The Imperial Empress's voice was cool and indifferent, feather-light and devoid of emotion.
But to Yan Peizhi, it landed with the weight of ten thousand tons, crushing him until he could barely stand upright!
Though the two factions openly struggled and schemed against each other for power and profit, their infighting was fierce enough to leave them at each other's throats. Still, they maintained appearances, observing proper decorum and keeping the court's basic order intact.
But with those words—"rebels"—she had torn away even the last scrap of their fig leaf!
It seemed the recent events had left the Imperial Empress deeply displeased.
Yan Peizhi was utterly frustrated, too.
He had never imagined that before the Barbarian Slave case was even behind them, Chen Mo would score another such great achievement.
His own failure was painful enough, but his enemy's success was even more agonizing!
Comparisons were the death of a man, and when goods were weighed against each other, the inferior had to be tossed aside!
After several comparisons, his own side's incompetence stood out all the more!
"Your Highness..."
Yan Peizhi wanted to say more, but the Imperial Empress cut him off. "Lord Yan, as a pillar of the court, you have many duties to attend to. There is no need to waste your time here."
"I hope that next time you come, you can bring me some good news."
With just a few words, she had shown him the door, as if she lacked even the patience to hear him speak.
"This humble official takes his leave."
Yan Peizhi rose and shuffled toward the exit, utterly dejected.
He had meant to flatter her, but instead he'd patted a horse's leg and gotten himself kicked until he was black and blue...
Chen Mo...
Why was it always him?
Could that man be the bane of my existence?
After Yan Peizhi left, a brief silence fell over the great hall.
The old eunuch in an embroidered python robe, standing respectfully to one side, said quietly, "Your Highness, have you been too harsh on Lord Yan?"
When all was said and done, neither of those two matters had much to do with Yan Peizhi.
He had simply happened to be standing in the line of fire.
The Imperial Empress snorted. "The Yan Family has been spending far too much time with Prince Yu lately. Those slippery old opportunists who change with the wind should have been given a warning long ago."
She paused slightly, then continued, "Still, I didn't expect that Chen Mo to be so capable... Chen Zhuo really did raise a fine son."
The old eunuch said, "This servant made some inquiries. Chen Mo has quite a reputation in the Heavenly Qilin Guard now. Not only has his strength surged, his temperament is also completely different from before..."
"His sudden improvement in strength may be due to some fortuitous encounter, but a person's nature doesn't change so easily."
"He has both edge and courage. Someone like that was never destined to remain obscure."
"He must have been deliberately hiding his abilities before."
The Imperial Empress shook her head. "A pity he's turned his back on the light and gone over to the dark, following that demoness Yu Youhan."
The old eunuch pressed his lips together and said nothing.
In all Heaven Capital City, only the Imperial Empress dared call Yu Youhan a "demoness" in public. He didn't have that kind of nerve.
"Then, about the execution of the Tenth Heavenly Demon..."
"Of course he should be rewarded—and handsomely!"
"Whatever Yu Youhan can give him, I can give him too, and more!"
"I refuse to believe that loyalty maintained through ruthless, cold-blooded methods can be all that firm."
"Even if I can't win him over, I can still sow discord between them. With Yu Youhan's temperament, once suspicion takes root, the charge is already as good as proven..."
At that point, the Imperial Empress seemed to grow weary.
She leaned lazily against the back of her chair and stretched, her graceful figure casting a curving silhouette across the screen.
The old eunuch stood with his head bowed, his gaze fixed straight ahead.
"The Three Offices and Six Ministries are a bunch of useless fools. I have to trouble myself with everything."
"Huan'er, come massage me. I've been terribly weary lately..."
Before the gates of the imperial city.
A handsome man dismounted in one smooth motion and strode toward the entrance.
The guards standing at the gate, clad in armor and carrying weapons, were about to stop him. But when they saw the purple token in his hand, their expressions changed. They hurriedly dropped to one knee and saluted.
"As expected of Her Ladyship. What a show of authority."
Chen Mo shook his head with a sigh and walked into the imperial city.
After returning from Tongling County, he hadn't gone back to the Magistrate Office with the others.
It wasn't because he was trying to keep a low profile. He was avoiding Li Yuan—
That woman had problems with both her mind and her body...
Her affection score had actually gone up the more he beat her!
Thinking of Gu Manzhi, whom he'd beaten until she was badly injured, Li Yuan, whose buttocks he'd spanked until they were swollen, and the Noble Consort, who'd been tied up with a Red String... Chen Mo had reason to suspect that this whole world was one giant BDSM club!
Brr, scary!
"But speaking of which, getting rewards for free is pretty nice. I'm only one point away from the next stage..."
"Should I find a chance to slap her twice more?"
Chen Mo stroked his chin, mulling it over.
He made his way to the Inner Court with practiced ease and asked a palace maid to announce him.
Before long, a familiar figure came into view.
"Chief Xu, long time no see."
Chen Mo waved in greeting.
"How is that a long time? We only saw each other a couple of days ago."
Xu Qingyi replied coolly.
Chen Mo grinned. "As the saying goes, one day apart feels like three autumns. Every moment without seeing Chief Xu feels especially long, so to me, it's been ages."
"What nonsense are you spouting now?"
Xu Qingyi raised her willow brows and glared at him in annoyance.
But when she saw his handsome face, with its red lips and pearly teeth, her heart inexplicably skipped a beat. She hurriedly lowered her head.
Recalling the question the Noble Consort had asked her last time while bathing, her heart began to pound even harder.
Could Her Ladyship be thinking of pairing me with Chen Mo...?
No, absolutely not. I'd never agree, even if it killed me!
Seeing her distracted expression, Chen Mo raised an eyebrow. "I was only joking. Chief Xu, you're not angry, are you?"
After what happened last time, Xu Qingyi wasn't about to fall for it again.
She immediately shook her head. "I'm not angry!"
"I don't believe you."
"Huh?"
"Unless you smile."
"Chen Mo, don't push it..."
Xu Qingyi's expression stiffened as she looked at the gleaming token right in front of her.
After a long silence, she tugged at the corners of her mouth and forced out a smile:
"Ha, haha..."
"That smile looked pretty unnatural. Do better next time."
"..."
Chen Mo entered the great hall of Cold Night Palace.
Watching his back, Xu Qingyi stamped her feet and shook her little fists, her eyes full of indignation.
"You obnoxious guy, always picking on me!"
The great hall was filled with a delicate fragrance, light as orchids.
After visiting the palace several times, Chen Mo had realized that Imperial Concubine Yu never burned incense. The scent came naturally from her Immaculate Jade Body.
After their last foot massage, the fragrance had lingered on his hands for a long time. He'd almost been reluctant to wash them.
Strangely, in the final moments of the massage, that delicate scent had suddenly turned rich and lush.
Like osmanthus blossoms filling the branches after a torrential downpour...
"What brings you to see me?"
Yu Youhan asked coolly.
She was still dressed in plain, everyday robes, sitting cross-legged on a meditation cushion with her eyes half-closed. An aura, mysterious beyond words, swirled around her.
She was clearly right in front of him, yet seemed impossibly far away, like the moon hanging high in the ninth heaven.
No one dared disturb Yu Youhan while she was cultivating.
Apart from Xu Qingyi, Chen Mo was the only exception, thanks to his Purple Luan Token.
Of course, he'd come to claim his reward...
Chen Mo thought to himself, then put on a bitter expression and spoke in a trembling voice. "Your Ladyship, you almost never got to see me again!"
Yu Youhan's eyes snapped open, a glint flashing in them.
"Oh?"
"Is that so? What a shame."
Before you continue