I became the demon of the female devil

Chapter 378 The Eldest Princess's Surprise! My baby Empress misses you so much!

?

Chen Mo was completely confused and was about to ask a question when Xu You interrupted him, saying:

"After the man in black left the Li residence, I followed him all the way to the inner city and discovered that he was secretly meeting with Tang Xingbang, the Commissioner of the Maritime Trade Office."

"Madam Hua wanted to use those barbarian slaves as a condition to get the government to let Ming Yuchun off the hook, but little did she know that Ming Yuchun was actually a tool that Tang Xingbang placed by Madam Hua's side to control her."

"The entire barbarian slave trade chain is quite mature. White Egret City is just one link in it, and the identities of those upstream and downstream are extremely mysterious."

"So it seems that the barbarian slaves Chu Heng kept were also transported into the capital through Tang Xingbang." Chen Mo frowned, pondering to himself, "A mere Maritime Trade Office couldn't possibly have such power; there must be someone else behind it..."

To understand the whole logic, you must first figure out the other party's purpose.

If it were simply about making money, there would obviously be no need to take such a big risk.

Chu Heng initially kept barbarian slaves in order to corrupt court officials and record their images to coerce and entice them into working for him.

According to Xu You's investigation, Madam Hua's merchant ships had been suspended for a period of time, coinciding with the outbreak of the "Barbarian Slave Case" in Kyoto. Now that the storm has passed, they have resumed operations...

But Chu Heng is dead, so who will be the new buyer?

"They must have some vested interests in the imperial court, so their position must be quite high..."

"And the difference is that this time the Gu God Cult has also gotten involved."

Thinking back to a stronghold that had been wiped out in Tiannan Prefecture, where a large number of Heart-Eating Gu were discovered.

Considering what Madam Hua had mentioned about "medicinal herbs" and "processing," a bold guess emerged in Chen Mo's mind.

Could it be that……

If that's the case, then there's a big problem!

"To get to the bottom of this matter, we need to start with this Lord Tang. The location of the Gu God Sect has also been located. It's time to prepare to close the net."

Chen Mo turned to Xu You and asked, "Lu Shuyuan said that all the government officials went outside the city to welcome some distinguished guests. You were in the inner city at the time, so do you know what happened?"

"Well..."

Xu You hesitated slightly.

Although she didn't want Chen Mo to meet the Empress, the matter couldn't be kept secret forever.

"If Jiang Yuchan isn't afraid, why should I be?"

"Since we're talking about 'fair competition,' then let's rely on our own abilities. I have no interest in resorting to underhanded tactics..."

With this thought in mind, Xu You frankly said, "I went outside the city to take a look, and it seems that the Eldest Princess has arrived."

? !
Chen Mo was taken aback upon hearing this.

Chu Yanli?
What's she doing in Egret City?!

……

……

inner city.

The entire inner quarters of the government office had been prepared in advance for the Princess and her entourage to stay in.

After the audience, the other officials dispersed on their own, with only a few high-ranking local officials, including Prefect Jiao Yu, Assistant Prefect Kuang Yinghao, and Sub-Prefect Ge Jun, accompanying him.

Inside the courtroom.

Chu Yanli sat at the head of the table, flipping through the documents, her face revealing neither joy nor anger.

Jiao Yu and the others stood below with their hands at their sides, looking tense, cold sweat trickling down their temples.

A person's name, the shadow of a tree.

Although they had never dealt with the princess, her fame had already spread throughout the land.

They are incredibly powerful, command a large army, and have blood on their hands that could stain the Golden Sands Port red!
Moreover, he has an extremely strong personality and is said to not even give face to the current emperor!
This time, the emperor has traveled a great distance and come in person. If he is displeased in any way, being dismissed from office would be the least of his worries. He might even be thrown into the river to feed the fish!
dong dong——

Chu Yanli raised her hand and tapped the table, "Lord Jiao..."

"Your humble servant is here," Jiao Yu replied.

"The documents you gave me are all investigation reports from three months ago, and they don't mention a single word about the recent actions of the Gu God Sect..." Chu Yan raised an eyebrow and said, "Are you taking me for a fool?"

"I don't dare!"

Jiao Yu hurriedly explained, "After I took office, the Gu God Sect had already been crushed by the imperial army, and my focus was no longer on that..."

"According to you, did those thousands of followers all spring from stones?"

"Fengmu County is located at the border of Tiannan and Nantu. As the head of a prefecture, how could you be completely unaware of this?"

"Lord Jiao, you have failed in your duty."

