I became the demon of the female devil

Chapter 233 Distinguished Guest of the Chen Family: The Empress Has Arrived!

Yanfu.

Before the sedan chair had even come to a complete stop, Yan Peizhi lifted the curtain and jumped down, storming into the gate.

As soon as they arrived in the courtyard, they bumped into Yan Linghu, who was about to leave. He was holding a money pouch in his hand, followed by two attendants, and looked extremely smug.

"Go and deliver a message to the Cui and Feng families' young masters. Tonight I'm hosting a grand banquet at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. Invite them all to come and enjoy the wine and women. The entire bill will be paid by me!"

Last time at the Hundred Flowers Festival, Yan Linghu spent nearly three thousand taels of silver, but ended up becoming a laughing stock. Coincidentally, the capital inspection was launched, which almost dragged the entire Yan family down with him.

In a fit of anger, Yan Pei sealed up his private stash, cutting off his source of income. As a result, for a long time he couldn't even afford to play with courtesans, and he couldn't hold his head up in front of his group of cronies.

We have to get our revenge this time!
"Dad, you're back."

Yan Linghu saw Yan Peizhi, a smile playing on his lips, and quickly stepped forward, asking, "Is the court assembly over? How did it go?"

"Hehe, I could guess even without you saying it. This time, Chen Mo has committed a heinous crime, and the evidence is irrefutable. There is absolutely no chance of him turning the tables!"

"Heaven's sins may be forgiven, but self-inflicted sins are inescapable!"

"..."

That statement is correct, but it's applied to the wrong audience...

Yan Peizhi's temples throbbed, and he asked in a low voice, "Where are you planning to go?"

Yan Linghu thumped his chest loudly and said in a serious tone, "Didn't you tell me to keep a close eye on things lately? I was just about to go to the Jiaofangsi to inquire about information. Don't worry, I'll definitely find out everything for you."

Yan Peizhi said with a forced smile, "So, I should thank you?"

"Why are you being so polite with me? Talking like this between father and son makes us distant. It's just what a son should do," Yan Linghu said with a smile. "Who told you to have such a good son?"

Yan Peizhi's body trembled involuntarily; he was almost overwhelmed by those words.

"You're right, I really do have a 'good son'!"

"Sigh, it's all thanks to your excellent teaching, Father... Ahem, it's getting late, I have an appointment with a friend, I'll be going now..."

"Wait a minute."

Just as Yan Linghu was about to leave, Yan Peizhi called him back.

"Father, is there anything else you need?" Yan Linghu asked.

Looking at the big, clumsy guy who was several heads taller than him, Yan Peizhi said, "This isn't urgent. Squat down first."

"Ok?"

Although Yan Linghu was somewhat puzzled, he still squatted down as instructed.

Yan Peizhi took a deep breath, swung his arm, and slapped him hard across the face.

"Rebellious son!!"

Snapped!
clap clap clap!
Yan Peizhi slapped Yan Linghu more than a dozen times with both hands, but Yan Linghu didn't budge an inch and didn't even blink.

On the contrary, his own palms were red, and his wrists were almost dislocated from the shock.

Damn it, I forgot this unfilial son is a martial artist who practices external martial arts...

Yan Peizhi entered officialdom through the imperial examinations, focusing on cultivating his inner strength but neglecting physical training. Even if he exerted all his strength, his blows to Yan Linghu would be like a mere tickle.

Yan Linghu looked bewildered and asked, "Dad, what are you doing?"

Yan Peizhi, panting heavily, shouted, "Guards, open the ancestral hall and bring out the family law!"

? !
Several guards stepped forward and lifted Yan Linghu up.

Only then did he realize something was wrong, and he frowned, saying, "Father, what are you doing? What did I do wrong?"

"How dare you say that?!"

Yan Peizhi gritted his teeth and said hatefully, "Were you involved in Yan Liang's affairs too? Were you also involved in the barbarian slave case?!"

