Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

"Shen Lang, what exactly is going on?"

The sudden scene caught Jiang Mengxuan off guard.

But she did not stop Shen Lang from interrogating Shu Yue, because she believed that the man she had her eye on would never do anything inexplicable.

Shen Lang forcefully pressed down on Shu Yue's wrist, dislocating it completely, and then slowly said, "Your Majesty, this Shu Yue wants to use a spell on you."

Fortunately, I discovered it in time. Had it been a moment later, the consequences of this Gu poison entering the body would have been unimaginable!

As he spoke, Shen Lang covered the white pill with a cloth, then pressed his knee hard against Shu Yue's waist.

"Ah~"

Shu Yue kept groaning in pain, pleading desperately with Jiang Mengxuan.

"Your Majesty, this servant truly does not know what is going on! Shen Lang, he... he is framing this servant! Framing me!"

The next second, she felt another excruciating pain in her back.

"You dare to turn the tables on me? It seems you've forgotten my methods of investigation? Fine, I like people who are stubborn. I hope you keep it up."

Shen Lang gave a cold smile, then turned to Jiang Mengxuan and said, "Your Majesty, you can send someone to check the records at Ranxiang Garden."

"We'll know if she got this Gu pill from the Southern Xinjiang witchcraft cult."

"Gu pills from the Southern Frontier?"

Jiang Mengxuan was immediately surprised: "When did the palace get Gu pills from the Southern Frontier Witchcraft Cult? Shen Lang, are you sure you're not mistaken?"

Shen Lang replied firmly, "There's no mistake. When I was in Nanzhao, I helped the border soldiers overcome the miasma problem in the central and southern regions..."

I personally met with members of the witchcraft cult, and there I learned a great deal about witchcraft.

Some of these poisons are very special; once afflicted, they may be incurable for life.

This Gu pill is a lustful Gu specifically designed to target women.

Even a tiny amount inhaled will cause the entire person's mind to be corroded and overwhelmed by the poison.

She will become a promiscuous, sexually unsatisfied harlot for life.

Shen Lang did indeed come into contact with the Southern Xinjiang witchcraft cult, but only briefly twice before returning to the capital.

The knowledge of the erotic curse was mainly derived from the intelligence system's analytical capabilities.

"what?!"

Jiang Mengxuan was shocked. Upon hearing the words "lustful poison," the disgusting scenes recorded in "The Secret History of the Empress" instantly flashed through her mind.

The Secret History records: In the twelfth year of the Zhenli era, Empress Mi's personality changed drastically. She had illicit relations with six men in her side palace. After three days, four of the men died suddenly due to physical weakness. However, the empress's lustful nature remained unquenched, and she continued to play with eunuchs, which she could not extricate herself from.

Another record states: In the eleventh year of Zhenlian, Empress Yao, in a fit of temper, bound the Emperor's husband in the courtyard and witnessed him having intercourse with more than a dozen men. Seven days later, the Emperor's husband, unable to bear the humiliation, committed suicide. Empress Yao, shameless, stood before the Emperor's husband's coffin...

Upon recalling these two records, Jiang Mengxuan's delicate body trembled involuntarily.

"Investigate! Investigate for me! Who dares to poison me!"

At this moment, the Empress was enraged.

If she were to become like the woman described in "The Secret History of the Empress," she would rather die immediately.

"Shen Lang, take Shu Yue to the Jingwei Division for thorough interrogation. Also, investigate everyone in Ranxiang Pavilion thoroughly, without any leniency."

"Yes, sir. Hand it over to me."

Shen Lang accepted the order, picked up Shu Yue, put away the pill wrapped in a cloth, and headed towards the Jingwei Division prison.

"I cannot become like that, I cannot, absolutely not!"

At this moment, Jiang Mengxuan felt a chill seeping into her very bones.

The lewd scenes in "The Secret History of the Empress" that made pure love lovers vomit blood and even made the "sex party" cry out that it was outrageous kept appearing in my mind.

She never expected that those forces lurking in the shadows would target her so soon.

A powerful fear instantly swept over every inch of the Empress's body.

……

Inside the Jingwei Division's interrogation room, Shu Yue, her hands and feet bound by shackles, sat opposite Shen Lang.

Jiang Shangxian, standing to the side, yawned and said, "We've only been back for one day, and we're already getting work done. It's true that the Jingwei Division can't function without the two of us brothers."

Shen Lang chuckled and wiped his hands, saying, "She delivered herself to my door, so she can't blame anyone else."

Jiang Shangxian waved his hand: "Then hurry up and finish this. I'm very tired. I'd like to go back and rest as soon as I'm done."

"I try my best."

After Shen Lang finished speaking, he wiped his hands and slammed a gavel down hard at Shu Yue.

boom--

The wooden table hit Shuyue squarely on the forehead, chipping a corner of it.

Instantly, blood began to flow down her forehead.

Shu Yue gritted her teeth, her expression filled with resentment, staring intently at Shen Lang.

