I became the demon of the female devil

Chapter 228 Heated Debate in the Imperial Court! The Empress's Foster Courage!

The events that occurred at the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau) the day before yesterday had already spread throughout the entire capital, and naturally could not be hidden from the eyes and ears of these court officials.

What does it mean to commit violence in public and attempt to harm members of the royal family?
To put it mildly, it's a heinous crime; to put it more seriously, it's trampling on the dignity of the royal family, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a serious crime of disrespect!

The perpetrator was none other than the rising star of the Chen family!
"He killed two Heavenly Demons and dragged Minister Zhou off the stage. I thought he was quite capable, but it turns out he's just a reckless brute with no strategy."

"Chen Mo is finished this time. Even with his immunity from death, he definitely won't be able to keep his official position!"

"Hmph, Chen Zhuo, as the father, is also to blame for his son's actions!"

"Heh, those greenhorns from the Censorate and the Six Ministries, weren't they usually so arrogant? Why are they all so quiet now?"

The ministers of the six ministries stood with their arms crossed, their expressions full of mockery.

On the other hand, the officials on the left seemed to be under a collective silencing order, each hanging their heads in silence.

Since Zhou Chuanbing stepped down, they have seized the opportunity to gain the upper hand in the court.

But now that Chen Mo has caused this mess, it has given the Sixth Department an opportunity to take advantage of the situation, and the benefits they have just gained may be lost!
"What grudge does Young Master Chen have against the Crown Prince that would drive him to such a ruthless act?"

"How foolish..."

"He truly made us, and he also ruined us..."

Everyone sighed repeatedly, looking gloomy and dejected.

Yu Huai, a supervising secretary of the Ministry of Personnel, frowned slightly, feeling that this matter was not so simple.

“Back when we were in Beijing for the imperial examinations, I met Chen Mo. He’s definitely not the impulsive type. There must be something else going on behind the scenes…”

"There's no point in saying all this now. After all, it's a fact that Chen Mo attacked the Crown Prince, and dismissal is already the best outcome..."

"Right now, we can only try to minimize the losses, even if it means taking some cuts, we can't let Lord Chen get involved..."

Chen Zhuo remained silent throughout, as still as a rock, his eyelids lowered, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

thump—

The bell rings.

The noisy atmosphere instantly fell silent.

The officials, arranged according to their rank, walked across the Golden Water Bridge in turn.

Yan Peizhi walked beside Chen Zhuo and said meaningfully, "Lord Chen, you really have a fine son."

This scene seems familiar.

Zhou Chuanbing said the exact same thing before he stepped down.

Chen Zhuo didn't reply, but just silently looked at Yan Peizhi, his eyes seemingly filled with...pity?

Yan Peizhi frowned upon seeing this, a sense of unease creeping into his heart.

But he quickly suppressed that feeling.

"Ha, he's just putting on a show of composure."

"From any perspective, Chen Mo has no chance of turning things around. It involves the royal family, and even the Empress has to think twice. After all, the world still belongs to the Chu family..."

So-called political parties are nothing more than communities of shared interests.

In recent years, powerful ministers and censors have been vying for political power to protect the interests of their own groups and consolidate their family's position... and the Empress is the spokesperson for this massive machine of the Six Ministries.

However, the Empress's recent decisions have seriously damaged the interests of the powerful ministers.

"Since Your Highness is so confused, then we'll have to do it ourselves..."

Yan Peizhi and Feng Jinyu stared at each other across the distance, a cold glint flashing in their eyes.

The officials passed through Fengtian Gate and entered the Golden Palace.

"Long live my emperor, long live, long live!"

"Long live Your Highness! Long live Your Highness! Long live Your Highness!"

The crowd first knelt before the dragon throne, and then kowtowed to the figure behind the bamboo curtain.

A clear, crisp voice came from behind the curtain: "Rise."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

All the officials rose.

Before Eunuch Jin could even ask a question, Yan Peizhi strode forward and announced loudly, "Your Highness, I have important matters to report!"

