The woman in white was none other than Ouyang Yue. She looked at Mei Ju being led away and said, "It seems she doesn't know much either, but she must know how to communicate with people outside. We must find out this as soon as possible."
“Yes, Your Highness, I understand,” Dongxue replied immediately.
Ouyang Yue took out a handkerchief from her bosom and wiped her palm, which had just been stroking Meiju. Slowly, her expression was unpredictable, filled with mixed emotions.
If it weren't for the fact that she still needed to learn some things from Meiju, Meiju definitely wouldn't have survived the first day she entered the manor. Although Meiju caused quite a stir and many people saw her enter the Chen Prince's manor, many things can happen here in a single day. Does that mean that everything that happened to her in the Chen Prince's manor should be attributed to Ouyang Yue, and that I will be the same way in the future? Besides, if Ouyang Yue wanted to, there was a way to deal with her, and it wouldn't have to be limited to the Chen Prince's manor. She couldn't keep blaming her for things that happened outside.
This ghostly incident was orchestrated by Ouyang Yue. She knew Meiju wouldn't believe it, but she wouldn't completely disbelieve it either. In this state of doubt, the mind is most easily influenced, even more so than simply believing or disbelieving. The more skeptical Meiju was, the greater the impact the event would have on her. Ouyang Yue deliberately did things to make her doubt, only making her more and more nervous. Her lack of rest these past few days, coupled with the maids' conversations, gradually affected her. By secretly lighting some incense in the room, she could make it easier for Ouyang Yue to ask the questions she wanted to know.
Meiju wasn't stupid. If she were on high alert, this situation would be difficult, and she might even pretend to fall for the trap and talk nonsense.
At this moment, two maids walked in through the door. They were the two servants who originally served Meiju. When they saw Ouyang Yue, they both bowed politely and said, "Greetings, Your Highness."
Ouyang Yue nodded and asked the two, "How's your study going?"
Daya first respectfully replied, "Your Highness, I have already learned eighty percent of it."
Another maid chimed in, "This servant has learned about 70%."
“As for the other two or three tenths, we servants can make up for it,” Daya added.
Ouyang Yue's lips curled slightly: "Very well, then let's act according to Mei Ju's old habits and not let anyone notice anything."
"Yes, Your Highness," the two replied.
If the earlier scheme to extract information from Mei Ju was merely an appetizer, this was the main event. Ouyang Yue had always suspected Mei Ju's true motives. If she were truly just an ordinary woman, upon hearing the news of Baili Chen's death, Mei Ju would only panic. Although Mei Ju had tried very hard to feign it, Ouyang Yue could see and sense that this woman had little contact with Baili Chen, had no feelings for him, and even harbored some resentment towards Baili Chen for not understanding a woman's heart. It was difficult for her to feel genuine sadness and pain. But what other purpose did she have in coming to the Chen Prince's mansion? Aside from her shameless act of becoming a mistress, she must have another purpose. Returning before Baili Chen's return meant her target wasn't Baili Chen, but rather Ouyang Yue, Baili Su, or perhaps even the Chen Prince's mansion itself.
Ouyang Yue had just been testing Mei Ju, also asking her the question she most wanted answered. Mei Ju had no idea of Baili Chen's true whereabouts. The news that circulated in Xiuge was definitely false. Coupled with the fact that the corpse's features were unclear, Ouyang Yue was eighty percent certain that it wasn't Baili Chen, but a fake corpse used for identification. Knowing this was enough; there was nothing she could be afraid of or recklessly do afterward. She no longer needed to verify whether Mei Ju's questions were true or false.
The two maids, Daya and Da Ya, were initially placed by Mei Ju's side to observe her words and actions in order to confuse the situation. From the first day Mei Ju entered the mansion, a well-formed plan had already been developed in Ouyang Yue's mind.
Ouyang Yue's eyes were cold and gloomy. After learning this news, she knew that things were about to start on the other side, and the fake corpses of Baili Chen and Leng Sha were about to be transported into the capital.
Meiju felt groggy and thought she hadn't slept well. Although she had taken a nap, she felt uncomfortable all over, with aches and pains all over her body, as if her bones were about to fall apart.
"Ugh..." She slowly opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was the roof, but she was stunned. Why was the roof here so barren and grimy?
With this question in mind, she turned her eyes and scanned the scene: ordinary tables and chairs, piles of abandoned weeds, two men with dark complexions, and two burly old women with fierce expressions.
