After getting married, she spent every night alone in her room; when she asked for a divorce, he kne

The Ministry of Justice prison was dark and damp, with a lingering smell of blood all year round.

Liang Yuheng, a junior official in the Ministry of Justice, and Yuan Qi, a prison official, walked out of the torture chamber together. Neither of them spoke. One was leaning against the door, and the other was squatting by the table, retching incessantly.

"Ugh—Lord Jin is just too ruthless!"

"Stop talking, ugh—I don't want to—ugh—"

The two were vomiting violently when Xiao Jinghan strolled in leisurely and said, "Oh, you two gentlemen, vomiting?"

Liang Yuheng, his eyes still wet, stared at Xiao Jinghan, his breath coming in short gasps, "Brother Xiao, you've come? Ugh—"

Yuan Qi wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, looked up, and was about to speak to Xiao Jinghan when he suddenly saw Liang Yuheng's vomit. His throat tightened, and he vomited again.

Xiao Jinghan covered his nose, frowning as he looked at the two of them. "Did the septic tank in the Ministry of Justice prison explode? How could you two be so disgusting?"

Liang Yuheng slumped to the ground, clutching his chest for a while before weakly saying, "Lord Jin is interrogating Lord Lu."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinghan understood.

Jin Gongzheng was a notorious cruel official. Any prisoner who fell into his hands would be severely punished, if not killed.

He was ruthless and his favorite pastime was researching torture. He once boasted that there was no mouth in the entire Great Xia Kingdom that Jin Gongzheng couldn't pry open.

Xiao Jinghan had once witnessed Jin Gongzheng carrying out an execution. It was truly inhumane and utterly depraved. Even ghosts would have to kowtow three times before leaving and be sent back to the underworld, never daring to step out again.

No wonder they find Liang Yuheng and Yuan Qi so disgusting.

"Lord Lu is, after all, the newly appointed top scholar and a disciple of the Emperor. Lord Jin, aren't you afraid of offending the Emperor by doing this?" Xiao Jinghan said quietly.

"Alas, Lord Xiao, Lord Lu has ended up like this because he offended the Emperor," Yuan Qi said. "Since the Emperor has ordered Lord Jin to interrogate Lord Lu, it seems that Lord Lu will not be able to leave the Ministry of Justice prison alive unless he vomits something up."

Xiao Jinghan nodded in agreement.

The Lord Lu who fell into Jin Gongzheng's hands was Lu Wei, who had pleaded for the rebels in the Taiji Hall a while ago.

Although the emperor was angry at the time, he did not punish him and did not hold it against him afterward. However, just two days later, evidence of Lu Wei's close ties with the rebels appeared on the emperor's desk.

Enraged, the emperor imprisoned Lu Wei in the Ministry of Justice's jail and handed him over for interrogation. If the charges against him were confirmed, Lu Wei would be guilty of a crime punishable by the extermination of his entire family.

"Who found the evidence that Lu Wei colluded with the rebels?" Xiao Jinghan asked.

"He was an official from Yuzhou," Liang Yuheng said. "His name seems to be Jiang Zhihuan."

"Jiang Zhihuan?"

Xiao Jinghan vaguely felt that the name sounded familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had heard it before. "So, Lord Lu hasn't confessed yet?" he asked again.

"There's nothing we can do," Liang Yuheng said. "Lord Lu insists he's innocent, saying he's never had any dealings with the rebels."

After speaking, he stood up and said to Yuan Qi beside him, "Lord Yuan, didn't Lord Jin ask you to get something?"

"Oh right! I almost forgot."

Yuan Qi dawdled over to a cabinet, took out a small jar from it, and said, "Lord Jin wants this. I'll take it to him."

After saying that, he entered the torture chamber with a complicated expression. Liang Yuheng stood outside the torture chamber door, counting on his fingers, "Three, two, one..."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the door to the torture chamber was suddenly flung open, and Yuan Qi rushed out, covering his mouth and looking pained.

"vomit--"

"I knew Lord Yuan would throw up again." Liang Yuheng patted Lord Yuan's back considerately. "The scene inside was truly unbearable to look at."

