The Empress Kneels in Her Palace to Admit Her Mistakes After Slaying Her Ways in the Female-Oriented

Since it concerned her third sister, Su Li, Su Jin initially wanted to hold back from asking, but after hesitating for a moment, she still spoke up.

"My lord, I have a question to ask."

"Ask away."

Ren Tianye now considers Su Jin one of his own. He is always generous and magnanimous to his own people, and he doesn't put on airs in more private situations.

"My lord, where did that purse come from?"

Su Jin asked a question and immediately explained, "This is quite important to me. I humbly request that Your Excellency, the Duke, inform me of the details."

"It's nothing serious, why make such a fuss?" Ren Tianye laughed. "To be honest, I'm a little embarrassed. This was a gift from Empress Xiao Mingzhao. She told me to keep it safe and become a peerless hero who can save her someday..."

Ren Tianye shook his head: "Her idea amused me for quite a while."

Su Jin understood.

Empress, Xiao Mingzhao!

However, the fact that Empress Xiao Mingzhao and the person suspected to be her third sister used the same concentric knot pattern only intensified the doubts in her heart.

Her third sister lived in the northern frontier for a long time and rarely came to the capital.

Even during her few trips to the capital, she accompanied Empress Xiao Mingzhao, making it impossible for her to have any interaction with her.

Moreover, that was Empress Xiao Mingzhao.

The third sister, Su Li, was merely the daughter of a small merchant in the Northern Frontier. No matter how wealthy the Su family was in the Northern Frontier, they were simply not on the same level as Empress Xiao Mingzhao, who ruled the entire country.

How could they be connected in this way?

"Could it be...not Third Sister?"

Su Jin was making plans in her mind.

However, to get an answer right now, she had to wait for her second uncle, Su Hong's, reply. She had already sent a letter to Su Hong, but the capital city and the northern frontier were far apart, and it would take some time for them to travel back and forth.

"What's wrong?" Ren Tianye noticed Su Jin's unusual expression and asked.

Su Jin said, "Your Excellency, I feel that this love knot is rather unusual."

"Things that come from the palace are naturally extraordinary. Is that so strange?"

"No!" Su Jin said, "This love knot is not different in terms of material, but in terms of style. There are many love knots on the market, but this style is unique."

"This style is unique, bold, and has an indescribable beauty, as if it is particularly... orderly."

Neat and orderly?

These two words immediately touched Ren Tianye's heart.

Because what he immediately thought of was industrial processes.

He immediately asked Su Jin to bring him various love knot patterns available on the market. He compared them one by one, and the smile on his face completely disappeared, replaced by a solemn expression.

This design...it's so damn modern!

Zhenzhen is completely different from the Tongxin Knot of the Great Yu Dynasty!

"It's not Xiao Mingzhao, it's the Empress Dowager... but what's with this love knot?"

Ren Tianye was also confused, but he was decisive and ordered Su Jin, "Your Demon Suppression Division, besides what I just told you about the love-struck fools in the capital, the late emperor, and the prostitute empress, must also pay attention to the 'Knot of Hearts'!"

Su Jin nodded and said, "Lord Duke, our Demon Suppression Division has indeed discovered something, which is what I just reported. It concerns the late Emperor..."

"It seems to be related to this shared bond as well."

After a pause, Su Jin asked, "Lord Duke, do you still remember the Imperial Guard?"

Ren Tianye naturally remembered.

Gu Qingyue, whom he let go, was the commander of the Imperial Guards. How could he not remember him?!

"The current commander of the Imperial Guard is Chen Liang. He has three squad leaders, each commanding several hundred men. They are responsible for daily training, patrols, and dispatching. In case of trouble, they are the vanguard, responsible for patrolling the capital, making arrests, and summoning people."

"Now, one of his squads has been replaced by our men. Through his clues, we learned that one of them, named Du Tao, is a demonic lover, and that his ancestors were servants of the late emperor and possess a love knot purse."

Ren Tianye nodded. He rarely took the initiative to handle these small matters, so he naturally delegated the authority to Su Jin: "Just do it. If anything happens, I will take responsibility for you."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Su Jin took his leave, organized his men, and headed straight for the Imperial Guard.

……

Pei Residence.

Pei Jingzhi seemed like a walking corpse, only muttering, "Chen Liang, how's the organization of the Imperial Guards going?"

"Perhaps I could use them all?"

Pei Jingzhi didn't even refer to himself as "this official," but rather as "this old man."

This unusual behavior allowed Chen Liang to quickly grasp Pei Jingzhi's thoughts, as if he were about to do something desperate.

