The woman in the cloak was not annoyed. "I've come to see you both for a matter of urgency. If you don't mind, we can discuss it here."
Sheng Lengshuang gestured for her to speak quickly. "Prince Mingrui and I don't mind discussing it here. It's not something shameful."
The cloaked woman glanced meaningfully at Mo Lingxi, who was seated there, a dark glint flashing in her eyes. "Miss Sheng, would you like to know why my master has been targeting you repeatedly?"
Sheng Lengshuang tutted. "You're much smarter than Tao Li and Zhou Wenxing. I can see your master sent you to scheme against me."
The cloaked woman bowed and smiled, "It is my honor to receive Miss Sheng's praise."
"Miss Sheng, how about we make a deal? I'll tell you why my master has been targeting you repeatedly, and you return the living Zhou Wenxing to me."
Sheng Lengshuang hummed and replied, "Do I look like an idiot to you?"
At this, the cloaked woman believed her companion's words. Sheng Lengshuang was indeed difficult to deal with and wouldn't be easily fooled.
"How about I tell Miss Sheng some more about my master?"
Sheng Lengshuang smiled. "Do you know you've revealed your purpose?"
The cloaked woman's heart leaped. "What does Miss Sheng mean by that?"
Sheng Lengshuang suddenly sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if your master has been too complacent, too arrogant? Your master sent you here, firstly to scheme against Prince Mingrui and me, and secondly, to stall for time, giving your companion a chance to rescue Zhou Wenxing."
"Zhou Wenxing is like a sharp sword to your master's schemes. That's why your master is going to such lengths to save him."
The cloaked woman was shocked again and had to treat Sheng Lengshuang with caution. Without her saying anything inappropriate, Sheng Lengshuang had guessed all of her master's intentions, and even that her master treated Zhou Wenxing as a sharp blade.
This woman was truly terrifying; no wonder her master was trying to eliminate her by any means necessary.
"Miss Sheng is truly an interesting person."
Sheng Lengshuang scoffed. "Your insincere words are also very interesting. Go back and tell your master that I will settle all my accounts with him sooner or later. I'm not in a hurry. No matter how capable he is, he cannot oppose imperial power."
The cloaked woman was speechless. Just as Sheng Lengshuang said, no matter how capable her master was, he could not oppose imperial power.
Sheng Lengshuang didn't care if she answered or not. "Oh, and tell your master not to treat Prince Mingrui's mansion like an inn, doing whatever he pleases."
The cloaked woman's face turned ashen. She bowed and then used her Qinggong to leave.
Sheng Lengshuang lowered the carriage curtain and instructed the carriage to continue.
"Perhaps the mastermind is getting anxious," Mo Lingxi said.
Sheng Lengshuang turned her head to look at him. "Why do you say that?"
Mo Lingxi handed her a teacup. "Another person has appeared. If the mastermind wasn't anxious, they would have continued to slowly utilize Tao Li and the others."
Sheng Lengshuang took a sip of water. "That makes sense. It's likely that the mastermind has failed too many times and, unable to achieve their goal, is becoming anxious."
"It's also possible that the mastermind is feinting."
"Regardless, it's always wise for us to be careful."
"Mm."
When the two arrived at Prince Mingrui's mansion, the butler came to report that there had been an assassination attempt to rescue Zhou Wenxing, but it had failed.
Sheng Lengshuang and Mo Lingxi had already anticipated this.
Mo Lingxi instructed the butler to strengthen the defenses and then led Sheng Lengshuang to the dungeon.
It seemed there were no guards in the dungeon, but Sheng Lengshuang understood that the defenses were tight, guarded by secret guards.
When they reached the dungeon, Sheng Lengshuang saw Zhou Wenxing, who had been tortured beyond recognition.
"Oh, Zhou Wenxing, look at you. You've truly surprised me."
Zhou Wenxing struggled to look at Sheng Lengshuang and said weakly, "Sheng Lengshuang, don't be smug..."
"What do I have to be smug about? Do I need to be smug?" Sheng Lengshuang spread her hands.
"You indeed don't need to be smug," Mo Lingxi said.
Zhou Wenxing trembled. The torture he had endured during this period made him instinctively tremble at the mere sight of Prince Mingrui. After this incident, he deeply understood how cruel Prince Mingrui's methods were. This man could truly make life worse than death and keep one barely alive.
Sheng Lengshuang noticed his condition and guessed that Zhou Wenxing likely suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. She felt no sympathy for him. "Zhou Wenxing, you must have understood Prince Mingrui's methods by now. Are you still steadfast in your refusal to speak?"
Zhou Wenxing's teeth chattered. "No, I won't speak."
Sheng Lengshuang signaled Mo Lingxi to act.
Mo Lingxi took the whip handed to him by a secret guard and lashed Zhou Wenxing across the body.
"Ah! Don't hit me anymore! Don't hit me anymore! Please, Your Highness Prince Mingrui, don't hit me!" Zhou Wenxing trembled as if his entire body was being whipped, in excruciating pain.
Sheng Lengshuang stopped Mo Lingxi and said to Zhou Wenxing, "Are you sure you won't speak? If you continue like this, I'll have to let Prince Mingrui continue."
Zhou Wenxing shook his head like a rattle drum. "I'll speak, I'll speak! Please don't hit me anymore, it hurts."
Mo Lingxi looked at Sheng Lengshuang, asking with his eyes what was wrong with Zhou Wenxing. His behavior was strange.
Sheng Lengshuang covered her mouth with her hand and whispered to Mo Lingxi, "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. He's been tortured by you for too long, and he's developed this emotional response to you. When you hit him, he feels like his entire body is in agonizing pain, as if he's dying."
Mo Lingxi understood. "This saves us a lot of trouble."
Sheng Lengshuang also felt that this avoided a lot of trouble for them.
"Zhou Wenxing, tell me what you know... First, tell me who your master is. Do you know your master's identity?"
Zhou Wenxing looked at Mo Lingxi with fear and terror, trembling like a leaf in the wind. "I, I truly don't know who my master is. This person has never appeared before anyone. However, I have met some of his stewards, but those individuals all wore veils, as if they were afraid of their identities being discovered."
Sheng Lengshuang pondered for a moment and arranged for the secret guards to sketch portraits based on Zhou Wenxing's descriptions.
After the portraits were drawn, Sheng Lengshuang and Mo Lingxi looked at them, but neither of them recognized the one woman and two men depicted.
"Could it be someone from a prominent family?" Sheng Lengshuang speculated.
Mo Lingxi: "This possibility cannot be ruled out. The mastermind is very skilled at bribing others."
He handed the portraits to the secret guards and ordered them to search based on the sketches.
Sheng Lengshuang continued to question Zhou Wenxing. "Do you recognize those stewards?"
Zhou Wenxing: "No... I don't recognize them. They wore veils, so I couldn't see their faces. I've tried to see their true faces, but all my attempts failed."
Sheng Lengshuang pondered the matter. The more someone tried to conceal their true identity, the more significant their status likely was.
"You are such an intelligent person, you must know something about your master. Tell me what you know, and I will have Prince Mingrui stay away from you. Otherwise, you know the consequences."