I became the demon of the female devil

Chapter 296 Chen Mo's Sleep-Aid Service! Where is the Empress?
It was dark.

The inner hall of Zhaohua Palace.

Chen Mo leaned against the small couch, gazing at that peaceful sleeping face.

Her features were delicate, her lips were small and red, and the dim candlelight cast a warm glow on her cheeks, revealing the fine downy hairs on her fair skin.

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly from time to time, and even in her sleep, a hint of sorrow lingered between her brows and eyes.

"Ugh……"

Chen Mo sighed softly.

After learning that the two had been exposed, the Empress felt uneasy.

Although she kept saying she would confront the truth, when the time actually came, she didn't know how to face it.

The man her niece and sister-in-law had their eyes on had already climbed into her bed... The sense of immorality of being a "married woman" made her feel extremely tormented.

Chen Mo comforted the Empress for a long time before she finally calmed down.

There's a grand ceremony tomorrow, and we have to get up before dawn. Worried about affecting her mental state, Chen Mo dutifully acted as a pillow and didn't cause any trouble.

Seeing that the Empress had fallen into a deep sleep, he carefully sat up.

He moved the long legs that were pressing down on him and silently climbed off the bed.

Standing by the bed, I pulled the thin blanket over her and gently pecked her on her fair cheek.

"She panicked like this just because the Eldest Princess noticed a little something... If I told her that the Imperial Concubine had already seen through her drinking ink, wouldn't she have plunged headfirst into the Hidden Dragon River?"

"It seems that some things cannot be rushed and can only be done slowly."

Chen Mo thought to himself.

Leaving Zhaohua Palace, we wandered through the palace complex.

At this moment, the palace lanterns were not lit, and under the dim sky, the vast palace complex resembled a group of lurking giant beasts.

He looked up at the horizon and saw the last rays of sunset disappearing over the glazed golden roof of the Qianji Palace before vanishing completely into the shadows.

Recalling what Chu Yanli had once said, a chill ran down his spine.

"An evil dragon..."

As I passed by Cangzhen Gate, I saw a group of palace servants moving back and forth, carrying various luxurious robes and utensils, while Fan Sigui stood in front of the gate supervising them.

"Be careful not to break anything; these are all needed for tomorrow's sacrificial ceremony."

"If you delay important matters, you won't have enough heads to chop off!"

"Hmm? Lord Chen, what are you doing here?"

Upon seeing Chen Mo, Fan Sigui was momentarily stunned.

Chen Mo cleared his throat and said in a serious tone, "Tomorrow, the Tianlin Guard will assist in maintaining order in the imperial city. As a member of the Imperial Guard, I've come to the palace ahead of time to conduct an inspection... This is......"

Fan Sigui shook her head and said, "His Majesty is unwell, so the Crown Prince will attend tomorrow's sacrificial ceremony in his place. Because it was a last-minute order, it seems a bit rushed."

Chen Mo raised an eyebrow.

During special periods, it is perfectly reasonable for the crown prince, as the heir apparent, to perform ancestral rites on behalf of the emperor.

However, as the annual grand celebration, the Ministry of Rites had already begun preparations two months prior, but just hours before it was to begin, they were only notified at the last minute that the Crown Prince would be in charge.
This is far too frivolous.

Fan Sigui was clearly puzzled by this as well, but the emperor's thoughts were beyond the comprehension of others, so she didn't say anything more.

"How is His Highness the Crown Prince?" Chen Mo asked.

“Your Highness is naturally a little nervous as this is the first time you’ve faced such a major event,” Fan Sigui said. “However, fortunately, with Grand Tutor Lü in charge, there’s no need to worry about anything going wrong.”

"That's good."

"Time is of the essence, let's not delay the important matters, I shall take my leave now."

Chen Mo cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and prepared to turn and leave.

"Master Chen..."

Fan Sigui called out to him.

Chen Mo stopped and turned around, asking, "Is there anything else, Miss Fan?"

Fan Sigui hesitated for a moment and said, "The Crown Prince has been talking about you these days. He doesn't have many friends in the palace, and he only gets along well with you... If Lord Chen has time after the Emperor's birthday celebration, he can come to Linqing Palace for a visit."

Chen Mo remained silent for a moment.

From a rational point of view, he should keep his distance from the Crown Prince.

But thinking of how the little guy spoke up for him in court and how reluctant he was to part with him, he nodded and said, "Okay, I'll remember."

Fan Sigui breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "Take care, Lord Chen."

"Stay."

Chen Mo nodded slightly.

Leaving Cangzhen Gate, we walked along the palace road through the inner court towards the West Palace.

