CHAPTER 706: CHAPTER 267: THE PRINCESS’S CANDLELIGHT DINNER! EMPRESS, PLEASE CALM DOWN!

Dusk was falling.

Chen Mo walked out of the Government building, carrying a cat.

He stroked the cat’s back, smoothing the fluffed-up fur, and whispered, "Yuan’er does have a somewhat straightforward temperament; I hope the Empress won’t mind..."

"..."

The cat, more precisely, the Cat Lady, cast a sidelong glance at him.

This wasn’t the first time she’d seen something like this.

The last time, at least, it was due to poisoning, which was somewhat understandable...

Now, in broad daylight, she dove under the table, and her movements were so adept, it was obvious she’d undergone long-term "professional training"!

What are these two doing in the Government all day long?!

Chen Mo softly said, "Yuan’er has gone through life and death with me, and our bond is deep, which is an undeniable fact, but it does not affect my respect and admiration for the Empress in any way... My feelings, the Empress should be aware of them, so please don’t be jealous, alright?"

I am not jealous!

It’s just an eyesore, that’s all!

"Meow!"

Yu Youhan wanted to scold Chen Mo, but when she opened her mouth, all that came out was a soft mewing sound.

Nearly forgetting, the vocal structure of a cat is different from that of a human...

Initially, to suppress her aura and avoid detection, she only attached a thin wisp of her Divine Sense to the cat, merely for observing her surroundings and performing simple actions. She couldn’t use this for Divine Soul communication.

Listening to the plaintive meow, Chen Mo frowned slightly, "Empress, can’t you speak human language?"

"..."

Yu Youhan puffed up irritably and nipped at him.

Nonsense!

If I could speak, wouldn’t I have done so already?

Seeing it persistently biting him, Chen Mo pondered for a moment and seemed to realize something.

"You wouldn’t also want to..."

"No, there are barbs on your tongue..."

?

What nonsense is this guy spouting!

Yu Youhan felt both embarrassed and annoyed, biting down even harder.

Since it couldn’t penetrate him, Chen Mo let it be. Moving as gracefully as the wind, in just a brief moment, the vast array of palace buildings came into sight.

Upon arriving before the gates of the Imperial Palace, he coincidentally encountered two familiar figures.

One was wearing red Luo clothes, with a seven-rib crown on his head, none other than Prime Minister Zhuang Jingming.

Beside him stood Eunuch Jin, still clad in his sea water river-edge shirt, holding a silver-threaded feather duster, his hair tied neatly in a bun.

"Please wait, Eunuch."

"Mr. Zhuang, take care."

Zhuang Jingming’s face looked somewhat sour. He gave a slight bow, intending to leave, but upon turning around, saw Chen Mo holding a cat, and couldn’t help but pause.

"Is that you?"

"This subordinate greets Mr. Zhuang, Eunuch Jin."

The Empress was still nestled in his arms; it was inconvenient for him to bow, so he just nodded in greeting.

Zhuang Jingming squinted, a flash of coldness in his eyes, "I heard Mr. Chen handled a major case today?"

Chen Mo replied calmly, "Mr. Zhuang is well-informed indeed."

Zhuang Jingming snorted, "Mr. Chen, you bloodied the Prince Mansion, and the entire Capital City is in turmoil! If I’m unaware of this, then my role as Prime Minister is entirely pointless!"

Chen Mo had anticipated that this matter would quickly spread; it was impossible to keep it from the ears of these ministers. He openly stated, "I was tasked with apprehending the suspect, Chu Heng. During the process, the Prince Mansion guards resisted obstinately, wielding weapons to refuse arrest. I had no choice but to act."

"Well, well, out of necessity."

Zhuang Jingming’s smile tightened as he spoke sternly, "You should know what it means to draw swords against the royal family. If you cannot produce solid evidence, Mr. Chen, you might find it hard to exonerate yourself."

"Let the Prime Minister not trouble himself over this."

Chen Mo replied coolly, "However, on that note, initially, it was Prime Minister Zhuang who suspected the Princely Heir of involvement with the Demon Clan, and even proposed in court for Lord Yan to conduct an investigation... Now, with the Three Departments’ ruling and the order to make arrests, why does Prime Minister Zhuang seem less than pleased?"

"..."

Zhuang Jingming’s eyelids twitched.

Back then, in the court, the reason he supported Chen Mo was partly due to the Empress’s request, and partly to exert pressure on the Yan Family.

From the moment Yan Peizhi came to him for help, it was already a done deal... He directed Yan Linghu to incriminate the Princely Heir, while also entering the palace to meet the Empress, thereby cutting off Yan Peizhi’s retreat entirely.

Yan Peizhi had no choice but to turn to him, becoming a pawn for the Jiang Family to infiltrate the Six Ministries.

As for those so-called confessions, they were insufficient to truly threaten Chu Heng and would ultimately be inconclusive.

Originally, everything was proceeding according to plan.

But Zhuang Jingming had not anticipated that Chen Mo would somehow obtain evidence of Yan Peizhi’s corrupt practices, throwing his plans into disarray.

The evidence was irrefutable, undoubtedly damning enough to strip the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice of his official hat!

Consequently, Yan Peizhi had no value left and instead became a liability, prompting Zhuang Jingming to distance himself swiftly.

Backed into a corner, Vice Minister Yan, under Chen Mo’s pressure, managed to produce a Three Departments’ document!

Chen Mo was decisive enough, seizing the opportunity before the news spread, leading a charge on the Prince Mansion, and before anyone had a chance to react, Chu Heng was already a prisoner!

Zhuang Jingming cared little about Chu Heng’s fate, but he had to consider the Emperor’s reaction.

After all, he was the one who first advocated for a thorough investigation of the Princely Heir. Now that the person was truly arrested and thrown into the Imperial Prison, what would the Emperor think of this?

It might even lead the Emperor to suspect he was scheming behind the scenes!

Such a massive black pot being placed on him, how could Zhuang Jingming not be infuriated?

"True heroes conceal their talents and wait for the right moment to act."

"Mr. Chen’s abilities are indeed strong, but ultimately, he is too youthful and impulsive, lacking in adaptability and tact; eventually, he will stumble."

Zhuang Jingming’s tone grew colder.

This old fellow is threatening me?