I became the demon of the female devil

Chapter 230 Chen Mo: I, a traitor who has served three masters, have plenty of people above me!

"This evidence points out that several officials from the Six Ministries, including the Director of the Department of Ceremonial Affairs, the Director of the Department of Finance, the Assistant Director of the Department of Fengtian, and the Principal of the Department of Zhili, were involved in abusing their power, accepting bribes, selling official positions, and had close personal relationships with Prince Chuheng, suggesting that they were forming cliques!"

"Your Highness, please make the wise decision!"

Chen Zhuo's clear and resonant voice echoed throughout the hall.

The courtiers were momentarily stunned.

Although the names Chen Zhuo mentioned were mostly of low rank, they were all powerful officials in the Six Ministries. If this matter is confirmed, it may cause a major earthquake in the officialdom!

Behind the bamboo curtain, the Empress frowned slightly.

She had made all the necessary preparations to protect Chen Mo no matter what, but she never expected Chen Zhuo to drop such a bombshell!
"Send it over."

"Yes."

Eunuch Jin stepped down from the platform, took the evidence, and turned to present it to the Empress.

The Empress carefully examined the papers in her hand, her gaze gradually becoming somewhat strange.

This so-called evidence is very detailed and not fabricated, but it is still not enough to convict someone based on it, as it is missing some key links in the chain...

"Where did these things come from?"

"Is it due to insufficient evidence, or was it done intentionally?"

"Or perhaps Chen Zhuo simply wants to muddy the waters to exonerate Chen Mo?"

The Empress's thoughts were in turmoil.

The main hall was deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop. The ministers of the six ministries were on tenterhooks as they listened to the rustling sound of pages being turned behind the bamboo curtain.

They thought dealing with Chen Mo would be a piece of cake, but they never expected Chen Zhuo to have such a hidden trick up his sleeve, actually turning the tables on them!
After a long silence, the Empress's cold voice came from behind the bamboo curtain:
"Great, great, great! I didn't expect such an unexpected bonus!"

"Lord Yan, Lord Cui, don't you have anything to explain to me?"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the assembled officials changed drastically!

Yan Peizhi shuddered and bowed, saying, "Your Highness is wise; this humble subject has absolutely no connection with the case of the barbarians!"

Cui Hao hurriedly replied, "This humble subject knows nothing about the leak of the city defense map. I beg Your Highness to investigate thoroughly and clear my name!"

"Ha, you think you can absolve yourself with a mere claim of ignorance?" The Empress sneered. "If this matter is truly related to that Zhu Qiming, then as the Prefect of the Capital, you are equally culpable!"

"Your Highness!"

Upon hearing this, Cui Hao's legs went weak, and he collapsed to his knees.

The Zhou family committed a heinous crime of treason. If they are involved in this case, the entire Cui family will be completely baffled!
"As for the matter involving embezzlement and dereliction of duty in the Six Ministries, I will investigate it thoroughly as well!"

"Some people draw salaries from the imperial court but do not think of serving the country. Corruption is rampant. Do they really think that I am blind and can be deceived by you?!"

boom!
The empress's voice was filled with anger as she slammed her hand on the armrest of her chair.

wow-

The assembled officials knelt down in unison, pleading, "Your Highness, please calm your anger!"

The Empress took a deep breath, trying to suppress her anger, and said in a deep voice, "The evidence submitted by Lord Chen is very detailed, but further investigation is still needed. However, this shows that Chen Mo's suspicions about the Crown Prince are not unfounded..."

At this moment, Feng Jinyu's back was already soaked with cold sweat.

He originally brought Yang Lin here to deliver a fatal blow to Chen Mo, but he didn't expect that this guy would betray him at the last minute and implicate the young master! He even dragged the demon race into it!

If this matter escalates, no matter the outcome, he probably won't have a good ending!

The others clearly realized this as well, and none of them had any intention of trying to pin anything on Chen Mo; all they could think about was how to protect themselves.

Seeing that everyone was bowing their heads and remaining silent, Xu Lin, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, frowned slightly.

"What a bunch of idiots!"

"If Chen Zhuo had sufficient evidence, he would have already exposed the whole thing. Why would he have waited until now?"

"It's only at this critical juncture that they've produced a bunch of so-called 'evidence,' which is clearly a smokescreen to divert attention from Chen Mo!"

"If we give up so easily, we'll really have to swallow this bitter pill!"

"Only by holding a knife to Chen Mo's neck will Chen Zhuo hesitate to act, and only then can the Six Ministries escape safely!"