"Then I'll take the things in for Lord Yuan."

Xiao Jinghan took the mysterious jar from Yuan Qi and walked lightly toward the torture chamber. Liang Yuheng hurriedly stopped him, saying, "Brother Xiao, are you going in?"

"Okay, let's go in and take a look."

"Then you'd better be mentally prepared." Liang Yuheng pulled a small gourd bottle from his sleeve. "I have some heart-protecting pills here that Brother Yan gave me. Take one, just in case... wait, where is he?"

Liang Yuheng clutched the heart-protecting pill and looked around, but Xiao Jinghan was nowhere to be seen outside the torture chamber.

The smell of blood in the torture chamber was indeed nauseating.

The place was dimly lit, damp, and cold; every step felt like walking through a swamp, sticky and extremely uncomfortable. Xiao Jinghan bypassed the deep and shallow bloodstains on the ground and, after several twists and turns, arrived at a huge rack before finally seeing Lu Wei.

Lu Wei was stripped naked and hung on the rack, his body torn and bleeding, with hardly a patch of undamaged flesh. Several fat rats crawled all over him, taking bites of any tender flesh they found, leaving bright red blood on his beard.

Xiao Jinghan looked at Lu Wei, who was almost unrecognizable, and slowly walked up behind Jin Gongzheng.

"Lord Jin, I've come to deliver something to you."

Jin Gongzheng turned around abruptly, staring at Xiao Jinghan with a deathly pale face.

"Lord Xiao has arrived?"

He took the small jar from Xiao Jinghan's hand, saying, "It's such a small matter, yet it has troubled Lord Xiao to make this trip in person."

Xiao Jinghan: "Lord Jin, you're too kind."

Jin Gongzheng smiled but remained silent.

He had a very handsome appearance, but his aura was too fierce and sinister, making him unlikable. Xiao Jinghan had never liked dealing with him, so he delivered the item and prepared to leave. "I was just delivering something for Lord Yuan. Lord Jin is the one who works hard, interrogating prisoners under the stars and moon."

"What's so hard about serving His Majesty?"

Jin Gongzheng opened the small jar, reached inside, and pulled out a three-foot-long, blood-red centipede. "I must continue interrogating the prisoner. The scene that follows may make you uncomfortable, sir. Are you sure you want to stay?"

Xiao Jinghan stared at the blood-stained centipede on Lu Wei's body and asked, "Lord Jin intends to use the centipede to interrogate Lord Lu?"

"Yes." Jin Gongzheng smiled. "Lord Xiao, you may not know this, but Lord Lu is really stubborn. Ordinary torture is completely useless against him. I have no choice but to use some unorthodox methods."

As she spoke, she held the blood centipede in her hand and calmly approached Lu Wei.

"Go ahead, go and gnaw on Lord Lu's bones, and see just how hard they really are."

The blood centipede slowly left Jin Gongzheng's arm, crawled onto Lu Wei's body, smelled the blood on him, bit open his wound, and slowly burrowed inside.

"ah!!!"

Lu Wei, who was originally on the verge of death and whose fate was unknown, let out a shrill scream, clenched his fists, and struggled with a ferocious expression.

The chains clanged against the rack, and blood pooled at Lu Wei's feet, forming a dark river that sent chills down one's spine. Xiao Jinghan stared expressionlessly at the scene before him and advised Lu Wei, "Lord Lu, you'd better confess to save yourself the trouble."

Lu Wei clenched his teeth, his eyes bloodshot and veins bulging from the pain, but he didn't utter a single word.

"Look, he still won't talk." Jin Gongzheng said sinisterly, his back to Xiao Jinghan. "His mouth is really stubborn."

Xiao Jinghan stared indifferently at Jin Gongzheng's retreating figure. "Then I'll trouble Lord Jin to put in some extra effort."

Jin Gongzheng: "That's natural."

"In that case, I will not disturb Lord Lu any longer," Xiao Jinghan said. "Farewell."

Jin Gongzheng replied coolly, "No need to see me out."

-

The palace was not peaceful, and undercurrents were also surging within the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

Inside the Moon Wutong Courtyard, the second wife, Madam Yuan, sat upright in a grand chair, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief dipped in talismanic water.

