Imperial Henchmen (Unabridged Chapters 1-49)

This post was last edited by Jin Ziling on 2014-12-31 16:24

Ling Chen carefully observed her clothing again. The clothes showed faint signs of fading, indicating they had been worn for a long time. Ling Chen even noticed a patch on her sleeve.
"This is illogical." Watching the eunuch Huang still incessantly scolding the beautiful young woman, Ling Chen stroked his chin. He could sense an air of nobility emanating from this girl, a noble quality that seemed innate, like that of the Empress, cultivated from a young age by a life of luxury and comfort. Yet, this woman possessing such noble bearing was being reprimanded by a plump old eunuch—the contrast was too stark.
Looking at the girl's frail body, as delicate as Lin Daiyu from *Dream of the Red Chamber*, her fragile appearance most easily evoked a man's protective instincts. Her pitiful appearance was truly heart-wrenching.
Ling Chen walked out without hesitation, interrupting the eunuch Huang's angry curses, while his eyes lingered on the slightly protruding chest. The girl's chest was rather flat; she was actually a flat-chested girl.
"Flat-chested? So what!" the scoundrel thought to himself, "How can one rule the world without a flat chest? With such a pretty face, I'd want her even if she had a sunken chest!"
The beautiful girl blushed, turned away without looking at Ling Chen, and left, giving the scoundrel no chance to even strike up a conversation.
Watching the swaying hips as she ran, the scoundrel Ling Chen swallowed hard.
Although the girl's chest was somewhat flat, her hips were at least round and perky.
He shamelessly thought of his favorite position again—doggy style.

Chapter 17: Princess Zhihua
"Who is that woman?" Only after the girl had walked a distance did Ling Chen come to his senses, asking in a daze.
Eunuch Huang glanced in that direction and said with a hint of amusement, "She's a noble princess."
"A princess?!" Ling Chen was terrified, but then he thought, wait a minute, she doesn't look like a royal princess at all.
Eunuch Huang seemed to see the doubt in Ling Chen's mind and said with a touch of sarcasm, "She is indeed a princess, but she's the princess of the former deposed emperor."
Hearing this, Ling Chen immediately understood.
In fact, the current Tong Sheng Emperor's throne was seized from his younger brother. Originally, Tong Sheng was just a minor vassal king stationed on the frontier. Taking advantage of the then-emperor's absence while visiting Buddha, he led his troops back, launched a coup, deposed the previous emperor, and ascended the throne himself.
Coincidentally, the deposed emperor's title was "Jianwen"! This was somewhat similar to the Jianwen Emperor in the previous world's history. In his previous life, Emperor Jianwen was deposed by his uncle Zhu Di; in this life, he was deposed by his brother, Emperor Tongsheng—a truly tragic end.
However, rumors circulate that Emperor Jianwen didn't actually die, but instead went into hiding, waiting for an opportunity to be reinstated.
The young woman just now was actually the daughter of that deposed emperor, Jianwen. Although she was nominally a princess, Ling Chen was certain she wouldn't receive the treatment due to a princess; previous events suggested something fishy. After all, she was the daughter of a deposed emperor; how could she possibly receive good treatment in the palace?!
"This Princess Zhihua was Emperor Jianwen's most beloved youngest daughter, a true darling of the nation, the apple of his eye," the eunuch Huang sneered. The thought of torturing such a once extremely noble princess filled Huang with a perverse pleasure. "His Majesty is benevolent and kind. Even a princess from the previous dynasty is treated as his own daughter, retaining her original title. She is still respectfully called Princess Zhihua."
Ling Chen inwardly curled his lip in disdain. These palace eunuchs were so obsequious, always trying to flatter the emperor. Ling Chen knew that Emperor Tongsheng's decision not to depose this poor princess was actually to appease the old officials of the previous dynasty; it had nothing to do with benevolence and kindness.
"Princess Zhihua," Ling Chen secretly memorized the girl's name. A beautiful princess in distress had aroused his desire.
...
After receiving the Empress's promise, Ling Chen decided to take a gamble and began gathering evidence from all sides, preparing to bite hard at Consort Ming.
The core of this case was still Wanwan. If he could get her to personally accuse Consort Ming, it would be more convincing than all the evidence he had collected. Therefore, the arrogant Ling Chen, relying on his master's power, decided that he had to pry Wanwan's mouth open no matter what.
"This concerns my life, my future, and my livelihood. I'm willing to sacrifice my virtue for it!" the scoundrel said with a righteous and unyielding air.
Then he leered and walked towards the dungeon of the Directorate of Ceremonial once again.
This time, he had to make Wanwan talk no matter what!
The dungeon was still as cold and gloomy as ever, the dim yellow light flickering.
Wanwan was still the same, sitting on the stone bed with her knees drawn up, wearing the revealing clothes Ling Chen had prepared for her, looking blank.
"Ahem." To make his presence known, Ling Chen coughed loudly a few times on purpose.
The beauty in the dungeon didn't even need to turn her head to know that the beast had come again.
Wanwan looked at him with a cold smile. She knew in her heart that this beast only had three days. Now that one day had passed, if he couldn't solve the case in the next two days, his life would be in danger. So Wanwan looked at Ling Chen as if he were already dead.
"Two days later, this beast who defiled my body will finally die a horrible death!" Thinking of this, Wanwan's shame from being imprisoned and humiliated lessened slightly.
She knew this scoundrel would come here now and do the same thing as before, wantonly abusing her, but thinking that it would only be a few days, after two days, this scoundrel would be dead, and Consort Ming would definitely get her out. She would get
her out... out... out...
Would Consort Ming really get her out?
The girl buried her head in her knees, her eyes blank. Why hadn't Consort Ming made a sound for so long? Could it be...?
She shook her head vigorously, somewhat afraid to think any further.

Chapter 18: The Blind Fortune Teller
Ling Chen stormed out of the Directorate of Ceremonial's dungeon, spitting angrily on the ground.
"That damn little wench, so stubborn." Ling Chen was a bit angry. He thought he could persuade her, but instead, he was mocked mercilessly.
"A beast that only knows how to mate, her mind is full of Jingye." Ling Chen recalled the words she used to insult him. Although he had ravaged her afterward, making the pure female official cry and beg for mercy, those words still made him very uncomfortable.
It seemed that since he transmigrated to this world, his sex drive had really been high, and he often lost control of his animalistic nature.
"Could it be because of the transmigration that my physique has changed?" Ling Chen was also confused.
"Boss, what's next?" The three guards outside the door knew he had suffered a great loss when they saw Ling Chen's angry face.
"How was the thing I asked you to do last night?" Ling Chen asked them in return.
Lu Tianyu squinted his small eyes and smiled obsequiously, "Don't worry, big brother, we've got results for the matter you asked us to investigate."
"Oh." Ling Chen nodded slightly. Yesterday, he had Fatty and Skinny investigate the pharmacy that sold the musk. Now that there were results, he felt he should go there himself.
"It's a small pharmacy outside the palace. The owner is a not-so-famous doctor, and we've already taken him under control," Song Ziming replied.
"Let's go take a look." Since they couldn't find a breakthrough in the dungeon, Ling Chen decided to explore other places to see if they could find some more useful clues.
With only two days left until the three-day deadline for solving the case, Ling Chen felt the pressure on his shoulders increase sharply.
The three scoundrels, along with Sima Mu, the imperial guard, quietly left the palace and headed straight for the small pharmacy outside the imperial city gate.
"Ah Shan, I heard you're from the Emei Sect." Walking along the road, Ling Chen glanced at the respectful Sima Mu beside him.
Sima Mu's nickname was Ah Shan, and he was said to be a direct disciple of the famous Emei Sect.
Upon hearing Ling Chen's question, Sima Mu immediately bowed and nodded, saying, "Replying to your question, sir, I did indeed study martial arts at the Emei Sect for several years, under the tutelage of Abbess Huaiyuan." "
Sima Mu also knew that this scoundrel had already climbed onto the Empress's coattails and now had a powerful backer. If he could help the Empress overthrow Consort Ming, the scoundrel's future would be limitless. Therefore, Sima Mu put away his arrogance and began to be humble.
" "Oh?" Ling Chen couldn't help but look at him a few more times and said with some curiosity, "Isn't the Emei Sect only accepting women? How did you become a direct disciple?"
Sima Mu smiled bitterly, "The Emei Sect has never said that it only accepts female disciples. That's just a rumor in the martial arts world. It's just that too many female knights and heroines have emerged from the Emei Sect, so the world's impression of the Emei Sect is that it's all women. But that's not the case. The so-called balance of yin and yang is necessary for longevity. If it's all women, then there will be an imbalance."
These words hit the scoundrel's nails. "What a fine phrase about the balance of yin and yang. I like that." As he spoke, the three scoundrels beside him laughed lewdly at each other, leaving Sima Mu completely bewildered.
The three quickly left Huangcheng, turning left and right until they arrived at a dilapidated alley.
The alley was very run-down, emanating a strange odor that made Ling Chen involuntarily cover his nose. On one side of the alley sat a blind fortune teller, a broken bowl beside him, and a Yin-Yang symbol.
As the group passed the blind man, who had been sitting like a wooden statue, he suddenly picked up a long bamboo pole and held it horizontally in front of them.
This sudden action startled Sima Mu, who instinctively reached for his broadsword.
Ling Chen waved his hand, telling him to restrain himself. At the same time, he looked at the blind fortune teller with curiosity.
"Esteemed guest, you are facing a great calamity. You are lucky to have met me, the blind man; otherwise, I doubt you would live past twenty," the blind man said, shaking his head.
Ling Chen's face darkened. Although he didn't believe in ghosts or gods, he wouldn't be happy if anyone said such ominous things to him.
"Blind man, you really have no eyes! Believe me, I'll beat you to death!" the fat man shouted menacingly from the side.
"Hehe." The blind man chuckled dryly, took out a few copper coins from his tattered sleeve, put them into the tortoise shell in front of him, and shook it vigorously while chanting, "Yin Yang breaks, four extremes cold, heaven evolves forty-nine, earth mourns true splendor, extreme desires and extravagance, do not say the heavens are closed."
"Open!" The blind man suddenly stopped, turned the tortoise shell upside down on the ground, and slowly took out the few copper coins from it.
"Sick." Seeing the blind man's behavior, Ling Chen concluded that the other party was an old man who had given up on treatment, and immediately lost interest and was about to leave.
"Young man, do you often feel an uncontrollable urge when you see a beautiful woman?" The blind man's words made Ling Chen freeze in mid-air.
He turned around, looking at the blind fortune teller strangely, and said, "Isn't that obvious? What man wouldn't feel restless and unable to resist when he sees a beautiful woman?!"
The blind man smiled and shook his head, saying, "You are different."
"Oh, interesting. Tell me, how am I different?" Ling Chen suddenly became interested.
"Because you have the Heavenly Yang Body!" the blind man said calmly.
The Heavenly Yang Body!
Ling Chen frowned, looking at the blind man strangely. The man looked like a reclusive master, but he was dressed in tattered clothes and looked quite destitute. He didn't look like a reclusive master at all.
"If I'm not mistaken, you possess the Heavenly Yang Sacred Body, a physique long lost to the martial world! Those with this constitution achieve twice the results with half the effort in cultivating martial arts. Even a fool could easily reach the level of a first-grade grandmaster. It's truly the best physique that every martial artist dreams of. However, this physique also has a fatal flaw: a strong libido. One often cannot control their desires and is easily impulsive. Moreover, the Heavenly Yang Sacred Body has abundant Yang energy. If it cannot be balanced with appropriate Yin energy, it can lead to qi deviation at best, and death at worst. Therefore, throughout history, every possessor of the Heavenly Yang Sacred Body has never lived past twenty!"
The blind man said solemnly, as if Ling Chen were about to die.
"How boring," Ling Chen coldly glanced at him. If it weren't for the fact that the man was an old blind man, he might have had someone beat him up.
"I've seen your tricks all the time. Some people even claim I'm the reincarnation of the Monkey King! Your methods are outdated, old-fashioned, and unoriginal; they're just annoying. Old man, you're getting on in years, stop with the swindling." Clearly, Ling Chen considered the old blind man a fraud.
With that, the four of them left without looking back.
"Sigh," the blind fortune teller sighed softly. In a voice only Ling Chen could hear, he said, "Five days from now, you'll know if I'm telling the truth. If you want to save your life, come find me here. Remember, only you can come!" The
sudden sound of the blind man's voice startled Ling Chen. It felt like someone was whispering secrets in his ear.
When Ling Chen turned around abruptly, he was shocked to find the ground empty.
"Tianyu, Zimo, and Ashan, look!" In the blink of an eye, the ground where they had been standing was empty, causing Ling Chen's expression to change drastically.
The three turned around blankly, asking in confusion, "Look at what?"
"That blind fortune teller is gone!!" Ling Chen exclaimed in shock.
"What blind fortune teller?" the three asked almost in unison, looking utterly bewildered.
"The old swindler who just told my fortune!" Ling Chen's face darkened, his expression filled with shock.
"Boss, we've come all this way, when did we ever encounter a blind man?" the fat man asked, looking at Ling Chen with a blank expression and some confusion.
Now it was Ling Chen's turn to look at them in shock. None of the three men—the fat man, the thin man, or Sima Mu, who had some martial arts skills—seemed to remember what had happened.
They had collectively lost their memories!!

Chapter 19: The Half-Faced Beauty
"You really don't remember anything??" Ling Chen asked again, unwilling to give up.
The three shook their heads blankly.
How strange!
Ling Chen's head was spinning. Could there really be some terrestrial immortals, or demons and monsters in this world?
"Five days later, still in this place, only you are allowed to come find me." The fortune teller's words before leaving still lingered in his ears, but the man had already disappeared.
"Forget it, who cares what he is! This old thing is probably a martial arts master with superb lightness skills, deliberately playing tricks on us. Hmm, that's definitely it. Don't let me see that guy again, or I'll beat him every time I see him, break his old bones!" Ling Chen thought and thought, and could only explain it to himself in this way. At the same time, he cursed a few times in his heart, seemingly dissatisfied with the old man.
The three of them traversed several narrow alleys, finally arriving at a dead end. At the very end of this alley stood a dilapidated little pharmacy, its flag filthy. If it weren't for the occasional waft of herbal scents emanating from inside, no one would guess it was a pharmacy.
"I didn't expect Wanwan to choose such a remote little pharmacy. She probably came all this way to avoid being seen," Ling Chen murmured.
The four approached the pharmacy's door, which was ajar, from which groans of pain could be heard.
Ling Chen, now a low-ranking officer in the Imperial Guard, though not a high-ranking one, was still an official. As a lackey of the court, he had to act like one.
So, without a word, the scoundrel kicked open the door and stormed in menacingly.
The door slammed open, startling everyone inside, who stared in shock at the outside.
Four people stood in the doorway: three Imperial Guards and one senior imperial guard.
Ling Chen glanced around the room, surprised that such a small door concealed such a large space. Inside this pharmacy, more than a dozen seriously ill and wounded people lay on tattered straw mats, seemingly receiving treatment.
"This reminds me a bit of the inpatient ward of a hospital in my previous life," Ling Chen squinted, coldly observing. Judging from their clothing, they were all commoners; there were no important figures among them.
The four of them stormed into the room, and a short, old man rushed over from the front desk in a panic. Seeing that the four were dressed as officials, three of them even wearing the flying fish robes of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, his face darkened.
The name of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the capital was so infamous that it could stop a child from crying. Anyone who entered and was targeted by the Embroidered Uniform Guard would be severely injured, if not killed.
"Four... Your Excellencies, what brings you to my humble abode?" the old man stammered, his legs trembling as he spoke flattering words, as if he were about to collapse from fright.
Seeing this, Ling Chen was quite satisfied; only then could he extract some useful information from the man.
"Summon your pharmacy owner," Ling Chen barked, his imposing manner reminiscent of a lackey.
The old man, trembling, bowed and said, "In response to your questions, gentlemen, I am the owner of this pharmacy. What can I do for you?"
"You—" Ling Chen squinted at him, somewhat suspiciously, "You're quite old; how can you manage such a large pharmacy and so many patients?"
The old man was about sixty or seventy years old, his white hair thinning and receding. His wrinkled face made him look like he was about to enter his coffin.
"I wouldn't dare deceive you, sir. It is indeed this old man who is in charge here, but my granddaughter is also helping out. Although it's a bit busy, I can still manage." The old man said honestly.
Ling Chen nodded. If there were helpers, then he could manage.
Without further ado, Ling Chen went straight to the point and asked, "Just a few days ago, did you sell a batch of musk here?"
"Musk?" The old man frowned, looking confused, as if trying to recall something.
"Sir, I'm getting old, and there are some things I can't remember clearly. Please wait a moment while I check the ledger." The old man hurriedly ran off and frantically rummaged behind the counter.
He didn't keep Ling Chen and the others waiting long. The old man quickly ran back with an ledger in his hand.
He said breathlessly, "Sir, a few days ago, I did have a batch of musk sold here. It was my granddaughter who handled it."
"Oh?" Ling Chen raised an eyebrow and said, "Call your granddaughter over. I have something to ask her."
"Yes, yes, yes."
The old man hurriedly ran to the backyard.
About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea later, the old man led in a young girl. When Ling Chen stared at the girl, he couldn't take his eyes off her.
This was a girl of twelve or thirteen, in the prime of her youth, what I'd call a little loli in my previous life. Her face was covered by a white cloth, obscuring her features, but her eyes, both watery and icy, held a faint chill, seemingly able to see through everything. Her fingers were slender, her skin like jade, snow-white with a hint of pink, seemingly able to be squeezed for water. Her slender waist was so delicate it could be encircled with one hand; every movement was like a dance. Her long hair cascaded down to her hips, flowing naturally, her black strands dancing in the wind, emitting a delicate fragrance. Her waist was slender, her limbs long and graceful, possessing an ethereal, fairy-like quality.
Just looking at her was enough to make one swallow hard; even a skinny man who wasn't particularly fond of women was momentarily stunned.
Half a face that could topple kingdoms! Half a face that could topple kingdoms!
Just the half of her face revealed possessed a beauty that could topple kingdoms; if that veil were removed, what would happen?
And Ling Chen, that little lecher, was even more so; he almost drooled.
"My goodness, this girl... I, Ling Chen, swear to heaven, I will marry her! She's mine, she must be mine!" The scoundrel secretly swore to himself, seemingly forgetting that oaths meant nothing to him. "Gentlemen
, this is my granddaughter," the old man said, bowing obsequiously. The little girl beside him, however, watched the four of them warily with her beautiful eyes.
Ling Chen looked at the girl, then at the old man, and felt a strange unease.
How could such an ugly old man have such a beautiful granddaughter? Although the little girl wasn't fully developed, and at least couldn't compare to the figures of mature noblewomen, just the half-exposed face was enough to make her a femme fatale.
"Thank goodness, I was the first to discover this femme fatale. If other nobles had found her first, I'd probably be left watching helplessly. So, once I take her in, I must keep it a secret and not let anyone else know.
" "Sir! Sir!" The old man, seeing Ling Chen lost in thought, couldn't help but call out, while the fat man beside him coughed a few times.
Ling Chen finally snapped out of his reverie and, looking at the little girl, found her staring at him with disgust.
Oh no, her first impression of him seemed terrible.

