I became the demon of the female devil

Chapter 231 Yu Youhan: Xu Qingyi, how dare you steal my man?!

Fengtian Gate.

Chen Mo stood in front of the Jinshui Bridge, looking at Fan Sijin who had no expression, his expression slightly awkward.

"Fan Sigui has misunderstood. I was just saying it casually that day, and I didn't expect the Crown Prince to take it to heart..."

"What is said without intention may be taken to heart by the listener."

Fan Sijin shook his head and said, "The Crown Prince rarely interacts with outsiders and is at the age when his curiosity is at its peak. The words and actions of those around him will have a profound impact on him. I hope that Lord Chen will be careful with his words and actions in the future."

Chen Mo understood what Fan Sigui meant.

To put it bluntly, it's hard to learn good things, but it's easy to learn bad things.

Although it's nothing for a prince like him to play ball, and he could even form a team in the palace, he's still too young. If he lays a bad foundation, it will be difficult to correct it later.

"Your Highness, don't blame me for not including you, it's just that your vocational school is not good enough for their university!"

A thought flashed through Chen Mo's mind, but he said seriously, "This matter was indeed ill-considered on my part. I hope Miss Fan will not blame me. I will explain it to the Crown Prince later and ask him not to... cough cough, not to play games with me..."

A barely perceptible blush crossed Fan Sijin's cheeks as she said calmly, "Then I'll have to trouble Lord Chen."

Then, as if remembering something, she hesitated for a moment before saying, "I can tell that His Highness the Crown Prince enjoys playing with you, but you'd better keep a certain distance, otherwise..."

Before he could finish speaking, a series of rapid footsteps approached.

Immediately afterwards, a slightly hoarse, deep voice rang out:

"Master Chen!"

The two looked up at the sound.

Officials dressed in various colored robes were walking towards the Jinshui Bridge.

At the very front stood a tall, elderly man who strode confidently toward Chen Mo, a wide smile spreading across his face. "If I'm not mistaken, this must be Lord Chen of the Tianlin Guard, right?"

Chen Mo frowned and said, "My lord is..."

Fan Sijin snapped out of her daze and hurriedly bowed, "Grand Tutor Lü!"

? !
Upon seeing the old man dressed in red, with a jade belt around his waist and a crane with outstretched wings embroidered on his chest, Chen Mo suddenly realized something and cupped his hands, saying, "This humble official greets Grand Tutor Lü!"

"No need for formalities." Grand Tutor Lü reached out and helped him up, looked him up and down, nodded with satisfaction, and said, "I have long heard that Lord Chen is a man of great talent and appearance. Now that I have met him, I can confirm that the rumors are true."

"Grand Tutor, you flatter me."

Chen Mo was also secretly observing this rumored pillar of the nation.

The old man was nearly two meters tall, a head taller than him.

His crimson official robes were stretched high by his burly figure, his white beard was like steel needles, his features were sharp as if carved by a knife and axe, and his pale yellow eyes seemed to be able to pierce through people, giving him the feeling of a ruthless and domineering figure with the gaze of an eagle and the look of a wolf.

Even though he puts on a friendly facade now, the aura he exudes from his long-held high position still makes it hard for people to breathe.

Chen Mo frowned slightly. He possessed dragon energy, and in terms of sheer pressure, he was even stronger than the Empress, who was protected by the Imperial Seal. Yet, in front of Lü Huaiyu, he felt a faint sense of oppression, as if he were being looked down upon by a superior...

“The situation in the capital has been far from peaceful in recent months.”

"Lord Chen has solved numerous major cases and turned the tide; he is truly a formidable young man!"

Lü Huaiyu exclaimed in admiration, raising his hand to pat Chen Mo on the shoulder.

The large hand was like a fan, with wide knuckles and a rough palm. The force was so strong that it made Chen Mo's skin hurt a little.

Seeing that the other party's expression was normal, it shouldn't be a test or a warning...

Is it simply because he is strong?

"Are you sure this is a civil servant?"

"To rise to the position of Grand Tutor, did you rely solely on force to subdue people?"

Chen Mo muttered to himself.

The courtiers behind him were filled with shock and astonishment upon witnessing this scene.

Yan Peizhi, Xu Lin, and others stood there dumbfounded, their eyes filled with disbelief.

The Yuan Dynasty's political structure was quite complex. Although the Six Ministries held real power, they were actually just executive bodies, while the Central Secretariat was the real decision-making body, directly responsible to the emperor.

