I became the demon of the female devil

Chapter 232 The Empress Knows Everything! The Empress's Right-Hand Man! (Thanks to the Ailing Alliance Leader)

"I, I shall take my leave now."

The terrifying pressure made the little eunuch tremble. After delivering the message, he didn't dare to linger for a moment and hurriedly left Hanxiao Palace.

Yu Youhan sat up straight on the chaise lounge, her emerald-like eyes fixed on Xu Qingyi, her tone sharp and chilling:

"I underestimated you. You really do have some tricks up your sleeve, managing to get the Crown Prince to bestow a marriage upon you?"

"Ha, you say you're completely innocent, but you're already preparing to leave the palace... Should I call you Director Xu or Madam Chen?!"

Yu Youhan was genuinely angry.

She had known about Xu Qingyi's feelings for Chen Mo for a long time, but she only regarded it as a girl's budding feelings and didn't take it too seriously... After all, compared to Chen Mo's female confidantes, the aloof Xu Qingyi was probably the safest.

But to her utter surprise, this girl gave her such a big "surprise"!
"Defend day and night, it's hard to guard against house thieves!"

"I blocked the Shen and Lin families, but my own home was raided by the people around me!"

Looking at this trusted confidant whom she had carefully cultivated, Yu Youhan felt a tightness in her chest, and her expression grew even colder.

"Your Majesty, you've misunderstood..."

Xu Qingyi knelt on the ground, her voice trembling slightly.

"The Crown Prince has already issued an edict, yet you're still being stubborn?" Yu Youhan raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Fine, then tell me, where have I misunderstood you?"

"The thing is like this..."

Xu Qingyi recounted in detail how the two of them met the Crown Prince at Cangzhen Gate, as if pouring beans from a bamboo tube.

Yu Youhan was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and hesitated before asking, "You mean, Chen Mo helped the Crown Prince retrieve a ball, and the Crown Prince rewarded him with you?"

Xu Qingyi nodded. "That's right."

"..."

Yu Youhan remained silent for a moment.

Xu Qingyi wouldn't lie about such things, and given the Crown Prince's childish nature, he was indeed capable of doing such a thing.

"I never expected such an absurd reason?"

Xu Qingyi said in a low voice, "So, as I said, this is really a misunderstanding. The imperial edict has the Crown Prince's seal on it, and I can't disobey orders in public."

Yu Youhan glanced at her and said indifferently, "Stop pretending to be innocent after getting the benefit. You seem helpless on the surface, but you're secretly pleased inside. Do you think I can't see through you?"

"..."

Xu Qingyi's face flushed slightly, her eyes darting around, "This servant didn't..."

Yu Youhan extended her fair hand and gently beckoned.

Xu Qingyi's body was lifted into the air uncontrollably and hovered in front of her.

Her slender, jade-like fingers gently caressed her delicate face, her eyes like bottomless pools, and her lips parted slightly: "Last night, besides writing stories, you two really didn't do anything else?"

Faced with that undisguised, overwhelming pressure, Xu Qingyi felt as if her heart was being clenched by a giant hand, making it difficult to breathe. She involuntarily blurted out the truth:

"At first we were indeed writing a book, but then we accidentally ended up sleeping together, and...and..."

"What else did you do?" Yu Youhan pressed.

Xu Qingyi bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes, and choked out, "This servant had her bottom pinched, and Lord Chen even pulled down my panties, it's so embarrassing... Waaah..."

"..."

Yu Youhan's lips twitched slightly.

She knew that with Chen Mo's audacious nature, he dared to make liberties with her even in front of the Empress... Now that he had the Crown Prince's decree, he had a legitimate reason to do so, so how could he possibly let go of Xu Qingyi, who had come to him for his own good?
However, it is clear that Xu Qingyi's primordial yin energy has not dissipated.

The two of them were at least somewhat sensible.

Seeing Xiao Si's tearful face, Yu Youhan felt that her reaction might have been a bit too much...

She put Xu Qingyi down from the air, her tone softening slightly, and said, "I didn't mean anything by asking you to keep your distance from Chen Mo... After all, he has a special status, and many eyes in the court are watching him. And you are my confidante, so you still have to be careful sometimes."

Xu Qingyi rubbed her reddened eyes and lowered her head, saying, "This servant understands."

"But then again..."

"The Crown Prince hasn't left Linqing Palace for so many years, and yet, by sheer coincidence, Chen Mo bumped into him?"

"Moreover, at this critical juncture, to hold a grand court hearing and publicly favor Chen Mo... this seems rather strange no matter how you look at it."

Yu Youhan narrowed her eyes and pondered.

