xiao Lizi was about to speak, Chu Lu said, "You, step back. Get behind me."

Xiao Lizi wanted to argue, but Chu Lu's tone intensified, "Step back!"

Xiao Lizi reluctantly retreated behind Chu Lu. As she did, she noticed Chu Lu had secretly gripped a silver needle in his right hand, poised to strike.

Xiao Lizi gasped inwardly, thinking, Could His Majesty...?

"Your Majesty, why aren't you getting up!" the Empress demanded. "Don't play dumb. You had the strength to kill, surely you have the strength to stand?"

Chu Lu looked at her and asked, "Empress, are you planning to commit regicide?"

"Heh. Don't try that. You can scare those insignificant soldiers, but you can't scare me!" the Empress declared proudly. "I am the eldest daughter of the Liu family. Your position on the throne is entirely thanks to our Liu family. What's wrong with killing you? You corrupt ruler!"

"Since that is the case..." Chu Lu, uninterested in verifying the truth of the Empress's words, said directly, "Then make your move."

"What?" the Empress blinked in surprise.

"Make your move," Chu Lu repeated. "I am right here. My head is right here. If you want it, make your move. Pick up that sword in your hand and strike!"

The Empress froze, her eyes filled with shock, then hesitation.

She had intended only to intimidate Chu Lu and break his spirit. She had assumed that, just like last time, drawing the Imperial Sword and threatening to kill him would send him scurrying away in fear, begging for mercy.

But she hadn't expected Chu Lu to be so defiant and bold.

This put the Empress in a difficult position.

She didn't want to kill the Emperor, not out of affection, but because he had no heir. Killing him would lead to chaos and a succession crisis.

With the Emperor gravely ill and her ruling from behind the curtain, and with the Prime Minister and other officials all being members of the Liu family, power was effectively in her hands. She saw no reason to create unnecessary trouble for herself.

However, if she didn't act, she would lose face.

The situation reached a stalemate.

The Empress stood there, sword in hand, unsure whether to strike or not.

So, she secretly glanced at Chunhua, her palace maid, who immediately understood.

Chunhua rushed forward, embracing the Empress's waist and crying out, "No! Empress, please don't! They say that a day as husband and wife builds a hundred days of affection, and a hundred days as husband and wife deepens into a profound bond. How can you harm each other?"

Chunhua's sobs were heart-wrenching, echoing throughout the grand hall.

The Empress then put on a show of being moved, patting Chunhua's head and saying, "Alright, Chunhua, don't cry. I won't kill him. I won't."

With that, she sheathed the Imperial Sword. Chunhua finally stopped crying.

The two embraced, displaying a deep bond between mistress and servant.

Chu Lu watched this scene, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Heh. All bark and no bite.

The Empress sensed Chu Lu's gaze and smile, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment and anger.

"Your Majesty, don't think this matter is over," the Empress said fiercely. "You killed Liu Fenggu. Do you realize the trouble you've caused?"

"Oh? How much trouble could it be?" Chu Lu replied dismissively.

"Liu Fenggu is from the Liu family. You don't think she's the only one in the court, do you?" the Empress sneered threateningly. "Liu Gongchuo, Liu Yifan, Liu Zongzhi, Hong Xiwen, and Hong Peng in the Imperial Guards, and Liu Kai, Duan Chengji, Liu Daochuan, Hu Sansheng, and Ni Zuchang in the court – they are all related to Liu Fenggu. You killed Liu Fenggu without reason, Your Majesty, what do you think they will think?"

"It seems that was indeed a rash move," Chu Lu said.

"It's good that Your Majesty understands now," the Empress said. "This time, I'll let you off because Chunhua pleaded for you, and I will try to quell their anger. But if there's a next time... hehe. Your Majesty, you'd best behave yourself from now on!"

The Empress turned and left.

The atmosphere in the Hall of Mental Cultivation instantly relaxed.

Xiao Lizi wiped the sweat from his forehead, thinking thankfully that the Empress had retreated in the end. Otherwise, blood would likely have been spilled on the spot.

"Your Majesty..." Xiao Lizi asked cautiously, "Do you want me to help you back to your room to rest?"

"Mm." Chu Lu nodded.

After returning to his chambers, Chu Lu dismissed Xiao Lizi and lay down alone on the bed to rest.

