I became the demon of the female devil

Chapter 253 Chu Yanli: The male concubine has been reserved! The Empress is panicking!
Lu Shuangge was not surprised at all when he heard Chu Yanli address the current emperor by his given name.

She had personally witnessed Chu Yanli standing in front of the Qianji Palace gate, hands on his hips, shouting angrily, "You bearded scoundrel!" and "You deaf old thief!"

Surrounded by palace guards, he kept shouting that the emperor was subject to the same laws as commoners, and that if he had the guts, he should have his entire family executed, and that he wanted to trade one life for one with the emperor...

It's so confusing that it's hard to understand.

In comparison, the title "Wu Lie" is already quite polite.

Only a princess could commit such a rebellious and patriarchal act.

"Your Highness, we have just returned and are not yet aware of the situation in the capital. You must control your temper and refrain from causing any trouble..." Lu Shuangge advised kindly.

Chu Yanli glanced at her. "Am I that bad-tempered?"

Whether it stinks or not, don't you know in your heart?
Lu Shuangge muttered to himself, but said aloud, "This humble servant had no such intention. Your Highness is a model of the imperial clan, dignified and elegant, gentle, kind, respectful, frugal and modest, with excellent virtue, speech and appearance... It's just that she is occasionally a little impulsive."

"I admit, you're right."

Chu Yanli nodded in satisfaction and said, "Don't worry, the experience over the years has made me much more mature, and I won't act as recklessly as before."

"That's good……"

Lu Shuangge hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Now that you've returned from the Southern Frontier, shouldn't you first go and pay your respects to His Majesty?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Yanli's eyebrows furrowed. "What is Wu Lie? Does he even deserve my respects? That dog emperor, I'll..."

Before she could finish speaking, Lü Shuangge covered her mouth.

Ignoring the stares from the passersby, she swallowed hard and whispered, "Your Highness, this is the capital city; you can't just say whatever comes to mind!"

"Get off."

Chu Yanli slapped Lu Shuangge's hand away and said coldly, "So what if he's under the emperor's nose? I'll still curse him to his face! Besides, aren't there plenty of people in the world who curse him?"

really……

It's just that everyone else keeps it to themselves, but you can't keep it to yourself...

Lu Shuangge dared not continue the topic and said, "If you don't want to return to the palace, why don't you stay with me for a while?"

"Go to your house?" Chu Yanli waved her hand. "Forget it, your dad isn't any better. I get angry just looking at him."

"..."

Lu Shuangge's lips twitched slightly.

I suddenly miss the days when I was stationed in southern Xinjiang...

"It's been a long time since I've seen Yu Chan. I should find some time to go and see her."

"But before that, I have to go to one more place."

Chu Yanli walked slowly forward with her hands behind her back.

The pace seemed slow, but each step covered several feet, much like the "shrinking the earth to an inch" technique of Grandpa Jin.

An invisible energy surged, and pedestrians instinctively moved aside, the crowded throng parting to create a path.

"Your Highness, please wait for me."

Lu Shuangge hurried behind, fearing that this prince might cause any more trouble.

……

……

North of the city.

Huge bluestones were piled up to form a high wall, which occupied half a block.

The two heavy iron doors are engraved with Qilin patterns, and a black plaque hangs above the door with three gilded characters that read "Tianwu Field".

call--

A gentle breeze swept by.

Chu Yanli stopped in her tracks, her black hair flying and her bright red dress fluttering in the wind.

Lu Shuangge followed.

Looking at the three menacing characters on the door, one felt a bit irritated after staring at them for a moment. You must know that this calligraphy was personally written by the eldest princess.

Chu Yanli stepped onto the stone steps, arrived at the iron gate, and reached out to push the door open.

"Roar!"

The Qilin pattern on the door suddenly came to life, as if it were a living creature, its eyes wide open like copper bells, and a terrifying roar came from its blood-red mouth!
"Who dares to trespass on Tianwu...?"

Upon recognizing the person, the voice abruptly ceased.

Qilin's expression froze on his face, his eyes filled with panic and fear.

The air fell into dead silence.

crunch--

It rubbed its eyes to make sure it wasn't seeing things, then pushed open the iron gate, stuck out its tongue, and wagged its tail in a fawning manner.

Chu Yanli patted its head and said with a smile, "Good dog."

Then, with his hands behind his back, he lifted his leg and walked inside.

Looking at that tall figure, Qilin shuddered, silently jumped back onto the door, and transformed back into a sticker.

Inside the square.

Zhong Lihe was carrying a broom and carefully sweeping each brick and stone.

