Reborn to marry, the short-lived prince lived a hundred years

"Did you lock up the person who came today in the dungeon in your mansion?" Shen Yunheng's tone was calm, and it was difficult to tell whether he was happy or angry. His eyes fell lightly on Meng Tingyue, as if he was just stating an insignificant matter.

Meng Tingyue thought to herself that it was indeed so.

Her eyes gleamed with innocence. "This man dared to pretend to be my uncle. He is such a liar. Naturally, I must imprison him in the dungeon and interrogate him to find out who is behind him. This will prevent him from slandering me and ruining the reputation of the Prince's Mansion after he leaves."

Meng Tingyue spoke with conviction and righteousness, as if she was thinking about the Prince's Mansion.

Shen Yunheng's dark eyes fell heavily on her, as if trying to determine how much truth and falsehood there was in her words.

Meng Tingyue faced those dark eyes that were intimidating without anger, and showed no fear at all. "Does my husband think there is anything wrong with what I did?"

Shen Yunheng pursed his lips and asked, "If he really is your uncle, aren't you afraid that one day he will prove his identity and turn around to slander your reputation?"

"I'm not worried. My father once swore in front of my mother and my grandfather that he would no longer be tied to any relatives in this world. I believe in my father, so he can't possibly be my uncle."

Meng Tingyue looked as if she trusted Lord Meng completely.

Hearing this, Shen Yunheng couldn't tell for a moment what the smiling person in front of him was thinking.

According to the information he had, Meng Tingyue did not have much affection for her father-in-law, and as for her stepmother and sister, it was even more difficult for her to be happy.

If these investigations are true, then what Meng Tingyue said tonight was most likely a lie and she did not tell him the truth.

Moreover, he had investigated some unusual circumstances regarding the cause of her biological mother's death. If Meng Tingyue also knew about this, it would be impossible for her to have no resentment towards the Meng family and trust them wholeheartedly.

Shen Yunheng's eyes gradually darkened, as thick as the ink that was accidentally spilled.

Meng Tingyue cleverly noticed that the person in front of her seemed to be in a much lower mood and becoming increasingly confusing.

She calmly stroked the handkerchief she clutched beneath the table with her fingertips, deftly changing the subject. "I have a question in my mind, and I wonder if my husband can clarify it."

Shen Yunheng nodded slightly, his tone calm and unperturbed: "Just say it."

"Do you intend to take those women from the Western Garden as concubines, or do you have other uses for them?"

"Of course it has other uses." Shen Yunheng explained lightly.

"So, is he a guest of the mansion, or a member of the family?"

"guest."

"Since he is a guest, why are his movements restricted and why is he not allowed to leave the mansion?"

As she spoke, Meng Tingyue's eyes were fixed on Shen Yunheng, trying to see a hint of panic and guilt in his expression.

But she was disappointed.

"Knowing too much about some things will not benefit you." Shen Yunheng did not intend to explain too much.

He changed the subject, his voice becoming more alert. "Could it be that someone whispered something in your ear that shouldn't have been said?"

Meng Tingyue was unsure whether the people in the courtyard had reported her every move to the prince. After thinking it over, she decided to tell the truth, "Someone has requested to leave the palace to look for relatives."

"But Li Jiaoyu?"

Hearing this, Meng Tingyue was slightly startled, "Does my husband know?"

"She came to look for Ling Xiao several times." Shen Yunheng looked indifferent.

Ling Xiao is the prince's close attendant, so looking for him is equivalent to looking for the prince.

"Now that my husband knows, how do you plan to deal with her request?"

"I cannot agree." Shen Yunheng's answer was brief and firm. Just five words, but they were as firm as a rock and could not be questioned.

Hearing this, Meng Tingyue frowned slightly and fell into deep thought.

After a moment, she finally uttered a bold guess: "I dare to speculate that the reason why my husband forbade them to set foot outside the mansion is perhaps because he intended to use them as bargaining chips to force others to work for him."

The reason why she had this idea was actually because the prince only imprisoned them in the mansion, rather than in the more severe dungeon, and he also treated them with food and clothing and great courtesy.

Therefore, it can be ruled out that these people are the ones who committed crimes and were punished.

Furthermore, through Li Jiaoyu's mouth, Meng Tingyue learned that Li Jiaoyu's brother was serving the prince, and Li Jiaoyu was sent to the prince's mansion, which was undoubtedly an act of her brother to protect her.

The prince only detained them in his mansion and did not give them concubines. This directly ruled out the possibility that Li Jiaoyu's brother was a person of noble status. The only possibility for hiding him like this was that her brother was doing something dangerous, such as being a spy.

Shen Yunheng looked at Meng Tingyue with a bit of surprise and admiration.

I feel more and more that what happened today was extremely reckless, and it was not something that this extremely intelligent Crown Princess would do.

Meng Tingyue caught the fleeting surprise in Shen Yunheng's eyes, and then his mood seemed inexplicably shrouded in a layer of gloom.

Meng Tingyue felt confused and strange.

How could the prince's mood change so quickly?

The prince must have learned the magic trick of changing faces.

Shen Yunheng spoke slowly: "Since you guessed it, you know those people can't leave."

Meng Tingyue's eyebrows furrowed as she heard this, her tone filled with confusion and reluctance. "Do you really want them to spend their youth and die alone in this high-walled courtyard? Is this what you call protection?"

Her eyes flickered with complex emotions as she continued, "You've imprisoned them in this mansion, depriving them of their freedom and the right to pursue happiness. If this continues, it's inevitable that people will misunderstand and believe that you keep them so that you can one day grant them the status of concubines."

Shen Yunheng's eyes were deep, as if he could see through people's hearts. He stared at Meng Tingyue quietly.

After an unknown amount of time, his eyelashes drooped slightly and his voice became soft and ethereal.

"Sacrificing a few people to save countless others is worth it. Moreover, perhaps they will be able to leave the house in less than a lifetime. I will ensure that they will live a safe and smooth life."

She immediately understood Shen Yunheng's plan and her eyes flashed slightly.

There are only two situations in which they can go out.

First, the mission entrusted to the relatives was accomplished.

Second, the souls of loved ones return to heaven, separated by yin and yang.

The former is not easy, and the latter is painful.

Meng Tingyue was a little surprised that Shen Yunheng could calmly propose to sacrifice a few people in exchange for the peace of the majority.

The surprise did not stay in her heart for too long, she slowly understood

Isn’t sacrificing the small for the sake of the big the art of balancing things in governing a country?

Meng Tingyue was silent for a moment and sighed silently, knowing that there seemed to be no way back in this matter.

"Li Jiaoyu asked me to ask Your Highness if her brother is okay?"