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

Chapter 220 The Empress's Insomnia Requires Su Mo's Help!
Empress Wu, wielding the divine artifacts of the state and possessing supreme power, stood serenely under the wind, snow, and moon, exuding the air of a beautiful woman amidst the snow.

Su Mo composed himself and walked towards Leng Liuxi.

"Lord Leng..."

Before Su Mo could finish speaking, the Empress smiled sweetly at him and asked, "Would you like to take a walk with me?"

Su Mo...

Finally, he gave a wry smile and nodded: "Yeah!"

The two walked slowly along Suzaku Avenue, one after the other, towards Suzaku Gate.

There is no curfew in the capital, but in this kind of weather, even the patrolling soldiers are unwilling to go out and patrol, let alone ordinary people.

On the deserted street, only Su Mo and the Empress stood.

Occasionally, soldiers would stop and check on them, but Su Mo would show his identification token and be sent away.

They walked quietly, braving the wind and snow, for almost half an hour, until they reached the Vermilion Bird Gate.

Su Mo had assumed that the Empress would continue toward the inner city.

The empress suddenly changed direction and headed towards the Willow River.

Su Mo could only quicken his pace to catch up. Just as he was about to speak, Leng Liuxi suddenly turned her head to look at him and took the initiative to speak: "Actually, I am quite envious of my husband."

Su Mo was immediately taken aback: "Why?"

Leng Liuxi smiled and said, "It's nothing. It's just that I feel that my husband is living a carefree and comfortable life, much better than I am."

Su Mo was both amused and exasperated: "Why is my lord so sentimental today? I'm not used to it."

Leng Liuxi blinked and suddenly asked, "In Su Lang's eyes, what kind of person should I be?"

Su Mo thought for a moment, then looked at the Empress very seriously: "Omnipotent!"

"Hmm... let's add 'decisive and ruthless' as well!"

The Empress tilted her head, looking at Su Mo with a half-smile: "Am I not a cunning and treacherous little woman?"

Su Mo stated firmly: "That's not true!"

The Empress smiled and asked, "So, Su Lang really didn't lie to me?"

Su Mo said righteously, "This humble servant is well-read and never lies!"

"Yeah, right!" the Empress added for Su Mo, then asked curiously, "How many years of schooling has Su Lang received?"

Su Mo...

It seems like in this world, I'm supposed to be portrayed as an illiterate person?

As far as I can remember, I never attended elementary school!

Seeing that Su Mo was speechless, the Empress did not press further, and said, "Since you think I am omnipotent, are you not curious about my true identity?"

Su Mo's heart skipped a beat.

Is the Empress planning to confront me?

Given what I did to her, even beheading her ten times wouldn't be too much.

We absolutely cannot let her reveal her true colors!
He quickly said, "Ahem! Actually... actually, this humble servant has already guessed your identity, sir."

The Empress suddenly became a little excited, took a deep breath, and looked at Su Mo with shining eyes: "Su Lang, tell me about it?"

Su Mo took a deep breath: "Your Excellency is the sister of the current Emperor!"

He asserted with absolute certainty: "It's either the eldest princess or a county princess!"

The Empress obediently took a half-step back, her face filled with shock: "I never imagined that even though I concealed it so well, my lord still discovered the clues!"

She paused, then looked at Su Mo earnestly: "Now that you know my identity, will you ignore me in the future, Su Lang?"

Su Mo thought for a moment: "Does my lord wish me to continue to pay attention to you, or should I ignore you?"

The Empress glared at Su Mo with annoyance. Seeing that they had unknowingly walked to the riverbank, she pointed to the stone slab under a large willow tree by the river: "Let's go sit down."

Su Mo was speechless.

"The Liushui River is frozen over, what's there to see?"

"It's freezing cold, and it's snowing. Why don't we go back and rest?"

The Empress raised her small fist and waved it in front of Su Mo's face: "Would you like to say it again, Su Lang? I didn't hear you very clearly."

Su Mo: "I said! Okay!"

The Empress walked to the stone slab, waved her sleeve, and the snowflakes on the slab instantly disappeared. Then she sat down on the slab.

Su Mo glanced at the stone slab that was less than two feet long, and then at the Empress's breathtakingly voluptuous curves. He didn't know whether he should sit down or not!
The Empress blinked her pretty eyes at Su Mo: "Why don't you sit down, Su Lang?"

Su Mo gritted her teeth and plopped down on the floor!

The stone slabs were short, and the two people sitting together were almost shoulder to shoulder. From a distance, they looked like intimate lovers having a midnight rendezvous.