In an instant, all eyes were on him.

The Empress said calmly, "Speak, what is it?"

"Your Highness, just the day before yesterday, Chen Mo, the deputy commander of the Tianlin Guard, attacked and injured people at the Jiaofangsi (a type of entertainment venue), intending to murder the Prince Yu's heir. His behavior was extremely heinous!"

"Now the Crown Prince of Chu is seriously injured and his life hangs in the balance, while Chen Mo is still at large!"

"They deserve severe punishment!"

These words immediately made the atmosphere in the hall more solemn.

The Empress seemed to have just heard about it, and asked in surprise, "Oh? Is that so?"

Yan Peizhi lowered his head and said, "There were at least a hundred people present who witnessed it with their own eyes, it is absolutely true!"

At the opportune moment, Feng Jinyu, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, stepped forward and said, "As far as I know, this Chen Mo, relying on the support of the Chen family, is arrogant and domineering, and has repeatedly injured people maliciously in the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau)!"

"This time, they have committed an even more heinous crime!"

"According to the laws of the Great Yuan Dynasty, plotting against members of the royal family is a heinous crime punishable by death! We urge Your Highness to consider this carefully!"

The Empress paused for a moment upon hearing this, then asked, "Where is Chu Heng now?"

Yan Peizhi replied, "The Crown Prince of Chu is seriously injured and is currently recuperating at home."

"So, before the victim even said anything, you two were already jumping out to uphold justice?" The Empress raised an eyebrow slightly, her tone devoid of any emotion.

Yan Peizhi had anticipated the Empress's attitude and shook his head, saying, "As the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, I have the responsibility to adjudicate serious cases and supervise punishments. This case has had an extremely negative impact, and I naturally cannot turn a blind eye to it!"

Feng Jinyu also cupped his hands and said, "The Jiaofangsi is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites. Since such a heinous incident has occurred, this humble subject will certainly investigate it to the end!"

"You two are certainly very dedicated," the Empress said meaningfully. "Since that's the case, do you have any evidence?"

"Cough cough."

At this moment, Cui Hao, the Prefect of Jingzhao, stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, after learning of this matter, I immediately launched an investigation. Yang Lin, the Fengluan of the Jiaofangsi, and Yu Yu, the Deputy Commander of the Dongcheng Military Command, witnessed Chen Mo committing the crime."

"The two are waiting outside; Your Highness only needs to ask to find out!"

The officials' expressions grew increasingly solemn.

The Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Rites, and the Jingzhao Prefecture launched successive attacks, clearly indicating that they were well-prepared and wanted to confirm the matter completely.

Now that we have both witnesses and physical evidence, even if they utter a great accusation, it won't make a difference...

Chen Mo is really doomed this time!
Chen Zhuo remained silent and expressionless, as if he had nothing to do with the matter.

The Empress nodded and said, "It seems that you gentlemen have made quite thorough preparations. Then please call them in."

Eunuch Jin announced loudly, "Yang Lin, the Imperial Envoy of the Xuanjiao Bureau, and Yu Yu, the Deputy Commander of the Eastern City Military Command, are here to enter the palace for an audience!"

About half an hour later.

Two figures, accompanied by guards, entered the Golden Palace and arrived at the center of the hall.

"Your humble servants Yu Yu and Yang Lin greet Your Majesty the Empress."

"Long live Your Highness! Long live Your Highness! Long live Your Highness!"

The two men prostrated themselves on the ground and kowtowed.

The Empress said, "Get up."

"Thank you, Your Highness." The two stood up in response. Yang Lin, who was short and stout, lowered his head and looked pale, while Yu Yu was relatively calm, although his hands under his robes were trembling slightly.

After all, they were just low-ranking officials; how could they possibly have the opportunity to come to the Golden Palace and meet the Empress?

This is the power center of the Great Yuan Dynasty. Any minister present here is an insurmountable mountain for them!

