The Empress Dowager languished in the dungeon, a situation the Emperor neither knew nor cared about. He even ordered Furong to torture her, wishing she were worse than dead. Furong feigned compliance, but her only daily activity was devising ways to provoke the Emperor. The Emperor grew increasingly irritable and easily angered, sometimes throwing tantrums for no apparent reason.
Originally, court officials were supposed to visit the emperor every few days to inquire about his health. However, without exception, they all suffered misfortune, each receiving a severe scolding from the emperor. One official had his head smashed by a cup, and another was flogged. Xu Zifan ordered them to kowtow and pay their respects outside the palace gates, no longer needing to enter. The entire court was extremely grateful to him, and not a single person suspected him of imprisoning the emperor.
The emperor's reputation for tyranny and immorality gradually spread, even beyond the capital. His many previous outrageous acts became topics of conversation among the common people. Although the court strictly forbade discussion, Xu Zifan did not order the arrest of civilians, so the people were not particularly afraid, and whispering among themselves behind closed doors was inevitable. From then on, the court and the common people had no good impression of the Empress Dowager, the emperor, the empress, and the Fu family. Their extremely heinous deeds were the only stories told, and some even began to suggest that the emperor should abdicate.
There was some turmoil in the court, with fierce infighting among the royal family members. They were secretly trying to win over ministers and often sent their wives and children to the palace to pay their respects to the Empress and Consort Furong. The Empress was naturally tempted, but no one paid attention to her, and she had no say in the matter. Gradually, the wives all went to Consort Furong, hoping that the Imperial Noble Consort would adopt their children.
Of course, Furong would not miss this opportunity to provoke the emperor. Every time a child entered the palace, she would immediately bring him in to see. Sometimes she would say affectionately that these children were sensible and would surely be outstanding when they grew up. Other times she would lament that she had miscarried and lost the child. After the child left, she would look out the window forlornly. Every word and action of hers was meant to provoke the emperor.
For a man, especially an emperor, to be childless and without any offspring is an extremely painful thing. Every time he mentions it, it causes him immense distress, to the point that the emperor even lashes out at Furong and the children. Furong apologized to the ladies, and then news spread that the emperor refused to adopt any children and couldn't even tolerate his own. Even the imperial family members were extremely dissatisfied with the emperor and began tentatively suggesting the establishment of a new emperor.
The court was in an uproar, sometimes even debating these matters endlessly, but in reality, they were not major issues. Those with real power remained silent, while those who stepped forward were merely people with status but no real influence. These events not only failed to benefit them, but actually enhanced Xu Zifan's reputation.
It was he who stabilized the court, it was he who considered the overall situation, it was he who never abandoned the emperor, it was he who suppressed the chaos, and it was he who governed the country!
Day after day, all the ministers and even all the common people became increasingly aware of this point; the name of the Regent was known to everyone. Driven by people's curiosity, all of the Regent's achievements, from his early fame to his current high position and power, were circulated and praised. Even his suppression of other forces over the past six years was seen as a symbol of his strength, making him clearly inferior to the Emperor.
Xu Zifan had been closely monitoring the situation at the border. His scouts discovered the enemy's unusual movements ahead of time, and Xu Zifan immediately made preparations, proposing to personally lead the troops into battle. The court officials were naturally reluctant. With the emperor in such a state, the regent was responsible for handling state affairs and making decisions. Even if the prime minister and others had ambitions, they lacked the power to do so. The entire court was under Xu Zifan's control, and they feared that if anything happened to him, the court would descend into chaos.
However, Xu Zifan had made up his mind and directly ordered that the court be jointly managed by several important ministers, and that any questions be directed to his "strategist." This strategist was Mo Yun, who was disguised as a man. She was stationed in the Regent's Palace, and Xu Zifan's power was under her control. Those ministers who had submitted to Xu Zifan were ordered to obey Mo Yun's commands. As for the prime minister and other ministers, they could send messages to Xu Zifan through Mo Yun.
The royal family was eager for Xu Zifan to leave so they could take advantage of the situation, and they strongly supported his decision. Under these circumstances, Xu Zifan left the capital for the border. He had never fought in a battle before, but the original owner of this body had experience in warfare and knowledge of troop deployment in his memories. Xu Zifan had Shao Hua scan all the military books he had found, and he studied them diligently whenever he had time, gradually integrating the experience from his memories through self-study.
The war came on fiercely. Before Xu Zifan arrived, several small battles had already broken out on the border, and the border people were being driven back by the foreign invaders. Those who could afford to flee fled, and those who couldn't were filled with despair. Even with the regent's arrival, they didn't hold much hope for the war. The soldiers also lacked morale. The emperor's illness seemed like an ominous sign, and naturally, they had no confidence in the war.
Upon arriving, Xu Zifan first rallied the soldiers. Having unified the Beastman Continent in the ancient world, his aura before them was that of an emperor, and every word he spoke was convincing. The soldiers were ignited with passion and their fighting spirit was finally set in motion. Especially after Xu Zifan led them to a victory right after his arrival, the soldiers' morale soared, and they believed his words even more implicitly.