When the matter was brought up, Xu Qingyi quickly composed herself and said, "The Crown Prince is indeed too close to Chen Mo. Could it be the Empress's arrangement?"

Yu Youhan shook her head. "The Crown Prince and the Empress have no contact on a regular basis. Moreover, it is impossible for the Empress to hand over the evidence of the Six Ministers' crimes to Chen Zhuo. There is obviously someone else behind this matter."

Xu Qingyi seemed to realize something, her expression filled with surprise and doubt, "Your Majesty means...?"

Yu Youhan snorted and said, "It's obvious that Wu Lie is plotting something, and it's very likely related to Chen Mo... Keep a close eye on everyone in the palace during this time, especially Qianji Palace. Report any unusual activity immediately."

"Yes."

Xu Qingyi responded.

Yu Youhan crossed her long legs, the tight skirt outlining her graceful curves, her fingertips swirling with a pale blue light, and a fierce killing intent flashing in her eyes.

"Since your lifespan is coming to an end, you might as well just die peacefully. Why bother with a futile struggle?"

……

……

The imperial palace, the outer court.

The Empress did not return to the palace in a palanquin, but instead walked with Chen Mo and the Crown Prince towards the inner court.

The Empress and Chen Mo walked side by side, while the Crown Prince ran around them, occasionally letting out a burst of clear laughter.

The other palace maids followed at a distance.

Looking at the scene ahead, Fan Sijin inexplicably felt a sense of déjà vu, as if she were seeing a family of three.

He then shook his head vigorously and gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"What am I thinking..."

"However, it has been a long time since I have seen His Highness the Crown Prince so happy."

At this moment, Lady Sun, who was standing to the side, spoke up: "Lady Fan, there is something I am very curious about. I don't know if I should ask."

Fan Sijin snapped out of her daze and said, "Please speak freely, Your Excellency."

After a moment's consideration, Lady Sun asked, "It seems that His Highness the Crown Prince has a very good relationship with Chen Mo?"

Fan Sigui looked slightly puzzled and replied, "Actually, I also find it a bit strange. They've only met twice in total, yet the Crown Prince is exceptionally close to Chen Mo, and even after returning to the palace, he keeps talking about him..."

A strange look flashed across Sun Shanggong's eyes, as if she had thought of something.

After walking several dozen steps, Fan Sigui said seemingly casually, "In all these years, no minister has ever been able to enter the East and West Six Palaces. It seems that Her Majesty the Empress really favors Minister Chen."

Within the inner palace, apart from Zhaohua Palace, which was used for handling government affairs, most of the other palaces were inhabited by imperial concubines and were considered forbidden areas of the imperial palace.

The presence of foreign officials here is a serious violation of etiquette.

Sun Shanggong said calmly, "Chen Mo concurrently serves as the Imperial Guard General, and is responsible for patrolling and guarding the palace. Moreover, given his abilities, it is normal for Her Majesty the Empress to appreciate his talent."

Fan Sigui nodded and said, "What the Palace Attendant said makes sense."

The atmosphere fell silent again, and the two followed quietly behind, as if they had just been chatting casually.

But what they are really thinking is something only they know.

……

……

"Mother, that tree looks very special. I've never seen it in Linqing Palace before."

"That bird flies so high, Mother. Will I be able to fly that high when I grow up? I really want to go outside the palace walls and see it."

"Wow, this yard is so spacious, it looks perfect for playing football..."

The prince chattered incessantly the whole way.

The Empress responded intermittently, appearing somewhat distracted.

After a while, I suddenly felt that the atmosphere was a bit quiet. I turned my head and saw the Crown Prince standing there with his head hanging down, as if he had made a mistake.

"What's wrong?" the Empress asked, puzzled.

The Crown Prince stared down at his toes, his fingers twirling together, and murmured, "Why is Mother ignoring me? Did I say something wrong in court and anger Mother?"

The Empress shook her head and said, "I was just thinking about something..."

Seeing the Crown Prince's low spirits, the Empress bent down, patted his shoulder, and praised him, "Your performance in the Golden Palace was excellent. I've long disliked those ministers."

"Really?" The crown prince was still somewhat skeptical.

The Empress said earnestly, "Of course it's true. Why would I lie to you?"

"That's good." The Crown Prince breathed a sigh of relief, his expression quickly brightening as he smiled broadly. "At first, when Grand Tutor Lü asked me to attend court, I was a little apprehensive, but now it doesn't seem so scary after all..."

Hearing this, the Empress's heart stirred slightly, and she asked, "What else did Grand Tutor Lü say to you?" The Crown Prince tilted his head and thought for a moment, then said, "Nothing much. Grand Tutor Lü just told me to speak freely and say whatever I wanted, and that since Mother is here, I don't need to worry too much."

