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If the civil and military officials of the Great Zhou Dynasty were present, they would instantly recognize this man as the late Emperor, Gu Qiangu.

Despite the fact that the entire court, including the Empress Dowager, believed he had died, Gu Qiangu was very much alive.

“Shadow One, not long ago, I passed the throne of the Great Zhou to the Ninth Prince, Gu Changsheng,” Gu Qiangu said with a calm and imposing expression, his hands behind his back, exuding a powerful aura. “And now, the court is under the control of the Empress Dowager, is it not?”

Ever since Gu Qiangu abdicated the throne to Gu Changsheng, he had anticipated that Gu Changsheng would serve as nothing more than a puppet emperor for the Empress Dowager, Lin Yaoji.

But this was exactly what he wanted. If he had allowed one of his more ambitious sons to take the throne, they would have fought the Empress Dowager for power, leading to internal strife that could have torn the dynasty apart.

Thus, Gu Qiangu had chosen Gu Changsheng, the weakest and least likely to challenge the Empress Dowager, hoping that by the time he emerged from his secluded cultivation, all he would need to do was deal with the Empress Dowager to reclaim control.

As he was about to enter seclusion to break through to the Saint realm, he left his trusted aide, Shadow One, to keep tabs on the outside world.

“Your Majesty, it is not the Empress Dowager who controls the court but the Ninth Prince, Gu Changsheng.”

A mysterious figure dressed in black robes, whose face was obscured, suddenly appeared from the shadows of the chamber and reported in a hoarse voice.

This was Shadow One, a peak Great Expert and the only person in the entire Great Zhou Dynasty, apart from the Saint Ancestor, who knew that Gu Qiangu’s death had been faked.

“The Ninth Prince controls the court? Has the Empress Dowager suddenly become soft-hearted and spared the boy?” Gu Qiangu was visibly taken aback. He knew the Empress Dowager well — ruthless, ambitious, and always seeking control.

How had the court’s power fallen into the hands of Gu Changsheng?

Shadow One proceeded to recount the recent events within the court: Gu Changsheng’s ascension to the throne, the Empress Dowager’s attempt to usurp power, Gu Changsheng’s creation of the Royal Shadow Guards, his removal of the Minister of Revenue, and the appearance of a mysterious peak Great Expert by his side.

After listening to the whole account, Gu Qiangu frowned deeply, his expression full of disbelief.

Could it be that his seemingly useless Ninth Prince had been hiding his true strength all along, even from me

If so, Gu Changsheng must be far more cunning and patient than I ever imagined, enduring eighteen years of humiliation to conceal his true abilities.

The most troubling question was the origin of the Royal Shadow Guards and the mysterious expert by Gu Changsheng’s side. The entire court believed these were forces left behind by Gu Qiangu himself to aid Gu Changsheng, but Gu Qiangu knew otherwise.

There is no way that Gu Changsheng could have cultivated such a powerful force on his own unless he had external help from one of the major powers in the Shen Zhou.

This possibility filled Gu Qiangu with unease and suspicion.

“Shadow One, who exactly is backing the Ninth Prince? Could it be the Li Dynasty, the Yan Dynasty, or even one of the Holy Lands or sects?” Gu Qiangu’s eyes darkened as he considered these possibilities, each of them alarming.

“Your Majesty, it is highly likely that the Ninth Prince is being supported by an outside power from the Shen Zhou,” Shadow One suggested. “Do you wish to intervene?”

“No, I cannot come out of seclusion until I have broken through to the Saint realm,” Gu Qiangu responded after a moment of reflection. “Keep a close eye on the court, and find out exactly where these mysterious forces are coming from.”

“As you command, Your Majesty.” Shadow One nodded, then vanished into the shadows as silently as he had appeared.

As Shadow One disappeared, Gu Qiangu’s eyes narrowed, burning with anger. If Gu Changsheng was truly colluding with external powers, he had crossed a line that would cost him dearly. Once Gu Qiangu emerged from seclusion as a Saint, he vowed to make Gu Changsheng and his backers pay a heavy price.

…

Meanwhile, in the Great Zhou Dynasty’s imperial palace, inside the imperial study:

“Zhao Lei, is the task I gave you complete?” Gu Changsheng asked, his tone calm yet commanding.

“Your Majesty, the palace guards have been completely replaced by soldiers from the Marquis Army.” a tall and imposing middle-aged general dressed in golden armor replied respectfully. “Additionally, all the eunuchs and maids planted by the Empress Dowager have been removed.”

This general was Zhao Lei, commander of the three-thousand-strong Marquis Army and a formidable expert at the seventh level of the Great Expert realm.

“Excellent.” Gu Changsheng nodded in satisfaction.

With the palace’s defenses firmly under his control and the Empress Dowager’s spies eliminated, he now had the upper hand in the palace.

Waving Zhao Lei away, Gu Changsheng turned to Qinglong, the commander of the Royal Shadow Guards, and asked, “Has the Empress Dowager made any moves against Lu Xuanyuan?”

Lu Xuanyuan was the daughter of Lu Tao, the general whose support both Gu Changsheng and the Empress Dowager were vying for to secure control of the city’s military camp.

“Rest assured, Your Majesty. I have dispatched several hundred Jinyiwei to protect her in secret. The Empress Dowager will not succeed in harming her.” Qinglong replied solemnly.

“Good.” Gu Changsheng nodded, relieved.

Although mobilizing so many Royal Shadow Guards to protect a single woman seemed excessive, Lu Tao’s allegiance was crucial to gaining control of the city’s forces, and the effort was worth it.

Just then, a system notification rang in Gu Changsheng’s mind:

[Ding! Detected that the late Emperor Gu Qiangu harbors killing intent toward the host. The plot has been altered. You have gained 10,000 plot points!].

Gu Changsheng’s eyes flickered coldly as he smirked. It seemed that his actions had already attracted Gu Qiangu’s attention, disrupting the former emperor’s plans.

However, Gu Changsheng wasn’t worried. He knew that Gu Qiangu was currently focused on breaking through to the Saint realm and would not leave seclusion prematurely.

In the original storyline, it took Gu Qiangu several years to complete his breakthrough, and by that time, Gu Changsheng was confident he would be even more powerful, perhaps even surpassing Gu Qiangu.

For now, his priority was to continue growing his strength and influence while maintaining a low profile.

The most immediate goal was to win over Lu Tao and secure command of the city’s military forces.

With that, Gu Changsheng prepared for the next phase of his plans, knowing that his destiny, and that of the entire dynasty, lay in the balance.