Chapter 137: The Zou Clan of Xiliang, should we investigate or not

When Li Chen heard it was someone from the Spirit Flame Dao Sect, he roughly knew who it was.

Li Chen had also checked the information on the Nine Abyss Sacred Domain; there were more than forty major sects and countless small sects.

If integrated, it could also be considered a powerful force.

Just like what Lady Youlan said, just master the four core sects with Sage Realm experts.

Li Chen hadn't actually seen the He He Zongzhu of the Azure Abyss Immortal Sect, but the He He Zongzhu didn't care about things. The He He Zongzhu's wife, Dai Hongling, had a very close relationship with Li Chen. She not only actively helped but also said she was on call, and was indeed obedient and well-behaved.

There was no need to mention the Profound Heaven Sect; the He He Zongzhu was still in the prison.

The acting He He Zongzhu, Lord Dingtian, followed Li Chen's lead, not to mention the core figure, Lady Youlan, who could be said to be Li Chen's accomplice.

According to the intelligence from the Ministry of War, the Profound Heaven Sect already had elders taking disciples to the northern battlefield to assist, which showed they indeed wanted to perform well and were full of action.

Mansion Master Mu Qingrou of the Purple Cloud Immortal Mansion was indeed very strong. After she came to the inner court to take office, the problem probably wouldn't be very big.

What needed to be solved now was naturally the Spirit Flame Dao Sect. He He Zongzhu Wanfeng was a shrewd person and also belonged to the type who wouldn't see a rabbit without throwing an eagle. He had to be shown benefits first, so he would take a stand.

Now that someone from the Spirit Flame Dao Sect had come, it was naturally a probe sent by He He Zongzhu Wanfeng, which was his daughter, Xia Qing.

As long as Xia Qing obtained benefits, True Person Wanfeng would naturally increase his bet.

Li Chen let Eunuch Cui announce Xia Qing to have an audience.

Not long after, a timid woman entered the Imperial Study.

Her autumn-water-like eyes looked left and right, and her exquisite corners of the mouth were always pursed, showing she was very nervous.

It was Xia Qing's first time coming to the Imperial Palace. Her parents had taught her quite a bit of etiquette these past few days, and even consulted a retired official from the Ministry of Rites who was living in retirement in Cloud Sea City.

Upon entering the Imperial Study and seeing Li Chen, she immediately chose a good position—directly in front of Li Chen—and her kowtowing etiquette was also very spot-on; Li Chen could tell she had studied this aspect.

Xia Qing's talent was already very high; many things only needed to be taught once or twice to be learned.

Last time she saw Li Chen was in her own sect; this time it was in the inner court of the Imperial Palace. She was indeed a bit nervous, and her speech was a bit trembling, for fear of offending His Majesty.

Li Chen wasn't in a hurry to let her stand up and looked at her with great interest.

Xia Qing was dressed in a light green silk dress today, and the flower garlands wrapped around her cuffs and lapels were blooming brilliantly.

The loose cuffs fluttered, giving her a bit more fairy-like aura.

Plus she was already beautiful, and her every move looked very spirited.

Li Chen also rarely saw a girl who could compare to Chu Ruoyan in terms of youth and beauty.

What Lady Youlan selected was indeed not some mediocre stuff.

After Li Chen said "rise," Xia Qing stood up.

"Where are the others in your sect?" Li Chen asked.

"Returning to Your Majesty, the He He Zongzhu only sent me, hoping I can learn some things from following Your Majesty," Xia Qing said.

Now Li Chen understood. True Person Wanfeng sending Xia Qing alone was indeed to facilitate his own handling of things. It seemed he was still very knowledgeable.

"Do you have a residence in the Imperial Capital?"

"No, I just arrived in the Imperial Capital today and came to see Your Majesty."

The Spirit Flame Dao Sect used to be a small sect and didn't plan to develop in the Imperial Capital, so they didn't insert any personnel here.

Even if they became a major sect now, at most they had intelligence agencies in Cloud Sea City. These intelligence agencies only collected information that could be obtained in Cloud Sea City, and much information wasn't very accurate.

"Fine, your father entrusted you to me, so I must ensure your safety in all aspects. Since you don't have a residence, then you should live in the Imperial Palace."

Hearing Li Chen say this, Xia Qing was slightly stunned.

Ah? I live in the Imperial Palace?

What's the situation? The retired official from the Ministry of Rites had said that those living in the Imperial Palace were all imperial family members and consorts. Besides that, they were palace maids and eunuchs. He had never heard that outsiders could live in the Imperial Palace.