Chu Yanli's tone was indifferent, but the temperature suddenly dropped to freezing!

"Your Highness!"

Jiao Yu trembled and prostrated himself on the ground, but dared not utter a single word of explanation.

Kuang Yinghao, standing to the side, realized something was wrong. The eldest princess was clearly not there just to make a show of things, and if they continued to hide it, the problem would only get bigger and bigger.

He took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Your Highness, I have something to report."

Chu Yanli leaned back in her chair. "Speak."

Kuang Yinghao said in a deep voice, "The whereabouts of the Gu God Sect have always been secretive, and Bailu City is a transportation hub, a place where all sorts of people gather and mix. The state government did not notice anything unusual at the first time."

"but,"

"My nephew, Kuang Jie, is a centurion in the Nan Tu branch of the Tianlin Guard. He assisted Lord Chen in handling the Gu Shen Sect case and sent me a letter the day before yesterday. I humbly request Your Highness to read it."

As he spoke, he took out a letter from his sleeve and presented it to him.

A female official stepped forward, took it, and handed it to Chu Yanli.

Jiao Yu lowered his head, gritted his teeth, and glared fiercely at Kuang Yinghao.

Why didn't you say so sooner?
You just want to see me make a fool of myself, huh?
Kuang Yinghao kept his eyes straight ahead, but inwardly he was quite disdainful.

Since being transferred here, this old guy has become a hands-off manager, ignoring all government affairs.

When faced with problems, they either cover up their mouths or shift the blame, clearly wanting to coast along until retirement. Even if it's reported, what difference will it make?

It's better to figure out a solution yourself.

Chu Yanli read it carefully, and the content was basically the same as what Zhong Lihe had reported.

It also mentioned that Yin Tiankuo might be hiding somewhere in Nan Tuzhou...

"That's it?"

"besides……"

Since things had come to this point, Kuang Yinghao simply spilled everything, "Just yesterday, an accident occurred at the city's theater. An actor spat out a Gu worm in public, and there were also suspected members of the Gu God Cult spreading rumors at the scene..."

Chu Yanli asked curiously, "Oh? What kind of heretical talk?"

Kuang Yinghao hesitated for a moment, then said cautiously, "According to eyewitnesses, it was roughly this: Heaven is dead, the God of Gu must rise, the court is utterly corrupt, and this transformation began in Bailu City..."

Upon hearing this, the air fell into a deathly silence!
Chu Yanli's expression grew cold, and her eyes seemed to be filled with golden light. "The heavens are dead, and the God of Gu should rise? This is clearly a rebellion."

"Your Highness, calm down!"

Feeling the terrifying pressure, everyone knelt down and kowtowed.

"Why are you only bringing this up now?" Chu Yanli asked, narrowing her eyes.

Kuang Yinghao said in a trembling voice, "Your Highness has had a long journey. Lord Jiao was worried that your anger would harm your health, so he originally intended to rest and recuperate before reporting. I have overstepped my bounds and hope Your Highness will not take offense!"

At the crucial moment, he still helped Jiao Yu cover up the situation.

After all, he was his boss, and he understood the principle of mutual dependence.

This matter is of utmost importance; the eldest princess will definitely investigate it thoroughly. Rather than let her find out, it's better to confess first...

"and many more……"

After calming down, Chu Yanli suddenly realized something was wrong.

Since the Gu God Cult's goal is to help Yin Tiankuo rebuild his physical body, they should logically keep a low profile.

It's rather strange that they've jumped out and declared they want to overthrow the imperial court before they've even gained any real power, as if they'd rather be wiped out by the government troops.

Furthermore, given that Chen Mo had not yet shown up, she had a rough idea of ​​what was going on, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on her lips.

"Where did this guy get this crooked idea?"

"Since that's the case, I might as well go with the flow..."

Chu Yanli cleared her throat and asked, "Has the identity of that actor been investigated?"

Seeing that the princess had no intention of pursuing the matter for the time being, the officials present breathed a sigh of relief.

To salvage his image, Jiao Yu quickly replied, "Your Highness, it is Ming Yuchun, the top courtesan of Liyun Pavilion. I have already sent people to inquire about her. She usually lives a secluded life and has no connection with the Gu God Cult. It is purely coincidental that she has been targeted this time..."

"coincide?"

"you sure?"

Just then, a male voice rang out.

Everyone turned to look and saw a tall figure striding into the yamen, with two constables following closely behind.

"Who dares to trespass on the prefectural government grounds?" Jiao Yu frowned as he looked at the constables behind him. "I told you to guard the gates properly, not even a fly should be allowed in. Can you bear the consequences of offending the imperial carriage?!"

