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

Chapter 263 The Empress's Million Whys

Leng Liuxi was so angry at Su Mo that she gritted her teeth.

I long to summon my pet blue phoenix right now and fly back to the capital overnight.

Then they stole all the silver melons he had hidden in the cellar.

However, considering that Su Mo discovered the treasure vault was stolen, he didn't hide the silver in the cellar, and he couldn't control Su Mo's financial situation.

They had no choice but to give up, disappointed.

The empress, annoyed, suddenly rolled her eyes and chuckled, "What Su Lang says is absolutely right. I was indeed short-sighted."

“Ordinary people are driven by profit, and they can get things done by spending a little money, which is indeed more convenient than the government conscripting fishermen.”

"but……"

The Empress changed the subject: "Su Lang still needs to inform the county government about this matter."

Su Mo was taken aback upon hearing this and subconsciously asked, "Why is that?"

The Empress did not answer Su Mo's question.

His gaze shifted to Nangong Sheyue.

Nangong Sheyue immediately explained in a deep voice, "The imperial court has banned fishing, but fishermen fish near the sea for their livelihood, and the government turns a blind eye. His Majesty is merciful, and the court will not punish them severely."

"If such a massive ship is launched into the sea and the government continues to turn a blind eye and shirk their duties, how can His Majesty forgive such a thing!"

Su Mo's heart skipped a beat.

I had completely forgotten about that.

They only thought that once they went to sea, the Dawu government would have no say in the matter, but they didn't expect that the ship would eventually have to dock to sort out the catch and replenish supplies.

He said in a deep voice, "The two gentlemen have indeed thought things through thoroughly!"

"What should we do then?"

Nangong Sheyue said calmly, "The Heavenly Mother Cult has never given up its desire to cause trouble for my Great Wu. Although most of them have been eliminated by the court, there are still remnants who have gone to sea to wait for an opportunity to cause trouble."

"I am carrying His Majesty's secret order, instructing you, sir, to go to sea and search for the remnants of the Heavenly Mother Cult."

"All localities and prefectures, upon seeing this secret order, must cooperate fully and without error!"

Su Mo stared in disbelief, then subconsciously looked at Leng Liuxi.

The Empress wore a smug expression, clearly proud of her brilliant idea!
Su Mo couldn't help but sigh.

The Empress has become cunning!
The name of the Heavenly Mother Cult is really too useful.

Suppressing the Heavenly Mother Cult is the politically correct course for the Great Wu, standing on the side of righteousness.

Court officials can oppose opening the seas, but can they oppose the imperial court going to sea to hunt down the Heavenly Mother Sect?
Su Mo strongly suspected that the Empress had ulterior motives for not wiping out the Heavenly Mother Sect even after several years on the throne!
I've learned another important survival skill from ancient times!
After Nangong Sheyue finished speaking, he took out a letter from his sleeve, handed it to Su Mo, and said solemnly, "Keep this secret order safe, Commander Su. Do not show it to anyone unless necessary."

Su Mo accepted the letter with both hands with a serious expression, put it into his treasure pouch at his waist, and said in a deep voice, "Rest assured, my lords!"

"This humble servant knows the importance of this matter and will not easily show this confidential letter to anyone!"

Seeing that Su Mo had accepted the secret letter, the Empress suddenly turned to Nangong Sheyue and said, "Lord Nangong, didn't you say earlier that you needed to go to the county office to inform the prefect that we would meet in the fishing village tomorrow?"

Upon hearing this, Nangong Sheyue was immediately taken aback.

Wasn't An Wu heading to the prefectural government office by carriage?
Why do I have to go to the prefectural government office again?
The Empress wants to be alone with Su Mo... no, she wants to discuss something with Su Mo alone?
She nodded and said calmly, "That's true!"

"Commander Leng and Commander Su are guarding the ships here. I will now go to the prefectural government office!"

Nangong Sheyue drifted away.

Su Mo looked at the Empress with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

But before he could speak, Leng Liuxi had already lightly leaped onto the watchtower, then waved to Su Mo: "Su Lang, come up here!"

