After failing the imperial examination, he began to wield immense power after entering the palace!

Zhang Miaozhen was stunned.

She was not very clear about the power struggles within the imperial court.

But she also knew that Consort Xie and Empress Yang were at odds, and she vaguely sensed that her father seemed to have been drawn into the vortex of the court.

If we are not careful, my father will die.

But without Consort Xie's help, my father wouldn't even be able to get through this current crisis.

"I see."

Zhang Miaozhen raised her head, the struggle in her phoenix eyes had turned into determination.

"Please rest assured, Father-in-law, I will definitely persuade my father to side with Consort Xie later."

Only then did Li Fan reveal a satisfied smile, leaning against the car wall, his tone unhurried:

"Miss Zhang is a smart woman. Don't worry, since Her Majesty has entrusted our family with this case, we will definitely save your father's life."

Zhang Miaozhen felt a little relieved.

At the same time, he realized that since this young eunuch could leave the palace to handle such an important matter, he must be a confidant of Consort Xie, so he might as well befriend him.

"You still don't know your father-in-law's name?"

Li Fan casually asked, "Gao Jin, what's Miss Zhang's name?"

"Zhang Miaozhen".

Li Fan nodded, his eyes gleaming.

"Miss Zhang, your actions just now were so decisive and swift, you faced six opponents without flinching, you're a trained fighter."

"I wonder, what rank of martial artist are you?"

Zhang Miaozhen did not hesitate and said calmly, "Peak of the fourth rank."

Li Fan's lips twitched.

Why are all the women he encounters experts?

So you think you're just a clueless newbie?

"Miss Zhang, do you think our family still has opportunities to practice martial arts?"

Zhang Miaozhen thought about it carefully and then glanced at him.

"Grandpa Gao, at your age, your physical constitution is already set."

"Even if you start practicing martial arts now, your maximum skill level in this lifetime will only be eight or nine ranks, and it will be difficult to achieve great success."

Li Fan's heart sank.

Just as Leng Shuangqiu said.

Zhang Miaozhen changed the subject: "However, Eunuch Gao, there's no need to be discouraged."

"The palace has many miraculous elixirs for cleansing the marrow and reshaping the bones. If you can get your hands on one, reshape your bones and muscles, and then choose a top-tier, gentle martial arts manual, you will still have a chance to break through in martial arts."

"The chief eunuch by His Majesty's side, Liu Dadang, has cultivated the top-notch mental cultivation technique, the Sunflower Manual, and is one of the five grandmasters of the Great Chu."

"If my father-in-law has the opportunity to cultivate the Sunflower Manual, his future prospects in martial arts will be immeasurable."

Li Fan's heart sank.

The Chu Emperor actually had a Grandmaster by his side?

This is terrifying.

He's the kind of man who's going to cuckold the emperor. If he ever gets caught, the Grandmaster could slap him into a pulp.

The risks have increased again.

"Miss Zhang, what if our family didn't cultivate the feminine mental techniques, but instead learned some masculine ones?"

Zhang Miaozhen bluntly stated:

"Father-in-law, since you have already undergone castration in the palace, your constitution is more yin-like."

"If one goes against the grain and cultivates a masculine mental technique, it will damage one's foundation and even endanger one's life."

Li Fan smiled sullenly.

He really wanted to say, "I'm a fake eunuch, what kind of yin-yang mental cultivation method am I practicing?"

Never mind, let's take care of business first.

……

The Ministry of Justice's Great Prison.

In the dark and damp corridor, torches crackled, and the air was filled with the smells of mildew and blood.

Li Fan strode in with Zhang Miaozhen and several imperial guards, his boots making a dull thud on the blue brick floor.

From afar, the sounds of punches and kicks could be heard coming from a cell, mixed with a man's suppressed groans.

"Zhang Xuan! Will you sign or not?!"

Zhang Miaozhen's expression changed, and she practically rushed over.

In the prison cell.

A middle-aged man in a light green official robe was punching and kicking a figure curled up on the ground.

Although the figure was tall and burly, he was now lying on the ground like a dead dog, his hands covering his head, letting himself be beaten without daring to fight back.