The officer whispered, "He has a gold token; I dare not stop him..."

"Ok?"

Before Jiao Yu could react, Chu Yanli suddenly stood up and quickly walked to the person.

Her indifferent face melted away like ice and snow, revealing a bright and radiant smile. Her hands were behind her back, and the hem of her bright red skirt swayed gently.

"Chen Mo, long time no see." ? ? ?

Everyone froze in place.

The princess, who was just exuding an imposing aura, suddenly seems to have turned into a lovestruck young girl.
Chen Mo?

This name sounds familiar...

"This humble servant greets Your Highness the Eldest Princess."

Chen Mo bowed respectfully and simultaneously transmitted his voice, "It really is you? What brings you all the way to Egret City?"

Chu Yanli blinked and said with a smile, "Of course I missed you."

"..."

Chen Mo ignored her and turned to Jiao Yu, "May I ask your honorable surname, sir?"

Jiao Yu then realized the other party's identity and cupped his hands, saying, "My surname is Jiao, and I am the prefect of Nan Tu. You must be Lord Chen, the commander of the Tianlin Guard? I was blind to your greatness just now, and I hope you will forgive me."

The prefect was a fifth-rank official, half a rank lower than a thousand-household commander.

Moreover, this is a rising star in the government, someone a local official like him can't afford to offend.

"So it's Lord Jiao. What a coincidence! I love the surname Jiao; I wish I could have it every day," Chen Mo said with a smile.

Although Jiao Yu felt something was off, he still smiled and said, "I am honored by your favor, sir. I also... like you."

"However, on the other hand, Lord Jiao is really careless. He didn't even know that the barbarians had entered the city?" Chen Mo shook his head and said.

"Barbarians?"

Upon hearing those two words, Jiao Yu's heart skipped a beat. "Lord Chen, you can't just eat whatever you want, but you can't just say whatever you want! With the Princess suppressing the border, the barbarians wouldn't dare to set foot in the Great Yuan, so how could they possibly infiltrate Bailu City?"

"Besides, that woman is just a Peking Opera actress with no cultivation whatsoever. Where would she get such great skills?"

Chu Yanli's expression also turned serious. "This is no joke. Are you sure?"

"Whether it's a joke or not, Your Highness will know once you see it." Chen Mo handed over a recording stone.

Chu Yanli reached out and took it, his mind sinking into it, his face gradually turning gloomy. "It seems I really came to the right place this time. What a pleasant surprise! Open your dog eyes and take a good look!"

thump—

She raised her hand and threw the stone in front of everyone.

Jiao Yu hurriedly picked it up and examined it. His cheeks instantly lost all color, and he swayed, almost falling to the ground.

"How, how is it possible..."

"what's the situation?"

Kuang Yinghao realized something was wrong, snatched the recording stone, and poured his true essence into it. An image appeared in the air:

In the dim and cramped space, more than a dozen girls were bound by iron chains and fell into a deep sleep. Their striking skin color and pointed ears clearly indicated their identities!
"hiss!"

"What barbarians!"

A collective gasp of shock rippled through the crowd.

The state officials felt a chill run down their spines, a sensation that seemed to travel from the top of their heads to their tailbone!
"Lord Jiao is right, that actor doesn't have that much skill, but others do," Chen Mo said, arms crossed. "These barbarian slaves are currently on the Li family's merchant ships, which are still docked at Jinsha Port, and this isn't the first batch..."

Everyone understood instantly.

The Li family is backed by the Maritime Trade Office, and Ming Yuchun is a pawn used to bind Hua Yinglan!

"Tang, Xing, Bang!"

Jiao Yu gritted his teeth, his eyes practically spitting fire!

Tang Xingbang, as the Commissioner of the Maritime Trade Office, was in charge of maritime trade, and all the merchants had to be subservient to him.

The reason why the Li family was able to rise so quickly was because of the support of Tang Xingbang. This was no secret within the state government. It was normal for officials and businessmen to have some dealings. Who can guarantee that they will not be corrupt at all during their term of office?

But I never expected him to be so audacious as to dare to transport barbarian slaves via private ships!

"This humble official will take men and arrest him immediately, so that Your Highness may deal with him as you see fit!" Jiao Yu said angrily as he walked towards the door.

"stop."

Chu Yanli said calmly.

An invisible pressure spread out, and Jiao Yu's body immediately froze.