Su Mo had no choice but to bend his knees slightly and jump onto the watchtower as well: "Your Majesty..."

Leng Liuxi immediately interrupted him: "I've already said, when it's just the two of us, you are not allowed to call me Your Majesty."

As she spoke, she sat cross-legged on the watchtower and patted the seat next to her, saying, "My lord, you may sit as well."

Su Mo looked at the space that was only a little over 30 centimeters away.

His expression turned strange.

The lookout tower was already small, meant for sailors to climb and look out into the distance. The Empress, being slightly plump, took up most of the space when she sat cross-legged.

If I sit down again, won't I be squeezed together with the Empress?
But standing doesn't seem appropriate either.

The imperial decree was difficult to obey, so Su Mo could only reluctantly sit down.

In an instant, the two filled the observation deck, their bodies naturally pressed tightly together.

Su Mo caught a chill the day before and wore a thicker robe, but the Empress was only wearing a light green gauze dress!

Unlike Lin Moyin's perpetually cold body.

Su Mo could clearly feel the warmth of the Empress's body.

The Empress, seemingly oblivious to any awkwardness, took out her telescope from her sleeve, played with it briefly, and then gazed at the sea with great interest.

Su Mo felt a little uncomfortable, so she moved closer to the Empress to make herself more comfortable, and then watched silently from the side.

The Empress gazed at the sea for a while, then suddenly put down her binoculars, turned to look at Su Mo, and her pretty face showed curiosity.

“Su Lang is very knowledgeable about the sea.”

"Does Su Lang know what kind of situation lies at the end of the sea?"

Su Mo thought for a moment: "It should be another landmass like the Great Wu."

He initially thought this was the legendary world of immortal cultivation, where the heavens are round and the earth is square.

But just then, I saw the ship approaching from afar. I don't know if it was just my imagination, but it seemed to be just like the true rumor said, that I saw the sails first and then the hull.

It appears that they have traveled to a spherical planet.

Of course, this is most likely an illusion.

After all, the horizon is very far away, and it is impossible for the human eye to see ships in the distance, let alone see the sails before seeing the ship.

However, the sextant carried on board the ship further corroborates this point.

Since it's not a spherical planet, the sextant is useless, and the system doesn't need to go to such lengths.

The Empress, however, persisted in her question after hearing Su Mo's words: "And beyond that other landmass?"

Su Mo: "The vast ocean?"

Empress: "On the other side of the vast ocean?"

Su Mo...

If this question continues, it will never end.

He coughed twice: "My lord, is it possible that beyond the vast ocean lies your Great Wu Empire?"

The Empress was stunned upon hearing this and turned to look at Su Mo: "What?"

"Da Wu?"

"How could I not understand what you mean, Su Lang?"

Su Mo raised his fist: "If I'm not mistaken, our world is shaped like this fist."

He casually pointed to his fist: "For example, Da Wu is here, and beyond that is the sea, and then... after going around in circles, it returns to the original point of Da Wu."

Even the wise Empress blinked in bewilderment, unable to process Su Mo's words for a long time.

"Wait a minute!" After being bewildered for a long time, the Empress finally noticed the flaw in Su Mo's words and snorted, "My lord is playing tricks on me again!"

"If the world were round, wouldn't all living things beneath the sphere fall down?"

Su Mo looked annoyed.

In this world, apart from the cultivation of immortality, all physical rules still apply.

It seems to be based on the original Earth, with the addition of an extra rule for cultivating immortality.

Gravity definitely exists!

But how do I explain gravity to the Empress?
Su Mo simply remained silent.

The Empress immediately became smug!

In the past, Su Mo would talk about the white-bearded old man and the white-bearded Taoist priest every day, and I had no way to refute him. Now I can finally hold my head high.

She winked smugly, but didn't press her advantage, giving her man some face.

Let's return to the previous topic.

"Su Lang, what do you think is the difference between that land overseas and our Great Wu?"

Su Mo replied without hesitation, "This humble servant does not know either."

The Empress blinked her beautiful eyes: "There are things that even my husband doesn't know?"

Su Mo smiled wryly and said, "My lord, please don't joke with me! There are countless things I don't know!"

