I became the demon of the female devil

Chapter 226 Your Majesty: My house was raided as soon as I stepped out?
(O_O)?
Xu Qingyi looked puzzled.

"What are you talking about? I don't have a ball either!"

"..."

You have it, and it looks quite large...

Chen Mo cleared his throat and said, "I was just saying, Your Highness, please don't take it seriously..."

The Crown Prince frowned and said, "So, you're deceiving me?"

"This subordinate wouldn't dare," Chen Mo shook his head and said, "But this thing can only be played with in private, otherwise it could have very serious consequences..."

The Crown Prince said thoughtfully, "You mean, it's like this ball of mine; if you play with it too much, it'll easily explode?"

Chen Mo's lips twitched slightly, "More or less..."

"Ok."

Seeing this, the Crown Prince did not insist, and said, "Anyway, I have already bestowed her upon you, so you can go back and play with her at your leisure. When you have the opportunity in the future, you can give me a proper demonstration."

Chen Mo could tell that this crown prince had a deep passion for ball sports...

Xu Qingyi blushed and hurriedly said, "Your Highness, I am a palace lady-in-waiting, while Lord Chen is an official from outside the palace. This is not in accordance with palace rules..."

"rule?"

"My word is law!"

The Crown Prince took out a piece of yellow paper from his sleeve and handed it to Chen Mo. "The decree has been drafted. I will inform the Imperial Household Department. From today onwards, this Xu Sizheng is your woman... If you wish to have the marriage decreed, I can also speak with my father."

A bestowed, or a bestowed marriage?
Xu Qingyi's cheeks turned even redder, as if they were burning hot.

Chen Mo unfolded the yellow paper, and there was a line of small, crooked writing on it: "Chen Mo has rendered meritorious service in saving the ball, and is hereby granted a palace maid (of your choice)."

The signature area also bears a red seal with the words "Crown Prince's Seal".

"But Your Highness..."

Xu Qingyi wanted to say something more, but Chen Mo secretly gave her a wink, then cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your reward, Your Highness."

The Crown Prince nodded in satisfaction and said, "It's alright. I heard from Fan Sigui that you are still a palace guard commander. If you have nothing to do, you can come and visit me more often... cough cough, reporting for duty."

Then he took out a jade token, which was translucent and crystal clear, with a lifelike four-clawed dragon pattern engraved on it.

"It's not convenient for me to come out. With this token, you can come to Linqing Palace to find me."

?

Chen Mo was stunned for a moment.

Is this the Crown Prince's Decree? Can you just give something like this away so easily?

"Your Highness, isn't this inappropriate?"

"Take it if I give it to you, I have several more of these."

Without saying a word, the crown prince shoved the token into his hand.

Just as Chen Mo was about to decline, a series of hurried footsteps sounded, and a female official dressed in a light blue palace dress walked over quickly.

"Your Highness, why did you sneak out again?"

"What do you mean by 'secretly'? I came out openly and honestly," the Crown Prince said, hands on his hips, clearly unconvinced.

The female official lowered her head and said, "His Majesty has ordered that you not leave Cangzhen Gate, and I am only following orders."

"Father's orders are orders, but mine aren't?" The Crown Prince's face was puffed up with anger as he said, "I'm not a child anymore. Staying in the palace all day is suffocating me!"

The female official shook her head helplessly and reached out to pick up the crown prince.

"Your Highness, please come back with me first."

"Let me go!"

The prince struggled, kicking his short legs, but it was all in vain.

"Lord Chen, we meet again. Oh? Chief Justice Xu is here too?" At this moment, the female official finally looked up at the two of them and nodded in greeting.

"Miss Fan," Xu Qingyi replied in return.

"What are you..."

"I happened to be passing by and ran into His Highness the Crown Prince, so we chatted for a bit."

"I see."

Fan Sigui didn't say much. After bowing again, she carried the Crown Prince into the Cangzhen Gate.

