What's wrong with me, a powerful minister, supporting a few female officials?

Chapter 271 Advancement to the Divine Realm Shocks Three Dynasties' Veterans!
Su Mo became curious upon hearing the old man's words.

If I'm not mistaken, this old man certainly has reason to be arrogant: "May I ask, sir, what kind of fortune has granted me such endless enjoyment?"

The old man chuckled and said, "With my status, why would I joke with a young punk like you?"

"Don't even mention you, kid. Even in this Dali Temple prison, very few people know my identity! You're just spouting nonsense. I really don't believe you can guess it!"

Su Mo's expression turned serious, and he slowly said, "If I am not mistaken, the old gentleman is Ye Wenshan, the True Man of the Southern Ming Dynasty."

As soon as he finished speaking, the old man's expression changed abruptly, and he stared intently at Su Mo with his eyes half-closed.

Su Mo then continued, "Senior once followed Martial Ancestor, along with the eight Heavenly Infant True Men, to fight against the Nine Dragons Demon and severely injure him."

"It's a pity that you also suffered because of this..."

As she spoke, Su Mo suddenly stopped.

It was not appropriate to reveal here that Ye Wenshan had been seriously injured, damaging his Dao foundation and falling from the Golden Core realm.

The old man's expression immediately became one of surprise and uncertainty.

Few people knew about the ambush on the Nine Dragons Demon Path.

Emperor Wu led nine Heavenly Infant True Men to join forces in attacking the Nine Dragons Demon Path. As a result, five died and five were injured, and the Nine Dragons Demon Path escaped.

If this matter were to spread, it would undoubtedly deal a severe blow to Emperor Wu's reputation.

It could even shake the very foundation of the newly established Great Wu Kingdom!
Therefore, Emperor Wu ordered everyone to give the same story: that five people died in battle, but were only wounded and sought a place to cultivate in seclusion, and that they had not perished.

The other four Heavenly Infant True Persons naturally wouldn't expose their own ugliness.

Su Mo smiled and looked at Ye Wenshan: "Senior was originally in charge of the Imperial Observatory, but because he offended the current emperor, he was not only demoted to the position of director, but also imprisoned in the Northern Garrison Prison for half a year. Later, he was transferred to the Dali Temple. He is one of the very few people who were able to leave the Northern Garrison Prison unscathed."

The old man took a deep breath, staring at Su Mo with a gloomy expression: "Who exactly are you, kid?"

Four years ago, he interpreted celestial phenomena and implied that the Empress's ascension to the throne was illegitimate.

Enraged, the Empress ordered the Northern Garrison to arrest and interrogate the suspect. Quite a few people knew the inside story.

However, the secret of their joint ambush of the Nine Dragons Daoist with Wu Taizu is probably unknown even to the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Phoenix Cry Division newly established by the Empress.

This kid actually blurted it out?

It even seems that... he knows perfectly well that he himself was seriously injured and fell from the Golden Core Realm?
Su Mo was not intimidated by Ye Wenshan's gloomy gaze at all, and cupped his hands in greeting: "Su Mo, a junior member of the Changping Su family, is naturally nothing more than an unknown person in the eyes of a senior."

"As a senior official who has served three dynasties, he holds a prestigious position and is known for his sharp tongue and integrity. He would never go back on his word."

"Now that I have guessed your identity, senior, how do you explain this stroke of luck?"

Ye Wenshan gave a heavy snort: "The Su family of Changping County?"

"Never heard of them before, they can't be from a prestigious family!"

As he spoke, he took off a dark red ring, tossed it to Su Mo, and said coldly, "This is a fifth-grade magic artifact, the Blood Soul Ring, which I obtained in my early years."

Su Mo was immediately startled upon hearing this: "A fifth-grade magic weapon?"

Even Liu Siyun and Yin Rou looked at the old man in surprise.

Ye Wenshan said arrogantly, "Of course it's a fifth-grade magic weapon! Would I, an old man, deceive a junior like you?"

He paused, then said with a hint of pride, "This ring can summon three blood shadows at the level of Martial Grandmasters to attack the target simultaneously. Although it is of little use to me, it is a treasure to a mere Soul-Stabilizing Realm cultivator like you!"

Su Mo quickly said, "Senior, please don't misunderstand, that's not what I meant!"

Ye Wenshan was immediately taken aback: "Then what do you mean?"

Su Mo explained, "I am shocked that someone with your cultivation level would still keep such a low-level magic weapon."

He paused, then added, "Shouldn't you be using a high-level magic weapon, senior?"

Ye Wenshan's smug expression froze instantly, and the atmosphere seemed to fall into an awkward silence.

