I became the demon of the female devil

Chapter 241 Lady Jinyun: Sister, this is a distorted love!
The inner court of the imperial palace, the Floating Jade Pavilion.

The pavilion sits on Shaohua Pond, with four pointed corners, green tiles and red eaves, and an octagonal caisson ceiling in the center featuring two dragons playing with a pearl.

The pond water was as clear as a mirror, reflecting the sky, clouds, and weeping willows on the banks. Several red carp darted among the green leaves of water lilies, their tails gently swaying and stirring up tiny splashes of water, scattering the duckweed and creating ripples on the surface.

The empress, dressed in a crimson gown, sat on a stone bench. Her long, black hair was tied up with a silk ribbon, with a few strands falling around her fair neck. A golden sash was tied around her waist, outlining her graceful figure like a willow branch.

Lady Jinyun, dressed in a blue and white herringbone dress, sat opposite her, her delicate hands holding a purple clay teapot, slowly pouring amber-colored tea into the cups.

One is elegant and radiant, the other is intellectual and graceful; they are like two beautiful jade flowers in this landscape, exceptionally captivating.

"Sister, please have some tea."

Lady Jinyun pushed the teacup in front of the Empress.

The Empress picked up her cup, parted her lips slightly, took a small sip, and nodded, saying, "Indeed, the leaves from Yunchuan Gaoling have a unique flavor. It seems you understand tea better."

“I’m glad you’re happy, sister.” Madam Jinyun said with a smile. “I don’t have any other hobbies. When I have nothing to do, I like to ponder these mundane pleasures. Unlike you, sister, who is busy with many things every day and rarely has a moment of leisure.”

"Nothing much to do?"

The Empress's slender fingers twirled around the rim of the cup as she said calmly, "But I've heard you've been quite busy lately?"

Madam Jinyun was taken aback, and asked in confusion, "What do you mean by that, sister?"

The Empress glanced at her and said meaningfully, "First, you sent a visiting card to the Shen family, and then you took Zhu'er to visit the Chen family. You prepared two large boxes of gifts just for the first meeting. Anyone who didn't know better would think you were going to propose marriage."

Madam Jinyun's brows twitched slightly, and she feigned realization, saying, "So that's what you're talking about, sister... After all, Chen Mo saved Zhu'er's life, and his last visit was merely to express his gratitude."

The Empress asked, "Is that all?"

Jin Yun nodded. "That's all."

The Empress narrowed her almond-shaped eyes slightly. "But I heard that Zhu'er and Chen Mo are sleeping together?"

"..."

Madam Jinyun's expression stiffened, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes. "I don't understand what my sister is saying..."

"Don't you understand?" The Empress's tone grew even colder. "Then why don't we call Zhu'er over and have her confront me on the spot?"

This was what she overheard Lin Jingzhu say when she was trapped in bed with him last time…

Although Chen Mo later explained that it was to exorcise the cold poison, she knew in her heart that the relationship between the two had crossed the line of friendship.

It wasn't that she didn't trust Chen Mo...

This little thief has no self-control to begin with. Lin Jingzhu may be a bit young, but she has fair skin and a beautiful figure, and can be called a peerless beauty... Faced with the beauty throwing herself into his arms, plus Madam Jinyun's encouragement from behind, things might really get into big trouble!

"Despite my repeated attempts to stop them, these two are growing closer and closer."

"What if things really escalate and things become a fait accompli? Where would that leave me?!"

The thought of Chen Mo wearing a wedding robe, serving her tea, and calling her "Auntie" gave the Empress goosebumps.

Originally, she and Chen Mo were deeply in love, but suddenly she became a senior in the family, and might even be accused of "cheating on her nephew-in-law".

It’s so outrageous that his mother opened the door for outrageousness, it’s so outrageous!
Madam Jinyun initially thought Lin Jingzhu had let something slip, and inwardly scolded the girl for her loose tongue. Composing herself, she explained, "Sister, you've misunderstood. Actually, it was Chen Mo who was helping Zhu'er exorcise the cold poison..."

"Alright." The Empress waved her hand impatiently and said, "I'm tired of hearing this excuse... From today onwards, Zhu'er must come to the palace every time she needs to be cleansed, and I will personally supervise her!"

?

Lady Jinyun frowned.

The Empress has always opposed Chen Mo and Lin Jingzhu being together, but this time her reaction is particularly strong, which suggests that something must have happened recently...

She knew the Empress's temperament; she was always more responsive to gentle persuasion than force. At this critical juncture, the more she argued back, the more serious the situation would become.

Thinking of this, Madam Jinyun lowered her eyes and said, "Jinyun will remember this, sister, please don't get angry, don't hurt yourself."

The Empress's expression softened somewhat.

Jin Yun poured her some tea and changed the subject, saying, "I heard that Chen Mo and the Crown Prince had a conflict some time ago, which caused quite a bit of trouble in the court?"