"Chen Mo, remember to come see me!" The Crown Prince leaned on Fan Sigui's shoulder and shouted loudly at Chen Mo.

Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, Chen Mo asked curiously, "Director Xu, do you know this female official?"

“Fan Sijin is the head of the Eastern Palace, responsible for taking care of the Crown Prince’s daily life. We rarely have contact with her, except for a brief encounter during a court meeting,” Xu Qingyi replied.

Xu Qingyi, as the Director of the Palace Administration Department, held a sixth-rank official position, while the Director of the Palace Attendants held a sixth-rank position.

In terms of rank, she was half a rank higher than Fan Sijin, but in fact, as the Crown Prince's personal eunuch, Fan Sijin held a very high position in the palace, and even the Palace Attendant had to show her respect.

"This Fan Sigui's cultivation level seems to be quite high," Chen Mo mused.

Although he didn't use his Golden Eyes of Truth to examine it, he could still sense a trace of unusual energy.

“That’s normal,” Xu Qingyi said. “The female officials of the Palace Administration and the Palace Attendants Bureau are all selected through rigorous processes. Most of them are quite talented. After entering the palace, they will receive unified training, and their strength is not to be underestimated.”

"This was also arranged by Her Majesty the Empress."

Chen Mo raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing this.

Despite the palace being heavily guarded, why train so many female officials? It's obviously meaningless to the Imperial Concubine. So, who is the Empress trying to guard against?
"Director Xu, how much do you know about His Highness the Crown Prince?" Chen Mo asked.

"His Highness the Crown Prince rarely leaves Linqing Palace. In all my years in the palace, I have only seen him twice."

"but……"

Xu Qingyi paused slightly, "It's not convenient to talk here, let's find another place."

"Where to?" Chen Mo asked.

Xu Qingyi thought for a moment and said, "Lord Chen, please come with me."

……

……

Fan Sijin carried the Crown Prince into Cangzhen Gate, passed through Dieshan Lishui, and headed towards the luxurious palace not far away.

“Your Highness, you have once again left Linqing Palace without permission. If this gets back to His Majesty, I will surely be punished,” Fan Sijin said softly.

The Crown Prince pouted and said, "I want to go out, what does it have to do with you? If Father punishes you, I'll go and reason with him... But I haven't seen Father in a long time, I wonder how his health is lately..."

At this point, a hint of disappointment and worry appeared on her delicately sculpted doll-like face.

Fan Sijin was silent for a moment, then said, "His Majesty is ordained by Heaven, possessing the qualities of a dragon and a phoenix, and is naturally protected by Heaven. Your Highness need not worry."

"Really?"

The crown prince was, after all, just a child, and could be easily coaxed. He smiled broadly and said, "I think so too. Father Emperor is a true dragon, he will definitely be fine."

Fan Sijin did not continue the topic, but asked, "Is Your Highness very familiar with that Lord Chen?"

"No, not really, we've only met twice." The prince bit his finger and said, "But he's different from others, he doesn't have that kind of sincerity... sincerity..."

"Feeling extremely apprehensive?" Fan Sijin added.

“That’s right.” The Crown Prince nodded and said, “He doesn’t have that feeling of being trembling with fear, and he’s also quite interesting to talk to, much more interesting than those palace servants who kneel down at the slightest disagreement.”

Seeing the Crown Prince's bright eyes as he spoke, Fan Sijin pursed her lips, hesitated slightly, and said, "This servant doesn't mean to stop Your Highness from making friends, but you must also be mindful of your actions. After all, you are the Crown Prince, and your every move represents the foundation of the nation..."

The crown prince pouted and snorted, "But this isn't the kind of crown prince I want to be. Maybe Father Emperor could just have another one..."

"Your Highness, please do not speak recklessly!"

Fan Sijin quickly interrupted, "If Grand Tutor Lü hears this, you'll be punished again!"

