A large hand enveloped a small hand, and two blushes appeared on Shen Qianxin's face, as if she were a little embarrassed.
"What, Qianxin, are you still embarrassed?" Shangguan Jin put his arm around Shen Qianxin's waist and said with a hint of flirtation, but there was no affection in the depths of his eyes.
"My dear husband, you're so naughty." Shen Qianxin gently punched Shangguan Jin's chest with her small fist, and said shyly, "Qianxin won't bother you anymore, my dear husband."
"Then Qianxin, go and rest first. I'll come and keep you company tonight." Shangguan Jin didn't try to stop her. A hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes, but a gentle smile remained on his lips.
Shen Qianxin, don't think you can impress me with these tricks! No matter what you do, once I ascend the throne, your Prime Minister's Mansion will be destroyed!
Watching Shen Qianxin's graceful figure slowly disappear into the depths of the corridor, Shen Qianmo's lips curled into a sarcastic smile. He leaped down from the tree and looked at Shangguan Jin, "It seems the Eighth Prince and the Second Miss of the Prime Minister's Mansion have a good relationship."
When Shangguan Jin saw the person who suddenly appeared in front of him, a hint of vigilance flashed in his eyes. Then he looked at the person with suspicion. To be able to enter the Eighth Prince's residence without making a sound, he must be a person with extraordinary martial arts skills.
He appeared so openly before her, he didn't seem like an enemy at all. But she couldn't remember ever meeting such a handsome and extraordinary man.
Her face was like the morning glow, her eyes like stars, and her demeanor was incomparably noble. For some reason, those eyes and that air reminded him of Shen Qianmo, the third young lady of the Prime Minister's mansion, who had already married far away to Tianmo.
But how could that be? The third young lady of the Prime Minister's mansion doesn't have such unparalleled beauty, and besides, the person in front of her is a man, while the third young lady of the Prime Minister's mansion is a woman.
"What, Eighth Prince, you don't even recognize the Ink Pond?" Shen Qianmo laughed heartily when she saw Shangguan Jin's scrutinizing gaze. Her words and actions showed no trace of a girl's coquettishness, but rather the forthrightness of a man.
"So you are the Palace Master of the Demon Palace. I, Shangguan Jin, have never seen your true face before, and I was so surprised that I am afraid you will laugh at me." After hearing Shen Qianmo's words, Shangguan Jin came back to his senses and said with a polite smile.
Shen Qianmo smiled dismissively, her eyes glancing at a corner of the corridor. She raised an eyebrow and said with a hint of sarcasm, "It seems the Second Miss of the Prime Minister's residence is quite concerned about the Eighth Prince."
Upon hearing Shen Qianmo's words, Shangguan Jin frowned slightly. Following Shen Qianmo's gaze, he saw the hem of Shen Qianmo's clothes deep in the corridor. A ruthless smile appeared on his lips. "She's just following the orders of that old fox Shen Lingyun to monitor my actions."
"With the Eighth Prince's cunning, Shen Lingyun probably won't gain any advantage." Shen Qianmo curled her lips into a mocking smile. Is this what they call deep affection between husband and wife? Just a moment ago, the lovers were sweetly cuddling, but now they're scheming against each other. This is what it means to be sleeping in the same bed but dreaming different dreams.
"Of course I won't let that old fox Shen Lingyun get the benefit! Besides, don't I have an agreement with the Palace Master to destroy the Prime Minister's Mansion?" Shangguan Jin's eyes were filled with even more ruthlessness, like sharp swords, making people afraid. The smile on his lips also became bloodthirsty and cruel.
“Of course. Mo Chi came here today to ask if the Eighth Prince needs any help.” Shen Qianmo’s lips curled into a calculating smile, his eyes devoid of any emotion.
Shen Lingyun! You schemed and plotted, but you didn't realize you'd gotten yourself caught in the crossfire!
Shangguan Jin frowned slightly and said, "Father Emperor has just died, and the court is arguing endlessly about the position of Crown Prince. Everyone wants to make Shangguan Che the Crown Prince because he is the legitimate son."
"The legitimate son?" Shen Qianmo raised an eyebrow slightly, a confident smile on her face as she looked at Shangguan Jin and said slowly, "They say this simply to make Shangguan Che's succession to the throne legitimate. What if the Emperor's decree establishes you as the Crown Prince?!"
"Imperial decree? Palace Master, do you have a solution?" Upon hearing Shen Qianmo's words, Shangguan Jin's eyes flashed with a glint of light as he asked eagerly. If he had an imperial decree, he would be more legitimate than Shangguan Che, and those neutral factions who supported Shangguan Che would switch their support to him.
Shen Qianmo looked at Shangguan Jin with a half-smile, her dark eyes like a deep pool, unfathomable. "Of course I have a way! Besides, Shangguan Hao's imperial decree was to make you the crown prince. Otherwise, why do you think he would have suddenly died?!"
"You mean, it was that vile woman Yao Xuekong who killed my father?!" Shangguan Jin, having heard this, naturally understood the whole story and couldn't help but shout angrily.
