"After the matter is concluded, go to the Hall of Discipline to receive your punishment!"
What good would punishing him now do? Could a man who bit his tongue to commit suicide be brought back to life? Even if he were given fifty heavy strokes, his flesh torn and bloody, it would only mean one less useful person and one more injured invalid. It was better to settle everything after the current issues were resolved.
"Your subordinate thanks the Empress!"
"And the woman?"
"Detained outside the corridor."
The woman was not dead, but a foul and fishy stench permeated the prison cell, causing an unsettling nausea.
Nan Shiying looked at the woman, whose face was streaked with tears and snot, and said with a stern expression, "Repeat everything you heard from Dieyi to this consort, word for word."
"Yes, yes!"
The woman dared not disobey.
"That day..."
After the opera that day, Dieyi was summoned to the inner courtyard and emerged after a long while!
Dieyi wasn't usually talkative. She was the daughter of the troupe leader and the lead actress. Someone like her, a servant, wouldn't normally catch the other's eye. So, when Dieyi suddenly spoke to her while she was tidying up backstage, she was both surprised and delighted.
"Miss Zeng, the daughter of Lin Yangbo, is a cousin within three degrees of kinship to Consort Wang of the Nan Estate. Dieyi said that when she went to offer thanks for rewards, she happened to overhear people inside discussing these old matters."
"Lord Nan loved the Wang Consort's birth mother but could not have her. Thus, he spent considerable effort finding someone who bore a striking resemblance to the Consort's birth mother and brought her into the estate."
"Initially, Lady Wang was unaware. It wasn't until later, when the Consort's birth mother, Lady Qin, entered the estate, that Zeng said everyone in the estate commented on how much Lady Qin resembled Lady Liu. They said she was brought into the estate to kowtow and thank Lady Liu. Lady Liu was pregnant at the time and could not attend to others. Fearing that Lady Qin would steal her favor, she went to trouble Lady Qin. As a result, that incident led to Lady Liu suffering severe punishment. Lord Nan showed no regard for Lady Liu's pregnancy at the time and made her kneel under the scorching sun for three full days. No amount of pleading helped. In the end, the child Lady Liu was carrying was lost due to the ordeal."
"Because of the miscarriage, Lady Liu's health suffered. It took another two years before she conceived again."
"As for… as for saying, saying you are… Zeng said that even though you are now immensely favored, in reality, you are an orphan with an unknown father… She said that for the two years Lady Qin was in the estate, she never attended to Lord Nan, so this child…"
The woman trembled, her words slurred. If this were gossip discussed in hushed tones over tea, she would have undoubtedly embellished it with great enthusiasm. But now, the prison was dim and eerie. Although the noble lady before her was not scowling or radiating killing intent, her bones felt as if they were about to shatter from the cold wind. She wished time could be reversed, wishing she had never heard these words, let alone spoken them.
Jia Huan's expression was grim, and he lowered his head, not daring to look at the Consort's face.
"Anything else?" Nan Shiying asked in a calm tone.
The woman quickly shook her head, "No more, truly no more!"
"Consort, it's all that Dieyi. She maliciously intended to slander the Consort. Consort, this lowly one knows her mistakes, truly knows them! I beg the Consort to spare this lowly one's life!"
The woman pleaded incessantly.
Nan Shiying ignored the woman's pleas and turned to leave. Reaching the prison entrance, she said to Jia Huan, "Throw her to the dogs."
Jia Huan trembled all over and knelt to accept the order.
"Consort, Consort, this lowly one…"
Jia Huan stood up, approached the woman, and dislocated her jaw.
Annoying!
If the people from the Nan Qu troupe had not escaped today, their actions would have been a plan to kill three birds with one stone.
Firstly, to spread rumors in the marketplace that she was an illegitimate child. Secondly, to use the royal estate to eliminate the Earl of Lin Yang's estate. Thirdly, to target the Wang family.
But not only did the perpetrators escape, they also set a trap and killed several of the royal estate's hidden guards.
She couldn't quite figure out why the other party would make such a move.
It was as if two chess players were both playing black pieces, each making a move. Their strategies were different, their killing moves circuitous, filled with errors and omissions. It was like a siege lacking one piece, utterly messy and unsightly, shrouding the opponent in fog, making the entire game incomprehensible.
Nan Shiying pressed her temples and inquired about Ji Jinmo and the Tang sect.
Ji Jinmo handed her a cup of steaming hot tea. He stood up and walked behind her, his long fingers gently massaging Nan Shiying's temples as he spoke softly, "The Tang sect was once an insignificant martial arts sect, composed of treacherous individuals who excelled at using hidden weapons and were disdained by martial artists. Fifty years ago, the sect leader of the Tang sect was pushed off a cliff during a duel. Not only did he survive, but he also found a secret manual by Lu Ban and developed hundreds of incredibly powerful hidden weapons, thus propelling the Tang sect to its peak. However, whether it was due to their hoarding of knowledge or a lack of gifted disciples, many of the Tang sect's hidden weapons were lost after that person's death, leaving only the 'Raining Pear Blossom Needle'."
"In reality, there were numerous hidden weapons as powerful as the Raining Pear Blossom Needle back then, but the most potent and producible one remaining is the Raining Pear Blossom Needle!"
Tang sect?
They had the audacity to call themselves a sect.
Despicable!
"Have you heard of any affiliated sects of the Tang sect?"
"On the surface, no!"
Ji Jinmo's answer was quite astute, "On the surface."
Linyuan was now facing enemies from all sides. As powerful as he was, he couldn't foresee everything. The Tang sect was located in the remote region of Shu, a great distance from the capital. Shu was mountainous, and the roads were difficult to ascend. Before today, the Tang sect was merely a name appearing in memorials.
Nan Shiying closed her eyes in comfort, saying no more. Ji Jinmo didn't ask, but continued to massage her head.
"Jinmo, investigate Lady Qin, Lady Qin."
"Alright!"
"Also, call Xiaoman here!"
…
At Tongji Pharmacy, Xiaoman pressed Dogzi's head, forcing him into the mud.
"Speak! Did you eat the last osmanthus cake?" Xiaoman asked loudly, her eyebrows furrowed.
Dogzi opened his mouth and ate half a mouthful of dirt. His arms were pinned behind his back by this monstrous human, and his head was pressed into the mud. Not only could he not struggle, but he couldn't even lift his head. If he wanted to speak, he had to continue eating dirt.
"Yes, yes, so what? Spit, spit, spit! If you have the guts, bury me in the ground like a seed!" Dogzi shouted, spitting out more and more dirt.
His mouth felt dry and bitter, and the mud he inhaled was getting stuck in his throat.
"Do you think I wouldn't dare?"
Xiaoman said, preparing to shove him headfirst into the dirt.
"Wow!"
Thirteen exclaimed with great interest.
Xiaoman looked up upon hearing the sound.
"The Consort is looking for you!" Thirteen said.