Mo Lingxi cast a casual glance at her and instructed the imperial guards, "Shatter their bones, piece by piece. If they still refuse to speak, light them up like candles."
"Yes!"
Several imperial guards, wielding specially made iron hammers, forcefully struck the right legs of the veiled woman and the veiled man.
With a 'crack', it was accompanied by the agonizing screams of the two.
Again and again.
The entire dark prison echoed with the 'crack-crack' sounds, and the increasingly desperate cries of the two.
"I'll talk, I'll talk!" the veiled man, unable to bear it, yelled, "I beg Your Highness Prince Mingrui to stop. I will confess everything."
"Shut up, you shut up! You are not allowed to speak!" the veiled woman reprimanded loudly.
The veiled man trembled from the pain, "You can endure it, but I can't. If this continues, all my bones will truly be shattered. Even if I'm saved, I'll become a lifelong invalid confined to bed."
He absolutely did not want to become such a cripple.
The veiled woman tried to stop him again, but the imperial guards gagged her, leaving her only able to emit muffled sounds. Damn these things, daring to betray their master.
If she had known this would happen, she should have killed this beast long ago.
"Continue shattering this woman's bones," Mo Lingxi ordered.
The imperial guards proceeded to shatter the veiled woman's bones.
Mo Lingxi walked up to the veiled man and said coldly, "You have only one chance. If you utter a single false word, you know the consequences."
Merely seeing the miserable state of his companion, the veiled man dared not speak a false word. "Your Highness Prince Mingrui, rest assured, I will tell you everything I know."
Mo Lingxi sat down in a chair, crossing his legs. "Speak."
The veiled man honestly confessed what he knew. He was a subordinate of the woman, obeying her commands as per their master's orders.
Their mission had three parts: first, to instigate trouble using Tao Li and Zhou Wenxing, the bigger the better; second, to capture Sheng Lengshuang and use her for certain matters; and third, to provoke the three kingdoms into attacking the Eastern Jin Dynasty.
Mo Lingxi's brow furrowed into a deep 'chuan' character. "What things were you planning to do using Sheng Lengshuang?"
The veiled man replied, "One of them was to scheme against Your Highness Prince Mingrui. I don't know the rest. She should know; her rank is higher than mine, and she makes many decisions."
Mo Lingxi told him to continue.
The veiled man confessed the rest, including the locations of several strongholds, some personnel, and arrangements made by the shadowy organization, among other things.
"Your Highness Prince Mingrui, I've told you everything I know. You promised to spare my life."
Mo Lingxi asked, "Who is your master?"
The veiled man claimed he truly didn't know his master. He had never seen his master. When there were tasks, they were either conveyed by the veiled woman or by others. If he wanted to see his master, he would be warned.
After asking a few more questions, Mo Lingxi ordered the imperial guards to throw the veiled man out of the palace.
Turning, he looked at the veiled woman. "You are still unwilling to confess?"
By this time, the veiled woman's leg bones had been shattered.
Her face was deathly pale, and she trembled uncontrollably from the pain.
Despite this, she remained resolute in her refusal to confess.
Mo Lingxi was not in a hurry and signaled the imperial guards to continue.
The veiled woman thought she could endure.
But when her hands were shattered, she could no longer hold on.
She shook her head forcefully, whimpering.
Mo Lingxi raised a hand, and the imperial guards removed the gag from the veiled woman's mouth.
"I'll talk, I'll talk," the veiled woman said eagerly.
Mo Lingxi was not surprised. "Speak."
The veiled woman took several deep breaths, trying to alleviate the pain, but it was in vain. "I, I was also following orders..."
Like the veiled man, the veiled woman was following the instructions of her superior. However, she had met her master.
"Who is your master?" Mo Lingxi asked.
The veiled woman said she didn't know. "I've seen my master twice, both times behind a screen, and I've never heard her voice. Each time, the master's intentions were conveyed by the chief steward by her side."
"I haven't seen the chief steward either. The chief steward also stood behind a screen. I only know that the chief steward is a man."
Mo Lingxi said, "Continue."
The veiled woman continued.
The reason she had been unwilling to confess earlier was twofold: first, her master's brutal methods; betrayers and those who disobeyed were, at the very least, subjected to a thousand cuts. Second, the benefits her master provided were extremely generous, whether it was high official positions, wealth, or other rewards, all could be obtained.
She knew a bit more than the veiled man. Her master seemed to be plotting a grand conspiracy, constantly aiming to instigate war, yet her master was particularly targeting Sheng Lengshuang.
The previous kidnapping of Sheng Lengshuang was at her master's behest. Her master wanted Sheng Lengshuang to become a complete village girl, one whose innocence and reputation were ruined, preventing her from continuing her comfortable life, and also causing her to be abandoned by Mo Lingxi.
However, Sheng Lengshuang woke up after being drugged and sensed something was wrong. Thus, she kept Sheng Lengshuang in a deep sleep, and Sheng Lengshuang was eventually rescued.
This time, her master had ordered her and the veiled man to abduct Sheng Lengshuang, to frame her for the murder of Prince Rui.
"How did you control Sheng Lengshuang with the flute music?" Mo Lingxi asked.
The veiled woman explained that one of the pills previously given to Sheng Lengshuang had the ability to control a person. When combined with the flute, it allowed them to control Sheng Lengshuang.
"I don't know the specifics of how it was done. The pills and the flute were given to me by my master. I simply had to follow orders."
Upon hearing this, Mo Lingxi had a general understanding. This shadowy organization, to prevent exposure, had made many arrangements and used substantial benefits to entice others to act on their behalf, thereby achieving their goals.
Furthermore, this shadowy organization possessed many hidden cards.
The question was, how did the shadowy organization acquire so many hidden cards?
The veiled woman confessed everything she knew, including the whereabouts of Tao Li and Zhou Wenxing, and the actions they had taken, all of which were secretly fanned and manipulated by her master.
Having obtained what he wanted, Mo Lingxi ordered the imperial guards to throw the veiled woman out of the palace. He then instructed the imperial guards and the Nine City Patrol to search the several strongholds, ensuring the capture of Tao Li and Zhou Wenxing.
After making these arrangements, Mo Lingxi prepared to go and see Sheng Lengshuang.
However, midway, he was stopped by the chief eunuch who had rushed over.
"Your Highness Prince Mingrui, something has happened."
Mo Lingxi's brow furrowed. "What has happened?"
The chief eunuch replied, "It's His Majesty! That concubine Luo Yang from the Zhou family somehow entered the palace and climbed onto the dragon bed. His Majesty requests you to come and see."
Upon hearing this, Mo Lingxi signaled the chief eunuch to lead the way.
The two arrived at the Hall of Mental Cultivation at the fastest possible speed.
Recently, Zi Cheng had been resting here, primarily for convenience in handling official duties.
Seeing Mo Lingxi arrive, he said with a grim expression, "Uncle, I don't know what happened. When I woke up, I found Luo Yang lying beside me. She actually had the audacity to cry and say she wanted me to take responsibility. It almost made me sick."
He was not the type to be greedy for pleasure.
Mo Lingxi ordered the palace maids to drag Luo Yang out. "Drag her out immediately!"