Shangguan Jin naturally felt a fatherly affection for Shangguan Hao, especially since the imperial decree had made him the crown prince, which added to his gratitude. As for Yao Xuekong, he hated her to the core. If it weren't for Yao Xuekong's relentless pressure, why would his mother have hanged herself?
"You guessed right."
"Then, there's one more thing I need to get rid of, Palace Master." Shangguan Jin's lips curled into a bloodthirsty smile, his eyes revealing his hatred.
Shen Qianmo raised her eyes to look at Shangguan Jin, a cold smile playing on her lips. "Did you kill the Empress?"
"The Palace Master is indeed exceptionally intelligent," Shangguan Jin praised. This Palace Master of the Demon Palace is so young, looking no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, yet she has already taken control of the entire Demon Palace and is so intelligent. She is truly remarkable.
"Eighth Prince, you flatter me." Shen Qianmo's face showed no arrogance, his eyes filled with a hint of ruthlessness as he looked at the hem of a garment deep in the corridor, a cold smile curving his lips. "Since the Second Miss of the Prime Minister's residence is so loyal to the Prime Minister, to avoid unnecessary trouble, Eighth Prince, you should have her claim illness and not leave the residence for the time being."
"Shangguan Jin understands." There was not a trace of reluctance in Shangguan Jin's eyes. He was nothing more than coldly using Shen Qianxin.
"In that case, Mo Chi will take his leave," Shen Qianmo said coldly.
She had long wanted to take Yao Xuekong's life, but where could Shangguan Hao have hidden the imperial edict? Presumably, Yao Xuekong was forced to kill Shangguan Hao because she couldn't find the edict. So, where exactly is the imperial edict?
Chapter Two: The Whereabouts of the Imperial Edict
With its red walls and green tiles, the seemingly glamorous imperial palace hides so much darkness and bloodshed. Perhaps only those who have entered the palace can know the dangers within.
Shen Qianmo easily entered the palace, bypassing the palace guards.
Now that Shangguan Hao is dead, Shangguan Jin and Shangguan Che are now rivals, and the war for the throne is intensifying. If the imperial edict were in the hands of a minister trusted by Shangguan Hao, it would have been handed over to Shangguan Jin long ago. Therefore, the imperial edict must still be in the palace.
After killing Shangguan Hao, Yao Xuekong would have been eager to find the imperial edict. However, the subordinates she sent to monitor Yao Xuekong did not report any information about the whereabouts of the imperial edict, so the imperial edict was not in Yao Xuekong's possession.
Therefore, it couldn't be in the Imperial Study or Shangguan Hao's bedroom; otherwise, Yao Xuekong would have already found the imperial edict and destroyed it.
So, where exactly is the imperial edict?
Oh, right! The late Empress's bedroom.
Empress Helian Xinli was the woman Shangguan Hao loved most in his life. After her death, Shangguan Hao kept her palace and moved the plaque of Fengqi Palace to Yao Xuekong's palace, saying that he did not want Yao Xuekong to move around, but in fact, it was all to preserve everything that belonged to Helian Xinli.
If, as Yao Xuekong said, Shangguan Hao made Shangguan Jin the crown prince because of the good relationship between Shangguan Jin's mother and Helian Xinli, then the imperial edict was very likely in Helian Xinli's palace.
Shen Qianmo arrived at Helian Xinli's palace. Everything inside was spotless, indicating that Shangguan Hao often came here. Helian Xinli was truly blessed to receive such love from the emperor.
"As expected, it's here." Shen Qianmo found the imperial edict in a hidden compartment, a faint smile appearing on her lips. It seemed she hadn't misjudged Shangguan Hao's feelings for Helian Xinli, and Yao Xuekong probably wouldn't want to step into this palace even if it meant death.
Upon receiving the imperial decree, Shen Qianmo went to Shangguan Jin's residence.
"Imperial edict." Shen Qianmo tossed the imperial edict into Shangguan Jin's hand as if it were nothing of importance, a detached smile even playing on her lips.
Shangguan Jin received the imperial edict firmly, examined it carefully, and a greedy and excited look appeared in his eyes. A cold and excited smile slowly spread across his lips. "Hahahaha, now that the imperial edict is in my hands, let's see if Shangguan Che still dares to say that it's justified!"
"Don't be too happy yet. Shangguan Che still holds the military power of the Grand General and the support of the Empress." Shen Qianmo glanced coldly at Shangguan Jin. She originally thought he was a deep and unassuming person, but she didn't expect that a single imperial edict would make him so carefree.
“He has the military power of a Grand General, and I have the support of the Prime Minister. He has the support of the Empress, and I have the imperial edict in my hands. What’s more, I also have the Palace Master to help me, don’t I?” Shangguan Jin suppressed his smile, revealing a cold and stern face again, with a hint of smugness and determination.
Shen Qianmo's lips curled slightly, a hint of mockery flashing in her dark eyes. How utterly foolish! The Prime Minister's support? That old fox Shen Lingyun has always been opportunistic. If Shangguan Che truly had the support of the people, would he care about Shen Qianxin as his daughter?!