What's wrong with me, a powerful minister, supporting a few female officials?

Chapter 207 Love Me, Love My Dog: My Second Uncle Takes Flight!
Upon hearing Leng Liuxi's question, Su Mo remembered his business and quickly composed himself before striding towards Leng Liuxi.

He was about to speak, but his gaze unconsciously fell on Leng Liuxi's head.

23% favorability rating, which is three points higher than this morning!

Su Mo figured it must have been a four-wheeled carriage that had been swiped.

The carriage wasn't given for nothing, even though it was cold.

Not only did they get a better, sharper whip, but their favorability also increased.

As a cultivator of such high level, Leng Liuxi naturally possessed exceptionally keen senses and vaguely felt that Su Mo was looking up at her head again.

This isn't the first time I've felt this way.

Did flowers sprout on my head?

But when I looked in the bronze mirror before, I didn't find anything wrong!
"My lord!" Leng Liuxi raised her voice slightly, looking at Su Mo with curiosity, "Why has my lord suddenly come to the palace to see me?"

She was indeed very curious.

This was the first time Su Mo had ever taken the initiative to contact her!
I used to hate being near myself!
Su Mo withdrew his gaze from Leng Liuxi's head, his expression turned serious, and he explained, "This subordinate just remembered something."

"I feel truly embarrassed to have received such a fine whip from you, sir, so I intend to inform you of this matter so that you may earn a great merit before His Majesty!"

Leng Liuxi snorted lightly: "At least you still have some conscience!"

"You finally think of me when something good happens!"

She blinked her pretty eyes and stared intently at Su Mo, her curiosity growing: "I am curious, what is it that you are thinking of that could help me gain favor with His Majesty?"

Su Mo coughed and said, "Of course it's a great thing."

"However, if you wish to return to my study, please inform me first, and I will certainly not refuse you entry."

Leng Liuxi looked bewildered and innocent: "I didn't sneak into your study, my lord!"

Why do you say that, my lord?

"Uh... could there be some unspeakable secret hidden in the study?"

Su Mo was speechless. After holding back for a long time, she finally couldn't help but ask, "The Dragon Whip Manual and the whip, were they sent in by someone, sir?"

Leng Liuxi covered her mouth and chuckled playfully, "No!"

"I threw it in from outside."

Su Mo...

I can't keep talking to Leng Xixi, or she'll be furious!

If you say that the doors and windows are closed, she will most likely say that you pried them open, or that you remembered it wrong!
When a woman is determined to be unreasonable, there's not much a man can do, especially when resorting to force is ineffective.

Su Mo's expression turned serious, and he said in a deep voice, "Zhang Xuzu's soap workshop produces another product while making soap, and the output is quite large."

Leng Liuxi's eyebrows twitched slightly.

This must be the reason why Su Mo suddenly came to the palace to find him.

She nodded slightly, poured herself a cup of fragrant tea, and pushed it towards Su Mo: "Please continue, my lord!"

Su Mo then said, "This humble servant will name this substance glycerin."

Glycerin has a wide range of uses.

"It has moisturizing and water-locking effects, improves skin activity, and has anti-aging effects... well, it keeps the skin active and prevents wrinkles from forming."

Su Mo wasn't sure if Leng Xixi understood the meaning of anti-aging, so she simply put it more plainly.

Online descriptions of glycerin's effects include increasing cell activity and acting as an antioxidant, so Su Mo didn't lie to Leng Xixi.

Upon hearing this, Leng Liuxi's eyes suddenly lit up!
After being influenced by Su Mo for some time, the Empress's business acumen improved significantly, and she instantly and keenly sensed the enormous economic value contained in glycerin!
Winter air is dry, especially further north, which makes skin prone to dryness and cracking.

Even a Celestial Infant Realm sorcerer like her occasionally felt very uncomfortable on her skin.

Glycerin has a moisturizing and water-locking effect, which naturally attracts countless people to buy it!
Needless to say, its anti-aging effects are also significant.

No woman can resist this temptation!

Sure enough, this bastard is a man of loyalty.

If you treat him well, you will receive ten or even a hundred times the benefits!

The Empress initially thought that Su Mo had come to tell her that she would earn money with glycerin in the future.

Su Mo then changed the subject: "Glycerin has many other uses, which I will not go into detail about, but there is one effect that I must mention!"

The Empress was immediately taken aback.

Is there anything more important than maintaining youth?
"What use is it!"

Su Mo's expression turned serious, and she said, enunciating each word clearly: "Glycerin can prevent frostbite!"

