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

Chapter 35 Qingzhou Is in Turmoil!

After the court session ended, the events that transpired in the court were widely spread. With Gu Changsheng’s push, the crimes of hundreds of officials were exposed and spread throughout the imperial city, causing a massive uproar.

In no time, countless cultivators and commoners in the Great Zhou imperial city began to curse these officials.

“Bah!”

“If His Majesty hadn’t exposed the crimes of these ministers, we would have been kept in the dark.”

“A bunch of treacherous villains, traitors and scoundrels—they deserve death!”

“His Majesty eradicated the corrupt, bringing peace to the people. How could he be a tyrant? He’s clearly the wise ruler in the hearts of Great Zhou’s citizens.”

…

Countless cultivators and commoners vented their anger, and at the same time, they felt guilty for having previously wronged and slandered the emperor as a tyrant.

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In just half an hour, public opinion in the Great Zhou imperial city shifted dramatically. Gu Changsheng became the righteous ruler in the eyes of the cultivators and the common folk.

…

Meanwhile, in another part of the palace…

The Empress Dowager had just returned to Cining Palace from the court session and hadn’t even had a chance to sit down when she received disturbing news from her spies.

“Damn it! I never expected that public opinion in the imperial city would be resolved so easily by the emperor!”

Upon hearing that the public sentiment had shifted, with rumors even spreading that the Empress Dowager had been framing and defaming the emperor as a tyrant, her expression turned furious.

“Calm yourself, Empress Dowager. This is simply the new emperor’s retaliation,” Right Prime Minister Liu Wu spoke humbly, quickly offering comfort. “It’s just public opinion. We don’t need to concern ourselves with it!”

“Of course, I know that.” the Empress Dowager replied, taking a deep breath and soon regaining her composure. The gossip in the city was of little concern to her now. Her primary objective was to eliminate Gu Changsheng.

“Right Prime Minister, is the plan in Qingzhou ready?”

A gleam flashed in the Empress Dowager’s eyes, and her lips curved into a cold smile as she spoke meaningfully.

“Empress Dowager, everything is ready. This time, we will surely take this opportunity to get rid of the new emperor. Then, the court will still be under your control.”

Liu Wu patted his chest in assurance, confident in his words.

Empress Dowager nodded slightly, a sinister look appearing on her beautiful face as she coldly and mercilessly said, “Very good! As long as we lure the emperor’s powerful followers to Qingzhou, it will be the new emperor’s death day!”

…

Meanwhile, in the Great Zhou Imperial Palace, in the imperial study…

“Your Majesty, as expected, everything happened just as you predicted!”

The head eunuch, Xia Wudao, reported, “Once the crimes of those hundreds of officials were exposed, public opinion in the Great Zhou imperial city instantly shifted, completely dismantling the Empress Dowager’s scheme!”

Gu Changsheng remained expressionless as he listened, a cold smile appearing on his lips.

Empress Dowager had tried to use public opinion to defame him as a tyrant, but in the end, she had only hurt herself, becoming the subject of scorn in the imperial city.

At that moment, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed.

The commander of the Royal Shadow Guards, Qing Long, appeared in front of Gu Changsheng with an anxious expression. He clasped his hands and bowed, saying, “Your Majesty, a large number of cultivators and demonic sect members are causing chaos in Qingzhou.”

“At the same time, Royal Shadow Guards has uncovered another piece of information: the barbarian beast tribes are making moves, and millions of barbarian beast warriors are preparing to invade Qingzhou. The rebellious cultivators and demonic sect members in Qingzhou are very likely colluding with the barbarian beast tribes.”

Gu Changsheng’s face turned solemn upon hearing this. He remained silent for a long time.

Qingzhou was extremely important, serving as the barrier protecting Great Zhou from the barbarian beast tribes.

If Qingzhou fell, the consequences would be disastrous, allowing the beast tribes to invade the heart of Great Zhou unimpeded.

In the original storyline, there was a plot where the cultivators in Qingzhou rebelled, demons ran rampant, and Qingzhou eventually fell.

Millions of barbarian beast warriors invaded Great Zhou, leading to unimaginable suffering and countless deaths.

Several months later, the Great Zhou dynasty managed to defeat the beast army and quell the rebellion, but the price was devastating: hundreds of powerful cultivators perished, and even Left Prime Minister Xue Wuyan, the hero who helped subdue the rebellion, was gravely injured, nearly dying.

At that time, the entire court believed the chaos in Qingzhou was an accident. But in reality, it had all been part of the Empress Dowager’s conspiracy, intended to eliminate Xue Wuyan and consolidate power in the court, ultimately to overthrow Great Zhou.

Realizing this, Gu Changsheng understood everything.

The rebellious cultivators and demonic sect members were all part of the Empress Dowager’s plan.

Now, being aware of the storyline in advance, Gu Changsheng’s smile deepened. He had no intention of letting the Empress Dowager’s conspiracy succeed.

Instead, he planned to use this opportunity to lay a trap in Qingzhou and wipe out the rebels and demonic sect members in one fell swoop.

A few days later, in the Great Zhou Imperial Palace…

Gu Changsheng sat on the dragon throne, his expression serious as he looked at the intelligence report from the shadow guards.

The report revealed a significant piece of information: Lin Lei, the governor of Qingzhou and a member of the Empress Dowager’s faction, had been secretly colluding with demonic sect members and barbarian beast warriors for a long time.

No wonder Qingzhou fell so quickly in the original storyline—Lin Lei must have played a key role in it.

Filled with rage, Gu Changsheng could barely suppress the urge to tear Lin Lei apart.

Suddenly, a deep, deafening bell rang from the depths of the palace, shaking the entire imperial city and alarming all the officials. The palace bell could not be rung lightly. Once it tolled, it signified that a major event, one that would affect the fate of the dynasty, was unfolding.

Before long, the entire court received shocking news: Rebellious cultivators and demonic creatures were running rampant in Qingzhou, and millions of barbarian beast warriors were invading. Qingzhou was on the verge of collapse!

Upon hearing this, the officials were thrown into a frenzy. The rebellion of cultivators and the presence of demonic creatures were manageable, as Great Zhou could easily deploy military forces to suppress them.

But the invasion of millions of barbarian beast warriors was an event that shook all of Shen Zhou. If Qingzhou fell, the beast army would sweep into the heart of Great Zhou, leaving countless lives in peril and rivers of blood.

If not handled properly, this crisis could plunge the entire Great Zhou dynasty into chaos.

“How is this happening? The barbarian beast tribes have been peaceful for hundreds of years. Why are they suddenly invading Qingzhou?”

“With rebellious cultivators inside and millions of beast warriors outside, Qingzhou’s fall is only a matter of time.”

“The new emperor is young and inexperienced. How can he possibly handle this turmoil in Qingzhou?”

The major factions and powerful figures across Shen Zhou received news of the chaos in Qingzhou and began discussing the situation, observing from the shadows. Clearly, many were preparing to take advantage of the situation for their own gain.

To them, the barbarian beast invasion was an opportunity, with some factions even hoping for Great Zhou’s downfall.