Li Mu had just finished his undercover life in Qianhu Nation. After returning to Shen Du, he began to busy himself with official business again.
The first thing he had to deal with was the Empress's backlog of memorials.
If the Empress was judged by the emperor's standards, she was definitely a fatuous ruler. Li Mu was a censor in the Imperial Secretariat, but he was ordered to be a head eunuch by her. She read books and planted flowers every day. It was too easy to be an emperor.
After returning from Jiujiang County, Li Mu no longer had to worry about his identity being exposed. Shangguan Li and Mr. Mei had already found out the two palace maids who were on duty near Changle Palace. They had been secretly providing information for Meizong all this time.
They were the ones who leaked the news of Li Mu sleeping in the palace to Meizong. His reputation with the Empress was also damaged because of this.
Hu Jiu still thought that Li Mu was an LSP and had an affair with the Empress. They had maintained an improper relationship for a long time.
In the Imperial Clan Temple, the internal guards and the Imperial Clan Temple were interrogating the two palace maids.
These two palace maids had been in the palace for seven or eight years. They were selected to enter the palace during the time of the former emperor. This meant that Meizong knew everything that happened in the palace during these seven or eight years. They even knew which concubine the former emperor slept with, how many times he slept with her, and how long he lasted each time.
In the court, Zhang Chun patted the gavel and asked, "Who else do you have in Shen Du? Tell me honestly so that you don't have to suffer the pain of soul searching."
The two palace maids lowered their heads and looked indifferent. They were not afraid of Zhang Chun's threat at all.
Mr. Mei sighed and said, "You are also citizens of the Great Zhou. You are human women. Why do you work for the Demon Sect?"
One of the palace maids looked up and sneered, "The Demon Sect was called by you. In our eyes, you are the demons."
Mr. Mei shook his head and said to Li Mu, "It seems that they have been brainwashed by Meizong."
Li Mu did not agree with Mr. Mei's words. He had been undercover in Meizong for a few months and knew Meizong's methods.
Meizong would not brainwash the spies because those who could be brainwashed were usually not very bright. And those who were not very bright could not be spies. Meizong would not take them seriously at all.
When they chose people, the first thing they had to do was to be good-looking. Secondly, they had to be smart.
Those who chose to join the Meizong Sect, other than those who harbored evil intentions, no matter if they were humans or demons, they would definitely hate the imperial court from the bottom of their hearts.
The two palace maids did not cooperate at all, so Zhang Chun could only forcibly search their souls.
The process of soul-searching was very painful. The two palace maids were mortals who had never cultivated. After Zhang Chun finished soul-searching, they fainted.
Zhang Chun had a complicated expression on his face after he was done with the Soul Search. He was no longer as stern and unyielding as before.
Mr. Mei asked, "Have you found their accomplices?"
Zhang Chun shook his head and said, "No, they are in one-way contact. They don't know anything other than collecting information."
Li Mu was familiar with Zhang Chun and knew that his expression was definitely not because he did not find any useful information. He looked at Zhang Chun and asked, "Is there anything else?"
Zhang Chun sighed and said, "It's a sin …"
He used his magic to share the information he found with everyone. After a while, Li Mu knew the cause and effect of the matter.
These two women were both from Jiujiang County. They were originally young ladies of a big family and had lived a carefree life.
Later, they were abducted by the Heretic Practitioners and locked in a hidden underground palace. They were subjected to sexual abuse and became the Cultivation Furnaces for the Cultivators. They lived in darkness for several months until the people of Meizong Sect found them. They killed the Heretic Practitioners and destroyed the underground palace. They saved the Demon Clans who were also being humiliated in the underground palace and saved them.
After that, the two of them joined Meizong.
They were good-looking and came from big families. After Meizong helped them reconstruct their bodies, they easily passed the selection of the late Emperor and became palace maids. They had been hiding in the palace.
The reason why they hated the imperial court was that the culprit who caused their miserable experience was the local county magistrate, an official of the imperial court. The miserable experience of those months buried an unresolvable hatred in their hearts. They naturally transferred this hatred to the Great Zhou court.
In the court, Mr. Mei and Shangguan Li did not speak, but their fists were clenched.