Suddenly, a pair of black gold embroidered shoes appeared in his line of sight. Without looking up, he said, "Make way, don't block the way."

The other party didn't move at all.

Zhong Lihe frowned.

As he looked up while leaning on the broom, he was immediately stunned.

Her martial arts robes were like crimson clouds, her waist was slender, her legs were long and jade-like, her eyebrows were like sharp blades cutting through clouds, her eyes were like cold stars reflecting snow, and her lips, like congealed blood-red pearls, were slightly pursed, the thin lines of her lips revealing a chilling intent.

Her jet-black hair was tied up high, with a strand of black hair falling down to her fair neck.

His entire being resembled a blood-stained longsword; even standing still, one could feel the overwhelming aura of killing intent emanating from him.

“The...the eldest princess?!” Zhong Lihe’s voice trembled.

"Long time no see, Professor Zhong."

Chu Yanli's eyes were upturned at the corners, like crescent moons.

Her smile softened the menacing aura somewhat, adding a touch of girlish charm.

Zhong Lihe snapped out of his daze and hurriedly bowed, "This old servant greets Your Highness the Eldest Princess!"

Chu Yanli reached out to help her up, "No need for formalities. I haven't been back for so many years, and you've been guarding this place all this time. It must have been very tiring for you."

Zhong Lihe stood up, his hunched back straightening slightly as he said, "Your Highness is too kind. This is my duty, it's what I should be doing..."

Nothing in this world is a given.

Chu Yanli shook her head and said seriously, "There are many people in the world who speak falsely of loyalty and righteousness. It is true that a thousand pieces of gold are easy to obtain, but a sincere heart is hard to find. Elder Zhong treated me with sincerity, and I am naturally grateful... It should be me who pays respects to Elder Zhong."

After saying that, he simply bowed deeply to Zhong Lihe.

Seeing this, Lu Shuangge shook his head and sighed.

They could point their fingers at the emperor and berate him, or bow and scrape before a "servant." Their actions were all from the heart, without any pretense... Perhaps, this is why they were willing to risk their lives for the princess.
Aren't I the same?

"Your Highness..."

Zhong Lihe's voice trembled slightly.

After years of waiting in the martial arts arena, all the bitterness that had been building up in his heart vanished at this moment.

"Your Highness, please rise! You are making this old servant feel unworthy!"

"Old Zhong deserves it."

Chu Yanli bowed and gave up, then stretched her shoulders and said expectantly, "Speaking of which, it's been so long since we last met. Has Elder Zhong's cultivation declined? How about we have a spar?"

"..."

Zhong Lihe's eyelids twitched, and he silently took two steps back.

"Your Highness has just returned to the capital and is exhausted from the journey. It is not advisable to launch a major attack... Let's discuss it another day."

"alright."

Seeing this, Chu Yanli did not press the matter, but asked, "During the time I was away, was there anything unusual?"

Upon hearing this, Zhong Lihe's expression turned serious, and he said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, someone has passed the Military Path Trial."

"Ok?"

"You mean, someone stole the Lord of War's legacy?"

"Yes."

Chu Yanli's eyes narrowed slightly, and she said, "Let's go take a look."

The two walked through the training ground and came to the depths of the pavilion, pushing open the rusty door.

Because of what happened before, the evil energy of the Mountain of Knives and Tomb of Swords has not yet been re-formed, and it is temporarily closed to the public.

The square was deserted. Looking ahead by the crimson light, tens of thousands of swords and knives were stuck upside down in the ground, like undulating gray tides.

Above the mountain of knives, thirty-three dark blue stone platforms floated silently.

Chu Yanli took a step, and her figure suddenly disappeared from the spot.

The next moment, he appeared directly at the top of the stone platform and stood in front of the stone pillar at the very top.

Zhong Lihe and Lü Shuangge followed closely behind, leaping down into the air.

Chu Yanli reached out and touched the patterns on the stone pillar, a hint of reminiscence in her expression. "It seems that what I sensed that day wasn't an illusion. I didn't expect someone to have done it so quickly... Who is he?"

Zhong Lihe replied, "Chen Mo, Deputy Commander of the Tianlin Guard."

"Chen Mo?"

Chu Yanli pondered for a moment, but couldn't recall such a person. "Is he a Grandmaster who recently broke through?"

Zhong Lihe shook his head and said, "He is not a grandmaster, but a fourth-rank martial artist."

?

A hint of surprise flashed across Chu Yanli's eyes. "What did you say? Fourth rank?"