Li Chen didn't treat her as an outsider either. The reason he let her live in the Imperial Palace was to let her get familiar with the environment she would live in later in advance.

Anyway, she was already at his mouth; how could he let her go?

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Xia Qing felt that the official from the Ministry of Rites might have missed something, but she didn't refuse Li Chen's request.

Perhaps in her view, this was the Emperor's home, and the Emperor arranging an empty room in his own backyard for her to live in could be considered reasonable.

Li Chen's government affairs today had already been handled, so he personally took Xia Qing to choose the palace she liked.

Along the way, Xia Qing curiously looked at this place. Wherever Xia Qing's gaze reached, it was all golden and brilliant, and every brick and tile emitted a heavy and majestic aura.

Perhaps different from others, Xia Qing, as a sect cultivator, felt that this place was built on a dragon vein, with abundant spiritual charm and thick blessings, which was indeed very suitable for cultivation.

Then there were the towering palace walls, like a giant dragon winding, isolating the Imperial Palace from the outside world.

The glazed tiles on the wall shone brilliantly in the sun, flashing with dazzling light.

Perhaps others felt it was brilliant, but Xia Qing felt this should be some kind of array to protect the safety of the Imperial Palace.

Under Li Chen's leadership, Xia Qing continued to stroll in the Imperial Palace. The two shuttled between the well-arranged buildings. Every building here was unique and ingenious.

Some palaces were magnificent, with flying eaves and upturned corners on the roof pointing directly at the firmament, while others were small and exquisite, like pavilions and towers in a garden, revealing a different kind of gentleness and elegance.

The manpower and material resources consumed were not something an ordinary force could bear. The foundation of the imperial family was fully displayed.

Before, Xia Qing always felt the imperial family was very vulgar; now it seemed it wasn't.

The passing palace maids and eunuchs, seeing Li Chen, all stopped their steps and bowed their heads, every move full of awe for Li Chen.

Xia Qing could see that although the smiles of these palace maids and eunuchs were respectful, they didn't lack sincerity, as if they felt incomparable honor and pride for being able to serve the Emperor in this Imperial Palace.

Li Chen almost never lost his temper, and he didn't exploit them. They only needed to work normally to get their wages, so they naturally had a good impression of this Emperor.

As a sect cultivator, Xia Qing still preferred quiet, so she chose a palace in a corner as her residence.

Actually, she wanted to choose a smaller one, but the palaces here were all very large, so she could only choose one at random.

After choosing the palace, Xia Qing was naturally configured with palace maids according to the treatment of a consort, and this place would also be built according to her preferences.

Even if she wasn't one now, the managing palace maid and other palace maids understood, so they were naturally very respectful to her.

This made Xia Qing a bit embarrassed, always feeling that Li Chen was too good to her.

The residence was solved, so Li Chen asked her what she wanted to do. Li Chen could directly arrange many positions in the Imperial Capital.

Even if Xia Qing wanted to be a consort, that was a matter of minutes.

Xia Qing touched her chin and thought for a while, then said: "Your Majesty, that day I chatted with a court official in the secondary hall of the Qiankun Terrace in Cloud Sea City. She said she graduated from the combat academy of the Imperial Capital, it seems to be called the Fire-Starting Combat Academy. It is said that the alchemists of the Imperial Capital are all in the combat academy. I want to go there to teach. First, I can communicate with the masters of the Imperial Capital about cultivation methods, and second, I can learn the alchemy techniques of the alchemists of the Imperial Capital."

The reason the Spirit Flame Dao Sect developed quickly was because there were many alchemists in the sect.

In the entire cultivation world, few people were willing to offend alchemists. Alchemists had extremely wide connections, and they themselves could bring the effects of spiritual herbs to the extreme.

Therefore, most cultivators wanted to get to know alchemists.

As Xia Qing, who inherited her father's talent and her mother's beauty, she was naturally also an alchemist with wide connections.

While possessing dual attributes of wind and fire, she was also a late-stage cultivator of the Shattering Void Realm, only one step away from the Six Realms Realm.

This cultivation could be said to be ranked in the Imperial Capital, and she was also a well-deserved genius.

Xia Qing could naturally use this identity to enter the combat academy as a teacher.

And her father had said that if she were a teacher in the combat academy, she would get to know the various geniuses of the Imperial Capital, and many officials in the future would be her students.

This was the process of accumulating connections.

Of course, there was another point that was very obscure that her father didn't say directly, just telling Xia Qing that if she could have a close relationship with the Emperor, she could get to know many connections through the Emperor.

