On our wedding night, my wife acted strangely.

Nangong Xiong was taken aback.

"Your Majesty, although Lin Yi is now the Regent, his arrogance and domineering behavior are solely due to the military prestige and power accumulated by the Lin family over three generations. But he is, after all, a man, and a man cannot escape the influence of 'love'."

"Think about it, why was he so obsessed with that woman from the Luo family back then? He even went so far as to empty the royal family's coffers for her. In the end, wasn't it all because he was attracted to her beauty?"

"But although the Luo family daughter is beautiful, her background is low. All she can offer Lin Yi is her face. But you are different; you are the Emperor, and your princess is of noble birth, of the highest rank."

As Sun Fu spoke, Nangong Xiong's eyes lit up.

Yes, why didn't I think of this earlier? If I had directly arranged the marriage with the princess back then, Lin Yi would not be in this situation today because of his wife!

A terrible mistake!

They've all been blinded by that million yuan in lard. Their own daughter isn't as smart as that damned Luo Qingyu, is she? She's family, easier to control than the Luo family!

"I understand."

"Your Majesty is wise." Sun Fu immediately bowed. "No matter how arrogant Lin Yi is, he is still a subject of the Great Zhou. If you can marry a princess to him, then you will become his father-in-law. With this relationship, he will be more cautious in his actions. At that time, I will personally go to the Regent's Palace to say a few kind words on your behalf and offer him some benefits. I believe he will know when to stop and lift the blockade on the palace."

"Once the palace is unsealed, you will be able to go all out. Mobilize troops inside and outside the capital, and summon all the feudal lords to the capital to capture the king. At that time, the initiative will be back in your hands, whether to fight or make peace."

These words enlightened Nangong Xiong.

He traded a daughter for a chance to catch his breath.

This deal is a great one!

Besides, aren't princesses just there for crucial moments to arrange marriages? This is a perfect match for my major.

"Very well, as you say!" Nangong Xiong's spirits had recovered considerably. "I currently have six princesses, four of whom are already of age. Which one do you think is the most suitable?"

Sun Fu seemed to have already decided on a candidate: "Your Majesty, this servant believes that Princess Nangong Min is the most suitable."

"The Eldest Princess is twenty-two this year. She is dignified and beautiful, gentle and virtuous, well-read in poetry and literature, and skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. More importantly, this old servant has heard that Miss Luo is arrogant and disobedient to Lin Yi's discipline. Now, she has caused such a scandal with the Fourth Prince. Lin Yi will certainly not let her be his principal wife. Our Eldest Princess can marry into the family and take her place as the new Regent's Consort. As long as the Eldest Princess can win Lin Yi's heart, it will surely benefit your great cause in the future."

Nangong Xiong pondered for a moment, then nodded.

Princess Nangong Min was his most beloved daughter, well-educated, intelligent, and sensible. He was indeed somewhat reluctant to let her marry that madman, Lin Yi.

But what does sacrificing a daughter matter when it comes to the country and its people?

I have raised her for many years, and it is time for her to repay my kindness.

"Alright." Nangong Xiong closed his eyes, waved his hand wearily, and said, "I'll leave this matter to you."

"This servant obeys the decree." Sun Fu received the decree, a faint smile on his face, and withdrew.

Silence returned to the hall.

"Sigh." Nangong Xiong opened his eyes, looked at the empty hall, and sighed deeply. Then he stood up, straightened his dragon robe, and said to Cai Ming, who had remained silent, "Let's go, prepare the carriage, and go see the fourth prince."

Regardless, Nangong Jin was his son.

Now that he's been crippled, as his father, he has to go and see him.

......

The dungeon in the Regent's Palace was unlike any other dungeon in the capital.

There was no common smell of blood or decay here, but rather a damp chill that seeped into your bones, mixed with the scent of moss in the corners and aged earth, making one's skin crawl.

Torches crackled and popped against the walls, casting flickering light that made the various, unheard-of torture instruments in the dungeon appear grotesque and terrifying.

Only retainers and servants who have committed serious errors come here; there are very few people here at other times.

Especially after Lin Yi went mad, the entire Prince's mansion was managed by Lin An alone, and severe punishments were rarely used.

Xiuzhu was thrown onto the damp straw by two burly women, and she burst into tears in fright.

She had never seen anything like this before, not just in her childhood.

The hooks, chains, and branding irons stained with dark red rust on the wall alone were enough to terrify her.

Several fat rats scurried past her feet, squeaking, which terrified her so much that she almost fainted.

"Waaaaah..."

"Don't kill me... Grandma, please don't kill me... Waaah... I don't know anything..." Xiuzhu curled up in the corner, hugging her knees and begging for mercy.

But the two old women just threw her there and walked away without saying a word.

Immediately afterwards, the cell door was pushed open by another person, and two old women, dressed in coarse cloth clothes, one black and one white, but thin and emaciated, walked in.

When Xiuzhu saw them, she was so frightened that she kept backing away, but there was a wall behind her, and she had nowhere to retreat.

There is no other reason.

The two old women were extremely frightening in appearance. Their faces were covered with wrinkles as if they had been carved with a knife. Their triangular eyes were cloudy and yet they shone with a fierce light. One of them had black rouge on her lips and the other had white rouge on her lips. They were carrying a wooden tray covered with a black cloth.

These two women were the "Amazing Granny" who were in charge of interrogation in the Prince's mansion.

Those who had been tortured called them "Black and White Impermanence".

It is said that their methods can make even the toughest assassins beg for mercy.

One of the old women, whose faces were painted with black rouge, placed a wooden tray on the stone table next to her, lifted the black cloth, and revealed a row of silver needles of different lengths and thicknesses.

Another nanny walked up to Xiuzhu, squatted down, and forced a smile that was even uglier than a ghost.

"Miss Xiuzhu, don't be afraid. My sister and I are not bad people." Her voice was hoarse, and her teeth were uneven and very white, as if they had been coated with something.

Xiuzhu cried even harder, tears streaming down her face.

"Granny, please have mercy! I was just following orders and haven't done anything wrong..."

"Hehehe~~" Granny Bai let out a shrill laugh, picked up the finest silver needle, twirled it between her fingers, and then waved it in the firelight. "Girl, look at this thing, you've definitely never tried it before, have you?"

Xiuzhu shook her head in horror.

"I advise you not to try it," Granny Bai continued. "Because this thing will get stuck under your fingernails, and the feeling, tsk tsk, it's truly worse than death. I guarantee you won't even be able to scream; it'll feel like tens of thousands of ants are gnawing at your bones all over your body, hehehehe~~"

"Granny...Granny, please have mercy!" Xiuzhu was terrified, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing uncontrollably. "I'll tell you everything! Please, please don't torture me, please..."

Granny Bai smiled and nodded, giving Granny Hei a look that signaled her to prepare paper and pen to take notes.

She then smiled and helped Xiuzhu up, saying, "That's right. As long as you cooperate, my sister and I can have a good explanation."

As she spoke, she used her rough fingers to wipe away Xiuzhu's tears, her tone becoming somewhat gentler.

Unfortunately, it would have been better if she hadn't moved.

The more this happened, the more frightened Xiuzhu became.

Granny Bai sighed, "Alas, to be honest, I don't want to torment such a delicate young girl like you. Besides, you are the Princess's personal maid; who in this mansion doesn't know that? What if one day the Prince decides to take you as a concubine? Then you'd be practically a mistress. We servants don't want to make things difficult for you, don't you think?"

Wow, that's what you call professional.

Granny Bai's words were a combination of threats and coercion, offering Xiuzhu a glimmer of hope.