Then, looking somewhat embarrassed, annoyed, and exasperated, he snorted heavily, "You brat, what a big mouth you have! You call a fifth-grade magic weapon a low-grade magic weapon!"

"Hmph! You think just anyone can get their hands on a magic weapon?"

He paused, then couldn't help but add, "For a kid like you, if you could advance to the Returning Aperture Realm and be lucky enough to obtain a treasure, that would already be an incredible stroke of luck, let alone a magic weapon!"

Su Mo recalled the Empress's description of Ye Wenshan, and a thought suddenly struck him. He nodded emphatically and said with a serious expression, "Senior is absolutely right!"

"A fifth-grade magic artifact is so precious, how dare I take it away from someone else? Please, senior, take it back immediately."

With that, he flicked his wrist and tossed the Blood Soul Ring back at the old man.

Upon seeing this, Ye Wenshan was immediately taken aback, frowning as he looked at Su Mo: "You're actually willing to give up this Blood Soul Ring?"

Su Mo casually replied, "This Blood Soul Ring... uh, it's a fifth-grade Blood Soul Ring, which I have no use for."

Seeing Su Mo's nonchalant expression, Ye Wenshan became furious. Without making any move, he suddenly appeared at the gate, his face dark as he looked at Su Mo: "You look down on my magic weapon?"

"Do you know that if this Blood Soul Ring were sold to someone else, it could easily fetch ten thousand taels of silver!"

Su Mo nodded: "I know! That's why I dare not accept Senior's fifth-grade Blood Soul Ring!"

He particularly emphasized the words "fifth rank"!
Ye Wenshan was so angry that his beard trembled. He stared intently at Su Mo and roared, "No!"

"You look down on my Blood Soul Ring!"

"Hmph! If you can't give me a straight answer, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Su Mo chuckled inwardly.

This old fellow's temperament is indeed as the Empress described.

Last time, when he mentioned the Demon-Subduing Pestle to the Empress, she mentioned Ip Man Mountain in passing when she explained the origin of the Pestle.

This man was stubborn, extreme, and capricious, but he was extremely loyal to the Great Wu Dynasty. He was a veteran of three dynasties and had made countless contributions over the decades.

The Empress had a real headache about him.

They couldn't kill him, nor could they let him go, so in the end they could only lock him up and keep him out of sight.

Seeing Ye Wenshan's angry expression, Su Mo sighed and said very seriously, "Senior has truly misunderstood me!"

"I didn't mean to look down on your magical artifacts, senior; it's just that I really don't need them."

Ye Wenshan frowned slightly.

Su Mo then added, "I have never used a magic weapon before... I only use precious artifacts."

Ye Wenshan stared in disbelief, exclaiming, "A treasure?"

"You brat, you actually possess a treasure?"

Su Mo nodded: "Of course I wouldn't dare to deceive you, senior!"

Ye Wenshan snorted heavily: "Then let this old man have a look!"

Su Mo opened his mouth and spat out the Dragon Binding Rope, which then immediately retracted.

Ye Wenshan's expression changed slightly, and he snorted with a hint of sourness: "I thought it was some kind of extraordinary treasure, but it turns out it's just a mere first-grade treasure..."

He paused, then added, "However, you must have even more advanced magical artifacts that you're reluctant to reveal, so the Blood Soul Ring is indeed useless to you!"

Su Mo looked at Ye Wenshan sincerely: "I just hope that you won't misunderstand me, senior."

"It was just a junior's joke, senior need not take it seriously."

Ye Wenshan's expression shifted between light and dark, before he finally said coldly, "I always keep my word!"

"Since you can't use the magical artifact... fine..."

"I will help you advance to the next realm!"

After saying that, he looked at Su Mo with a mocking smile: "You can't possibly say that advancing one realm is of no use to you, can you?"

Su Mo was genuinely surprised this time, looking at the other party in astonishment: "Senior can help this junior improve his cultivation level?"

Ye Wenshan sneered arrogantly: "I am a scholar of the universe, a master of immortal arts, astronomy, geography, astrology, divination and so on. I know everything. The supernatural powers I possess are beyond the imagination of a mere child like you!"

After saying that, he flipped his palm, revealing a crimson pill. His face showed a conflicted and distressed expression. Finally, he gritted his teeth and threw the pill to Su Mo: "Take this and consume it! Sit cross-legged and circulate your qi three times to improve your cultivation!"

Su Mo...

The other party spoke so impressively that I thought they had some kind of method for transmitting skills, such as enlightenment or a sudden awakening.

Unexpectedly, he only gave her one pill to take herself.

