I Became the Devil Queen's Heart Demon

Chapter 643 - 245: The Empress Baby’s Background! First Massage, Then Bath! _3

"Please enlighten me, Your Highness." Chen Mo spoke at the right moment.

"The so-called ’Hidden Clan’ refers to those noble families who have withdrawn from public life for hundreds of years." The Empress explained briefly, saying, "After so many years, there are probably only four families left: Jiang, Qi, Wan Si, and Si Kong."

"Jiang?"

Chen Mo blinked and asked, "So, Your Highness is also from the Hidden Clan?"

"Sort of." The Empress’s expression was somewhat complex, her tone paused, and she said, "Although they are said to be hidden, in reality, they are everywhere, just that ordinary people find it difficult to notice... You know the Bao Heng Money Shop, right? It’s the Jiang family who controls it from behind."

?

Chen Mo was a bit astonished.

Bao Heng is the largest money shop in the entire Great Yuan, with branches all over Jiu Zhou, and its Convenient Money Service and Exchange Shops are almost everywhere. Saying it is wealthy enough to rival a nation is not an exaggeration!

"Well, I didn’t expect Her Majesty the Empress to really be the richest woman in Great Yuan?!"

"This thigh seems thicker than I imagined!"

The Empress, unaware of what he was thinking, continued, "Besides that, in transportation, salt and iron, medicine... you can see their presence everywhere, including in this court. Otherwise, do you think Zhuang Jingming became Chief Minister by himself?"

Chen Mo inquired, "Which family is supporting Chief Minister Zhuang?"

The Empress replied, "The Cabinet was initially established to counterbalance the Central Secretariat, and Zhuang Jingming was also personally promoted by the Jiang family."

Chen Mo frowned, "In that case, he should obey Your Highness, but from what just happened, that doesn’t seem to be the case."

The Empress shook her head and said, "In the end, Zhuang Jingming belongs to the Jiang family, not to me... I am not aligned with the Jiang family; in their eyes, there’s only profit, but in my eyes..."

She stopped speaking, not continuing further.

Chen Mo’s lips slightly curled up, he stepped onto the dais, circled around the screen, and came before the Empress, "Why did Your Highness stop midway, what’s in your eyes?"

The Empress’s oval face flushed slightly, she muttered softly, "Of course, it’s you, this lustful little thief..."

Chen Mo chuckled lightly and said, "I feel the same."

The Empress huffed delicately, turning her elegant face aside, "You speak nicely, but I don’t believe you."

Chen Mo reached out to cup her somewhat warm face, gently pecking at her rosy lips.

"How about now?"

"I don’t believe..."

"And now?"

"Mmm..."

A long time passed.

The Empress propped herself against Chen Mo’s chest with her slender hand, barely breaking free, her apricot eyes glistening with watery light, and she chided annoyedly, "Stop kissing, if my lips get swollen and people notice, what am I supposed to do?"

Knowing that the Empress was thin-skinned, Chen Mo didn’t push any further. He thought for a moment and said, "Anyway, since I’m here, would Your Highness like me to massage your shoulders?"

"Alright."

The Empress nodded.

Recently, due to Chen Mo’s affairs, she didn’t know how many memorials she had to handle every day, with the workload at least doubled, making her physically quite exhausted.

Chen Mo placed his palm on her shoulder, massaging it gently.

The Empress leaned back against the chair, her eyes closing comfortably.

It had to be said, this little thief’s massage technique was indeed much better than Sun Senior Palace Lady’s. If not worried about rumors, she’d really like to keep him in the palace forever...

"By the way, Your Highness doesn’t seem surprised about Yan Peizhi’s matter?" Chen Mo voiced a question.

"Hmm." The Empress closed her eyes slightly, lazily replying, "This matter was never a secret. The imperial examination is held every three years, and almost every time there’s some manipulation involved. After all, it’s a good opportunity to develop one’s faction, and no one wants to miss it."

"However, Yan Peizhi was too greedy, causing the leak to be too widespread, and that’s why the situation spiraled out of control..."

"In the end, a Minister of the Ministry of Rites was pushed out to take the blame, barely calming the storm."

"I see."

Chen Mo nodded knowingly.

Some matters, even if everyone is aware, are difficult to address.

For a high-level official like Yan Peizhi, it’s tough to shake their position without fatal evidence.

"But speaking of which..."

The Empress’s shoulders relaxed, stretching her long neck, "I am quite curious, back then, those officials pursued Yan Peizhi for months without finding any evidence. How did you obtain such detailed proof?"

Chen Mo didn’t hide it and straightforwardly replied, "It was Madam Yan who gave it to me."

"Mrs. Yan?" The Empress appeared slightly surprised, questioning, "Why would she help you against Yan Peizhi?"

"Naturally, to save Yan Linghu..."

Chen Mo roughly recounted the events to the Empress, just adding some embellishments and omitted the part where Qin Shu actively invited him to study; otherwise, this jealousy might flare up again...

"Is it really that simple?" The Empress questioned doubtfully, feeling something seemed off.

"Yes, just that simple."

"Alright then."

The Empress didn’t probe further.

"Ouch, here, use a little more strength..."

"Understood."

As Chen Mo continued massaging her shoulders and neck, a purple-gold light flashed in his eyes, and the bright yellow Palace Gown gradually became translucent, revealing skin as delicate as jade, nearly dazzling.

The crimson underwear supported her lushness, looking particularly striking from a bird’s eye view.

When you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you...

Chen Mo’s breathing became slightly heavy, inadvertently increasing the pressure of his hands.

"Hmm..."

The Empress furrowed her brows slightly.

"I apologize if I hurt you, Your Highness," Chen Mo apologized.

"It’s fine... huh?"

The Empress’s expression stiffened, looking down only to see several amber-like glassy tendrils spreading and clinging to her, accentuating her curves even more vividly.

Also, she could feel the radiating warmth within them.