A faint, delicate fragrance wafted into Su Mo's nostrils.

The fragrance of orchids also carries a subtle scent that is not from perfume.

The empress remained silent, seemingly lost in thought, staring intently at the frozen river surface.

Su Mo felt like there were a lot of ants biting her butt.

Now I finally understand why there's an idiom called "restless and uneasy."

Sitting next to her is none other than the Great Wu Empress!
Is he now on equal footing with the Great Wu Empress?

Does this mean I can cut off my own head one more time?
Since the Empress remained silent, he naturally dared not speak either.

But when he saw the tiny snowflakes constantly falling on the Empress's cloak, hair, and hair ornaments, Su Mo's expression changed slightly.

This is not critical.

The key issue is that the snowflakes are not falling evenly!

There were noticeably more snowflakes on my shoulder than on the other side!

My OCD is acting up again!

Su Mo couldn't help but reach out and brush the snowflakes off the Empress's shoulder.

After brushing some away, it finally looked much better.

Just as Su Mo was about to withdraw her hand.

Unexpectedly, the Empress suddenly shifted her body and leaned against his shoulder.

Su Mo's whole body stiffened.

The hand brushing away the snowflakes hesitated, unsure whether to withdraw it or let it go.

In the end, they found there was nowhere to put it after taking it back, so they could only gently drape it over the Empress's waist.

The curve at the waist dimples is truly astonishing!
Su Mo remained frozen for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Seeing that the Empress still did not speak, her head rested completely on his shoulder and neck.

He couldn't help but look down.

To their astonishment, they discovered that the Empress's eyes were closed, and tiny frost flowers had formed on her long eyelashes.

Her breathing became even, and she fell asleep without realizing it.

Su Mo...

Wasn't it said that the Empress had trouble sleeping?

The system says that mental illness requires mental medicine, but could that mental medicine be referring to myself?
Did I misunderstand the system's meaning?
Are we still going to write Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Legend of Zhenguan?
Hmm, how shocked would my third uncle, that official-obsessed man, be if he knew that the Empress was sleeping on his back?

Also, how is my second uncle doing in the palace?

Suddenly, Su Mo's mind began to wander, her thoughts drifting far away, even recalling various events from her past life.

I wonder who ultimately benefited from that 4TB hard drive!
To prevent the Empress from catching a cold, Su Mo could only shift his position, pressing his body closer to the Empress and pulling her into his arms.

This should make it easier to sleep.

He leaned against the large willow tree behind the stone slab and felt much more comfortable.

Time passes slowly.

Finally, Su Mo's thoughts drifted to the possibility of Earthlings suddenly invading the Great Wu Dynasty, and he unknowingly fell asleep.

In the distance, the sound of banging could be heard.

It's past midnight!

The Empress's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she suddenly woke up, only to find that Su Mo was holding her tightly. Her pretty face instantly turned red!

She was about to break free from Su Mo's embrace, but hesitated for a moment, then extended her delicate finger and gently tapped Su Mo's neck before carefully brushing his hand away and freeing herself from his embrace.

The morning court session begins at dawn.

We had to prepare for court proceedings at midnight.

In the town's neighborhoods and courtyards, many lanterns have already been lit.

The officials in the courtyard were already preparing to attend court.

The Empress thought for a moment, took off her cloak, draped it over Su Mo, and then vanished in a flash.

……

"Lord Su! Wake up!"

Su Mo was sleeping soundly when she suddenly heard a hurried voice and groggily opened her eyes.

Suddenly, he saw Meng Yuankai, dressed in an official robe, wearing a black gauze hat, and holding a tablet, bending down slightly and patting his shoulder.

When Meng Yuankai saw Su Mo wake up, he frowned and then asked with a hint of surprise, "Lord Su, why are you sleeping here?"

"It's freezing cold, Lord Su, be careful not to catch a cold!"

Su Mo was stunned for a moment before she realized what was happening.

He accompanied the Empress on a midnight stroll, and eventually fell asleep under a willow tree.

What about the Empress?
When did they manage to escape?

That shouldn't be the case. Even if I'm extremely sleepy, I'm still a Soul-Stabilizing Realm sorcerer.

They are quick to notice and detect any disturbances.

Has the Empress resorted to tricks on me again?

Su Mo subconsciously glanced at the cloak draped over her shoulders. She wondered what kind of animal fur it was made of; it was warm and cozy, and she felt no chill at all!
Hmm, there's still a pleasant fragrance lingering.

Seeing Meng Yuankai looking at him with concern, Su Mo could only smile and say, "I had some business to attend to yesterday and intended to rest here for a while, but I ended up falling asleep. I hope you can forgive me, Lord Meng."

