I manage female characters in all the heavens.

The eunuchs were taken aback: "Godfather, this is too blunt. Will the Empress Dowager believe it?"

Even if the current Empress Dowager is "pure and simple," she wouldn't believe this, would she?

Cao Zhengchun made a delicate gesture with his fingers and said with a smile, "In today's world, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor certainly wouldn't believe it openly, but they might not think so secretly."

"Zhu Tiedan was entrusted by the late emperor and granted an iron certificate to establish the Dragon Guard Manor. He could execute treacherous officials and overthrow tyrannical emperors. His power was immense."

"Our Eastern Depot owes its current power entirely to His Majesty's support. He needs the Eastern Depot to check and balance the Dragon Guard Manor."

"They're already so wary of them, it's perfectly normal for them to suspect the Dragon Guard Manor of any bad thing that happens."

The young eunuch was puzzled: "Even so, the Emperor won't openly condemn the Dragon Guard Manor. Instead, to appease them, he'll insist that we did it and punish us. There's no benefit in that!"

"Fool!" Cao Zhengchun tapped the eunuch on the forehead, shoving him backward. "The fact that they can punish us shows they trust the Eastern Depot. A slight reprimand can earn them even greater support from His Majesty in the future—it's a huge win!"

Sometimes, whether or not you believe in something depends on your needs, not on the facts.

The eunuchs suddenly realized, exclaiming that their godfather was incredibly wise and resourceful, and that they were not far from taking down Zhu Tiedan.

……

The two-hour class in the morning ended quickly. The subjects of music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, etiquette, etc., were all areas that Yunluo had never studied in depth. She learned them briefly and found that they were also good for cultivating her character.

If I learn this well, then if I return to the world of "Peerless Twins," I can play the zither, paint, and compose poems with Lianxing.

Picking up girls can certainly be a way to cultivate one's character.

After class, Yunluo immediately took Xiaoman away, intending to go to the palace's library to see if there were any advanced martial arts manuals.

At this moment, Cao Zhengchun, dressed in a purple-red robe, entered with a young eunuch, looking extremely apprehensive, and knelt down before the Empress Dowager with a thud.

The Empress Dowager waved her hand, telling "Yunluo" and the others to get out of class and go out to eat, drink, and have fun.

After Yunluo and the others had all left the palace, the attending eunuchs closed the palace doors to prevent anyone from hearing what was being said inside.

But this did nothing to stop Yunluo's powerful hearing.

"Your Majesty, we have found the person who taught Princess Yunluo internal skills. It is him."

Yunlu tilted her head. "Who taught me the internal energy cultivation method? I don't remember."

"Your Majesty, please forgive us! This was all instigated by the Dragon Guard Manor!"

Your mother didn't even send the message, so you're just making a false accusation, huh?

"Outrageous! A mere eunuch dares to frame the Emperor's uncle! This is outrageous! Take him out, castrate him, and send him to the Eastern Depot!"

"...Um, Your Majesty, he is already a eunuch..."

The Empress Dowager was furious: "You scoundrel! I haven't even had a trial yet, who gave you the right to decide to castrate him on your own?"

Cao Zhengchun was immediately confused: "Empress Dowager, he has been a eunuch for many years. He wasn't castrated after we caught him."

The Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes, her tone suddenly turning dangerous: "So that means someone who had long been your eunuch taught Yunluo internal skills, and now this subordinate of yours claims to have done so under orders from the Dragon Guard Manor?"

"Since when did the Dragon Guard Manor become able to control even the Eastern Depot?"

Cao Zhengchun fell silent. Yes, the Dragon Guard Manor can control everything!

The Empress Dowager laughed in anger: "Cao Zhengchun, I know you and the Iron-Blooded Marquis have always been at odds, but I never expected you to frame him so openly and brazenly, instructing your subordinates to falsely accuse him!"

Cao Zhengchun knelt down with a thud: "This old servant is wronged! You know that this old servant is loyal and would never disobey your and His Majesty's orders to teach the princesses and noble ladies martial arts without authorization!"

“Since it wasn’t the work of the Iron-Blooded Marquis, then this little brat must have disobeyed orders and deceived the Empress Dowager to avoid punishment. Your Majesty, please rest assured, this servant will severely punish him upon returning. I beg Your Majesty to spare his life!”

The Empress Dowager said, "He is of course the culprit, but as the supervisor of the Eastern Depot, you bear leadership responsibility. You are to be punished with twenty strokes of the cane. Go and receive them yourself."

