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

Li Fan took the heavy token and breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that he had made the right bet again.

Leng Shuangqiu asked coldly, "Do you know how to investigate?"

Li Fan immediately lowered his posture and said respectfully, "Please enlighten me, Lady Leng."

Leng Shuangqiu remained silent for a moment.

How dare you take on this job when you don't even know what exactly you're supposed to do?

Is Your Majesty truly at ease entrusting this case to him?

"Do you know the background of the Empress and my lady?"

Li Fan nodded: "The Empress comes from the Yang family of Hongnong, a top clan in Guanzhong, while the Consort comes from the Xie family of Chenjun, a prestigious family in Jiangnan."

At this point, he suddenly realized something.

"Therefore, the Empress represents the powerful clans of Guanzhong, while the Lady stands behind the gentry of Jiangnan."

Leng Shuangqiu looked at Li Fan with surprise.

This guy is clearly just a poor, pedantic scholar. Even if he is exceptionally intelligent and has passed the imperial examinations with top honors, how could he analyze the factional struggles in the court so quickly without anyone guiding him from behind?

No wonder the Empress was persuaded by him to do this; this man's insight is indeed extraordinary.

"Now, the Empress's faction wants to kill Zhang Xuanbao and Liu Zhengsheng."

"What you need to do is get Zhang Xuan to recant his testimony and testify that Liu Zhengsheng was the culprit behind the defeat."

"If we can suppress Ryu Jung-seong, we can suppress the Empress. This would be a tremendous benefit for Her Majesty."

Li Fan thought to himself, it's not just Consort Xie who benefits; Emperor Chu is probably the biggest beneficiary.

He originally thought that the Chu emperor had lost power, which was why the two empresses had taken control of the government.

In retrospect, the Chu emperor was clearly using the gentry of Jiangnan to counter the powerful clans of Guanzhong, demonstrating a masterful mastery of checks and balances.

The thought of cuckolding such a politically astute emperor made me feel inexplicably uneasy.

No, I must learn martial arts!

Even if you only learn the basics, it can give you a better chance of survival in a critical moment.

"Lady Leng, I understand."

Leng Shuangqiu hummed in response, her tone becoming stern.

"The court assembly is in three days. His Majesty deliberately imprisoned Zhang Xuan in the Ministry of Justice prison, which is controlled by the Empress, to give the Empress an opportunity."

"If you don't do this well, the Empress will not forgive you."

"But don't worry, Her Majesty is fair in her rewards and punishments. If you do well, she will definitely reward you handsomely."

"I see that you are quite interested in martial arts. Perhaps you can ask Eunuch Hai to teach you martial arts sometime."

Li Fan's eyes flashed.

Learning martial arts from that old eunuch? That would be a good opportunity to get closer to him.

Know yourself and the enemy, a hundred battles will never end.

If we're going to kill that old bastard later, we might as well take this opportunity to find out more about him.

"Yes, Lady Leng, what is Zhang Xuan's background?"

Leng Shuangqiu said calmly, "He comes from a poor family, and his ancestors included several generals with military merits, but by his generation, the family had declined."

"But he had been on the battlefield many times and was a fierce general who could fight and kill. Unfortunately, he was upright and refused to align himself with any faction."

"If he hadn't personally led the suicide squad into the Tartar camp this time, Liu Zhengsheng's 100,000-strong army would have suffered at least three times the losses."

"But such people are helpless and have wives and daughters to rely on. Even if they achieve military merits, it is useless. Instead, they are most suitable to be scapegoats."

Li Fan's face immediately turned cold.

Because Zhang Xuan's experience was extremely similar to his own: he came from a poor family, was capable, but was ultimately ruthlessly suppressed and slandered by those in power!

"Lord Leng, I have an idea. I would like to ask you to send someone to attack his wife and daughters."

"If I can take the opportunity to save his wife and daughter, I can pin the blame for the murder on the Empress."

"Then, I'll take his wife and daughter to the Ministry of Justice prison to see Zhang Xuan. Do you think he'll recant his testimony?"

Leng Shuangqiu was taken aback.

