She glanced at the courtyard before her. It was a very ordinary courtyard, with nothing special about it.
She nodded at the maid and followed her into the courtyard.
Upon entering, she found the courtyard to be quite ordinary as well. The only unusual thing was that the flowers and plants were neglected, all growing wild with many weeds.
If the ground hadn't been clean, she would have thought it was an abandoned courtyard.
Following the maid to a very ordinary courtyard, she observed more than a dozen people inside and out, realizing they were all watching her.
But they all stood like wooden figures, which was somewhat unnerving.
"Miss Sheng, please rest here. If you need anything, just command us maids," the leading maid curtsied and retreated.
Sheng Lengshuang was well aware of her current situation. She calmly walked into the house and sat down, continuing to think of ways to escape.
Before she could devise an escape plan, several people appeared before her.
It was Old Master Tao and the others.
"What a rare visitor," she said, crossing her legs and leaning back against the chair, a smile playing on her lips. "Do you gentlemen have something you need from me?"
Seeing her demeanor, Old Master Tao and the others exchanged glances, unsure of her true capabilities.
"Sheng Lengshuang, I raised you..." Tao Fangfang's remaining words died in her throat under Sheng Lengshuang's icy gaze.
Sheng Lengshuang's smile faded slightly. She said impatiently, "If I hear you say again that you raised me for many years, I won't hesitate to send you to hell with a packet of poison."
Tao Fangfang and the others knew very well that Sheng Lengshuang was capable of such actions, so they dared not speak of gratitude for their upbringing any longer.
"Sheng Lengshuang, you are in our hands now. If you don't behave, you'll suffer," Old Master Tao the Second threatened fiercely.
Sheng Lengshuang pondered for a moment and understood it was the Black Hand's scheme, using Old Master Tao and the others to deal with her.
She raised an eyelid and sneered, "Are you sure it's not me who will deal with you?"
With a 'snap', she placed several packets of poison on the small table.
Old Master Tao and the others knew the potency of Sheng Lengshuang's poisons too well. They scurried to the door and then suddenly rushed towards her.
"Kill you, you unfilial wretch! How dare you treat me like this!"
"We must teach her a good lesson today, see if she dares to disobey in the future."
Sheng Lengshuang narrowed her eyes, flicked her hand, and threw a large packet of colorful powder, creating distance between herself and Old Master Tao and the others.
"Don't be afraid of this powder; it takes time to take effect. That time is enough for us to deal with her," Old Master Tao said fiercely.
But—
Before Old Master Tao and the others could run far, they collapsed on the ground in agony, rolling and scratching themselves incessantly.
"It hurts! It hurts! Sheng Lengshuang, you unfilial wretch, what did you do to me?"
"I'm so itchy all over, Sheng Lengshuang, give me the antidote quickly!"
Just as Sheng Lengshuang was about to say there was no antidote, she saw Old Master Tao and the others spitting black blood one after another. Her brow furrowed, and she quickly moved to save them.
However, before she could reach them, they convulsed a few times and died with their eyes wide open, never to close them again.
At this point, if Sheng Lengshuang still didn't realize it was a scheme by others, then her two lives would have been lived in vain.
As expected!
A masked man walked in, clapping his hands lightly and saying with a smile, "Miss Sheng is truly cruel, killing those who once raised you. Tell me, if this matter escalates, what will be the outcome?"
Sheng Lengshuang glanced at the corpses of Old Master Tao and the others, calmly looking at the masked man. "I must say, you are quite ruthless in your attempts to scheme against me."
The masked man spread his hands, feigning innocence. "Miss Sheng, what are you saying? We didn't do anything. You poisoned Old Master Tao and the others to death.
Sheng Lengshuang knew that arguing about it was useless. She sat back in her chair and said indifferently, "Then feel free to report it to the authorities. I don't mind being imprisoned."
Her unconventional response was within the masked man's expectations. "Miss Sheng may not care for herself, but surely you care for your family."
Sheng Lengshuang propped her head with one hand, a mocking expression on her face. "I think you don't understand me well enough. If you truly believe you can threaten me with such means, then you are gravely mistaken."
The masked man frowned, his tone becoming more sinister. "Does Miss Sheng truly not care about your parents, your son, and Prince Mingrui?"
Sheng Lengshuang's voice was slow. "Why play these games? I'm not brainless. Why don't we be direct? Perhaps you can achieve your goals."
The masked man could see that Sheng Lengshuang genuinely didn't care. He let out a heavy snort from his nose. "Then I'll have to report to the authorities. Miss Sheng fled after committing murder."
Sheng Lengshuang made a gesturing invitation. "Remember to send the bodies of Old Master Tao and the others to the Jingzhao Prefecture yamen. Otherwise, without evidence, how can the yamen send people to arrest me?"
The masked man flicked his sleeve and ordered someone to take away the bodies of Old Master Tao and the others.
Sheng Lengshuang's brow furrowed. She couldn't quite grasp certain aspects. If the Black Hand intended to frame her, they wouldn't have needed to kidnap her. Yet, they had.
Or perhaps, the Black Hand had other plans, and this was merely one of them?
Unable to figure it out for the moment, Sheng Lengshuang decided to observe the situation further and see what tricks the Black Hand was up to.
Meanwhile.
Mo Lingxi, in order to rescue Sheng Lengshuang, had made a series of secret arrangements. Under the pretext of an internal spy in the Eastern Capital, he had dispatched the Nine Cities Military Command to search for Tao Lengshuang's whereabouts.
He stood with his hands behind his back by the study window, his gaze fixed outside. "My wife, you must not be harmed."
"Your Highness!" A hidden guard landed behind Mo Lingxi. "We've just received news that someone has brought the bodies of Old Master Tao and the others to the Jingzhao Prefecture yamen to report a murder case, accusing the Princess of murder!"
Upon hearing this, Mo Lingxi knew it was the Black Hand's scheme. "What was the cause of death for Old Master Tao and the others?"
The hidden guard replied, "They were poisoned. Furthermore, the informant claims that the Princess fled after poisoning Old Master Tao and the others. The Jingzhao Prefecture yamen has already dispatched people to search for the Princess's whereabouts."
Mo Lingxi couldn't quite understand some parts, but he knew the most important thing now was to help Sheng Lengshuang clear her name and prevent the Black Hand from continuing to exploit this situation.
"Transfer this case to the Ministry of Justice and order them to investigate it thoroughly."
The hidden guard acknowledged the order and retreated to carry it out.
Mo Lingxi reviewed the entire incident from beginning to end. First, the Black Hand designed and kidnapped Sheng Lengshuang. Then, Old Master Tao and the others were poisoned. Immediately after, someone reported that Sheng Lengshuang had poisoned them and fled.
From the current situation, it seemed the Black Hand was targeting Sheng Lengshuang alone.