He immediately replied, "Of the three squad leaders of the Imperial Guard, one was planted by Ren Tianye. The one who wanted to give up his official position and wander the world with a woman was persuaded to stay by me. Now, these two Imperial Guard squads, totaling more than 700 men, are all under my control."

"If Your Excellency wishes, I can bring it to you shortly."

Pei Jingzhi nodded and said, "Alright, go and make the arrangements to bring them to me, and then..."

Pei Jingzhi gave Chen Liang a deep look: "While the capital is now wide open, you should flee for your life. In the future, the tasks of purging the court of corrupt officials, punishing treacherous ministers, restoring the imperial line, and rectifying the court will require the work of a young man with insight like you."

Chen Liang was startled, and he fully understood Pei Jingzhi's thoughts.

He wanted to say something more, but seeing Pei Jingzhi wave his hand to tell him to leave, he had no choice but to take his leave.

Grief-stricken, she had made up her mind to hand over the entire Imperial Guard to Pei Jingzhi and lend him a helping hand.

Pei Jingzhi, on the other hand, looked into the distance.

This is our last chance!

It doesn't matter whether I live or die.

However, before making his final stand, he needs to see his wife. With her help, his chances of success will be higher.

Besides, it's time to say goodbye to my wife.

……

The Imperial Guards!

Chen Liang sat high above, with two rows of people standing below him, all of them were elite guards from the Imperial Guard. However, of the three squad leaders, only one had come.

Since it was a private transfer, Ren Tianye's people naturally dared not bother him.

But there are clearly still two teams left, so how come...

One less?

Upon closer inspection, it turned out that the one who was supposed to accompany his wife on her wanderings had disappeared yet again!

Chen Liang's grief and indignation instantly turned into helplessness, and he asked weakly, "Where is Ji Bing?"

"Commander!" Du Tao, the remaining squad leader, said, "Ji Bing has gone off to wander the world."

"He said that after thinking about it for a long time, he still felt that he could not let down his lover, so he could only let down you, sir, and secretly went to wander the world last night."

Chen Liang: "..."

No, you just keep talking?

Why must you wander the world?

Damn it, we were supposed to hand over 700 men to Lord Pei, but now only half are left. I'm furious. If it weren't for the urgency of the situation, I would have liked to grab my sword, rush over, and split his head open to see what kind of filthy trash is inside.

For now, all we can do is endure it.

"There are only three hundred or so people left, Lord Pei. The chances are even slimmer. But for now, we can only try our best to maintain these three hundred or so people. We must not make any more mistakes."

Then, Chen Liang's gaze sharpened, and he said, "Gentlemen, I know that many of you have concubines, lovers, and even acquaintances from brothels, but..."

"Something big is happening right now, and it's extremely important."

"Therefore, if you consider me a brother, and as your commander, then do as I command."

After a pause, Chen Liang's gaze sharpened like a knife as he coldly swept over the crowd: "Everyone, break off all contact with those women. They're all bewitching vixens who will only ruin things. Do you understand?"

The imperial guards below the stage shouted loudly.

"Yes, Commander!"

"I will obey the Commander's orders."

"I'll go and break up with that courtesan right now."

……

This gesture put Chen Liang at ease, and he was about to offer some encouragement when he noticed that Du Tao, the only remaining team leader under his command, remained silent. He couldn't help but ask, "Du Tao, why aren't you saying anything?"

Du Tao then stepped forward, hesitating for a moment.

He still insisted with unwavering determination, "Commander, she... she's different!"

With a loud bang, Chen Liang felt as if his head had exploded.

He immediately looked at Du Tao with an incredulous expression.

He had three squad leaders under his command, whom he had painstakingly cultivated into trusted confidants. However, when Ren Tianye's men forcefully demanded the one who had become slightly estranged, he pushed him out, leaving only two people to hold the fort.

As a result, Ji Bing had already gone off to wander the world, leaving Du Tao as the only survivor. What to do...?

Is there a problem with that too?

Chen Liang rushed down and grabbed Du Tao by the collar, his voice trembling slightly: "Who...who is she? How is she different?"

"What's different about these bewitching demons?"

Du Tao was practically being dragged along, but he remained silent, not uttering a word. It was the guard beside him who whispered, "Commander, that woman is from the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion. She's naturally beautiful..."

"A prostitute?!" Chen Liang's head throbbed even more. "A prostitute? Someone whose lips have been tasted by a thousand men and whose arms have been used by ten thousand men, what makes her different?"

Upon hearing this, Du Tao, who had been silent, immediately became displeased.