Master Wanfeng was, after all, in the Sage Realm, possessed a certain level of prestige, and had his own forces, so naturally, he would not be like the head of the Chu family, directly telling Chu Ruoyan the benefits of being a consort. Everything would depend on the development between Li Chen and Xia Qing themselves.

Hearing Xia Qing say she wanted to go to the Fire-Starting Combat Academy to teach, Li Chen naturally agreed and could arrange it. It just so happened that he also had a task in the combat academy, so he would complete it together at that time.

Besides, it seemed he had promised to take time to inspect the combat academy and give some pointers to the students of the combat academy. He had been very busy recently and hadn't had time to go.

Now that he just happened to have time, three things could be handled together.

"Tell me when you are settled and ready to teach, and I will go to the combat academy to inspect by the way," Li Chen said.

"Is Your Majesty also going to teach?" Xia Qing expressed doubt.

"No, I'm going to enroll as an examinee."

"I understand. Your Majesty wants to inspect whether the enrollment of the combat academy is fair and just. You are really hardworking."

"You thinking so seems to have no problem. If you are invigilating, you can't let water (cheat/let pass), and if there are problems, remember to give me feedback."

"Rest assured, Your Majesty, you can leave this matter to me."

Xia Qing patted her slightly full chest and guaranteed.

!

Many young female cultivators, for the sake of convenience in cultivation, all bound their chests.

Xia Qing's bound scale wasn't small; it was just unknown what it would look like when untied, and whether it could compare to Chu Ruoyan.

Li Chen was just about to enhance their feelings when the managing palace maid came to report that Minister of Justice Pang Jin had something to find Li Chen.

Since Pang Jin came personally, it meant there should be something. Li Chen had to let Xia Qing tidy up the place where she lived first, and if she had any needs, she could tell the managing palace maid. After Xia Qing thanked him, he left here and headed to the Imperial Study.

Not long after Li Chen left here, a woman dressed in palace attire and as beautiful as a fairy walked in.

She was dignified and elegant in her behavior, had an excellent figure, and her face was even more beautiful.

This made Xia Qing a bit surprised. She rarely saw a woman of the same age with the same beauty as herself.

Hearing the palace maid next to her call this person "Empress/Consort" (Empress/Consort), Xia Qing also realized that this should be Li Chen's consort, so she naturally went up to bow immediately.

Chu Ruoyan told Xia Qing not to be too polite. This time she came over, she also wanted to get on good terms with the new sister who entered the palace.

No matter what, she was Li Chen's first consort, and this aspect was what she needed to do well.

This was also what Li Chen considered. After a certain emotional foundation, his women would actively do some things.

Just like Chu Ruoyan, she wanted to live better here, so she took the initiative to get on good terms with other women and would also consider many things for Li Chen.

If they skipped feelings, then they would only consider how to obtain benefits from Li Chen. When their own interests were threatened, then they would begin to fight each other.

Just like a bride price, a woman who likes you won't ask for it at all; she is afraid of increasing your burden.

A woman who doesn't like you will use various reasons to ask for it, and will keep asking, because she doesn't like you at all, and this money is the compensation she wants to obtain.

Chu Ruoyan had been in the inner court for a period of time, and she hadn't taken the initiative to ask Li Chen for anything, because she was worried that if she asked, it would make Li Chen feel that she was being a consort for these things.

So all along, Li Chen hadn't felt that the inner court had any burden.

However, Li Chen would actively give her many things, making her very satisfied.

"Sister is so beautiful, I don't know where you are from, why haven't I seen you in the Imperial Capital." After Chu Ruoyan let the palace maids put various gifts inside, she began to chat with Xia Qing.

Such a beautiful sister entering the palace, she naturally felt this was Li Chen's new inner court.

As for those enchanting mature women before, she didn't know where Li Chen found them, and she hadn't asked either.

Those few didn't live in the palace, even if Ji Lianyu was only temporarily staying, she wasn't a consort yet.

This one was tidying up the bedroom. After Chu Ruoyan heard it, she definitely had to come and see.

It wasn't to show the status of the Empress, but she felt that doing so would make Li Chen think she was sensible, as long as she could make Li Chen feel happy.

"Sister is even more beautiful. I am a disciple of the Profound Heaven Sect. Today is my first time coming to the Imperial Capital," Xia Qing also answered truthfully.

For some reason, when she saw Chu Ruoyan, she always felt a sense of inexplicable pressure, making her a bit reserved.

Chu Ruoyan probably hadn't noticed this point herself; it was just that she had been in the palace for a long time and had been in contact with Li Chen for a long time, so she naturally learned this aura of a superior.

Hearing that she was a sect disciple, which meant her strength was not bad? This made Chu Ruoyan interested.