Is this what you call supernatural power?
He looked at the pill in his palm.

Then he paused, stunned: "The Great Heaven-Mending Pill?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Wenshan was stunned again, staring wide-eyed at Su Mo: "You actually know about this Great Heaven-Mending Pill?"

Su Mo nodded: "Uh... I just took one not long ago."

Ip Man Mountain...

This is a sixth-grade elixir worth a fortune! I wouldn't even dare to take it myself!
This kid actually said he took one not long ago?
No wonder he's not even twenty yet and he's already at the late stage of the Soul-Stabilizing Realm! Just who is this kid?!

Su Mo was indeed shocked.

It was just a joke, but the other party took it so seriously that they even brought out a Great Heaven-Mending Pill worth 100,000 taels of silver!

No wonder the Empress said this guy was extreme and stubborn, giving her a huge headache!

No wonder he subtly implied that the Empress's ascension to the throne was illegitimate, even though he knew it would anger her! It's exactly the same as Ding Yu's paranoia!
It seems that whether or not one develops mental illnesses such as obsessive-compulsive disorder or paranoia has absolutely nothing to do with one's level of spiritual cultivation!

But that's what makes it profound!

As expected of the Heavenly Infant True Person who once joined forces with Martial Ancestor to ambush and kill the Nine Dragons Demon Path, even though he is only at the Golden Core stage now, his foundation is something that nouveau riche like myself cannot compare to!
Just as Su Mo was about to speak, the system panel suddenly popped up.

[My seriously ill sister (mission) is complete!]

[Chi Wulei's affection level increased by 18%, current affection level is 33%!]

[You have received ten years of cultivation (already issued)]

You have received the official title of eighth-rank official (pending issuance)

Upon seeing the system notification, Su Mo was immediately stunned.

Unexpectedly, Chi Wulei's mission was completed at this time.

Did Xiao Lizhuang cure Chi Wuyou's lung disease? Can allicin really treat tuberculosis?

In addition, Su Mo was also a little suspicious. Ever since the system evolved and the yellow exclamation mark turned into a green exclamation mark, he had been clicking to claim the task rewards.

Has it reverted to a system prompt now?
If I don't claim it for a long time, will the system assume that I've already claimed it and then notify me?

Just as Su Mo was filled with doubt, the ten years of cultivation reward from the system arrived as scheduled.

Su Mo felt a surge of powerful magic energy appear within his body, followed by a booming sound, and then... he reached the Divine Realm!
The system is just that smooth and unpretentious.

Seeing Su Mo suddenly freeze, Ye Wenshan assumed he was shocked by his Great Heaven-Mending Pill. Despite feeling heartbroken, he still snorted with a hint of pride, "You brat, now that you know this is the Great Heaven-Mending Pill, why don't you take it quickly!"

"This is a sixth-grade spiritual herb! It can help you increase your cultivation by at least five years! Advancing to the Divine Transformation Realm is just... Ah!!!"

Ye Wenshan suddenly seemed to have a fit, his eyes widening like copper bells as he stared intently at Su Mo as if he were looking at a ghost. After a long while, he swallowed hard and asked, "Separation Realm?"

Su Mo nodded somewhat awkwardly: "It seems... this junior has just advanced to the Divine Realm."

He looked at the Great Heaven-Mending Pill in his hand, hesitated for a moment, and couldn't help but ask again, "Senior said earlier that you would help me advance to the next realm?"

Ye Wenshan was stunned for a long time, then finally gathered his strength and uttered a single word: "Get lost!"

"I have never seen such a shameless person!"

After saying that, he waved his sleeve and returned to his desk, where he began to write swiftly.

He didn't even glance at Su Mo.

Su Mo glanced at what he was writing.

The calligraphy on the paper was so skillful and profound that it was clear the calligrapher had been immersed in the art for many years... but Su Mo couldn't understand it.

He couldn't help but ask, "Senior, what are you writing? I can't understand it at all."

Ye Wenshan finally looked up at Su Mo and said coldly, "Poetry and prose are refined arts. How could an ignorant brat like you possibly understand their mysteries!"

Su Mo coughed twice: "Ahem, actually, I do know a little about poetry and literature..."

Seeing that the old man was completely ignoring him, Su Mo decided not to bother making a fool of himself.

Although it wasn't as good as I had planned, I was able to trap Ye Wenshan, for example, by getting him to promise me three things that wouldn't violate my moral conscience.

However, he was tricked out of a Great Heaven-Mending Pill worth 100,000 taels, which was an unexpected gain.

When Lord Qianhu returns, show her the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and the Tao Te Ching, and then give her this Great Heaven-Mending Pill.