"This servant obeys the decree..."

Cao Zhengchun led the eunuch out of the door and immediately saw Yunluo sitting on the steps at the entrance, seemingly waiting for someone.

He leaned closer, his waist hunched, and asked, "Who is the princess waiting for?"

Yunluo stood up, patted her skirt, and turned to face Cao Zhengchun:

"I thought you would take the opportunity to kill this little eunuch, so that he would have no chance to recant his testimony, but now it seems that you actually want to spare his life, which really surprises me."

Cao Zhengchun's body trembled: "What is the princess saying? This servant does not understand."

Yunluo patted Cao Zhengchun on the shoulder and praised him:

“I trust Chief Cao’s conscience. Compared to you, Imperial Uncle, you are indeed a loyal subordinate worthy of recognition. You are efficient and reliable in your work and a talented individual.”

Cao Zhengchun was puzzled: "First of all, I thank the princess for her recognition of this servant, but what is the purpose of the princess's words?"

Yunluo pulled him aside and whispered in his ear, "I have a way on the ninth level of the Heavenly Prison. It's risky, but the profits are high. If it works, becoming the number one in the world is not a dream."

"As the saying goes, fortune favors the bold. Chief Supervisor Cao, over the years your martial arts skills have not been as good as the Imperial Uncle's, and you have had to back down many times. You must feel very frustrated."

"This is a rare opportunity. I'm only telling you this because I see you as a talented person. Old Cao, are you willing to take the risk and give it a try?"

The conversation between the Empress Dowager and Cao Zhengchun just now made her realize that the Empress Dowager and the Emperor were preventing her from practicing martial arts. Therefore, wherever she could go and whatever books she could see, there would definitely be no martial arts available.

Then there's no need to look around anymore; just focus on the ancient three routes.

Cao Zhengchun immediately leaned back strategically and gasped.

My God, is this really the same Princess Yunluo who used to call me a castrated dog, a mere lackey, ignorant of everything from astronomy to geography, and generally knew nothing about anything when she saw me?

She actually knew that there was a place in the palace called the Heavenly Prison, and that the Heavenly Prison was divided into nine levels, and that there was an opportunity to become the best in the world in the nine levels!

They even used this as bait to lure me into joining them and seeking that opportunity?!

She even affectionately called me Lao Cao!

Cao Zhengchun couldn't remember the last time he had heard such an affectionate address; perhaps he had never heard it before.

Those who resented him called him a eunuch or a lackey; the emperor and empress dowager, his superiors who needed him, only coldly referred to him as Cao Zhengchun, treating him as nothing more than a tool; while those who followed him addressed him with a mixture of respect and fear as Supervisor Cao or Eunuch Cao.

The term "Old Cao," which seems to be used only among friends, was a first for Cao Zhengchun in his life.

He was immediately moved, and tears welled up in his eyes, but he forced them back with his internal energy.

As a eunuch, his lifelong pursuit was actually very simple: it was enough for others not to look at him with strange eyes. But he had never met such a person in his life, so he chose to use power to adorn himself and to make others respect him.

But now, it seems that his humble request has suddenly been fulfilled.

His feelings were complicated. Yunluo used to look down on him and hate him so much, but today, her attitude had completely changed.

Could it be that the fact that her subordinates taught her internal energy cultivation techniques had such a profound impact on her?

(You guys actually spread it?!)

He suddenly realized that princesses and noblewomen, though seemingly noble, were actually pitiful people who were not in control of their own destiny and whose lives were devoted to serving the imperial power, with little to no sense of self.

Isn't this similar to the fate of eunuchs?

Yunluo had longed to learn martial arts since childhood as a way of fighting against her fate. For more than a decade, this struggle had been ineffective due to the restrictions imposed by the imperial power, and she had not mastered any real skills. It was the people of the Eastern Depot who gave Yunluo a real opportunity.

Cao Zhengchun was somewhat dazed. Was this a case of "I saved you, and you saved me"?

Looking at Yunluo again, his gaze had softened considerably.

He decided to treat Yunluo well; this was his way of repaying her.

Cao Zhengchun was unaware of what was inside the ninth level of the Heavenly Prison. He had only been the head of the Eastern Depot for a few years and was not very clear about what had happened more than a decade ago.