In his mind, Xu Liniang's voice echoed.

Xu Liniang said, "Unexpected... I thought you were going to kill the Empress. Chu Lu, have you... changed your ways?"

Chu Lu: "..."

"Isn't it all your fault?" he said. "If you had just been more capable and hadn't ruined your body like this, making me unable to even walk, how could I have let her go?"

"So, Chu Lu, should we lie low for a while?" Xu Liniang asked.

"Of course not," Chu Lu said without hesitation.

It would take two months to recover from his injuries, and another two months to lie low. He couldn't stand that, nor was it necessary.

"I want to understand the current situation in more detail first," Chu Lu asked. "Mainly regarding the army. How many troops are there in the imperial city?"

"There's only the Imperial Guard, around 30,000 men," Xu Liniang replied after thinking for a moment.

"The Imperial Guard that the Empress has infiltrated?" Chu Lu asked, frowning slightly. "How many of those troops still listen to you?"

"About half are left," Xu Liniang replied.

"As expected, very few... Huh!?" Chu Lu couldn't help but exclaim. "What did you say?!"

"Half."

"Half? Half!?" Chu Lu looked dumbfounded. "No, you... with half the army in your hands, why are you in such a dire situation?"

Initially, Chu Lu had heard that the General of the Imperial Guard was the Empress's cousin and dared to lead troops to imprison Xu Liniang. Combined with the Empress's previous words, he had thought the Imperial Guard had long fallen into the Empress's hands, and only about ten percent, or even less, were willing to obey Xu Liniang.

And now she was telling him it was half!?

"It can't be helped, after all, the other half is with the Liu family. And my half is controlled by the Prime Minister, unable to move," Xu Liniang said.

Chu Lu's brow furrowed, his expression like an old man staring at his phone.

—Why can the Prime Minister control the Emperor's Imperial Guard? What's the logic behind that?

"You always manage to surprise me. Never mind, don't overthink it," Chu Lu muttered to himself. "This bizarre world, I can't figure it out."

At the same time, Chu Lu felt a sense of relief.

Regardless, this was good news.

He had originally planned multiple strategies, but now most of them were no longer needed.

"Who is the most trustworthy person in the Imperial Guard right now?" Chu Lu asked.

"Su Muyun, probably. She's the Right General of the Imperial Guard. Her mother was a great general under my mother back in the day. I've known her since childhood, and we're very close," Xu Liniang said.

"Alright, it'll be her."

Chu Lu ordered Xiao Lizi, who was waiting outside, to summon Su Muyun to the palace.

A short while later, Su Muyun arrived. She knelt before the bed to pay her respects, then stood up and looked at the weakened Chu Lu, her eyes filled with shock and anger.

Seeing this, Chu Lu thought, She really seems like a loyal subject.

"General Su, I've summoned you today to ask you one question," Chu Lu said. "Are you willing to die for me?"

Su Muyun immediately stated resolutely, "For Your Majesty, I would go through fire and water, and spare no effort."

"Very good. I have something I need you to do."

"Please, Your Majesty, command me."

"I want you to gather those in the Imperial Guard who are willing to be loyal to me, and then secretly eliminate the people the Liu family has planted," Chu Lu said. "Liu Gongchuo, Liu Yifan, Liu Zongzhi, Hong Xiwen, Hong Peng, and their subordinates, friends, and relatives must all die. I want the entire Imperial Guard to be loyal to me!"

Su Muyun's head shot up, her face filled with shock.

In Chu Lu's mind, Xu Liniang screamed, "Chu Lu, are you insane?"

"Since ancient times, might makes right," Chu Lu replied mentally. "Since you can't cultivate here, power can only come from the army. So, isn't it logical for me to find a way to regain control of the army first?"

"But that's not how you should do it," Xu Liniang said.

At this moment, Su Muyun also spoke, "If Your Majesty wishes to regain military power, this general will naturally support you wholeheartedly. However, such a violent method might bring countless future troubles. No civil or military official will support it, right?"

"Yes, yes, yes," Xu Liniang also said. "She's right. The Liu family won't let this go and will definitely retaliate!"

"It doesn't matter," Chu Lu said aloud this time. "As long as everyone who might oppose us is killed in advance, that solves the problem."

"Huh?" Su Muyun.

"Huh?" Xu Liniang.

