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

When Li Fan walked in

He immediately spotted Empress Yang sitting at the head of the table.

She was bent over her desk, holding a vermilion pen, writing something on a memorial.

She removed her phoenix crown, leaving only a loosely tied bun adorned with a white jade hairpin, and a few strands of her dark hair hanging down beside her ears.

The esteemed Empress sat there, exuding a languid yet majestic aura, like a lioness.

"Your Majesty, there is a flood in Songjiang Prefecture..."

A middle-aged official in a blue robe knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed against the floor tiles, his voice trembling.

"Snapped!"

Empress Yang threw a memorial in front of him, making the official tremble.

"At the beginning of the year, 300,000 taels of silver were allocated to repair the dike. Tell me that the dike is now repaired."

"Now that Songjiang Prefecture is flooded, tell me that the dikes have collapsed."

Empress Yang's voice was unhurried, but every word was like a knife, cutting into the official's heart.

"Three hundred thousand taels of silver, and they built a dike made of paper?"

"I'm asking you, where did the money go?"

The official's face was as white as paper, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Empress Yang didn't urge him, she just looked at him, her phoenix eyes slightly lowered, and her fingers tapped lightly twice on the armrest.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty knows your crime..."

The official finally couldn't take it anymore and his head hit the ground with a loud thud.

"The silver was embezzled by my subordinates; I will certainly investigate thoroughly when I return..."

"check?"

Empress Yang interrupted him, a slight smile curving her lips.

"Go back and investigate. You investigate and investigate, and all you find are a few small fry. Don't you know whose pockets the money went into?"

The official froze, not daring to reply.

"I will give you half a month to personally go to Songjiang Prefecture, repair the dike, and arrest all the corrupt officials."

"If you can't fix it or get rid of it properly, don't come back."

"Get out."

The official breathed a sigh of relief and scrambled out, his forehead covered in sweat.

The hall fell silent.

Empress Yang then raised her phoenix eyes and looked at Li Fan standing at the door.

"Come in."

Li Fan took a deep breath, stepped forward, and knelt down, lifting his robe.

"This servant, Gao Jin, greets Your Majesty the Empress."

The voice was respectful, and the posture was courteous.

Empress Yang did not speak immediately, but instead looked him up and down.

In that instant, Li Fan felt as if he were being stared at by a ferocious beast, and a chill ran down his spine.

"Stand up and speak."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Li Fan stood up, still keeping his head down, eyes downcast, looking like an honest and unassuming man.

"You have some nerve."

"You dared to arrest even the King of Wei? Do you know the enormity of the trouble you've caused?"

Li Fan felt a chill run down his spine.

This empress indeed wielded immense power.

She already knew about it not long after I captured the King of Wei.

"Your Majesty, His Highness Prince Wei obstructed my investigation. I was acting on His Majesty's orders, which is why..."

"I'm asking you, have you caused trouble?"

Empress Yang interrupted him, her voice still unhurried, yet carrying an undeniable air of authority.

Li Fan was silent for a moment, then lowered his head and said:

"Yes, I've caused trouble."

Empress Yang gave a satisfied "hmm," shifted her posture, and spoke in a light tone.

Do you realize how dangerous your current situation is?

"Being an imperial envoy investigating cases may seem glamorous, as you can arrest a prefect or a prince with just a word, but in reality, every step you take is on the edge of a knife."

"One wrong move and you'll die."

"Are you really unaware of the consequences of offending the Cao family, the Liu family, and the King of Wei?"

"Do you still think that Consort Xie alone can withstand so many forces?"

Li Fan kept his head down and didn't say anything.

Consort Xie was backed by the gentry of Jiangnan, but the Cao and Liu families were prominent clans in Guanzhong, and there was also the Prince of Wei...

Consort Xie alone could not possibly withstand the pressure.

But what could he do?

He was already bound to Consort Xie in the same boat; if the boat capsized, he would drown too.

We had no choice but to grit our teeth and keep going.

"Yes, I understand."

Empress Yang looked at his submissive appearance, a slight smile playing on her lips. She picked up a letter from the table and twirled it in her hand.

"You're a smart person. I don't like talking to fools."

"You've searched the Cao residence for so long, you probably haven't found anything."

"Without evidence, Cao Mo will turn around and accuse you at tomorrow's court meeting."

"At that time, not only you, but even Consort Xie won't be able to protect you."

Li Fan was puzzled.

What exactly did the empress mean by saying all that to him?

Should he betray Consort Xie and turn against her?

"I cherish talent."

Empress Yang pushed the letter forward, her phoenix eyes fixed on Li Fan:

"I don't want to see someone like you die from something like this."

"Therefore, I have a gift for you."

"Take a look."

Li Fan hesitated for a moment, but still reached out to take it.

The moment he reached out his hand, his gaze fell on Empress Yang's hand.

That hand was as white as jade, with long, slender fingers and neatly trimmed nails that were a natural pinkish-white without any nail polish.

Her wrists were slender and white, with faint blue veins visible. She wore a jade bracelet on her wrist, its deep green color making her skin appear even whiter and smoother.

These hands are even more beautiful than those of hand models from my previous life.

Li Fan took the letter.

Looking down, his pupils suddenly contracted.

This is a secret letter from Liu Zhengsheng instructing Cao Mo to silence Zhang Xuan's family.

But his first reaction was that it was a fake!

What does Empress Yang mean by this?

Liu Zhengsheng was recommended by her, and Cao Mo was her confidant. What good would it do her if these two fell from grace?

Or is this a trap?

As soon as he takes it out, Empress Yang will publicly declare it a forgery and then turn around and accuse him.

"Your Majesty, what does this mean?"

Empress Yang noticed the momentary wariness he showed and a hint of admiration flashed in her eyes.

Smart people are indeed not easy to fool.

She leaned back in her chair, her full breasts rising and falling slightly with her breath beneath her casual clothes, while her waist remained ramrod straight.

"I recommended Liu Zhengsheng to go to Liaodong so that he could protect the country."

"But now, not only has he suffered a crushing defeat, he's even going so far as to frame loyal officials and corrupt the system beyond its bounds..."

She paused, her phoenix eyes turning slightly cold:

"I will not allow such a thing to happen."

Do you understand?

Li Fan's heart stirred slightly.

He had seen the flooding in Songjiang Prefecture very clearly.

When the empress dealt with that official from the Ministry of Works, she showed no favoritism whatsoever; she killed him without hesitation and dismissed him without a second thought.

She didn't seem to be putting on a show, but to say she was upright and incorruptible, this person fabricated evidence.

But it doesn't matter.

He's now firmly tied to Consort Xie's boat; it's indeed too dangerous for him.

If they could establish some connection with Empress Yang, they would have more options and a better chance of survival.

"Your Majesty, this servant understands."