"Pass on my order: until this matter is thoroughly investigated, no one is to leave the state capital!"

wow-

The two black-armored guards behind him moved immediately, blocking the exit like gatekeepers!
The expressions of everyone present changed slightly.

Is the eldest princess suspecting that they are also colluding with the barbarians?

“If it were just for money, Tang Xingbang wouldn’t have taken such a big risk. Obviously, there’s someone else behind him, and that person is probably in the city.” Chu Yanli quickly figured out the key point.

Chen Mo nodded secretly.

Talking to smart people is so easy.

"There are countless connections between the barbarians and the Gu God Cult. I discovered this yesterday..." He transmitted his voice to the other party, telling them about his recent findings.

Chu Yanli's eyes darkened slightly. If Chen Mo's guess was true, then it was not just a simple matter of colluding with the barbarians!

"So what do you think we should do now?" Chu Yanli asked.

"No rush to act. I've sent people to keep an eye on Ziyun Temple. What we need to do now is trap them like turtles in a jar and wipe them all out in one fell swoop." A cold glint flashed in Chen Mo's eyes.

The officials were on tenterhooks.

Jiao Yu, in particular, must be kicking himself.

He was transferred from Jinyang to Nantu, receiving a promotion of half a rank, which he initially thought was quite wonderful.

According to the Yuan Dynasty system, officials above the rank of prefect could receive their full salary upon retirement, otherwise they would receive half their salary. They were also exempt from corvée labor and taxes, and could also receive an additional ten qing of land.

Anyway, he won't be able to work here for many more years. He can just coast along here and live a comfortable life. Why not?
Little did I know that I had taken on a hot potato!
He received such a "big gift" after only three months in office!
"The Gu God Cult is one thing, but they've even dragged the barbarians into it. And this is after a major reshuffle. Just how corrupt must they have been before?"

"This is absolutely outrageous!"

Just then, Chu Yanli spoke up, "Lord Jiao."

"exist!"

Jiao Yu shuddered. "What are your orders, Your Highness?"

Chu Yanli and Chen Mo exchanged a glance and said with a light laugh, "Didn't you say you prepared a banquet to welcome me? How about this, let's hold a banquet at the government office tonight and invite all the officials of the Six Departments and Three Transport Offices to drink."

"Remember, it's everyone, not a single one can be missing."

Jiao Yu: ?
Looking into those deep eyes, for some reason, a bad feeling welled up in my heart.

……

……

Chen Mo left the courtroom, passed through the hanging flower gate, and headed towards the inner courtyard.

"Strange, Chu Yanli insisted on letting me in, saying she had prepared a big surprise for me. What exactly is she up to?" He was a little confused, feeling that the woman was up to no good.

The inner residence of the prefectural government is very large, with three courtyards alone, featuring stacked stones and flowing springs, surrounded by mountains and water, creating a rather elegant environment.

Because Chu Yanli had given prior notice, the royal guards standing around did not stop her.

He walked all the way to the innermost courtyard, where he saw a figure sitting by the flowerbed. Judging from her clothes, she was probably an accompanying female official. She was idly picking at the petals and muttering to herself.

……

"Where is the thief...?"

"Zhong Lihe kept saying he would come to Bailu City, but there's still no news. Could something have happened to him on the way?"

The Empress's brows and eyes held a hint of worry, and she looked deeply concerned.

click-

I heard the sound of a branch snapping.

She turned her head and was immediately stunned, for the person she had been longing for was standing right in front of her.

"The Princess sent me. She said she has some 'precious treasures' to give me. Do you know where they are?" Chen Mo asked politely.

But the "female official" in front of him looked completely bewildered. First, she rubbed her eyes vigorously, then she reached out and pinched his cheek. "It's warm, not a dream..."

?

Before Chen Mo could react, the other person flew into his arms like a swallow returning to its nest.

"Waaaaah, you little thief, I miss you so much~"

Upon hearing that familiar name and feeling the sensation of the ball being dribbled into someone's body, Chen Mo froze on the spot like a statue, his mind blank.

"Your Majesty the Empress?!"

crunch--

At this moment, Lady Sun pushed open the door and came out.

"Your Highness, the bell is offered to him..."

Upon seeing the scene before him, he stopped speaking abruptly.

Her expression stiffened slightly, and then she silently closed the door.

Zhong Lihe, who was following behind, looked bewildered. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Lady Sun raised the Crown Prince's token and said solemnly, "I order you to shut down your five senses from now on and play dead on the spot. If you dare to unseal them on your own, you will be punished for the crime of disrespect."

Zhong Lihe: ? ? ?

(End of this chapter)