He really didn't lie to the Empress this time.

After all, this isn't Earth; who knows what's on the land beyond the ocean?

The Empress blinked again: "Can our ship sail all the way to the other side of the sea?" Su Mo's forehead creased with annoyance.

Let's leave the task of exploring new continents to Zheng He and Columbus.

Isn't it better to just stay put, tend to your small plot of land, and live a simple life?
In ancient times, long voyages were extremely dangerous, with a high chance of survival!

Not to mention, this is a world where sorcerers, monsters, and even gods and ghosts coexist!

Furthermore! This ship belongs to me!

He smiled wryly and said, "My lord, I truly do not know! I'm afraid my ship cannot travel that far!"

The Empress's face darkened slightly, and she said with a hint of disappointment, "I didn't expect that Su Lang really didn't know."

"I really want to go and see the other side of the sea."

Su Mo was immediately taken aback.

Empress, you should refrain from having such lofty ambitions!
Otherwise, I'll be the one leading the vanguard 99% of the time!
He quickly said, "It must be exactly the same as Da Wu over there, there's nothing to see!"

The Empress's eyes suddenly lit up: "Just like our Great Wu?"

Upon hearing this, Su Mo felt a sense of foreboding and quickly said, "No! It should be a desolate place. There are hardly any people, let alone cats or dogs."

The Empress suddenly looked at Su Mo suspiciously, making Su Mo feel uncomfortable all over. He then frowned and asked, "Judging from your words, does my husband know about the situation on the other side of the sea?"

"Does my lord look at me as if he is terrified that I will go to the other side of the sea?"

Su Mo had a sudden inspiration and said righteously, "This humble servant is worried about your safety, sir."

"The sea is treacherous, and a long voyage is fraught with uncertainty..."

Empress: "I can send someone else..."

Su Mo...

After a moment of silence, he said softly, "Actually, I'm quite afraid of dying too."

The Empress couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright, alright! I won't let Su Lang go out to sea either!"

As she spoke, the Empress leaned her head gently against Su Mo's shoulder without warning and said inexplicably, "It's really cold this winter."

Su Mo nodded subconsciously in agreement: "It is indeed a bit cold."

The Empress emphasized, "I say, it's really cold!"

Su Mo...

What else can I say?

Take off your robe and drape it over the Empress!

The Empress then gave a soft snort, rolled her eyes at Su Mo, and rested her head on Su Mo's shoulder without saying a word.

A sneeze!

Without the thick robes, the cold sea breeze made Su Mo sneeze!

The Empress looked up at Su Mo, her eyebrows furrowing slightly: "Has Su Lang caught a cold?"

Su Mo smiled wryly, "I caught a chill the other day. I never thought that even at the Soul Stabilizing Realm, I would still catch a cold."

The Empress hesitated for a moment, then finally lifted her robe and covered Su Mo with it, gently tightening the robe to wrap both of their bodies completely.

Su Mo...

The familiar scent wafted into my nostrils again.

The Empress rested her head on his shoulder without speaking, and Su Mo didn't know what to say either.

You can't exactly start a conversation by saying that there might be good things like potatoes, corn, and peanuts on the other side of the ocean!
This is just asking for trouble!
The two nestled together quietly, and before they knew it, the Empress had fallen into a deep sleep.

The deeper the night, the lower the temperature, especially at the extremely humid seaside.

Su Mo was already suffering from a cold, and even though he was close to the Empress, he felt the chill seep into his bones!
After a moment of adjustment, Su Mo gritted his teeth, moved his slightly numb legs, and lifted the Empress up in his arms.

With a surge of magical power, he jumped off the watchtower.

The Empress's eyelashes trembled slightly.

Su Mo carried the Empress into the captain's cabin and gently placed her on the bed.

There was only a bed, no blankets.

Su Mo could only cover the Empress with the woolen robe.

He then sat cross-legged, circulated his magic power to resist the cold, and with his Soul-Stabilizing Realm cultivation, he should be able to get through the night... Achoo!
The empress could no longer keep up the act.