Maybe I can actually advance to the mid-stage of the Returning to the Aperture Realm!
In Su Mo's heart, the most reliable person was still his own commander!

Liu Siyun and Yin Rou were stunned for a long time, staring at Su Mo in shock. Finally, they couldn't help but ask, "My lord, you...you've advanced to the Divine Transformation Realm?"

Su Mo nodded and smiled, "It was a sudden breakthrough."

"I thought cultivation would be difficult, requiring at least two or three years to break through to the Divine Realm, but I unexpectedly advanced to it so easily."

The old man next door suddenly trembled and misspelled a word...

Liu Siyun and Yin Rou immediately congratulated Su Mo.

Su Mo casually put away the Great Heaven-Mending Pill, feeling quite pleased with himself.

Now that I've reached the Divine Realm, I can properly cultivate alongside Lord Qianhu.

I don't know how long I've been waiting for this day!

The true moment has finally arrived: the Azure Dragon subdues the White Tiger!

However, the matter at the Su Nu Palace was not yet over, and Lord Qianhu, to avoid putting himself in a difficult position, refused to show his face...

As Su Mo pondered this, she subconsciously glanced at the prison cells where the disciples of the Su Nu Palace were being held in the distance.

Should we take this opportunity to resolve the matter of the Su Nu Palace as well?

Knowing that Su Mo was someone of great importance, the jailer dared not delay and quickly called people over to clean Su Mo's room and replace the bed with a brand new one.

As expected, the food box contained products from Baiyujing, and they even thoughtfully included a small pot of Chenjia wine.

Finally, the jailer, with a fawning smile, handed Su Mo a little over two taels of silver.

Su Mo waved his hand and gave the reward to the jailer.

Su Mo was not the first, nor the last, prisoner to receive such special treatment from the Dali Temple; other prisoners were used to it.

As the dishes were laid out and the aged liquor was poured, Su Mo was surprised to see that Ye Wenshan, that old fellow, suddenly twitched his nose.

He immediately greeted her, "Senior, how about I share some with you?"

Ye Wenshan snorted and continued writing his elegant poems and songs, too lazy to pay attention to the ignorant and shameless fellow.

Su Mo could only enjoy the food with two women.

After a hearty meal, Yin Rou blushed slightly, gave Su Mo a quick bow, and then ran into her small cell in the prison.

Su Mo didn't know why the Dali Temple prison didn't separate male and female cells.

It is estimated that, apart from reviewing death sentences, the Dali Temple usually interrogates criminal officials, rarely ordinary people, and since the officials are mostly men, there is no female prison.

The crimes committed by ordinary people were naturally handled by the Wannian County Government and the Changzhi County Government.

In the capital city, land is incredibly valuable, and even the Dali Temple (Court of Judicial Review) is pitifully small, so it's understandable that it doesn't have a separate women's prison.

However, some cells have small cubicles, presumably to facilitate the detention of a small number of female prisoners and to preserve their privacy.

When Yin Rou came out of the cubicle with a flushed face, she suddenly gritted her teeth, then leaned close to Su Mo's ear and whispered, "Teacher... don't worry."

"This disciple can prove the master's innocence..."

"Disciple...disciple..."

Yin Rou's voice grew softer as she spoke, her pretty face flushed crimson: "This disciple... is still a virgin!"

Upon hearing this, Su Mo was stunned. He stared wide-eyed at Yin Rou, then lowered his voice and asked, "You...you're still a virgin?"

Yin Rou blushed and gently nodded her head.

Su Mo...

Could I have guessed correctly?

Does He Heng really have a penchant for male beauty?
However, this is really not surprising!
In the past, during the Wei and Jin dynasties, male homosexuality was prevalent among the aristocratic class, and this place is no exception.

This was the kind of relationship many scholars and handsome pageboys had!

If He Heng truly had homosexual tendencies...

Su Mo suddenly remembered the rumors that she had Ding Yu spread.

Things seem to be getting more and more interesting.

The Wang family used rumors of adultery to smear themselves, but Yin Rou was able to clear her name by claiming she was a virgin.

But what can the Wang family use to clear their name of the rumors they fabricated specifically for them?

However, Su Mo suddenly became suspicious again.

I always feel like something is wrong.

He Heng naturally knew that he and Yin Rou had never had a relationship, and that Yin Rou was a virgin. So why would she use the crime of adultery to falsely accuse him?
This doesn’t make sense!

When the time comes to go to court, all I need to do is suggest that a midwife examine Yin Rou, and the He family's false accusation will be proven true.
(End of this chapter)