I Became the Devil Queen's Heart Demon

Chapter 527 - 206 Staying Overnight in the Sleeping Palace, Overstepping One’s Bounds! Empress: Am I About to Become the Little Thief’s Sister-in-Law?!_2

Her Majesty the Empress’s chest heaved as she gritted her teeth and said, "This matter concerns the reputation of the Imperial Family; how could it be treated as a joke? Besides... Chen Mo might not even be willing!"

Zhong Lihe remarked with some curiosity, "To be favored by the Princess is a blessing he’s accumulated over eight lifetimes; he’d probably wake up laughing in his sleep. How could he be unwilling?"

"Hmph, that may not be the case!"

"Chen Mo might not actually fancy Li’er with such a personality!"

The Empress gave a cold snort and said, "Moreover, Li’er was young back then; it was just a casual remark, nothing to be taken seriously."

"But..."

Zhong Lihe wanted to say more, but the Empress interrupted him, "Alright, don’t bring this up again in the future, you may leave now."

"Yes..."

Zhong Lihe dared not say more, bowed, and exited the hall.

The Empress looked at Chen Mo lying on the small couch, clenching her slender hand tightly, biting her lip.

"The matter with Zhu’er isn’t settled yet, and now Li’er is dragged into this... Chen Mo’s good looks and strong talent—if he truly catches her eye..."

"No way!"

"This palace will never allow such a thing to happen!"

...

...

Zhong Lihe walked out of the hall, still with a somewhat confused expression.

He felt that Her Majesty the Empress’s reaction just now was too extreme, as if her reverse scale had been touched...

But this is clearly a win-win situation...

He left the red-walled confines of the Inner Court along the palace path, when suddenly, a familiar voice reached his ears:

"Li He, why are you here?"

Zhong Lihe turned his head to look.

He saw Eunuch Jin, dressed in a blue satin sleeved shirt, standing with his hands behind his back, raising his eyebrows, "Aren’t you supposed to be sweeping the Heavenly Martial Arena? Why have you come to the palace?"

Uncharacteristically, Zhong Lihe didn’t retort, but solemnly asked, "You had Chen Mo deliver an empty Jade Scroll, was your actual purpose to test him on me?"

Eunuch Jin openly admitted, "If I’d told you directly, it would probably trigger your rebellious mindset... But just having him stand before you is enough. I’m sure with your keen eye, you can see his extraordinary nature..."

Zhong Lihe was silent for a moment, then lightly sighed, "I originally thought I had overestimated him enough, but it seems I still misjudged..."

"Hmm?"

Eunuch Jin asked puzzledly, "What happened?"

Zhong Lihe’s lips moved slightly, transmitting his voice directly to the ear.

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Jin’s expression turned rigid, shifting from puzzlement to shock, and finally to unbelievable joy.

"Military Dao Inheritance?!"

"Chen Mo... was recognized by the Xuan Su of Military Dao?!"

Even though he was mentally prepared, he never expected Chen Mo to achieve such a feat!

"After waiting for so many years, finally, there’s a glimpse of hope!"

"We must seize this opportunity!"

Eunuch Jin breathed heavily, his expression full of excitement.

However, Zhong Lihe conveyed telepathically, "Don’t celebrate too soon, I still find Her Majesty the Empress a bit strange... Just now I suggested the marriage between the Princess and Chen Mo, but Her Majesty refused it, and seemed quite angry..."

Eunuch Jin pondered briefly and said, "With Chen Mo’s current capabilities, I’m afraid he hasn’t caught the eye of the Princess yet, so this matter indeed requires careful consideration."

Zhong Lihe shook his head helplessly and said, "Once the situation at the Southern Border stabilizes, the Princess should return to the capital soon. With her personality, it seems there might be trouble then..."

The two exchanged a look, a hint of concern passing through their eyes.

"It’s too early to talk about this now; let’s handle the current affairs first." Eunuch Jin looked toward the immense palace in the center line, lowering his voice, "Matters succeed in secrecy, and words cause failure. Not a soul should know until the dust settles!"

"Including the Princess!"

Zhong Lihe nodded, "Rest assured, I understand."

Having said that, he turned and left the palace gates.

Eunuch Jin stood in place, deep in thought for a long time.

Recalling the Empress’s distraught appearance when Chen Mo encountered trouble, a mutinous thought suddenly arose within his heart.

"Hiss, could it be?!"

"Perhaps I’m just overthinking..."

...

...

Qianji Palace.

All the doors and windows were shut, the gaps sealed with wooden boards, making the entire hall pitch black, hands couldn’t even be seen in front of one’s face, the air laden with a decaying, damp scent.

Step, step, step—

A young eunuch carrying a candle slowly walked into the inner chamber, placing it on a small table beside the dragon-carved colorful canopy bed.

By the faint candlelight, a silhouette could barely be seen through the golden silk curtains—

That person lay on the bedstead, though it was late spring transitioning to early summer, with warm winds and sun, they were covered with layers of thick blankets, completely still, their breaths almost imperceptible.

"Your Majesty, it’s time for your medicine."

The young eunuch softly spoke.

He opened the wooden box in his hand and took out two red pills.

An aged hand extended from behind the curtains, its skin loose and wrinkled, akin to a weathered piece of dry wood.

The young eunuch placed the pills in the palm of that hand, which then slowly retracted.

Shortly, there was the faint sound of chewing from behind the curtains.

After a while, a hoarse, rasping voice resounded, "What day is it today?"

The young eunuch replied, "Your Majesty, today is the third month of spring, the Day of Wuwu."

"Wuwu, a day of fire and earth, where sun and moon align to bring fortune, where encounter with the official signifies martial prowess. Quite a good day indeed... cough cough cough..." As the emperor spoke, he began to cough, as if even this conversation drained him greatly.

Upon regaining composure, he weakly gestured with his fingers, "I am tired; you may leave now."

"Yes."

The young eunuch holding the candle bowed and exited.

Darkness enveloped the inner chamber once again, and after a long while, the emperor’s hoarse voice sounded once more, "I can sense someone has consumed the Taiyin Geng Metal Dragon Qi, it must be what Chu Yanli took back then..."

"Investigate who it might be..."

"Cough cough cough..."

In the corner’s shadows, there were faint rustling noises, and then all fell completely silent.