Sheng Lengshuang’s first reaction was to push Mo Lingxi far away, then meticulously pat her outer robe as if she intended to change it.
“Prince Mingrui, speak if you must, but why are you standing so close?”
She said coldly, her face etched with annoyance, “If this happens again, I will poison you to death.”
This man was truly disgusting, using such methods to take liberties with her.
If it weren’t for his status, she would have truly poisoned him to death.
Mo Lingxi felt like crying without tears. His wife disliked him and wanted to poison him; what was he to do?
Yet, his wife’s condition was due to that poison.
If it were mere dislike, he would have had a way.
“Alright, I’ll listen to you,” he said good-naturedly.
Sheng Lengshuang became even more annoyed. Knowing this repulsive fellow, she was sure he was hatching some wicked plan.
“Prince Mingrui can discuss this matter with my father. Please try to stay out of my sight from now on.”
With that, she strode forward, eager to escape Mo Lingxi.
Mo Lingxi quickly caught up, saying ingratiatingly, “I have discussed it with General Sheng, but this matter requires your help if we are to lure Zhou Wenxing out. You know best how great the danger is to us as long as Zhou Wenxing is not eliminated.”
Sheng Lengshuang knew this point all too well, but the thought of resolving this matter with Mo Lingxi made her feel nauseous.
“I will discuss this with my parents, so there’s no need to trouble Prince Mingrui.”
Mo Lingxi felt utterly heartbroken. He had just managed to resolve the marital alliances with several countries and could reconcile with his wife at any moment, only for this to happen.
“It would be faster if I arranged the troops, wouldn’t it?”
As the impatient Sheng Lengshuang was about to use poison, she saw a eunuch rushing over. She immediately tucked the poison into her sleeve, resolving to use powder directly in the future.
“What is it?” Mo Lingxi’s expression instantly turned cold.
The eunuch bowed and said, “Your Highness Prince Mingrui, Prince Rui… has been killed!”
Mo Lingxi’s expression darkened. “What happened?”
The eunuch replied, “This servant doesn’t know the specifics. The news came to the palace from the Ministry of Justice. They said Prince Rui was killed and requested Your Highness Prince Mingrui to go to Prince Rui’s mansion, also asking for the release of Miss Sima.”
Mo Lingxi had a premonition that this matter was not simple. He ordered someone to bring Sima Min from the Ministry of Justice prison back to Prince Rui’s mansion. He then instructed Sheng Lengshuang and left the palace for Prince Rui’s mansion.
Sheng Lengshuang touched her chin, her brows furrowed. Why would Prince Rui be killed out of the blue? More importantly, what was the point of killing Prince Rui?
Prince Rui had always been well-behaved. Or was Prince Rui doing something in secret?
She needed to ask her father about this.
Sheng Lengshuang sought out General Sheng and inquired about Prince Rui. “Father, what kind of person is Prince Rui?”
General Sheng, not understanding the reason, replied, “Prince Rui is a true gentleman. It’s a pity he raised such a daughter. Why are you asking about Prince Rui all of a sudden? Is he involved in something?”
Sheng Lengshuang told him about Prince Rui’s death.
“What!?” General Sheng exclaimed in shock, then said gravely, “Why would anyone kill Prince Rui without reason? This matter is likely not that simple.”
Sheng Lengshuang thought the same. Prince Rui’s sudden death probably indicated some underlying issue.
However, Sheng Lengshuang did not expect that the case of Prince Rui would not only implicate her but also lead to a clue suggesting she killed Prince Rui out of revenge for Sima Min.
She pointed at herself, amused to the point of anger, “Does Prince Mingrui mean that I killed Prince Rui?”
It was utterly preposterous. No matter how much she disliked Sima Min, she would never have killed Prince Rui.
Mo Lingxi quickly said, “I believe you. I know your character, and you wouldn’t do such a thing. Besides, you have no reason to kill Prince Rui.”
“The current situation is unfavorable to you. We need to find clues to prove that the case of Prince Rui has nothing to do with you. Denying this case will be exploited by those with ulterior motives.”
How could Sheng Lengshuang not know this? She calmly considered the matter. “Some aspects are very strange. For example, if I were to kill Prince Rui because of Sima Min, wouldn’t it be better for me to just kill Sima Min directly? Moreover, Sima Min is imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice. I have no reason to do such a thing.”
Mo Lingxi’s eyes glinted with coldness. “It’s hard to say. What we need to do now is to investigate the clues.”
Sheng Lengshuang knew that proving her innocence by investigating clues was the most important thing. Therefore, despite her dislike for Mo Lingxi, she asked him for detailed clues regarding Prince Rui’s case.
Mo Lingxi said that Prince Rui was killed by a knife to the throat while working in his study. Judging from his lying position, he never saw the killer until his death. Furthermore, the killer cleaned up all traces upon leaving and did not move Prince Rui’s body.
“Then why do they say I killed Prince Rui?” Sheng Lengshuang asked.
Mo Lingxi replied, “The servants in Prince Rui’s mansion said that you had sent people to threaten Prince Rui, stating that if he couldn’t control Sima Min, you would kill him. You even sent several sharp swords at that time.”
Sheng Lengshuang stated that she had never done such a thing, and this was clearly a frame-up.
Mo Lingxi said he knew it wasn’t Sheng Lengshuang who did it. “Someone acted under your banner. I’m afraid they will find substantive evidence to prove you killed Prince Rui. Therefore, we must prove your innocence before that happens.”
Sheng Lengshuang nodded slowly, but the problem was, how could she prove that the case of Prince Rui’s murder had nothing to do with her?
“Don’t worry,” Mo Lingxi said softly, trying to comfort her. “I will find a way to resolve this. You should focus on recuperating.”
Sheng Lengshuang was not swayed by this. She rolled her eyes and sent Mo Lingxi away.
She paced back and forth, pondering why the case of Prince Rui’s murder was being linked to her. What was the intention behind implicating her?
Unable to figure it out, Sheng Lengshuang arranged for her hidden guards to investigate the matter, focusing on the relationships between Prince Rui and Sima Min to see if they could find any useful clues.
…
Early morning.
Sheng Lengshuang, who was sleeping soundly, suddenly heard a strange flute melody. She slowly sat up.
However, she did not open her eyes.
Without even putting on her clothes or shoes, she walked barefoot.
For some reason, there were no palace guards on duty tonight.
Sheng Lengshuang stepped out of the hall and walked to the left.
She walked and walked.
She arrived at a rather secluded palace.
Enveloped by the darkness of night, this secluded palace resembled a beast with its maw agape, ready to devour anyone at any moment.
Sheng Lengshuang, with her eyes closed, walked in and stood in the middle of the courtyard.
Suddenly, a man and a woman landed in front of her, both wearing veils.
“Alright, now take Sheng Lengshuang away,” the veiled woman said, putting the flute into her sleeve. “Don’t do anything you shouldn’t. If you disrupt the master’s plan again, you know the consequences.”
The veiled man nodded and hoisted Sheng Lengshuang onto his shoulder. “You are responsible for cleaning up. Leave no trace.”