"You should know why I summoned you to the palace." The Empress's voice was clear yet tinged with a languid charm as she said, "Tell me, what did you see regarding what happened at the Jiaofangsi the day before yesterday?"

Yu Yu took a deep breath and said, "Your Highness, I was on duty at the yamen at the time. After receiving the news, I immediately led my men to the scene. However, the fighting had already ended. I only saw Prince Chu lying on the ground, his body charred black, while Deputy Commander Chen of the Tianlin Guard was standing to the side..."

Cui Hao asked, "And then what? With such a serious incident, why didn't you arrest the suspect and bring him back to the prison?"

Yu Yu's throat tightened, and he said in a low voice, "There were also officials from the Six Doors present at the time. They said they had taken over the case, and Chen Mo had a get-out-of-jail-free card, so this subordinate dared not act rashly..."

The root cause actually lies with Grandpa Jin.

But he dared not mention it, and could only avoid the main point...

Cui Hao pressed on, "Besides that, have you noticed any other details?"

Yu Yu glanced at him, hesitated for a moment, and said, "This subordinate heard Chen Mo say... since we've already torn off all pretense, we might as well go all the way, otherwise using this Flying Phoenix Token would be a huge waste..."

These words immediately caused an uproar throughout the court!

"Arrogant! Utterly arrogant!"

"Disobeying the law and acting recklessly, relying on the fact that he has a get-out-of-jail-free card, he dares to act so wantonly!"

"This is not only a violation of the laws of the Great Yuan Dynasty, but also a contempt for the royal family. It must be severely punished as a warning to others!"

The ministers of the six ministries all jumped out to speak.

Meanwhile, the faces of the censors and officials of the Censorate grew increasingly grim.

Oh no, this is really going to get out of hand!

They might not even be able to keep their immunity from death!
Cui Hao's lips curled up, and he said, "Vice Envoy Yu, are you sure what you're saying is true?"

Yu Yu nodded and said, "Every word I have said is true, without the slightest falsehood."

In truth, deep down he didn't want to get involved in this mess.

However, when Cui Hao found him yesterday, he realized that he had been implicated... Fortunately, he had told the whole truth and hadn't said a single word of accusation, so even if the Consort's faction wanted to cause trouble, they probably wouldn't be able to find him... "Your Highness!"

Cui Hao strode forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Just as Yu Yu said, Chen Mo has shown contempt for the law and disregarded royal regulations. His behavior is extremely heinous and he must be severely punished!"

"I implore Your Highness to reclaim the token, imprison the person in the Imperial Prison, and order the Three Judicial Offices to jointly investigate the case to set the record straight!"

Immediately afterward, Xu Lin, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, spoke up: "After all, Chen Mo's identity is special, and Lord Chen is also the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief. In order to avoid suspicion, the Censorate should recuse itself... I believe that this case should be handled by the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice. I guarantee that the case can be closed within three days!"

Yan Peizhi said, "I second that opinion."

"My lord, second the motion!"

The ministers of the six ministries all echoed this sentiment.

Yan, Feng, Cui, Xu...

Several powerful officials fell one after another, like a sudden storm, giving them no chance to catch their breath!
Behind the bamboo curtain, the Empress's phoenix eyes were deep and unfathomable, her pretty oval face revealing neither joy nor anger. She said calmly, "To judge this case based on just one person's testimony is far too hasty... Isn't there another witness? Let's hear what he has to say first."

"Alright."

"Since that's the case, then let Chen Mo die even more completely!"

A cold glint flashed in Feng Jinyu's eyes. He cleared his throat and said, "Yang Lin, tell me everything you saw and heard, in detail."

"Yes."

Yang Lin didn't dare to look up, his voice trembling slightly: "This story begins about six months ago..."

?

Feng Jinyu's expression stiffened slightly.

Wait a minute, doesn't this dialogue seem a bit off?