Seeing Su Mo's disheveled appearance, she covered her mouth and let out a giggle like the tinkling of bells!

Then her pretty face flushed slightly, she gritted her teeth and whispered, "Su Lang...you...you should come up and sleep with me too!"

After saying that, he immediately turned his face to the other side, not daring to meet Su Mo's gaze.

But it was obvious that her pink neck had turned red.

He leaned his body slightly inward, making room for half of the bed!

Su Mo was stunned.

I really don't want to sleep with the Empress. I can handle a little cold on my own!

However, Leng Liuxi is the emperor, and his imperial decree cannot be disobeyed; it would result in beheading.

I have no choice but to sleep with her.

Su Mo acted immediately and went to bed right away.

Although the cotton robe was large, it was a bit small for two people to cover themselves with. As they slept, they felt a little cold, so they reflexively hugged the Empress to sleep, which was warmer. This was perfectly reasonable and there was nothing wrong with it.

Sleepless night!
When the first rays of sunlight shone into the captain's cabin through the ship's windows.

Su Mo quickly released his large hand from the Empress's waist, and he and the Empress woke up at the same time!
Su Mo swallowed hard, turned to look at the Empress, and was about to speak.

As a result, the Empress also turned her head at the same time!
Su Mo felt an incredibly beautiful, slightly languid face suddenly appear in her sight.

Then my lips suddenly touched something soft and slightly warm.

Uh……

It feels like I've stumbled upon something I absolutely mustn't be allowed to touch!

Su Mo, in a moment of foolish recklessness, stuck out her tongue!
It's a little sweet!
But before he could fully savor the experience, he found himself flying uncontrollably through the air, all the way from the captain's cabin to the ship's deck!

Su Mo was both amused and exasperated!

The Empress has such a terrible temper when she wakes up!
Looking at the entrance to the cabin, Su Mo suddenly realized a very serious problem.

He kissed the Empress and even tasted her. The consequences must be, probably, possibly quite serious, right?
Where is my second uncle? What should I do if my nephew accidentally kissed the Empress? Urgent!
This is not a joke.

Although the Empress seemed interested in him, this was definitely going too far.

If the Empress truly made him her husband, she certainly wouldn't allow Lin Moyin and the others to continue existing!

How should I refuse?

The Empress has appeared. How do I explain to her that this was an accident?

Su Mo was racking his brains to find a way to deal with it when a cold wind blew, his nose itched, and he sneezed uncontrollably twice in a row!
A shadow fell over Su Mo as a warm wool robe was draped over him!
Leng Liuxi walked out of the cabin with a normal expression.

Su Mo quickly checked the favorability progress bar above the Empress's head.

Thank goodness, it didn't fall!
It even rose to 53%!

He probably won't be executed by slow slicing or have his entire family wiped out!

Su Mo felt his mind had never been so sharp before. He hurriedly strode towards the Empress and took off his robe again: "My lady, the yin energy is strong in the morning, please wear this robe! Achoo!"

The Empress didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and in the end she could only roll her eyes at Su Mo: "My lord's health is not good, you should wear it, I'm fine."

Su Mo was immediately indignant.

You can say whatever you want, but you can't say a man is no good!
He emphasized his words and patted his chest: "I'm perfectly healthy! A little cold is nothing!"

"You should wear these clothes, sir!"

The Empress was slightly moved and said softly, "I really don't need it! My husband should wear it!"

Su Mo persisted, "No! Adults should wear it!"

This is a rare opportunity to increase the Empress's favorability.

Su Mo will definitely not let this go!

The higher the favorability rating, the harder it is to increase!

"Su Mo, I really don't need it!" The Empress couldn't refuse Su Mo, so she could only flip her hand over, and a crimson bead appeared in her palm.

Su Mo felt the temperature around her suddenly rise by several degrees.

The Empress explained, "This Fire Suan Pearl has the effect of dispelling cold and warding off chills."

She paused, then said with a very serious expression, "I'm really not afraid of the cold!"

Su Mo's face darkened, and she felt like she had a million curses to say in her heart!

If you have such a treasure, why didn't you bring it out last night?
(End of this chapter)