Indeed, it was General Zhang Xuan, the Loyal and Martial General.

The official in the green robe, exhausted from the beating, pulled a piece of paper from his sleeve and threw it in front of Zhang Xuan.

"General Zhang Xuan, a criminal, colluded with the Tartars and betrayed military intelligence, causing the army's defeat. The evidence is irrefutable. Sign and affix your seal!"

Zhang Xuan raised his head, his face covered in bruises and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

He gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with resentment and anger:

"Liu Zhengsheng promised me that I could see my wife and daughters before signing the papers. Where are they?"

The official in green robes remained expressionless, his tone contemptuous: "Someone with a criminal record dares to negotiate with me?"

"Sign the papers as soon as possible, and you'll be able to see them."

He paused, then his voice suddenly lowered, revealing a sinister undertone:

"Otherwise, be careful, their lives may be in danger."

Zhang Xuan shuddered, his eyes instantly reddening. He abruptly pulled away from the green-robed official's hand and hissed:

"I need to see my wife and children! Once I see them, I will naturally sign!"

"How ungrateful!"

The official in green robes was immediately enraged and kicked Zhang Xuan in the chest, causing him to groan and fall to the ground.

"I'm asking you one last time, are you going to sign or not?"

His fists and feet rained down like raindrops, but Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth and endured it without fighting back.

If he really made a move, this civil official wouldn't even be able to withstand a single punch.

But he dared not. His wife and daughters were still outside, and if anything happened to them, he would never be able to live with himself.

Zhang Xuan risked his life on the Liaodong battlefield. If it weren't for him organizing a suicide squad to cover the retreat, Liu Zhengsheng's 100,000-strong army would never have been able to retreat safely.

But now, he has been labeled a traitor and is being trampled on like a dog.

What a disgrace...

"stop!"

A sharp shout rang out.

Zhang Miaozhen rushed into the prison cell.

She grabbed the green-robed official by the back of his collar and lifted him off Zhang Xuan like a chick.

"Who gave you the right to use vigilante justice against my father?!"

Her phoenix eyes were filled with murderous intent, her wheat-colored face flushed red with anger, her chest heaved violently beneath her tight-fitting clothes, and the veins on her clenched fists bulged.

The official in the green robe was being choked and could barely breathe; his face turned a deep purplish-red as he struggled and shouted:

"You...you're being insolent!"

"I am Wu Zheng, a legal officer of the Jingzhao Prefecture, a seventh-rank official appointed by the imperial court!"

"You, a mere woman, dare to arrest me? Do you want to end up in the Dali Temple prison?!"

Zhang Miaozhen was taken aback.

Her hand loosened slightly, but she still didn't let go.

Upon seeing his daughter, Zhang Xuan was initially overjoyed, but his expression quickly changed, and he scrambled to his feet, shouting:

"Miaozhen! Let go! Don't do anything foolish!"

Zhang Miaozhen gritted her teeth, her phoenix eyes blazing with fury.

But she knew that assaulting an official of the imperial court was a serious crime and would cause her father more trouble.

"Yes."

She abruptly released her grip and pushed Wu Zheng aside.

Wu Zheng staggered a few steps, then steadied himself by leaning against the wall, panting heavily.

Once he recovered, his eyes began to scan Zhang Miaozhen up and down.

Wow, tall and slender, with a curvaceous figure under her tight-fitting clothes, her wheat-colored skin exudes a wild beauty, and her ponytail hangs down behind her head, making her look incredibly dashing.

A lewd glint flashed in his eyes, and he licked his lips:

"Ha, how did you, a mere woman, end up in the Ministry of Justice's prison?"

"This is a very important place for the imperial court. Trespassing is a crime."

"Do you believe I can arrest you right now and throw you in jail for a thorough interrogation?"

He deliberately emphasized the words "interrogate properly," his gaze lingering on Zhang Miaozhen's chest and waist.

Zhang Miaozhen's face turned cold.

She had already sensed the other party's lewd malice and was so angry that she almost wanted to hit him again!

"Oh?"

A calm and unhurried voice suddenly drifted in from outside.

"We brought her in, do you have a problem with that?"