Although she had invited Daoist Qingxuan to her residence for a discussion today, she was still dressed in a dazzling array of jewelry, her hair styled in a high bun, adorned with pearls and jade, and surrounded by silks and satins that reflected the splendor of the entire hall. Every move she made exuded the dignified and majestic air of someone who had long held a high position.

Her appearance wasn't particularly outstanding, but she was young, had fair skin, and a noble air, so she could barely be considered a beauty.

Her father was the Grand Tutor, and her mother was also of noble birth. Under her mother's guidance, she learned how to manage finances and run a household from a young age. Therefore, even though she was only five years older than Xiao Jingting, she was still able to manage the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion in an orderly manner.

It can be said that apart from Xiao Jinghan and the old lady, no one dared to disobey her. Even the Duke of Zhenguo, who rarely visited her room throughout the year and spent his days in the military camp, often listened to her opinions.

Therefore, if she wanted to use her mother-in-law's authority to deal with Liu Yuansheng, Liu Yuansheng would be completely powerless to resist.

Originally, she disdained to discipline this nominal daughter-in-law.

She was merely the daughter of Prime Minister Liu, who had long lost power in the court. She was brought back from outside and used some dirty tricks to get into Xiao Jinghan's bed. With the help of the old lady, she successfully married into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

She was certain that Xiao Jinghan wouldn't like her.

Sure enough, on their wedding night, Xiao Jinghan hit her, and the clean bridal handkerchief proved that they had not consummated their marriage at all.

She was secretly pleased, but things later developed in a way that far exceeded her expectations.

Xiao Jinghan, who had always been indifferent to women, actually protected her and even indulged in nightly revelry with her, making a ruckus in bed with her endlessly.

Clearly, she underestimated this woman who, though quiet, dared to do something as despicable and shameless as climbing into someone's bed!

The thought that Xiao Jinghan had actually accepted this kind of woman and had sex with her filled her with indescribable anger and disgust!

After purifying her eyes, Yuan Min put down the bowl of talisman water, glanced in the direction of Liu Yuansheng, but remained silent.

Liu Yuansheng stood on the ground until her legs were almost numb.

She had been standing in front of Madam Yuan for nearly half an hour, but her mother-in-law made her stand properly, so she had no choice but to stand and could not utter a single complaint.

Beside Madam Yuan, the wet nurse Li held Yan'er tightly, occasionally casting anxious glances at her. Liu Yuansheng was equally anxious. She guessed that Madam Yuan had summoned her because of Yan'er, but she didn't know what had happened to Yan'er. Several times she tried to ask, but Madam Yuan interrupted her sharply, telling her to stand still and reflect on her actions.

Liu Yuansheng, however, did not know what he should reflect on.

During the stalemate, Yan'er, who was lying in Li's arms, suddenly woke up and started crying as soon as she saw Liu Yuansheng.

Liu Yuansheng's heart was entirely on Yan'er. Upon hearing the crying, she couldn't help but step forward, wanting to take Yan'er and comfort her.

Did I tell you to move?

She had only taken one step when Madam Yuan coldly said, "Go back and stand properly. You'll come back to answer me when you realize your mistake."

Yan'er cried her heart out, but Madam Yuan seemed deaf to her cries, preoccupied only with "punishing" Liu Yuansheng. Liu Yuansheng, anxious and bewildered, asked again, "Mother, what has Yuansheng done wrong?"

"You're asking me? Okay, then I'll tell you."

Madam Yuan rested her elbows on the armrest and said arrogantly, "I'm asking you, did you put the medicine on Yan'er's navel?"

"Yes," Liu Yuansheng said. "Yan'er had severe bloating, so I placed a pill on his navel."

"Treat bloating? I think you're trying to kill Yan'er!"

Yuan Min suddenly raised her voice, "The pills you applied to Yan'er contained a large amount of Gelsemium elegans, a highly poisonous herb! If it weren't for Daoist Qingxuan's timely discovery, Yan'er would probably be dead!"

Liu Yuansheng stood there, stunned. "What did you say?"