The Demon Concubine of God

Chapter 471 The Great Purge of the Harem

Shen Wen ran over and stopped the soldiers escorting him, asking, "What's going on? Is this the Emperor's decree?"

When the officers saw that it was Shen Wen, they said respectfully, "Your Excellency should not meddle here. These people who have been arrested are all acting on the Emperor's orders. The current situation in the harem is very unfavorable to the Emperor. This thorough purge is a last resort."

A purge to expose the true nature of the emperor? Would that be detrimental to the emperor?

Shen Wen didn't fully understand what was going on from the soldier's few words, but the soldier didn't explain much more and quickly led the whole team away, escorting the criminal away.

Shen Wen didn't stand there dumbfounded. If she wanted to know what was going on, she could only go to the young emperor herself and ask him for clarification. When she first saw the young emperor on the day of the war, her extraordinary eyes had seen it clearly. Just as Qing Ming had said, the young emperor had a demonic heart within him that had entered sainthood, and it was two different demons at that. Now, she wondered which demon had gained the upper hand within the young emperor.

Shen Wen walked quickly, and she was familiar with the layout of the palace. The people and things she encountered along the way were like the chaos before a great disaster.

Just as they were about to reach the Golden Hall, the young emperor's chief eunuch, Eunuch Guo, hurriedly came to greet them with his two young apprentices.

Guo Gonggong's warm and friendly attitude already showed Shen Wen what his master's attitude was towards him, so Shen Wen felt relieved.

Relying on the young emperor's favor, Shen Wen swaggered in alone, led by Eunuch Guo, into the young emperor's council hall.

Shen Wen entered the main hall and discovered that she was the only one there, along with the young emperor behind the desk opposite her.

Shen Wen's unusually sharp eyes carefully examined the young emperor who was intently reading the memorial.

The young emperor cooperated perfectly, as if he had already guessed what she was thinking. He pretended that she had seen through him completely before putting down the memorial in his hand and looking at Shen Wen with a smile.

Shen Wen glanced at him with the air of an emperor in a superior position, while she herself seemed exactly like a subject in a subordinate position. After bowing respectfully, she said, "Your Majesty, on my way to see you, I saw many people being arrested and killed. I don't know what happened?"

The young emperor looked at Shen Wen with a grin, his serious face carrying a cynical expression. If Shen Wen were to examine him closely at this moment, he would find that these two incompatible personality traits resembled typical symptoms of split personality disorder.

The young emperor's expression was fleeting. He quickly stood up from his seat and walked towards Shen Wen, replying, "I'm making room for you in the harem. I've said it before, I don't care how many concubines there are in the harem. The only one I want in my life is you."

Shen Wen looked up at him and asked, "What do you mean?"

The young emperor looked at Shen Wen with his sparkling peach blossom eyes and said affectionately, "Those daughters of officials who married into the palace to secure their favor have been eating my food for so many years. I've long been disgusted with them. Now that you're back, why should I keep them in the palace to get in my way? So, taking advantage of my good mood today, I've decided to order them all to be dealt with."

Shen Wen was completely stunned. She couldn't help but say rationally, "Are you crazy? Why are you doing this at a time like this? Rebellions are raging all over the country. There are hardly any loyal ministers who dare to stand up and wholeheartedly share the burden of the country. At this time, you killed their most valued daughter. This is equivalent to cutting off their future prospects. Will anyone support you as the emperor in the future? You are simply digging your own grave!"

After such a severe reprimand was uttered, Shen Wen belatedly realized her mistake and couldn't help but take two steps back, a gesture that showed her awakening after her impulsive act of disobeying her superior.

"Your Majesty... I... I spoke too frankly for a moment."

The young emperor still stared at her with a smile. Afraid that she would keep her head down and not be able to see the meaning in his eyes, he raised her head so that they looked at each other.

The unusual eyes began to work again, but Shen Wen became increasingly confused. Even at this point, she still couldn't be sure who the demon inside the little emperor was.

The young emperor was disobeyed by her, but he was not as angry as one might expect. He acted as if nothing had happened and was surprisingly tolerant of Shen Wen.

Based on these details, Shen Wen guessed that this demon must be an acquaintance.

Shen Wen recalled Qing Ming, who had deserted in the face of battle, and said, "Your Majesty, I wish to visit the West Palace. I stayed there for a few days and made a friend there. She treated me well for a few days, but I don't know if she is still there. I would like to ask Your Majesty for a favor: if I find that palace maid, she can follow me from now on."

The young emperor looked at Shen Wen with interest and said, "Since that's the case, I have no reason to stop you from going to the West Palace to find someone. I'll grant your decision and let that palace maid serve you."

After saying this, the young emperor gently stroked Shen Wen's hair and said in an extremely gentle voice, "You don't need to doubt my sincerity towards you. You will believe my decision from now on. You don't need to be so careful when communicating with me anymore. From now on, half of this country will belong to me and half to you. From now on, you can go wherever you want, not only to the West Palace, but also to any place in the entire imperial city."