As he spoke, he glanced at Meng Yuankai's attire and asked, "Lord Meng, you're going to court so early?"

Meng Yuankai smiled and said, "It's getting late, it's almost dawn."

"I happened to be passing by and saw Lord Su sleeping soundly under the tree, so I woke him up."

"Since Lord Su is alright, I won't say any more to you. I need to hurry to the Meridian Gate to wait for the morning court session."

After saying that, he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to Su Mo and hurried away.

Su Mo watched Meng Yuankai's retreating figure speechlessly.

It's not even dawn yet, only 3 a.m., and they have to go to the morning court. It's simply inhuman work.

Thankfully, I don't have to be like them!
Being a court official is truly unfit!
He tightened his cloak and looked around. Sure enough, he saw many officials hurrying toward the Vermilion Bird Gate.

Most officials would go to court alone under the moonlight, not even daring to use lanterns.

Some rode in sedan chairs or even horse-drawn carriages, surrounded by servants.

It was clear that most of the court officials were indeed living a miserable life, but Su Mo didn't know whether they were faking it or not.

Wrapped in a cloak, he hurried back to his own house.

A charcoal stove was lit in the courtyard greenhouse, but instead of Jiang Laoshi, a different servant was watching over it.

Su Mo warned him to be careful of ants and rats eating sweet potatoes, then returned to her bedroom in the back courtyard.

Just as the candles were lit, Lin Moyin sat up and looked at him suspiciously.

The house was very large with many rooms, but Lin Moyin had already gotten used to sleeping in Su Mo's room.

She glanced at Su Mo's cloak: "My lord..."

Su Mo: "I'm so sleepy, let's talk after I've had some sleep!"

I only slept for an hour or two before Meng Yuankai woke me up, so I need to catch up on my sleep.

He took off his cloak and robe and crawled directly into bed.

The blankets feel so cold!

Su Mo touched Lin Moyin's body, frowned and asked, "Why are you so cold? Have you had another attack?"

Lin Moyin's delicate nose twitched, and her pretty face became suspicious: "Why does my lord have such a cold aura about him?"

Su Mo said, "Now that Madam has advanced to the Returning Aperture Realm, the Yin Sha Qi is even more severe than before!"

Lin Moyin glanced at the white cloak on the shelf again: "Is this a chilly cloak?"

Su Mo thought for a moment and said, "I must cultivate together with my wife!"

Lin Moyin frowned: "Why did you meet in the middle of the night? What is the purpose of your meeting?"

Su Mo immediately replied, "My magic power is now abundant, and I can certainly help you drive away the cold!"

Lin Moyin's expression turned somewhat unpleasant: "Could it be that that cold-hearted girl has fallen for the young master?"

Su Mo stretched out his arm and hugged the Commander: "After absorbing the Vajra Pestle from the Fu family, it has become much sharper. This time it will definitely last even longer!"

Having said that, he flipped the Commander onto himself and activated the Yang Tian Technique...

Lin Moyin gave a heavy snort.

Then, in perfect coordination, he activated the Heavenly Serpent Yin Sha Technique.

Yin and Yang blend together, and the spirit and soul rejoice.

Sure enough, after the Locust God's Demon-Subduing Pestle absorbed another Demon-Subduing Pestle, its magical power more than doubled.

However, this time the heat flowing into the body was faintly mixed with a cold aura, as if two energies, one hot and one cold, were intertwined.

Fortunately, it doesn't affect the cultivation effect.

This time, the fellow practitioners lasted almost twice as long as before!
Once Lin Moyin's body warmed up, she fell into a deep sleep.

Su Mo wiped away a cold sweat, thinking to himself that he should really find an opportunity to ask Leng Xixi next time what was so strange about this Vajra Pestle.

The mighty Empress Wu, what good things doesn't she have?

They probably won't steal my Vajra Pestle.

Su Mo was also afraid.

The more I look at this vajra, the less it seems like a good thing.

Strictly speaking, the Locust God can be considered an evil god. The reason why people worship the Locust God is out of fear of him.

The second Vajra Pestle, used as a weapon in the Eight Gates Ghost Spider Gathering Formation, absorbed so much black energy that it looked even less like a good thing.

The origin of the Vajra Pestle is mysterious and strange; even Nangong Sheyue and Lin Moyin, two cultivators at the Returning Aperture Realm, do not know its origin.

We really need to ask the Empress for clarification.

However, I need to inform Nangong Sheyue and his wife beforehand, so as not to harm them.