Yan Linghu looked flustered upon hearing this and stammered, "Wasn't this case already closed? Why are you suddenly bringing it up again... Shouldn't the focus now be on how to deal with Chen Mo?"

"It's all because of Chen Mo!"

"His Highness now has evidence of your collusion with Yan Liang. Not only will he reopen the case against the barbarians, but he will also put Chen Mo in charge personally!"

"You should know very well what this means!"

Yan Peizhi pointed at his nose and angrily rebuked him: "I've been in officialdom for many years and I'm considered a big shot. How did I raise such a good-for-nothing as you?! It's one thing to spend your days indulging in pleasure and wasting your life, but you even dared to touch barbarian slaves!"

"I've had enough of your good life, I'm going to drag the Yan family down with me!"

"W-what?!"

Yan Linghu was struck dumb as if by lightning.

Yan Liang initially kept barbarian slaves and corrupted officials by taking advantage of the Yan family's background, with Yan Linghu playing a crucial role in the scheme. After the case came to light, Yan Liang did not implicate him, hoping that the Yan family could help him out.

They thought the matter had been settled, but unexpectedly it was brought up again, and Chen Mo was to be personally responsible for it.

If I fall into that guy's hands, do you think I'll be any better off?!
Thinking of the terror of the Tianlin Guard's prison, my legs felt weak.

"I was just in the wrong mind, it was all Yan Liang's fault... He seduced me... Father, you can't abandon me!" Yan Linghu's face was as pale as paper, and he knelt on the ground with a thud, pleading in a trembling voice.

Yan Peizhi felt even more disgusted upon seeing this and impatiently waved his hand, saying, "Take him away and beat him for half an hour first."

"Yes."

Two guards grabbed Yan Linghu from either side and dragged him toward the ancestral hall. After a short while, a miserable scream, like that of a pig being slaughtered, came from the backyard.

"Something that's good for nothing but causing trouble..."

Yan Peizhi's face was ashen.

A subordinate official standing nearby asked in a low voice, "Lord Yan, what should we do about this?"

"What should we do? Let's have a grand celebration!" Yan Peizhi said irritably. "After doing something so stupid, let this unfilial son fend for himself!"

The subordinate lowered his head, not daring to say anything more.

Yan Peizhi sat on the stone bench in the courtyard, his breathing gradually calming down, and his anger subsided somewhat.

I rubbed my temples with my fingers; my head felt slightly throbbing.

Although we say that, we can't really just let it go.

After all, he only had one son. If he were imprisoned, he feared he would be childless... Moreover, given his spineless nature, if he said something reckless, it might implicate the entire Yan family!

“He will definitely not let it go after I targeted Chen Mo like that in court.”

"This whole affair started because of the Crown Prince. If we want to extricate ourselves, we need to shift the focus of the conflict... But the problem is, since the day the incident occurred, the Yu Prince's Mansion has remained completely silent, which is quite strange."

"Could it be that His Majesty intends to eliminate the threat of Prince Yu by having Chen Mo help him before the Crown Prince ascends the throne?"

Yan Peizhi fell into deep thought.

Having served as an official for many years, he believed his sense of smell was fairly sharp, but the current situation was becoming increasingly difficult to understand.

"Officials should be aware of the changing times and the trends, and must never go against the tide."

"The Crown Prince's attitude in court today has already explained everything. The Imperial Concubine, the Empress, His Majesty... Although I don't know how Chen Mo managed to win over everyone, it is clear that he now wields great power and is easily destroyed if touched. We cannot confront him head-on."

"It seems a little too late to realize this now..."

"No, I need to talk to Chief Minister Zhuang."

With this thought in mind, Yan Peizhi hurriedly walked towards the door without even changing his official robes.

The subordinate hurriedly asked, "Sir, what about the young master...?"

Yan Peizhi said without turning his head, "As long as you don't kill him, beat him to death!"

"..."