This man is indeed exceptionally intelligent.

He came up with such a complex plan in just a few words.

Driven by both gratitude and hatred, even a heartless man like Zhang Xuan couldn't resist the tears of his wife and daughters and the Empress's attempt to silence him.

"Very well, I will arrange the necessary personnel."

"Remember, once you leave the palace, your every word and action represents Her Majesty. Don't embarrass her."

"Otherwise, you will bear the consequences."

Li Fan clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes."

This battle can only be won, not lost.

……

at this time.

A house or courtyard.

A tall, slender woman is comforting a beautiful woman in the courtyard.

"Mother, Father is definitely innocent. I will go to the Ministry of Justice to plead his case tomorrow."

Her name is Zhang Miaozhen, and she is Zhang Xuan's only daughter.

Nineteen years old this year, with long black hair tied into a high ponytail hanging down her back, revealing her handsome and dashing face.

His eyebrows slanted upwards, his eyes were sharp, his nose was high and straight, and his thin lips, when pressed tightly together, exuded a sense of menace.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Several dark figures climbed over the wall.

Six men in black, each wielding a sharp blade, exuded a fierce and menacing aura.

"kill!"

Upon seeing this, Zhang Miaozhen stood with her two straight and slender legs spread apart on either side.

His thigh muscles were strong, his calves were smooth, and he wore black deerskin boots, firmly planted on the ground like a taut bow.

"Mother, step back!"

Her phoenix eyes sharpened, and she drew a silver spear from the weapon rack beside her.

The tip of the gun drew a cold flash in the air, so fast that it was almost imperceptible to the naked eye.

"Clang clang clang!"

Three long swords came slashing down at the same time.

Zhang Miaozhen held the gun in one hand and swept the barrel horizontally, actually forcing the three people back three steps.

The gun barrel struck the blade, sending sparks flying.

The man in black was shocked. How could this woman be so strong?

"An eighth-rank martial artist? You dare to try and kill me with such meager skills?"

Zhang Miaozhen took a step forward, her silver spear flashing like a venomous snake, its tip aimed straight for the throat of the nearest person.

The man hurriedly dodged to the side, but saw the spear tip suddenly twitch in mid-air, changing from a thrust to a sweep, and "smack" it struck his ribs.

"Snap!"

The sound of bones breaking was clearly audible.

The man screamed and flew out, crashing into the wall. He coughed up blood and couldn't get up.

"This woman is at least a fourth-rank official!"

The remaining five men in black looked at each other, their eyes filled with horror.

Didn't the intelligence they received say that Zhang Xuan's daughter was just a girl who knew a little bit of fancy martial arts?

"Hurry up!"

Just as they were about to climb over the wall to escape, the courtyard gate was suddenly kicked open.

"boom!"

A troop of imperial guards filed in, led by a young eunuch.

He had a handsome face, wore a gray eunuch's robe, and had a token hanging from his waist; he was none other than Li Fan.

He heard on his way here that someone had broken into the Zhang family mansion ahead of time, so he immediately led the Imperial Guards over, fearing that Zhang Xuan's wife and daughters would be silenced.

Upon entering, one sees a stunningly beautiful Valkyrie with a high ponytail beating a man in black to a pulp.

A speck of dust on her wheat-colored face only made her phoenix eyes appear even brighter and sharper.

She stood with her gun holstered, her chest rising and falling slightly from the exertion.

As for the two full breasts under the tight-fitting clothes, they were trembling slightly with each breath, but the waist remained as steady as a rock.

This figure and this aura are so much better than those fitness influencers from my previous life!

"Men, seize these people!"

This time, Li Fan brought a group of imperial guards from the palace, each of whom was highly skilled in martial arts, with the least skilled being a seventh-rank martial artist.

It is evident that Consort Xie wielded considerable power in the palace and was already qualified to mobilize the Imperial Guards.

Why are you holding these imperial guards in your hands?

"Swish, swish, swish!"

The Imperial Guards immediately rushed forward.

One of the men in black, enraged, decided to capture the leader first and roared.

"That little eunuch looks like the leader; grabbing him will allow us to escape!"