The Ministry of Punishment, the prison.
Tao Lengshuang and Mo Lingxi stood outside the cell, looking at Sheng Li lying in a sorry state on the ground, without a trace of sympathy or pity.
Sheng Li, who had endured all sorts of torture, truly hated Tao Lengshuang to the bone as she saw her, dignified, elegant, and cherished.
But she knew very well now that the only one who could save her was Tao Lengshuang. Zhou Wenxing and Black Hand would not save her; she had little remaining value.
"I can help you with anything, as long as you get me out of here."
Tao Lengshuang had come specifically because she thought Sheng Li would curse her, or say something about Black Hand, but she hadn't expected her to say this.
Instantly, she lost interest. "I only believe that a dog cannot change its ways."
As she finished speaking, she and Mo Lingxi were about to leave.
But Sheng Li called out, "I know Zhou Wenxing's secret!"
This time, Tao Lengshuang became interested. She raised an eyebrow and looked down at Sheng Li. "You'd better reveal something useful, or I won't care about you."
Sheng Li tightly gripped the straw on the ground, staring at Tao Lengshuang with jealousy and hatred. For the umpteenth time, she wondered why her life had turned out so terribly.
Before the matter of switching daughters was exposed, she was the only child of the Sheng family, enjoying a life of honor and comfort. Everyone had to fawn over her, and no one dared to offend her.
But now, she had become this mess.
Especially every time she saw Tao Lengshuang doing better, the imbalance in her heart gnawed at her like a wild beast.
"I'll tell you Zhou Wenxing's secret, and you let me out, and don't pursue the matter of Madam Li anymore."
Tao Lengshuang readily agreed. Her not pursuing it didn't mean Madam Li wouldn't, nor did it mean Zhou Wenxing wouldn't do something.
Sheng Li breathed a sigh of relief and said with a grim expression, "Zhou Wenxing has a secret room in his study. I haven't been inside to see what's in it, but every time he comes out of it, he's in a very good mood."
A secret room?
Tao Lengshuang and Mo Lingxi exchanged glances. They needed to investigate this secret room; perhaps they could find some useful clues and resolve Zhou Wenxing soon.
"What else do you know?" she asked.
Sheng Li did not hide anything, knowing that concealment would not allow her to truly leave. "Zhou Wenxing has three stewards. One of them rarely appears. He only shows up when there's something important, and his status is higher than the other two."
These were things she had specifically investigated, intending to use them to threaten Zhou Wenxing or for self-preservation.
Tao Lengshuang learned the names of the three stewards from Sheng Li and, confirming she had no more secrets, had the Ministry of Punishment release her.
She and Mo Lingxi watched Sheng Li run out like a madwoman. They walked slowly behind, talking in hushed tones about the secret room and the stewards.
"What do you think?" Tao Lengshuang frowned slightly and stated her opinion. "Connecting everything, we can understand why Zhou Wenxing can do so much behind the scenes."
"Three stewards, two in the open, one in the dark. They can help him handle most matters, and no one will suspect him."
Mo Lingxi nodded. "Let's investigate the secret room and the stewards first. We might find something useful."
Tao Lengshuang thought the same. Although they had already confirmed that Black Hand was Zhou Wenxing, they didn't know what arrangements Zhou Wenxing had made in secret or how many people he had.
More importantly, it was hard to guarantee that Zhou Wenxing hadn't arranged a mutual destruction plan to get his adoptive mother.
Therefore, they shouldn't rashly attack Zhou Wenxing before investigating everything clearly.
The two were talking in low voices about Zhou Wenxing when they inadvertently overheard several officials chatting, which caught their attention.
"Did you hear? The dignified Princess Mingrui actually went to the prison. It's utterly shameless and lacks any decorum."
"That's not surprising. Princess Mingrui is from the countryside. What kind of decorum and shame could she have? It's a pity for Prince Mingrui, who was forced to marry such a crude person."
"Forced? Didn't you hear that Prince Mingrui did it willingly?"
"What willingly? I got inside information. It's said that Prince Mingrui was injured back then and was saved by Princess Mingrui's family. They saw Prince Mingrui's extraordinary nature and used the life-saving grace to coerce Prince Mingrui into marrying Princess Mingrui. At that time, Princess Mingrui was fat and ugly, and also particularly vicious."
"My heavens! That's too hateful. Prince Mingrui is already back, why doesn't he divorce that lowly woman?"
"It's a matter of life-saving grace. The key is that Princess Mingrui's family is from the countryside and is best at throwing tantrums and making a scene. If Prince Mingrui divorces Princess Mingrui, what will they do if the other family makes a scene everywhere? These common ruffians are the most disgusting."
Upon hearing this, Mo Lingxi was about to deal with these officials, but Tao Lengshuang stopped him.
"It's not worth it," Tao Lengshuang said calmly, her tone even. "Many people say these things. Are you going to deal with them one by one and explain to each of them?"
"Not to mention whether they will listen, but doing so will only bring more gossip."
Mo Lingxi hugged her with concern and apology. "I'm sorry. It's my fault for not handling these things properly, which has caused you to endure such gossip."
Tao Lengshuang shook her head, indicating it was fine, and maintained her calm demeanor. "When I revealed my identity, I was mentally prepared."
Regardless of whether she was the daughter of General Sheng and his wife, her growing up in the countryside was unchangeable, but she never thought there was anything shameful about it.
Mo Lingxi felt even more heartbroken. He sighed. "At a time like this, I wish you could be a little more fragile and rely on me a bit."
Tao Lengshuang smiled faintly, half-jokingly, half-seriously. "If I were really like that, Prince Mingrui would find me not strong enough and cry over such a small matter."
Mo Lingxi's survival instinct kicked in. He repeatedly said no and that he loved her no matter what.
Tao Lengshuang's lips curved upwards, but she didn't truly believe his words. A man's mouth is a deceiving ghost; believing a man's words would make her foolish.
Mo Lingxi instructed his hidden guards to investigate who spread these rumors. Then, he and Tao Lengshuang left the Ministry of Punishment and saw Sheng Li standing at the main entrance.
Finally standing in the sunlight, Sheng Li greedily and enviously savored it, her resolve to get rid of Tao Lengshuang and not lose everything even stronger.
She absolutely could not live a life of hardship. She was the noble Sheng Li.
"Sheng Li, I hope you cherish your good days." With these words, Tao Lengshuang and Mo Lingxi got into their carriage and left.
Sheng Li gritted her teeth hatefully and walked back to the Zhou family. Once she made arrangements, she would surely be able to kill Tao Lengshuang.
However, when she finally managed to walk back to the Zhou family, she was greeted not by Zhou Wenxing and the others, but by Madam Li's beating.
This wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that after she knocked on the door for a long time, the Zhou family's main door still didn't open.