I became the demon of the female devil

Chapter 261 The Empress's Worries! Scrubbing the Imperial Concubine's Back?!

"You mean, Chu Heng still has connections with the demon race?"

After listening to the Empress's account, Chu Yanli narrowed her eyes, a golden glint flashing in them.

Keeping barbarian slaves falls under the category of power-for-sex transactions, but colluding with demons is a real crime punishable by death!
Even members of the royal family would lose their heads!
The Empress's delicate brows furrowed slightly, and her breasts heaved rhythmically.

After not seeing her for several years, the woman's oppressive aura had only intensified...

Noticing that the Empress was somewhat unwell, Chu Yanli restrained his aura and asked, "Do you have any evidence to support what you've said?"

The Empress shook her head and said, "Chu Heng is extremely cautious and has not left any clues. Otherwise, I would have taken action long ago. Why would it have been delayed until now?"

Chu Yanli's expression was somewhat strange. "So, based solely on Chen Mo's one-sided account, you've concluded that Chu Heng is a traitor? Aren't you being a bit too gullible towards him?"

Nonsense, who else could I trust if not this petty thief?
The Empress muttered to herself, but her expression remained calm as she said, "I have my own judgment. Digging tunnels to damage the city's defenses and illegally mining red sand with the intention of destroying the great formation... The Zhou family does not have this ability. There must be another mastermind behind this."

"The same applies to the case of the barbarian slaves."

"According to the evidence provided by Chen Zhuo during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, it involved multiple forces, including those related to the Grand Canal, the Military Command, and the Capital Prefecture."

“There aren’t many people in Tiandu City with such power. The Yu Prince’s Mansion is one of them, and only Chu Heng would have the motive to do such a thing.”

Chu Yanli gently splashed the water with her delicate hand, and pondered, "Have you investigated that piece of evidence?"

"Of course, do you think I'm just sitting around doing nothing?" the Empress said helplessly. "But the officials mentioned, some resigned, some retired due to illness, saying they went back to their hometowns, but in reality, they've most likely been silenced..."

Chu Yanli raised an eyebrow and asked, "Then what was the reason that Chen Mo ruthlessly tried to kill Chu Heng?"

The Empress explained, "It was Chu Heng who attempted to harm him. Chen Mo had no choice but to retaliate when he could no longer tolerate it... By the way, this matter is also related to the Xu family."

"The Xu family?"

Chu Yanli's expression turned solemn.

"According to Yang Lin, the Fengluan of the Jiaofangsi, Chu Heng has been secretly investigating the Xu family, as if he is looking for something..." The Empress glanced at Chu Yanli's face, hesitated for a moment, and said, "He also took Madam Xu away, and her fate is still unknown."

click-

The water, which was originally steaming hot, suddenly became icy cold.

The condensed ice crystals radiated outwards from Chu Yanli as the center, instantly turning the entire bathroom into an ice cave!
A phantom image of an inkstone appeared behind the empress, surrounded by golden light. Even so, the terrifying pressure still made her face turn pale.

"Li'er..."

"call--"

Chu Yanli took a deep breath, suppressing the violent killing intent in her heart.

The index finger broke through the ice, and the frost quickly melted away. The solidified water in the dragon's mouth began to flow again, and the temperature slowly rose, as if nothing had happened.

"I'm sorry, I didn't control my emotions," Chu Yanli said apologetically.

"It's alright. I know you and Xu Zining were like sisters, and her unexpected passing must have been a great blow to you." The Empress suggested, "Should I step in and have the women of the Xu family removed from the lowly status?"

"No need."

Chu Yanli said calmly, "Although they are suffering now, at least they can still live. But if they leave the Jiaofangsi, they will probably be eaten alive, leaving not even bones or scraps."

"Over the years, I have deliberately kept my distance from the Xu family because I didn't want Wu Lie to become suspicious. Otherwise, why would I have waited until now?"

The Empress tentatively asked, "So what exactly happened back then...?"

Chu Yanli interrupted, saying, "You'll find out soon enough."

Seeing that she didn't want to say more, the Empress didn't press her further and could only give up for the time being.

"However, the dragon's might within you is growing stronger." The Empress frowned. "To what extent have you merged with the Heavenly Decree Seal?"

Chu Yanli did not answer. Her mind stirred slightly, and a radiant light emanated from her chest, making her skin and bones appear as translucent as jade.

A seal was visible hanging in the center of his chest, splitting into several golden lines that resembled vines wrapped around his heart, constantly drilling inward with each heartbeat.