A cold glint flashed in Leng Liuxi's eyes, her pretty face turned serious, and she slowly said, "My lord said it can prevent frostbite?"

Su Mo nodded: "In extremely cold weather, the skin is very easy to get frostbite and crack. Therefore, people in the north will apply lard to their hands, feet and face to prevent frostbite."

"Glycerin is an essence extracted from oils, and its effects are many times better than those of oils, and it has no lard smell."

Leng Liuxi took a deep breath: "My lord wants me to report this matter to His Majesty."

"Give the glycerin to the soldiers in the northern border region?"

Su Mo smiled and said nothing more.

Leng Liuxi was silent for a moment, then pondered and said, "In the northern border of the Great Wu, the temperature is extremely cold. Every winter, thousands of soldiers suffer from frostbite or even necrosis of their hands and feet, and have to retire to their fields. The loss of soldiers is no less than that of a major battle!"

"Even those with mild cases will experience a reduction in combat effectiveness due to frostbite!"

With that, the Empress sighed and exclaimed, "My lord has truly brought me a great merit!"

"Is the glycerin on you, my lord?"

Su Mo took out a small porcelain bottle from his sleeve and handed it to the Empress.

Leng Liuxi took the porcelain bottle, pulled out the cork, and looked inside. It contained a clear, somewhat viscous liquid with no unusual odor.

Su Mo said, "Glycerin is easy to use; just apply a small amount to the skin."

Leng Liuxi nodded slightly, poured a drop onto the back of her hand, and gently spread it with two fingers.

Sure enough, my hand felt cool and moist, which made me feel much more comfortable.

It's just a little greasy.

The Empress replaced the cork with a new one, her phoenix eyes half-closed as she looked at Su Mo: "What is the yield of this glycerin?"

The capital city is covered in snow.

Not to mention the northern border region of Dawu, which is even further north.

Su Mo thought for a moment: "Five catties of oil should yield one catty of glycerin."

"However, I am not entirely sure myself, so the figures may not be accurate, but the output is certainly not low."

He paused, then continued, "Zhang Xuzu sent some to me. There are about thirty shi (a unit of dry measure) of soap left at the soap workshop."

Leng Liuxi laughed and said, "That Zhang Xuzu is usually good for nothing, but this time he has finally done something worthwhile."

"However, it must have been the young master who told him that he kept the glycerin?"

Su Mo's eye twitched slightly!
The moment she spoke, Leng Xixi's favorability rating jumped by three points!
He quickly replied, "To be honest, sir, that is indeed the case."

"However, I forgot to tell Brother Zhang that this glycerin is of great use, and I'm afraid quite a bit has been wasted..."

Before she could finish speaking, Leng Liuxi's eyebrows furrowed instantly: "Wasted quite a bit?"

Su Mo thought for a moment: "It should be."

“Normally, there should be two to three hundred shi of glycerin.”

"Sir, quickly send someone over and take the glycerin away... Well, or you could buy it for a little money, since he doesn't know the price of glycerin anyway."

The Empress's face suddenly darkened, and she gritted her teeth: "Bastard!"

"I... I'm so angry I could die!"

Leng Liuxi quickly glanced at Su Mo, and seeing that Su Mo's expression had not changed, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

In a fit of anger, I almost let something slip, but luckily I reacted quickly!

snort!
Zhang Xuzu is a real bastard; he wasted several hundred shi of glycerin!
Give him money?
If I don't give him a hundred lashes, I'll be showing respect to the Duke of Ning!
However, Zhang Lie, the commander of the Northern Frontier Army and the Duke of Ning, was extremely troubled by the frostbite of his soldiers. If he knew that his own son had wasted two or three hundred shi of glycerin...

With Zhang Lie's fiery temper, once he returns to the capital, this bastard will get what's coming to him!

Thinking of this, the Empress's expression softened considerably. She blinked and looked at Su Mo, saying softly, "I have lost my composure, please forgive me, my lord."

Su Mo quickly replied, "This humble servant wouldn't dare!"

Leng Liuxi snorted lightly: "But that Zhang Xuzu really annoys me."

He paused, then continued, "My lord has rendered great service to the court and to the 100,000 soldiers of the Northern Frontier!"

What reward do you desire?

"I will certainly plead with His Majesty and grant my husband's request!"

The Empress thought that, given Su Mo's personality, he would definitely take the opportunity to demand benefits.

Unexpectedly, Su Mo glanced at the sky outside and his expression turned serious: "This humble servant is only repaying your kindness and care, sir. How could I possibly ask for any benefits in such a matter of national importance!"