The Empress frowned slightly and asked again, "Then why did you decide to help Chen Mo?"

The Crown Prince replied matter-of-factly, "Chen Mo is my friend. Who else should I help if not him? Besides, I don't like the smell of those ministers, but Chen Mo is different..."

The Empress asked curiously, "What smell does Chen Mo have?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it," the Crown Prince said, biting his finger and pondering for a moment. "Anyway, it feels very familiar, and I want to be close to him... Hmm, he's a bit like Father, but not exactly the same..."

Chen Mo was stunned for a moment.

He also found it rather strange. They had only met twice, yet the Crown Prince seemed overly dependent on him… He had initially thought it was because the palace was too lonely and he lacked friends, but now it seemed that wasn't the whole story…

"The Crown Prince can sense the dragon's aura, which is why he feels that I have something in common with the Emperor?"

Chen Mo thought to himself.

There is probably no other explanation.

The Empress frowned slightly and said, "Do you remember what happened when you first met Chen Mo?"

"I remember." The Crown Prince nodded and said, "That day, Grand Tutor Lü didn't give a lesson. He said he would play football with me, but he accidentally kicked the ball over the wall. When I ran out to retrieve the ball, I happened to run into Chen Mo..."

The Empress and Chen Mo exchanged a knowing glance.

There are hardly any coincidences in this world; most things are done intentionally.

Unaware of what the two were thinking, the Crown Prince blinked his bright black eyes and said expectantly, "Mother, shall we play ball together later? You and Chen Mo can be on one team, and I can be on the other with Fan Sigui. Let's see who's better at ball!"

"..."

Chen Mo silently lowered his head.

The Empress glared at him, cleared her throat, and said, "I have official business to attend to today. How about we do it another day... cough cough, another day?"

The crown prince pouted and said softly, "But Mother hasn't visited me for so long, I don't know when we'll see each other again..."

Seeing his pitiful appearance, the Empress hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "Today was indeed a busy day. If I have time in the future, I will visit you at Linqing Palace."

"Okay, it's a deal."

The prince sensibly responded and did not press the matter further.

Arriving at the East Road of the Inner Court, the Crown Prince stood in front of the Cangzhen Gate, looking at the two with reluctance.

Even as Fan Sijin picked him up and carried him through the gate, he kept waving at them, his childish voice audible from afar: "Goodbye, Mother... Chen Mo, remember to come visit me, okay..."

After watching the Crown Prince leave, the Empress had a complicated expression but didn't say anything more.

The two walked along the palace road through the many halls and returned to the Yangxin Palace. As soon as they entered the main hall, the palace maids quickly came to greet them.

"Your Highness, let me help you change your clothes."

"Ah."

The Empress said to Chen Mo, "Go and sit in the inner palace first. I will come over shortly."

"Yes."

Chen Mo entered the inner hall and sat on a carved nanmu armchair.

A moment later, Jinshu came forward with a teacup and placed it on the small table beside her. "Lord Chen, please have some tea."

Chen Mo nodded and said, "Thank you, Sister Jinshu."

Jinshu blushed slightly and said shyly, "Lord Chen, please don't tease me."

"We've known each other for a while now. I'm a few years older than you, so it wouldn't be inappropriate for me to call you 'sister'." Chen Mo picked up her teacup, skimmed the foam with the lid, took a small sip, and casually asked, "By the way, you've been in the palace for many years. How much do you know about Fan Sigui of Linqing Palace?"

Jinshu asked curiously, "Why would Lord Chen suddenly ask about this?"

Chen Mo put down his teacup and said, "I just happened to run into the Crown Prince and we chatted for a bit. It seemed like the Crown Prince listened to that Lady Fan a lot..."

Jinshu nodded and said, "Don't let Fan Sigui's young age fool you; she's a veteran in the palace. She used to be Empress Xu's personal maid... After Empress Xu passed away, everyone around her was dismissed from the palace, but Fan Sigui stayed and even became an official in the Eastern Palace. Naturally, she has some skills..."

"So you were one of Empress Xu's people?"

Chen Mo's eyes flickered slightly, as if he were deep in thought.

Jinshu asked, "Does Lord Chen have anything else to discuss?"

Chen Mo smiled and said, "That's all. I was just asking casually. Jinshu, go ahead and get busy."

"Um……"

Jinshu responded softly and then turned and left.

Step, step, step——

Just then, footsteps sounded, and a graceful figure emerged from behind the glass screen.

The Empress had changed out of her ceremonial robes and elaborate headdresses, and put on a light and thin gauze dress that perfectly accentuated her graceful figure. Her long, black hair was casually styled into a bun, adorned with a gold and jade ruyi hairpin, revealing her swan-like long neck and giving her a pure and unadorned appearance.