Shen Wen couldn't help but say, "This... isn't that a bad idea?"

The young emperor turned around with an air of dominance, striding back behind his desk. His imposing seating posture was incredibly charismatic. He said, "What are you afraid of? Don't worry! This palace will soon be completely purged by me. From now on, there will only be one voice in this small area. I doubt they will dare to utter a single word of dissent. What are these golden branches and jade leaves, these imperial relatives who are second only to the emperor? In my eyes, they are nothing but cheap lives, like cutting melons and vegetables."

Shen Wen, as if he had never met the young emperor before, displayed a complex and multifaceted expression of admiration, respect, and recognition towards him.

Finally, Shen Wen bowed respectfully and withdrew.

Shen Wen stood on the steps where she had just closed the door. Looking at the door, the answer in her mind was slowly emerging.

Shen Wen quickly left the Golden Palace, followed by Eunuch Guo, whom the young emperor had sent to accompany her.

They didn't take the alleyway directly to the West Palace. Firstly, Eunuch Guo had his reasons; that alley had recently been used in many killings and hadn't been cleared yet. He knew his emperor best and couldn't bear to see his beloved Miss Shen witness any horrific scenes. Secondly, Shen Wen had spoken to him, leading him to decide against taking her directly to the West Palace. Shen Wen and he walked side-by-side. Shen Wen said, "Why did His Majesty suddenly become like this? Yesterday, when His Majesty visited me at my bedside, he said the situation in the palace was becoming increasingly complicated. He told me to be patient, even if it meant enduring some grievances, until he had appeased the harem and the involved court officials, stabilized the situation in the court, and then fulfilled his vow to me, stripping me of all his favor and leaving me as his sole recipient of his affection. Eunuch, you're inseparable from His Majesty every day; haven't you noticed what's causing this abnormality?"

Guo Gonggong's face suddenly turned sour. His expression was indescribable, and he avoided looking directly at Shen Wen.

Shen Wen gave him a believable yet bizarre answer: "It's because of the West Palace left behind by Emperor Shizong. Please don't hide it from me, otherwise I wouldn't have asked the Emperor to go to that strange place, the West Palace, to investigate thoroughly. Do you still want to hide it from me, Your Majesty? His Majesty has been possessed by a demon. We must find a way to remove the demon from His Majesty's body as soon as possible."

Guo Gonggong stared at Shen Wen with his mouth agape in astonishment. His mind was racing with a jumble of thoughts before he finally grasped the most crucial point. He said, "This... what are we waiting for! We must first find the Imperial Preceptor Yi Dao to come out of seclusion."

Guo Gonggong had long harbored this unimaginable suspicion, but now that Shen Wen had brought it up and they were on the same page, the thought of his master, whom he had served for most of his life, being in imminent danger left Guo Gonggong completely bewildered.

At this moment, he panicked and said, "No, no... It seems that the Imperial Preceptor Yi Dao has not been stationed in the palace for a long time. What exactly happened? Such an important person, how come I, the chief steward, have no recollection of him leaving?"

Shen Wen said, "That's not the key point now. The main thing now is how to salvage His Majesty's wrong decisions. We can't keep killing the concubines and ladies-in-waiting in the harem, otherwise the court will really be in complete chaos. What do you think we should do, Eunuch?"

Guo Gonggong said anxiously, "Oh, Miss Shen, it's not just the concubines and ladies of the harem, but also the few remaining members of the royal family. His Majesty doesn't intend to spare their lives either! This time, thanks to Miss Shen's analysis of the dangers, I, as her personal servant, have truly been blindly loyal."

Shen Wen said, "Then think about it, which official does His Majesty trust the most right now? It must be someone who would defy the Emperor's orders. Only someone with military power and status, capable of turning the tide, can do that."

Guo Gonggong paced anxiously, saying, "I really can't think of anyone right now. What do you think... would Prince Rui do? Princess Shanjin? In the entire royal family, only those two are His Majesty's closest relatives, and only they would not be spared even if His Majesty did something treasonous."

Shen Wen shook his head and said, "No. Prince Rui is a complete madman. He always does things his own way. When has he ever acted for the safety of the country? He's not capable! As for Princess Shanjin... she's not capable either."

Shen Wen did not tell Eunuch Guo about Princess Shanjin's reasons. Although he did not know much about Princess Shanjin's life, Shen Wen remembered the crimes she committed against Ji Xun and his mother. Princess Shanjin was not loyal to her, the emperor's nephew. He was afraid that at the critical moment, she might still have ambitions to seize the throne.

Guo Gonggong slapped his forehead and said, "I have forgotten that Princess Shanjin's husband is surnamed Ji, and right now His Majesty hates the Ji clan the most."

Shen Wen suddenly thought of someone and said, "Find Ji Zichu! He and the young emperor are close cousins. Zichu is qualified in terms of status and military power. Let's go! Let's drag him down with us."

What?

Guo Gonggong was completely dumbfounded.

Did he hear it correctly?

“Miss Shen, please be careful with your words. We’re not trying to drag him down with us.”