Chapter 20: A Beauty That Causes Trouble
Ling Chen couldn't help but secretly regret that he always couldn't resist beautiful women, acting like a pig-headed fool. No wonder the girl disliked him. What
Ling Chen didn't know was that the little girl's dislike wasn't due to his current behavior, but rather his flying fish robe. Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the reputation of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was infamous. Almost every citizen of the capital and martial arts world would secretly curse them as "the court's lackeys" upon seeing them.
Ling Chen didn't care about the little girl's impression of him at this moment; he had already decided in his heart that this beautiful girl was his wife.
Thinking of this, his expression softened considerably, and his tone became less aggressive: "Young lady, I am a court official… ah, I mean, I am a court official. I have a case that I need your cooperation on." Even
if you haven't eaten pork, you've seen pigs run, right?
Ling Chen subconsciously imitated the police officers he'd seen on TV in his previous life.
"What questions do you have, sir? I will answer them to the best of my ability," the girl
said, her brows slightly furrowed as she gave a slight bow. "A few days ago, did you sell a batch of musk?" Now that the topic was getting serious, Ling Chen had to become solemn
. "Musk?" The girl's brows furrowed even more, as if she were recalling something. Unbeknownst to her, her furrowed brows made her even more beautiful, leaving Ling Chen momentarily mesmerized.
"Oh, right, sir, I remember now. A few days ago, a young lady asked me to buy musk, saying she wanted to use it as a perfume, and I sold it to her then," the girl continued, recalling the situation. "
Do you remember what that young lady looked like?" Ling Chen asked deliberately.
"That lady was a few years older than me, very beautiful, and judging from her clothes, she seemed to be the daughter of a wealthy family," the girl continued.
Ling Chen and the others exchanged glances and nodded secretly.
This must be it.
"Has this young lady been here before?" Ling Chen asked solemnly.
"No. That lady is very beautiful. If she had been here before, I would definitely remember her," the girl said seriously.
"Ahem!" Ling Chen coughed a few times, feigning seriousness, and said coldly, "If I say she's been here before, then she has. Even if she hasn't, it's just that you haven't noticed."
The girl looked at him blankly, seemingly not understanding what he was talking about.
But the old man beside him quickly realized what was going on and hurriedly said, "Your Excellency is right, Your Excellency is right. That young lady is indeed a regular customer here, often coming to this old man to buy and sell medicine."
Ling Chen gave him an appreciative look, not expecting that such an old man nearing his coffin would be so quick-witted.
It was simple. Ling Chen wanted to help the Empress bring down Consort Ming. A single case involving musk would probably be difficult to achieve, so he had to make the case bigger and involve more people.
Think about it, if this palace maid named Wanwan could bring musk into the palace without permission, who can guarantee she didn't bring in poisons like arsenic or arsenic before? And every now and then, there are always a few unsolved murders in the palace—one day a eunuch from the imperial kitchen dies, the next day Consort Rong from the palace goes mad. These are common occurrences.
What Ling Chen wants to do is frame Consort Ming, throwing more mud at her so she can't clear her name.
Now it all depends on whether this grandfather and granddaughter are willing to cooperate. The old man is quite pragmatic; he readily agreed to help Ling Chen and his group fabricate evidence. As for the little girl, she's a bit of a problem.
Sure enough, upon hearing her grandfather's words, the girl immediately realized they were helping the Imperial Guards frame someone, and the upright little girl blushed with anger.
"You're trying to fabricate evidence and frame an innocent person!" the little girl shouted angrily. "I won't stand by and watch you frame an innocent person like this! That pretty lady is a very kind and good-hearted person. She saw so many poor people who couldn't afford medical treatment, so she paid out of her own pocket to help many people. Now you're framing her like this, aren't you afraid of retribution?"
Although the girl was young, she spoke with a righteous air, quite like the scholarly demeanor of her elder brother, Ling
Chen. Seeing that the little girl seemed to be up to no good, Ling Chen's face darkened, and he looked very unhappy. Seeing his unpleasant expression, the old man panicked and hurriedly held down the impulsive little girl, trying to persuade her.
Unexpectedly, this little girl was also stubborn and refused to agree no matter what, instead glaring at Ling Chen and his companions with hatred.
The fat man couldn't hold back any longer. He preferred plump, heavyweight women and was not interested in this little girl with no breasts or buttocks. He threatened sternly, "Little girl, you'd better think this through. If you can't figure it out here, then come with me to the Imperial Guard's prison. I guarantee you'll understand then."
It must be said that the fat man was quite frightening when he got angry; his face was full of menacing features, and he looked like a demon from hell.
The little girl, however, was a determined person. She raised her eyebrows and coldly looked at the four men: "You government lackeys, what can you do besides bullying good people? You're simply a bunch of scum, degenerates, parasites on the nation."
Ling Chen smiled bitterly. He hadn't expected the little girl to have such a bad impression of the Imperial Guard, and he didn't know how to speak.
The little girl wasn't frightened, but the old man was terrified. He almost knelt down before the girl, tears streaming down his face, crying and pleading, which made the little girl feel heartbroken, and she couldn't help but cry too.
Her crying was immediately heard by the patient being treated on the other side of the room. These patients were all from poor families, unable to afford the larger clinics, and had no choice but to come here for treatment. Many of them came from this alley, were neighbors, and had watched the little girl grow up. Having also received her care at the clinic, they all had a deep affection for this beautiful girl.
Hearing the little girl cry, the patients immediately stood up, their anger blazing, glaring at Ling Chen and his three companions. At this moment, who cared about their status? In their eyes, these four were simply unwelcome.
"Boss, things aren't looking good," the skinny man said, his timidity fading at the sight.
Ling Chen swallowed hard and asked Sima Mu beside him, "Ah Shan, you're a top-notch expert from the Imperial Guard. These few people shouldn't be a problem for you, right?"
Sima Mu didn't disappoint Ling Chen. He arrogantly replied, "These listless patients... even if they were all seriously ill, or even if they were all healthy, I could easily crush them."
"Goodness, as expected of a direct disciple of the Emei Sect, he's got some skills." After receiving Sima Mu's reply, Ling Chen and the others felt confident and were no longer afraid of the patients crowding around them.
"This little loli is truly a femme fatale. She's not even grown up yet, and so many men are already fighting over her. What will she be like when she grows up? No way! For the court, for the emperor, for the country, I must take her in!" Looking at the little girl crying her eyes out, Ling Chen thought with a lewd grin.

Chapter 21: Hero Saves the Beauty?
"What? You've all gone too far! Do you all want to experience life in my Embroidered Uniform Guard prison?" Ling Chen shouted sternly, full of confidence and arrogance.
To be fair, his bureaucratic airs immediately intimidated the patients, who all began to behave themselves.
After all, they were just commoners, with an innate fear of court officials, especially the infamous Embroidered Uniform Guard.
"A bunch of cowards," Ling Chen thought to himself, then said to the old man, "You'd better think this through. If you handle this well, you'll be richly rewarded. If you mess it up..."
Ling Chen sneered, "Your whole family will be implicated."
It must be said that Ling Chen had truly intimidated the old man. The old man turned pale and kept patting his chest to guarantee his success. His granddaughter, however, stood to the side, biting her lip, her bloodshot eyes glaring at Ling Chen.
If looks could kill, Ling Chen would probably be torn to pieces by now. However, the little girl's murderous gaze had no effect on the scoundrel; on the contrary, he found the way she looked at him rather charming.
The four swaggered away. Ling Chen walked along the road, feeling an indescribable sense of satisfaction. No wonder so many people were willing to be someone else's lackeys; this feeling of lording it over everyone was truly exhilarating.
Back in the palace, Ling Chen first arranged for Sima Mu and Lu Tianyu to investigate Consort Ming's background, while ordering Song Zimo to keep an eye on things in the dungeon. He himself took a nap in his room. Consort Ming
was not comparable to the Empress. The Empress was born into a powerful family in Shandong. When Emperor Tongsheng rebelled and overthrew his younger brother, Emperor Jianwen, the Empress's family played a significant role. For example, one of the current Grand Secretaries, Wu Ge Lao, was the Empress's own brother, demonstrating the immense power of the Empress's family in the court. Consort Ming, however, was different. She came from a commoner background, supposedly a woman from the Jianghu (江湖, a term referring to the martial arts world), orphaned at a young age. After entering the palace, she gained the emperor's favor through her beauty and talent.
However, Ling Chen knew very well that Consort Ming's favor was merely based on the emperor's personal affection. As the saying goes, "When the emperor's heart is not at peace, serving him is like walking on thin ice." If Consort Ming lost favor one day, her death would likely be imminent. Without a solid backer, all this so-called favor was nothing but a castle in the air. Look at the Empress; even if the emperor disliked her, he dared not touch her, precisely because the Empress's family wielded considerable influence in the court.
This was why Ling Chen was willing to be the Empress's lackey rather than Consort Ming's.
Waking up, Ling Chen felt refreshed and full of energy. He stretched, and seeing that Sima Mu and Lu Tianyu had not yet returned, he pushed open the door and headed towards the dungeon of the Directorate of Ceremonial.
The place Eunuch Mao arranged for him was quite a distance from the Directorate of Ceremonial's prison. Along the way, several pretty palace maids walked by, smiling. Ling Chen's heart fluttered, and he wanted to flirt with them, but remembering this was the Imperial Palace, he decided to keep a low profile. He coughed, put on a stern face, and walked away, trying to appear like a gentleman.
"What kind of work is this? Can't even carry a bucket of water properly! It's spilled everywhere! Do you really think you're still that pampered little princess? Bah!"
Ling Chen was walking along when he suddenly heard a sharp, sarcastic voice, seemingly scolding and insulting someone. Normally, this wouldn't concern him, but when Ling Chen saw the beautiful figure lying on the ground, he couldn't take his eyes off her.
It was Princess Zhihua!
Princess Zhihua's face was flushed red; she had apparently fallen, a bucket full of water overturned beside her, wetting her dress. Beside her, a middle-aged, plump woman stood with her hands on her hips, spitting and berating loudly, "Your task is doubled today! If you can't do it, you'll regret it!"
"A perfect opportunity!" Ling Chen's eyes lit up; he seemed to realize this was a golden chance to be a hero and save the damsel in distress, and he couldn't resist.
"Stop!" Ling Chen appeared suddenly behind the plump woman like a divine warrior, interrupting her insults with an air of righteous indignation: "You wicked woman, how dare you be so disrespectful! She's a princess of the nation, after all. Your behavior is a violation of etiquette! I'll report you to the Directorate of Ceremonial and accuse you of insubordination!"
Ling Chen struck what he thought was a very cool pose, mimicking his scholarly elder brother, trying to appear as righteous as possible.
The beauty who had fallen to the ground looked at him in surprise, her eyes glistening with tears, appearing utterly pitiful.
Unexpectedly, the fat woman seemed completely unfazed. Instead, she turned around and stared at Ling Chen with a strange grin: "Oh dear, where did this greenhorn come from? You haven't even grown your hair yet and you're already trying to be a hero and save a damsel in distress.
Don't you even take a good look at yourself in the mirror? Bah!" Ling Chen was also furious: "You, a middle-aged woman, dare to look down on me like this? Looks like I
need to teach you a lesson before you know what death is!" The fat woman laughed: "I'm so scared. Well then, teach me how to write the word 'death'!"
Seeing her so confident and fearless, Ling Chen couldn't help but feel uneasy. Could this fat woman be some kind of important figure?
But then the scoundrel thought again, "In this harem, who can be more powerful than the Empress? My backer is the Empress. Who cares who this old hag is?" Thinking of this, Ling Chen righteously shouted, "Enough nonsense! Come with me to the Directorate of Ceremonial. I want to see if you can still laugh so happily once you're in the Directorate of Ceremonial's prison."
The fat woman snorted and sneered, "Which dog servant has the audacity to arrest me? Even if the eunuch in charge of the Directorate of Ceremonial comes, he'll still have to bow down and pay his respects to me."
Ling Chen stared dumbfounded at this damned old woman, his heart tightening.
This fat woman was either mentally unstable or truly some important figure.
"Young master, you should leave. It was indeed my fault. Granny Zhao is the daughter of the Empress's wet nurse, and she grew up with Her Majesty the Empress. She won't wrong me," Princess Zhihua stood up and said softly to Ling Chen.
Her words seemed to be an admission of guilt, but in reality, she was reminding Ling Chen that this fat woman was the current Empress's childhood best friend, and he should not provoke her.
"Oh my god. I really messed up." The scoundrel groaned inwardly. He finally had a chance to play the hero, and this is what happened. Was he destined to be a lackey for life?
"Hehe, so that's what happened. It's a misunderstanding." The scoundrel's face changed faster than the weather, instantly becoming a fawning, lecherous grin.
What is integrity? Can you eat it?
At this moment, he didn't care about playing the hero anymore, just smiling and apologizing. Princess Zhihua was dumbfounded.
She had originally thought this young master was a righteous but impulsive person, but she didn't expect...
The fat woman obviously didn't want to get entangled with Ling Chen, and just coldly uttered a single word: "Get lost!"
Ling Chen's face hardened, but he quickly concealed it, hurriedly bowing and smiling obsequiously as he retreated. At this moment, he didn't care about being a hero saving a damsel in distress anymore.
That old hag is the Empress's closest confidante; she mustn't be provoked, or all the powerful backer I've worked so hard to climb will be ruined. Alas, what a waste of such an opportunity. This was a perfect chance to win the heart of such a beautiful woman, but things don't always go as planned!
Just as Ling Chen hadn't gone far, another righteous voice rang out: "You shrew, stop right there!"
Ling Chen was stunned upon hearing this, his face immediately turning into a gloating expression. Haha, who knows which fool dared to try and play the hero? This is going to be good!
He himself had just made a fool of himself and was still seething with anger. Now, seeing another reckless fool trying to be a hero, he felt an urge to watch the show, and stopped in his tracks.
Just then, a handsome young man walked down the corridor. He was truly as handsome as Pan An, with a face like jade. He wore a magnificent crown and a magnificent robe, which made him look even more elegant and wealthy.
"Who's the fool again—" The fat woman thought fiercely, turning around with a menacing look, about to lash out, but upon seeing the young man's appearance, she swallowed her words.
"Third...Third...Third Prince!" the fat woman stammered.
The newcomer was none other than the current emperor's third son, Prince Wu, Li She! Now it was the fat woman's turn to be dumbfounded. Not only was she stunned, but even Ling Chen, who had been waiting to watch the spectacle, stood frozen in place.
"It's you again!" Li She's tone was unfriendly, his eyes like knives fixed on the fat woman, making her tremble.
However, when this handsome young man shifted his gaze to Princess Zhihua, his eyes softened instantly, even carrying a hint of infatuation.
"Cousin, is this woman bullying you again? Don't be afraid, I'll punish her for you." Li She's murderous gaze fell on the fat woman, making her tremble with fear.
"No, it's not." Princess Zhihua's delicate brows furrowed slightly; her slender figure, coupled with her pitiful expression, truly resembled the delicate Lin Daiyu from *Dream of the Red Chamber*.
"Granny Zhao was just... just doing her duty. It's all my fault, it has nothing to do with her." Princess Zhihua took all the blame upon herself, seemingly trying to exonerate the plump woman.
"Yes! Yes! Yes!" "That fat old woman nodded hastily, wiping the sweat from her brow.
Prince Wu, Li She, seeing his cousin's words, felt his eyes soften even more: 'Cousin, don't defend her anymore. Everyone in the palace knows what kind of person she is. She's only got a little connection with the Empress, yet she acts like a tyrant, completely lawless!'
Princess Zhihua looked at Li She tenderly, but quickly lowered her head shyly, saying, 'Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness, but this time it was truly my fault, it has nothing to do with Granny Zhao.'
Li She couldn't help but shake his head, sighing inwardly, 'Ah, this kind, foolish girl.'
Prince Wu, Li She, and Princess Zhihua had been betrothed since childhood, but at that time, Emperor Jianwen was still in power. Later, Emperor Tongsheng usurped the throne from his younger brother, Emperor Jianwen, and their status changed drastically.
Li She suddenly became a prince, enfeoffed as Prince Wu. Princess Zhihua, on the other hand, became the daughter of a deposed emperor, her status in the harem lower than that of a palace maid, and she was bullied everywhere."
Of course, the marriage arranged back then could no longer be counted. It was a pity that this loving couple, destined for each other, were not meant to be.
Ling Chen stood not far away, witnessing these scenes. Especially when he saw Princess Zhihua gazing at Li She with tender affection, then shyly lowering her head, a strange fire of jealousy ignited in his heart.

