Lady Li’s eyes held a sinister gleam. She decided that upon returning home, she would investigate the concubines and illegitimate children to discover who was responsible. She vowed not to let the person who harmed her go unpunished.
She performed a deep bow to Tao Lengshuang, apologizing, "Please forgive me, Princess Mingrui. I acted without proper investigation and caused trouble."
Tao Lengshuang replied indifferently, "From now on, Lady Li, please ensure you investigate thoroughly before speaking, lest further unpleasant incidents occur."
Lady Li knew she had offended Tao Lengshuang and also realized she had incurred the displeasure of Mo Lingxi, which would negatively impact her husband's official career. She could only blame her own rage at the time, which made her focus solely on confronting Princess Mingrui, completely forgetting to investigate the matter first. Upon returning home, her husband would undoubtedly scold her.
After seeing Lady Li off, Tao Lengshuang glanced at the onlookers and returned to the residence with Mo Lingxi. As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, they saw Madam Sheng and Xiao Feng standing by the entrance of the house, clearly waiting for them.
"Have you handled everything?" Madam Sheng asked with a smile.
Tao Lengshuang nodded, indicating that everything was resolved, without going into detail. "I apologize for making my adoptive mother worry. It was my oversight; I didn't expect something like this to happen."
Madam Sheng showed her annoyance. "Lengshuang, you must be more careful in the future. Such incidents will not be uncommon."
"As the saying goes, wherever there are people, there will be disputes. Especially for these ladies and young ladies with so much free time, they spend their days scheming how to outshine others and how to plot against others." She had grown up in a noble family and had witnessed countless sordid affairs, seeing how many people would do outrageous things for personal gain.
Tao Lengshuang understood this and responded obediently before changing the subject, "Adoptive Mother, has my adoptive father sent any letters back?"
Madam Sheng said he had, usually one letter a day, and often sent local specialties back for her. Regardless of what they were, the intention was to make her happy. Tao Lengshuang listened with envy and longing. Throughout history, it was rare for couples to maintain such deep affection for decades, as her adoptive parents did.
Noticing her expression, Mo Lingxi's heart stirred, and he conceived an idea. After escorting Madam Sheng and Xiao Feng back to their courtyard, Tao Lengshuang and Mo Lingxi walked side by side.
"Why don't you move your pharmacy from Lotus Town to the Eastern Capital? It would be more convenient for you," Mo Lingxi suggested.
Tao Lengshuang shook her head. "Actually, I prefer living in Lotus Town. I can't go back to Ten Mile Slope Village, so I just want to live in Lotus Town and live a leisurely life." She wouldn't have to deal with these matters every day, nor worry about being schemed against at every moment.
Mo Lingxi put his arm around her shoulder and said softly, "Can you give me some more time?"
"Once I have settled all my affairs, I will move to Lotus Town with you and Xiao Feng."
Tao Lengshuang looked at him with complex emotions. "You don't have to go to such lengths for me."
Mo Lingxi's gaze softened. He said slowly, "It's not entirely for you. I'm also tired of my current life. If it weren't for the empire and Zi Cheng, I might have already retired to seclusion."
Tao Lengshuang knew Mo Lingxi was telling the truth and felt his affection for her. However... she still wasn't sure if she wanted to spend her life with Mo Lingxi, nor did she know if she could continue living this kind of life. Although Mo Lingxi was willing to move to Lotus Town with her, he bore heavy responsibilities. His position and status indicated that he likely had more than one wife. She could not accept sharing her husband with several other women, nor could she engage in petty squabbles with them. Wouldn't it be better to use that time and energy to run a pharmacy and heal people?
"What are you thinking about?" Mo Lingxi asked.
Tao Lengshuang shook her head, indicating she wasn't thinking about anything. She didn't tell Mo Lingxi her thoughts; there was no point in discussing these matters, so why bother? Mo Lingxi could tell she was hiding something, something related to him. Knowing he wouldn't get it out of her, he followed her lead.
As they were talking, a maid came to announce that Sima Min had arrived, claiming to know who had harmed Lady Li. Tao Lengshuang and Mo Lingxi exchanged a glance, and then Tao Lengshuang went alone to the main hall to meet Sima Min.
Sima Min was dressed very elegantly today, like a fresh and delicate lily, exuding a warm and sweet aura. "Greetings, Princess Mingrui," she said, curtsying gracefully. "I apologize for disturbing you, Princess Mingrui, but I unintentionally learned who harmed Lady Li, so I came to inform you."
Tao Lengshuang invited her to sit and asked with a faint smile, "How did Miss Sima unintentionally find out?"
Sima Min's heart tightened, but her expression remained calm. "To be honest, Princess Mingrui, I found out by chance while watching the commotion." She covered her mouth and lowered her voice. "With all the trouble the Zhou family has caused, many people were watching the spectacle, and I joined in. It was a form of entertainment."
Tao Lengshuang's eyes darkened slightly as she nodded. "The Zhou family's affairs have indeed caused quite a stir; there hasn't been a moment of peace."
Sima Min agreed, "At first, I was just watching the fun, but then I unintentionally learned about this matter."
"The person who harmed Lady Li is Madam Zhou... Sheng Li. The person she intended to target was you, Princess Mingrui. Lord Li has a favored concubine who has always wanted to ascend, but Lord Li is not the type to abandon his wife for a concubine, so she was used by Madam Zhou."
Tao Lengshuang did not believe Sima Min was that lucky to have stumbled upon such information unintentionally. It was likely she had been deliberately watching, as everyone knew about her feud with Sheng Li. "So it was Sheng Li," she sneered. "I truly underestimated Sheng Li. To think she would be so vicious to harm me."
Sima Min showed disgust. "Sheng Li has often acted atrociously, relying on the Sheng family. After she was expelled from the Sheng family, she became somewhat quieter."
"But who would have thought she would marry Lord Zhou? And now she's started her mischief again. Fortunately, the Cheng family has already been assigned elsewhere, otherwise, she would definitely have gone to cause trouble at the Cheng family."
Tao Lengshuang treated it as idle gossip and didn't take Sima Min's words to heart. "I wonder what Sheng Li is so worked up about."
Sima Min replied, "Who knows? Perhaps she's had too comfortable a life and is looking for ways to stir up trouble. Sooner or later, Sheng Li will bring about her own downfall."
Tao Lengshuang smiled and didn't respond. Sima Min seemed unconcerned by her attitude and continued to chat with her intimately, as if they were close friends. Tao Lengshuang narrowed her eyes, guessing Sima Min's intentions. As Mo Lingxi's wife, befriending her would bring great benefits; this was likely Sima Min's objective. As for whether Sima Min had other schemes, it was difficult to say for now.
Sima Min stayed for about two quarters of an hour before taking her leave. Tao Lengshuang didn't dwell on Sima Min's intentions. She sent someone to inform the Minister of Justice that Sheng Li was likely the culprit. Not long after, the Minister of Justice sent someone to invite Tao Lengshuang and Mo Lingxi to the Ministry of Justice, stating that Sheng Li had something she wished to say to Tao Lengshuang.