Upon hearing the name "Grand Tutor Lü," the Crown Prince shuddered, a look of panic appearing on his face.

"Fan Sigui, you and I are the best of friends. You won't tell the Grand Tutor, will you?"

"Of course not, Your Highness, but you should also watch your words, after all, there are no secrets in this palace," Fan Sijin said meaningfully.

"I understand..."

The crown prince obediently responded.

"By the way, Your Highness hasn't told me yet what you and Lord Chen talked about?" Fan Sijin asked casually.

"We've had a lot to talk about. If it weren't for Chen Mo, I wouldn't have known that there are things in this world more fun than a ball," the Crown Prince said excitedly.

Fan Sijin asked curiously, "Oh? What is that?"

The crown prince said in a serious tone, "Beauty."

Fan Sijin: "..."

The prince jumped down from her arms, tilted his little face up, and said in a childish voice, "Fan Sigui, let me play with your ball later, okay?"

?

Fan Sijin's face turned pale, and her temples throbbed.

"What exactly did Chen Mo talk to you about?!"

……

……

"Director Xu, where are we going?"

Chen Mo followed Xu Qingyi to the armpit.

Here, clusters of low-rise houses stand neatly arranged, connected to the inner court by paths. Occasionally, palace servants can be seen hurrying by, casting curious glances at Chen Mo.

The two walked into a secluded courtyard deep within the palace grounds, with white walls and green tiles, quiet and serene.

I walked through the courtyard and pushed open the door.

Xu Qingyi stepped aside and said, "Lord Chen, please come in."

Chen Mo stepped inside and saw that the room was not large, but clean and tidy, and the furnishings were very simple. Apart from a bed, a table and chairs and a wardrobe, there was nothing else.

"Is this Xu Sizheng's bedroom?"

"Yes."

Xu Qingyi closed the door and said, "There is a shielding array here, which was Her Majesty's doing. No one can sense what is happening inside the room."

As Consort Yu's confidante, she had to handle many matters personally, so her privacy had to be guaranteed. Chen Mo sat in the chair, looked around, and sighed, "Your room is really simple, it feels like that of a detached and ascetic cultivator."

"The hall is simple and plain, requiring no effort to unfold or roll up; the bright windows and clean tables provide comfort for sitting and lying down." Xu Qingyi said calmly, "Too many things will disturb the mind. Only by keeping a clear mind can one better serve Your Majesty."

"I cannot match Xu Sizheng's state of mind."

Chen Mo asked, "But is it inappropriate for a foreign official like me to come here?"

Xu Qingyi looked slightly uneasy and said in a low voice, "Lord Chen has already slept in Yangxin Palace and Hanxiao Palace, so what's the big deal about him coming to this palace?"

Chen Mo: "..."

That sounds reasonable...

Xu Qingyi sat down opposite Chen Mo, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Just now His Highness the Crown Prince said he would bestow me upon you, why did you stop me from speaking?"

Chen Mo shrugged and said, "The Crown Prince is clearly the type who responds better to gentle persuasion than force. We can only appease him. If we say a few more words, he might really grant us a marriage."

After these two encounters, Chen Mo had a general idea of ​​the crown prince's temperament.

Naïve, innocent, and naive, with no airs, but very sensitive inside. If you refuse his "kindness," who knows what he might do.

"The Crown Prince is just being childish; he was just saying it casually. Don't take it too seriously," Chen Mo reassured him. "Anyway, I have the edict. As long as I don't use it, no one else will know..."

Xu Qingyi bit her lip lightly.

Although the Crown Prince's decree seemed like a joke, it was stamped with the imperial seal, representing the will of the Eastern Palace.

This means that Chen Mo can ask her to do anything at any time...

“He used to dare to take liberties with me, but now that the Crown Prince is backing him up, he can do whatever he wants.”

Xu Qingyi could already picture Chen Mo holding up a decree in one hand, slapping her bottom repeatedly with the other, while shouting, "This lord is ordered to pick up girls, stick your butt out higher!"