Chapter 22: Major Discovery
"Your Highness, the Emperor is still waiting in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Are you perhaps…?" A young eunuch beside him, seeing that Prince Wu seemed to intend to continue the conversation, immediately spoke up to remind him.
Li She frowned upon hearing this, his face showing displeasure. The young eunuch quickly shrank back in fright.
"Your Highness Prince Wu, since the Emperor has summoned you, you should hurry and go. Don't keep His Majesty waiting," Princess Zhihua seemed to say.
Li She smiled at him and nodded, "My cousin tells me to go, so I'll go."
Ling Chen, watching from the side, felt extremely uncomfortable. He had wanted to be a hero and save the beauty, but instead, he had made a fool of himself, further highlighting the image of Prince Wu. He couldn't help but curse inwardly, "Adulterer! Adulterous woman!"
Prince Wu then glared at the fat woman and said, "Listen to me, if I ever hear a single word about Zhihua being wronged, I'll skin you alive!"
The fat woman immediately nodded hurriedly in fright.
Ling Chen felt a surge of envy. This was a truly powerful person; he himself was just a toad, trying to be a hero but only making a fool of himself.
"That pretty boy is just lucky to have been born into an imperial family. I may be a commoner, but one day I'll definitely climb higher and farther than you!" Ling Chen thought jealously, secretly fantasizing, "Let me ride Zhihua under my feet, and see if you can still laugh then." While this scoundrel
was lost in thought, Li She had already walked up to him.
"The Embroidered Uniform Guard?" Li She glanced at Ling Chen standing beside the artificial hill, seeing his flying fish robe, and immediately said disdainfully, "I see these scoundrels everywhere, it's really unlucky."
It seems this Third Prince has a strong aversion to the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Ling Chen hunched over,
head bowed, looking respectful, like a mechanical puppet. Only after Li She had walked far away did Ling Chen dare to raise his head, wipe the sweat from his brow, and look in the direction the other had left. "What are you smug about? One day, I'll crush you under my feet," Ling Chen secretly vowed.
...
After this incident, Ling Chen's mood became extremely bad. When he arrived at the dungeon, the skinny Song Zimo was already waiting for him.
"Boss, what's wrong? You seem a bit humiliated?" Song Zimo, being a veteran who had been with Ling Chen for a long time, immediately noticed the gloom between Ling Chen's brows.
"Stop talking nonsense, this is none of your business," Ling Chen shouted angrily, "Get to the point!"
"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Song Zimo didn't press further, but instead began to talk about the situation in the dungeon. He winked and excitedly said, "Boss, another big breakthrough this time!"
"Oh?" Ling Chen was startled by this and immediately perked up.
"Just an hour ago, an old woman came to the dungeon, saying she wanted to visit the female official. I was ordered by you, Boss, to guard this place; how could I allow unauthorized personnel to come and go as they pleased? So I immediately refused!" "
However, this old woman didn't seem to give up. She actually pulled out a few gold bars, trying to bribe me." Song Zimo cleared his throat and said righteously, "You know my character, Boss. A few small gold bars to get rid of me? What a joke! I was about to refuse, but then I thought, this old woman is so determined to go in and investigate, could there be something fishy going on? So I immediately decided to take the risk and try. And believe it or not, this trial actually yielded some important information!" "
You probably let her through on purpose because you were after those gold bars," Ling Chen thought to himself, secretly despising him. He knew what kind of person Song Zimo was; he was a greedy man. Although he was somewhat greedy, he wasn't blinded by greed and at least knew what was important. Therefore, Ling Chen didn't intend to pursue the matter of him accepting bribes.
"I first pretended to accept a bribe and let her pass, then took the opportunity to follow her in and secretly eavesdrop on their conversation."
"So that old nanny was actually Consort Ming's person. Her investigation of the Directorate of Ceremonial prison was actually at Consort Ming's behest. Under the guise of investigation, she actually wanted to use this opportunity to make that female official take all the blame."
Ling Chen's expression changed upon hearing this, and he hurriedly asked, "Did she agree?" "
Of course not!" Song Zimo continued, "That girl named Wanwan is also a coward. She didn't want to die alone in the Directorate of Ceremonial prison, so she even begged Consort Ming to save her."
"Hehe." Ling Chen revealed a knowing look. "Just as I thought. Wanwan probably still has something she hasn't finished, so she doesn't want to die so early. This girl is very cunning and ambitious. We must be more careful!"
Having been Wanwan's bed partner for several days, Ling Chen believed that he had a clear understanding of her weaknesses. Now, all he had to do was force Wanwan to compromise and cooperate with him.
"What happened to that old nanny later? Did she achieve her goal?" Ling Chen continued to ask.
"Definitely not." Song Zimo asserted immediately: "They spoke very softly afterward, and I could hardly hear them, but towards the end I could hear them arguing. They definitely couldn't reach an agreement. And when the old nanny left, although she hid it well, I could still detect a hint of exasperation in her expression."
Song Zimo grew up in a brothel and had been a pimp for almost ten years. He was an expert at reading people.
"Oh?" Ling Chen stroked his chin and smiled strangely: "Interesting."

Chapter 23: Mingfei's Background
"How about it, boss? Should we go in and interrogate her again?" Song Zimo winked and grinned lewdly.
Ling Chen's mind once again conjured up Wanwan's beautiful body, her curvaceous figure exuding a faint fragrance. The scoundrel swallowed hard, shook his head, and dismissed the lustful urge, saying, "I won't go in today. I'll give her one night. I think we should have a result by tomorrow."
Being abandoned must feel terrible, so Ling Chen was certain that Wanwan was currently filled with extreme fear, panic, and emptiness. A prison cell was a place that could amplify such negative emotions infinitely. He'd let her linger for one night and see the effect tomorrow.
Although he desperately wanted to rush in and tear Wanwan's clothes apart, Ling Chen rationally chose to leave. Giving her some time to think might be more advantageous for him.
He and Song Ziming returned the way they came, and when they reached the study, Lu Tianyu and Sima Mu had also returned from their investigation.
"Boss!" The fat man, his body trembling, ran over with a laugh.
"How was it? Did you find out anything?" Ling Chen asked directly.
"This isn't just a little bit of information, it's huge news!" the fat man said boastfully. "You'd never guess what we just found out!!"
"Oh?!" Ling Chen's interest was immediately piqued. "Tell me about it."
The fat man glanced around cautiously and said, "This Consort Ming was born in the martial arts world, but there's not a single legend about her."
Ling Chen frowned. "That means Consort Ming is a very low-key person."
The fat man said, "Boss, are you kidding me? How could someone so stunningly beautiful that she could bewitch the Emperor have no reputation before entering the palace? And she wasn't even on the martial arts beauty list back then!" "Her name!"
Ling Chen only then realized something was amiss, but he still didn't quite understand: "What does this prove?"
The fat man said excitedly, "Boss, think about it. A woman from the martial arts world, with unparalleled beauty, yet no one knows her, and this woman actually became a concubine in the palace. So what is the most likely identity of this woman?"
Ling Chen thought for a moment and said, "Could she have had plastic surgery?"
In Ling Chen's previous life, there was a country called South Korea, where the plastic surgery technology was top-notch. They could turn even the ugliest woman into a beauty like Xi Shi
. Could it be that Consort Ming once traveled to Goryeo? "Of course not," the fat man said irritably. "I asked A Shan. This kind of woman is very likely a pawn specially raised by some major sects. As the saying goes, having someone in court makes things easier. If some martial arts sects can get in touch with the court and have one or two influential people in the court, how much help would that be to them!"
After listening, Ling Chen suddenly understood.
If what the fat man said was true, Ling Chen felt somewhat relieved. At least Ling Chen had always held those brutes in utter contempt for the martial arts world. As long as Consort Ming didn't have a powerful background like the Empress, he could rest assured.
At the same time, Ling Chen secretly glanced at Sima Mu. This kid was born into the Emei Sect, but now he's come to the palace as a bodyguard with a sword; he probably has the same ambition.
"Have you found out which sect she belongs to?" Ling Chen asked, still somewhat uneasy.
"Well... I don't know much about the affairs of the martial arts world. Let Brother Sima tell me," the fat man said after a moment's thought.
Sima Mu stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Reporting to your Excellency, there are at least eight hundred or a thousand sects of varying sizes in the martial arts world. Even if a renowned sect wanted to establish connections with the imperial court, they would do so with utmost secrecy. Therefore, if we were to investigate, I would have to start from there."
Ling Chen nodded, knowing that the title of "imperial lackey" wasn't exactly flattering, and asked, "Her origins are unknown. Hasn't the imperial court investigated her background?" "
The Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs investigated for a while, but all their efforts were in vain. This woman's identity is cleverly concealed, leaving no room for doubt. Moreover, she is currently enjoying the emperor's favor; people are too busy currying favor with her to want to provoke her!"
"I see." Ling Chen nodded, then dismissed them and remained alone in his study, quietly contemplating.
Tomorrow was the final day for solving the case, and everything needed to be carefully planned.
The next day.
The birdsong at dawn was exceptionally clear, disturbing his peaceful dreams.
The fat man and the other two had been waiting outside Ling Chen's room for a long time. After a considerable amount of time had passed without any movement from inside, Ling Chen couldn't help but knock on the door, softly urging, "Boss, it's getting late..."
He only got halfway through his sentence when the door creaked open, and Ling Chen strode out.
He looked exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept well all night. It made sense; today concerned his life and future, so he had to be extremely careful. He had tossed and turned all night, carefully considering his options, and had even developed a restless anxiety, resulting in a sleepless night.
He coughed lightly and said, "To the dungeon."
"Boss, you haven't had breakfast yet," Song Ziming gently reminded him.
"No need," Ling Chen replied solemnly.
The three of them then left the courtyard and headed towards the Directorate of Ceremonial's prison.