Well, just say that you found it by chance at the Fu family mansion, and that Nangong Sheyue and his wife were unaware of it.

As Su Mo pondered, she held the now-relieving Lord Qianhu in her arms and unknowingly fell asleep again.

Half-asleep, I felt the commander quietly get up, put on his official robes, and go to work.

When Su Mo woke up again, it was already past Chen Shi (7-9 AM).

The inner quarters were deserted.

Lin Moyin, Liu Siyun, and Jiang Lan all had their own things to do.

Even Xue Yishu went to the Meng family to visit her best friend.

Su Mo had no choice but to rely on himself to make a living.

After getting dressed and washing up,

Upon seeing the cloak on the hanger, I noticed that the snowflakes on it had completely melted away, and the cloak was dry, soft, and completely dry.

With mixed feelings, Su Mo carefully put away the cloak.

He then sent a servant to summon Ding Yu.

Ding Yu, who was thin and short, quickly followed the servants to the main hall of the Su residence to pay his respects to Su Mo.

"Does the Master have something to discuss with me?"

"Could it be that the Master is going back to Tianchang County?"

Ding Yu had been working with Su Mo in Tianchang County for a long time, and was no longer as reserved as he had been at the beginning.

He was once a junior official in the Ministry of Revenue, but now he has been reduced to the embarrassing situation of working as a secretary for the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Su Mo waved his hand: "Mr. Ding, please have a seat!"

"I summoned you here because I have something to ask you."

As he spoke, he personally poured tea for Ding Yu, but before getting to the point, he changed the subject: "Mr. Ding's family, are they settled in?"

Ding Yu didn't stand on ceremony with Su Mo. After taking a sip of tea, he smiled and said, "It's all settled in. I've rented a courtyard near the old man's house."

"Commander Lin arranged for my daughter to work as an accountant at the Misty Rain Pavilion."

Now that I'm not an official, my life is much more comfortable than when I was.

Su Mo was very generous, giving him thirty taels of silver a month, which was more than his salary from the imperial court!
Previously, Ding Yu's annual salary was less than two hundred shi (a unit of dry measure), equivalent to about one hundred and fifty taels of silver.

Now, with over three hundred taels a year, Su Mo also mentioned that there would be a year-end bonus similar to the imperial decree, which Ding Yu was very satisfied with, making him even more comfortable than before.

Therefore, Ding Yu felt a little guilty that Su Mo hadn't asked him to do anything these past few days.

Upon hearing Su Mo's summons, he immediately came over.

Su Mo pondered for a moment: "Mr. Ding has been in the capital for many years. Does he know anything about the papermaking industry?"

Ding Yu was taken aback upon hearing this: "Why did you suddenly ask about papermaking, sir?"

In his view, Su Mo, a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, had absolutely nothing to do with the papermaking industry.

Su Mo smiled and said, "It's nothing, I just suddenly had the idea to make paper."

Ding Yu...

Has my husband lost his mind?
However, he did not question Su Mo, and frowned and pondered: "As far as I know, there are quite a few aristocratic families in the capital who know how to make paper."

"The Xuan paper from the Cui family is of unparalleled quality and is more valuable than gold!"

"However, this is a closely guarded secret of powerful clans, and even the imperial court cannot forcibly demand it."

He paused, then frowned and looked at Su Mo: "Master Dong said he wanted to make paper. Does Master Dong have the skill of making paper?"

Su Mo nodded: "I've done some research."

"It just requires the papermakers to experiment with it."

As he spoke, his brows furrowed: "But judging from what you've said, papermakers must be hard to find?"

Ding Yu corrected Su Mo's statement with an extremely serious expression: "It's not that it's hard to find, it's that it's simply impossible to find!"

“Any craftsman who knows the art of papermaking is a treasure of a powerful family, and must be a servant born into the family. It is impossible for him to be used by outsiders!”

Su Mo...

So, does this mean that if we want to make paper, we have to train our own papermakers? There's no shortcut?

Ding Yu then said earnestly, "I advise you, sir, to give up the idea of ​​making paper."

"The profits from papermaking are comparable to those from rice and salt."

"But precisely because of this, it is not something ordinary people can get involved in; otherwise, it will surely invite a full-scale crackdown from the paper-making tycoons!"

Su Mo frowned: "I am a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and Mo'er is a commander of a thousand men in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Is this not permissible?"

Ding Yu shook his head resolutely: "No!"

Upon hearing this, Su Mo immediately became indignant!

Are those powerful clans that know how to make paper really that powerful? Even more powerful than Zhang Shouning?

I really don't believe it!
I'm determined to make this paper!
(End of this chapter)