Disguised as a man, she became the biggest villain in the book.

Zheng Luoqi looked at Yueji, who was still stubborn, and remained unmoved. She simply said, "You probably haven't experienced what it's like to have your tongue pulled out, have you?" Yueji trembled violently upon hearing this, but still gritted her teeth and remained silent.

"I don't have that much patience to waste with you, Yueji. You should know that carving words randomly is not a good habit!" Zheng Luoqi said as he ordered the guard beside him, "Go, cut her tendons." Upon hearing this, Yueji's eyes widened and she struggled in terror.

Zheng Luoqi listened to Yueji's screams echoing in the cell, then lowered her head and took a sip of the tea that her subordinate had just handed her.

"Rose, do you know what I hate most? I hate it when people lie to me," Zheng Luoqi gradually lost patience, and her voice became cold and ruthless.

"Since she doesn't want to talk, then just pull out her tongue!" Zheng Luoqi coldly ordered.

Seeing the guard approaching Yueji with the tongue-pulling forceps, Yueji panicked. She couldn't take it anymore and hurriedly said in a panic, "I don't know, I really don't know. They have never revealed their identities. They just kept us in captivity and sent us out when we grew up."

"You guys? So you're not the only one?" Zheng Luoqi asked, puzzled.

Rose replied wearily, “We women are sent for training from a young age, and when we grow up, we are sent to become concubines of powerful men. Ha! All we have to do is deliver what they need to the designated location, and they will come to collect it themselves.”

"So when will they come to pick it up?" Zheng Luoqi continued to ask.

“I don’t know, but you can send someone to wait here,” Rose replied.

"Will they wait here for your message indefinitely? Is there a fixed time? What if you don't send any message within a year?" Zheng Luoqi continued to ask.

"They should come to check every now and then, but I don't know the exact time."

“If there’s still no news from the people who were sent out, they’ll probably investigate as well. They might investigate whether I’m dead, and they might also investigate whether the people who were sent out have been exposed like I am now.” Yueji said with a helpless smile on her lips.

"Young master, I have said everything I need to say. I hope you will grant me a swift resolution," Yueji said with a sigh of relief.

Zheng Luoqi is also a woman of her word, and she gave Yueji a swift and decisive end.

After Yueji died, Zheng Luoqi ordered her tongue to be pulled out and her eyes to be gouged out.

They put them all into boxes and placed them where the roses spread their message, waiting patiently for the rabbits to come.

As for the elderly mother, she was already quite old and had difficulty moving around, so Zheng Luoqi only sent his subordinates to deliver some food to her from time to time, but never too much at once, for fear that she wouldn't be able to hold onto it.

Zheng Luoqi felt a pang of guilt, perhaps because ordinary people often become victims of power struggles for no reason.

As for the things Zheng Luoqi sent, which were supposedly from Yueji to 'send a message,' the old mother didn't dare touch them at all when she heard they were from Yueji.

Everything has been arranged; now all that's left is to wait and see.

...............

Time quickly came to the day when Consort De would hold a flower-viewing banquet. The entire palace was enveloped in a festive atmosphere, and both the interior and exterior of the palace were decorated with extraordinary splendor.

As the Emperor's most favored concubine, Consort De was the object of many people's hopes to establish a relationship with her through this flower-viewing banquet. Many young men and women had dressed up meticulously, wearing gorgeous clothes and splendid hair ornaments, their faces beaming with joy and anticipation.

In the palace square, exquisite banquet tables and flower-decorated tables were set out, with various delicacies and fine wines emitting an enticing aroma.

The noble ladies arrived gracefully, while the refined and elegant gentlemen, dressed in fine clothes and exuding charm, greeted each other with smiles.

Zheng Luoqi arrived at the palace in a carriage. Looking at the grandeur before her, she chuckled and thought to herself, "This male lead really dotes on the female lead; even a flower-viewing banquet is made so extravagant."

After entering, Zheng Luoqi casually found a seat and sat down. However, because of her extraordinary appearance, demeanor, and overall presence, many noble ladies and gentlemen were speculating about who she was.

Some of them had seen Zheng Luoqi before. Although Zheng Luoqi had a bad reputation, her appearance was top-notch. As a noble lady, the young men couldn't help but follow her with their eyes.

At the banquet, Zheng Luoqi saw many familiar faces. Her two cousins, Wen Yichuan and Wen Yixuan, were also together. Lin Zifeng was with Pei Wenyu as usual, and He Jinyu was also there. There was also a rather unexpected person with them.

It was Ye Churan. Ever since Fan Huai'an stepped down, the emperor had appointed Ye Churan to replace Fan Huai'an as the censor of the Censorate because of her meritorious service in solving the case.

He Jinyu was one of Ye Churan's favorite students, and was eventually promoted by Ye Churan to her former position as Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy.

The others also saw Zheng Luoqi arrive. Pei Wenyu and Lin Zifeng still had some grudges and were a little scared because of what happened before, so they didn't dare to look at Zheng Luoqi too much.

Wen Yichuan looked at Zheng Luoqi with displeasure, snorted coldly, and then looked away. Wen Yixuan didn't care much, because he hadn't had much contact with Zheng Luoqi and was indifferent to her, focusing on drinking his tea.

He Jinyu watched their expressions with a gossipy look on his face.

As soon as the banquet began, Chen Xianlin came out to preside over the event. Today, she was wearing a red brocade robe with peony patterns embroidered in gold thread on the sleeves and exquisite patterns embroidered in silver thread on the hem, which shimmered with a faint light as she moved.

Chen Xianlin's face was adorned with exquisite makeup, which enhanced her already stunning appearance, making her look dignified and noble.

In a secluded corner where no one was watching, Wen Yichuan and Ye Churan were both stunned. A trace of loneliness flashed in Wen Yichuan's eyes. He knew that the distance between him and Chen Xianlin was growing wider and wider, and that they could never go back to the past. He was afraid that there was no possibility for them to be together again.

Ye Churan dared not look at her any longer, afraid that he would not be able to suppress the flutter in his heart, after all, she was now the emperor's concubine, and their statuses were different.

Lin Zifeng was also stunned by Chen Xianlin's beauty. He recalled the Chen Xianlin he had seen when he competed with his sister at Fengya Residence. At that time, she was already beautiful and charming, a completely different style from her current appearance. Now she has become even more radiant and charming, making people fall in love with her.

How could Zheng Luoqi miss these people's expressions? Speechless, Zheng Luoqi thought to herself, "Ye Churan and Wen Yichuan are indeed worthy of being the second and third male leads and protectors of the flower in the original book. Even after she's entered the palace, they still can't forget her. Lin Zifeng is practically a minor male lead. The original female lead's charm is just too great."