Chapter 24: The Final Compromise
Inside the dungeon.
Sima Mu and his two companions were ordered to guard the outside. The dungeon was very well soundproofed; even if an earthquake occurred inside, no one outside would hear a sound.
"These are your clothes." Ling Chen tossed a bundle over, inside which was a light blue palace dress. The bundle hit Wanwan, causing her to glare at him angrily.
"This girl has a bit of a fiery temper, but it's alright, take it slow." Ling Chen seemed to enjoy it, opening the cell door and striding into the cell.
He domineeringly pulled Wanwan into his arms, teasingly asking, "So, what do you think?"
Wanwan was held in his arms, their skin intimately touching. But she pursed her lips, remaining silent.
Ling Chen laughed loudly, "Your master has already abandoned you, and you still want to be a foolish, loyal servant?"
Wanwan lowered her head, continuing to remain silent.
Ling Chen couldn't help but pat her head, simultaneously lifting her chin and looking directly into her large eyes: "Look into my eyes!" Ling Chen commanded.
"I know you don't actually want to die. You still have many important things to do. Right? As long as you cooperate with me to bring down Consort Ming this time, I, Ling Chen, guarantee your safety!" The scoundrel said confidently, as if it were true.
Wanwan tried to avoid his eyes, but Ling Chen held her firmly in place with his large hands. Hearing his words, this ambitious and aspiring female official actually wavered a little.
"Wanwan, your real name is Shangguan Wanyu. You are the illegitimate daughter of the current Minister of Works. Because you are not born of the principal wife, your status is low, and you have been bullied by your siblings since childhood. You entered the palace at the age of ten, starting as a lowly palace maid, and now you are a fourth-rank female official." Ling Chen recounted the information he had investigated.
This girl, who was looked down upon since childhood, was able to rise in the deep palace in such a short time. Besides her extraordinary wisdom and courage, she must also have unspeakable ambitions and aspirations.
Wanwan's expression changed, but she quickly regained her composure.
"If you really die like this, then your mother will never be able to recover. How will you fight back against those who mocked you, how will you get revenge on those who bullied you?" Ling Chen pressed his face against her small cheek, looking at her pure face, feeling somewhat moved.
"You've always called me a shameless scoundrel, so how about we cooperate this time? I can guarantee your safety, and you can continue being a lady-in-waiting afterward. After this matter is over, you will be you, and I will be me. We won't interfere with each other anymore, and we won't be entangled again. What do you say?" Ling Chen whispered seductively in her ear.
To be honest, Ling Chen's proposal had already tempted Wanwan.
She was a pitiful girl, because her mother was a lowly prostitute, and the Minister of Works had impregnated her mother during a drunken encounter. From birth, Wanwan was destined to face discrimination. From a young age, she silently endured all sorts of gossip and ridicule.
Although she was the biological daughter of the Minister of Works, she lived a life worse than a servant. The hardships of her childhood forged this pure-looking girl into an exceptionally strong woman. She vowed in her heart that one day she would stand at the highest point, making all those who had looked down on and humiliated her kneel at her feet, and she would also ensure her mother had the best life!
With this thought in mind, Wanwan entered the palace as a maid at the tender age of ten. Her idea was simple: becoming the emperor's woman would allow her to realize her ambitions. However, things were far from as simple as she imagined. The deep palace, seemingly calm on the surface, was actually turbulent beneath. Becoming the emperor's woman, becoming a concubine, was an impossible dream.
So she decided to start as a lady-in-waiting, taking it one step at a time. After six years, she finally became a fourth-rank lady-in-waiting at the age of sixteen, enjoying the deep trust of Consort Ming, her future seemingly bright.
But she never expected such a case to occur.
Wanwan bit her lip, her large eyes glaring at Ling Chen, and said fiercely, "Is this true?"
She finally gave in!
Ling Chen was overjoyed and quickly nodded, "Of course!"
Wanwan leaned into Ling Chen's arms, looking at the man who had taken her virginity, and said hatefully, "After this, you are you, and I am me. We have no further connection. Also, what happened here… you are not allowed to tell anyone." Wanwan's face suddenly flushed red, as if she had remembered something shameful.
"Of course! Of course!" Ling Chen nodded his head like a rattle-drum. But a different thought lingered in her mind: "You think you can run away after becoming my woman? Heh heh."
"Since Consort Ming treated me unjustly first, don't blame me for being ruthless." Wanwan's face darkened, looking somewhat resolute.
"That's right, that's the logic. She doesn't care whether you live or die, why should you still be loyal to such a person? You're right, I support you." The scoundrel took the opportunity to fan the flames.
Wanwan lowered her head and said coldly, "Go out for a bit, I want to be alone."
But Ling Chen sat to the side, his hands still tightly wrapped around her slender waist, showing no sign of leaving.
"Get out!" Wanwan shouted in disgust.
But she still underestimated the scoundrel's shamelessness. Ling Chen teased, "What's the point of being alone? Let me soothe your empty soul."
"Get out!" Wanwan pushed his body away, her good manners preventing her from losing her temper, her chest heaving with anger.
"Hey, little girl, after this, we'll be strangers. Until then, you have to let me have my fill first." Ling Chen, shameless as ever, brazenly proposed a sexual encounter. Wanwan's face flushed red with
anger, and she could only glare at him.
If it weren't for the fact that cooperating with him was the only way to save her life and future, Wanwan would have killed the man before her.
"Wife, your husband is here!" The lewd scoundrel chuckled and pounced on her. The prison was well-soundproofed, so there was no need to worry about the sounds inside carrying out.
He reached out and unbuttoned Wanwan's upper garment, then removed her underwear, revealing her high, firm breasts. He then reached out and kneaded and rubbed them, ignoring the girl's fierce resistance, pinching her nipples with his fingertips, displaying his increasingly skilled flirting techniques.
Under intense stimulation, Wanwan screamed, moaned, and cried, held in his arms, draped naked over him, her long, beautiful legs wrapped around his body. Ling Chen swiftly stripped off his clothes and entered her body, his scumbag waist thrusting up and down forcefully, his large penis rubbing and pumping inside her vagina, bringing her even more intense pleasure.
How could a weak woman resist the humiliation of a seasoned scoundrel? Wanwan quickly became exhausted, her hands hanging limply at her sides, allowing him to abuse her.
Ling Chen slowly penetrated her, carrying her step by step to the bed, placing her on it, making her kneel on the bed like a female dog, her round, fragrant buttocks raised high.
Ling Chen stopped making things difficult for her. He grabbed her slender waist and plump buttocks with both hands, thrust his waist forward, and felt his penis enter a warm and moist passage. It was not only tightly wrapped around her, but also constantly rubbing back and forth. In the intercourse with Wanwan, he experienced intense pleasure.
On Wanwan's usually pristine stone bed, they shifted positions, passionately engaging in intercourse. Wanwan seemed to have fallen somewhat; perhaps it was truly as this scoundrel had said—since she couldn't resist, she might as well close her eyes and enjoy it. She had gradually abandoned all shyness, letting out soft screams and low moans, her exquisite, sexy body striving to meet Ling Chen's thrusts, being brought to orgasm after orgasm in their lovemaking. "
It's just this once anyway; once I endure it, everything will be alright," Wanwan told herself resolutely.
Ling Chen wantonly played with the pure young girl's sexy body, thrusting in and out of her tight passage, watching the intoxicated expression on her flushed face, listening to her high-pitched moans, finding it all very amusing.
The usually aloof and powerful palace lady, once she engaged in intercourse with a man, became so completely uninhibited and even so wanton. Ling Chen couldn't help but think, "There's some truth to the saying 'familiarity breeds fondness.' The women in the palace lack sustenance, and each of them harbors some curiosity and anticipation for sexual desire. I wonder if Her Majesty the Empress is as uninhibited in bed as she is." The
pure and innocent lady's demure moans pulled him back from his reverie. Looking at her beautiful face flushed red, he could feel her vagina contracting violently, gripping his penis tightly, giving him a unique and intense stimulation.
Heavy breathing escaped Ling Chen's nostrils. He opened his arms, tightly embracing the pure young girl's naked and sexy body, his penis thrusting deep into her body, ejaculating his hot semen fiercely into the girl's tender womb.

Chapter 25: Consort Ming Arrives
The third day passed peacefully. The agreed-upon deadline finally arrived.
The next day.
"Boss, Her Majesty the Empress summons you," Lu Tianyu said softly, with Eunuch Huang standing proudly beside him.
"Hmm," Ling Chen nodded, then asked softly, "Is everyone here? Has anyone been forgotten?"
"Don't worry, Sima Mu summoned them all at dawn, just waiting for your call, Boss."
"Very good." Ling Chen smiled with satisfaction, then straightened his clothes and confidently walked out of the room.
This time, the Empress had made a great decision, summoning many other concubines in the palace, as well as some senior eunuchs from the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Imperial Clan Court, to attend the hearing. This was clearly a move to escalate the matter.
Eunuch Huang chatted and laughed with Ling Chen, constantly probing for information, trying to get some inside details from him, but Ling Chen ignored him and continued walking.
Lu Tianyu, that fatso, followed closely behind Ling Chen, his thieving eyes fixed on another handsome young eunuch.
Ling Chen suddenly remembered the fatso's peculiar taste, and something flashed through his mind.
"That fat woman I saw the other day, I heard she's the Empress's childhood friend. If the fatso could conquer her, wouldn't that be a great achievement!" Thinking of this, Ling Chen began to get excited.
But now was clearly not the time to plan that. Eunuch Huang led a group of young eunuchs, leading the way through long corridors and courtyards, finally arriving at a grand hall.
The Phoenix Palace!
Sure enough, the Empress had chosen this place for the final judgment.
The Phoenix Palace was already full of people, and Ling Chen's eyes widened at the sight.
On both sides of the hall sat beautiful noblewomen, dressed in various styles, some slender, some plump, but each exuding an innate air of nobility. Behind each beautiful woman stood a young and pretty maid. Ling Chen felt as if he were surrounded by so many celestial beauties, his blood boiling with desire. Thankfully, his manhood didn't stand up; he managed to suppress it, avoiding embarrassment among the many imperial concubines.
"This humble servant, Ling Chen, a junior officer of the Imperial Guard, greets Your Majesty the Empress and all the Imperial Concubines," Ling Chen said, kneeling respectfully to the ladies present. "
Damn, this emperor is truly blessed. To be surrounded by so many beauties, I'd gladly give up ten years of my life," Ling Chen thought. Deep down, he was still a hopeless loser, his mind always wandering to the most beautiful women.
The beautiful women present were all haughty and didn't even glance at him. Each of these women was an Imperial Concubine, of high status. They had gathered here today because they had heard of a major case in the palace and had been summoned by the Empress for trial. Ling Chen was merely a lowly officer in the Imperial Guard, so naturally they didn't treat him well.
"Rise," the Empress said softly, seated on the phoenix throne at the head of the table. Her crimson lips were alluring, tempting one to bite them.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Ling Chen bowed and stood up.
"How is the case I asked you to investigate progressing?" The Empress wore a magnificent robe and a phoenix crown. Her upper body was clad in a low-cut top, revealing two snow-white breasts. A single claw could probably sink ten fingers into them.
Although this dynasty revered Confucianism and emphasized the Three Virtues and Four Morals, the separation of men and women was not as strictly observed, and the political climate was relatively open.
Ling Chen dared not linger too long staring at those ample breasts, and replied according to the pre-arranged script, "I have successfully completed the investigation and uncovered the truth."
"Oh?" The Empress asked with some surprise, "Then tell me, what exactly happened?"
"The matter is quite simple. A palace lady left the palace without permission and brought a large quantity of musk into the palace. Musk is a forbidden substance in the imperial palace and poses a great threat to the princes and their descendants. Therefore, I dared not neglect this matter and investigated it thoroughly." Ling Chen recounted the general course of events in his own words.
Empress Wu frowned and said, "Someone actually dared to bring contraband into the palace, intending to harm the princes and their descendants. This is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family! It must be thoroughly investigated!"
Ling Chen looked at the Empress's serious demeanor, pretending to be hearing it for the first time even though she already knew about it, and suddenly found her quite adorable.
Meanwhile, the concubines sitting on either side began to whisper among themselves. Living deep within the palace, some of them were hearing about this case for the first time and were understandably astonished.
"Speak, what is the identity of that audacious woman?"
"Your Majesty, the female official who smuggled the forbidden drugs in this case is named Shangguan Wanyu, a fourth-rank official. As for her position..." Ling Chen feigned difficulty.
"Speak!" the Empress, sitting at the head of the table, said coldly.
Ling Chen immediately felt reassured and said, "This female official is a palace attendant in the Shangyin Palace."
His words caused an uproar throughout the hall.
What was the Shangyin Palace?
It was the residence of the most favored concubine, Consort Ming. If Shangguan Wanyu was a palace attendant in the Shangyin Palace, she must be one of Consort Ming's people. Considering the Empress's elaborate scheme regarding this case, some cunning individuals immediately changed their expressions.
The scene suddenly became noisy.
"Silence!" the Empress shouted, immediately silencing the crowd.
She recently gave a faint smile and said, "Since she's Ming'er's person, it's not appropriate for me to interrogate her alone. Someone, go to the Shangyin Palace and ask Ming'er to come here."
As soon as she finished speaking, a clear and melodious voice rang out again: "No need, how could Ming'er trouble the Empress? I came without thinking."
Upon hearing this voice, the entire room changed color.
The Empress's dignified and noble face immediately darkened, while the other concubines showed a mixture of amusement, jealousy, annoyance, and schadenfreude.
Ling Chen curiously turned around, and his mouth gaped open, as if he could never close it again.
This woman was not human; she was a celestial being descended to earth! She wore
a light purple gauze dress, the front edge embroidered with peonies, the chest embroidered with twin lotus blossoms, and the hem of her magnificent skirt adorned with ink-splashed spider lilies. Her long, flowing black hair was styled into a beautiful bun, adorned with a pair of peony-shaped, pearl-studded seven-crystal jewels on either side. Gold lace, cloisonné enamel, and white jade flowers settled in the center. Her pink skirt swayed with a beautiful radiance. Her attire was slightly flamboyant, yet undeniably noble. A pair of amber eyes, vibrant red lips, and a face of breathtaking beauty, lightly powdered, made her appear like a fairy descended to earth, untouched by worldly concerns.
"Ming... Consort Ming..."
This Consort Ming had actually come herself!

Chapter 26: The Murderer is You!
Ling Chen stared at this ethereal woman, sighing repeatedly. No wonder the Emperor bestowed all his favor upon one person.
The beauty strolled gracefully, her expression composed, clearly intending to rival the Empress.
As this stunningly beautiful woman, capable of bringing ruin to the country, walked past Ling Chen, a faint smile played on her lips, as if she were looking at him like he were a clown—a blatant mockery!
Ling Chen's heart sank; could there be some other unseen twist?!
"So, Sister Ming'er arrived early. Very well. Someone, bring Sister Ming'er a seat! Ling Xiaoqi, you may continue." The Empress sat languidly on her phoenix chair, speaking indifferently.
Women are such complex creatures; even when the person they hate most is standing beside them, they pretend to be sisters, making the uninformed truly believe they are deeply devoted to each other.
"Yes!" Now, all the concubines from the various palaces were gathered here, countless eyes fixed on him; Ling Chen had no way out.
He cleared his throat and said authoritatively, "Your Majesty, I once secretly investigated the pharmacy that sold musk to Shangguan Wanyu. I discovered that Shangguan Wanyu had visited this place more than once, and had also purchased some poisonous substances such as arsenic, arsenic trioxide, and poison powder, claiming it was for killing insects."
This was the slander Ling Chen was trying to smear Consort Ming. The harem was so vast, with over three thousand concubines alone, not to mention countless other female officials, maids, and eunuchs. Every year and every month, one or two people would die in various ways. And Ling Chen was going to frame Consort Ming for the deaths of these people. As soon as
he said this, the room erupted in uproar. One by one, the noble consorts covered their mouths, their faces pale with fear.
"Even if Chief Eunuch Wu of my Drunken Immortal Palace passed away a few months ago, could it be..."
"Xia Zi of Minhua Palace has always been the eunuch I trust most, yet he suddenly died a few months ago. He was in excellent health before, could it be..."
With Ling Chen's instigation, all the concubines looked at Consort Ming as if she were a murderer.
In this world, there are people called uninformed onlookers, and what Ling Chen wanted to do was to drag these onlookers into the mess!
Consort Ming maintained a calm and composed expression, her fair face expressionless, looking at Ling Chen with a half-smile, making the scoundrel feel uneasy.
"It seems I underestimated this person." The Empress's eyes lit up, and she began to re-examine the handsome young man before her. Originally, the Empress's plan was only to involve Consort Ming in the musk case, but Ling Chen was even more ruthless, aiming to destroy her spirit!
Seeing the Empress looking at him with appreciation, the scoundrel knew he had already secured a place in her heart and was gradually being considered one of her own.
He didn't yet possess the ambition to later humiliate and subjugate the Empress; he simply felt that being appreciated by the Empress meant his future was bright!
"You said that Wanwan bought a large quantity of banned drugs, do you have any evidence?" The Empress coughed, calming the situation, and continued to ask.
"Of course," Ling Chen laughed. He then clapped his hands vigorously.
Immediately, a pair of soldiers dragged in a short, ugly old man.
The leading soldier was naturally the bodyguard Sima Mu, who grabbed the old pharmacist, performed a kneeling salute, and then stood up, saying, "The witness has been brought!"
Sima Mu winked at Ling Chen twice, a subtle gesture unnoticed by anyone.
Ling Chen was overjoyed. Sure enough, the old man and his stunning granddaughter had finally yielded and were willing to come and give false testimony for him.
The old man, seeing such a grand scene for the first time, was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground, cowering in fear.
Ling Chen felt a surge of contempt; how could this ugly old man have such a beautiful granddaughter?!
"Your Majesty," Ling Chen said respectfully, "this old man is the pharmacy owner. He's the one who sold all those illegal drugs to Wanwan." She kicked the old man twice, urging him to stand up.
The old man refused to get up, instead kneeling and kowtowing repeatedly, begging for mercy, "I was foolish for a moment, greedy for his money, and sold him the drugs. I truly didn't know that young lady was a palace official; otherwise, I wouldn't have dared to do it even if you gave me a hundred lives."
Ling Chen was pleased; the old man was indeed following her script.
"Your Majesty, I have an account book as proof. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness!" The old man hurriedly pulled an account book from his robes, handed it to a eunuch beside him, and presented it to the Empress.
The Empress frowned, silently scanning the room. After a long while, she finally raised her head and said, "That Shangguan Wanyu truly deserves to die!"
Her tone was filled with a chilling murderous intent, causing even the courtiers below to pause in surprise.
"Minister Ling, I ask you, why would a mere lady-in-waiting buy so many prohibited items?" The Empress swept her gaze across the room and asked authoritatively.
Finally!
Ling Chen hurriedly and respectfully replied, "Naturally, someone is behind this!"
"Oh?!" The Empress, her two large breasts prominently displayed, frowned and asked, "Who is behind this?!"
She knew the answer already!
Ling Chen inwardly despised the Empress Dowager, but still had to say, "This person is..."
He glanced around, and all the other concubines held their breath, the atmosphere almost freezing.
"It's Consort Ming!" Ling Chen finally pointed at Consort Ming and shouted sharply. If you gave him a pair of glasses and a bow tie, he could cosplay as Conan.
This statement shocked everyone present!
Although they had expected this answer, it was still surprising that someone would dare to say that name outright.
"Hahahaha!"
Consort Ming sat on a wooden chair, laughing uncontrollably, tears welling in her eyes. She laughed wildly for a long time, then suddenly her face hardened, and she said coldly, "Do you know that falsely accusing a noble consort is punishable by the extermination of nine generations of her family!" Consort
Ming was actually not very old, only eighteen or nineteen, the prime of her youth, probably just starting university in her previous life. However, Consort Ming showed no trace of naivety; her words to Ling Chen were filled with murderous intent.
"I did not falsely accuse you," Ling Chen said respectfully to the Empress, his skin thick and his belly thick. "This humble official dares to say this because he has evidence!"
"Guards, bring the prisoner to the court!" Ling Chen clapped his hands again.
Immediately, a pair of armored soldiers brought in a disheveled woman, dressed in white prison clothes, with bracelets and anklets.
"Who is this?" the Empress asked, frowning.
"Your Majesty, this is the most wanted criminal in this case, Shangguan Wanyu!" Ling Chen said, pointing to the woman.
Actually, Wanyu hadn't suffered any torture or abuse in prison. The reason she was dressed like this was mainly Ling Chen's idea. Ling Chen wanted to give the Empress the impression that he was a cold-blooded, inhuman official.

