"No, no, please don't torture me!" Sheng Li's face turned as pale as a ghost. She shook her head in panic, "Tao Lengshuang... Princess Ming Rui, please don't torture me. I'll tell you everything, I'll really tell you everything."
Tao Lengshuang glanced at her indifferently, then signaled her hidden guards to escort Sheng Li to the main hall.
The main hall.
Tao Lengshuang and Mo Lingxi sat at the head of the table, looking down at Sheng Li, who was kneeling on the ground in a disheveled state.
"Tao Li, this is your only chance," Tao Lengshuang said coldly. "If you dare to tell a single lie, or do anything you shouldn't, you know the consequences."
Tao Li, filled with regret, nodded like a pecking hen, repeatedly assuring them she wouldn't do anything wrong. "Actually, I really don't know who helped me. Originally, it was Ajin who helped me, but then it changed to a middle-aged man with a scar on his face."
"Later, after this middle-aged man was caught, a young and beautiful maid approached me, saying she could help me achieve my wishes, and all I had to do was a few things."
Upon hearing this, Tao Lengshuang asked a hidden guard skilled in drawing to sketch the maid based on Tao Li's description.
She and Mo Lingxi examined the portrait carefully.
Mo Lingxi said he had never seen this maid before, but he ordered his hidden guards to investigate her.
Tao Lengshuang thought about asking Madam Sheng for help later. Her mother interacted with many women in the inner chambers and might recognize the maid in the portrait.
"Tao Li, what did this maid ask you to do?"
Tao Li thought for a moment. It wasn't that she wanted to lie, but rather that she never paid attention to many things and had to think carefully to recall them.
After a while, she detailed the tasks the other party had assigned her. "They were all aimed at you two. Originally, I wanted to deal with you, so she asked me to target you two. I didn't ask too many questions."
Targeting their couple?
Tao Lengshuang and Mo Lingxi's first thought was Zhou Wenxing, but they didn't believe Zhou Wenxing was behind this incident, based on their intuition and sixth sense.
Tao Lengshuang asked Tao Li a few more questions, making her reveal everything she knew.
However, Tao Li had always only cared about her own well-being and whether she could deal with those she hated. She never bothered to find out who was helping her, so she didn't know many things.
Tao Lengshuang looked at Tao Li with great admiration. "In this regard, I truly admire you. You clearly had the upper hand, but you threw it away and landed yourself in this situation."
Truly, she didn't know what expression to wear.
With such a good opportunity, Tao Li not only didn't investigate or care, but she also squandered her advantage to live a temporary good life. She was truly worthy of being the youngest daughter of the Tao family.
Tao Li didn't think she had done anything wrong. She stuck her neck out and said, "As long as I gain control of the Sheng family, who would dare to disrespect me? Everyone would have to obey me obediently."
Tao Lengshuang looked at her with admiration again. "Tao Li, is your brain perhaps empty? You grew up in the Sheng family. Don't you know that the Sheng family's current glory relies on the royal family and my father?"
"Without these two, what is the Sheng family? Or do you think that by controlling the Sheng family, even the royal family would have to fear you a little?"
Tao Li was choked, and she suddenly became speechless. She herself knew very well that the Sheng family alone could not help her regain a life of honor and prosperity.
But she was fully confident that as long as she could regain control of the Sheng family, she could make her parents obedient and be her backing until death.
Seeing her expression, Tao Lengshuang guessed her inner thoughts and sneered, "At this point, I finally understand why you failed so miserably. With your brain and temperament, you're only alive today because of the Sheng family's protection!"
Tao Li snorted indignantly but didn't dare to say more. In her opinion, she hadn't lost, and soon she would reclaim everything and deal with Tao Lengshuang.
"You don't actually think you still have a chance to make a comeback, do you?"
Tao Lengshuang looked at her as if she were an idiot and said mockingly, "You've fallen into my hands. Do you think I'll let someone rescue you like before?"
Tao Li finally panicked, her heart pounding. "Tao Lengshuang, what do you want to do? I'm telling you, if you dare to do anything to me, my parents and the Sheng family will not let you off."
Tao Lengshuang chuckled twice and directly asked the hidden guards to take Sheng Li away for processing. "Make her truly taste the suffering of wishing for life but not being able to live, and wishing for death but not being able to die. Let her understand the pain of those she tormented over the years."
The hidden guards promptly gagged Tao Li and dragged her away.
Tao Lengshuang didn't even bother to pay attention to Tao Li. She turned to Mo Lingxi and discussed the mastermind. "Who do you think it could be?"
Mo Lingxi shook his head, saying it was hard to say. "There are too few clues now to determine who is behind this. Also, judging from what Tao Li said, things are probably not that simple."
Tao Lengshuang thought the same. "The other party has repeatedly helped the Tao family and Tao Li, and has been targeting us everywhere, which indicates that this person's ambitions are not small."
"But the problem is, who has such great ability to repeatedly help the Tao family and Tao Li, and also do so many things?"
She seemed to be talking to herself. "Besides Zhou Wenxing, those who have grievances with us include the Tao family, Tao Li, Luo Yang, and also those who are vying for power and profit. This group of people is unlikely to do such things."
Upon careful consideration, the matter seemed to be getting more complicated. Who could it be, and for what purpose were they doing all this?
"Hey, hey, hey, do you think it could be someone helping Luo Yang?" She thought of someone.
Mo Lingxi said it was hard to say. "Don't overthink it. This is a battle of patience. The more impatient we are, the more opportunities we give the mastermind. Therefore, in this situation, we must remain calm."
Tao Lengshuang knew this, but she couldn't help but wonder who was secretly causing trouble.
Mo Lingxi stroked her head and comforted her. "Alright, alright, it's easy to get yourself entangled. Don't think about it. Think about me more when you have time."
Tao Lengshuang was amused and exasperated. "I say, Prince Ming Rui, can you have a little more dignity? It's broad daylight, and you're saying such things."
Mo Lingxi spread his hands. "If I have dignity, I won't have a wife. Tell me, do I want dignity?"
On this matter, Tao Lengshuang had always been unable to win against Mo Lingxi. She rolled her eyes. "You don't want dignity, alright?"
Mo Lingxi nodded in agreement. "I indeed don't want dignity."
"..." She had no response to this.
Seeing her like this, Mo Lingxi's thin lips curved. Just as he was about to say something, he heard a maid's report.
"Reporting to Prince Ming Rui, Princess Nanning has sent someone to invite you to the palace. She says she wants to discuss the marriage alliance with you."