Jiang Shangxian's lips twitched, and he simply lowered his head and pretended to be looking at the "scenery," choosing to ignore Shen Lang's violent interrogation methods.

"Tell me, who ordered you to do this?"

"Commander Shen, I don't know what you're talking about. I've already told you, this has nothing to do with me."

"It's alright? Which one of those who entered the Jingwei Division claims to have connections?"

Why is your nose blocked if it has nothing to do with you?

"I caught a cold these past few days, and I was afraid that a runny nose would affect Your Majesty's mood, so I resorted to this tactic."

"A cold? Very well, then you must have gone to the Imperial Hospital. Which imperial physician treated you? Tell me."

Shu Yue became anxious: "Why bother the doctors at the Imperial Hospital for such a minor illness?"

"Looks like you're planning to handle this yourself, right?"

Shen Lang grabbed a list from the table and walked over to Shu Yue: "I've already had someone compile a list of the spices for Ranxiang Pavilion."

All the spices listed above, including aphrodisiacs and love potions used in weddings, are included.

The only thing missing is that Gu powder from the southern border. Tell me, where does that stuff come from?

Shu Yue said coldly, "So what? I'm not familiar with spices, how would I know where they come from?"

But the next second, Shen Lang took out another booklet.

"This is the register of those who received spices from Ranxiang Pavilion in the past few days."

Sorry, I've checked three or five times and I still can't find your claim record. Do you need an explanation?

How did you conjure so many spices out of thin air?

Shu Yue stopped talking, turned her head away, and remained silent.

"Heh, do you want to take the blame for the person behind you? Or are you waiting for them to come to your rescue?"

Shen Lang smiled indifferently.

"It's a pity that he fell into the hands of the Jingwei Division. Even if he's mute,..."

I can also get him to fluently recount everything he knows.

After saying that, Shen Lang waved his hand.

Soon, several guards from the Jingwei Division brought over a tiger bench and quickly tied Shu Yue to it.

"What are you trying to do? Let me tell you, don't even think about doing anything reckless. Unauthorized use of torture is explicitly forbidden in the Great Chu."

"Unfortunately, the Jingwei Division is above the law, so your methods won't work on me. If you don't want to suffer, confess honestly, otherwise you'll experience a fate worse than death once, and you'll be ruined."

Shu Yue panicked immediately, and her voice trembled.

Shen Lang walked gracefully to her side, looking at her long legs that were once good for running, but were now tightly bound by ropes, and a smile appeared on his lips.

"Miss Shu, if anyone else had come here, I would have used torture on them. But I'm only repeatedly urging you to confess because of His Majesty."

"But since you're not going to follow the path, don't blame me for being ruthless. You probably don't know what this tiger bench is for, so let me explain it to you."

"Your bound heels will be placed on pieces of blue brick. When you touch the first one, your legs may feel sore and numb."

With the second fracture, your kneecap will start to twist; with the third fracture, your foot bone will be completely cracked.

And by the fourth piece... your legs, which used to run so much, will basically be ruined. By the fifth piece, you'll be bedridden for the rest of your life..."

As Shen Lang explained, Shu Yue's expression gradually changed from disdain to fear, and eventually even her breathing became rapid.

"How about it, want to give it a try?"

As he spoke, Shen Lang looked at her legs and shook his head.

"What beautiful legs! I also admire beautiful legs. It must be really not easy to maintain a pair of such beautiful legs."

"Wouldn't it be incredibly disheartening to watch it break right before your eyes?"

"How about this: as long as you honestly tell me who instructed you to frame His Majesty, then we'll let this matter drop."

Although Shu Yue was terrified, she still glared at Shen Lang, turned her head away, and remained silent.

"Alright then, I'd really like to see how many bricks your legs can withstand before they deform."

As he spoke, Shen Lang picked up a blue brick and slowly placed it under Shu Yue's heel.

"Ah~"

Instantly, a strong tingling and numb sensation swept through my mind, causing me to groan in pain and break out in a cold sweat.

Why does it hurt so much?

She never expected that the very first piece would cause such pain that it nearly drove her to the brink of collapse.

Actually, when Shen Lang was placing the bricks, he used a very fast technique to press a sensitive acupoint on her ankle, amplifying the pain in her foot.

Jiang Shangxian sighed, turned around, and simply refused to look at the scene.

"To say or not to say?"

As Shen Lang expressionlessly picked up the second brick and began to place it at her feet, Shu Yue finally spoke.

"Just kill me. I did it all by myself. No one ordered me to do it. I was just jealous of His Majesty!"

"Sorry, this is not the answer I'm looking for."

Shen Lang forcefully shoved the second brick under her feet.

"what--"

Shu Yue almost roared and groaned, her whole body soaked in sweat, and her eyes rolled back.

"To say it, or not to say it?"

"Say...say...it was...it was the Empress Dowager who instructed me to do this..."

Upon hearing this, Shen Lang immediately pointed to the recorder in the shadows and said in a deep voice, "Record it."