Sheng Lengshuang could see that Sima Min had no intention of repenting and did not believe she had done anything wrong. She shrugged indifferently, "Prince Mingrui, quickly send this person to the Ministry of Justice. Such a vicious person cannot be allowed to escape."
"No!" Sima Min cried, begging, "Prince Mingrui, my late father's matter, it truly wasn't me. Please investigate thoroughly."
Mo Lingxi said coldly, "The Ministry of Justice will investigate and clarify."
He clapped his hands a few times, and two servants walked in, bowing.
"Send Sima Min to the Ministry of Justice," he instructed.
The two servants forcibly dragged Sima Min away.
Sheng Lengshuang suddenly shook her head.
"What's wrong?" Mo Lingxi asked.
Sheng Lengshuang sat in her chair and sighed, "I originally thought Sima Min was a cruel and ruthless person. Who knew she was someone who would even kill her own father for her own benefit? Truly, one knows faces but not hearts."
Moreover, Prince Rui had been genuinely devoted to Sima Min, but in return, Sima Min had tried to kill him.
Mo Lingxi rested his chin on his hands. "Perhaps Prince Rui was too good to Sima Min."
A question mark slowly appeared above Sheng Lengshuang's head. "What do you mean by that?"
Mo Lingxi explained, "As far as I know, Sima Min, as the only legitimate daughter of Prince Rui's manor and a county princess personally enfeoffed by the Emperor, had everything she desired from childhood. Prince Rui and his wife were always accommodating to her every whim."
"Perhaps this is why she developed a selfish and malicious nature, demanding whatever she wanted and unable to tolerate anyone being more outstanding than herself."
Upon hearing this, Sheng Lengshuang thought of her own education of Xiao Feng. "You and I must not educate Xiao Feng like this. Before, Xiao Feng was already leaning towards being a dandy. Now that he has finally corrected himself, there can be no next time."
Mo Lingxi chuckled, "Xiao Feng will not become another Sima Min. If he shows even a hint of misbehavior, you and I will educate him properly."
Sheng Lengshuang was not so relaxed. "Raising a child is not easy. Sometimes, a child may seem fine on the surface, but we don't truly know what they are thinking inside."
"Normally, when you have free time, pay more attention to the child. Especially you, don't be lost in all sorts of random thoughts all day, neglecting the child and leaving him to the servants."
Mo Lingxi felt extremely wronged. "Heaven and earth as my witness, I have never done such a thing. I spend time with Xiao Feng whenever I have the chance. You can ask Xiao Feng if you don't believe me."
Sheng Lengshuang snorted lightly. "Would Xiao Feng say anything? Xiao Feng wouldn't dare. If he did, you would punish him."
"...I am more wronged than Dou E."
"Stop comparing yourself to Dou E. Dou E was wronged."
Mo Lingxi fell silent, unable to argue with his wife.
Sheng Lengshuang warned, "If I find out that you haven't raised Xiao Feng properly, or if you mess around again, I will make you understand the consequences."
Mo Lingxi sat up straight and repeatedly assured her, "How would I dare to do such a thing?"
Sheng Lengshuang didn't quite believe him but didn't continue the topic. She shifted to Sima Min's matter. "Are you planning to deal with Sima Min this time?"
Mo Lingxi's expression turned serious. "Yes. Prince Rui's case has been dragging on for too long, and delaying it further could lead to complications. Furthermore, I intend to deal with the Southern Jin Dynasty, so these matters must be resolved first."
Sheng Lengshuang understood. "You don't want these matters to interfere with your plans against the Southern Jin Dynasty."
With a hidden hand at play, if these issues weren't resolved first, it could bring unnecessary trouble and danger.
...
Sima Min, who was being escorted to the Ministry of Justice, couldn't understand where she had slipped up. Before this, no one had suspected who had killed her father; everyone assumed it was Sheng Lengshuang.
Where had things gone wrong?
Unable to figure it out, Sima Min knew most clearly that she had to resolve this matter, otherwise, death would await her.
She didn't want to die yet.
How could she resolve this matter?
Escape first?
No!
If she escaped, that bitch Sheng Lengshuang would surely seize the opportunity to frame her.
Plead her case at the Ministry of Justice?
No!
From her understanding of Sheng Lengshuang, that vicious bitch must have already contacted the Ministry of Justice through Prince Mingrui, and they would never let her plead her case.
Then, what method could she use to save herself?
Before Sima Min could come up with a plan, she was already sent to the Ministry of Justice.
Upon learning of Sima Min's case, the entire Ministry of Justice was shocked, and even the way they looked at her changed.
The Ministry of Justice interrogated Sima Min immediately, and the news of her matricide spread like wildfire.
"Did you hear? It turns out the person who killed Prince Rui was his own daughter, Sima Min! Tell me, how degenerate does one have to be to commit matricide?"
"Is it true? Wasn't it rumored before that Sheng Lengshuang killed Prince Rui? Why has it changed to Sima Min?"
"It's true, it's true. Sima Min has already been sent to the Ministry of Justice, and they are reportedly interrogating her. I think if Prince Rui knew in the afterlife that the real killer was his beloved legitimate daughter, he would probably come back to life in anger."
As Sima Min's affair became more widespread, Prince Rui's manor and Cheng Han also became subjects of public discussion, with many speculating whether Cheng Han was aware of it.
For this reason, Cheng Han went to find Sima Min, who was again imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice's jail.
"I want to know, did you kill Prince Rui?" Cheng Han stood before the prison cell, frowning at Sima Min.
Sima Min, who had been tortured, sat wearily on the straw heap. "Even you don't believe me?"
Cheng Han stated directly, "I don't believe you!"
Sima Min choked, and thinking of the man she had chosen, she felt even worse. "We are engaged, and yet you treat me like this?"
Cheng Han sneered, "When you approached me back then, we were very clear. We were engaged on the surface, but in reality, we lived our own lives, and neither interfered with the other. Are you bringing this up now?"
Sima Min began to regret choosing Cheng Han. At the time, she thought that since Cheng Han was previously Sheng family's son-in-law, he knew a lot about the Sheng family, and General Sheng and his wife might give Cheng Han some face, which was why she chose him.
Who knew that Cheng Han would treat her like this.
"Don't forget, your current good prospects were obtained with my help."
"So, I've come to ask you about Prince Rui's matter, not to directly break off our engagement."
"Going by your words, I should thank you then?"
Cheng Han impatiently said to Sima Min, "I'll ask you one last time, did you do it to Prince Rui?"
Sima Min irritably replied, "I already said it wasn't me..."
"Really not?" At this moment, Sheng Lengshuang walked over. "I have irrefutable evidence of you killing Prince Rui here. Are you still going to quibble?"
Seeing Sheng Lengshuang, Sima Min's old and new grievances surged, but she couldn't show the slightest reaction. "Miss Sheng, don't talk nonsense. Where is this so-called evidence? I didn't do such a thing."
Sheng Lengshuang looked at her again and again. "I truly can't understand, just to get out of the Ministry of Justice's jail, you killed Prince Rui. May I ask, is there anything you wouldn't do?"