The Empress nodded and said, "That is indeed the case."

Jin Yun asked, "So, what does Sister plan to do?"

The Empress crossed her legs, a cold smile playing on her lips. "Chen Mo is young and impetuous, and certainly a bit rash, but some people are really clueless... They only have their own interests in their eyes and don't understand the bigger picture at all!"

"It seems that the Zhou family's matter still hasn't taught them a lesson!"

"If Chu Heng really has ties with the demon race, then that is a matter of principle, and even members of the royal family cannot be tolerated!"

Lady Jinyun breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

After all, this matter has become such a big fuss, she was worried that the Empress wouldn't be able to withstand the pressure and, in order to silence public opinion, would push Chen Mo out to take the fall...

Where will I find such a suitable son-in-law then?

"However, to be honest, I was a little surprised that the Crown Prince actually attended court in person." The Empress lowered her eyes slightly and pondered, "Qianji Palace has been quiet for the past two years, but this time it suddenly intervened in court affairs, which gives me a bad feeling."

"Prince?"

Madam Jinyun seemed to realize something, and her expression turned serious. "Could it be because of what happened back then..."

The Empress shook her head and said, "It's just a guess, there's no concrete evidence yet... But I can sense that the Emperor is about to lose his composure, otherwise he wouldn't have sent Lü Huaiyu to test Chen Mo."

Jin Yun frowned even more deeply, and asked worriedly, "Won't something happen to Chen Mo?"

The Empress toyed with her teacup with her slender fingers and said, "Chen Mo is currently at the center of the storm, under the watchful eyes of everyone, and no one dares to make any rash moves for the time being, but we do need to prepare in advance."

Jin Yun hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Sister, are you planning to ask the Jiang family for help?"

The Empress paused, a complex expression flashing across her eyes, and sighed, "It's not a good thing to involve Chen Mo with them. Let's wait until there's absolutely no other way..."

Lady Jinyun was speechless for a moment.

The Empress glanced at her and snorted coldly, "Don't think I'm heartless. Chen Mo's situation is indeed a bit special, and Zhu'er is a relative of the Empress. If the two of them get too close, it will inevitably attract all sorts of rumors."

Lady Jinyun blinked and said cautiously, "Sister, you've repeatedly allowed Chen Mo to stay overnight in the inner palace. Didn't you ever think about the rumors that might arise?"

[_?]
The Empress's pretty face flushed slightly, and she glared at her angrily. "I have acted uprightly and honestly, I have no shame before Heaven, and I am not afraid of what others say... cough cough, you talk too much!"

"..."

Madam Jinyun shrank her neck.

It seems like my sister is a bit embarrassed and angry, as if she feels guilty...

Step, step, step——

At this time, a burst of footsteps came.

Lady Sun walked along the arched bridge to the pavilion and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, Eunuch Jin has delivered the imperial edict to the Tianlin Guard."

The Empress steadied herself and asked, "And then?"

Lady Sun replied, "After receiving the imperial decree, Lord Chen immediately led his men to the Yan residence and arrested Vice Minister Yan's son, taking him to the imperial prison."

The Empress had anticipated this, and said, "The Yan family must have made preparations, and I doubt they will find anything out... However, Yan Peizhi is old, muddle-headed, and out of touch with reality, so it's good to give him a warning."

"If Yan Peizhi comes to the palace to request an audience, tell him that I am unwell and cannot receive guests."

"Yes."

Lady Sun bowed in response.

After a slight hesitation, she asked, "What if Lord Chen comes? Should we stop him too?" The Empress frowned and said, "Chen Mo must have important business to attend to in the palace. Why would you stop him? You have no sense of flexibility at all."

Sun Shanggong forced a smile and apologized, "This servant is foolish, Your Highness, please don't be offended."

←_←

Lady Jinyun secretly observed the Empress.

She had felt something was wrong before, but now that feeling was even stronger...

There must be some unusual relationship between my sister and Chen Mo!

"However, the emperor is still alive. Given my sister's strong sense of morality and shame, she wouldn't openly keep male concubines... But what is certain is that Chen Mo is indeed very special in her eyes..."

Madam Jinyun sighed, her expression somewhat worried.

Sister, this is a distorted form of love!

We need to find a way to stop her from going astray, otherwise my son-in-law might end up becoming my brother-in-law!

……

……

The next day, Tianlin Guard.

In the courtroom, Chen Mo sat on a chair with his legs propped up on the table, flipping through several confessions.

Qiu Longgang stood to the side with his hands at his sides.

"That's all? Nothing else?" Chen Mo raised an eyebrow slightly.

Qiu Longgang shook his head and said softly, "This guy is very stubborn. He broke several iron rods, but he refused to reveal anything about the Yan family. He just kept repeating the same old things."

Yan Linghu knew in his heart that if he wanted to get out alive, he still had to rely on Yan Peizhi.