"The people of the Great Zhou were destroyed by these bastards." Zhang Chun sighed and asked, "How should we deal with these two?"
According to the law, the two of them would definitely die if they went undercover in the palace of the Great Zhou. Li Mu thought for a while and said, "Let's lock them up first. If our spies are discovered, we'll exchange them."
"That's a good idea." Zhang Chun waved his hand and said, "Take them away first …"
After leaving the Zongzheng Temple, Li Mu thought about a problem.
The Human Race and the Demon Race were not two incompatible races. The reason for such a serious conflict was largely related to the imperial court's attitude toward the Demon Race. Many Heretical Cultivation were worried that the imperial court would investigate, so they did not dare to attack the people of the Great Zhou. Therefore, they targeted the demons.
The Demon Race did not have a country as powerful as the Great Zhou. The Great Zhou court also did not protect the Demon Race. Moreover, the demons were generally successful in cultivation and were more valuable than humans. Not only would the Heretical Cultivation kill the Demon Race without restraint, but even some righteous cultivators would kill the Demon Race for their souls and Demon Cores to cultivate in the name of killing demons and enforcing justice on behalf of the heavens.
If the imperial court treated the people and the Demon Race equally and protected the law-abiding Demon Race in the Great Zhou, the demons' hatred toward the Great Zhou would certainly weaken. The demons would cause less chaos everywhere, and the place would be more stable. It would also be beneficial for the unity of the people's hearts. In fact, when he was in Jiujiang County, Li Mu had already thought about this. If the Great Zhou court could do this, what reason would the Phantom Princess have to overthrow the imperial court?
If they lost the righteousness, they would lose some.
However, this decree was unprecedented in the history of dynasties. The resistance to its implementation would certainly be great. It was not something that could be taken for granted. He had to consider it thoroughly.
In the Changle Palace, Li Mu was reading memorials while thinking about this matter.
Zhou Yi leaned on the dragon throne and read. When she flipped the pages, she would sneak a glance at Li Mu.
Ever since she found out that the vixen of the Thousand Fox Kingdom ordered her favorite official around like a servant, she felt unbalanced in her heart.
As the Empress of the Great Zhou, she could not go to the Thousand Fox Kingdom to cause trouble for that vixen. However, what that vixen had, she had to have. What that vixen did not have, she also had to have.
She admitted that she could not win against Liu. After all, she was Li Mu's wife. However, she was the Empress of a country. She could not lose to a vixen.
She put down the book and rubbed her shoulders. She said lightly, "After sitting for so long, my shoulders are sore …"
Shangguan Li was about to step forward when Mr. Mei grabbed her wrist and said, "Ah Li, come with me for a moment. I have something important to tell you."
Shangguan Li was forcefully dragged out. Li Mu finished reading the last memorial. He put down his brush and sighed in his heart. Women were so pretentious. Even the Empress was no exception.
She was a Seventh Realm cultivator. Even if she sat there for ten days, half a month, or even eight to ten years, her shoulders would not ache at all, let alone sitting for less than an hour.
Li Mu spent even more time reading memorials than she did. Although he was dizzy from reading them, his body did not feel tired at all.
She only read books and planted flowers every day. What was so tiring about it?
But then again, whether her body was tired or not was completely different from whether she felt comfortable rubbing her shoulders.
Who didn't want to be waited on by others?
The Empress reminded him that a few days ago, he was the one waiting on others. Now, it was time for him to enjoy himself.
He would go back now and let Wanwan and Xiao Bai massage his shoulders and legs. He would experience the joy of being a fantasy princess.
Thinking of this, Li Mu could not wait any longer. He stood up and said, "I've finished reading the memorials. Your Majesty can take a look at them. I'll go back first."
With that, he turned and walked out of Changle Palace.
At the entrance of Changle Palace, Mr. Mei looked at Li Mu in surprise. He asked, "Why did you come out?"
Li Mu shrugged and said, "I've finished reading the memorials. I'm a little tired. When I go back, I'll let Xiao Bai and Wanwan massage me …"
Mr. Mei looked at him blankly.
Li Mu waved at the two of them and said, "See you later …"
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