Chapter 27: Confrontation
Shangguan Wanyu looked haggard and pale, appearing extremely tired. She knelt before the palace, head bowed, seemingly lost in thought.
The Empress stared at her, asking in a deep voice, "Is the one kneeling the criminal Shangguan Wanyu?"
"Yes," Wanyu answered softly, sounding weak and listless.
"Very good." The Empress continued, "Do you plead guilty?"
"I plead guilty!" Wanyu said calmly.
The Empress was secretly pleased, then pressed, "Would you dare to point out who's behind this?"
Wanwan slowly raised her head, her adorable doll-like face calm. Her eyes swept across the room, finally settling on another woman.
"It's Consort Ming," Wanwan said, enunciating each word clearly. She bit her lip, her eyes instantly reddening as she struggled to hold back tears.
Consort Ming remained seated calmly, motionless, her expression serene, though a mocking smile had deepened.
But Wanwan's words sent shockwaves through the room! A deathly silence fell, the atmosphere strangely tense. The other concubines held their breath, watching the rapidly shifting situation intently. They knew that today was likely the day the Empress and Consort Ming would finally break off their relationship.
The Empress looked at Consort Ming, a half-smile on her face, and said, "Ming'er, do you have anything to say?"
Consort Ming covered her mouth and giggled, "Interesting, interesting! This scene is very well-choreographed. I can't help but want to reward these actors."
The Empress's face darkened, but she didn't dare to lash out. Seeing this, Ling Chen knew it was time to show his loyalty. He immediately stepped forward, pointed at Consort Ming, and shouted sharply, "Now that we have both witnesses and evidence, does Your Majesty still intend to deny it?!"
Consort Ming looked at him as if he were a clown and said coldly, "Oh? Witnesses and evidence? Then let me ask you, none of the concubines in the harem are pregnant. What use is this musk?"
Ling Chen's expression froze, realizing his oversight. If no concubine in the harem was pregnant, then musk, which has the effect of abortion, would be useless. What would the criminal want it for?
"Perhaps you were planning to keep it for later use," Ling Chen said sternly.
Consort Ming's smile deepened: "Then let me ask you further. The finances of the harem are all managed by the Imperial Seal Bureau, and every transaction is recorded in secret. To buy so many forbidden drugs must have cost a fortune. You can check with the Imperial Seal Bureau to see if my Underworld Palace has any records of this."
Ling Chen sneered: "Since you're going to do such shameful things, you'll naturally do it extremely discreetly. I guess you're using your own private funds, so the Imperial Seal Bureau naturally won't have any record of it."
"Oh, then tell me, what exactly are you after for all these shameful things?" Consort Ming continued.
"Naturally, it's to win favor." Ling Chen sneered, his face righteous and awe-inspiring.
"But I'm already very favored, why should I compete?" Consort Ming pouted, blinked, and feigned a cute expression.
This woman's tongue is sharp!
Cold sweat streamed down Ling Chen's forehead. This Consort Ming was not only stunningly beautiful, but also incredibly eloquent and silver-tongued. Her persistent questioning left Ling Chen somewhat embarrassed.
However, a scoundrel is a scoundrel; he could conjure up countless reasons to frame someone in an instant. "Hmph! You're only doing this as a precaution, afraid that the Imperial Consort might become pregnant with the Emperor's child and steal your favor."
"Ridiculous!" Consort Ming sneered.
"But why do I feel that what Ling Xiaoqi said makes a lot of sense?" At this moment, the Empress finally spoke up to support Ling Chen.
Mingfei's beautiful eyes shifted from Ling Chen to the Empress, then she adopted a pitiful expression and said gently, "What, does
elder sister also think younger sister is that kind of person?" The Empress, befitting her position as the head of the harem, didn't even glance at her, coldly replying, "A country has its laws, a family has its rules. The emperor is subject to the same laws as commoners. If you can't come up with a convincing reason tomorrow, don't blame your elder sister for being heartless."
The Empress controlled the harem, and some of the leading eunuchs in the Directorate of Ceremonial, which oversaw punishments, were her people. Once the Empress declared Mingfei guilty, even the Emperor himself couldn't change her mind.
Thinking of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Ling Chen seemed to see this beautiful, fairy-like Mingfei imprisoned and destitute. He imagined himself humiliating this fairy in the Directorate of Ceremonial's dungeon, just as he had humiliated Wanwan!
At this thought, a fire seemed to rise in Ling Chen's lower abdomen.
However, Ling Chen's sordid wish was quickly and ruthlessly shattered.
"Absurd!" Another voice rang out.
But this time, the voice wasn't from Consort Ming, or even from a woman, but... a deep, resonant male voice!
A man!
Ling Chen was stunned. How could there be another man in the harem besides himself?!
Ling Chen had been allowed into the harem by the Empress because of this case, but what was this man's identity? Could it be...? An uneasy thought rose in Ling Chen's mind.
"His Majesty has arrived!" A eunuch's voice rang out.
A middle-aged man in a yellow dragon robe strode in, exuding an aura of supreme majesty. Behind him followed rows of eunuchs and palace maids.
"Greetings, Your Majesty! May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings!" Everyone present stood up consciously and bowed slightly in greeting.
Ling Chen stood in the center of the hall, immediately knelt down, and kowtowed, shouting, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long
live the Emperor!" Actually, the rules in the harem weren't that strict; the concubines only rose to greet him, without needing to kneel. But Ling Chen knew that the imperial concubines were the emperor's wives and could do as they pleased, but he, an outsider, was different. He should obediently follow the proper etiquette.
"Dismissed," the powerful voice said authoritatively.
Ling Chen dusted off his clothes and stood up from the ground. He looked at the emperor before him.
The emperor was probably over forty years old, his hair already slightly graying. He wore a clean and neat dragon robe, and a magnificent crown on his head. Every breath he exhaled seemed to carry the divine power of the heavens, making the many palace maids around him tremble with fear.
Ling Chen stood cautiously to the side.
It is said that the wrath of the emperor is unpredictable, and serving the emperor is like serving a tiger. This Tong Sheng Emperor was said to be capricious and often killed people without any reason. It is said that he once executed ten generations of a civil official under his command, which shocked the world at the time!
"Your Majesty, what brings you to the Fengyi Palace this time?" the empress greeted him, her face full of resentment. She and the emperor were, after all, an old married couple, and she was not as afraid of him as others.
The empress was only about thirty years old, still very young, in the prime of her life, but she had always been neglected by the emperor, so it was inevitable that she felt some resentment.
Emperor Tongsheng and his empress had two children. Their eldest son, the crown prince, was currently studying governance at the Imperial Academy with some of the most renowned Confucian scholars. He was said to be of excellent character, gentle and refined, and praised as having the makings of a wise ruler. Their younger daughter was only eight years old, a lovely little girl who was said to resemble the empress very much.

Chapter 28: The Dust Settles
Seeing the empress's expression, Emperor Tongsheng felt a pang of guilt. It seemed he hadn't been to the Phoenix Palace in a long time.
"Ahem," the decisive and ruthless emperor coughed awkwardly a few times, saying, "I came here today because I heard of a major case in the inner palace and wanted to hear about it myself. Unexpectedly, as soon as I entered, I heard treacherous villains spouting wild tales." Ling
Chen felt a chill run down his spine, and cold sweat broke out on his back.
"Oh my god, could the 'treacherous villain' the emperor is referring to be me?" Ling Chen thought to himself. "If the emperor has a bad impression of me, that would be terrible, since I'll ultimately have to work for him!"
The emperor turned around, looked at the dumbfounded Ling Chen, and said with murderous intent, "You're from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, why haven't I heard of you?"
Ling Chen broke out in a cold sweat and said tremblingly, "Your Majesty, I am a junior officer of the Misty Rain Temple of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."
Tong Sheng immediately sneered, "Absurd! How can a mere junior officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard interfere with matters in my harem? How can you control Ji Jiu's subordinates when he injures someone!"
The emperor's dragon face was furious, frightening everyone around him.
Ling Chen's face turned ashen, thinking that he had really messed up. He hadn't expected that this Consort Ming was so favored, that the emperor would risk offending the empress to stand up for her.
A young eunuch behind the emperor hurriedly ran over, smiling gently, "Commander Ji went to Jiangnan to handle a case a few days ago. Perhaps his subordinates were negligent."
This eunuch was quite different from the others; he was about forty years old, his face heavily made up with rouge, his fingers delicately poised, and he carried a white whisk.
The emperor's expression softened upon seeing him, and he immediately glared at Ling Chen, saying, "You, a mere lowly Jinyiwei officer, dare to interrogate my beloved concubine? You truly don't know your place!"
Ling Chen immediately knelt down, saying righteously, "I am not qualified to interrogate the Imperial Concubine, but there is one who is."
"Oh? Who?!" the emperor frowned.
"The founding emperor of this dynasty!" Ling Chen raised his head high, speaking with righteous indignation, "When the founding emperor gained the throne, he said that the emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people, and he personally oversaw the revision of the first legal code of this dynasty. I am unworthy, but I still always keep the founding emperor's last words in mind, and carry the Great Ming Code with me. It is not I who am investigating this case, but the spirit of the founding emperor, and the Great Ming Code itself!" Ling
Chen finished speaking in one breath, then raised his neck, looking as if he were going to die a heroic death, truly displaying loyalty and courage.
"God, Buddha, Allah, Laozi, all the gods, please bless me so that I have won this gamble and overcome this difficult time!" The scoundrel was actually terrified, constantly begging for the protection of the gods.
Now, with the situation drastically changed and the emperor determined to intervene, it seemed that Consort Ming could not be brought down. Now that the emperor was about to attack him again, Ling Chen's situation was truly one of near-death.
In this predicament, he absolutely could not beg for mercy, he could not yield! If he yielded, Ling Chen was almost certain he would die a horrible death. So he decided to go all out, disguising himself as a loyal and upright official, and even invoking the name of the founding emperor, hoping to escape this calamity. After all, this dynasty ruled with filial piety, and the current emperor dared not openly oppose the founding emperor's dying wishes.
Sure enough, seeing his appearance, the Tongsheng Emperor immediately looked at him with newfound respect, saying, "I didn't expect you to be such a loyal and upright person. I misunderstood you. Get up."
The emperor's tone softened considerably as he spoke.
Ling Chen was overjoyed; this time, his gamble had paid off. In this era, which emperor didn't admire and respect those with backbone, courage, and integrity? Ling Chen's outspokenness actually made everyone look at him with new respect, especially the Empress, who stared at him with her large, beautiful eyes, giving him a second look.
"Very well, let's leave this musk case at that. No concubine in the palace is pregnant anyway, don't scare yourselves unnecessarily," the Emperor said authoritatively. "I've already secretly ordered an investigation, and the reason is that this female official named Wanwan had an affair with other palace guards and, fearing pregnancy, bought a large quantity of forbidden drugs. Don't overcomplicate this case; you're just making trouble for yourselves!"
The Emperor's words were an attempt to exonerate Consort Ming. Now that he had spoken, neither the Empress nor Ling Chen could continue to press the matter; they could only reluctantly give up.
Everyone present immediately bowed and exclaimed, "Your Majesty is wise!"
"What's your name?" After the matter was settled, the Emperor suddenly asked Ling Chen.
Ling Chen respectfully replied, "This humble servant is named Ling Chen, from Fuchun, Jiangzhe."
The Emperor frowned and said, "I heard you're now a junior officer in the Embroidered Uniform Guard."
"Yes!" Ling Chen replied nervously. Was this old emperor going to mess with him again? " Well, it's fine. At worst, I can quit the Embroidered Uniform Guard and go back to my hometown to be with my sister-in-law.
" "With your talent, being relegated to a lowly position is a waste of your abilities. I recommend you as a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Take up your post tomorrow!" the emperor said kindly.
A centurion... a centurion!!
The scoundrel was speechless, never expecting such an outcome. From a lowly flag officer to a centurion—that's a meteoric rise!
The official ranks of the Embroidered Uniform Guard were: Commander (Ji Jiushang), one person, rank three;
Deputy Commanders,
two people, rank three; Assistant Commanders
, two people, rank four; Garrison Commanders,
two people, rank four; Fourteen thousand-household commanders, rank five;
Deputy thousand-household commanders, rank five;
centurions, rank six;
probationary centurions, rank six;
captains, rank seven;
and flag officers, rank seven.
A centurion in the Embroidered Uniform Guard is already considered a mid-level figure in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. When he goes outside, he is almost like an imperial envoy. The sudden promotion from the seventh rank to the sixth rank made Ling Chen feel like he was dreaming!
The Emperor turned to the Empress with a smile. His forceful protection of Consort Ming had undoubtedly angered the Empress, so he wanted to compensate her. Since Ling Chen served the Empress, the Emperor decided to promote him as a gesture of goodwill.
The Empress understood the Emperor's intentions and felt slightly better, as he hadn't completely forgotten her.
"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty! I will serve you with utmost loyalty and devotion until my dying breath!" Ling Chen knelt and bowed in gratitude.
The Emperor smiled and nodded, telling him to rise. In the Emperor's eyes, Ling Chen was a man of integrity and loyalty, so this extraordinary promotion was nothing unusual. Little did he know, this promotion would allow a future scourge to wreak havoc on the land to grow...