With this thought in mind, Xu Lin, holding his tablet, said loudly, "Your Highness, even if the Crown Prince is suspected of committing a crime, you should report to the Eastern Palace first, instead of taking action on your own. Chen Mo's actions have already violated the laws of the Great Yuan Dynasty and the regulations of the Tianlin Guard!"

The Empress's eyes darkened slightly, and she said calmly, "So, what are you trying to say?"

"Chen Mo has committed the crimes of failing to report when he should have, abusing his power and violating regulations, and insulting members of the imperial family!"

"Multiple crimes combined, according to the law, he should be executed!"

"Although he possesses the Flying Phoenix Token, he may escape the death penalty, but he cannot escape punishment! In my humble opinion, he should be stripped of his official rank and dismissed from office, never to be employed again!"

Xu Lin held his head high, his attitude extremely firm.

After all, the Crown Prince's actions still need to be investigated, but it is an undeniable fact that Chen Mo attacked someone in public and seriously injured them!

The empress remained expressionless, her oval face covered in frost.

Just as she was about to say something, a slightly shrill voice suddenly rang out:

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"

?

The atmosphere suddenly became quiet.

The courtiers turned around and looked on blankly.

Then, the young master of the palace, dressed in a scarlet official robe, led a tiny child into the main hall.

The child was handsome, with delicate features, like a sculpture of jade. He wore a magnificent robe and a jeweled crown, and his clear black and white eyes looked around curiously.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince?!"

Everyone was stunned.

Since the emperor's condition worsened and he became bedridden, the empress ruled from behind the curtain, assisting the emperor in overseeing the country... That's what they said, but the crown prince never attended court, and even the investiture ceremony was held in the inner court.

How did we suddenly end up in the Golden Palace?

The Empress and Eunuch Jin exchanged a glance, their expressions turning somewhat solemn.

"May Your Highness be well!"

The ministers realized what was happening and hurriedly knelt down to pay their respects.

The crown prince walked steadily through the crowd of officials and stopped in front of a tall and imposing old man. He bowed and greeted him, "Grand Tutor."

The old man's voice was somewhat hoarse and grating, "Your Highness is here today to listen to the government's affairs; there is no need to be bound by the formalities of teacher and student."

"it is good."

The crown prince nodded, turned around, and ascended the nine-five golden steps.

"My son has met his mother."

Upon arriving at the high platform, the Crown Prince first bowed to the bamboo curtain, and then climbed onto the throne below the dragon throne.

The chair carved with a four-clawed golden dragon was so large that even with his legs stretched out straight, he could only reach the edge of the chair, and his head only reached halfway up the backrest. Combined with his wide robe, he looked somewhat comical.

The ministers lowered their heads, remaining motionless like statues.

"Get up, all of you," the Crown Prince said.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Everyone then got up.

The crown prince said in a childish voice, "My father is unwell and has temporarily entrusted me with the responsibility of overseeing the country. I am still a child and my knowledge is limited, so I will carefully follow my mother's teachings and the suggestions of my beloved ministers..."

He paused slightly as he spoke, his eyes showing a hint of panic.

Oh no, I can't quite remember the rest of the words...

At this moment, the Empress spoke up and said, "Although the Crown Prince is young, he is intelligent and eager to learn. He will surely be able to shoulder the great responsibility of governing the country in the future."

"Thank you, mother."

With the Empress's intervention, the Crown Prince breathed a sigh of relief and felt somewhat more at ease.

He looked at the assembled officials and said, "Just now, before I came in, I heard some noise in the hall. They must be discussing official business. Please continue, I would like to listen as well."

Xu Lin's eyes darted around, and he had a vague realization.

For so many years, the Crown Prince has never appeared in public, but now he suddenly appears in court to hear the case at this time. His purpose is self-evident!

They're definitely here for the Crown Prince!

"It seems that what happened at the Jiaofangsi has reached His Majesty's ears, and he knows that the Empress will favor Chen Mo, which is why he sent the Crown Prince to appear... partly to punish Chen Mo, and partly to warn the Empress!"

"After all, the Great Yuan Dynasty still belongs to the Chu family!"

Xu Lin, certain of his suspicions, strode forward and loudly proclaimed, "Your Highness, Chen Mo, the deputy commander of the Tianlin Guard, under the guise of investigating a case, publicly confronted the Prince Yu's heir with a sword! Such blatant acts of harming a member of the imperial family are utterly heinous!"

"We humbly request Your Highness to uphold justice and rectify the court!"

?

The crown prince was somewhat stunned upon hearing this.

"You mean, Chen Mo beat up Chu Heng?"

Although he had never met Chu Heng, he knew of his cousin's existence.

“That’s right!” Xu Lin cupped his hands and said, “Such a reckless villain should be dealt with severely as a warning to others!”