At the same time, layers of golden scales appeared on his skin, almost covering half of his body.

The left eye turned into a vertical pupil, and the slender, jade-like fingers transformed into sharp claws...

It looked like a half-human, half-demon creature, and its appearance was extremely terrifying!
"It's already transformed into a dragon?!"

The Empress's pupils contracted, and she exclaimed, "This is probably the final stage... Have you gone mad?! The deeper you merge with the Heavenly Decree Seal, the harder it will be to separate you in the future. Sooner or later you will lose your mind and be completely assimilated by the dragon energy!"

"so what?"

Chu Yanli raised her left hand, looking at the sharp claws, and said indifferently, "If we don't do this, why have we guarded the southern border for more than ten years and prevented those beasts from invading? Every power has a price, and I think that's reasonable."

The Empress was speechless for a moment.

After a long silence, she finally asked, "How much longer?"

Chu Yanli suppressed the strange phenomenon, her body returning to normal, and said, "Probably another ten years or so, that should be enough... That Chen Mo can bear dragon energy with his physical body, yet there are no signs of any abnormality. Perhaps the solution to this matter lies hidden within him..."

"You cannot touch him," the Queen said coldly.

"Huh?" Chu Yanli was taken aback. "What did you say?"

"I said, you can't touch him." The Empress's expression was serious as she said in a deep voice, "He has Yu Youhan and Ji Hongxiu backing him up. If you don't want to die, you'd better stay away from him!"

"Don't worry, I don't intend to really do anything to him."

Chu Yanli waved her hand dismissively, saying, "Besides, this is my private matter, and it's none of other people's business. Do you think I need their permission to find a man?"

"Then you have to get Chen Mo's permission first!"

The Empress bit her lip. She hadn't expected that Chu Yanli would set her sights on Chen Mo as soon as she returned.

However, she couldn't forcefully stop them, as the exposure of their relationship would likely cause even greater trouble.

"Although forced melons are never sweet, you still have to take a bite to know what they taste like," Chu Yanli said with a smile.

Queen: "..."

"But speaking of which, your skin has gotten so good after all this time. It's so smooth and supple, you could practically squeeze water out of it." Chu Yanli looked the Empress up and down, then stroked her chin and mused, "Hmm, it seems your figure has become fuller too?"

The Empress silently wrapped her bathrobe even tighter.

This is all thanks to Chen Mo...

Besides that youth-preserving pill, he also diligently gnaws on it all day long and organizes team-building activities whenever he has free time. Over time, naturally, some changes will occur...

Thinking of this, she sighed silently, her heart filled with sorrow.

The matter of Consort Yu and the Daoist Master has not yet been settled, and now there's another troublesome eldest princess...

Why is it that people always have designs on my little thief?

……

……

Dingnan Street, Lufu.

Lu Shuangge stood in front of the mansion, gazing at the tightly closed, dark doors. He stood there for a long time before slowly walking up the steps and knocking on the door knocker.

dong dong dong-

A moment later, a cold voice came from inside the door:
"The mansion is closed to guests today. Please leave."

"it's me."

Lu Shuangge said calmly.

Upon hearing the sound, there was a moment of silence inside, followed by a loud clang as the latch was lowered and the door was quickly pulled open.

"Miss?!"

The guard at the gate was stunned for a moment, then reacted and shouted, "It's Miss! Miss is back!"

Tread-tap-

Soon, a flurry of footsteps echoed through the courtyard.

The butler, dressed in a black rushan (a type of traditional Chinese robe), led a group of servants out quickly.

Upon seeing Lüshuang Pavilion, he could not hide his excitement and rushed over to it.

"Miss, is it really you!"

"When did you return from southern Xinjiang? Why didn't you let me know beforehand?"

The servants behind her bowed in unison: "Greetings, Miss!"

"just came back."

Lu Shuangge responded and asked, "Where is my mother?"

"She's reading in the View Pavilion right now," the butler said with a smile. "She'll be so happy to know you're back!"

"Let's go."

The two walked through the connecting corridor and headed towards the inner courtyard.

Jianshanlou is a small pavilion that stands independently within the Lufu residence.

Although Lady Lü was a first-rank noblewoman, unlike other ladies, she did not enjoy banquets, elegant gatherings, or garden tours. Her only hobby was reading.

For this reason, Lü Huaiyu specially built a study, which was filled with all kinds of poetry and vernacular stories.