As he spoke, his eyes unconsciously glanced at the top of Leng Xixi's head.

It was just as he expected.

A look of surprise appeared on Leng Xixi's face, and the favorability bar above her head increased slightly.

It's 28%!
Su Mo took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "It's getting late, and I need to leave the palace, so I won't say any more to you, sir."

"Where is Uncle An?"

Leng Liuxi casually replied, "An Banban has gone to attend to something."

As she spoke, she glanced at Su Mo's eunuch attire and found it utterly ridiculous. She couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle, "With this attire, my lord, you can freely move around the inner garden." "If you encounter palace guards who question you, just show them the Phoenix Cry Secret Order, and no one will stop you."

"Uh..." The Empress paused, then warned Su Mo, "The inner palace is mostly inhabited by the late emperor's concubines, the eldest princess, and the young prince. Do not enter casually."

Su Mo naturally knew the difference between the inner palace and the outer court.

As the saying goes, with three thousand beauties in the imperial harem, one can tell who lives in the inner palace.

Even high-ranking officials of the court were not permitted to enter the inner palace.

I left the Linhu Palace feeling cold and with mixed feelings.

I never expected to see my second uncle outside the Linhu Palace!

That's almost certainly true.

My maternal uncles' original names were Chen Jin and Chen Zhong.

The old eunuch called himself Li Zhong, which was probably because he changed his surname after entering the palace, fearing that he would disgrace his ancestors.

The timing is right too.

The twenty-first year of Emperor Taizu's Yongde reign, thirty years ago.

Especially when he mentioned Li Jin, even though Li Zhong concealed it well, he still noticed something was amiss!
Most importantly, he looks exactly like his third uncle, Chen Qian!
Su Mo couldn't help but sigh.

I thought that my two maternal uncles would make a name for themselves in the inner court.

Leaving aside high-ranking eunuchs like the one in charge of the seal or the one in charge of the writing, it shouldn't be difficult to get a position like a manager.

In reality, he was so destitute that he had to steal from the palace to make a living!

However, this seems to be more in line with reality.

In the palace, it's not that easy for eunuchs to rise to the top! That's just a plot device in novels and TV dramas!
He spent thirty years in the palace, witnessing three emperors rise and fall; it was a miracle he didn't die.

I just don't know where my uncle is.

Judging from the second uncle's reaction, he probably didn't die either.

As Su Mo walked, he figured that An Wu had brought him in earlier and the Jinwu Guards protecting the inner garden had already memorized his appearance, which was why he hadn't been questioned. Before he knew it, he had walked out of the Xuanwu Gate.

……

Inside the Lakeside Hall.

An Wu solemnly held up a case file: "Your Majesty, the background of the eunuch Li Zhong has been thoroughly investigated."

The Empress said calmly, "Speak!"

An Wu immediately said, "Li Zhong is from Taihe County. In the twenty-first year of Yongde, he was recommended to the palace by Ma You, the second-class chief of the Imperial Horse Administration."

“From the seventh year of the Kaibao era, he served Consort Li… Later, he worked in the Palace Supervisor’s Office, but he still took care of his former mistress from time to time.”

Upon hearing the name Consort Li, the Empress frowned slightly.

An Wu secretly observed the Empress's expression, and then said, "Stealing the palace's valuables was not out of personal greed, but for the use of Consort Li."

Leng Liuxi remained silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "What is the connection between Li Zhong and Su Mo?"

An Wu said, "Your Majesty, Li Zhong should be Lord Su's second maternal uncle."

"This person's appearance is extremely similar to that of Chen Qian as depicted in the Fengming Division's case files!"

"And the timing of his entry into the palace also matches."

He paused slightly, then continued, "Li Zhong's original name should be Chen Zhong. He also has an elder brother. According to Lord Su, he may have changed his name to Li Jin, but there is no record of such a person in the palace."

Leng Liuxi nodded slightly: "Judging from what An Banban said, Li Zhong is indeed a man of deep affection and loyalty."

An Wu smiled and said, "After all, he is Lord Su's maternal uncle."

"Lord Su values ​​loyalty and righteousness. There is a saying that nephews often resemble their uncles, and a maternal uncle is certainly no different."

The Empress coldly replied, "That's not necessarily true."

"Su Mo is far more cunning than his own uncle... he's just a little fox!"

An Wu's wrinkled face trembled slightly, and he said with a forced smile, "Doesn't Lord Su have a third uncle?"

Upon hearing this, the Empress burst into laughter: "In that case, it's true that nephews often resemble their uncles!"

"He's loyal and cunning, he's inherited the traits of both of his uncles!"