The Crown Prince turned to the Empress, "Mother, what do you think we should do about this?"

The Empress did not answer immediately, but said softly, "The Crown Prince may speak his mind."

The Crown Prince pondered for a moment, then asked, "How is the Heir Apparent now?"

Xu Lin said, "His Highness the Crown Prince is seriously injured and is currently recuperating at home."

"So you're not dead? I was thinking it was no big deal." The Crown Prince waved his hand dismissively, saying, "In my opinion, let's just let this matter rest."

"Forget it?"

Xu Lin wondered if there was something wrong with his ears.

The Crown Prince, in his youthful voice, said solemnly, "As far as I know, Chen Mo is exceptionally capable and has solved numerous major cases... As the saying goes, a talented person is like a piece of unpolished jade; though there may be minor flaws, they do not diminish his brilliance... If such a pillar of the state were to be destroyed, it would certainly not be a blessing for the nation..."

The Grand Tutor usually forced him to read "The Imperial Model" and "The Strategies of the State," but he would always doze off. The lectures went in one ear and out the other, and he remembered very little. This sentence was one of the few things he did remember...

I never expected it would come in handy today.

Xu Lin hurriedly said, "Your Highness, Chen Mo has indeed made contributions, but that is by no means a reason for him to act recklessly. If everyone were as arrogant as him, wouldn't the laws and regulations of the country be rendered meaningless?!"

"To commit such a serious crime and yet be treated so leniently is hardly convincing!"

"He should be imprisoned in the imperial prison first, awaiting trial by the three judicial authorities!"

The prince's delicate brows furrowed slightly.

Why is this person so annoying, always fixated on Chen Mo?

If you finally have a friend, but he's thrown into jail, who will come to play ball with you?

Which cookie are you?

"...Your humble servant, Xu Lin, Minister of the Court of Judicial Review."

The crown prince glanced around and asked, "Besides Xu Lin, who else is dissatisfied?"

There was complete silence below; no one answered.

Xu Lin had a bad feeling.

The Crown Prince crossed his arms and said irritably, "It seems only Lord Xu is dissatisfied... You asked for my opinion, but you wouldn't listen to me. Why don't you sit in this chair and listen to the government?"

Upon hearing these hurtful words, Xu Lin felt a chill run down his spine and hurriedly knelt on the ground.

"Your Majesty, I deserve to die! I beg your forgiveness!"

The prince tilted his head and asked, "So, how do you want to die?"

"Your humble servant..." Xu Lin's back was covered in cold sweat, which had soaked through his official robes.

"..."

Grandpa Jin pursed his lips, almost bursting out laughing.

Despite her extraordinary status, the empress still had to abide by the rules, and while she could check and balance the officials, she was also hampered by powerful ministers.

But the Crown Prince is different.

He was the legitimate heir to the throne, the crown prince, with the support of the Central Secretariat, and most importantly, he was only six years old…

Because of their status and age, they can do whatever they want!

Even if you were to defecate on the heads of these ministers, no one would dare utter a word of dissent!
"Cough cough."

The Empress cleared her throat and said, "Lord Xu was only trying to uphold the dignity of the law and acted impulsively. He had no other intentions. Your Highness, please don't blame him."

Seeing this, the Crown Prince did not press the matter further and said with a smile, "I was just joking, Lord Xu, please get up."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Xu Lin got up and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

Is this how you take a joke...?

That almost scared me to death!
The Empress tapped her fingers on the armrest and said calmly, "What the Crown Prince said earlier is reasonable. Talented people are hard to come by. We should focus on their major virtues rather than their minor faults... However, Chen Mo was indeed wrong this time, so he will be punished by having his salary reduced by one level and will not be allowed to be promoted for six months."

"At the same time, I order them to thoroughly investigate the case of the barbarian slaves and the Zhou family, to see if there are any oversights, and to give me an explanation within one month!"

"Your Highness, what do you think?"

The Crown Prince nodded and said, "What Your Majesty says makes sense, and I agree with it."

As long as it doesn't interfere with playing with the ball...

The Empress looked through the bamboo curtain at the court officials and asked, "Do any of you have any objections?"

"..."

The ministers of the six ministries looked at each other in bewilderment.

objection?

Who would dare to object?

Yan Peizhi, Feng Jinyu, Cui Hao, Xu Lin... none of these people who jumped out had a good ending.

They came here today to "encircle and annihilate" Chen Mo, but the situation developed in a way that was far beyond their expectations... Not only was Chen Mo safe and sound, but the Six Ministries were facing a thorough investigation, and the Yan and Cui families were also involved in a major case!