Chu Heng's unusual behavior in prison kept him on his toes. Although he didn't intend to ask the Empress for help, the matter might be very serious, so he needed to report it in advance.

After waiting for a long time at Qianqing Gate, a palace maid finally arrived.

"I'm sorry, Lord Chen, Her Majesty is not in the palace at the moment and cannot see you," the palace servant said, bowing slightly.

"Not here?" Chen Mo frowned and asked, "Where did Her Majesty go?"

"This servant doesn't know," the palace maid said. "The Empress left the palace at Shenshi today without saying where she was going, and this servant dared not ask any further questions."

"Sir Xu should know, right?" Chen Mo looked around, puzzled. "Why don't I see her anywhere?"

The palace attendant's expression was somewhat strange as she whispered, "Some time ago, Her Majesty issued an order forbidding Minister Xu and Lord Chen from having private contact. From now on, whenever you enter the palace, we will arrange for someone to receive you..."

Chen Mo: "..."

It seems to be because of the time I stayed overnight at Yeting Palace last time.

Knowing the Empress's personality, even if she doesn't say it, she's probably still jealous...

"Alright, I'll come back in a few days."

"This servant will escort you..."

"No need."

Tomorrow is the day of Heaven's Mandate, and the grand ceremony will begin at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM). There are only about three hours left until now, so Chen Mo decided not to return to his residence. After leaving the palace, he headed towards Huaizhenfang.

At this time, the Tianlin Guard had already left the yamen, and the training ground appeared somewhat empty.

It just so happens that Qiu Longgang is on duty tonight, and he's sitting on the steps wiping his whip right now.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up and was taken aback when he saw that it was Chen Mo. "Lord Chen, what brings you here so late at night?"

Chen Mo casually said, "I couldn't sleep anyway, so I came over for a stroll... Have you arranged the manpower for tomorrow?"

Qiu Longgang replied, "It's all arranged. They're all elites from the Water and Fire Departments. I've already sent them to scout out the outskirts of the capital."

"Okay, that's good. Be careful not to make any mistakes."

Even if it's just a formality, we still have to put on a good show.

"I understand."

Chen Mo briefly explained a few words to Qiu Longgang before heading into the government office and arriving at the imperial prison.

As soon as he entered the dungeon, the prison clerk quickly came to greet him, "Lord Chen, you've arrived."

"Has Chu Heng made any moves?" Chen Mo asked.

"No," the prison warden shook his head and said, "He hasn't woken up since you interrogated him during the day."

"Go and have a look."

The two descended the stone steps to the deepest part of the dungeon.

A heavy stone door was tightly shut, and two heavily armed guards stood before it, their tall and imposing figures resembling iron towers.

The prison clerk stepped forward and showed his waist badge.

After the guards confirmed that everything was in order, they reached out and grabbed the door knocker. A flash of light appeared, and with a muffled "boom," the heavy stone door slowly opened.

Inside was a deep, dark passageway, with bronze lamps hanging on the walls, their light flickering.

Both sides of the cell are all independent single rooms, and all the materials you can touch are made of demon-slaying stone. The interior space is extremely narrow, only enough for one person to sit or lie down.

It was less like a prison and more like a stone coffin.

Chen Mo arrived at Chu Heng's cell and peered inside through a thumb-sized hole.

The interior was pitch black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face, but it didn't affect his eyesight at all.

Chu Heng was hanging high on the rack, his head drooping, his disheveled hair covering his face, and he seemed to be still unconscious.

Chen Mo raised his hand and secretly activated a mechanism on the wall.

click-

With the sound of the mechanism engaging, several gleaming blades pierced through Chu Heng's body on the rack, instantly piercing him and causing blood to gush out.

However, Chu Heng remained motionless and showed no reaction.

Yu Dian said from the side, "Judging from his condition, his soul is probably damaged, and he probably won't wake up for a while."

"is it?"

Chen Mo remained silent, lost in thought.

Logically speaking, the side effects of "Floating Life Dream" shouldn't be this severe... Could it be that he injured his head when someone else "stole his account"?
Although nothing seems out of the ordinary, a sense of unease lingers in my mind, a feeling that something is not good.

Once the Emperor's birthday celebrations are over, we can seize the opportunity to take action and completely eliminate this scourge.

Chen Mo pondered for a moment, then took out a jade pendant from his pocket and handed it to Yu Dian, saying, "You must keep a close eye on him, especially tomorrow. If you find anything unusual, immediately crush the jade pendant, and I will be able to sense it."

"The official knows."

The prison warden reached out and took it.

Watching Chen Mo's departing figure, she secretly wondered to herself, "Is Lord Chen being a little too cautious?"