She paused, then suddenly became curious: "An Banban, what kind of person do you think Uncle Su Mo is?"

An Wu hesitated for a moment: "This old servant can't guess!"

"Perhaps, it's about being generous and righteous?"

He would rather die than say that Chen Jin was a womanizer!

It doesn't say that becoming a eunuch means you can't be fond of women!

The Empress snorted: "Generous and righteous? I think it's greedy of them all!"

As she spoke, Liu Mei frowned slightly, and finally said calmly, "Go and inform Consort Li... that she may move freely within the inner palace!"

"In addition, Li Zhong, whose loyalty is commendable, is promoted to supervisor of the palace and awarded fifty taels of silver."

An Wu was about to accept the order and leave.

The Empress suddenly added, "And bestow upon me a robe adorned with a qilin!"

An Wu's body trembled slightly!
Your Majesty's favoritism towards everything related to the house is a bit too obvious, isn't it?
He dared not say more and quickly replied, "This old servant obeys!"

The Empress's reward was enough to shock An Wu.

But just as An Wu reached the palace entrance, the Empress's voice suddenly came from behind him: "Come back!"

An Wu immediately turned back.

The Empress frowned, her phoenix face showing hesitation: "Anbanban, do you think Su Mo would be angry with me if he knew that his second uncle was working in the Palace Guard?"

"Uh... what I mean is, I'm afraid that if Su Mo finds out about this, he will be disappointed in the court and won't be willing to work diligently for me!"

An Wu thought for a moment and said, "How about we transfer Li Zhong to the Directorate of Ceremonial?"

Empress: "Good!"

Anwu...

Li Zhong could hardly believe he was dreaming.

Even after returning to his room, he still couldn't figure out the reason.

Although he was a low-ranking eunuch, he had served Consort Li before and enjoyed many years of glory, so he knew the cruelty of the inner palace.

Every year, no fewer than a hundred eunuchs and palace maids go missing or are beaten to death!

In the inner palace, there is no good without a reason, only hatred without a reason!

Who exactly was that young eunuch?

How could he be so familiar with Ancestor An?
Why does it look so familiar?

Why would he help himself?
Having spent many years in the palace and witnessed countless conspiracies and treachery, the old eunuch could not understand the reason behind it!
There were many eunuchs in the palace. The Palace Attendant was responsible for cleaning and had a low status. An old eunuch like Li Zhong was not qualified to live alone in a room.

Upon seeing him return, the three eunuchs who lived with him stared at Li Zhong in disbelief, as if he were a ghost.

Taking advantage of the palace cleaning, he stole valuables from the palace, but was caught red-handed by the officials of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

How did they manage to come back alive?

Li Zhong saw them staring at him in shock, and squinted at his bed.

There are obvious signs that it has been rummaged through.

Li Zhong sneered inwardly.

This is the cruel reality of life in the palace!

If caught stealing valuables, they would surely die. They would immediately search for their belongings, knowing that even if they didn't, they would fall into the hands of other eunuchs.

In fact, Li Zhong himself had done the same thing more than a dozen times over the past thirty years!
He glanced at the three still-shocked eunuchs in his room, then walked out of the dilapidated room expressionlessly.

After composing myself, I headed towards Guangning Palace.

Guangning Palace also has another name: the Cold Palace!
Consort Li, whom Li Zhong once served, now resides in Guangning Palace.

The reason Li Zhong was transferred to the Palace Guard was ultimately because of Consort Li.

Although the Crown Prince was not born to Consort Li, he had a very good relationship with her.

After the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Consort Li moved from Shujing Palace to Guangning Palace.

The palace maids and eunuchs who served her were all dismissed, and she never stepped out of Guangning Palace again!

Everyone knows that for a concubine to enter the Cold Palace is practically the same as death. Only Chen Zhong, that fool, still goes to Guangning Palace from time to time to visit the disgraced Consort Li.

Upon arriving outside Guangning Palace, Li Zhong took a deep breath and looked at the dilapidated and gloomy gate of Guangning Palace.

He paused to straighten his robes.

Just as he was about to knock on the palace door.

Suddenly, more than a dozen palace eunuchs rushed toward him.

The one in the lead, wearing a patched purple robe, was actually the head eunuch of the Palace Guard.

Upon seeing Li Zhong from afar, the head eunuch shouted, "Eunuch Li, hurry up!"

"Ancestor An is looking for you!"

Li Zhong trembled and stared in shock at the head eunuch!

What did that bossy eunuch call us again?

Eunuch Li?
　There will be more after 12 o'clock!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)