I became the demon of the female devil

Chapter 321 Empress: This commander Chen Mo is determined to be the one. Who agrees? Who disagrees?

The Golden Palace was deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop.

The assembled officials stared at the Crown Prince in disbelief.

From the very beginning of the founding of the dynasty by Emperor Taizu, the principle of "divine right of kings" was established.

This so-called "Heaven" has no concrete form, but represents the absolute authority of the cosmic order. The emperor is the secular representative of "Heaven," who inherits the "Mandate of Heaven" to govern all people.

The Mandate of Heaven and imperial power are intertwined and inseparable. The Crown Prince's words are tantamount to undermining the authority of the royal family!

The senior officials standing at the forefront frowned, their hearts filled with turmoil.

The crown prince is still young and speaks without restraint; it is normal for him to occasionally say the wrong thing.

But his remarks were clear and logical, and the phrase "human words are not to be trusted, and the will of Heaven is not to be feared" could not possibly have come from the Crown Prince. It is highly likely that someone taught him to say it!
What is the purpose?
With so many officials in the court now missing and key positions vacant, is this an opportunity to carry out a major reshuffle?
The group glanced furtively at the bamboo curtain.

"Your Highness, be careful what you say!"

Minister of Rites Ding Yi broke the silence first, saying in a deep voice, "The crown prince is chosen by Heaven. How can we go against Heaven's will? Wouldn't that throw all the rules of propriety and social order into chaos?!"

Mei Zhong, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, stepped forward with a trembling white beard: "The late Emperor Taizu's teachings are clear: 'The Mandate of Heaven is the foundation of the nation.' Without the protection of the Mandate of Heaven, how could the empire be passed down for thousands of years? This is the very root of the Great Yuan Dynasty!"

Having said that, he prostrated himself on the ground and cried out, "Your Highness, I beg you to retract your words, on behalf of the ancestral temples and the state!"

wow-

Your Majesty, the courtiers prostrated themselves like a tidal wave, their voices thundering in remonstrance:

"The will of Heaven cannot be defied!"

"These are words that lead to the downfall of a nation!"

"Your Highness, please stop speaking immediately!"

Lu Huaiyu stood at the very front, his burly figure motionless, his face cold and stern, glancing sideways at the crowd.

These old guys usually sit back and relax, seemingly unfazed by anything, but now that their own interests are at stake, they've all jumped out in a panic, which is quite amusing.

The crown prince was startled by the scene and involuntarily shrank back.

He himself did not expect that simply speaking his mind would provoke such a strong reaction.

"quiet!"

Jin Gonggong's voice boomed in everyone's ears, causing a sharp pain in their eardrums.

The noisy and bustling Golden Palace finally quieted down.

Behind the bamboo curtain, the Empress's calm voice rang out: "Grand Tutor Lü, did you teach these words?"

"..."

A huge black pot came rushing towards us.

Lü Huaiyu's brows twitched, naturally unwilling to accept the invitation. He shook his head and said, "This old minister only speaks of governance; etiquette has always been the responsibility of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. Moreover, I have been busy with state affairs recently and have not yet had time to come to the palace to lecture Your Highness..."

The Court of Imperial Sacrifices is the official residence of the Crown Prince, so this is just passing the buck back to him.

The Crown Prince hesitated for a moment before taking the initiative to say, "This is not something I was taught to say, but rather something I felt after experiencing the upheaval at the temple... Your subject spoke without thinking, and I hope Your Majesty will not take offense."

The Empress pondered for a moment and said, "The Crown Prince is not yet mature and has just experienced a life-or-death crisis. It is already difficult enough that he can force himself to come to court. How can we ask for too much? I think you all can understand."

Being young is the best protection.

After a brief conversation, the two effortlessly dispelled what could be considered "outrageous" remarks.

Ding Yi narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "As the crown prince, Your Highness bears the weight of the ancestral temple and enjoys the trust of the people. Your words and deeds should conform to etiquette and law, and you must not be careless or improper. I hope that Your Highness will cultivate virtue and self-discipline in the future and be cautious in your words and actions."