Hearing the increasingly piercing wails, the subordinate shuddered and shook his head inwardly, "Young Master Yan, you'd better pray for your own good fortune..."

……

Prince Yu's Mansion.

The bedroom was dark and dimly lit, with the pungent smell of blood filling the air. The doors and windows were tightly closed.

Chu Heng lay on the bed, his chest rising and falling slightly. Above his body floated a blood-red bead, which was spinning around and occasionally emitted streams of blood energy, which then flowed into his body with each breath.

Her originally pale face flushed an unusual red.

The white-haired old steward stood by the bedside, gazing at the still unconscious prince, his eyes deep and unfathomable, lost in thought. *Knock knock knock*

At this time, there was a knock on the door.

A servant's voice came from outside the door: "Sir, a guest has arrived."

The old butler snapped out of his daze, turned around, and walked out of the room into the reception room.

A man dressed in a black robe and wearing a bamboo hat was pacing anxiously. Upon seeing the newcomer, he hurriedly stepped forward, "Mr. Duan..."

The old butler raised his hand to stop them, then turned and said, "You may all leave."

"Yes."

The servants responded and withdrew.

The old steward looked at the man and frowned, saying, "The court assembly has just ended. What if someone notices you coming here so abruptly?"

"Who cares about all that now?"

The man removed his straw hat, revealing a thin face; he was none other than Feng Jinyu, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.

His face was grim, and he said in a deep voice, "Mr. Duan, I have already done as you requested, instructing the Six Ministries to attack Chen Mo... but you didn't tell me that Chen Mo has His Majesty backing him! Aren't you just using me as a pawn?!"

The old steward showed no surprise, clearly already knowing what had happened in the court. He shook his head and said, "It's not that I'm hiding it from you, but I didn't expect it either."

When the Crown Prince first got into trouble, he was indeed furious and thought he would do anything to make Chen Mo pay the price... But when the palace informant brought news that the Crown Prince and Chen Mo had met, he keenly sensed something was amiss.

That's why they chose to remain inactive and instead let the Six Ministries test the waters.

As expected, the Crown Prince suddenly took charge of state affairs and unreasonably favored Chen Mo.

The "evidence" presented by Chen Zhuo put the Crown Prince and the Six Ministries in a very difficult position.

"It's pointless to talk about this now. The real question is what to do?" Feng Jinyu said with a worried expression, "The Empress has decided to thoroughly investigate the Six Ministries. I'm afraid a major upheaval is about to occur!"

"Don't worry, it's all bark and no bite."

The old steward said calmly, "The Imperial Concubine is still eyeing us covetously. The Empress would never cut off her own hands and feet; she's just trying to divert attention from Chen Mo."

Seeing his calm demeanor, Feng Jinyu also calmed down and pondered, "But speaking of which, why would His Majesty exonerate Chen Mo? Does he really intend to groom him into a minister who will support the emperor?"

"Supporting the dragon?"

The old steward sneered, "If it is a true dragon soaring from the abyss, it will naturally command the winds and clouds, and will not need the support of others. If it is merely a clay figure or a wooden sculpture, even with the support of a hundred officials, it will still be incapable of shouldering great responsibilities..."

Feng Jinyu frowned. "Mr. Duan, do you mean that His Majesty has another purpose in doing this?"

The old steward stood with his hands behind his back and said calmly, "His Majesty's thoughts are beyond our comprehension... but Lord Feng can rest assured, this fire will not reach your Ministry of Rites."

"As for the conditions I promised you, I will fulfill them in the future."

Feng Jinyu was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "I have another question... Is the young master really involved in the Zhou family case?"

The old steward smiled upon hearing this but did not reply. He gestured and said, "I still have some matters to attend to here, so I will not keep Lord Feng any longer. Someone, see him out."

A servant pushed open the door and came in, bowing and saying, "Guest, please."

Feng Jinyu moved her throat slightly, but said nothing more.

He gave the old butler a deep look, picked up the straw hat from the table, put it on his head, and turned to leave the reception room.

