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

On another path.

After walking a distance, Consort Li suddenly slowed down.

The languid allure on her face faded somewhat, replaced by a thoughtful expression.

That little eunuch reacted too quickly.

When most people are asked if they are fake eunuchs, their first reaction is to be stunned, then to be horrified, and only then to offer an explanation.

But the little eunuch denied it almost without hesitation.

Moreover, he took the initiative to request that his identity be verified.

That was too straightforward, as if he had prepared this explanation long ago.

Consort Li stopped and turned her head to look at the head eunuch following behind her.

He was an old eunuch in his fifties, surnamed Su, who had served her for more than ten years and was the person she trusted most.

"Eunuch Su, is there anyone in this world who can disguise themselves as a eunuch?"

Eunuch Su was taken aback, but then he understood what the Empress meant.

"Your Majesty, there are indeed some martial artists in this world who can use the technique of 'locking the yang' to shrink that part of their body and disguise themselves as eunuchs."

Consort Li's eyes suddenly lit up.

There was definitely a problem!

Eunuch Su quickly added, "But please rest assured, Your Majesty, this is the Forbidden City, the most heavily guarded place in the entire country."

"The palace has a special physical examination procedure; there's absolutely no way a fake eunuch could sneak in..."

"What if?"

Consort Li interrupted him, her voice not loud, but it sent a chill down Eunuch Su's spine.

"What if someone bribed the eunuchs who performed the physical examination? Or bribed the people in the castration department?"

Eunuch Su opened his mouth, but could not utter a word.

Because anyone who dares to do this must have incredibly powerful connections.

Moreover, the slightest mistake could result in total destruction.

"Your Highness, why are you suddenly asking this?"

Consort Li withdrew her gaze, a determined glint in her eyes.

"Go back and investigate for me. I need to know if there is any way to break this method of locking yang."

Eunuch Su was taken aback for a moment, then quickly bowed and said, "Yes, Your Highness, I will go back and consult the classics."

Consort Li hummed in agreement and continued walking forward.

"Consort Xie, what you want to do, I also want to do."

"It's still uncertain who will win and who will lose."

……

the other side.

Li Fan did not attend the flower-viewing banquet in the Imperial Garden.

He stayed obediently in Chengqian Palace, sitting on the steps under the corridor, with his back against the vermilion pillars.

A cool night breeze caused the palace lanterns to sway, their light and shadow shattering into fragments on the ground.

He waited for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before the group finally returned, escorting Consort Xie back.

Consort Xie walked at the front, her steps still dignified, but slightly faster than usual.

This means she had drunk quite a bit and was in a hurry to come back and take off her clothes.

Li Fan stood up, bowed his head, and stepped aside.

After Leng Shuangqiu entered, the first thing she did was to give an order to the palace maid beside her:

"Go and fetch two basins of hot water."

"Yes."

The two palace maids obeyed and left.

Li Fan followed Consort Xie into the bedchamber.

Consort Xie sat down on the soft couch and took off the phoenix hairpin from her hair.

Her long, jet-black hair cascaded down her shoulders, making her face appear even more strikingly white.

She drank some wine, and a faint blush rose to her cheeks, like peach blossoms falling on the snow in early spring.

Those eyes, usually as cold and sharp as knives, were now veiled with a thin layer of mist.

As a result, when he looks at people, he has lost some of his sharpness and gained more of a languid and dreamy air.

Tonight, Consort Xie's breathing was slightly heavier than usual.

Her breasts rose and fell gently with her breath, the two full mounds faintly visible beneath the thin fabric.

She was like a white peony that had been brought to bloom by the effects of alcohol, exuding a cold and alluring beauty.

"Has the Empress been looking for you?"

Her voice remained cool and clear, but the ending note rose slightly, carrying a hint of tipsy languor.

Li Fan knelt before the soft couch, raised his head, and met her eyes directly:

"I have found out. Empress Yang ordered me to eliminate Feng Bao."

Consort Xie narrowed her eyes slightly but remained silent.

Li Fan continued, "She also said that there is a man named Liu happy in the Eastern Depot who will help me."

Consort Xie picked up the teacup beside her and took a sip.

The tea was warm, with a slightly astringent taste, which perfectly masked the alcohol fumes in my mouth.

She put down her teacup, the languid look on her face fading, replaced by a calm, almost icy scrutiny.

"Gao Jin, tell me, what exactly does the Empress want to do?"

Li Fan thought for a moment and then spoke:

"This servant suspects that Feng Bao has most likely secretly pledged allegiance to the King of Wei."

"The Empress wanted to use the servants to eliminate Feng Bao and reclaim the power of the Eastern Depot for her."

"Or rather..."

He paused, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes:

"The Empress looked down on the power of the Eastern Depot, but she would never allow anyone under her command to betray her and join the Prince of Wei."

"Feng Bao touched a nerve, and she wanted to make an example of him."

After hearing this, Consort Xie's eyes flashed with approval.

She leaned back on the soft couch, one hand supporting her chin, her gaze fixed on Li Fan, as if she were re-evaluating him.

This man is indeed clever.

He only asked one question, and he analyzed the Empress's motives perfectly.

She enjoys dealing with intelligent people the most.

No need for lengthy explanations or repeated prompting; it's immediately clear.

"Since the Empress is willing to help you, this is your chance."

"After you enter the Eastern Depot, first contact Liu happy to find out the situation of the Eastern Depot, and then find a pretext to arrest Feng Bao."

"As long as you control the Eastern Depot, my influence outside the palace will gain an extra arm."

"Your Majesty, you have been wise all your life, yet you made a foolish mistake this time."

"Let me show you how I slowly and painstakingly erode the power around you."

Li Fan lowered his head and said respectfully, "Your Majesty is wise."

Consort Xie stopped talking about the Eastern Depot, her gaze falling on him, and suddenly asked:

"What did the Empress give you in return?"

Li Fan took something out of his pocket and presented it to the person with both hands.

It is a soft armor.

It is woven from silvery-white silk threads, as thin as a cicada's wing, yet heavy, and gleams with a cold metallic luster.

Under the candlelight, one could faintly see the internal energy flowing between the silk threads.

"Her Majesty the Empress bestowed this soft armor upon me. She said it can withstand attacks from martial artists below the fifth rank."

Consort Xie reached out and took the soft armor, weighed it in her hand, and a strange look flashed in her eyes.

"She's certainly willing to invest."

She tossed the soft armor back into Li Fan's arms, a faint smile playing on her lips:

"You think you can bribe me with just a piece of soft armor? You're underestimating me."

She turned her head to look at the display cabinet next to her, her gaze falling on an ebony box.

"Shuangqiu."

Leng Shuangqiu stepped forward, took the box, and opened it.

Inside lay an exquisite mechanism, entirely black, only the size of a palm, densely covered with runes.

At the tip of the mechanism is a pinhole as fine as a cow's hair.

Consort Xie pushed the box in front of Li Fan:

"This is the Rain of Pear Blossom Needles, a hidden weapon produced by the Tang Clan. Even a fourth-rank martial artist will die on the spot if hit by it."

"I have no use for it, so I'm giving it to you."