"For Chen Mo, a deduction of one level in salary is of no importance, and there are still more than half a year before the assessment, so the 'no promotion for half a year' is just empty talk."

"In the end, there was no real punishment whatsoever."

"Not only that, but we're also going to reopen these two cases and put Chen Mo in charge of the investigation. Who knows how many more people will be implicated then..."

Yan Peizhi clenched his fists secretly. "I know that Her Majesty the Empress favors Chen Mo, but why is the Crown Prince also so biased towards him? No matter what, Chu Heng is a member of the royal family..."

Not only Yan Peizhi, but everyone else was also baffled.

I thought the Crown Prince's sudden appearance at court today was to uphold justice, but I never expected him to be there to support Chen Mo.

This caused their brains to become somewhat overloaded...

It's not that I don't understand, it's just that the world is changing too fast!
……

……

The meeting is over.

As the officials walked out of the Golden Palace, the censors surrounded Chen Zhuo as if he were the moon surrounded by stars.

"As expected of Lord Chen, I was wondering why he seemed so calm and composed. It turns out he already had a plan in mind?"

"That was a killer move! Did you see Yan Peizhi's expression? His face almost turned green!"

"That Cui Hao and Xu Lin have jumped out more than once, so let's take this opportunity to suppress their arrogance!"

"Speaking of which, Lord Chen, where did you obtain this evidence?"

"And why would His Highness the Crown Prince speak up for us?"

Chen Zhuo remained expressionless and silent.

His image became increasingly mysterious and unfathomable in the eyes of others.

However, he himself was actually in a state of confusion.

When I first received the evidence yesterday, I thought it was sent by the Empress herself. But after looking at it carefully, I realized something was wrong... The level of detail regarding the routes the barbarians took to transport the goods, as well as the understanding of the corruption within the Six Ministries, could not have been obtained in just a year or two.

Furthermore, the Crown Prince's sudden appearance and inexplicable favoritism towards Chen Mo left him completely bewildered.

"When did this kid get involved with the Crown Prince?"

……

……

The officials of the six ministries moved slowly, and the atmosphere was extremely tense, a stark contrast to their usual morning court appearance.

They knew the Chen family wouldn't sit idly by and would definitely try to retaliate, but they didn't expect the counterattack to be so fierce!
Before anyone else could even speak, Chen Zhuo single-handedly defeated four opponents and routed the entire Six Ministries...

"Old Feng, what did you do?" Yan Peizhi asked, his face ashen. "Didn't Yang Lin and his side already have their testimonies reconciled? How could they suddenly turn against each other?"

Feng Jinyu glanced at him and said, "You're asking me? Who should I ask? Besides, I'd like to know how your son got involved in the barbarian slave case, and how he was caught red-handed?"

"Let's not talk about that good-for-nothing son."

Yan Peizhi's eyelids twitched, and he said in a deep voice, "I said from the beginning that something was wrong, but you insisted on encouraging me..."

"You've already come to breastfeed after the baby died, what's the point of saying all this hindsight now?" Feng Jinyu said irritably. "Even if you hadn't jumped out to bite Chen Mo today, do you think the Chen family would have let you off the hook?"

Instead of complaining about me, you should think about how to extricate yourself from this situation!

"You've got a stupid son like this, you're really unlucky in this life."

"you……"

Compared to the two who had become bitter enemies, Cui Hao and Xu Lin were pale-faced, staggering, and looked completely disoriented.

One of them might be involved in a rebellion, and the other has offended the crown prince; their lives are becoming increasingly uncertain...

"Now that the Crown Prince has participated in government affairs, it may not be long before he officially assumes the regency."

"Offending him at a time like this will likely lead to endless trouble later on..."

"No, I can't just sit here and wait to die."

Xu Lin raised his head, his gaze sweeping around before finally settling on that tall figure.

"Grand Tutor Lü!"

He rushed over to Lü Huaiyu's side, bowed, and said with a forced smile, "Grand Tutor Lü, I only misspoke in court just now, and I absolutely did not mean any disrespect to His Highness the Crown Prince..."

Lü Huaiyu looked straight ahead and listened without a word, as if he were nothing more than air.

Xu Lin looked embarrassed, but dared not say anything more and could only follow behind him step by step.

Suddenly, Lü Huaiyu's gaze paused, and a smile appeared on his face, which was as cold and indifferent as if carved by a knife and axe.

"Master Chen..."

?

Which Lord Chen?
Xu Lin looked up with some confusion, and his expression froze as he gazed at the tall figure standing outside Fengtian Gate.

"Chen... Chen Mo?!"

(End of this chapter)