Therefore, he would rather implicate the heir than drag the Yan family into the mess. Besides, he might not even know much about the Yan family's true secrets... Yan Peizhi was clearly certain of this, which is why he felt comfortable letting Chen Mo take the person away.

"Yan Peizhi hasn't made a move yet; it seems he's choosing to protect himself?"

Chen Mo sneered and said, "Always putting his own interests first, that does fit my impression of him..."

Qiu Longgang asked, "Sir, shall we continue the interrogation?"

"Of course we need to investigate."

Chen Mo said calmly, "I didn't expect to get anything useful out of Yan Linghu anyway... However, since he doesn't care about his son's life or death, we don't need to be polite. You can do whatever you want with him, just leave him alive."

From tripping up the Chen family with the Ministry of Revenue's embezzlement case, to impeaching Chen Zhuo in the court over the demon clan case, and now joining forces with the Ministry of Rites, the Jingzhao Prefecture, and the Dali Temple to launch another attack...

Although they all ended in failure, they harbored evil intentions and their hearts were despicable!
If we don't take this opportunity to teach him a lesson, he might really think of the Chen family as a pushover!

"Yes."

Qiu Longgang acknowledged and withdrew.

Chen Mo tapped his fingers on the armrest, pondering to himself: "The case of the barbarian slaves involves the Grand Canal and the Military Command. Only Chu Heng has the power to do such a thing... Since he did it, he must have left clues, otherwise His Majesty would not have known."

Thinking of the seriously ill emperor, Chen Mo felt a chill run down his spine.

Having lived deep within the palace for a long time and not concerned with court affairs, he was extremely knowledgeable about the details of these cases, even more so than the person who solved them!
Thinking about it carefully, it sends chills down your spine!
dong dong dong-

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

Li Yuan walked in and said, "My lord, someone wants to see you."

Chen Mo asked, "Who is it?"

Li Yuan's expression was somewhat strange. "Madam Yan."

?

Chen Mo was stunned for a moment, then a playful smile appeared on his lips.

"It seems mothers love their sons more... Please come in."

"Yes."

……

After a while.

Qin Shu, dressed in a light green dress, walked in gracefully, carrying a mahogany food box in her hand.

Her black hair was styled into a bun, with a jade hairpin inserted diagonally. She wore light makeup and delicately painted eyebrows. Her skin was fair and smooth. Although there were some traces of time around her eyes, they only added to her mature charm.

It's obvious that she dressed up carefully.

"Madam Yan."

Chen Mo didn't get up, casually crossing his legs. "This isn't a place for you... Did you need something?"

Qin Shu didn't take his attitude to heart and said with a light smile, "Yesterday, when Lord Chen came to the mansion to take someone away, I was a bit rude and offended Lord Chen. I came here today specifically to express my apologies."

She stepped forward and placed the food box on the table.

Upon opening the lid, a sweet aroma wafted out, revealing a basket of pastries inside.

"This is Eight Treasure Cake that I made myself. It contains Poria cocos, Euryale ferox, malt, ginseng... It has the effects of regulating qi and blood, and tonifying the kidneys and strengthening essence."

"Lord Chen is very busy with official duties and works hard day and night. He should take better care of his health."

Qin Shu, with a handkerchief in her right hand, picked up a piece of pastry and offered it to Chen Mo's lips. "Sir, would you like to try this first and see if it suits your taste?"

"..."

Li Yuan stood at the door with a blank expression, her fists already hardened.

Chen Mo didn't open his mouth, but stared at her unabashedly with a mocking smile on his lips.

Qin Shu felt extremely uncomfortable, as if she had been completely seen through. A blush rose to her cheeks, and she turned her head away, saying, "My lord, please don't misunderstand. I only wanted to express my apology and had no other intentions."

"is it?"

Chen Mo raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "Alright, I accept your apology, Madam. I have official business to attend to, so I won't keep you any longer... Guards, see her out."

Li Yuan strode forward and said coldly, "Madam, please."

Qin Shu's expression froze. She bit her lip and said in a low voice, "I am worried about my child and wish to request a visit. I hope you can do me a favor."

"That's it? I was thinking it was a big deal." Chen Mo stood up and said, "Although according to the regulations of the Ministry of Justice, it is not allowed to visit prisoners in the Imperial Prison, since the lady has personally asked, I will naturally give her this courtesy."

"Come with me."

Seeing that Chen Mo was so easy to talk to, a hint of surprise flashed in Qin Shu's eyes.

"There's a show!"

……

……

P.S.: The author's wife's grandmother passed away unexpectedly (high blood pressure, fell and suffered a large brainstem hemorrhage, she died that same day). The funeral is scheduled for Sunday, and there are many things to do these days... The author will try to avoid taking leave, but the word count may be slightly lower. I will make up for it next week.

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(End of this chapter)