"What Lord Ding says makes sense," the Empress said. "This is the head of the Ministry of Rites. If the Crown Prince has any questions about etiquette in the future, he can consult Lord Ding."

Upon hearing this, Ding Yi's face lit up with pride, and he straightened his back a bit.

Of the three highest officials, the Grand Tutor was in charge of actual administration, the Grand Preceptor was in charge of teaching, and the Grand Protector was in charge of personal protection.

The positions of Grand Tutor and Grand Protector had been vacant for a long time, and Ding Yi had naturally considered taking them.

As the Minister of Rites, he was already a key minister in the central government, but he was still one step away from the more central Three Dukes and the Grand Secretary, which were the pinnacle of honor and status! It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was second only to the emperor!
This is a rare and excellent opportunity!

"Your subject understands." The Crown Prince looked Ding Yi up and down and said, "Actually, your subject has a deep impression of Lord Ding..."

Ding Yi was overjoyed and was about to seize the opportunity to advance his plan when he heard the Crown Prince continue:
"On the day of the grand ceremony, I had just lit the sacrificial furnace when I heard Lord Ding shouting something about 'blue smoke soaring to the sky' and 'the river is clear and the sea is calm,' and then the ancestral temple exploded. I thought you were sending a signal to someone..."

? !
Ding Yi's expression froze on his face.

Immediately, a chill ran down my spine and straight to the back of my head!

He was just shouting slogans; who could have predicted that there were explosives under the altar?

These two events were originally unrelated, but the Crown Prince's words completely changed the meaning of the situation! It was truly a veiled attack on his conscience!

Ding Yi could no longer remain calm. He lifted his robe, knelt down, and said loudly, "Your subject is utterly loyal to the court. How could I possibly collude with traitors? I was merely moved by the auspicious signs that appeared in the sky. I hope Your Highness will see the truth!"

The Crown Prince snorted and muttered, "You keep talking about destiny, I thought you were quite knowledgeable, but you can't even tell if it's an auspicious omen or a bad one? If all you can do is shout slogans to become an official, then what's the point of the imperial examinations? We might as well just have a contest to see who can shout the loudest?"

The sound was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for everyone to hear clearly.

"puff--"

A suppressed chuckle came from behind.

The officials in blue robes trembled, their faces turning a deep purplish-red.

The prince could curse without using any vulgar language, and they were almost having a brain orgasm just listening to him!
If it weren't for the special circumstances now, they would have already started to exploit the situation and make a big fuss about it. Even if they couldn't shake Ding Yi's position, they would have given him a hard time!

Feng Jinyu, the Vice Minister of Rites, silently took two steps back, distancing himself from Ding Yi.

Mei Zhong, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs who had just spoken out against the Crown Prince, lowered his head and remained silent, appearing as if it were none of his business.

Ding Yi remained prostrate on the ground, motionless like a rock.

After a moment, the Empress spoke up: "The will of Heaven is unpredictable and its intentions are hard to fathom. Lord Ding is only concerned about the country, which is why he took it as an auspicious omen. There's no need to make a big deal out of it... Get up, Lord Ding."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Ding Yi stood up and returned to his seat, his official robes soaked with sweat.

Although he guessed that the Crown Prince wanted to use this opportunity to reshuffle the deck, he never expected that he would almost be the first one to be affected...

"Let's get back to the main topic, Eunuch Jin. Please tell us about the current situation," the Empress said.

"Yes."

Eunuch Jin stepped forward, unfolded the document in his hand, and his voice echoed in the hall:
"During this turmoil, a total of 235 Imperial Guards perished, and 15 court officials also died..."

"From Jinglan Street to the South Gate area, everything was destroyed, countless houses collapsed, and tens of thousands of Kyoto residents were killed or injured..."

The ministers' expressions gradually became solemn.

The losses suffered by the imperial court in this turmoil are incalculable.

This loss is not only financial, but also morale... If even the emperor's own feet are not safe, how can the entire country be considered secure?
"The most urgent task is to handle the aftermath properly."

"The displaced disaster victims and the wounded have been temporarily housed at a temporary post in the southern suburbs. The Ministry of Works and the Jingzhao Prefecture will assess the losses and begin reconstruction work as soon as possible."