Although the Heavenly Prison was under the management of his Eastern Depot, in the original storyline, he only learned that the Heavenly Prison had a ninth level after Gu Santong died and Cheng Shifei had joined the Dragon Guard Manor.

As for Gu Santong, who was imprisoned on the ninth floor, he was completely unaware of the situation and was kept in the dark by Zhu Wushi.

It may seem that the Eastern Depot belongs to Cao Zhengchun, but it actually belongs to Zhu Wushi. As long as Zhu Wushi doesn't want him to know something, Cao Zhengchun will never know it.

The outcome of this conflict between the Eastern Depot and the Dragon Guard Manor was predetermined from the very beginning.

If Zhu Houzhao hadn't needed Cao Zhengchun as a tool to force many ministers to rebel, making the world realize that Zhu Houzhao was a foolish ruler and providing some legitimacy for his eventual regicide and usurpation of the throne, Cao Zhengchun probably wouldn't have survived past the first episode.

Now, Yunluo intends to add some uncertainties to this inevitable fate and see how far Lao Cao can go.

Moreover, Gu Santong possesses both the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill and the Absorption Technique. If we can obtain these two divine skills from him in advance, dealing with Zhu Wushi in the future will be much easier.

Meeting Gu Santong directly was extremely dangerous and unnecessary. Cao Zhengchun was the person she chose to contact Gu Santong on her behalf.

Cao Zhengchun's Heavenly Gang Boy Skill was extremely pure. Even with Zhu Yuanzhang's skill in the later stages, he would have to exhaust Cao Zhengchun first before he could absorb his power. Gu Santong's current state was far inferior to that of Zhu Yuanzhang in the later stages, so he definitely couldn't absorb Cao Zhengchun's power.

This was the only option Yunluo could think of that she could use herself and wouldn't be instantly killed by Gu Santong upon meeting her.

If Cao Zhengchun could say even a single word, getting Gu Santong on board wouldn't be complicated.

Su Xin and her son were topics he would inevitably quiet down to listen to; he could handle them with just a few words.

"Your Highness, why don't we go to the Eastern Depot to talk?" After thinking it over, Cao Zhengchun finally decided to listen to the princess's suggestion.

He desperately wanted to be number one in the world.

The princess waved her hand and shouted, "Elbow!"

Xiao Man was even more anxious than when she learned that she would be late and get a beating that morning when she saw the princess following the old eunuch to the Eastern Depot.

She grabbed the princess's hand, her eyes brimming with tears, and tried to stop her: "Princess, please don't! That's the Eastern Depot! It's a den of demons! If we go there, we'll never come back. We'll be eaten by monsters!"

The princess rolled her eyes at her: "Are you out of your mind? How could there be monsters in the Eastern Depot? Besides, with Old Cao around, we're safe."

Hearing such words of trust, Cao Zhengchun was moved once again. The princess was truly a good friend of the Eastern Depot!

Xiao Man was in tears. It was only dangerous with that old eunuch around!

Can I not go?

Chapter 103: I will take what I want myself; you are not allowed to give it to me!

Within the imperial palace, there is a special prison for the most formidable criminals in the world, or criminals of noble status who are not suitable for ordinary management outside. They were once managed by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but are now under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Depot.

The Heavenly Prison is a super prison comparable to Impel Down in the One Piece world. It has nine levels, but it is built underground. The productivity of the martial arts world has given it a depth that is enough to bury any master. The deepest level, the ninth level, is more than 100 meters underground.

The entire ninth floor only held one criminal, Gu Santong, who once dominated the world, defeated all the martial arts factions, and was known as the Invincible Child.

Since his defeat at the hands of Zhu Wushi and his imprisonment in the dark ninth level of the Heavenly Prison, Gu Santong has not seen the sun outside for almost twenty years.

For the past ten years or so, since the prison administrators had no idea that such a person was imprisoned there, they naturally didn't bring him food.

At the same time, even though Gu Santong was bound by the promise to retreat when he saw the words "Iron-Blooded Marquis," which prevented him from leaving the ninth level of the Heavenly Prison blocked by the stone tablet with these four words written on it, he remained unrepentant and would use his Absorption Technique to pull anyone who came to him in and kill them.

Such madness led to no one from the Dragon Guard Manor daring to bring him food. Over time, perhaps even Zhu Wushi forgot about it, and no one provided him with food and drink anymore.

Old Gu stayed down there, and could only survive by absorbing snakes, insects, rats and ants through his absorption technique. He was pitiful.