In an instant, Sheng Lengshuang saw the veiled man's features revealed on the mulberry paper. She then watched him gasp for breath, his breathing becoming more difficult with each inhale. His hands clutched the long bench, leaving deep gouges.
The grating sound of his grip made her frown slightly, and a smile deepened at the corner of her lips.
"Still unwilling to speak? This 'tie jia guan' gets more interesting with each layer."
The veiled man thrashed like a fish out of water, but his struggles only made breathing harder.
Even so, he refused to utter a single word.
Seeing this, Sheng Lengshuang waved her hand, and her secret guards began to paste mulberry paper onto the veiled man, sheet by sheet.
As the second sheet was applied, she noticed the veins on the back of the veiled man's hand bulging. His grip on the bench tightened further. With the third sheet, the veiled man struggled even more violently, the bench making clanging noises. By the fourth sheet…
As sheet after sheet of mulberry paper was applied, she saw that the veiled man still showed no signs of confessing. She guessed that the mastermind had done something to him, or that the veiled man was bound by certain circumstances, making him resolute in his silence.
Dealing with such a person was not difficult.
She did not have her secret guards remove the mulberry paper. Instead, she waited until the veiled man was on the verge of suffocation before ordering them to peel it off.
The moment it was removed, she saw the veiled man greedily gulping air as if reborn, his face filled with joy and excitement, and a hint of smugness. She knew then that he had outmaneuvered her.
This person was well aware that she would not truly kill him, at least not until she obtained the information she desired. He understood he was safe and had thus held out, refusing to confess.
She clicked her tongue. "You truly have a sharp mind. But it matters not. I have many methods here, enough to make you experience a fate worse than death. I hope that after experiencing them a few more times, you will still be as smug as you are now."
She took out several packets of poison and handed them to her secret guards. "Start by giving him one packet at a time. If he still refuses to confess…"
Before she could finish, she heard a commotion, accompanied by piercing screams.
"Ah! Murder! Someone's been murdered!"
Sheng Lengshuang had an immediate premonition that something was wrong. Her first instinct was to order her secret guards to secure the veiled man and Luo Yang.
But just then, she saw more than a dozen masked figures rush in through the windows. They split into two groups: one heading towards her, the other towards the veiled man and Luo Yang.
Facing an overwhelming enemy, as she retreated with her secret guards protecting her, she saw the masked figures carry away Luo Yang and the veiled man.
"Sheng Lengshuang, I will remember this day's vengeance. I will repay you a thousandfold!"
Hearing Luo Yang's fierce words, Sheng Lengshuang narrowed her eyes and stopped her secret guards from pursuing. It seemed like a case of the mantis stalking the cicada.
The question was, who possessed such skill and capability to accomplish so much so stealthily, and to rescue people at such a crucial moment?
Puzzled, Sheng Lengshuang returned to the Sheng family with Xiao Feng. She saw Mo Lingxi there and found it strange. "Aren't you in the palace discussing matters with the Crown Prince?"
As she spoke, she asked Xiao Feng to find Madam Sheng.
Xiao Feng obediently called out "Daddy" before scampering off to find Madam Sheng.
Mo Lingxi watched him go for a moment before taking Sheng Lengshuang's hand and leading her back to their courtyard. "I have already ordered people to search based on the portrait. As for the poisoning, Zi Cheng and I have arranged for people, and no anomalies have been discovered yet."
Sheng Lengshuang nodded and asked if Mo Lingxi's return was due to urgent matters.
Mo Lingxi pursed his lips and remained silent for a long time.
Sheng Lengshuang suddenly stopped and extended her hand to him. "Bring the divorce letter."
Though outwardly calm, Sheng Lengshuang's left hand clenched tighter and tighter, oblivious to her fingernails piercing her palm.
She gazed at this man, her dim eyes hiding pain and bitterness. Ultimately, they would reach this point. No matter how hard she and Mo Lingxi tried, they could not change the circumstances.
Mo Lingxi grasped her hand, tightening his grip slightly. "No. It will never happen in this lifetime. Don't even dream of a divorce letter or a letter of release."
Sheng Lengshuang's heart was in turmoil. She managed a strained smile. "If you don't give me a divorce letter or a letter of release, can you change the situation?"
"Wife, listen to me." Mo Lingxi grabbed her shoulders, his eyes burning as he stared at her. "Zi Cheng and I have devised a plan, a plan that will benefit both of us."
Sheng Lengshuang stared at him blankly for a moment, then said softly, "What plan?"
"A fake divorce!" Mo Lingxi's words caused Sheng Lengshuang's eyes to ache. She let out a cold scoff. "Mo Lingxi, what do you take me for? What do you and the Crown Prince take me for? An expendable item, something you can summon and dismiss at will?"
Mo Lingxi looked somewhat bewildered, not understanding why she was so angry. "Listen to me. Zi Cheng and I discussed that we would pretend to divorce, using my position as Princess Consort to incite internal strife among the kingdoms, thereby resolving this matter."
Upon hearing this, Sheng Lengshuang was at a loss for words to scold the man before her. She wiped her face. "Then, Prince Mingrui, where do you place me?"
"A fake divorce? Do the common people know it's a fake divorce?"
She was so angry she laughed. "If you were to treat me better then, or interact with me more closely, people would say unpleasant things. I don't care about such gossip, but I cannot tolerate them speaking ill of my parents and the Sheng family."
"Furthermore, how do you intend to use this so-called fake divorce to sow discord among the kingdoms? If the kingdoms have already made their arrangements, will you marry then, or not?"
Mo Lingxi had considered all of these. He said earnestly, "Wife, believe me…"
"How can I believe you?" Sheng Lengshuang forcefully pushed him away, her anger surging. "I'll ask you this one thing: if the kingdoms have already made their arrangements for you to marry them all, what will you do?"
Mo Lingxi vaguely understood why Sheng Lengshuang was so angry. He pulled her down to sit and explained softly, "Zi Cheng and I have already settled this matter…"
Sheng Lengshuang raised her hand and interrupted him.
In that moment, she lost the desire to continue discussing with Mo Lingxi.
It was also at this moment that she understood something. In the end, Mo Lingxi cared more about the country and its people. This was his duty.
She walked to the desk, wrote a letter of divorce, and handed it to Mo Lingxi. "From now on, you and I are free to marry others. Even if you marry ten or eight wives, I will not interfere."
With a tearing sound, she saw Mo Lingxi's face darken as he ripped the divorce letter into pieces. He frowned. "It's useless to tear up the divorce letter. I can write ten or eight more until you accept it."
Mo Lingxi strode in front of her, his face stern. "Why won't you believe me? This method will definitely resolve the issue of the marriage alliance."
Sheng Lengshuang suddenly found it laughable. She also laughed, a smile devoid of warmth. "How ironic."