"In addition, the Imperial Guards and officials who died, as well as the civilians in the city who were implicated, have all received the highest level of compensation."

"These things must be done within this month, without any mistakes."

The Empress spoke calmly and methodically.

"Sir, obey the order!"

The ministers responded in unison.

The Empress tapped her fingers on the armrest and said, "In addition, the identity of the mastermind behind this turmoil has also been identified..."

Upon hearing this, everyone was horrified!
"what?!"

"They found the killer so quickly?"

"Who exactly did this?"

The Empress said calmly, "Minister Luo, you should speak."

Luo Huaijin, dressed in a black official robe, stepped forward and said, "After a thorough investigation by the Tianlin Guard, a secret passage was discovered beneath the Prince Yu's residence. Although it has been sealed with mortar, the general path can be discerned through the cracks created by the earthquake. It leads directly to the ancestral temple in the southern suburbs, and the incendiary powder that caused the explosion was buried within it..."

As Luo Huaijin recounted the case, Eunuch Jin placed a stack of documents on the imperial desk.

The crystal mirror beside him shone brightly, projecting the contents of the document into the air without missing a single word.

The contents are very detailed, including evidence of the large number of laborers recruited by the Prince Yu's Mansion over the years, the city defense maps obtained from Zhu Qiming in the capital of Jingzhao Prefecture, and the correspondence between the Prince Yu's Mansion and Zhou Jing'an.

At this point, the entire sequence of events is crystal clear.

“The Prince Yu’s Mansion began planning this several years ago.”

Luo Huaijin said in a deep voice: "First, under the pretext of repairing the mansion, they dug a tunnel underground and instructed the Zhou family to mine red sand, intending to overthrow the Great Yuan regime. The evidence is irrefutable!"

The court was quiet for a moment, then a huge uproar ensued!
The court officials knew that Chu Heng was dishonest, but they never expected him to be so treacherous!

This is blatant treason!

Such terrible consequences cannot be tolerated, even by members of the royal family!

"and many more……"

Yu Huai, a supervising secretary of the Ministry of Personnel, pondered and said, "So, Chen Mo's judgment was correct from the beginning. The mastermind behind the Zhou family case is Chu Heng? The real culprit was already brought to justice before the case was exposed?" "Hehe, I remember that quite a few people questioned it back then, shouting about the 'Eight Deliberations' system and obstructing Deputy Commander Chen from handling the case."

"If we had fully cooperated with Chen Mo from the beginning and thoroughly investigated the Prince Yu's residence, it would have been entirely possible to avoid this disaster!"

The ministers who had previously jumped out to impeach Chen Mo looked very grim; the more fiercely they had shouted back then, the more panicked they were now.

Fortunately, the Crown Prince did not pursue the matter further, but instead inquired, "Where is Chu Heng now?"

Luo Huaijin replied, "Your Highness, on the day of the ceremony, a large-scale prison break occurred in the imperial prison. The guards reacted quickly and quelled the situation immediately, but Chu Heng took advantage of the chaos to escape and, with the help of Lin Junxian, the commander of the Eastern City, fled the capital..."

"Ran?!"

Before the assembled officials could react, Luo Huaijin continued, "Fortunately, Chen Mo arrived in time and killed Chu Heng and his entourage of palace servants on the spot, preventing future trouble... However, Prince Yu's whereabouts are still unknown, and the investigation is ongoing..."

The crown prince tilted his head and said in a childish voice, "So, it's Chen Mo who solved the case, Chen Mo who saved the emperor, and Chen Mo who killed the culprit? It feels like Chen Mo alone is more useful than all of you combined?"

"..."

Everyone's faces turned bright red.

These words were tantamount to slapping them in the face, but for a moment they didn't know how to refute them.

"Cough cough."

Lu Huaiyu cleared his throat and spoke in a booming voice: "Your Highness's words are somewhat biased, but they are not without reason... Chen Mo has made such a great contribution that it is worthy of being recorded in history, and he must be richly rewarded."

Behind the bamboo curtain, the Empress glanced at him with surprise.

Today's events were merely a formality; the original intention was simply to secure benefits for Chen Mo. However, it was quite unexpected that Lü Huaiyu would take the initiative to speak up.