“That’s right,” Zhong Lihe said. “To be precise, he had only recently broken through to the fourth rank. This old servant personally witnessed him stepping onto the thirty-third stone step… By the way, this old servant also recorded the scene at that time. Please take a look, Your Highness.”

With that, he waved his sleeve. The air rippled like a curtain of water, reflecting an incredibly clear scene.

In the video, a tall figure is climbing the dark blue stone steps, his steps slow but firm.

“When he reached the tenth step, this old servant sensed something was wrong, so I recorded the image in my divine sense… that’s why some of the preceding events are missing,” Zhong Lihe explained from the side.

Chu Yanli remained silent, watching the figure in quiet contemplation.

The eleventh floor, the twelfth floor...

The blades and swords relentlessly assaulted Chen Mo, but he remained as steadfast as a rock.

The fifteenth floor, the sixteenth floor...

Above the mountain of knives, malevolent energy surged like a sea of ​​blood, gradually forming a massive vortex.

At the center of the vortex, countless phantom images of weapons floated and sank, accompanied by crimson lightning, crashing down on him!

His physical body crumbled under the impact, but then a flash of emerald light appeared, and it quickly healed as before, unable to stop his advance.

The Mountain of Knives and the Tomb of Swords has thirty-three levels.

The first thirty levels are for body refinement, and the last three levels are for questioning the mind.

Therefore, in addition to having an extremely strong physique, the requirements for the strength of the soul are also extremely high... This is why it is almost impossible for martial artists below the third rank to reach the top.

Chen Mo easily passed the body tempering test.

Their pace slowed down only when they reached the thirtieth floor.

No abnormalities could be seen in the images, but Chu Yanli knew very well that the difficulty of the last three levels was much higher than that of the previous thirty levels combined.

Even she had to put in a lot of effort back then.

However, Chen Mo only paused for a few breaths before his eyes regained their clarity, and he continued climbing upwards.

"Besides his exaggerated physique and regenerative abilities, is his soul power also this strong?"

"Ok?"

"and many more……"

Chu Yanli stared blankly at the scene before her.

Chen Mo stood on the thirty-first floor, his palms outstretched, with golden energy swirling around them.

Others might not know what it was, but Chu Yanli knew it perfectly well, because she had personally left behind that dragon energy!
"Taiyi Gengjin symbolizes absolute authority. Even the Yuan Dynasty's imperial family needs a seal to harness its power... Yet he can bear the dragon's energy with his own body?!"

"How can this be?!"

Watching Chen Mo finally obtain the inheritance of the art of war, and the scene of ten thousand swords bowing down, Chu Yanli fell silent for a moment.

This was beyond her comprehension.

Zhong Lihe interrupted the scene and said, "This old servant has dealt with this lad a few times. His potential is unfathomable. If he can grow up, reaching the first rank is a certainty..."

"Furthermore, he is currently ranked first on the Qingyun Ranking. In the recent Tianyuan Martial Arts Trial, he overpowered Monk Shiyun and won the title of Tianyuan Martial Champion!"

Upon hearing the name "Shi Yun," Chu Yanli's eyes darkened, and she sneered, "That bald monk is indeed quite something. Being able to overpower him is enough to demonstrate the value of Chen Mo's martial arts champion title..."

"Have you checked his background? What's his connections?"

"Well, this is a bit complicated..."

Zhong Lihe organized his thoughts and tried to explain as concisely as possible.

Chu Yanli looked even more puzzled after hearing this.

"You mean..."

"The Chen family are the concubine's cronies, yet they are highly regarded by the Empress, serving as the commander of the palace guards and possessing a death-exemption token?"

Although she hadn't returned to Kyoto for many years, she was aware of Yu Youhan's methods.

That woman would never tolerate her subordinates wavering; those who sit on the fence will only meet their end... Moreover, the Empress and Consort Yu are irreconcilable enemies, so how did Chen Mo manage to be so adept at pleasing both sides?
"Not only that."

Zhong Lihe added, "Some time ago, he severely injured Chu Heng and was impeached by court officials. The Crown Prince, in order to allow him to rule from behind the curtain, managed to save him..."

?

Chu Yanli and Lü Shuangge exchanged a glance, their expressions blank.

This sentence contains a lot of information...

So, instead of being able to please everyone, he's trying to please all three?

What exactly is this guy capable of that he dared to lay a hand on Chu Heng and even got the Crown Prince to stand up for him?

"The title of Tianyuan Martial Champion alone is not enough to warrant such a reaction."

"The Taiyi Gengjin Dragon Qi has a fixed limit. If even a wisp is missing, Wu Lie will definitely notice. Since he instructed the Crown Prince to hold court, he must know something... Could it be that a change is about to occur?"