Chapter 29: Consort Ming is a Virgin
"Let this matter rest, do not mention it again!" The Emperor's words were the final word,
but he glanced at the bewildered Wanwan kneeling on the ground and coldly said, "This woman not only secretly carried forbidden palace drugs, but also had an affair; she deserves to die!"
Ling Chen was shocked. He'd forgotten about her!
Now that Consort Ming was forcibly protected by the Emperor, Wanwan would become the scapegoat in this case! All the promises Ling Chen had made to her would be forfeited; not only would Wanwan's future be ruined, but she might even lose her life.
This poor girl!
However, Ling Chen quickly broke out in a cold sweat. The emperor had just accused Wanwan of having an affair; could it be that he had already discovered his rape of Wanwan? After all, Wanwan was a virgin before, and only he and she had an affair.
The scoundrel cautiously glanced at the emperor, and seeing that he wasn't looking in their direction, he felt a little relieved, guessing that the emperor was just making up an excuse to smear Wanwan.
But Wanwan wasn't as calm and composed as Ling Chen. She raised her head, her face full of shock, and cried out to the emperor, "I didn't! Your Majesty, I didn't!!"
The emperor wasn't willing to listen to her anymore, showing no mercy, and said, "Drag this woman out. Ten days later, execute her by Ling Chi!"
Ling Chi!
It meant being sliced into a thousand pieces. In ancient China, this was considered the most cruel punishment! It was utterly inhumane!
The entire hall trembled. Sure enough, when the emperor was enraged, he was capable of anything, leaving no one alive. The emperor's wrath was unpredictable, and even the concubines began to maintain their composure.
Wanwan's eyes narrowed, listening to the verdict in disbelief. Only when two imperial guards dragged her away did she react, screaming hysterically, "I didn't do it! I'm innocent! Your Majesty, I'm innocent!!"
Ling Chen couldn't help but shake his head. Hadn't this woman figured it out? The one framing her was the emperor himself. What use was her protesting her innocence?
But Wanwan didn't care. Her hair was disheveled, and she struggled frantically, crying and screaming.
Suddenly, she turned her face, staring in Ling Chen's direction. Her expression was like a demon from hell, ready to devour his flesh. The scoundrel felt a chill run down his spine.
This was bad! This woman was going to fight to the death!
Seeing the murderous glint in her eyes, Ling Chen knew this woman had completely lost her mind. Now that she had no last hope of survival, she was probably determined to drag him down with her!
After all, Ling Chen had promised to protect her, but things had turned out this way. If she revealed all the beastly things Ling Chen had done to her, the consequences would be unimaginable!
"Insolence! How dare you make such a ruckus in the palace!" Ling Chen gritted his teeth and decided to strike first. He roared and stepped forward, delivering a powerful chop to the back of Wanwan's neck as she cried and struggled.
Caught off guard, Wanwan immediately lost consciousness.
Ling Chen said righteously, "Take her away."
The other two imperial guards looked at him with admiration. They hadn't expected this Imperial Guard to subdue a crying and violent criminal so easily; he had taught them a lesson.
Only after Wanwan was dragged out of the Phoenix Palace did Ling Chen dare to secretly wipe the cold sweat from his brow.
It was too close!
He was almost dragged down to hell by that foolish woman!
Wanwan's execution was still ten days away; in ten days, Ling Chen was confident he could pull off a clever scheme to rescue her. But if this foolish woman dragged him down with her, then even a god couldn't save her.
Although Ling Chen was a scoundrel, he didn't consider himself utterly inhuman. He still cherished his women, especially since Wanwan had given herself to him as a virgin.
"Let this matter rest," the Empress said, her eyes filled with resentment. "Tonight, I will host a banquet in the Phoenix Palace, inviting my sisters to gather here. I hope Your Majesty will also come."
The Emperor seemed to have been away from the Phoenix Palace for a long time; she wanted to keep him for the night. Imagine, after the banquet, the emperor, already half-drunk, would surely have stayed at the Phoenix Palace.
This was also a common tactic among the concubines vying for favor.
Unexpectedly, the emperor chuckled, his deep voice casually saying, "Unfortunately, I have an appointment to play chess with Consort Ming tonight. A gentleman cannot break his promise. I apologize to the Empress."
With that, the emperor took Consort Ming's hand and led her away.
Ling Chen, watching from the side, couldn't help but shake his head. This was a blatant slap in the face, a resounding blow. He secretly glanced at the Empress's face again; indeed, it was ashen, frighteningly gloomy. However, as Empress, she still maintained basic etiquette and demeanor, bowing and saying along with the other concubines, "Respectfully seeing off Your Majesty!"
"Such a beautiful woman invited you to bed, and you actually didn't go? What a waste!" the scoundrel fantasized in his heart. "If the Emperor doesn't come, I wonder if I can come too." Of course, he only dared to say this in his heart; if he said it aloud, he would truly be finished.
The Emperor, holding Consort Ming's small hand, walked gracefully towards them. As they passed Ling Chen, Consort Ming's pair of watery eyes looked at him with a half-smile, sending a chill down the scoundrel's spine.
...
Leaving the Phoenix Palace, the fat man, the thin man, and Sima Mu were already waiting outside. As soon as Ling Chen came out, they surrounded him to congratulate him, saying, "Boss, I just heard from a palace maid that you've been promoted, and by several ranks!"
Ling Chen waved his hand, looking worried, and said, "Let's talk as we walk."
The four of them walked through the inner palace, heading towards the Directorate of Ceremonial.
"Boss, being promoted is a joyous occasion, why are you so gloomy?!" Lu Tianyu, who was very good at reading people, immediately asked, puzzled.
"Sigh, don't mention it." Ling Chen smiled bitterly, "Just now inside, I almost died several times, and I completely offended Consort Ming. This is really troublesome. I don't know if the Empress will still protect me."
Recalling the look Consort Ming gave him before she left, Ling Chen felt a chill run down his spine.
To live a peaceful life, one must cultivate a good relationship with the Empress, who is his powerful backer!
Thinking of this, Ling Chen suddenly stopped and looked at the fat man, Lu Tianyu.
The fat man felt uncomfortable under Ling Chen's squinting gaze and stammered, "Boss, is there something on me?"
Ling Chen laughed, "I hadn't really noticed before, but you, Lu Tianyu, are quite a handsome young man. With a little dressing up, you're really dashing."
The fat man, flattered, scratched the back of his head and smiled shyly, "Oh, you noticed that! Impressive!"
Ling Chen pressed his advantage, "I happen to have a wonderful task for you. If you do it well, I'll reward you handsomely!"
"What task?" the fat man asked, his eyes wide.
"I'm here to woo a woman!" ...
After
sending the fat man away, Ling Chen felt a little relieved. If the fat man could win over the Empress's childhood sweetheart, his relationship with the Empress would be even closer, and then Consort Ming wouldn't be able to overthrow him.
Coincidentally, that fat woman was exactly the type the fat man liked, so this was a perfect opportunity for him.
Immediately afterward, Ling Chen began working on rescuing Wanwan. He first sent Sima Mu to investigate and gather good news, then took the skinny Song Ziming to the Directorate of Ceremonial to report to Eunuch Mao.
The skinny man, who had been silent the whole way, finally spoke: "Boss, there's something I think I should tell you."
"What is it?" Ling Chen asked, seeing his troubled expression.
"When the Emperor and Consort Ming came out just now, I couldn't help but steal a glance. Guess what I found?" Song Ziming stared at Ling Chen, speaking solemnly.
"Found what?" Ling Chen asked, frowning. He had looked for so long but didn't seem to find anything strange.
"Consort Ming is a virgin!"

Chapter 30: Eunuch Mao's Request
"What kind of eyesight do you have?" Ling Chen looked at him irritably, his face full of disdain.
"It's true!" the skinny man exclaimed excitedly. "You know what I used to do. I spent over ten years in brothels. I know women's faces better than anyone. I can tell at a glance whether a woman is a virgin or a mature woman."
Seeing his confident expression, Ling Chen couldn't help but ponder.
Consort Ming was a virgin?!
This news was too explosive, bordering on absurd.
Looking at Emperor Tongsheng's physique, so vigorous and powerful, he didn't seem like a tragic man suffering from impotence and premature ejaculation. How could Consort Ming, such a fairy-like woman, still be a virgin?!
Not only Ling Chen couldn't understand it, but Song Ziming was also filled with doubt. The emperor's most beloved concubine was a virgin? Who would believe this news?! It was too frightening.
If anyone else had told Ling Chen this, he definitely wouldn't have believed it, but Song Ziming was different. Song Ziming grew up in brothels, working as a pimp for over a decade, accumulating vast experience with countless women. It was said he had learned the art of judging women from a down-on-his-luck Taoist priest, giving him a keen eye. He was the one who would determine if a woman was a virgin when she was sold to the brothel. Therefore, his words carried considerable weight.
Ling Chen secretly kept a watchful eye on this. If Song Ziming's assessment was correct, this secret might be a trump card against Consort Ming.
The two didn't say anything more and headed directly for the Directorate of Ceremonial. After all, Consort Ming was far too high a level for them, insignificant figures.
The Directorate of Ceremonial was in charge of punishments within the palace. It housed a Grand Eunuch, five senior eunuchs, and countless other eunuchs.
A handsome young eunuch led Ling Chen and Ling Chen into a private room and then withdrew alone.
Fortunately, the fat man was out on imperial orders to woo women; otherwise, he probably wouldn't have let such a handsome young eunuch go. The fat man was very similar to Ling Chen in personality; both would stop at nothing to get the women they liked, even resorting to despicable methods. However, the difference was that the fat man was a bisexual pervert.
The two didn't wait long in the elegant pavilion before the eunuch, Mao, emerged with his squinting eyes. As a cultured eunuch, he differed from the dim-witted Huang eunuch. He held a string of jade prayer beads, dressed simply and plainly, yet the clothes suited him perfectly.
"I told you long ago, Brother Ling wouldn't disappoint me," the eunuch said with a forced smile, but to Ling Chen and his companion, it was a hollow smile, like a zombie forcing a smile.
"Greetings, Eunuch Mao," the two hurriedly rose. This eunuch Mao was one of the five chief eunuchs of the Directorate of Ceremonial, and his power was certainly much greater than that of Ling Chen
, a mere centurion. "Brother Ling, no need for such formalities," Eunuch Mao said with a smile. "I must congratulate you on your exceptional promotion, Brother Ling. His Majesty's grace is truly boundless."
Ling Chen thought to himself, "When I had no power or influence, this damned eunuch treated me like an ant, ready to beat me to death at will. Now that I enjoy the favor of the Empress and the Emperor, he dares to call me brother. How despicable!"
However, Ling Chen was a man who could adapt his words to different people. Since the other party intended to befriend him, he naturally accepted, as establishing a connection with the Directorate of Ceremonial would be beneficial to him.
Eunuchs, lacking male genitalia, are prone to distorted personalities, hence the many perverse eunuchs in history. But this also created another characteristic in them: fierce protectiveness of their own. As long as they consider you one of their own, and as long as you don't rebel or stage a coup, no matter what mistakes you make, they will form a faction to protect you from death. More importantly, your enemies will naturally become their enemies as well. Eunuchs often wield great power, and if one could establish a good relationship with them, it would be something Ling Chen could only dream of.
However, there is a drawback to doing so: a bad reputation. He would often be called "eunuch faction," which is very unpleasant.
But reputation is nothing to a scoundrel like Ling Chen. Let others call him whatever they want; it won't hurt him in the slightest.
He immediately put on a fawning smile and began talking to Eunuch Mao. Ling Chen was a smooth talker with excellent eloquence, and the two actually got along very well, eventually addressing each other as brothers.
"My dear brother, there's something I'd like to ask you to do," Eunuch Mao suddenly said, his face darkening with a hint of bitterness.
"Brother, why are you being so polite? Just tell me what's wrong. I'd go through fire and water for you, I wouldn't even flinch!" Ling Chen boasted confidently.
"It's like this," the eunuch continued, "when I was little, my family was very poor, we almost never had enough to eat. To survive, my parents gave my sister and me away. My sister was very young then, about ten years younger than me. From then on, my sister and I were separated. Now, decades have passed, and although our family holds a high position, we still miss my sister dearly, and we don't know how she's doing now. Brother Ling, if you have the chance, please keep an eye out for me and see if you can find my poor sister." As the eunuch spoke, a few tears rolled down his old face.
"No problem," Ling Chen readily agreed. The Embroidered Uniform Guard was large and widely distributed, so finding someone was quite easy.
"I just wonder if there's anything special about your sister, brother, so we can have a direction," Ling Chen said. She was ten years younger than Eunuch Mao, around thirty years old, probably already a mother, making her a bit more difficult to find.
"Something special..." Eunuch Mao thought for a moment, then suddenly remembered something, saying, "That's right, my sister has a butterfly-shaped birthmark on her buttocks."
But he immediately regretted saying it. Was he suggesting Ling Chen look at women's buttocks to find his sister?
Both he and Ling Chen laughed awkwardly.
"Don't worry, I'll give orders to investigate what happened after you were separated years ago, see if we can help you find her," Ling Chen said.
"Thank you for your trouble," Eunuch Mao said kindly.

Chapter 31: Desperate Wanwan
Aside from the Directorate of Ceremonial, Ling Chen took a deep breath, feeling refreshed all over.
Once the case is completely closed, he will soon be leaving the palace. Thinking of all the beautiful women in the palace, the scoundrel felt a pang of reluctance.
"When will this place become my harem?"
Back at his residence, Sima Mu had already returned with news. From him, Ling Chen learned that Wanwan was still imprisoned in the Directorate of Ceremonial, and the Emperor had left an edict ordering Ling Chen to supervise the execution.
"Thank goodness." Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that she was in the Directorate of Ceremonial; he feared she might be imprisoned in the Imperial Prison, where he had no connections and probably couldn't save her.
But being in the Directorate of Ceremonial was good; it was his territory, and besides, he was supervising the execution. There were too many loopholes and shady dealings involved.
"By the way, has that old man who sold medicine left?" Ling Chen suddenly remembered something.
"That old man?! I almost forgot about him, he's still locked up." Sima Mu suddenly realized, remembering the old man at the pharmacy who had given them false testimony.
"Good that he hasn't left." Ling Chen smiled wickedly. Ling Chen was quite 'concerned' about the old man's little granddaughter. "Since he hasn't left, let him stay locked up, and also send someone to tell his granddaughter to come to the palace to pick her up."
Once the little girl is in the palace, he'll have a thousand reasons to keep her there, and then, hehehehehe...
Sima Mu hesitated for a moment, and Ling Chen smacked him hard on the head, saying, "What, didn't you hear me?"
Sima Mu hurriedly nodded, "I'll go do it right away!" He knew that once that angelic little girl entered the palace, she would probably be defiled by this beast. However, after many years in the world, he was no longer the spirited young swordsman he once was. His lust for power ultimately overwhelmed his conscience, and he obediently went out to serve the scoundrels.
After Sima Mu left, Ling Chen stretched his limbs and said to Song Ziming, "Since we have nothing else to do, let's go to the dungeon and see that prisoner."
The Directorate of Ceremonial prison was still under his control, so the two swaggered in.
The Directorate of Ceremonial prison was far smaller than the Imperial Prison. It was said that the Imperial Prison held many unruly and highly skilled martial arts masters, while the Directorate of Ceremonial prison was much smaller in scale and configuration. After all, it was only a place to imprison palace maids and eunuchs who were powerless.
Ling Chen ordered everyone to leave, and strictly ordered Song Ziming to guard the gate and not allow anyone to enter. He didn't want someone to suddenly barge in while he was having a good time.
After everyone left, the dungeon fell into a deathly silence. The damp floor and air made the atmosphere inside particularly oppressive.
The dungeon of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs wasn't large, and the entire cell was empty except for a pure-looking girl dressed in white.
Ling Chen sighed, unlocked the door, and went inside.
Wanwan lay on the stone bed with her eyes tightly closed, still fast asleep. Her curvaceous figure and innocent, captivating face were like a masterpiece of nature. She slept peacefully, her delicate face slightly furrowed, seemingly filled with sadness, evoking a sense of pity in one's heart.
This scene reminded Ling Chen of Sleeping Beauty from his past life's fairy tale. And he was the prince who had come to rescue the beauty.
Ling Chen tiptoed to the bedside, lowered his head, and looked at the extremely beautiful princess. The serene and romantic scene moved him to tears.
In his heart, he couldn't help but recall the feelings he had when he heard those beautiful fairy tales. Looking down at himself, so handsome and dashing, dressed in the imposing and luxurious Jinyiwei flying fish robe, a sharp embroidered spring knife hanging at his waist, he truly seemed a match made in heaven with Sleeping Beauty. Perhaps even the heavens would bless them.
Thus, the Big Bad Wolf, who had been stealing Little Red Riding Hood, transformed into a prince from a fairy tale. He knelt on one knee on the bed, slowly bending down towards the exquisitely beautiful Sleeping Beauty, and tenderly kissed her alluring cherry lips.
At this moment, Wanwan was having a nightmare, and the male protagonist in her dream was undoubtedly Ling Chen himself.
However, everything she had encountered in the dungeon would probably haunt her for the rest of her life. She had nightmares almost every day, dreaming that she was molested by an evil boy with a wicked smile, forced into countless humiliating positions, and subjected to his brutal rape and humiliation.
At that very moment, as Ling Chen kissed her soft, fragrant lips, she dreamt that after he finished with her mouth, he pressed her onto the rack and thrust his thick, wicked penis between her beautiful legs, pumping it in and out violently.
"Ah!" Wanwan cried out in alarm, but the sound was quickly muffled, making her soft, melodious voice somewhat indistinct. The
beautiful Wanwan awoke from her dream with a start, her clear, watery eyes wide, staring in fear at the handsome face pressing against her lips, unsure if she was still dreaming.
Ling Chen gently kissed her warm, soft cherry lips, his tongue boldly probing inside, prying open her pearly teeth, and entwining with her soft, smooth tongue. Ling Chen's hands were not idle either. His left hand placed on her head, wrapping it around the pillow to cover her head, gently stroking her long, smooth, blue hair. His right hand reached under the covers, slipping inside her silk nightgown, caressing her breasts, and then grabbing her warm, soft breasts, kneading them without restraint.
Her cherry lips and breasts were subjected to this gentle violation, and Wanwan finally woke up completely from her dream. Realizing her current situation, she was shocked, angry, and ashamed. She twisted and struggled violently, making soft "uh-uh" sounds through her nose to express her dissatisfaction.
But the scoundrel completely ignored Sleeping Beauty's objections, continuing to kiss and grope her until he had his fill. Satisfied, he raised his head, thinking smugly, "That prince in the fairy tale probably took advantage of the princess like this before forcing her to marry him through tears, right? If I were a prince, I definitely wouldn't let this opportunity pass me by, just like this."
Thinking this, he looked down at the tearful princess, pinching her soft nipple hard. Hearing her let out a soft, delicate scream, he felt a surge of joy. With a tender touch, he gently stroked the clear tears on her face, saying softly, "Look, why are you crying? If you keep going like this, you'll turn into Lin Daiyu."
Wanwan had no idea who Lin Daiyu was, and she was completely ungrateful for Ling Chen's kindness. She struggled, pressing her slender hands firmly against his shoulders, desperately pushing him away. She pulled the long velvet quilt over her body, sat up against the headboard, and screamed in terror, "Don't come any closer! If you come any closer, I'll scream!"
Ling Chen, relaxed and pleased, didn't deliberately try to outmuscle her. Pushed off the bed, he stumbled back a few steps, standing in the center of the room, looking at the bed... The beautiful princess, tears still glistening on her face, was overjoyed. In an instant, she transformed from a prince into a devil, hands on her hips, and in a deep, triumphant voice, declared, "Scream! Even if you scream your lungs out, no one will come to save you!"
Wanwan huddled on the bed, trembling, while Ling Chen wore a charming, princely smile. He strode forward, approaching the princess's bed, deliberately raising his hands in a "breast-grabbing dragon claw" gesture, reaching for her breasts.
Wanwan sat on her exquisitely decorated bed in her palace bedroom, staring blankly at the approaching lecher, completely bewildered.
At this point, the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs was entirely under Ling Chen's control. Furthermore, the soundproofing in the cells was excellent; those outside couldn't hear what was happening inside, and even if they did hear screams, no one would dare intervene.
"You beast! I'll haunt you even as a ghost!" Remembering her ordeal, Wanwan's beautiful eyes filled with tears.
Seeing her intense reaction and unstable emotions, the scoundrel hesitated, suddenly becoming a different person, gently saying, "My dear wife, don't be afraid. Your husband is here. I will definitely get you out of here."
Seeing the scoundrel's demeanor, Wanwan's anger flared even more. Her ideal husband was not such a rogue, a scumbag! This boy, about her age, was not the man of her dreams, yet she had lost her virginity to him several times.
Thinking of her ideals and ambitions, of dying before achieving anything, of having already lost her virginity, and of her mother suffering in the mansion, Wanwan felt her life was shrouded in darkness, seemingly ending forever. In despair, she smashed her head against the wall.
She wanted to commit suicide!

