CHAPTER 686: CHAPTER 260: THE EMPRESS’S WORRIES! GIVING HER MAJESTY THE CONSORT A BACK RUB?!

"Do you mean that Chu Heng is still connected with the Demon Clan?"

After listening to the Empress’s narrative, Chu Yanli narrowed her eyes, a flash of gold flickering in them.

Raising Barbarian Slaves falls under the category of power and lust transactions, but secretly communicating with the Demon Clan is a solid crime of conspiracy!

Even if they are royalty, they must face execution!

The Empress’s delicate brows furrowed slightly, her chest rising and falling unsteadily.

After years of absence, the pressure this woman gave her is even stronger...

Noticing the Empress’s discomfort, Chu Yanli toned down her aura and asked, "Do you have any evidence for what you said?"

The Empress shook her head and said, "Chu Heng is extremely cautious, leaving no loopholes, or I would have acted long ago. Why else would it have dragged on until now?"

Chu Yanli’s expression turned peculiar, "So, based solely on Chen Mo’s one-sided statements, you determine Chu Heng’s betrayal of the nation? Aren’t you being too credulous towards him?"

Nonsense, who else can I believe but the little thief?

The Empress murmured inwardly but remained calm in appearance, "I have my own judgment. Excavating tunnels to weaken city defenses, privately extracting Red Sand to destroy the grand formation... The Zhou Family lacks such capability, there must be another mastermind behind it."

"The Barbarian Slave Case is similar."

"According to the evidence presented by Chen Zhuo in court, it involves multiple forces, including Cao Yun, Military Prison, Jingzhao Mansion."

"Few people possess such influence in Tiandu City, Prince Yu Mansion is one of them, and only Chu Heng has the motive for these actions."

Chu Yanli fiddled with the water with her delicate hands, pondering, "Have you inspected that evidence?"

"Of course, do you think I just eat idle meals?" The Empress replied helplessly, "However, the officials mentioned in it, those who have resigned have resigned, those who retired due to illness have retired, supposedly returned to their hometowns, but likely have already been silenced..."

Chu Yanli raised an eyebrow, "Then why did Chen Mo strike a deadly blow on Chu Heng, for what reason?"

The Empress explained, "It was Chu Heng who intended to harm him, Chen Mo couldn’t endure any longer and had to retaliate... Oh, this matter is also related to the Xu Family."

"The Xu Family?"

Chu Yanli’s expression turned solemn.

"According to Fengluan Yang Lin from the Imperial Music Bureau, Chu Heng has been secretly investigating the Xu Family, as if searching for something..." The Empress glanced at Chu Yanli’s face, hesitated for a moment, and said, "And he took away the Xu Family’s wife, her life or death remains unknown to this day."

Crack—

The originally steamy water surface instantly turned freezing cold.

Ice crystals formed with Chu Yanli at the center, radiating outward, converting the entire bath into an ice cave!

Behind the Empress, a virtual shadow of a Seal Platform appeared, golden light circled her body, yet despite this, the terrifying pressure made her face somewhat pale.

"Li’er..."

"Huff—"

Chu Yanli took a deep breath, suppressing the savage killing intent in her heart.

Her index finger broke through the ice surface, the frost quickly melted, and the frozen water in the dragon’s mouth flowed again, the temperature slowly rising, as if nothing had ever happened.

"Sorry, I couldn’t control my emotions." Chu Yanli apologized.

"It’s fine, I know you and Xu Zining were like sisters, her unexpected passing greatly affected you." The Empress suggested, "Shall I intervene to move the Xu Family’s women out of lowly status?"

"No need."

Chu Yanli replied indifferently, "Though they’re suffering now, at least they’re still alive. If they leave the Imperial Music Bureau, they might be devoured until even their bones are gone."

"Over the years, I’ve intentionally kept my distance from the Xu Family to avoid arousing Wu Lie’s suspicion, otherwise, why wait until now?"

The Empress tentatively asked, "So back then it was actually..."

Chu Yanli interrupted, "You’ll know soon enough."

Seeing she didn’t want to elaborate, the Empress could only let it be.

"But your Dragon Power is getting stronger." The Empress knitted her eyebrows, "How deeply have you fused with the Heavenly Decree Seal?"

Chu Yanli did not respond, focusing her mind, a glow emanated from her chest illuminating her skin and bones as transparent as jade —

In the center of her chest hung a Seal, splitting into strands of golden threads, entwining around her heart like vines, drilling deeper with each heartbeat.

Simultaneously, her skin developed layers of golden scales, nearly covering half her body.

Her left eye transformed into a vertical pupil, her jade fingers turned into claws...

Appearing half-human, half-demon, looking particularly horrifying!

"Already dragonized?!"

The Empress’s pupils contracted, exclaiming, "This must be the final stage... Have you gone mad?! The deeper you fuse with the Heavenly Decree Seal, the harder it will be to separate later. You’ll lose your mind, completely assimilated by the Dragon Qi!"

"So what?"

Chu Yanli raised her left hand to gaze at the sharp claws with indifferent tone, "If not for this, how could I guard the Southern Border for decades, preventing those beasts from attacking? Any power has a price, I think it’s perfectly reasonable."

The Empress was momentarily speechless.

After a long silence, she asked, "How much time do you have left?"

Chu Yanli restrained the aberration, her body returned to normal, stating, "Probably another ten years or so, it’s enough... That Chen Mo can bear the Dragon Qi with his flesh, yet showing no signs of abnormality. Maybe the solution lies within him..."

"You can’t touch him." The Empress coldly stated.

"Hmm?" Chu Yanli paused, "What did you say?"

"I said, you can’t touch him." The Empress’s expression was serious, she spoke solemnly, "He has Yu Youhan and Ji Hongxiu backing him. If you don’t wish to die, you’d better stay away from him!"

"Relax, I never intended to really harm him."

Chu Yanli waved dismissively, nonchalantly saying, "Besides, it’s my personal matter, no one can interfere, must I gain their permission to find a man?"