After chatting about the basic situation, next was the matter of being a "senior" telling a junior.

Chu Ruoyan had been in contact with Li Chen for a period of time, so she naturally knew what Li Chen liked and what he didn't like. She would tell Xia Qing these things one by one.

Xia Qing listened at first and felt it was quite reasonable. After all, she had to live in the Imperial Palace for this period of time, so she should figure out Li Chen's habits so she wouldn't offend Li Chen.

But as she listened, Xia Qing began to blush.

Because Chu Ruoyan had already talked about the techniques of intercourse, what Li Chen liked, how to do it, and how she should cooperate to make Li Chen satisfied.

When Chu Ruoyan said this, she made Xia Qing, a girl who hadn't experienced personnel matters, blush with shame.

She hurriedly said: "Sister, did you misunderstand something? I have nothing to do with His Majesty."

Even if Xia Qing were a fool, she could hear that Chu Ruoyan had already treated her as Li Chen's new consort, so she immediately began to explain.

She had indeed never heard that when going to someone's house as a guest, one also needed to sleep with them.

Chu Ruoyan was slightly stunned, then said: "Sister, learn these first, it's not wrong. No matter what, you will definitely use them in the future. This can also be considered a kind of exchange of techniques."

According to Chu Ruoyan's understanding of Li Chen, since he had arranged this one in the palace, and this one's appearance and figure were close to perfect, how could Li Chen let her go?

And from her mouth, it could also be judged that her father also tacitly approved of this matter, but all this happened too fast, and she hadn't considered it in that direction for the time being.

Because young girls were all very green, unlike the hunger of mature women.

These were all Chu Ruoyan's experiences. She had also come from this stage, so she naturally knew Xia Qing's thoughts very well.

Xia Qing could only be like this, listening to Chu Ruoyan explain the techniques with a blushing face, unable to insert a word.

Perhaps in terms of cultivation, Chu Ruoyan wasn't as good as her, but in this aspect, Chu Ruoyan was definitely stronger than her.

Of course, these were all temporary.

On the other side, the Imperial Study.

When Li Chen arrived, Pang Jin was already waiting inside.

Still the old rule, Pang Jin hinted for Li Chen to let the eunuchs leave, and Li Chen waved his hand, and the nearby eunuchs dispersed.

"If you have anything, just say it," Li Chen said, sitting on the dragon chair.

"Returning to Your Majesty, these are the clues I have recently investigated regarding the Crown Prince's case." Pang Jin took out the file from his bosom and presented it to Li Chen.

While Li Chen was reading, he was also explaining.

After discovering the corpse of the Crown Prince's confidant, Fan Kuai, they had been following the clues suggested by the corpse to investigate. First, they investigated the Prince of Jing'an's son, Li Yang. According to the investigation of Pang Jin's subordinates, Li Yang seemed to have taken over some of the Crown Prince's old troops, which was the force the Crown Prince had secretly cultivated.

Li Yang was one of the first batch of people to follow the Crown Prince. His appearance in the Ministry of Justice's eyes was naturally very reasonable; he had also been investigated before.

But there were also clues proving that Fan Kuai was not dead when he contacted Li Yang, and then he went to contact the Zou Clan of Xiliang. No one knew what they talked about, but after that time, Fan Kuai disappeared, and his corpse was only discovered some time ago.

The Zou Clan of Xiliang was a great noble clan. Pang Jin, as the Minister of Justice, naturally dared to investigate, but the problem was that Pang Jin knew Li Chen had a good relationship with the Empress Dowager, so he came to ask Li Chen whether he should continue to investigate.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 138 =====

After discovering the corpse of the Crown Prince's confidant, Fan Kuai, they had been following the clues suggested by the body. First, they traced it to the Prince of Anxi, Li Yang. According to the investigation by Pang Jin's subordinates, Li Yang seemed to have taken over some of the Crown Prince's old subordinates—that is, the forces the Crown Prince had secretly cultivated.

Li Yang was among the first group of people to follow the Crown Prince; his appearance in the Ministry of Justice's line of sight was naturally quite reasonable, as he had also been investigated in the past.

But subsequent clues proved that Fan Kuai was not dead when he contacted Li Yang, and then he went to contact the Zou clan of Xiliang. No one knew what they talked about, but after that time, Fan Kuai disappeared, and his corpse was only discovered a while ago.

The Zou clan of Xiliang is a great noble family. As the Minister of Justice, Pang Jin naturally dared to investigate, but the problem was that Pang Jin knew Li Chen and the Empress Dowager had a good relationship, so he came to ask Li Chen whether he should continue the investigation.

(End of chapter)