Chapter 32: The Heroine's Tears
"Want to die?!" Ling Chen was startled and rushed over, pressing her firmly onto the bed.
Their bodies were pressed tightly together, struggling and rolling around. One was determined to die, while the other desperately tried to stop the other. In the end, Ling Chen's strength prevailed, and he pinned Wanwan to the stone bed, unable to move.
Wanwan shed two pitiful tears, her small head buried in the dry straw, trembling as she pleaded, "Please let me die, please. Please..."
Ling Chen's heart softened inexplicably upon hearing this, and he immediately hugged her tightly, his voice gentle, "Silly girl, do you have so little faith in me? I said I could protect you for life, and I will."
Wanwan turned her head away, refusing to look at him, but continued to sob softly.
Ling Chen sighed, knowing that the other woman seemed determined to die. He needed to rekindle her will to live to save her.
"Have you thought about what will happen to your mother after you die?" Ling Chen began to focus on her mother, as familial bonds are the easiest thing to sway people: "Let me tell you, after you die, your mother will be utterly alone and helpless. Before, when you were in the palace, you could still take care of her occasionally. In the Ministry of Works' residence, people were somewhat polite to your mother because of your high position in the palace. But now that you're dead, your mother will be completely finished. Any servant could bully her
at will." Wanwan seemed to understand; she was her mother's only child, and if she died, her mother would truly be left alone for the rest of her life. Wanwan, pinned beneath Ling Chen, cried even harder.
"So, you have to believe me. I'm the only person in this world who can save you, understand?" Seeing that the time was right, Ling Chen seized the opportunity, his voice incredibly seductive.
Wanwan struggled to lift her little head, her cute baby face streaked with tears. She stared blankly at him and said, "You...you really can save me?"
"Of course." Looking at her adorable appearance, Ling Chen couldn't help but feel a surge of desire. The scoundrel said confidently, "Otherwise, why do you think I came here to tell you all this? Who would be interested in deceiving someone who is about to die?"
Wanwan seemed somewhat tempted and gritted her teeth, saying, "What do you want?"
"It's a secret!" Ling Chen smiled wickedly, "But there are conditions for me to save you!"
"What conditions?" Wanwan was pinned down by him, unable to move.
"I want you to be my wife. From now on, I'm your man!" Ling Chen raised his head and said domineeringly.
"Dream on!" Wanwan spat without thinking, her face full of anger. "I'd rather marry a beggar than a beast like you!"
Ling Chen was speechless, not expecting to have such a bad impression on this girl. But a scoundrel is a scoundrel, his skin is incredibly thick. He immediately put on a smiling face and said, "Don't be so sure of yourself. Think it over carefully before you speak."
In Ling Chen's guide to picking up girls, there was one rule he believed to be true: "Time breeds affection."
A woman will always have some inexplicable feelings for her first man, whether willingly or forced. And if the two have been intimate for a long time, even two stones might develop some feelings for each other.
Ling Chen didn't believe that Wanwan had no feelings for him at all. He brought his mouth close to her ear and said gently, "Think about it, you're no longer a virgin, and now you're a death row inmate. Besides me, who else would want you? Don't even mention a beggar; even a cripple or scum wouldn't dare take you, a wanted criminal!"
Wanwan lowered her head; she knew Ling Chen was telling the truth.
"Haven't you always wanted to rise above others, to make those who looked down on you and bullied you look at you with new eyes? As long as you become my wife, I'll take care of everything for you!" Ling Chen dropped another bombshell.
Wanwan looked at him with disbelief. Ling Chen immediately became anxious and said, "I'm only sixteen years old now. At sixteen, I'm already a centurion in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Give me another ten years, and while I can't say I'll become the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, I'm confident I can reach the position of deputy commander. Besides, the Empress is my backer, and so is Grand Secretary Wu behind her. At that time, I can bring down your father, that lowly Vice Minister of Works, whenever I want." Ling Chen painted a bright future for her. There wasn't much exaggeration in this; after all, he was still young and had unlimited potential.
"You..." Wanwan looked at the boy who had tormented her, speechless for a moment. At this moment, two thoughts were constantly battling in her mind.
One was to decisively reject him and make this disgusting scoundrel give up. There was another...
another person constantly urging her to take a gamble. Since she was already sentenced to death, losing wouldn't cost her anything, but if she won, well... Wanwan's
mind was in chaos. Emotionally, she really wanted to violently throw this disgusting beast off her, but rationally, cooperating with him seemed more advantageous.
Wanwan was never a sentimental person; she was ambitious, idealistic, and driven.
Ultimately, reason prevailed over emotion!
"I...I can think about it," she said rather tactfully.
However, this delighted Ling Chen. If Wanwan had refused, she would probably be hurling insults right now. She would have said all sorts of nasty things. Now that she said this, it was clear she had basically agreed to Ling Chen's request and wanted to be his woman!
Looking at the beauty beneath him, Ling Chen's interest surged, and he chuckled mischievously, "Why don't we think about it together!" As he spoke, his hands began to wander downwards, starting to untie her skirt.
"You—" Wanwan instinctively felt a surge of anger, but seemingly remembering something, she surprisingly restrained herself.
Ling Chen was overjoyed. What he wanted was to break down her psychological defenses and make her take such actions for granted. If one day Wanwan no longer resisted his advances, it would mean she had become accustomed to it and had completely accepted him.
After all, familiarity breeds fondness!
"This isn't right," Wanwan said, trembling. She was still very uncomfortable with it; after all, Ling Chen was still the person she hated most. To have sex with the person she hated most was nothing short of torture for her.
"It's alright," the scoundrel said shamelessly. "We have plenty of time, no rush." As he spoke, his actions became even more unrestrained. One hand penetrated the sacred valley, while the other climbed up the towering snow-capped peaks, feeling the softness above and the tightness below. As the saying goes, "
Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you." In Ling Chen's understanding, if he wanted the other person to undress, he had to set an example first. So he quickly stripped himself naked.
After numerous intimate encounters with Ling Chen, Wanwan was no longer the naive girl she once was. Her latent desires had been awakened, and now, seeing Ling Chen's muscular naked body clearly reminded her of the tragic scenes of his rape. Overwhelmed with shame and anger, her breath quickened slightly.
"Little lady, what are you shy about? Hurry up and lick it clean for your husband!" The scoundrel deftly pulled down his pants, revealing a monstrous weapon.
Wanwan, well-educated, was used to Ling Chen's filthy language. Initially, she didn't want to pay attention to this scoundrel, but then she remembered that her only hope lay with him, and she hesitated.
"Fine, even if I don't agree, this scum will still rape me as before, so I might as well cooperate. Anyway, my body is already a ruined flower." Thinking of the countless times she had been raped and humiliated by this scoundrel in this dungeon, Wanwan felt an urge to die. If it weren't for her mother supporting her, she probably would have already committed suicide. The
pure and beautiful doll-faced female official, tears welling in her eyes, humiliatedly opened her bright red lips and carefully took Ling Chen's already erect and swollen penis into her pure cherry mouth. A strange taste spread from her taste buds; she knew it was the taste of a man. Ling Chen watched her body sway in his ecstasy
, and a sense of accomplishment surged within him. He couldn't help but tease her, saying, "Actually, you're still lewd by nature, you just don't want to admit it."
The scoundrel then used all sorts of vulgar language from his previous life on the internet to harass this pitiful girl.
Wanwan's face flushed crimson. Her current state filled her with unbearable shame. She involuntarily bit her lip, trying to release her pent-up excitement.
"Ouch!" Ling Chen cried out in pain, pinching her smooth cheek and scolding, "Does anyone play the flute like that? Do you think you've bought a sausage?"
Wanwan suddenly realized she was still holding his penis in her mouth, quickly spitting it out and spitting angrily.
Ling Chen looked down at his penis; it was glistening, covered in her saliva, and bore a row of fine teeth marks—the marks of Wanwan's pearly white teeth.
He immediately laughed, "If you don't want to play the flute, that's fine too. Let's get down to business."
Ling Chen suddenly had a whimsical idea and immediately ordered, "Good wife, get on top of me. Seeing how pitiful you are, I'll let you be on top just once!"
Wanwan felt no gratitude for this preferential treatment, but under his coercion, she could only grit her teeth and bravely climb onto Ling Chen's bed.
In the darkness, the beautiful and pure Wanwan, sobbing, slowly removed her long robe, taking off her inner garment, revealing her snow-white, naked body.
Seeing this perfect body, Ling Chen couldn't help but hold his breath. Even a woman would likely be captivated by the girl's pure and beautiful body, let alone Ling Chen, a two-times-lived lecher.
Wanwan's beautiful body was finally exposed naked to the air. Tears silently streamed down her jade-like face. With a desolate yet elegant movement, she slowly knelt down towards Ling Chen, pressing herself against him.
Her slender, snow-white fingers trembled as she grasped Ling Chen's erect penis. Her delicate, chaste little opening found the tip of his penis, and she slowly sat down, clearly feeling its thickness and heat. The penis then parted her petals and entered her body.
Ling Chen grinned wickedly as he watched his ugly, thick penis slowly enter Wanwan's holy and beautiful body. He felt dizzy, unable to believe what he was seeing. How could a lowly nobody like himself one day be able to sleep with such a beautiful girl? He felt a sense of unreality, like he was in a beautiful dream.
Wanwan felt utterly ashamed and furious, yet she had no choice but to thrust her slender, sexy waist up and down, letting the thick, hard penis thrust in and out of her vagina, bringing waves of pleasure and stimulation to both of them. Ling
Chen was already groaning with pleasure. He grasped Wanwan's smooth, full, high breasts with both hands, kneading them wantonly, and occasionally lifting his head to bite and suckle her nipples.
Waves of pleasure surged from her lower body and breasts, and Wanwan's beautiful eyes gradually became watery. She bit her cherry lips tightly, not wanting to let out a moan of pleasure.
She didn't want this scoundrel she despised the most to see her lewd side.
But Ling Chen wouldn't let her go. He suddenly grabbed Wanwan's slender waist tightly with both hands and began to shake her up and down forcefully, the movements fast and intense, like a sieve, only the direction was vertical.
Wanwan couldn't help but cry out in surprise. Intense pleasure surged through her like a tidal wave. Her flower path was rubbed by the thick, hard penis, feeling like it was on fire. The burning pain and pleasure instantly overwhelmed her. Ling Chen, too, cried out in ecstasy, completely lost in the pleasure, utterly indescribable.
Wanwan quickly reached her climax. She collapsed onto Ling Chen, weeping, her body trembling violently. Her flower path spasmed, gripping Ling Chen's penis tightly, spraying waves of vaginal fluid onto the glans.
However, Ling Chen hadn't reached his peak yet. Because of his great stamina, seeing that Wanwan was unable to move, he simply rolled over, pinning her beneath him, and thrust his large penis deep into her flower path, pumping violently.
Under the relentless onslaught, Wanwan was driven to ecstasy, finally letting out a moan. Her voice was alluring and seductive, lingering and husky, stirring Ling Chen's heart. He hoisted her long, beautiful legs onto his shoulders, his hips swaying as he thrust forcefully, his pelvis slamming against her full, white buttocks with a resounding "slap, slap."
Wave after wave of orgasm washed over Wanwan, leaving her completely dazed. Her cherry lips parted unconsciously, she cried out loudly, and even let out sobbing moans.
In the midst of their passionate lovemaking, Ling Chen deliberately paused, abruptly withdrawing half of his penis. He whispered in her ear, "Tell me! Did I fuck you good? Do you want me to fuck you again?"
"Yes, yes...faster...good man...faster, come in..." Wanwan screamed unconsciously, her snow-white legs tightly wrapped around Ling Chen's waist, her buttocks thrusting upwards impatiently, actively welcoming Ling Chen's fierce impact.
Ling Chen laughed triumphantly, embracing her pure and beautiful body and thrusting hard until she cried out incessantly. Only then did he forcefully push his penis deep into her body and begin his violent ejaculation.
Wanwan convulsed, moaning and crying, her soul seemingly flying away from the hot semen. Like an octopus, she clung tightly to Ling Chen, her pink arms and snow-white legs wrapped around him tightly.
The two finally collapsed, panting. Wanwan gradually came to her senses, looked up at the smug scoundrel beside her, and suddenly burst into tears again, her heart filled with shame and regret.
Seeing her like this, Ling Chen grinned and regained his virility, laughing as he pressed Wanwan down on the bed and continued his violent thrusting. He quickly brought her to a state of ecstasy, leaving Wanwan clinging to him, crying and moaning, begging him to go faster.
Ling Chen became increasingly excited, using various positions to relentlessly and intensely penetrate Wanwan on the bed. Under his persistent stimulation, Wanwan gradually succumbed to the vortex of lust, shamelessly responding and insatiably demanding, like a wanton harlot.
Finally, she knelt on the bed, shamelessly sucking on Ling Chen's penis as he ejaculated again. Her snow-white buttocks were raised high, swaying before the degenerate Ling Chen, constantly urging him to get hard quickly. She then excitedly rode on top of him, engaging in pleasurable piston-like movements.
On Ling Chen's body, her sexy and alluring body rose and fell, her beautiful face flushed with excitement, filled with an expression of ecstasy. At this moment, she cared about nothing else; only extreme pleasure was what she desired most.
The transformation from a girl to a harlot gave her the greatest pleasure. When she reached the peak of her orgasm once more, she finally had no strength left for intercourse. Trembling and moaning, she lay on top of Ling Chen, panting heavily, her hands and feet icy cold, as if excitement had drained all her energy.
The rain stopped and the clouds dispersed. Wanwan lay on the bed, silently closing her eyes to rest. After a long while, she slightly opened her beautiful eyes, looked at Ling Chen, and smiled bitterly. She no longer had the strength to think about anything else; she seemed to have even lost the power of shyness.