Does this mean they're going to regroup?
The crown prince, without much ulterior motives, beamed with joy upon hearing that his good friend was to receive a reward, exclaiming excitedly, "Where's Chen Mo? Quickly, let him in to collect his reward!"

Eunuch Jin looked at the Empress, who nodded slightly, and said in a shrill voice, "Summon Chen Mo, the Deputy Commander of the Tianlin Guard, to the palace!"

A moment later, two golden-armored guards pushed open the palace doors.

Sunlight streamed through the doorway, casting a tall shadow on the floor.

The courtiers turned to look and saw that beneath the black robe embroidered with dark scales, the figure was tall and straight, with sharp brows and eyes like cold pools, exuding a composure beyond his years.

A thought spontaneously arose in their minds:
What a handsome young man!
Chen Mo walked through the crowd and arrived at the foot of the golden steps.

"Your humble servant pays respects to Your Majesty the Empress and Your Highness the Crown Prince."

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

"Be flat."

The Empress spoke up.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Chen Mo stood up, feeling the gazes cast upon him from all around, carrying a variety of complex and ambiguous meanings.

This was his first time stepping onto the throne, but he felt no excitement whatsoever; he just wanted to finish quickly and go back to catch up on his sleep.

Since returning from Tianlan Mountain, he has not rested at all, running between Changning Pavilion, Hanxiao Palace and Yangxin Palace. Although his body can hold up, he is still somewhat mentally exhausted.

Especially last night, I was busy all night at Changning Pavilion, cleaning up inside and out, and even renovating the entire garden.

Because the land had been abandoned for a long time and could not be used to grow spiritual plants, he simply dug out a spiritual field from his Heavenly Profound Ring and filled it in.

I was busy until dawn and almost missed the court assembly.

The reason he did all this was not because he was addicted to farming and wanted to do farm work, but because he felt that Chu Yanli's mental state was not quite right.

This princess seems to have some self-destructive tendencies, wanting to squeeze out every last bit of value from herself, which is why she keeps thinking about making him her husband...

If there were more life in the palace, perhaps they wouldn't have been in such a hurry to die?
"Chen Mo, you have rendered meritorious service in protecting the Emperor this time and also killed the mastermind behind it all. You deserve a reward. Tell me, what do you want?" the Crown Prince asked with a smile.

Chen Mo shook his head and said, "This is simply my duty, and I don't need any reward."

Although the Empress had already informed him beforehand, he still had to say the polite words.

"How can that be?" the Crown Prince pouted and said, "The Grand Tutor himself said that when an emperor rules the world, he should clearly define the boundaries of rewards and punishments, and demonstrate the power of encouragement and discipline. Merit should be rewarded with titles and emoluments, and transgressions should be punished... If such a great achievement is not rewarded, what difference is there between him and a tyrannical ruler like King Zhou?"

"..."

Chen Mo's heart skipped a beat.

Lu Huaiyu asked in bewilderment, "Who is King Zhou? This old minister has never heard of such a person in history."

The Crown Prince glanced at Chen Mo and said, "This... I read it in a miscellaneous book. It's probably fabricated and not historical fact..."

"Then where was King Zhou's incompetence?" Lü Huaiyu pressed.

The crown prince felt a deep-seated fear of the old man, and stammered, "King Zhou... King Zhou was tyrannical and incompetent, he harmed the queen, hunted down the crown prince, disregarded the bond between husband and wife, and disregarded the proper relationship between father and son..."

"Disregarding state affairs, the emperor's desk gathered dust, the court was in chaos like dark clouds obscuring the sun, and the nation's power declined like a collapsing building..."

Chen Mo rubbed his temples.

These are lines from "Investiture of the Gods." He just said them casually, but he didn't expect the prince to actually take them to heart.

Upon hearing this, Lü Huaiyu was struck dumb, frozen in place like a statue. His eyes, as cold as a deep pool, rippled, and his hands clenched tightly beneath his sleeves.

"He disregarded the bond between husband and wife, and the proper order between father and son... Indeed, he was a truly tyrannical ruler..."

The other ministers also sensed that something was wrong.