She seemed to transform instantly from a noble and dignified empress into a kind and approachable older sister next door.

"Sister Jinshu?"

The Empress glanced at him sideways and sneered, "You call me that so affectionately. Do you feel restless if you don't flirt with a girl for a moment?"

Seeing that no one was around, Chen Mo reached out and put his arm around her slender waist, pulling her into his arms. He smiled and said, "Your Highness, are you jealous? Hmm? My little sister Chan'er~"

"..."

The Empress's oval face flushed, and her neck felt a little numb. She said, embarrassed and annoyed, "Are you trying to kill me? What are you yelling about? You have no manners... I am much older than you. You should call me 'elder sister'!"

Chen Mo tightened his arms around her, feeling the delicate and supple body in his embrace, and said softly, "In my eyes, Your Highness will always be in your prime, how can you be old?"

"Pah, you're talking nonsense again..."

The empress spat, but did not push him away.

The two embraced quietly, the atmosphere in the hall was so peaceful that it seemed as if they could hear each other's heartbeats.

Chen Mo looked at her slightly furrowed brows and asked, "Is Your Highness troubled by something?"

The Empress was silent for a moment, then sighed softly, "I was thinking about the Crown Prince... Over the years, I have rarely gone to Linqing Palace, precisely because I do not want to involve the Crown Prince."

"But it seems that nothing has changed now..."

Although she and the Crown Prince were not related by blood, how could she not be moved when she heard him call her "Mother"?
Chen Mo understood her feelings and said in a deep voice, "Although the Crown Prince is young, it's not like he's not even allowed to leave the Eastern Palace. It feels more like house arrest than protection... What exactly is His Majesty worried about?"

The Empress shook her head and said, "The Emperor's thoughts are not something ordinary people can see through... but what is certain is that he will never be willing to die on the dragon bed like this, and he must be plotting something in secret."

“Lu Huaiyu’s purpose in using the Crown Prince to get close to you this time is obviously not pure. It may be related to the dragon’s aura. You’d better be careful.”

Thinking of the Grand Tutor, whose physique was even more imposing than that of a military general, Chen Mo couldn't help but frown.

Lü Huaiyu's life can be described as legendary.

Born into a poor family, he entered officialdom through the imperial examinations, fighting his way up from the county level to the capital, where he won the top rank in the palace examination and was appointed as the principal of the Secretariat.

Then he quickly showed his talent and rose through the ranks, becoming a secretary, a clerk, a vice minister, and so on. He climbed the ranks by stepping on his colleagues and in less than ten years, he sat in the top seat of the Secretariat!

Despite having the emperor's support, his ruthless methods were also a contributing factor.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they crawled out from a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood!

“Lu Huaiyu was a staunch royalist, and his actions, to some extent, represented the emperor’s will.”

The Empress's phoenix eyes were deep, and her tone was heavy. "I sent someone to find Yang Lin in advance and made him change his testimony in court. I also had Zhuang Jingming mediate between us. I was at least 90% sure that you would be exonerated... I didn't expect Lü Huaiyu to push the Crown Prince out."

"What exactly does he... or rather the emperor want to do?"

Seeing the Empress's solemn expression, Chen Mo smiled and said, "Your Highness is so biased towards me, aren't you afraid of what the court officials will say?"

The Empress rolled her eyes at him and said irritably, "Isn't it all because of your recklessness? You were lucky this time that the Prince Yu's mansion didn't jump out, otherwise it wouldn't have been so easy to get away with it... Think before you act in the future, and don't keep causing me trouble."

Chen Mo's attack on Chu Heng was not an impulsive act.

He already possesses the Flying Phoenix Token, which can exempt him from the death penalty. Even if he is demoted, with the Empress as his backer, he can be promoted back sooner or later.

If we could kill Chu Heng, it would save us a lot of trouble.

It's definitely a great deal.

But he understood the Empress's good intentions and said solemnly, "This humble servant will remember Your Highness's teachings and will certainly act prudently in the future."

The Empress snorted and said, "Stop trying to fool me with these pretty words. Tell me in detail what you plan to do."

Chen Mo pondered for a moment, then said solemnly, "This humble servant believes that we should focus on two key points to overcome the difficult obstacles... Only by working diligently day after day can we become Your Highness's trusted advisor..."

?

The Empress felt a little dizzy listening to this.

Each word in this statement seems fine, but the way they're put together feels a bit off.

"Wait, wait a minute, where are you putting your hands?!"

"Ahem, sorry, I missed the point."

"..."

(End of this chapter)