Locking Chu Heng up in the Black Court was already making a mountain out of a molehill, and now it seems like they're still not entirely at ease... Could someone possibly break him out of prison?

However, remembering that Chen Mo was always incredibly insightful, he put the jade pendant away.

Better safe than sorry; it's always better to be cautious than to be caught off guard.

Boom——

The stone gate closed.

The cell was deathly silent.

Chu Heng remained motionless, his breathing even, yet two points of scarlet light shone through his disheveled hair, carrying a hint of mockery and deep-seated hatred. "Chen...Mo..."

……

……

Chen Mo returned to the yamen.

The silly cat was dozing off in its cage.

He walked over, squatted down, and poked at the fence a few times, "Your Majesty, are you there? Are you there?"

"Meow~"

The cat opened its sleepy eyes and looked at him.

Upon seeing that it was Chen Mo, it slowly rolled over, revealing its soft belly, with an expression that said, "Poke it here."

"It seems that Her Majesty's consciousness has indeed been withdrawn," Chen Mo pondered to himself. "But at this critical juncture, where could Her Majesty go?"

I pondered for a long time but still couldn't come up with an answer.

However, given the Empress's cultivation level, she is unlikely to encounter any danger, so there is no need to worry too much.

At this moment, Chen Mo seemed to realize something, his brows furrowed, and he got up and walked towards the inner courtyard.

Arriving at the bedroom in the backyard, I reached out and pushed open the door.

crunch--

"Who?!"

A stern rebuke came from inside the room.

Immediately, a blazing cold light pierced through the air!

Chen Mo remained expressionless, extending two fingers to firmly grasp the blade. "Does Commander Li also kill in his dreams?"

Li Yuan was dressed neatly, holding a long and sharp Mo Dao in his hand, the blade of which was emitting a burst of energy.

Upon seeing that the person who came was Chen Mo, he hurriedly put away his Mo Dao. "Lord Chen, what brings you here? I thought it was some ignorant bailiff... It's already time to go home, what brings you to the yamen?"

"I just came from the palace and stopped by to take a look."

Chen Mo paused slightly before asking, "You don't sleep here every night, do you?"

"Pretty much, anyway, I'll be alone when I go back." Li Yuan said softly, "If I stay here, I can see the Master as soon as possible, even though the Master often skips work..."

Chen Mo remained silent.

Li Yuan's father was a soldier who died on the battlefield in his early years. Not long after, her mother also passed away. There were no close relatives in the family, leaving her all alone.

He picked up Li Yuan and sat down by the bed.

"How about we come to my place sometime? I have plenty of rooms, and it'll be more lively with more people," Chen Mo said softly, his arm around her slender waist.

"Go to your home?"

Li Yuan waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "This is not appropriate. Even if you don't care, what will your parents think of me?"

"What's there to be afraid of? They know our relationship." Chen Mo said with a smile.

Li Yuan recalled that day in front of the Tianlin Guard's gate, when Chen Mo, in front of Chen Zhuo, personally declared that she was his future wife... A blush rose to her fair face, and she bit her lip shyly, saying, "No need, I'm already very content that you have such a thought for me..."

Chen Mo knew her personality, so he didn't force her.

The two embraced silently for a long time before Li Yuan spoke up, "By the way, what exactly does the Princess mean? I heard she wants you to be her male concubine?"

Chen Mo said helplessly, "Now she has changed her mind and is going to skip this step and make me the prince consort directly."

"The prince consort?!"

Li Yuan was momentarily stunned.

As a daughter of a military family, she naturally knew the Princess's status in the army, and even once regarded her as a role model... But now, this female general who quelled the rebellion of the Southern Barbarians actually wants to get married?

The key is……

She married her man?!
"You agree?" Li Yuan asked nervously.

Chen Mo pinched her cheek and said irritably, "How could that be? Do I look like the kind of person who would do anything to climb the ladder? But knowing Chu Yanli as I do, she probably won't let this go so easily, and might even cause some more trouble..."

Li Yuan fell silent upon hearing this.

Although Chen Mo was not interested in power, he was completely powerless against beautiful women.

Besides her noble status, the princess is also stunningly beautiful. If she were to lower herself to "seduce" him and relentlessly attack his weaknesses, he would likely fall for her trap sooner or later...

"However, on the other hand, what kind of people are around Lord Chen?"

"Even if the eldest princess came, she would have to sit at the back of the line..."

"Anyway, whoever agrees to me being with Lord Chen, I'll support them to become the first wife..."

Just as Li Yuan was pinching her chin and pondering, she suddenly trembled, gasped, and her beautiful eyes widened.

"grown ups?"

