Puppet Emperor, the Empress Wields All Power and Calls a Deer a Horse

Chapter 40 Get the Wool From the Red Lotus Empress!

When Gu Changsheng saw the Red Lotus Flame in his hand, Gu Ningshuang’s face revealed some excitement. She reached out to take the Red Lotus Flame, then sat cross-legged right there in the Imperial Study, beginning to refine it.

Watching the excited young girl in front of him, Gu Changsheng found it somewhat amusing.

After all, she was the Red Lotus Empress from 100,000 years ago—was her composure really this poor?

To be honest, this Red Lotus Flame might be a treasure in the Red Lotus Empress’s heart, but in his eyes, it wasn’t that remarkable.

As long as he had enough plot points, there was no celestial treasure he couldn’t redeem from the system’s store.

Suddenly, at that moment, Gu Changsheng sensed a huge commotion inside the Imperial Study.

Gu Ningshuang, sitting cross-legged and refining the Red Lotus Flame, was rapidly increasing in power, as if there were no constraints.

She advanced directly from the peak of life and death, breaking through several levels in a row:

Peak of life and death realm!

First stage of King Realm!

Second stage of King Realm!

…

More than half an hour passed.

The disturbance in the Imperial Study finally calmed down.

Gu Ningshuang’s cultivation had reached the seventh stage of the King Realm.

Seeing this rapid cultivation progress, Gu Changsheng narrowed his eyes, seemingly unsurprised, his expression calm.

After all, the young girl in front of him was the reincarnation of the Red Lotus Empress from 100,000 years ago.

Having such a cultivation speed was perfectly normal.

At that moment, Gu Ningshuang sensed her newfound power and smiled. She stood up, giving Gu Changsheng a deep, meaningful look before walking out of the Imperial Study.

Though she had come to the palace today and gained the Red Lotus Flame, she had also agreed to fulfill three conditions for Gu Changsheng.

As a result, Gu Ningshuang wasn’t happy at all.

To think that she, who in her past life was the esteemed Empress of the Divine Continent, the Red Lotus Empress, had never been so manipulated.

Just as Gu Ningshuang was about to step out of the Imperial Study, Gu Changsheng smiled slightly and produced a simple, ancient jade box in his hand, teasing, “Dear royal sister, don’t you want the Ten-Thousand-Year Enlightenment Tea?”

Before he finished speaking, he noticed the jade box containing the Ten-Thousand-Year Enlightenment Tea had disappeared from his hand.

At the same time, Gu Ningshuang’s figure vanished from the Imperial Study.

Seeing this, Gu Changsheng chuckled.

At that moment, the system prompt sounded in his mind:

[Ding! The Red Lotus Empress has agreed to do three things for the host. Plot altered, 10,000 plot points gained!]. [Ding! The Red Lotus Empress feels gratitude towards the host. Plot altered, 10,000 plot points gained!].

Hmm! To think he had easily earned 20,000 plot points.

As expected, harvesting plot points from a hidden boss in the original storyline seemed much easier.

Earlier, he had already accumulated 20,000 plot points, and now with the 20,000 points contributed by the Red Lotus Empress, that made a total of 40,000 plot points.

“System, consume 40,000 plot points to draw four times!”

Gu Changsheng silently chanted in his mind, his expression filled with anticipation.

[Ding! 40,000 plot points consumed. Drawing rewards…]. [Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining 10,000 supreme-grade spirit stones!]. [Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining Heavenly-Iron from Beyond the Heavens!]. [Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining Ten-Thousand-Year Enlightenment Tea!]. [Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the Emperor’s Sword!].

…

A series of system notifications sounded.

“The rewards this time are a bit underwhelming.” Gu Changsheng muttered in frustration.

The 10,000 supreme-grade spirit stones and the Heavenly-Iron from Beyond the Heavens—these items were practically useless for someone of his status, the Emperor of the Great Zhou.

Thankfully, the last two draws were decent.

The Ten-Thousand-Year Enlightenment Tea—such a rare treasure—was something only a Saint might possess across the entire Shen Zhou. He could never have too much of it.

“The Emperor’s Sword!”

Gu Changsheng whispered, and a mysterious, ancient sword exuding an aura of royal authority appeared in his hand.

According to the system’s explanation, the Emperor’s Sword was currently only a King-level weapon, but its grade would rise along with its master’s cultivation. If, in the future, Gu Changsheng proved his path as an Emperor, then this sword would become an imperial weapon.

“Proving the Emperor’s path—that day will come.”

Gu Changsheng’s lips curled into a smile as he murmured to himself.

With the Emperor’s Sword tightly gripped in his hand, a boundless imperial majesty emanated from him, as if a true Great Emperor had descended upon the mortal world.

…

In the Great Zhou Dynasty’s Cining Palace.

The Empress Dowager, looking graceful and noble, sat in her seat lazily. She scanned the secret report sent by her spies and spoke in a low voice, “The Left Prime Minister went to the Imperial Study; he must have gone to discuss the unrest in Qingzhou.”

“But why has the Emperor remained silent for so long?”

The Empress Dowager frowned, unable to comprehend it.

With the Qingzhou unrest, Gu Changsheng should have promptly mobilized the military and dispatched strong forces to suppress the turmoil in Qingzhou.

However, according to the intelligence from her spies, the Great Zhou’s military, experts, the Emperor’s Royal Shadow Guards, the city defense forces, and even the mysterious King-level troops guarding the palace—none of them showed signs of being mobilized.

“Could it be that the Emperor intends to abandon Qingzhou?”

The Empress Dowager’s face darkened as she spoke coldly.

She had worked hard to instigate the unrest in Qingzhou, intending to force Gu Changsheng to send strong troops and armies there to quell the chaos.

At that moment, when the Emperor was surrounded by fewer powerful figures, she could then attempt to assassinate him.

But now, Gu Changsheng had been holding back his forces all this time—what was he planning?

“Empress Dowager, could it be that the Emperor has already realized the unrest in Qingzhou is a trap we set?”

“Perhaps the Emperor, for his own safety, is preparing to abandon Qingzhou.” Right Prime Minister Liu Wu said, pondering for a moment before speaking in a low voice.

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager shook her head and said coldly, “We were very careful with Qingzhou, so the Emperor definitely won’t suspect that it’s a trap we set. Order the spies to keep a close eye on the Emperor’s every move.”

“Yes, Empress Dowager!”

Right Prime Minister Liu Wu responded solemnly with a nod.

Little did they know that while the Empress Dowager was preparing to send out spies to monitor Gu Changsheng, the Left Prime Minister, along with hundreds of secret guards sent by Gu Changsheng, had already arrived in Qingzhou.