Although power was distributed considerably after the establishment of the cabinet, the status of the Secretariat remained unshakable as long as Lü Huaiyu was in charge.

He was second only to the emperor, above all others, truly the pinnacle of a minister's position!

As long as it doesn't involve the foundation of the nation, Lü Huaiyu doesn't care about the so-called factional struggles at all. In his eyes, they are just minor squabbles... But now, why is he showing such closeness to a mere deputy commander?
And at this sensitive time?

Recalling the Crown Prince's attitude just now, the ministers of the Six Ministries felt their throats go dry and a chill ran down their spines.

"wrong……"

"It's wrong in ten out of ten, or even nine out of ten!"

……

……

"Lord Lü, you flatter me. It is merely my duty."

Faced with Lü Huaiyu's praise, Chen Mo behaved very modestly.

The other party did not mention the crown prince at all, seemingly indifferent to it, but there was a hint of eagerness in their eyes.

"Lord Chen, there's no need for such modesty. With your abilities, you're destined to become a pillar of our Great Yuan Dynasty. Your future is bright..." Lü Huaiyu patted Chen Mo's shoulder and said with a smile.

Chen Mo felt a chill run down his spine.

Something's not right with this guy. Is he trying to mess with me?

Just then, another old man dressed in a red robe and wearing a seven-beam crown approached and said in a clear voice, "Grand Tutor Lü seems to be in a good mood?"

It was none other than the Grand Secretary Zhuang Jingming.

The hunched-over Lü Bojun followed behind him, smiling as he said, "Heroes have always emerged from among the young. Lord Chen's reputation has been quite renowned lately. It seems that Grand Tutor Lü has also taken a liking to talent."

Lu Huaiyu's smile quickly faded, and he said to Chen Mo meaningfully, "Sometimes, choice is more important than effort. If you take the wrong path, it's like white sand sinking into mud. Even if you have the quality of a piece of jade, you will gradually be stained with dust... You can come to Lu's residence for a drink sometime."

After saying that, he turned and left without ever glancing at the two of them.

Zhuang Jingming stared at the tall figure, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

She then turned to look at Chen Mo, her deep, pool-like eyes scrutinizing him as if trying to ascertain something.

Lu Bojun was as enthusiastic as ever, "Lord Chen, we meet again..."

The jaws of the courtiers behind them nearly dropped to the floor.

The Grand Secretary, the Grand Secretary, the Minister of Revenue... high-ranking officials of the first and second ranks were actually lining up to speak to Chen Mo, and even Chen Zhuo couldn't get a word in edgewise?!
Isn't that a bit too outrageous?

Yan Peizhi and Feng Jinyu exchanged a glance, their hearts filled with horror.

At this moment, they finally realized that they had completely misjudged the situation!

Chen Mo has never been affiliated with any political party, nor has he been backed by the imperial concubine or empress; rather, he has been supported by the imperial power!

It is a huge mistake to treat him as an object of partisan struggle!

"We need to distinguish between Chen Mo and the Chen family. This guy's background is far more complex than we think!"

"No wonder he was so fearless, and even His Highness the Crown Prince publicly defended him. It turns out he has His Majesty backing him up!"

"The court is in chaos right now, and the Crown Prince is still young. Once he ascends the throne, he will surely need to build his own faction to eliminate the deep-seated problems... So, is Chen Mo the minister His Majesty has chosen to support the new emperor?"

This is the only plausible explanation.

The group quickly grasped the crux of the matter, and their expressions became even more grim.

After all that trouble, he gained nothing, offended the Empress, and left a bad impression on His Majesty... He really shot himself in the foot!

……

……

Chen Mo exchanged a few pleasantries with Zhuang Jingming and Lü Bojun before watching them leave.

As soon as he turned around, he saw a group of people staring intently at him, their eyes seemingly glowing green.

"Lord Chen, I've heard so much about you!"

Cui Hao strode forward, his smile radiant, like a blooming chrysanthemum.

Seeing Cui Hao's shamelessness, the other ministers couldn't stand it any longer and gathered around. The ones who had been shouting the loudest in the court just now were now all smiles, each one more obsequious than the last.

"Lord Chen is truly a man of imposing stature and extraordinary demeanor..."

"One should have a son like Chen Jinyan said; this is indeed true."