Everything that can be found on the market can be found in Jianshanlou; if something is not found in Jianshanlou, it cannot be found anywhere else.

We arrived at a side courtyard.

This place is planted with a large bamboo forest, creating a quiet and secluded environment, with glimpses of upturned eaves and corners visible through the gaps in the branches and leaves.

The butler stepped forward, opened the door, and gestured.

"Miss, please." Lu Shuangge stepped inside.

The pavilion has three floors, and the walls of each floor are lined with bookshelves filled with books. In addition to poetry, classics and history, there are books on Buddhism, Taoism, medicine, agriculture, mathematics, and even cultivation methods from various schools.

A scroll several meters long hung down from the dome, its ink-black characters meandering like a dragon on the plain silk.

The woman, wearing a cloak, sat by the window, engrossed in reading a book, completely unaware that Lu Shuangge had approached.

"Cough cough."

Lu Shuangge cleared his throat.

Qi Yingrong heard the sound, looked up, and was immediately stunned.

"Frost Pavilion?"

"mother."

Lu Shuangge forced a smile, "Have you missed me?"

Qi Yingrong was certain she wasn't seeing things. Her perpetually cold face finally showed some emotion, her lips trembled slightly, and her eyes seemed to well up with tears.

"You silly girl, why didn't you send a message beforehand? You caught us completely off guard," Qi Yingrong said, suppressing her surging emotions with a hint of annoyance.

"I just wanted to give you a surprise," Lu Shuangge said with a grin.

"I think you just don't want your father to know, do you?" Qi Yingrong glared at her.

Lu Shuangge's expression stiffened slightly, and he remained silent.

Qi Yingrong sighed and said, "I know you've always had this grudge in your heart, otherwise you wouldn't have followed the Princess to the Southern Frontier back then... But you have to understand, being in your father's position, there are many times when you don't have a choice..."

"some."

Lu Shuangge said in a low voice, "It's just that other options don't align with his interests."

Qi Yingrong shook her head. The long-standing grudge between the father and daughter couldn't be resolved in just a few words, so she simply stopped talking about it.

What is the situation in southern Xinjiang?

"It's relatively stable."

"The eldest princess has also returned to the capital?"

"Yes, I just went to the palace."

Lu Shuangge picked up the teapot, his palm surging with primordial energy, and the already cold tea became steaming hot. He poured the tea into the cup and said, "Mother, have some tea."

"Ah."

Qi Yingrong put down the book in her hand, picked up the teacup and took a small sip.

"What book are you reading? Why doesn't it even have a name?" Lu Shuangge asked, noticing the blank cover.

"It's just a miscellaneous book, not yet published, currently only a copy exists," Qi Yingrong said. "It's quite interesting, although a bit vulgar, but it portrays the ways of the world and human nature very profoundly."

Lü Shuangge knew that for Qi Yingrong to give such a high evaluation was enough to demonstrate the quality of the book.

“What’s even more interesting is that the author of this book is a military officer from the Tianlin Guard, and he’s quite famous in the city now,” Qi Yingrong said.

Lu Shuangge asked curiously, "Tianlin Guard? What's that called?"

“Chen Mo, his father is the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate. You're not in the capital most of the time, so you probably haven't heard of him…”

Seeing Lu Shuangge's slightly stiff expression, Qi Yingrong paused, her brows furrowing, "You know him?"

Lu Shuangge moved his throat and said, "We happened to meet today..."

She gave a general account of what had happened at the Prince Yu's residence.

However, the fact that Chen Mo possessed dragon energy and that Chu Yanli wanted to take him as her male concubine were omitted.

Qi Yingrong chuckled after hearing this.

Lu Shuangge said, "You also think Chen Mo's behavior was a bit impulsive? After all, Chu Heng is a member of the royal family; he's not so easy to deal with..."

“I’m laughing at Chu Heng. He has no idea what he’s going to face.” Qi Yingrong put down her teacup and said, “Since Chen Mo said he would throw Chu Heng into the imperial prison, then he can definitely do it.”

?

Lu Shuangge was taken aback for a moment, and said, "He does have some background, but it shouldn't be this bad, right?"

"It has nothing to do with the background."

Qi Yingrong shook her head and said, "Do you know what cases Chen Mo has been handling lately?"

She tapped her fingers on the table, speaking slowly and deliberately: "We solved the Crimson Sand Case, brought down the Vice Minister of Revenue, killed the transformed demonic dragon, saved hundreds of thousands of people in Linglan County and Linyang County, killed two of the Ten Great Demons, and recently even killed a Grandmaster-level demon..."