"Xu Sizheng, why is your face so red?" Chen Mo asked curiously.

Xu Qingyi snapped out of her reverie, her throat tightened, and she whispered, "It's nothing, it just feels a bit hot in this room... By the way, what exactly did the Crown Prince mean by playing with a ball?"

"..."

Chen Mo looked at her silently without saying a word.

Xu Qingyi was a little confused, so she looked down following his gaze.

It took her a while to react, her cheeks suddenly flushed red, her eyes filled with disbelief, and she stammered:

"Oh, so it was this ball?!"

"You're going too far! You actually talked about this kind of thing with the Crown Prince?!"

Chen Mo helplessly spread his hands and said, "I just said it casually at the time, I didn't expect him to really take it to heart."

Xu Qingyi crossed her arms and looked at him warily. "I'm warning you, don't you dare get any funny ideas!"

"..."

Chen Mo said, both amused and exasperated, "Is this how you see me?"

"Otherwise what?" Xu Qingyi retorted.

"...That's okay."

Chen Mo cleared his throat awkwardly and changed the subject, saying, "Speaking of which, how much do you actually know about the Crown Prince?"

Getting back to the main topic, Xu Qingyi managed to compose herself and said, "I entered the palace with Her Majesty. At that time, the Crown Prince had just been born. During a handover of internal affairs, I happened to witness the Eldest Princess storming into Qianji Palace in a rage, cursing, 'This is outrageous! He's unworthy of being a father!'"

"The eldest princess?"

Chen Mo recalled what Jin Shu had said before.

After Empress Xu passed away, the eldest princess traveled a long distance from the southern border back to the capital and had a big argument with the emperor...

"Is she trying to seek justice for Empress Xu?"

Xu Qingyi was slightly taken aback. "Does Lord Chen know about this?"

Chen Mo said, "I only heard about it by chance from others, but the eldest princess dares to challenge the emperor, she really is too bold..."

Xu Qingyi shook her head and said, "It was more than just a challenge; the Eldest Princess actually took action back then."

?

Chen Mo frowned and said, "Make a move?"

“Although the palace gates were closed at the time and I didn’t witness it firsthand, I could clearly feel the Princess’s murderous aura. The entire Qianji Palace was trembling, and even the Tianying Guards were alerted,” Xu Qingyi said, making a startling statement.

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo looked surprised. "Does the Eldest Princess intend to rebel?"

“No one could rebel, not even the Eldest Princess.” Xu Qingyi paused before continuing, “If I’m not mistaken, the Eldest Princess’s goal was to take the Crown Prince… or rather, the Prince at the time, out of the palace, but she ultimately failed.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo fell into deep thought.

If there were suspicious circumstances surrounding Empress Xu's death, and the eldest princess felt indignant about it, he could understand.

But what was the purpose of taking the crown prince away?
Moreover, the Crown Prince is already six years old, yet he has hardly ever left Linqing Palace. Is this excessive protection also due to the Eldest Princess?
"I feel like I've missed something..."

"However, it's quite clear that the Eldest Princess knows some inside information. She even deliberately left a trace of dragon energy in the Heavenly Martial Arena. What exactly is her purpose...?"

dong dong dong-

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

A woman's voice came from outside the door: "Qingyi, are you inside?"

Xu Qingyi frowned slightly, got up and went over, opening the door a crack. Standing outside was another official from the Palace Administration Department.

"What is it?" Xu Qingyi asked.

Because she was blocking the view with her body, the female official didn't see Chen Mo in the room. She handed her the package and said with a smile, "Didn't you want to buy some new clothes last time? The Imperial Household Department just sent some over, so I brought them for you."

"Check if the clothes are correct. There are two pairs of stockings, two tube tops, and a thong. They were all purchased from Jinxiufang."

"Speaking of which, why do you like wearing thongs? Don't you find them too tight..."