Just after seeing the person off, the old steward sensed something. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he flashed to the door of the inner bedroom.

Pushing open the door and entering, Chu Heng was already awake, sitting on the bed, his right hand tightly gripping the neck of a maid, the bulging veins on his forearm pulsating as if sucking something.

The maid's body shrank visibly, making "hoarse" sounds as she stared at the old steward with fear in her eyes.

The butler, expressionless, closed the door and silently watched the scene unfold.

In just three breaths, the maid turned into a dried-up corpse, her life completely extinguished.

Chu Heng tossed the corpse aside as if it were trash. A crack appeared in his palm, filled with countless sharp serrations that twisted and opened like a living thing.

"not enough……"

Chu Heng picked up the blood bead floating in the air and stuffed it directly into his empty left eye.

Because the bead was too big, it stretched his eyelids until they ruptured, and blood gushed from the corners of his eyes, but he showed a look of pleasure.

He immediately turned to look at the old butler, his ferocious appearance sending chills down one's spine.

"Chen Mo..."

"do you died?"

Chu Heng's voice was hoarse and low.

The old steward sighed softly, "Young Master, the situation has changed. You should take care of yourself first."

……

Feng Jinyu followed the servants through the courtyard and out of the palace.

The moment I stepped over the threshold, the door slammed shut behind me.

He turned and looked at the tightly closed scarlet door, a chill suddenly running through him, accompanied by a sense of foreboding.

"Something's not right..."

"But I'm already caught up in it, and it's probably too late to extricate myself..."

……

At midday, the sky was clear and the air was crisp.

Chen Mo walked out of the palace and stretched vigorously.

Although the situation had been settled, the Empress still asked him to lay low for a while, so he stayed in the palace for a few more days.

In return, he demonstrated the correct way to play with a ball to the Empress, and even offered her an oral liquid under the imperial table in Zhaohua Palace... which angered the Empress so much that she ignored him for an entire day.

Chen Mo was initially worried that the Empress would come to kill him, but to his surprise, everything was calm.

Before leaving the palace, he went to Hanxiao Palace, where Xu Sizheng informed him that the Empress had left the palace on business.

"I don't know if Her Majesty is avoiding me or if something really has happened..." Chen Mo shook his head. After all, he had just stared at Her Majesty the other day, so she probably wouldn't dare to show her face for the time being.

Xu Qingyi also asked him about the sequel to Yin Ping Mei, and urged him not to forget to write after leaving the palace, as if she would come to urge him to update the manuscript if he didn't finish it soon.

"Speaking of which, I haven't been to the yamen since that day when I went to Linglan County to handle the case..."

Chen Mo glanced at the sky and muttered to himself, "Anyway, I've already skipped so much work, one more day won't make a difference."

He walked with his hands behind his back towards the Chen residence.

Its pace was slow, as if it were taking a leisurely stroll, but each step covered several meters, as if it were floating forward without any force.

His black hair flew in the wind, and his clothes fluttered in the breeze, making him look very dashing and carefree.

When Eunuch Jin brought him back to the palace that day, he observed the other's movements and grasped a bit of the charm... Although he couldn't achieve the effect of shrinking the distance to an inch, it was enough to show off.

About fifteen minutes later, Chen Mo arrived at the gate of the Chen residence.

Walking through the gate and across the courtyard, they didn't see a single servant along the way.

"What about people?"

"I'm back, and no one's come out to greet me..."

He had just entered the hall when his words abruptly stopped.

He Yuzhi and Chen Zhuo sat upright and formally in the second seat, looking quite reserved.

At the head of the table, a figure dressed in a purple iris-patterned dress leaned back, holding a teacup and slowly savoring the tea.

"Oh? Lord Chen is back?"

The woman raised her azure eyes and spoke softly.

Chen Mo's expression was blank, and he looked somewhat incredulous.

"mother……"

"Empress?!"