Tao Lengshuang frowned impatiently, "I know, you may go."
She whispered something to Madam Sheng before going to the main hall to meet Mo Lingxi.
"Tao Lengshuang!" Mo Lingxi stepped forward, apologizing, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said those things before, nor should I have treated you that way."
Tao Lengshuang sat in her chair and said indifferently, "I accept Prince Mingrui's apology. Do you have anything else to say?"
Mo Lingxi could see that Tao Lengshuang was not truly appeased and sighed with deep regret.
He crouched before her, holding her hands, "I was foolish and misguided. Can you forgive me?"
Tao Lengshuang indifferently withdrew her hands, her voice cool, "Prince Mingrui merely spoke his mind. How was he foolish?"
Mo Lingxi rubbed his nose and continued to crouch before her, "I was truly terribly wrong this time, completely disregarding you. It would be justified for you to hit or scold me."
Tao Lengshuang remained expressionless, scoffing lightly, "Listen to what Prince Mingrui says. You are the Crown Prince's most trusted person. How dare I hit or scold you."
Mo Lingxi put aside his pride and tried to coax his wife.
However, since the prince had erred so greatly, Tao Lengshuang would not forgive him so easily. Moreover, he had not explicitly stated his intentions, so she would not easily relent.
Seeing her unmoving, Mo Lingxi steeled himself, pulled her into his arms, and said with a hint of grievance, "I just wanted to be with you so much that I said those things."
Tao Lengshuang knew his shamelessness all too well and did not struggle, "According to Prince Mingrui's words, because you want to be with me so much, you can do anything you want to me?"
Knowing this was a deadly question, the prince raised three fingers and swore, "Heaven and earth as my witness, I have absolutely never had such thoughts."
He then glanced at Tao Lengshuang, "Although I very much want to have a loving marital life with you every night, I have never thought of forcing you."
Tao Lengshuang's mouth twitched, and she looked at the man speechlessly, "That's truly your style, always thinking about such matters."
Mo Lingxi could see she wasn't truly angry about this and seized the opportunity, "This proves my sincerity towards you. It's because I like you that I have such thoughts."
Tao Lengshuang crossed her arms and gazed at him, as if saying, 'I'll see how long you can keep this up.'
Mo Lingxi tentatively asked, "How about I move back, and we can talk things through slowly?"
Tao Lengshuang let out a soft laugh, her smile not reaching her eyes, "Prince Mingrui's residence is Prince Mingrui's manor. This is the Sheng family's home. What is there for me to move back to?"
Mo Lingxi straightened his chest and declared righteously, "I am your husband, the son-in-law of the Sheng family. I should reside in the Sheng family's home."
Tao Lengshuang frowned, impatient with his continued quibbling, "If Prince Mingrui has nothing else, please leave. I still need to attend to guests."
Mo Lingxi was unwilling to leave, holding her hand, "As your husband..."
The rest of his words were silenced by Tao Lengshuang's increasingly cold gaze.
Tao Lengshuang let out a heavy snort and prepared to leave.
Just then, a loud 'boom' drew the attention of both her and Mo Lingxi.
"What's going on?" she asked calmly.
A moment later, a maid ran in flustered, curtsied, and said urgently, "Reporting to miss, it seems someone is causing trouble at the main gate. We are still investigating the specifics."
Tao Lengshuang's mind raced. She and Mo Lingxi hurried to the main gate.
There, they saw Tao Li and Old Master Tao, their faces filled with malice, standing at the gate, each holding gunpowder and a flint.
"Tao Lengshuang, you've finally come out."
Tao Li laughed maniacally, her venomous eyes filled with intense killing intent, "Today, I will ensure all of you die without a burial place!"
"What I cannot have, I will not let anyone else have. All of you, die! Die!"
Tao Lengshuang quickly understood why Tao Li and Old Master Tao were there and what the mastermind intended. Her eyes blazed, "Good, you are all truly excellent."
"Tao Li, I truly worry about your intelligence. Do you think you can survive after doing something like this?" she said with a sarcastic calm.
Old Master Tao took a step back uneasily, but Tao Li shouted recklessly, "Tao Lengshuang, you stole everything from me, ruined my life. I want you dead, you must die!"
Mo Lingxi shielded Tao Lengshuang behind him. She coldly looked at Tao Li, "You've called the wrong name. I am not Tao Lengshuang. I am Sheng Lengshuang. I am the only child of the Sheng family, and the rightful heir. I am completely different from a fake like you."
These words greatly provoked Tao Li. She clutched her head, her expression contorted, "No, no, I am the only child of the Sheng family. The Sheng family is mine. No one will take my Sheng family away!"
Sheng Lengshuang curved her lips slightly, her posture proud, "You? Tao Li, your family..."
She pointed at Old Master Tao and the others, "They are your family, Old Master Tao and the others. They dote on you so much. Look, wherever you go, they follow you, and you have to support them. How good they are to you."
One of the things Tao Li hated most in her life was becoming the youngest daughter of the Tao family and having to support the lowly Tao family.
Hearing Sheng Lengshuang mention this now, she went mad, beating and cursing Old Master Tao and the others, "It's all your fault! You lowly things! You are the ones who made me like this! I will kill you! I will kill you!"
Old Master Tao and the others dodged. Tao Fangfang, with trembling hands, threatened Sheng Lengshuang with gunpowder, "Tao Lengshuang, if you dare not listen to us, we will blow this place up."
Tao Lengshuang pointed to the surroundings, her eyes sharp, "Are you sure you can escape safely if you blow this place up?"
Tao Fangfang followed her gaze and saw dozens of dark guards and household servants standing around, all staring at them menacingly. This made her hand tremble, and she almost turned to flee.
"You... Tao Li, what are you still doing? We're about to be caught!" she yelled at Tao Li furiously.
Tao Li, still in a rage, finally realized the situation and flung a lit firework towards the Sheng family, "I'll blow you all up! I'll blow you all up, you bastards! I won't let you have an easy time!"
Sheng Lengshuang's pretty face changed as she saw Mo Lingxi leap towards the gunpowder, her heart soaring with alarm, "Mo Lingxi, be careful!"
Mo Lingxi was very steady. He kicked the gunpowder towards Tao Li and the others and landed in front of Sheng Lengshuang, "Don't worry."
Just as Sheng Lengshuang was about to say something, she heard Tao Li and the others' sharp, piercing screams.