Sima Min was completely stunned, looking at him with shocked eyes, unable to believe what she had heard. Did His Majesty know what he was talking about?
Zi Cheng knew exactly what he was saying and had no intention of explaining it to Sima Min. "Sima Min, will you confess honestly and suffer less, or shall I have the Imperial Guard Commander give you a good welcome?"
The Imperial Guard Commander, at the opportune moment, grabbed Sima Min by the neck and lifted her up, tightening his grip.
With her breath barely there, the shadow of death loomed over Sima Min. She screamed, "No! Your Majesty, please, don't do this to me. We can talk."
Zi Cheng had no interest in talking to her. He glanced at the Imperial Guard Commander.
The Imperial Guard Commander understood immediately. He threw Sima Min to the ground and ordered the Imperial Guards, "Reward Sima Min with the 'Tie Jia Guan'!"
Two Imperial Guards stepped forward and positioned Sima Min on the ground. Another Imperial Guard walked up to her with mulberry paper and a bottle of wine.
"No! No!" Sima Min's pupils contracted, her face turning deathly pale. "Don't, please, Your Majesty, don't do this. We can really talk."
"I am willing to confess everything, I only beg Your Majesty to spare my life."
Why hadn't anyone come to save her yet? What were those scoundrels like A Wu doing? Hurry up and save her!
Zi Cheng turned his head to chat with Sheng Lengshuang and Mo Lingxi, father and son.
"Little Aunt, this time it's all thanks to Little Uncle. If Little Uncle hadn't discovered the recent clandestine activities of Consort Luo's maternal family, I wouldn't have known that Consort Luo had been replaced."
Sheng Lengshuang glanced at Sima Min, who had the mulberry paper stuck to her. She saw the Imperial Guards spray a mouthful of wine onto the paper, causing it to instantly tighten and reveal Sima Min's contorted features. She clicked her tongue, truly worthy of being one of the tortures.
"I'm very curious, how did Prince Mingrui discover that Consort Luo's maternal family was acting suspiciously?"
She saw that Xiao Feng was staring at the 'Tie Jia Guan' being applied and did not stop or dissuade it. As an assistant to the Emperor and the heir to Prince Mingrui's estate, Xiao Feng had to adapt to these things.
Mo Lingxi explained, "Didn't I tell you before, wife, that Sima Min might have infiltrated the palace and become one of the consorts?"
Sheng Lengshuang nodded. Mo Lingxi had mentioned this to her last time, and she had been quite surprised.
Although she had discussed it with Mo Lingxi, and Sima Min might choose to enter the palace as a consort, she truly hadn't expected Sima Min to do so.
"So, you focused your investigation on the consorts in the palace?"
Mo Lingxi hummed in affirmation. "I focused my investigation on the consorts in the palace and their maternal families, especially those who were suspicious. I indeed uncovered quite a few things."
Sheng Lengshuang understood that "quite a few things" referred not only to finding Sima Min but also to many sordid affairs, which were not to be dealt with now but by His Majesty himself.
"Your Majesty, Prince Mingrui is so capable, shouldn't you be wary of him?" she teased.
Zi Cheng rubbed his hands and chuckled. "I wish Little Uncle were even more capable; it would make my life much easier. Little Aunt, look at this time, I barely had to do anything, and Little Uncle cleared up everything. Isn't that great?"
Sheng Lengshuang: "..." Well, this was an Emperor who truly trusted his officials and his own uncle.
Zi Cheng looked at Mo Lingxi with a grin. "Little Uncle..."
"Your Majesty, Sima Min is willing to confess," the Imperial Guard Commander said, rather spoiling the mood.
Zi Cheng glanced at him coolly, feeling that the Imperial Guard Commander lacked perceptiveness.
The Imperial Guard Commander was bewildered and pleaded, "Your Majesty, please forgive me."
Had he done something wrong?
Zi Cheng didn't want to say more to the Imperial Guard Commander. He waved him aside and asked Sima Min, "Tell me what you know. I don't want to hear any more nonsense."
Sima Min, 'enjoying' the 'Tie Jia Guan', truly felt a life worse than death. "I, I... A Wu found a way to bring me in. That time, I entered the palace with Madam Luo."
Zi Cheng recalled that this had indeed happened. Some time ago, Consort Luo had been extremely unwell and had requested to see her family.
At that time, the imperial physicians had diagnosed Consort Luo as having little time left, so he had agreed to Madam Luo visiting Consort Luo in the palace. Who knew it was a conspiracy.
"What happened to Consort Luo's illness?"
Sima Min stated she wasn't very clear. "It should be... it should be A Wu and them. I don't know what agreement A Wu and them reached with the Luo family, only that the Luo family was willing to help A Wu and them, so I entered the palace with Madam Luo."
"After I entered the palace with her, I personally saw Madam Luo order a maid to cover Consort Luo's mouth. Then, Madam Luo dressed me up as Consort Luo and told me about Consort Luo's habits and so on."
Sheng Lengshuang clicked her tongue in amazement, thinking how cold-blooded and heartless one had to be to harm their own daughter.
"Although Consort Luo is the legitimate daughter of the Luo family, she was not favored at home," Mo Lingxi explained to her. "She is the second legitimate daughter, with an outstanding elder sister and a thoughtful younger sister who knows how to coax their parents. That's why she was sent to the then Crown Prince's mansion."
Sheng Lengshuang understood. The Luo family used an unfavored legitimate daughter as a gamble. If they lost, it wouldn't matter; they would only lose an unfavored legitimate daughter.
"From this, it can be seen what a cold-blooded family the Luo family is."
Mo Lingxi: "To be precise, the Luo family is a family that would do anything for profit. Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, the Luo family has sent many letters to Consort Luo, asking her to seek benefits for the family, but Consort Luo refused them all."
Sheng Lengshuang raised an eyebrow. "In that case, Consort Luo is quite intelligent."
Mo Lingxi hummed. "Consort Luo is indeed intelligent. She clearly understood the consequences if she truly helped her maternal family, so she chose to stand with Your Majesty."
Sheng Lengshuang said nothing more. Consort Luo's intentions had nothing to do with her. She only needed to get the information she wanted from Sima Min.
Sima Min, in fragments, confessed everything she knew. Consort Luo's illness was caused by the Luo family and A Wu and his group using some methods to bribe Consort Luo's head maid.
The Luo family did not intend to kill Consort Luo immediately. In their view, Consort Luo still had some value for exploitation. Therefore, Madam Luo disguised Consort Luo as her maid and took her out of the palace under the pretext of the maid suddenly feeling unwell.
After that, she lived in the palace, becoming Consort Luo.
"My head maid seemed to obey me, but in reality, she obeyed A Wu and them. I don't know what she was doing behind my back."
Following this, she recounted the events during her hiding, such as their strongholds, A Wu's subordinates, and so on. She confessed everything she knew.
Zi Cheng immediately made a series of arrangements and ordered the Imperial Guards to thoroughly interrogate all the palace staff in Mingyue Palace, with a particular focus on the head maid who served Sima Min.
He also dispatched Imperial Guards to raid the Luo family and arrest the relevant criminals.
"Report! Your Majesty, an urgent dispatch!" At this moment, a dust-covered soldier rushed in and knelt before Zi Cheng. "Your Majesty, the Southern Jin Dynasty has declared war!"
"What!?" Zi Cheng shot up, taking the urgent dispatch from the soldier. "Why would the Southern Jin Dynasty suddenly declare war out of the blue?"