After the interstellar female general died in battle, she transmigrated into the body of a dashing p

Hearing her grandfather's questioning, Zheng Zhian kowtowed and gritted her teeth, saying, "I admit my mistake for acting on my own and for not thinking things through, but I do not admit to investigating my mother's matter." Indeed, she had been too hasty and too arrogant, but she absolutely did not think it was wrong to investigate this matter.

"You still say you're right! What, do you think I'm the kind of old man who would abandon my daughter for the sake of the family and wealth? And that your father is incompetent and foolish?" Duke Yun pushed aside the person blocking his way.

They knew she was precocious from a young age, but they never expected her to reach this level. Wasn't that exactly what she was thinking when she secretly investigated?

Seeing that she didn't speak, he said sternly, "Take your hand out."

Zheng Zhian stretched out her right hand as instructed. She couldn't very well say, "I know your concerns, that's why I'm doing this, and my purpose is to force you." If she said that, she would truly become a monster.

slap~

A bamboo stick was flicked into her hand. "Speak." If she wasn't corrected today, she might suffer a setback because of this.

Zheng Zhian immediately pulled his hand back and rubbed it against his clothes to relieve the pain; the bamboo cane really hurt.

She hunched over, her mind racing as she tried to think of how to answer.

In the eyes of Duke Yun, this scene confirmed her true thoughts. A pang of reluctance flashed in his deep eyes, but he could not be soft-hearted about this. "Extend your hand."

Zheng Zhian switched to extending his left hand.

slap~

She felt that this blow was harder than the last one, and now both of her little hands were rubbing against her dress.

Danqin, who was behind, wanted to persuade him, but was stopped by the old man's gaze. Kong Mufeng, who was standing to the side, squatted down and looked at the little guy. He had been hit several times today but hadn't uttered a sound. He sighed and said, "Little guy, you're so smart, how come you can't understand your maternal grandfather's good intentions? Do you really think they don't know who harmed your mother?"

Zheng Zhian suddenly looked up and stared directly at him. Sure enough, they knew everything, but they hadn't made a move because of various concerns.

Not missing the ruthlessness that flashed in her eyes, Kong Mufeng couldn't help but sigh that this child was not only intelligent, but also extremely determined, and ordinary persuasion was completely useless.

He stood up, looked at the Duke of Yun beside him, and shook his head.

Duke Yun gave her a meaningful look, wondering whether it was right or wrong for the emperor to keep her by his side and teach her.

He threw away the bamboo sticks, picked up the person, and said to the two people who were still kneeling, "You two can go down now."

The three of them then arrived at the Duke's mansion's dark prison. Upon entering, they were met with a stench mixed with damp, musty smells, and the entire prison was deathly silent.

If no one told him, Zheng Zhian would think this was an underground maze, with winding passageways leading to a room lit by candlelight, where he would see all sorts of torture instruments with dried bloodstains on them.

"Go and bring that girl named Cai Die here," Duke Yun ordered.

The guard who had been holding the lamps for them responded and turned to fetch the people.

Soon, the two men carried Cai Die in and tied her directly to a cross-shaped frame.

Seeing her disheveled hair and bloodstains all over her body, Zheng Zhian would have almost thought he had pulled the wrong person if she hadn't raised her head.

"Ask her yourself." Duke Yun put her down on the ground and casually found a stool to sit on.

Kongmu Feng acted as if he were entering for the first time, walking to the shelf displaying torture instruments and looking at and touching them. He kept making clicking sounds.

Zheng Zhian walked up to Cai Die and asked in a deep voice, "Is the Empress's death related to Zhan Ruyun?"

"After I tell you, can you... let me go?" Cai Die's breathing was unsteady, and her body trembled uncontrollably.

She hadn't expected to be brought in like this; those people didn't even ask her any questions before starting the torture.

“Okay.” Zheng Zhian hadn’t planned to torture her. As long as she confessed everything, he would release her. As for when, that would depend on the situation.

"Then, then I'll tell you." Nothing is more important than life, and this matter originally had nothing to do with her.

"Whether she was involved in the Empress's death, I don't know..."

Kong Mufeng picked up the red-hot branding iron and struck it with a thud, asking loudly, "Old Yun, is this the thing we use to brand ourselves?"

"Hmm," Duke Yun glanced at him sideways.

Cai Die's body trembled uncontrollably. "But, but that day... she, she brought a sachet given to her by Bao Fan Palace."

Lan Hua sent someone back saying that the Empress was too weak to walk and needed a sedan chair. I went with her at the time, and later I saw one on Consort Yuan's person as well, though it was different. However, I had seen something similar in the possession of a palace maid in Bao Fan Palace.

Scented sachets? Is that the scent she smelled back then? Zheng Zhian looked at her, "How can you be sure these two sachets are related?" And Yuan Zhu too?

In the palace, any woman, whether a maid or a mistress, could carry a sachet. How did the idea come to them?

"Medicinal herbs. I also help tidy up some of Consort Zhan's small items. I've seen and smelled the medicinal herbs in her sachet." Cai Die is now very glad that she had some knowledge of needlework and spices back then in order to please her mistress.

If it weren't for these things, she would not have been able to climb up the social ladder step by step, having no one to rely on.

"How can you be so sure it was done by someone from Baofan Palace?" Although Zheng Zhian was looking up at her, his aura was in no way weak.

Without hesitation, Cai Die said, "The palace maid I'm talking about is from the same hometown as me, and we entered the palace in the same batch. However, we were later assigned to different palaces. She is a second-class palace maid in Bao Fan Palace. I learned my needlework from her, and those two sachets were embroidered by Aunt Cui Rong, who serves Consort Li."

No wonder she was so sure those two sachets came from the same place, but was Yuan Zhu being used or...?

"What about that fellow villager you mentioned?"

"She died two or three months after the Empress." It was because of this that she later found a way to go to the laundry department.

Thinking of the two palace maids Danqin had investigated earlier, Zheng Zhian asked, "Is your fellow villager named He Ye or Qiu Shui?"

Cai Die was stunned. They had found out all of this? She couldn't help but cough, feeling a tightness in her chest, "Lotus...Leaf."

Seeing that she was coughing badly, Zheng Zhian looked at his maternal grandfather, blinking his big eyes at him, "Could you get her some water?" He wanted to ask someone to put her down, but his grandfather was still angry, so it was obviously not possible.

Duke Yun got up, walked to the wall, and pulled down a thin thread. Soon, a guard came in from outside. "Master."

"Go and get some water to drink."

The man went out and quickly came back in carrying a square table with tea sets on it.

Zheng Zhian glanced at the secret guards, then at his maternal grandfather, his expression practically screaming: You really know how to enjoy yourself!

Seeing her gaze, the Duke of Yun roared at his guards, "I told you to fetch water, why are you carrying a table!"

The guard hurriedly went out and brought in a pot of water. After receiving the order to leave, he turned and slipped away.

The head of the family is acting strangely today. What if we're caught in the crossfire if we run too slowly?

Kong Mufeng laughed heartily, showing no respect for him, "Hey Lao Yun, your bodyguard is quite interesting."