Both of them were stunned, having never considered such a simple and brutal solution.

But Chu Lu even felt this method was a bit troublesome.

He mused to himself that if Xu Liniang's body wasn't so useless, why would he need to go through such a roundabout way?

When he had spoken with the Empress before, he would never have chosen to back down. Instead, he would have directly flicked a silver needle through the Empress's forehead, then gone to the Empress's maternal family, wiped them out, obtained the genealogy, and followed it meticulously, killing everyone related by blood or marriage.

As for any backlash... he wouldn't have had to worry at all. From the fact that Xu Liniang was the legitimate eldest daughter of the founding emperor and that half the army still obeyed Xu Liniang even after the Empress controlled the court, it was clear that Xu Liniang had a very strong foundation. She was simply too incompetent, turning a great advantage into a disadvantage.

Unfortunately, because this body was too weak, let alone wiping out a family, it was difficult even to walk to the door. Therefore, Chu Lu could only settle for the next best thing and have others help him kill.

"One day," Chu Lu said, holding up a finger. "As long as I can reclaim it in one day, all problems will be solved."

Xu Liniang fell silent. She had thought that her situation was so dire, unlike Luo Qingdie's advantageous position where she could fight freely, that even Chu Lu would surely be a bit more restrained. But she was wrong; she underestimated how outrageous Chu Lu could be.

"But, this..." Su Muyun also stammered.

Su Muyun was no delicate flower. She had been to the border, fought on battlefields, and was a hardened veteran who had seen countless battles.

Yet, even so, hearing Chu Lu's casual words, she was stunned into a daze.

Strange, how can the Emperor, who lives in seclusion, seem even more ruthless than me?

"You can't do it?" Chu Lu raised an eyebrow.

Su Muyun was startled. She looked again at Chu Lu's resolute, cold expression and pale face, and immediately made up her mind.

She said firmly, "This subordinate will not fail in her mission and will never disappoint you!"

"Very good. You may withdraw. I will await your good news."

Su Muyun left with a look of grim determination.

"Chu Lu, doing this is really not right, is it?" Xu Liniang said worriedly. "Even the Emperor, I've never heard of anyone daring to commit such widespread slaughter."

"Have you heard of Zhu Yuanzhang?"

"Huh? Who?"

"A ruthless person who committed widespread slaughter every few days."

"??? In any case, Chu Lu, if you don't listen to me, shall we go to the chat group and let others judge?"

"...Alright."

They opened the chat group and explained the situation. The jokers in the group began to discuss.

Hua Honglian: "This isn't very good, is it? Isn't a great purge a bit heartless?"

Luo Qingdie: "As expected of Chu Lu."

Zhu Shanlin: "Simple and crude, just like last time. But the situation is much more complicated this time, isn't it?"

Liu Ruyue: "I don't think it's appropriate."

Xu Liniang: "See? Everyone disagrees."

The group of jokers then chimed in: "We should still think of a more ingenious plan, right?"

Chu Lu had anticipated this, so he said calmly, "I'll just ask one question."

Chu Lu: "This is a world where the Empress can slander a concubine with a winnowing basket, dare to strike the Emperor with the Imperial Sword, and torment the Emperor as she pleases. When regional vassal kings come to 'clear the monarch's surroundings,' they can be dismissed with a single sentence. I ask, what kind of ingenious plan is there in this world?"

Hua Honglian: "..."

Luo Qingdie: "..."

Zhu Shanlin: "..."

Liu Ruyue: "..."

Xu Liniang: "??? Why are you all silent? These are all normal things, okay? The Imperial Sword, how am I supposed to resist? The vassal kings left because they were deceived and didn't want to be branded as rebels!"

Zhu Shanlin: "Well... forget the other things, but isn't 'clearing the monarch's surroundings' just another way of saying rebellion?"

Xu Liniang: "?"

Chu Lu said at this moment: "So, instead of exhausting ourselves thinking about all sorts of unnecessary things, isn't it more appropriate to use the simplest and most brutal method?"

Hua Honglian: "Makes sense."

Luo Qingdie: "Makes sense."

Zhu Shanlin: "Makes sense."

Liu Ruyue: "Same here."

Chu Lu: "Very good. Five to one, I win, Xu Liniang loses."

Xu Liniang: "Eh eh eh eh!"