Yang Lin said, "About half a year ago, the Crown Prince found me and took away the wife of the former Minister of War by redeeming her from indentured servitude. There has been no news of her since... In the last two months, the Crown Prince has been coming more frequently, and he has also instructed me to deliberately target the women of the Xu family, saying that he is looking for something..."

???

Feng Jinyu frowned and said in a deep voice, "I told you to talk about Chen Mo's case, what nonsense are you spouting?!"

Yang Lin shuddered and dared not say another word.

Yan Peizhi felt a slight sinking feeling in his heart upon seeing this.

Yesterday, Feng Jinyu personally met with Yang Lin and instructed him on how to answer questions after arriving at court. Every word was carefully considered to ensure a thorough conclusion to the case.

Yang Lin would never dare to recant his testimony in court; he was clearly acting under someone's orders, and this person terrified him even more than Feng Jinyu…

But how did this matter get involved with the Xu family?

At this moment, Eunuch Jin's effeminate voice rang out: "Now Her Majesty is investigating the case, why is Vice Minister Feng in such a hurry? Does he have to answer according to your wishes?"

Upon hearing this, Feng Jinyu trembled slightly, realizing that he had lost his composure. He hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Highness, I only wanted to uncover the truth as soon as possible. I was just anxious. I hope Your Highness will not take offense."

"It doesn't matter."

The Empress said calmly, "Yang Fengluan, please continue."

"As ordered..."

Yang Lin swallowed hard and continued, "The day before yesterday, the young master came to the Jiaofangsi again to inquire about the progress of the matter, and even sent people to secretly target several women of the Xu family. Deputy Commander Chen happened to arrive at that time..."

The Empress asked, "And then? Why did Chen Mo attack the Crown Prince?"

Yang Lin replied, "I don't know the specifics, but I only heard Lord Chen say that he suspected His Highness of colluding with the demon race and secretly possessing red sand... He demanded that His Highness return to the yamen with him for investigation, but His Highness refused, and the two then got into a fight..."

The hall was quiet for a moment, then a huge uproar ensued!
Like a thunderclap from a flat surface!

"Colluding with the demon race? Possessing red sand?!"

"Could the Crown Prince have orchestrated the Zhou family case? This... how is this possible?!"

"Speaking of which, the red sand that the Zhou family dug up still hasn't been found..."

"I've never understood why the Zhou family did this. Could it be..."

The Xu family, the demon race, the red sand...

The impact of each word was so strong that, in comparison, Chen Mo's actions received almost no attention.

Yan Peizhi and the others had already realized that something was wrong.

They were clearly trying to convict Chen Mo, so why did the blame inexplicably shift to the Crown Prince?

"quiet!"

Grandpa Jin's voice was loud and clear.

The restless atmosphere calmed down a bit.

From behind the bamboo curtain came the Empress's deep voice: "You mean, Chen Mo was investigating a case, but Chu Heng refused to cooperate, which is why the two of them got into a fight?"

Yang Lin nodded and said, "That should be the case."

The Empress stroked the armrest with her fingers, pondering, "So it seems Chen Mo wasn't deliberately causing trouble. Although he was somewhat impulsive, his intentions were good, after all, he was the one handling the Zhou family case..."

"Your Highness!"

Seeing that things were not going well, Cui Hao said urgently, "Chen Mo took the prince back to the yamen without any evidence. This is an abuse of power and a frame-up! And then he beat the prince so badly that he committed a crime on top of a crime. This cannot be tolerated!"

"Ahem, Lord Cui..."

Before the Empress could speak, an aged voice suddenly rang out: "How do you know Chen Mo is framing someone? Can you guarantee that the Crown Prince is unrelated to the Zhou family case?"

? !
Everyone suddenly looked up.

The speaker was an old man with a white beard, wearing a seven-ridged crown and a red robe. His slightly narrowed eyes were like a bottomless pool.

Grand Secretary Zhuang Jingming!

Yan Peizhi's heart skipped a beat.