Chapter 33: The Lolita Seduction Plan
While Ling Chen was indulging in his passion in the dungeon, a different scene was unfolding in the clinic in that dead-end alley.
A group of commoners, all with angry expressions, some strong men holding hoes and shovels as weapons, glared menacingly at the group of guests dressed in flying fish robes.
These uninvited guests actually wanted to take away their 'little angel'!
The leader, a middle-aged man from the Imperial Guards, had calloused hands, piercing eyes, and slightly bulging temples—clearly a master of the martial arts world!
The burly Imperial Guard coldly surveyed the crowd of commoners who had gathered around him. He felt no fear whatsoever. Back in his days as a notorious bandit, known as "Iron Claw Wang Le," he was a notorious killer and robber. His exceptional martial arts skills had led to his recruitment by the Imperial Guard, where he became a captain. However,
as the crowd grew, even he began to feel a headache coming on.
He was acting on orders from his newly appointed centurion to arrest a young girl working at a pharmacy. Rumor had it that this girl was connected to a major case in the palace, and to curry favor with his new superior, he had brought a group of men to arrest her without a second thought.
Elsewhere, if the Imperial Guard wanted to arrest someone, no one would dare utter a sound; even a prince would have to stand aside obediently. He hadn't expected these commoners to dare to obstruct him. This was quite unexpected.
The crowd in the alley grew larger and larger, eventually blocking all escape routes. The people living in this alley were all from the lower classes, mostly impoverished families. But at this moment, they were unusually united in righteous indignation, their spirits high.
"You bunch of government lackeys, it's not enough that you've ravaged other places, you even prey on us common folk! Be careful you don't invite divine retribution!" An old man with a white beard, leaning on a cane, said, his voice trembling with emotion. "
Little Xuan is the only doctor here. She always treats us villagers for free, never charging a penny. How could such a kind girl break the law!" A group of loud-voiced middle-aged women shouted, almost crying.
"You scoundrel, get out of Siping Alley!" some hot-blooded young men shouted angrily.
"Get out of Siping Alley!" Once emotions were stirred, it was difficult to calm them down; the slogans grew louder and louder, eventually becoming almost overwhelming.
Wang Le watched, cold sweat pouring down his face. He never expected that a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl would be so important in the eyes of these neighbors; this caught him off guard.
However, his years of experience oppressing good people had taught him one thing: the common people could never defeat the officials. So he channeled his inner strength, his powerful voice booming, "Gathering a crowd to cause trouble, obstructing official business—are you trying to rebel?!"
His shout immediately silenced the surrounding noise. Wang Le's cold gaze swept across the crowd, saying, "Don't think you can get away with it just because you outnumber us. Our Imperial Guard has plenty of prisons; we can fit as many people as you want. Let's see if you're still so united then!"
These words further weakened the opposing force, but they still glared at him angrily, refusing to give way.
Wang Le himself was secretly lamenting his predicament. While he could subdue these civilians, he couldn't get them to move aside. Although he was highly skilled in martial arts and could force his way in to arrest people, if that caused a civil unrest, the consequences would be far beyond what a lowly Imperial Guard captain like him could bear.
Just as both sides were hesitantly facing off, neither willing to give way, a voice as clear as a nightingale's rang out: "Dear brothers and sisters, uncles and elders, please make way."
The crowd parted, and a girl in white stepped out. The girl was only twelve or thirteen years old, her face covered by a white veil, but even just seeing the upper half was breathtaking, as if she were a fairy descended from heaven.
She was only twelve or thirteen! What would she be like when she grew up and matured?
The girl's arrival caused many to gasp, and some of the young men in the crowd immediately cast admiring glances.
This was their little angel from Siping Alley; almost everyone who saw this kind, upright, and beautiful girl felt a surge of affection from the bottom of their hearts.
Wang Le coldly laughed, "You must be the granddaughter of that old man from the apothecary!"
"That's me," the girl replied calmly.
"That's good, come with us!" Wang Le said, reaching out to grab her.
His action immediately enraged the crowd. Many young men and women who admired the girl formed a human wall, blocking them from the outside.
"Xiao Xuan, you can't go with them! They're the Imperial Guards, not good people!"
"Xiao Xuan, don't worry, I'll protect you even if it costs me my life. They'll have to walk over my dead body to take you away."
"You scoundrel! If you dare take Xiaoxuan away today, we'll all go to the palace to lodge a complaint!"
...
Everyone was agitated, giving Wang Le and his men a headache. They hadn't expected this little girl to have such influence here.
However, he still used his last resort: "Little girl, don't worry, we're just taking you there for questioning. After all, your grandfather is still in prison. If you don't go, his crimes will be impossible to clear, and no one can save him then."
Hearing that her grandfather was still in prison, the girl's chest heaved with anger. The boy had promised to let her grandfather go, but now he had gone back on his word.
However, the initiative was now on their side. Although the little girl knew that going there would likely be fraught with danger, how could she avoid her grandfather who had raised her suffering in the dungeon?
The little girl bit her lip and said firmly, "I'll go with you!"
...
Inside the palace.
The grandfather the little girl had imagined being tortured was now sitting at the table, eating large chunks of fish with iron chopsticks.
"Slow down, slow down, be careful not to choke," Ling Chen said, sitting opposite him with a smile as he watched the man eat so voraciously.
Indeed, few had the chance to taste food prepared by the imperial chefs. This old man, who usually didn't even have meat for three meals a day, was suddenly receiving such treatment and immediately began to eat heartily.
Although this old man was ugly and cowardly, he was still his future wife's grandfather; he had to make a good impression.
"Sir, you...you eat too," the old man mumbled, noticing Ling Chen watching him.
"I'm not hungry, you can eat as much as you want," Ling Chen smiled.
...
After finishing his meal, the old man lay back in his large chair and let out a comfortable burp. Seeing that the time was right, Ling Chen tentatively asked, "What is your surname, sir?"
The old man hurriedly and respectfully replied, "My surname is Liu
, and my given name is Tie Niu." Liu Tie Niu—what a common name. However, most commoners don't have much education, so it's understandable that they would have such a name.
Thinking of this, Ling Chen suddenly felt uneasy. What if Xiao Luo's name was also so common? He would be devastated. He just hoped it wouldn't be something like "Liu Er Niu" or "Liu Ru Hua." Just imagining such a beautiful Xiao Luo with such a name made Ling Chen want to die.
Ling Chen paused, still feeling uneasy, and asked, "What about your granddaughter? What is her surname and given name? How old is she? Is she betrothed? What are her hobbies? What is her personality like? What are her measurements…?" Ling Chen quickly stopped, looking at the other man hopefully.
The old man didn't understand why this official was so interested in his granddaughter, but out of fear of the officials, he still told them everything: "My granddaughter's name is Ling Qingxuan, she is twelve years old, and she has never been betrothed."
Ling Qingxuan?!
Ling Chen was stunned, countless questions popping into his head.
"Why doesn't your granddaughter have the same surname as you?" Ling Chen frowned, looking at him sternly.
The old man said somewhat awkwardly, "Reporting to my lord, Xiaoxuan is indeed not my biological granddaughter. I have never married in my life, so where would I get a granddaughter? She is a baby girl I found by the river twelve years ago."
So she's an adopted daughter! Ling Chen immediately understood. It's just that this little girl actually has the same surname as this scoundrel, which makes Ling Chen feel strange.
But then again, he had a feeling of familiarity the moment he saw her, as if there was some inexplicable connection between them. This feeling was one of intimacy, familiarity, and... a touch of warmth!

Chapter 34: The Long-Legged Beauty in Red
Wang Le escorted Ling Qingxuan down the street, their destination the Imperial Palace in the center of the capital.
Looking at this beautiful and pure-looking girl, the smug Wang Le suddenly felt a pang of conscience, realizing he was doing something wrong. He became restless and agitated, his horse saddled with rage.
The Imperial Guards, naturally, were extremely domineering, openly riding slowly down the street. Ling Qingxuan's small hands were bound with a rope, and she was being dragged along, her petite body looking pitiful.
Those nearby, seeing the men's domineering manner and their flying fish robes, knew they were the Imperial Guards arresting someone and kept their distance, not daring to provoke them.
However, there were exceptions.
At the end of the wide street, a sudden cry of alarm rang out, followed by a thick cloud of dust.
"Snap!"
The sound of the whip cracking was loud and piercing, and a group of chestnut horses arrogantly charged in from the other end of the street.
The Imperial Guards were known for their arrogance, daring to ride horses in the streets, but they only rode slowly, never daring to go too fast. This newcomer, however, was galloping at full speed, completely disregarding the lives of others. Such audacity put even the Imperial Guards to shame.
As the horses approached, the dust settled, and the newcomer's appearance gradually became clear.
It was a beautiful young woman in a fiery red robe. She appeared to be about eighteen years old, wearing light pink leather armor that accentuated her alluring figure. Her waist was slender, and beneath the armor, her breasts were high and full. Her features were pretty and heroic, yet a hint of menace emanated from her willow-leaf eyebrows and phoenix eyes.
The leather armor she wore was novel in style, looking brand new, sturdy, and durable—clearly a newly manufactured high-end piece of armor. A long sword hung at her waist, giving her a dashing and heroic air.
What drew everyone's attention was her heroic spirit. This beautiful young woman looked like Mulan from ancient times, dashing and spirited. The only difference was that she wasn't disguised as a man; she appeared completely as a woman.
Women in this era weren't as conservative as those in the previous life. Although they followed Confucianism, the common people were still quite open-minded, especially since this woman's attire suggested she was a woman of the martial arts world.
When the passersby saw her, they panicked and scattered as if they had seen a monstrous flood. The beautiful young woman, however, smiled broadly, whipping her horse and galloping without restraint, causing chaos and commotion throughout the street.
As she passed the group of Imperial Guards, she blinked her beautiful eyes and stopped, looking at them with hostility.
Wang Le's face darkened, and he was about to reprimand them when a soldier behind him saw this and quickly ran over, mounted his horse, and whispered a few words in his ear. Wang Le's old face immediately broke into a smile, and he said with a fawning laugh, "So you are the fairy of Wen Tiandao! My apologies! My apologies!"
The girl in red laughed, "I never expected to run into a bunch of scum like you today. What bad luck!"
The group of Imperial Guards immediately looked embarrassed. Clearly, this girl had a powerful background, and they couldn't afford to offend her. The girl
in red glanced at Ling Qingxuan, who was tied up behind her. Ling Qingxuan's gaze was resolute. Although she was in great pain, she still bit her lip, stubbornly remaining silent. This sight made one's heart melt.
The girl in red was clearly moved as well. Seeing such a beautiful and adorable little girl being treated like this, her chivalrous spirit flared up instantly.
Someone once said that every heroine in the martial world has an impulse to uphold justice.
This scene—a group of typical bad guys bullying a pitiful little girl—further fueled the girl in red's sense of righteousness. Seeing this,
Wang Le sensed trouble and hurriedly said, "I have official business to attend to, so I won't say more. Farewell."
The girl in red drew her long sword and held it horizontally in front of him, sneering, "Official business? I'd like to see what kind of official business it is! Anyway, I have nothing better to do, so I'll accompany you to see."
...
Ling Chen was still leisurely enjoying his meal with the old man.
Although he knew the old man wasn't the little girl's biological grandfather, he still felt indebted to him for raising her, so it was always good to maintain a good relationship with him.
During the dinner, Ling Chen casually mentioned his interest in his granddaughter. The old man blushed with excitement.
For a commoner like him, being related to a high-ranking official was the best thing imaginable. If his granddaughter could marry this man, he would have nothing to worry about for the rest of his life—just sitting back and eating.
Without hesitation, the old man readily agreed, his little mustache bristling with excitement.
Ling Chen was overjoyed to receive the old man's consent.
In this era, marriage was arranged by parents and matchmakers! The old man was Ling Qingxuan's only elder; now that he had agreed, the little girl was practically guaranteed a place. As long as he didn't back out, the deal was practically done.
The old man, grinning, offered him another toast.
Just as they were enjoying their drinks, a rapid knock came at the door.
Song Ziming hurriedly opened the door and saw a burly man in a flying fish robe. He respectfully said, "Reporting to the centurion, the suspect has been brought in!"
Ling Chen, who was drinking, immediately spat out the wine he was about to drink and exclaimed with great joy, "That young lady is here! Quick, bring her in!"
These days, Ling Chen had been dreaming about this beautiful little girl. Although she was young, even with her face half-covered, she still captivated him. But more importantly, Ling Qingxuan possessed a special quality—a feeling of closeness that made Ling Chen feel at ease. Standing beside her was like…like standing beside family.
Ling Chen had never felt much for family. In his previous life, he was an orphan, and in this life, he felt nothing for his pedantic older brother. How could he find such kinship in a little girl? Ling Chen couldn't explain it himself; he only felt a strong desire to be with her.
Suddenly—
bang!
The door was kicked open violently, splinters flying everywhere. The tall door frame crashed to the ground with a loud thud.
"Who goes there, how dare you!" Ling Chen was startled by the sudden noise, instinctively bracing himself for defense.
"I am your mother!" A domineering voice rang out, filled with wildness and untamed spirit, even tinged with sarcasm.
My mother? Didn't my dead father and mother die a few years ago?
As Ling Chen was still thinking, a girl dressed in fiery red walked in through the door.
It was the same girl in red who had stopped Wang Le on the street. Now, she had a long sword resting on her shoulder in one hand and was holding Ling Qingxuan's hand in the other, striding into the hall.
"Sister Xiao Xiao, it's him!" The little girl, seeing Ling Chen, looked as if she had seen her father's killer, her eyes reddening as she pointed at the scoundrel and spoke hatefully.
Ling Qingxuan's eyebrows were arched, her eyes blazing with fury, her small face contorted with rage. Even in her anger, the little girl remained adorable to onlookers.
Ling Chen was startled by the scene, initially thinking a noble concubine had arrived. Seeing only one person, a wild girl who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, he angrily shouted, "Guards! What have you all been doing? Tie this crazy woman up!"
Ling Chen shifted his gaze from Ling Qingxuan to the girl in red, only then realizing that this wild girl was also an exceptional beauty. For one thing, her long, beautiful legs alone were enough to make any man drool.
Round, firm, without an ounce of excess fat. Standing in the room, this woman was almost a head taller than Ling Chen!
Those legs, in his previous life, would have made him a supermodel!
"Who dares?!" the girl in red sneered.
The Imperial Guards around them froze, not daring to take a step forward. This scene puzzled Ling Chen. Could this woman be some kind of important figure?!
Wang Le bypassed the woman and whispered to Ling Chen, "My lord, this young lady is from the Wen Tian Dao sect, and she's the daughter of one of their Celestial Masters."
Wen Tian Dao!
Ling Chen was shocked! The Taoist
sects of the world were diverse, each vying for orthodoxy. Among them, Wudang Mountain and Longhu Mountain were the most powerful, producing many outstanding talents. However, just a few decades ago, a Celestial Master of unparalleled talent emerged from the Wen Tian Dao sect. Because he could refine elixirs of immortality, he was appointed Imperial Preceptor by the court.
It was said that this Celestial Master used the elixir to extend the lifespan of the previous emperor by ten years!
Such extraordinary talent naturally attracted the court's attention, so the Wen Tian Dao sect was designated as the state religion, surpassing Wudang and Longhu, and instantly becoming the orthodox sect of Taoism.
If this girl in red was truly the daughter of some Celestial Master from the Wen Tian Dao sect, then she was someone not to be trifled with!
Cold sweat began to bead on Ling Chen's forehead as he awkwardly said, "Misunderstanding, haha, misunderstanding."
"Misunderstanding?" The girl, however, was relentless, sneering, "I've long heard that you Imperial Guards only know how to oppress innocent people, and I never expected to run into one today. You actually tried to force innocent women into prostitution, forcibly abducting them
. I wonder how you'll explain this to the Emperor?" "Damn it, meddling in other people's business!" Ling Chen cursed inwardly. He had long heard that there were many meddlesome people in the martial arts world, and he never expected to actually encounter one today.
"It's a misunderstanding. I just sent someone to invite this young lady to meet with her grandfather. I meant no harm. Perhaps my men were unaware and misunderstood the order." As a scoundrel, he unhesitatingly shifted all the blame onto his subordinates.
Wang Le, standing to the side, couldn't help but offer a bitter smile.
*Snap!
* A whip flashed, and Ling Chen felt a burning pain on his face. Touching it, he was horrified to find his hand covered in blood.
The girl in red put away her whip and sneered, "Do you think I, Mo Xiaoli, am a fool? You lackeys and scum, not a single one of you is good. I've had my eye on you for a long time."
Looking at the whip in her hand and then at the blood on his face, Ling Chen immediately understood.
He'd been slapped in the face!
As a man, he'd been blatantly slapped in the face by a woman!
A bright red whip flashed across the scoundrel's face. This was the first time he had been injured in all his years in the business.

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