Why does this passage seem to be alluding to something?
Just then, the Empress spoke up: "Alright, let's get back to the point... Vice Minister Luo, Chen Mo is your subordinate, and you know the most about this case. What do you think we should do?"

Luo Huaijin thought for a moment and said, "With Chen Mo's past achievements and strength, he is fully qualified to enter the Qilin Pavilion Council. It just so happens that the position of Fire Division Commander is currently vacant. I propose that Chen Mo be promoted to Tianlin Guard Commander to manage all affairs of the Fire Division. This will also maximize his abilities."

"I second the proposal!"

"I second the proposal!"

Officials from the Six Ministries and the Censorate echoed these sentiments.

However, the ministers of the six ministries remained silent, especially Yan Peizhi, Feng Jinyu and others, who showed no intention of objecting and seemed to tacitly approve of the matter.

Zhuang Jingming frowned slightly.

In fact, it didn't matter whether Chen Mo entered the Qilin Pavilion or not. He was just a fifth-rank military officer, which was insignificant to him.

However, ever since Jiang Wangye and Chen Mo had a conflict in the palace, he has hated Chen Mo to the core. He even alarmed the head of the Jiang family, who demanded that he find a way to resolve the matter as soon as possible and make Chen Mo disappear from the Princess's sight.

"That's easy for you to say. Even the Crown Prince is on his side now. What can I do?"

"Last time, we already got a slap in the face because of Chu Heng's matter. Now that everyone is in favor of us, jumping out to oppose us would only be asking for trouble."

Zhuang Jingming muttered to himself.

But if they did nothing, they wouldn't be able to explain themselves to the Jiang family, and they were caught in a dilemma...

……

……

Once the court had quieted down, the Empress said in a clear voice, "Since no one objects, then let's do as Vice Commissioner Luo says..."

Just as she was about to make a decision, she heard Zhuang Jingming cough, step out of the ranks, and bow, saying, "Your Highness, please reconsider."

The Empress raised an eyebrow slightly. "Does Chief Minister Zhuang have any objections?"

Zhuang Jingming shook his head and said, "Deputy Commander Chen has made great contributions and I have no objection to his appointment as commander... However, everything must be done according to the rules. Deputy Commander Chen has been promoted three ranks in just half a year, which violates the regulations on 'year limit' and 'salary limit'."

"Besides, Your Highness, don't forget that you personally said that he would be punished by being 'unpromoted for six months'. How can you change your mind so easily?"

"In any case, shouldn't we wait until next year's assessment period to make a decision?"

Zhuang Jingming's idea was very simple.

One word: procrastination.

There are only about half a year left before the next inspection. For the Empress, there is no need to rush things. On his side, he can also give the Jiang family an explanation.

As for what will happen next, no one can predict it; we can only take it one step at a time.

"Chief Minister Zhuang is right. When Chen Mo and Chu Heng had their conflict, I did mention that they couldn't be promoted for six months..."

Just as Zhuang Jingming was about to breathe a sigh of relief, the Empress changed the subject and said, "But at that time, it was not possible to determine that Chu Heng was guilty, and I did not expect that Chen Mo would become the youngest Grandmaster in the Great Yuan Dynasty."

?

Zhuang Jingming was taken aback for a moment, then asked in confusion, "What grandmaster?"

Chen Mo had been listening to their conversation silently and naturally understood the Empress's meaning.

At this moment, his aura was no longer concealed!

boom--

Accompanied by rolling thunder, waves of red, gold, and blue flames surged out from his body, burning fiercely all around him!

His robes fluttered wildly, his black hair danced wildly, and his aura soared to the sky, making him seem like a god or demon!
The terrifying atmosphere made the air almost freeze, as if an invisible mountain was pressing down on everyone's shoulders!
This is……

The power of the master!

"I did break my promise, but so what?"

Amidst everyone's horrified gazes, the Empress calmly said, "To obtain the stone that mends the heavens, one must pave a path to the clouds. Extraordinary talent deserves extraordinary treatment... Does Lord Zhuang think that a twenty-year-old Celestial Master is unworthy of the position of Fire Commander?"

(End of this chapter)