Under the weight of numerous physical and testimonial evidence, the clandestine acts of the Southern Jin envoy—bribing court officials, spying on Eastern Jin's secrets, and attempting to steal military deployment maps—were suppressed.
The Southern Jin envoy collapsed to the ground as if their parents had died, knowing full well they were finished. Not only could they not return to the Southern Jin, but they would also perish in the Eastern Capital. Furthermore, the Eastern Jin would demand reparations from the Southern Jin for this incident, ensuring their families would not survive.
Mo Lingxi looked down at the group. "Your Southern Jin harbors too much ambition and lacks the intelligence of the other two nations. You always believe there's still a chance to annex our Eastern Jin. From the very beginning, our Eastern Jin has had its eyes on you."
Compared to the other two nations, the Southern Jin was truly ambitious and constantly believed it could annex the Eastern Jin, continuously engaging in petty schemes, yet dared not openly confront the Eastern Jin.
"Uncle, the Emperor of Southern Jin is old and has always fantasized about annexing our Eastern Jin to obtain the so-called longevity medicine," Zi Cheng said mockingly.
Mo Lingxi knew exactly what this medicine was. It was pills his wife had concocted, capable of extending life, but they were not elixirs of immortality.
He never expected the Emperor of Southern Jin to mistake them for such.
"Foolish!"
Zi Cheng understood the Southern Jin Emperor's mindset. "Uncle, how many people who sit on the throne are willing to die? Especially those like the Southern Jin Emperor, who has been emperor for decades, are even more unwilling to relinquish power, hoping to achieve eternal life."
Some emperors, after sitting on the throne for too long, forget their original intentions, only remembering to grasp power and live longer.
Mo Lingxi scoffed. "An old monster. What good is living a long life, only to watch one by one, loved ones die before your eyes? Everything and everyone changes, yet you alone remain alive."
Zi Cheng shuddered at the thought. "That's terrifying! I'm already content to live to sixty. To ask me to live forever... I'd rather live a few years less."
Mo Lingxi couldn't be bothered with his occasionally eccentric nephew.
Zi Cheng didn't mind. "Uncle, how do you plan to deal with Southern Jin?"
Mo Lingxi looked at the Southern Jin envoys.
Several Southern Jin envoys suddenly kowtowed repeatedly, begging for mercy.
"We beg Prince Mingrui to spare our lives! We beg Prince Mingrui to spare our lives!"
"We are willing to accept any punishment, only begging Prince Mingrui to spare our lives."
Mo Lingxi let out a cold snort. "Merely your attempt to steal our Eastern Jin's military deployment map is enough to have you torn apart by five horses. Rest assured, you won't die for now. I'm still waiting for Southern Jin to properly compensate our Eastern Jin."
"Take them away!"
At his command, the imperial guards gagged the Southern Jin envoys and forcibly dragged them away.
"Uncle, are you planning to kill the chicken to warn the monkeys, or are you planning to extort a hefty sum from Southern Jin?" Zi Cheng asked.
Mo Lingxi countered with a question. "What does His Majesty think?"
Zi Cheng stroked his chin. "With such a golden opportunity, why don't we both kill the chicken to warn the monkeys and extort a hefty sum from Southern Jin? This way, the other two nations will not dare to scheme against our Eastern Jin so easily."
Mo Lingxi replied, "Then we shall proceed as His Majesty wishes."
"...Uncle, can you be any more perfunctory?"
"Yes."
Zi Cheng looked speechless. "Uncle, please put some thought into state affairs."
Mo Lingxi said calmly, "I have put some thought into it. His Majesty can handle the rest. I need to go back and accompany my wife and children."
Zi Cheng didn't know where to begin his complaint. Where did his uncle get a wife? He hadn't even won back his aunt yet. Moreover, his uncle was so focused on accompanying his aunt that he barely spent any time with Xiao Feng, making it truly ironic that his uncle could say such a thing.
Indeed, compared to his uncle, he was still too concerned with appearances.
At the same time.
Sheng Lengshuang, who was playing with Xiao Feng, suddenly saw several people land before her. She immediately shielded Xiao Feng behind her.
"Oh, what a rare visitor."
Heishou knew Mo Lingxi had entered the palace, so he sent Old Master Tao and the others?
Old Master Tao and the others no longer looked as unsightly as before. They were now gradually resembling normal corpses, which also indicated their attack power had increased.
"Sheng Lengshuang, I want to make a deal with you."
Hearing the hoarse, unpleasant voice like a crow's caw, Sheng Lengshuang narrowed her eyes. "What deal do you want to make with me?"
"If you become my human experiment, I will tell you everything and help you resolve all your troubles."
"Are you kidding me? Please understand, I am not a fool like Tao Li, who would foolishly agree to your words."
"If you refuse, I will capture you and your son and turn you both into puppets."
Sheng Lengshuang found it laughable. "I think your brain has been soaked in medicinal water too much and is useless. I suggest you discard your brain as soon as possible, and perhaps you might become a normal person."
"Very well! Seize Sheng Lengshuang and her son!" As the person spoke, Old Master Tao and the others immediately lunged at Sheng Lengshuang and Xiao Feng.
Sheng Lengshuang stood still, carefully protecting Xiao Feng.
Xiao Feng poked his head out and saw a group of hidden guards appear. Some of the hidden guards were responsible for protecting him and his mother, while the rest attacked Old Master Tao and the others.
"Mother, why are some people so foolish?"
Sheng Lengshuang said softly, "It's not foolishness, it's being too conceited. Perhaps, in this person's eyes, with Old Master Tao and a few puppets, and being skilled in poison, he could surely capture us."
"But he forgot that this is the heavily guarded Prince Mingrui's manor. If the hidden guards had not intentionally let him in, he would have had no way to enter."
This was Prince Mingrui's manor, not a place anyone could easily trespass.
Xiao Feng understood and said "oh," realizing it was like that.
"Xiao Feng, I'll tell you, one of the most taboo things in life is arrogance and conceit. You must understand that even the weakest person has the potential to harm you."
"Mother, Xiao Feng remembers."
Sheng Lengshuang smiled with satisfaction. She glanced at Old Master Tao and the others, unsurprised that they were being held back by the hidden guards. No matter how formidable Old Master Tao and the others were, they were no match for battle-hardened and highly skilled hidden guards.
Moreover, the hidden guards were fighting three against one and were using fire attacks.
"Puppets are very powerful, but unfortunately, the number of your puppets..."
Before she could finish speaking, she saw over a dozen puppets appear before her. Upon closer inspection, one of the puppets was actually Tao Li.
It seemed Tao Li had been refined into a puppet as soon as she returned.
She noticed a slight difference in Tao Li's expression, realizing she hadn't completely become a puppet, but she had no intention of saving her. This was all Tao Li's own doing; why would she save her?
Seeing the puppets attack, she flung a handful of medicinal powder and gave a lot more to the hidden guards.
"Use fierce fire attacks, don't be afraid of burning Prince Mingrui's manor."
In the face of life itself, nothing else mattered.