Cultivation Simulator: Starting From The Empress' Palace-Chapter 396 - 394 Empress

When it was past midnight, Chen Mo planned to rest with Jiang Ruoqing in his arms. Suddenly thinking about the unknown future, he began the simulation.

[Do you wish to start the Immortal Cultivation Simulator?]

"Yes."

[Eighty-first day of great upheaval: The thirty thousand reinforcements dispatched by the Imperial Court to support you at Qinyang County were ambushed by the Yellow Turban Rebel Army at Centipede Pass, and the entire army perished.

That night, the Yellow Turban Bandits combined with the Rebel Army of the Eighteen Lords to attack Qinyang County from both fronts.]

[Eighty-second day: You defended the city for a night but ultimately, being outnumbered, the city fell.

You fought bravely and broke through the siege with your own three thousand personal soldiers.

The enemy force did not intend to let you escape and pursued you relentlessly.]

[Eighty-third day: You withdrew the remaining troops towards the Capital.]

[Eighty-fourth day: The Yellow Turban Bandits and the army of the Eighteen Lords were pressing hard on the borders; Bianliang was in perils. The Prime Minister suggested relocating the capital to Feng Ju for safety.

Feng Ju, located in Jiangnan, was influenced by the Wu Family. In order to win over the Wu Family completely, Xiao Yunqi and the Wu Family agreed that you would soon be betrothed to Wu Xin’Er, the legitimate daughter of the Wu Family.]

[Eighty-fifth day: Before leaving, Xiao Yunqi ordered fires to be set in Bianliang, intending to present the rebels with an empty city. The residential houses were burned, and the ancestral temples and palaces in the north and south were set ablaze, connecting in flames, leaving the entire Imperial City as scorched earth. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

The children of the King Yan who had been sent to Bianliang were executed and their bodies displayed at the city gate of Bianliang.]

...

[Ninetieth day: Xiao Yunqi’s reverse actions sparked public outrage. Dissatisfied with Xiao Yunqi’s rule, you allied with the Wu Family to overthrow him and placed Xiao Teng under house arrest, with Xiao Yunxi taking control of the Xiao Family’s military power.

Later on, the Wu Family wanted to depose Emperor Kaiyuan Zhao Chong, but under your protection, the idea was shelved.

Due to your protection of Zhao Chong, Xiao Yunxi transferred her military power to you. However, you had no desire to rule the world, yet a thought sprouted within you, aiming to support Xiao Yunxi as the empress.]

...

[Ninety-second day: With the Wu Family’s assistance, you led an army of five hundred thousand to campaign against the Eighteen Lords’ Rebel Army.]

[Simulation ends. You may retain one of the following options.]

[1. Ten days of Martial Art experience.]

[2. Ten days of Heart Method Realm experience.]

[3. Ten days of combat experience.]

"Ouch, you’re hurting me."

Before Chen Mo could choose a reward, Jiang Ruoqing let out a coquettish complaint, patting away the hand in front of her, and gently rubbed her shoulder with her hand.

This rascal, he used such force...

Chen Mo, rather than attending to Jiang Ruoqing, was absorbed in the surprising content of this simulation.

Another ambush.

Still the Yellow Turban Bandits!

Zhao Jiang, a member of the royal family, actually allied with the Yellow Turban Bandits.

Does he not fear that other members of the royal family will accuse him?

After all, Zhao Jiang’s pretext for attacking Xiao Yunqi was to quell national traitors and cleanse the Emperor’s advisors.

So from Zhao Jiang’s perspective, they stand on the side of justice, they are still officials, but the Yellow Turban Bandits are rebels regardless of their stance.

If officials and rebels collude, even if Zhao Jiang eventually becomes the supreme ruler, this would still be an indelible blemish.

What surprised Chen Mo even more was that once Qinyang County fell, it had such a significant impact, forcing Xiao Yunqi to relocate the capital to Feng Ju.