"I won't allow you to talk about her like that!"

"She remains untainted by the mud, like a pure angel in this murky world; she's simply different!"

"Besides..."

Du Tao's tone grew even more arrogant: "Even the late emperor's favorites came from brothels. I'm just following in his footsteps, so what's wrong with that?"

The fact that the late Emperor Xiao Jingyuan married a prostitute and that the former empress was a courtesan was quite a big secret, unknown to most people in the capital. Therefore, when this was said, the many imperial guards were dumbfounded.

Did the late emperor marry a prostitute?

Wasn't it supposed to be some prestigious family?

What? Is that so?

Chen Liang's expression changed drastically in an instant.

As someone who frequented the capital and had the most extensive network of connections, he naturally learned about this matter from a secret place. However, this matter was strictly forbidden to be spoken of by the late Emperor Xiao Jingyuan. For Du Tao to dare to shout it out in public like this was a grave taboo!

My immediate instinct was to scold and stop him.

But he immediately stopped talking, firstly because it was too late to stop him, and secondly because Du Tao's status was somewhat different.

Du Tao's father was once a personal guard of the late emperor and was highly trusted by him. However, he embezzled five thousand taels of silver for a woman, which led to his downfall and Du Tao's fate as a lowly clerk in the Imperial Guard.

But the late emperor's favor may still linger.

He then said, "Stop talking nonsense!"

"How dare you interfere in the affairs of the late emperor?"

"Furthermore, I don't care whether she's the same as others or not. You go and break it off with her right now, or don't blame me for reporting this to the authorities and punishing you for disrupting official order."

Du Tao, however, remained completely unfazed: "My lord, what's wrong with punishing me for her sake? Besides, you can't punish me anyway!"

Du Tao's eyes suddenly lit up: "The late emperor once bestowed upon me something that could ensure my family's safety for generations to come. My father was reluctant to use it and entrusted it to me. Now..."

"I'm willing to give it all for her!"

Do you still have the late emperor's things?

But, the late emperor bestowed this gift for a prostitute?

Chen Liang's head was spinning again.

This sudden turn of events left him completely bewildered and confused.

After finally calming down, what he wanted to do most was to replace Du Tao with one of his own people as the team leader. However, as a commander of the Imperial Guards, he could use people but had no power to appoint or dismiss them. Once he reported it, the person sent would definitely be a supporter of Ren Tianye.

It caused him to completely break down.

This Du Tao in front of us is someone we can't treat lightly or harshly; he's just like Ji Bing, who just went off to wander the world!

He could have sent over a thousand men to Lord Pei, but now... damn it, three squad leaders—one is Ren Tianye's man, one is a wanderer for love, and one is after a prostitute—it looks like things are about to get out of control.

Damn it, why is it so hard to get anything done?!

Just then, a mounted guard rushed over to report.

"Commander, the Demon Suppression Division has arrived!"

Chen Liang was suddenly startled.

Although the Demon Suppression Division was newly established, it had already stirred up trouble in the capital. Moreover, it was led by Ren Tianye's most trusted people, and most of the people selected were from the Northern Frontier's personal guards.

Now, Ren Tianye wields immense power, and his Demon Suppression Division is a force to be reckoned with.

them……

Why are you here?

Suppressing the surging excitement in his heart, Chen Liang dared not delay and immediately led his men out to greet them. He saw a group of people rushing towards them. In front of them were two people: on the left was a heroic man, who was Lu Qing's former deputy general who had been dismissed from his position as general; on the right was a woman with a charming eye but a heroic and spirited demeanor.

Chen Liang knew that Su Jin was highly trusted by Ren Tianye.

He was about to step forward to speak when, before he could even get there, Su Jin waved his hand and a guard threw a corpse off his horse!

"Bang!"

The body fell to the ground.

Su Jin's voice rang out: "Ji Bing, the captain of the Imperial Guard, is deeply indebted to the Emperor and is responsible for guarding the palace. How dare he leave without notice, abandon his post, and wander the world with a woman! This is a crime of betraying the Emperor, abandoning his post, and committing the three crimes of desertion!"

"According to the laws of the Demon Suppression Bureau: Guards who desert are to be executed immediately!"

"Now, he has been slain by my Demon Suppression Division!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the heavens and earth resounded.

When Chen Liang saw that Ji Bing, whom he had been having a heart-to-heart talk with just yesterday, was now separated from his mind and body, he felt a chill run down his spine!

……

……

Only one chapter will be updated today.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year and good health to your families! The author sends New Year's greetings.

……