"Cough cough!"

Xu Qingyi coughed twice, interrupting, "I understand. Is there anything else?"

The female official looked around, then pulled a coverless book from her bosom and whispered, "This is the revised edition of 'Deep Palace Lament,' newly published by Wan Juan Lou. Not only has the illustrations been updated, but two side stories have also been added, featuring brand new poses for Lord Chen and Miss Xu!"

"I knew you'd been looking for this book, so I asked someone to bring it back for you as well."

"..."

Xu Qingyi silently took the books and then slammed the door shut.

The female official stared blankly at the closed door.

"What kind of attitude is that...?"

……

……

The atmosphere in the room was quiet.

Xu Qingyi held the package and books in her arms, her head lowered, not daring to look at Chen Mo.

Chen Mo looked her up and down and said with a smile, "Xu Sizheng actually has this kind of hobby? After I gave you the thong last time, you even bit me... I didn't expect you to be addicted to wearing them now?"

"Who, who's addicted?"

Xu Qingyi's eyes darted around, and she stammered, "That person made a mistake. This thong is not what I wanted."

"What about the book? Was that also a mistake?"

Chen Mo stroked his chin with his fingers, pondering, "Deep Palace Grudge, that name sounds familiar, but it's definitely not some respectable book... I thought Xu Sizheng was pure and abstinent, but I didn't expect..."

"Tsk tsk, you really can't judge a book by its cover..."

Xu Qingyi's face turned even redder, wishing she could disappear into the ground.

Chen Mo said to himself, "Besides, the male and female protagonists in that book have the same surnames as us. Xu Sizheng, you wouldn't be thinking anything of me, would you?"

Xu Qingyi spat, "Don't talk nonsense, I didn't! It's you who always likes to bully me, you're absolutely wicked!"

Chen Mo said matter-of-factly, "Then why don't I bully others? Xu Sizheng should look for the reasons within himself."

?

Xu Qingyi looked embarrassed and annoyed, and was about to get angry when she saw Chen Mo calmly take out the yellow paper from his sleeve.

"Xiao Xu, you're not allowed to talk back, or you'll be punished according to family rules."

"..."

"Take off your clothes and look at the ball."

"?"

"Ouch, just kidding, don't bite me!"

"No no no!"

……

……

Yanfu.

In the inner hall of the backyard, several powerful ministers from the six ministries gathered together.

Yan Peizhi, dressed in a purple brocade robe, sat at the head of the table, his elbows resting on the armrests, his fingers supporting his forehead, his eyes deep, listening to the murmurs of the crowd below.

"Lord Yan, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If we seize it, we can definitely deliver a fatal blow to the Chen family!" said Kang Lechen, a senior official in the Ministry of Justice.

“That’s right.” Feng Jinyu, the Vice Minister of Rites, stroked his beard and said, “If I remember correctly, your son was also seriously injured by Chen Mo at the Jiaofangsi before, but it was eventually dropped… This time he tried to kill the Crown Prince, and hundreds of people witnessed it. The evidence is conclusive. I don’t believe he can get away with it this time.”

"The Imperial Concubine's faction has become too rampant lately, especially the Chen family!"

"This time we have to teach them a lesson!"

Everyone spoke up in agreement.

From the Zhou family case onwards, those censors were like sharks that had smelled blood, relentlessly pursuing the matter and making a big fuss about it every time they went to court. Yet, they were helpless and had long been seething with anger.

We've finally got this opportunity, we absolutely can't let it slip away!
Yan Peizhi did not answer immediately, but instead asked, "How is the situation on the Crown Prince's side?"

Feng Jinyu shook her head and said, "It's strange, the Prince Yu's mansion has been closed to visitors ever since, and not a single piece of news has come out. We don't even know if the young master is dead or alive..."

Yan Peizhi tapped his fingers on the armrest and pondered, "This matter is probably not as simple as we think."

(End of this chapter)