Chapter 417: Chapter 173: Empress: There’s always a vixen trying to steal my man! Empress: Oh no, have I become the third wheel?_3
"..."
The Empress’s expression was slightly stiff.
So after all this, this was her plan?
"This way, not only can we divide the Chen Family and the Shen Family, but it’s also a happy event for Zhu’er. What do you think, Sister?" Lady Jin Yun said.
Although it might not be fair to the Shen Family, for the sake of her daughter’s happiness, she couldn’t care less.
The Empress silently placed the crab cake she had taken a bite of back into the food box, picked up a napkin to wipe her lips, and said calmly, "I have four words for you..."
"A win-win solution?"
"Don’t even think about it."
"..."
Lady Jin Yun furrowed her brow and, confused, asked, "Doesn’t Sister also value Chen Mo highly? Why are you so against him being with Zhu’er?"
The Empress sighed and said, "Do you think I would harm Zhu’er? Although Chen Mo is very capable, he is definitely not a good choice for a son-in-law. Zhu’er... she can’t handle him."
That little thief is not only very fickle, but he’s also quite adept at tormenting people. How could Zhu’er’s little frame withstand it?
This kind of suffering should be borne by me alone.
"But..."
Lady Jin Yun hesitated to speak.
Seeing the Empress’s demeanor, she knew that it was unlikely she could change her mind.
For some reason, whenever Chen Mo was mentioned, the Empress’s reaction was strange... as if she had an inexplicable sense of possession.
Could it be...
Lady Jin Yun dared not think further, shook her head and said, "Forget it, let’s not mention this matter for now. Whatever steps they can take together depends on themselves. As elders, we shouldn’t interfere."
The Empress naturally understood her implied meaning—
I can refrain from asking for an imperial marriage decree, so you shouldn’t interfere with their relationship; let it develop naturally.
"It seems Jin Yun hasn’t given up yet."
"In any case, I have already made it very clear to Chen Mo. If he dares to have designs on Zhu’er, I...I won’t kiss him anymore!"
"But speaking of it, that little thief kisses really well, almost sucking the soul out of a person. I wonder how many girls he practiced on..."
The Empress’s thoughts wandered a bit, and she subconsciously licked her lips.
The atmosphere inside the hall was silent for a moment.
At this time, Jin Yun casually said, "I wonder what Zhu’er has been busy with lately, haven’t seen her for several days. Could it be there are many cases at the Government?"
?!
The Empress was suddenly startled awake.
Back then, when she and Lin Jingzhu were soaking in the bath, they heard from Sun Senior Palace Lady about the incident with Chen Mo, and Lin Jingzhu immediately rushed out, saying she would personally search for Chen Mo’s whereabouts.
And at that time, she was so shocked that she forgot to stop her...
"Oh no!"
The Empress abruptly stood up and exclaimed, "That girl doesn’t know Chen Mo is back; she’s probably still searching for him in the Southern Border right now!"
Jin Yun: ?
...
...
Chen Mansion.
In the courtyard, Chen Mo was lying leisurely on a deck chair, basking in the sun.
These past two days, he had been especially leisurely; besides eating and sleeping, he was accompanying Zhixia shopping and strolling around...
Ever since the marriage contract was signed, Shen Zhixia had become even more clingy, wishing she could hang on him every day, like a singing bird, constantly calling "brother" this and "brother" that.
Today, He Yuzhi took her out to buy clothes, creating a moment of peace.
As for Ling Ningzhi, ever since she had an embarrassing incident in front of Zhixia at the Chen Mansion, she hadn’t had the nerve to come back.
To be honest, even Chen Mo himself hadn’t expected things to develop this way in the end.
The Creation Gold Contract played a crucial role.
"The Golden Contract is indeed a good thing."
"It’s a pity this thing is too rare; it would be great to get a few more."
Chen Mo shook his head.
The first Golden Contract was swindled from Yu Hongyin.
And the second was a system reward for Gu Manzhi’s Favorability Rating breaking through the third stage.
Speaking of which, it had been a while since the trip to the Southern Border, and he hadn’t gone to practice Dual Cultivation with Little Gu Saintess... Not that Chen Mo didn’t want to, but this time he encountered Ji Lianxing, which made him hesitate for a while.
Although Ji Lianxing’s strength couldn’t compare to the Empress, she was still one of the top cultivators in the Grandmaster ranks.
That day’s situation made it clear, Fu Li was a Heavenly Human Realm cultivator, and even with the Erosion Light Hourglass, such a powerful magic artifact, he stood no chance before Ji Lianxing.
He barely lasted five breaths before being forced to self-destruct.
Being targeted by such a high-level expert naturally brought some pressure, but for Chen Mo, it wasn’t a big deal. At worst, he could just stay low-key in Tiandu City until he reached the third rank; then she wouldn’t be able to do anything to him.
The real concern was Gu Manzhi.
Ji Lianxing’s desire for revenge was too strong, and she wanted to use the Chen Family as a breakthrough point, putting Gu Manzhi in a difficult position in the middle.
On one side was a respected master, and on the other, a man she liked...
Even if they delayed for a while, there would eventually come a day when everything would come to light.
"Without the combined efforts of the Three Saints, Ji Lianxing alone wouldn’t be able to cause much trouble."
"It would be best to remove Manzhi from this situation to prevent her from being implicated when the Empress settles scores... exchanging her freedom for the Azure Darkness Seal?"
"This move might be feasible."
Chen Mo pondered silently.
As for how to present this to the Empress—
Perhaps next time when the Empress is tied up by the red silk, then he can make this request. If she doesn’t agree, he won’t untie her?
This might be a plan, though a bit risky...
"Better go see Little Gu Saintess first; I also need to discuss this with her."
Chen Mo asked Uncle Fu to prepare a sedan and headed towards Melody Avenue.
...
At this time during the day, there weren’t many guests at the Imperial Music Bureau. When Chen Mo arrived at The Cloudwater Hall, several maidservants were sweeping the courtyard.
Upon seeing him, they all bowed in respect.
"Mr. Chen."