Chu Yanli's heart was filled with mixed emotions.

"Your Highness..."

Zhong Lihe hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Do you still remember what you said before?"

Chu Yanli snapped out of her daze. "Which sentence are you referring to?"

Zhong Lihe observed her expression and said cautiously, "You told this old servant that if someone could reach the thirtieth floor, they would be qualified to be your male concubine. If they successfully reached the top, it would be fine for them to marry you..."

?

Lu Shuangge glanced at Chu Yanli with a strange expression and said, "You actually said something like that?"

Chu Yanli nodded and said frankly, "That is indeed the case. It's mainly because my mother said that I am too domineering and that I will grow old alone. I was not convinced, so I said such a thing... But I didn't expect that someone would do it so quickly."

Zhong Lihe said at the right moment, "Chen Mo is a few years younger than you, and he's still not married..."

Chu Yanli pondered for a moment and said, "Hmm, this kind of talent is indeed worth trying to win over, and he looks pleasing to the eye... Marriage is a bit of a stretch, but being a gigolo wouldn't be bad."

"..."

Lu Shuangge's lips twitched slightly.

You can't just say you'll become a gigolo; the other person has to be willing, right?
Although His Highness is handsome, his temper is so terrible that he is "notorious" in the circles of royalty and nobility... otherwise, he wouldn't have been without a woman by his side for so many years.

With Chen Mo's family background and looks, what kind of girl couldn't he find? Why would he risk his life to sleep with a sleeping princess?
However, she didn't dare to say these words and could only stand silently to the side with her head down.

But Chu Yanli wasn't thinking about that at the moment.

Being able to bear dragon energy in his physical body and attracting the attention of three forces, Chen Mo must be hiding a great secret.

For her future plans, Chen Mo is perhaps a crucial link. Even if she can't win him over, she absolutely cannot let Wu Lie succeed so easily!
"To participate, you need a legitimate reason."

“Zhong Lihe just reminded me… It’s quite normal for a single princess to take a fancy to a handsome military officer, isn’t it? Besides, I’m at the age where I should get married, and Wu Lie has no reason to stop me.”

"I didn't expect to have such an unexpected gain on this trip back."

A smile appeared on Chu Yanli's lips.

Looking at her smiling face, Lü Shuangge couldn't help but shudder.

I almost forgot, given Princess Xuanhuang's personality, if she really falls in love, she won't care whether the other person is willing or not. Nine times out of ten, she'll force herself on him and take advantage of him...

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but feel sorry for this Mr. Chen whom I had never met.

"Yu Chan definitely knows something. It seems I still need to go to the palace sometime." Chu Yanli thought to herself, "It's been so long since I've seen her. She must miss me too, right?"

……

……

"Ah!"

In Zhaohua Palace, the Empress, who was reviewing memorials at her desk, suddenly felt an itch in her nose and sneezed.

"Your Highness, are you alright?" Lady Sun asked with concern. "Have you been bathing too frequently lately and caught a cold? Shall I make you a cup of ginger tea?"

"I'm fine."

The Empress shook her head, her brows furrowing slightly.

For some reason, I keep feeling like someone is talking about me, and there's a vague sense of unease accompanying it...

"Wait a minute..."

"What do you mean?"

The Empress frowned and said, "I only took a shower after playing football with the Crown Prince. How can that be considered frequent?"

"Ahem," Lady Sun cleared her throat and said in a low voice, "This servant misspoke, Your Highness, please forgive me..."

Slip of the tongue?

The Empress looked at her suspiciously, but couldn't discern anything amiss.

"Looks like I'll have to be more careful when taking a bath with that thief in the future, it would be terrible if we got caught..."

"No, what's this about 'later'? I don't want to bathe with him, it's torture..."

The Empress muttered to herself, a blush creeping onto her pretty oval face.

"Your Highness, it's dirty."

"Huh?! Who...who's dirty?!"

"What I mean is that you dipped your brush in too much ink, which stained the memorial."

"..."

……

……

Chen Mansion.

Inside the east wing bedroom, faint whispers could be heard.

"Zhixia, are you sure this will work? I have a feeling this is a bit absurd..."

"How absurd could it be as absurd as Brother Chen Mo and Commander Li?"

"But this is too much..."

"Taoist Master, how can you not feel any sense of crisis? They've already done something naughty. If we don't act soon, my brother will really be taken away!"

"Then...why did you tie me up?"

"I'll practice first, and then surprise my brother when he gets back... By the way, Daoist Master, you have such a great figure, so soft and supple~"

"Don't, don't touch it!"

(End of this chapter)