"Lord Chen is not afraid of powerful figures and enforces the law with unwavering integrity, which truly makes us ashamed."

Chen Mo was somewhat bewildered by this barrage of compliments.

Judging from their official robes, these should all be people from the Six Ministries, who are also considered political enemies of the Chen family... Who arranged for these old men to be transferred like this?
He looked at Chen Zhuo from afar, silently asking, "What's going on?"

Chen Zhuo looked completely bewildered and shrugged, "I don't know..."

Feng Jinyu glanced at Chen Mo, who was surrounded by officials not far away, and said in a low voice, "Old Yan, why don't you go up and lick him a couple of times? Chen Mo is in charge of investigating the barbarian slave case. If he really finds out something, it won't be good for you."

Yan Peizhi's face was somewhat gloomy.

He knew in his heart that Feng Jinyu was right, but his conflict with the Chen family was the deepest among them, and Chen Zhuo was watching from the sidelines. He just couldn't bring himself to do it...

"Hmph, a clear conscience fears no accusation!"

Yan Peizhi scoffed disdainfully, "These guys are sycophants, shameless and obsequious, they have no integrity whatsoever as scholars!"

Feng Jinyu's expression was somewhat strange, and she reached out and tapped his head.

Yan Peizhi frowned and asked, "What are you doing?"

Feng Jinyu shook her head and said, "I want to see how tough your scalp is... I hope that when Chen Mo comes to raid your home, you can still maintain this scholarly integrity."

Yan Peizhi: "..."

Before he could retort, Feng Jinyu rubbed her cheeks, quickly adjusted her stiff expression, and smiled, revealing eight teeth. She jogged over to Chen Mo and squeezed her way to him. "Lord Chen, may I have a word with you?"

"You surnamed Feng, your mother..."

Yan Peizhi's forehead veins throbbed violently.

This guy initially instigated him to deal with Chen Mo, but now that he's realized things are going wrong, he's suddenly become incredibly obsequious...

This is utterly shameless!
At this moment, Chen Zhuo walked to his side, put his hands behind his back, and casually added, "Lord Yan really has a good son! You and Vice Minister Zhou must often exchange parenting tips, right?"

"..."

Yan Peizhi's chest heaved, knowing that the situation was beyond his control. He tried to suppress his anger, said nothing, and turned to leave with a flick of his sleeve.

Chen Zhu shook his head and sneered.

Yan Peizhi and Zhou Chuanbing were both veteran officials in the court. They had been in and out of office for many years, but they remained as steady as Mount Tai. However, they both stumbled because of their sons.

"His filial piety was as loud as thunder."

"If we're talking about power and connections, as a censor, I am indeed somewhat inferior to the Six Ministries... But you insist on comparing your son with me, it's like an old lady crawling into bed, making me laugh..."

"But speaking of which, how did this kid get involved with the Crown Prince?"

"I always have a feeling he's done something terrible behind my back..."

……

……

After finally managing to get rid of all the ministers who were trying to curry favor with him, Chen Mo wiped the sweat from his brow. "Strange..."

"I've already beaten the Crown Prince into a pulp. Logically, these court officials should make a big deal out of it and keep pressing him. But why does it feel like something's off?"

At this moment, two figures emerged from the Golden Palace.

The empress, dressed in a bright yellow phoenix robe, was dignified and radiant, holding the hand of a beautifully sculpted little boy.

The Crown Prince spotted Chen Mo from afar and waved excitedly, "Chen Mo, come here!"

Chen Mo stepped forward, bowed, and said, "This humble servant greets Your Majesty the Empress and Your Highness the Crown Prince."

"No gift."

The Empress said calmly.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Chen Mo straightened up, hesitated slightly, and asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, was there any trouble at court today?"

"What do you say?"

The empress glared at him.

It's not just a mess, it's complete chaos!
Until Yang Lin and Yu Yu appeared, everything was still under her control.

But as Chen Zhuo produced a series of incriminating evidence, coupled with the Crown Prince's sudden appearance, the situation gradually became outrageous...

The Crown Prince tilted his little face up and said smugly, "Don't worry, with me here, no one can touch you... That Xu guy even wanted to throw you into the imperial prison, but I almost scared him to death with just one sentence."

"..."

Chen Mo's lips twitched slightly, and he cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you, Your Highness."

The Crown Prince waved his hand and said, "It's nothing. As long as you play ball with me, I will naturally protect you."