Chen Mo smiled and said, "Since we still have time, and we're just idling around anyway, why don't we add a few more counters to the back of this knife?"

"Wait, wait a minute, don't use your hands..." Li Yuantan opened her mouth slightly, biting his shoulder, and uttered an indistinct murmur that echoed in the quiet bedroom.

……

……

There are three moments of ugliness.

The night was deep, and the personnel from both the Water and Fire Departments had been assembled.

Chen Mo stood in front of the yamen, hands behind his back, scrutinizing everyone with his gaze.

At this moment, Li Yuan's face still had a lingering blush, and her eyes were filled with a hint of annoyance.

However, unlike usual, Chen Mo was very measured this time, as if he was deliberately helping her cultivate. At this moment, she not only did not feel tired, but under the blessing of the "Thirty-Six Yin-Yang Techniques of Dongxuanzi", her condition was surprisingly good.

"According to the previous assignment, the Fire Department is responsible for the south and west sides of the Imperial City, while the other two directions are assigned to the Water Department."

"Three people per group, patrolling within the designated area, and immediately sounding the alarm if any abnormality is detected."

"Everyone, stay alert! There can't be any mistakes!"

Chen Mo's clear voice echoed in the night sky.

"Yes!"

The crowd responded in unison.

Chen Mo waved his hand and said, "Let's go!"

"drive!"

Everyone mounted their horses and galloped towards the palace.

Star Observation Deck.

The 50th floor.

Qi Chengze stood with his hands behind his back, his light blue robe fluttering in the night wind.

Standing at the highest point in Kyoto and looking down, the entire city seemed to have become a miniature sand table. Through the surging clouds, his gaze locked onto a figure riding towards him in the distance.

"It's him?"

"Besides having good physical constitution, there doesn't seem to be anything special about him?"

"I don't know what's gotten into that old man Ling Yishan, insisting that I tell his fate..."

Qi Chengze muttered to himself.

On the day of the Heavenly Bestowal, at the exact hour of Yin (3-5 AM), the ruler was to go to the Circular Mound Altar located in the southern suburbs to offer sacrifices to Heaven.

According to custom, before leaving the palace, the Imperial Observatory would first activate the "Sky-Gazing Mirror" to observe the stars, predict fortune, and divine good or bad luck.

The Heavenly Mirror possesses unparalleled power, capable of temporarily erasing the chaotic fog that obscures one's destiny, thus allowing one to discern the secrets of heaven.

Such important artifacts cannot be used without authorization. They are usually sealed in the Observatory and "charged" by the Zhou Tian Star Array. They are only used when grand ceremonies are held or when the country is in turmoil.

Ling Yishan's requirements were also very simple.

While he was using the Heavenly Mirror to unravel the secrets of heaven, he also took the opportunity to examine Chen Mo's fate.

This wasn't a difficult task, and no one would likely notice, so Qi Chengze agreed.

He was also a little curious...

What is so special about Chen Mo that makes Ling Yishan value him so much?
……

……

After arranging the manpower, Chen Mo and Li Yuan arrived at the south gate of the imperial city, dismounted, and waited quietly.

Half an hour later.

thump—

The bell rings.

The vermilion door slowly opened.

Accompanied by the sound of synchronized footsteps, hundreds of imperial guards clad in golden armor emerged from the palace, clearing the way with golden maces in hand.

Behind them, black flags fluttered, embroidered with five-clawed golden dragons. A magnificent elephant chariot with nine mythical dragon steeds followed behind, with dozens of riders in front. Under the canopy at the rear, a short figure sat upright.

The prince was dressed in a black and red robe embroidered with four-clawed dragons, with a jade belt around his waist and a nine-tassel crown on his head. His small face was tense and expressionless.

On either side of the elephant carriage, two other figures rode slowly alongside.

His imposing figure stretched his crimson official robe high, and his white beard resembled silver needles. He was none other than Lü Huaiyu, the Grand Secretary and Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince.

The other woman was tall and slender, with flowing flame patterns carved on her golden armor plates, which folded into a phoenix tail along her waist. Nine feathers were cast on her shoulders, and she wore a scarlet cloak.

From a distance, it looks like a blazing sun, standing out conspicuously against the night sky.

"Why is this woman here too?!"

As the group approached, Chen Mo took two steps back, lowered his head, and silently prayed that she wouldn't notice him.

Unfortunately, what they feared most came to pass. The long queue stopped right in front of the two of them. Chu Yanli glanced at him, a clear smile playing on her lips.

"Chen Mo, we meet again so soon."

"Since we parted at Changning Pavilion yesterday, have you missed me?"

The sound was exceptionally clear in the quiet night sky.

Chen Mo: "..."

(End of this chapter)