These veteran officials usually do not easily discuss politics, nor do they participate in factional struggles.

Why would Zhuang Jingming suddenly speak up at this critical juncture? And why did his words seem to favor Chen Mo?!
He turned to look at the cabinet ministers who had previously been on good terms with Prince Yu. Each of them stared straight ahead, as if they were meditating monks... Considering that there had been no movement from Prince Yu's residence so far, his bad premonition grew stronger.

Cui Hao frowned and said, "What do you mean by that, Lord Zhuang? Chen Mo suspects the Crown Prince, so he must give a reason, right? To arrest someone without any evidence is no different from the actions of a bandit."

Zhuang Jingming said expressionlessly, "One thing at a time. Chen Mo injuring the young master is one thing, but whether the young master has any dealings with the demon race is another."

"Chen Mo has killed two Heavenly Demons in just a few months and solved several major cases. His ability is beyond doubt... Compared to the Jingzhao Prefecture, which was completely unaware that its city defenses had been breached, he is much stronger."

"you!"

Cui Hao's cheeks flushed red, and he almost couldn't catch his breath.

What's wrong with this old guy?

Why is he so aggressive today when he's usually so quiet?

Zhuang Jingming cupped his hands toward the high platform and said, "Your Highness, this old minister also believes that the Crown Prince is innocent. But it is precisely for this reason that we must thoroughly investigate this matter and clear the Crown Prince's name."

The Queen asked, "Then what do you think should be done?"

Zhuang Jingming said in a serious tone, "Since Lord Xu and Lord Yan claim that they can solve the case in three days, they are obviously very confident in their ability to handle cases. So let's hand this task over to the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice and let them investigate whether the young master has any dealings with the demon race."

The Empress pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "That makes sense. Then I will entrust this matter to the two of you. Let's not wait three days. I will give you ten days. I hope that after ten days, you can give me a satisfactory answer."

?

Xu Lin and Yan Peizhi experienced wave after wave of darkness before their eyes.

They were investigating Chen Mo, so how did it turn into investigating the Crown Prince?

"Your Highness, isn't it a bit unreasonable to investigate the Crown Prince based on some vague and unfounded speculation?"

"Moreover, no matter what, Chen Mo should not have killed the Crown Prince!"

Yan Peizhi stretched his neck and spoke loudly, trying to shift the focus of the conflict back to Chen Mo.

"Vague and ethereal?"

Chen Zhuo, who had remained silent until now, took out a stack of letters from his sleeve and said slowly, "I have several letters here. The contents of the letters involve some details of the barbarian slave case and the Zhou family case, as well as the power and money transactions between the heir apparent and the Six Ministries..."

Chen Zhuo glanced at Yan Peizhi and said with a smile, "Which one would you like to hear first, Lord Yan?"

……

……

The axillary palace.

In his half-asleep state, Chen Mo vaguely sensed the soft, warm fragrance of a woman in his arms, and instinctively reached out to grasp her.

"Hmm~"

"Don't make trouble..."

A muffled female voice came from beside me.

Chen Mo opened his eyes and was immediately stunned.

Xu Qingyi was nestled in his arms, her clothes slightly disheveled, the hem of her skirt lifted to her waist... She wasn't wearing any underpants, only white stockings, and his large hand was resting on her ample curves.

Through the thin fabric, one could clearly see her smooth, jade-like skin, and two deeply pierced strips of cloth...

"Hiss, it really is a T-shape..."

"Ok?"

Xu Qingyi opened her sleepy eyes. "Lord Chen, you're awake?"

Chen Mo's lips twitched. "Xu Sizheng, I finally understand why Her Majesty regards you as a confidant."

Xu Qingyi was still a little confused, and asked in a charmingly innocent tone, "Why?"

"As the saying goes, 'A young man with no experience is unreliable,' but it seems that Director Xu is quite dependable in his work," Chen Mo remarked.

Hsu Ching-yi: [_?]
(End of this chapter)