Seeing how familiar the two seemed, the Empress frowned slightly and asked with some curiosity, "Is Chen Mo's ball skill very good?"

Chen Mo felt a chill run down his spine, realizing something was wrong. He tried to speak to stop them, but it was too late.

The Crown Prince nodded and said in a serious tone, "Last night, Chen Mo and that Xu, the Director of the Imperial Secretariat, played all night, but refused to take me with them... Fan Sigui insisted that I was too young to play..."

Empress: ?
Did you play ball with Xu Sizheng all night?
Something doesn't quite sound right about that...

The crown prince blinked and said, "If Mother doesn't believe me, why don't you let Chen Mo play with you? He once said that the more beautiful a woman is, the more fun the ball is to play with."

Queen:? ? ?
After she realized what was happening, her eyelids twitched, and she glared at Chen Mo with murderous intent.

"Chen! Mo!!"

"What exactly did you say to him?!"

Chen Mo hung his head, not daring to meet her gaze.

Child, I've already played with your mother's ball long ago...

……

……

In front of the palace gate.

A sedan chair carried by eight men was parked on the side of the street.

The entire piece is crafted from golden nanmu ebony, with a brown brocade covering the surface, embroidered with cranes spreading their wings, exuding understated luxury and elegance.

Lü Huaiyu walked out of the palace gate and came closer.

A servant reached out and opened the sedan chair door. Lü Huaiyu bowed slightly and stepped into the sedan chair.

The interior of the sedan chair was extremely spacious, with benches on both sides and a carved wooden table in the middle, on which tea sets, incense burners, and writing implements were placed.

Lu Huaiyu sat in a chair when a servant's voice came from outside: "Master, shall we set off back to the manor now?"

"No rush," Lü Huaiyu said calmly. He picked up the teapot and leisurely began brewing tea, as if he were waiting for someone.

About half an incense stick later.

The slightly noisy sounds outside suddenly fell silent, and then the light inside the sedan chair dimmed, as if it were isolated from the world.

A deep shadow squeezed in through the crack in the sedan window, flowing like thick ink, gradually gathering into a blurry human shape on the opposite chair.

"You saw it?" the shadowy figure asked bluntly.

Lü Huaiyu nodded and said, "I saw him."

"How is it?" the shadowy figure asked, leaning forward slightly.

Lu Huaiyu looked down at his palm and nodded, saying, "Superior."

The man was surrounded by swirling shadows, and seemed to be experiencing some emotional turmoil.

He then asked again, "What about the Crown Prince? How is he?"

"Everything is normal." Lü Huaiyu's eyes were slightly closed, a strange emotion hidden in his pale yellow eyes. "The Crown Prince seems to enjoy being around him. Since that's the case, let him be. There's no need to deliberately stop him, anyway..."

Lu Huaiyu paused, then stopped speaking.

The man in shadow nodded and then asked, "What about the Queen?"

Lu Huaiyu chuckled softly, his hoarse voice tinged with a hint of mockery, "Everything is as agreed. The Jiang family has gotten what they wanted, and what happens next is none of my business..."

The shadowy figure didn't say anything more.

His body collapsed like quicksand and vanished quickly. The light inside the sedan chair returned to normal, and the noise of the street flooded in again.

Lü Huaiyu leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes to rest, tapped his fingers rhythmically on the armrest, and hummed an unknown tune softly.

"Blood-written edicts and cinnabar inscriptions, false achievements; dragon robes and jade seals wrapped in corpses and worms; all the glory of the past is but dust; the bright moon still shines on the cold palace..."

"Hey...hehe..."

……

……

Hanxiao Palace.

Incense filled the main hall. Yu Youhan leaned lazily against the chaise lounge and asked, "Is the court session over?"

Xu Qingyi lowered her head and said, "Your Majesty, it's over. Lord Chen sent word that the Crown Prince suddenly took charge of the court and forcibly protected Chen Mo. He also wants to reinvestigate the cases of the barbarians and the Zhou family. The Six Ministries suffered heavy losses this time."

"Prince?"

Yu Youhan raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, "Why would he suddenly attend court at this critical juncture?"

Xu Qingyi shook her head and said, "This servant is not sure either, but the Crown Prince and Chen Mo seem to have a pretty good relationship... Also, according to what Lord Chen Zhuo said, the Yu Prince's Mansion has not made any moves this time, as if nothing happened."