Xu Zifan knew he still had shortcomings in military strategy, so he used many formations, traps, and drugs in battle. To avoid showcasing the overly miraculous effects of the formations, he restrained himself considerably. However, in the eyes of others, he still became a god of war, achieving victory after victory, while the foreign country suffered repeated defeats. This country was just a small nation, known for its bravery and skill in warfare, which was why it always provoked wars. Now, it was being defeated by Xu Zifan and was powerless to fight back, its army's morale was in chaos.
Ultimately, Xu Zifan devised a series of schemes to incite internal strife within the foreign lands, seizing the opportunity to lead his army straight into the foreign capital. Giving them no chance to surrender, he conquered it without hesitation. The people of several border towns cheered and celebrated, venerating Xu Zifan as a god. News spread throughout the country, and the Regent was...
The reputation of the reincarnation of the God of War grew louder and louder, and gradually even the claim that the Regent was the true Son of Heaven began to circulate.
Xu Zifan returned to the capital in triumph, and Mo Yun personally led a group to welcome him at the city gate. A single glance between the two confirmed that the situation was stable. During Xu Zifan's campaigns, several disturbances occurred in the capital, all of which Mo Yun suppressed and resolved, even discouraging the royal family from adopting him. Now that Xu Zifan had returned safely, the Regent's prestige was at its peak. At his welcoming banquet, a minister proposed that he ascend the throne. Following this, all the ministers knelt and pleaded with the Regent to ascend the throne for the sake of peace and stability, arguing that in the current situation, no one was more suitable to be emperor.
Xu Zifan sat on the throne, observing the civil and military officials in silence for a long time before calmly uttering a single, "Good." Meanwhile, the Emperor and Furong were behind a screen not far away. The Emperor, rendered mute by Furong's poison, was enraged by the officials' pronouncements, his veins bulging with fury. He was powerless to do anything but listen to their praise of Xu Zifan, their flattery and pleas for him to ascend the throne and replace him. After Xu Zifan uttered that "good," despair filled his eyes, and he glared resentfully at Furong, unable to believe that she had actually sided with Xu Zifan for wealth and power!
Furong smiled at him. After the banquet ended and they returned to their bedchamber, she recounted in detail how she had initially plotted to get close to him, how she had faked a pregnancy and miscarriage, and how she had dealt with the Empress Dowager and the Empress, all as if telling a story. Her smile was still breathtakingly beautiful, and her voice still melodious, but the Emperor gradually stopped, his anger turning to fear. He simply couldn't believe that his deep affection had been given to the wrong person, that the one by his side was a venomous snake. He couldn't believe that he had misunderstood the Empress Dowager so much, and that the conflict between mother and son had ultimately stemmed from his own stupidity.
The fact that he had been completely fooled by a prostitute was a huge blow to the emperor. He shook his head, still unable to believe it. Furong chuckled and began to tell him the story of the regent. Of course, she didn't know what the regent had done; she simply embellished her own speculations, telling the story in the most hurtful way possible.
The emperor was speechless, but the expression on his face spoke volumes about his inner turmoil. Furong breathed a sigh of relief, rose, curtsied to Xu Zifan, and bowed her head, asking, "Your Highness, are you satisfied?"
Xu Zifan stood there with his hands behind his back and nodded. "After the emperor passes away, you will commit suicide for love, and I will arrange a new identity for you."
Furong was overjoyed. "Thank you, Your Highness."
The emperor was terrified, thinking Xu Zifan was going to kill him. Xu Zifan walked to the bedside, smiled and shook his head, "Of course I won't kill you. I've found you a better place, and you should all be reunited as a family."
The ministers hadn't seen the emperor in person for a long time. Their knowledge of his condition came from Furong and Xiaoshunzi, who all assumed his health was deteriorating, his periods of unconsciousness were lengthening, and he was sometimes even delirious. When Xu Zifan returned and brought several ministers to see the emperor, they found him pale and unconscious. The ministers shook their heads and sighed, concluding that the emperor wouldn't last much longer.
Sure enough, a few days later, the Empress passed away, followed by the Emperor's own death, and the Imperial Noble Consort committed suicide. Almost no one doubted the truth. A few high-ranking officials, including the Prime Minister, had their doubts, but the die was cast, and the truth was irrelevant; they had no objections whatsoever. Xu Zifan handled the Emperor's funeral arrangements before officially ascending the throne amidst widespread approval.
Meanwhile, the real emperor, empress dowager, and empress had been reunited as a family and sent to a beggar's den thousands of miles away.
"The new emperor granted a general amnesty upon his ascension to the throne and even reduced taxes. We're going to have a good year!"
"Who says otherwise? The Regent should have ascended the throne long ago; I've been waiting for this day for so long. Thankfully, that tyrant is dead, otherwise who knows how much he would have harmed the people."
"And that wicked Empress Dowager, she seems to still be in prison. A scourge that lives on for a thousand years."
"Forget it, I won't say anymore. It would be troublesome if someone overheard. Anyway, our good days have begun. The new emperor is wise, powerful, and a god of war. Our lives will only get better and better from now on..."
The sounds faded into the distance, leaving the three mute men slumped in the corner, their faces numb. They wouldn't die, but they listened daily to the people's gossip, to the disgust others felt for them and their praise for the new emperor. Begging, barely clothed, eating moldy food, and enduring harsh words—each and every one of these experiences was a piercing pain. They were too weak to blame anyone; only endless regret remained in their hearts. Finally, one cold winter, they froze to death in the dilapidated temple.