Chen Mo’s brows furrowed. It seems now that the thirty thousand reinforcements dispatched by the Imperial Court must be preserved, and this Yellow Turban Bandit force must be entirely wiped out to eliminate the risk of Qinyang County being attacked on both fronts.

But sending troops to Centipede Pass now, with such a large-scale movement, would easily be discovered by Zhao Jiang’s allied forces. Once they move, Zhao Jiang might take this opportunity to attack Qinyang County.

If that happens, it would be like losing a watermelon while picking up sesame seeds.

Yet if no action is taken, the subsequent events would unfold just as in the simulation.

While Chen Mo was troubled, Jiang Ruoqing, noticing he had hurt her without any reaction or guilt, immediately pushed him away, glared at him, and turned her back on him, indicating she would not pay him any heed.

"It seems I have to give up Luan Mountain County and Tower Town," Chen Mo still didn’t tend to Jiang Ruoqing, but he had made up his mind.

Having significantly defeated the allied lords’ forces several days ago, if the thirty thousand reinforcements from Luan Mountain County, Tower Town, and the Capital are combined, even losing Luan Mountain County and Tower Town would not make it impossible to fight.

Moreover, the allied lords’ forces have suffered such heavy casualties; even if they occupy Luan Mountain County and Tower Town, they might not dare to surround us.

And even if they dared, we might still hold out until reinforcements from Western Shu arrive.

"Damn, we have to risk it..."

Having made up his mind, Chen Mo firmly squeezed Jiang Ruoqing’s buttocks, and then got out of bed, started dressing and donning his armor.

Jiang Ruoqing, who was waiting for Chen Mo to coax her, saw Chen Mo gearing up and was taken aback. Was he going to leave the bed over a push?

"Where are you going?" Of course, that thought was momentary; she immediately sensed something was amiss.

"The reinforcements sent by the Imperial Court are likely in trouble. I need to head out," Chen Mo said, then added, fearing Jiang Ruoqing might follow: "Stay at Qinyang County and help me keep an eye on Li Yang and Feng Ji."

Having left the County Government Office,

Chen Mo found Feng Ji, Dai Xishan, and Li Yang, insisting they hold Qinyang County for at least one day, and then he rode Jiang Ruoqing’s Snow Dragon Steed straight towards Tower Town.

Tower Town was less than thirty miles away from Qinyang County.

Chen Mo reached there in less than half an hour.

Then, with the thirty thousand troops stationed at Tower Town led by Bai Yongtao, he hurried towards Centipede Pass overnight.

Before heading to Centipede Pass, Chen Mo had Bai Yongtao personally go to Luan Mountain County to inform Feng Jing to abandon Luan Mountain County and return to defend Qinyang County.

In less than an hour, the troop movement from Tower Town reached Zhao Jiang’s ears.

Learning the garrison at Tower Town had completely vacated through the back gate of Tower Town left Zhao Jiang and the lords stupefied.

Yet drawing from the correspondence he had received earlier, Zhao Jiang realized Chen Mo must have sensed something.

"Pass my king’s order, sound the drums, assemble the army, and attack Qinyang County."

After speaking, Zhao Jiang instructed his general to lead a force of ten thousand to capture Tower Town.

"Understood."

...

The plains stretched endlessly.

The silver moon cast orderly shadows advancing across the earth.

At the forefront of the procession, a black galloping horse maintained a lead of more than half a mile, slowly moving in the direction of Qinyang County.

To hastily support Chen Mo, Quan Qiyang led an army of thirty thousand to march overnight, and without rest, barring any unforeseen events, they would reach Qinyang County by the next afternoon.

The infantry moved slowly, occasionally halting for the galloping horse to catch up.

Clad in battle armor, Quan Qiyang took out a map, observing the terrain as marked. Beside him, a personal guard, who was also once employed at the Imperial City Department and was subordinate to Quan Qiyang, remarked, "Director, before dawn, the army should reach Centipede Pass, and there we can rest momentarily."