The imposter shook her head, "No, no! At first, I thought she was crazy and didn't pay her much attention. Later, later..."
Her voice grew softer, tinged with embarrassment. "She gave me too much silver and bought me many good things. I was greedy for a moment and agreed."
Sheng Lengshuang understood, her emotions undisturbed. The world bustles, all for profit. As long as the benefits are enough, no one is immune to temptation.
The imposter continued her confession. After agreeing to the middle-aged woman's request, she learned that the woman wanted her to imitate Sheng Lengshuang's every move, speech, and behavior. The goal was for her to eventually become Sheng Lengshuang, the admired and sought-after Princess Mingrui.
As an imposter from an ordinary family, how could she resist such a prospect? Envious and jealous of Sheng Lengshuang, she began to mimic her every action, word, and deed, striving to become indistinguishable from the real person.
After many days of training, the middle-aged woman finally brought her to this estate, instructing her to appear before Sheng Lengshuang. The plan was to make everyone believe the real Sheng Lengshuang was fake, then seize the opportunity to kill her and claim everything that rightfully belonged to her.
However, the plan was exposed as soon as it began.
Sheng Lengshuang looked at the imposter with the eyes of someone regarding a fool. "You are merely a pawn. Once you lose your usefulness, death awaits you... It's no use saying more to you. You've already been blinded by greed, believing that by impersonating me, you could enjoy a life of privilege."
The imposter indeed thought that way. During this time, she had truly experienced the life of nobility, which only fueled her jealousy of Sheng Lengshuang.
Why should a woman, who was found and raised in the countryside, enjoy such a good life while she lived a difficult one?
She was truly unwilling to accept this!
Therefore, she wanted to replace Sheng Lengshuang, to become the envied Princess Mingrui, enjoying supreme status and a good life.
"Please, spare my life. I promise I won't do anything I shouldn't again."
Sheng Lengshuang had no intention of sparing such a person. She glanced at the hidden guards.
The hidden guards immediately gagged the imposter and dragged her away to be dealt with.
Sheng Lengshuang handed a portrait to another hidden guard. "Investigate the identity of this middle-aged woman. It's best not to alert her. Find out who is behind her. If the other party is already aware, apprehend her."
The hidden guard acknowledged the order and left with the portrait to carry out the task.
Sheng Lengshuang tapped the armrest of her chair, her brow furrowed as she pondered the matter. Was this the work of the Black Hand, or a scheme by someone else? Was their goal to seize power, or did they have other motives?
Without more clues, she couldn't ascertain the other party's intentions.
To avoid getting entangled, Sheng Lengshuang stopped thinking about it. Instead, she strengthened the estate's defenses to prevent any further accidents.
But Sheng Lengshuang couldn't have imagined that some 'accidents' could be connected to her.
When she heard something from the hidden guards who had been investigating the village, she was somewhat stunned. "You're saying those palace consorts who are undergoing spiritual cultivation are secretly having their maids buy chickens and ducks from nearby villages to nourish themselves?"
The hidden guard replied, "Yes, Your Highness. It's a small number of palace consorts who cannot bear the austere life of spiritual cultivation, secretly buying many good things like chickens and ducks."
"Although the spiritual cultivation palaces are guarded by imperial guards, the security is not very strict. As long as they are careful and discreet, it is possible to sneak out. If done meticulously, no one will notice anything unusual."
Sheng Lengshuang didn't know what to say. She was truly impressed by these palace consorts. His Majesty was furious this time and sent all the palace consorts to the royal temple for spiritual cultivation, yet some consorts were secretly sending people to buy delicacies from farther villages.
Wasn't this asking for trouble?
She shook her head and stopped thinking about it. She guessed that some consorts might believe she had instigated His Majesty to send them to the royal temple for spiritual cultivation, and they must resent her deeply.
But what did that have to do with her? As long as these consorts didn't cause her trouble, she wouldn't do anything.
However, for daring to do such a thing, the Emperor's son, Cheng, would not forgive them lightly.
The very next day, Sheng Lengshuang learned from Mo Lingxi, who had returned, that these consorts who had secretly sent people out to buy delicacies or do other things were either demoted or deposed. This was why the remaining consorts dared not do anything further.
"This matter is probably not that simple, is it?" Sheng Lengshuang voiced her opinion. "These consorts wouldn't be so foolish, nor would they coincidentally be discovered by villagers. Could it be related to what happened before?"
Mo Lingxi took the teacup she handed him and took a sip, saying calmly, "His Majesty and I also think so. These consorts are not foolish; they wouldn't take such a big risk for a little food, unless someone instigated them, or someone acted under their names."
"His Majesty is already investigating this matter in secret. We don't need to interfere."
Upon hearing this, Sheng Lengshuang no longer dwelled on it. "You've been busy for two days. Have you found any imposters?"
Mo Lingxi praised, "My wife is indeed clever! There are no major issues in the palace, but some important court officials, despite not holding high positions, have been secretly replaced. Even their spouses haven't noticed anything unusual."
"If it weren't for this incident, and His Majesty and I conducting a thorough secret investigation, there could have been a major disaster."
Sheng Lengshuang hummed. "Do you think the Black Hand did this? Based on his usual behavior, it doesn't seem like his style."
Mo Lingxi raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't matter who did it, does it?"
Sheng Lengshuang thought about it and agreed. "Yes, it doesn't matter who did it. What's most important is who resolves these matters and prevents further unpleasant incidents."
They exchanged a smile, and the topic concluded.
"By the way, wife, when I returned, I learned from His Majesty that a few more people had died. Just like the previous cases, their bodies had your name written in blood beside them."
"This isn't over yet? Is the impact significant?"
Mo Lingxi shook his head. "The impact is not significant. Don't worry, wife. With what happened before, the common people are more concerned about their own lives and whether they can save more money this year. As for this case, it doesn't affect their lives."
Sheng Lengshuang felt relieved. "No matter who it is, it's the same. As long as it doesn't affect them personally, who cares what happens?"
"Exactly. This case is most likely the work of Sima Min. That person hates me to the core; he's probably trying to harm me this way."
Mo Lingxi's eyes glinted with a hint of coldness. "Speaking of Sima Min, I have found some clues, though they are not yet confirmed."
Sheng Lengshuang became interested and sat up straighter. "What clues have you found?"