"Furthermore, he received a series of relevant evidence before attending court, which had already been recorded in the jade slip."

As she spoke, Xu Qingyi presented a piece of jade.

Yu Youhan reached out and took it, immersing his consciousness into it, his brows furrowing even more deeply.

"Who gave this to him?"

"Lord Chen didn't know, he only said it was sent from the palace."

"In the palace..."

Yu Youhan's eyes flickered, as if she were deep in thought.

After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Where is Chen Mo now?"

Xu Qingyi replied, "This morning when we left the Yeting Palace, we met the Crown Prince at Cangzhen Gate. Chen Mo was dragged by the Crown Prince to court."

"Oh?" Yu Youhan glanced at her with her blue eyes and said indifferently, "You two left the Yeting Palace together? So, Chen Mo was with you all night?"

? !
Oops, I let it slip!
However, such things could not be kept from the Empress's ears and eyes.

Xu Qingyi gripped the hem of her skirt tightly with her slender fingers and whispered, "Lord Chen said he had nowhere to sleep... so... he stayed at my place for the night... but nothing happened between us..."

"is it?"

Yu Youhan sneered and said, "You mean, you two, a man and a woman, were alone in a room, did nothing, and just sat there staring at each other all night? Do you think I don't know what you're thinking?"

Xu Qingyi's face flushed slightly, and she stammered, "Really, really! Lord Chen was writing all night, and I was watching him..."

Yu Youhan was taken aback. "Write a book? What kind of book?"

To prove the truth of her words, Xu Qingyi took out a stack of Xuan paper from her bosom and handed it to Yu Youhan, saying, "This is the novel written by Lord Chen, called 'The Plum in the Silver Vase'."

"Really?"

Yu Youhan took it with some skepticism, glanced through it briefly, and then her gaze gradually settled on it.

This story is completely different from those popular on the market. It has no flowery language or mournful emotions. The story is told in a straightforward manner, but it is captivating and you will be immersed in it without realizing it.

She finished reading all five chapters in no time, and even felt a little unsatisfied.

"Was this really written by Chen Mo?" Yu Youhan asked.

“Absolutely true.” Xu Qingyi nodded.

Yu Youhan's expression softened a bit. She put away the Xuan paper and said, "You're honest enough. The plot of this manuscript is somewhat indecent and should not be circulated in the palace. I will keep it for you for the time being."

"Yes."

Xu Qingyi breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Anyway, she had already transcribed the contents last night, so it didn't matter if the manuscript was given to the Empress.

If the Empress finds out that she slept with Chen Mo last night and even had her bottom pinched... that would be terrible!

Yu Youhan cleared her throat and said, "I must remind you to be mindful of your status. As the Director of the Palace, you should consciously keep your distance from foreign officials... Don't read too many erotic novels and ruin your brain."

Xu Qingyi's face flushed slightly, and she whispered, "Your Majesty, rest assured, my relationship with Lord Chen is completely innocent, and there has been absolutely no transgression."

Yu Youhan nodded in satisfaction, "That's good."

dong dong dong-

At that moment, there was a knock on the palace door.

A palace servant entered and bowed, saying:
"Your Majesty, the people from the Imperial Household Department have arrived. They say they have something to discuss with Director Xu."

"Looking for me?"

Xu Qingyi had a bad feeling.

Yu Youhan nodded and said, "Let him in."

A moment later, a young eunuch dressed in a black-sleeved shirt entered, bowed, and said, "This servant, the head of the Ceremonial Office, greets Your Highness the Imperial Noble Consort."

"No need for formalities," Yu Youhan said calmly. "What business do you have with Qingyi?"

The young eunuch straightened up, looked at Xu Qingyi, and said in a clear voice, "This servant is here on the orders of the Crown Prince to inform you that the Crown Prince has bestowed you upon Lord Chen of the Tianlin Guard. You may go to the Imperial Household Department at any time to hand over your duties and be relieved of your status as a palace servant."

"By the way, the Crown Prince specifically instructed that if you wish to have a marriage bestowed upon you, you can inform him in advance..."

The eunuch's voice grew weaker and weaker, and the intense pressure almost froze the air.

"Marriage?"

Yu Youhan stared at Xu Qingyi with a sharp gaze, and said in a chilling tone, "Xu Sizheng, is this what you call 'pure and innocent'?"

Xu Qingyi hurriedly knelt on the ground, "Your Majesty, please let me explain!"

(End of this chapter)