"This is only a part of it."

"In comparison, what difficulty would it be for him to deal with a crown prince?"

Lu Shuangge's mouth gaped slightly, his expression filled with disbelief.

She only knew that Chen Mo was favored by the Crown Prince, but she didn't know that his abilities were so strong!
Any one of the cases Qi Yingrong just mentioned could be enough to fill a lifetime of accolades!
Qi Yingrong continued:
"Besides handling cases, he broke through from the sixth rank to the fourth rank in just a few months. He is also proficient in alchemy and formations. If not a grandmaster, he is at least a master."

"His clothing designs became a hit throughout the city, making him a fortune."

"Now they've even written storybooks about it. Judging from the content, if they were published, they would definitely be a sensation..."

"..."

Lu Shuangge's expression gradually changed from surprise to blankness.

She prided herself on her talent, but compared to Chen Mo, she was nothing.

"Could it be that he was born with knowledge?" Lu Shuangge murmured, beginning to doubt the meaning of life.

"You don't need to underestimate yourself."

Qi Yingrong patted her shoulder and said, "In every era, there will be an unreasonable genius, such as the Dao Ancestor of Tian Shu Pavilion, or the founding patriarch of the Great Yuan Dynasty... Such people are favored by the Mandate of Heaven, and they can seize power, set things right, and crush anyone who gets in their way."

Considering that Chen Mo possessed dragon energy and had also received the inheritance of the Lord of War, Lü Shuangge said thoughtfully, "So, you think Chen Mo is the destined one of this generation?"

Qi Yingrong shook her head and said, "No one can be sure until the very end, but at least it looks very similar now."

Lu Shuangge then asked, "Will the Yu Prince's Mansion really fall into Chen Mo's hands?"

Qi Yingrong chuckled and said, "A feather can crush a mountain, not because of its strength, but because of its immense power... The Yu Prince's Mansion is like a majestic mountain, seemingly unshakeable, but if it were to collapse, even a single feather could easily crush it."

"Moreover, Chen Mo is not some weightless feather, but a mountain-splitting axe..."

Lu Shuangge fell silent.

The library fell silent.

After a long pause, Lü Shuangge asked, "What about him? He shouldn't miss this opportunity, right?"

The "he" here naturally refers to Lü Huaiyu.

"Your father plans to have Chen Mo serve as the Crown Prince's study companion," Qi Yingrong said.

"A military officer...serving as the Crown Prince's study companion?" Lü Shuangge frowned.

“I told you, this person cannot be judged by ordinary standards… Look, these words also came from Chen Mo’s mouth, and your father transcribed them. Take a look.”

Qi Yingrong took a sheet of Xuan paper from a stack of books on the table and handed it to Lü Shuangge.

She reached out and took it, staring blankly at the words on it.

"Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish?"

"This person actually understands the art of governing a country?!"

"This 'male favorite' that the eldest princess has taken a liking to is probably far more complex than she thinks..."

……

……

As dusk fell, the moon rose high in the sky.

Candles were lit in the Begonia Pond, their light refracted by the water mist, resembling a layer of pale yellow gauze.

Yu Youhan sat by the bathtub, her hands supporting her on the countertop, her jade feet splashing in the water.

Xu Qingyi had already been sent away, and she had also taken the silly cat with her. Now, only she and Chen Mo were left in the bathroom.

Chen Mo stood at the door, looking extremely cautious.

Yu Youhan glanced at him and said coldly, "What are you doing standing so far away? Do you think I'm going to eat you?"

Chen Mo's lips twitched slightly as he said, "This humble servant was just afraid that Her Majesty hadn't calmed down yet..."

"Come on this."

Yu Youhan rolled her eyes at him and said irritably, "If I were angry with you, would I let you treat me like that?"

makes sense……

Last time, the Empress not only made him tear open the packaging himself, but also showed it to the Minister of Revenue. He certainly didn't seem angry.

Chen Mo stepped forward and sat down next to the Empress, inhaling the refreshing fragrance, and said, "Your Majesty, didn't you want to take a bath? The water will get cold soon."

Yu Youhan frowned and said, "How am I supposed to wash with you here?"

"Your Majesty, you may not know this, but besides my family's traditional foot massage skills, I am also very skilled at back scrubbing and oil massage." Chen Mo blinked and suggested, "How about I demonstrate for Your Majesty?"

Yu Youhan: "..."

(End of this chapter)