"Whoosh!" Mei Ju suddenly sat up, her mind scanning her surroundings. She was shocked. How did she end up in this completely dilapidated house after taking a nap, with four people in front of her who looked at her with hostility?!
"Who are you!" Meiju asked, frowning.
The four men's expressions darkened further as they watched her wake up. An old woman approached and sized Meiju up and down: "What I hate most are shameless, self-degrading women. You are not only shameless and self-degrading, but also utterly despicable, shameless, and stupid. How dare you challenge the Princess Consort? You're not worthy! Take a piss and look at yourself in the mirror. A prostitute like you dares to enter a high-ranking household like Prince Chen's mansion? It seems you don't know your place."
Another old woman said, "Let me tell you. Someone like you, who entered the house without being given a title by the master, is now considered to have severed ties with your family. Your family can't control you. In this mansion, you have no title and are at most a lowly maid. If the steward of this mansion wants to kill you, no one will say a word."
Meiju suddenly sensed something was wrong and angrily said, "I was personally escorted back by people from the Prince Chen's mansion, and I have the jade pendant he gave me. How could it be fake? I want to see the Princess Consort of Prince Chen!"
"Smack!"
A man next to her raised his hand and slapped Mei Ju across the face, throwing her cheek aside: "You think you're worthy of being called Princess Consort Chen!"
The old woman next to her sneered, "Jade pendant? Heh, how foolish. Our Princess Consort Chen said that Prince Chen's jade pendant had a piece broken off, but yours is intact. It's not Prince Chen's piece at all. What good can a lowly wretch like you who wants to take advantage of the Prince's absence be? You'd better behave yourself here, or you'll be in for a world of trouble."
Mei Ju was shocked. Ouyang Yue had been hiding her true identity so well. From the first day she entered the manor, Ouyang Yue had never believed that she was Baili Chen's woman, yet she could still pretend to be so genuine and deceive her so thoroughly. But why did she only expose her now? What was Ouyang Yue's purpose? How could she be so cunning?
With a creak, the door slowly opened. Mei Ju squinted as she watched a person walk towards her with their back turned. The person was graceful and charming. Her first instinct was that Ouyang Yue had arrived. She was about to start cursing when she saw the person's appearance as they approached, but she gasped: "You...who are you!"
The person who walked in through the door was naturally very charming, with captivating eyes and a beautiful face. But Mei Ju would never forget this face, even if she became a ghost. It was clearly her face. How could there be someone here who looked exactly like her!
The man walked out, looked at Meiju with a cold smile, and said, "Which lowly girl impersonating me deserves to be beaten to death? My sister, the Princess Consort, suspected that someone had malicious intentions and specifically instructed me not to be lenient, so that some villains could succeed. These people are now in your hands. You must find out why she impersonated me."
"Yes, Miss Meiju." The two men and two old women inside the house all spoke respectfully to the person at the door, and Meiju immediately gasped.
"No, I am the real Meiju! Who are you? Who are you?!" Veins bulged on Meiju's forehead, her face contorted with intense hatred and rage. She rushed forward, ready to grab the fake Meiju as if she wanted to devour her alive.
The fake Meiju sneered, pointing a finger lightly at Meiju: "What a madwoman. It seems locking you up here was the right thing to do. Otherwise, it would be bad if you went out and hurt someone. You're impersonating me, and you're using the name of the Prince Chen's Mansion. The Princess Consort will be angry." As she spoke, she chuckled to herself.
Mei Ju was so angry that she almost spat out a mouthful of blood. She struggled to get out, but her arms were held down tightly by two men, making it impossible for her to move forward. Her expression kept changing, and finally she said weakly, "Why...why did you pretend to be me?"
Fake Plum Blossom chuckled: "Of course I'll do what you haven't finished. Don't worry, I'll do everything you want to do."
"What exactly do you want to do?!" Meiju had a bad feeling.
Fake Meiju didn't dwell on the topic. Her slender finger pointed at Meiju: "You stay here. Tell them what you want to say. If you confess honestly, you'll avoid physical punishment. Don't harbor any illusions; dying isn't easy. Here are a hundred ways to make you wish you were dead but unable to, yet wish you were dead. If you want to suffer less, just confess honestly." With that, Fake Meiju turned and left.
"Keep a close watch. If she gets away, you'll all go with her."
"Yes! We will defend it to the death!" At least four burly men outside answered simultaneously.
"Come back! Come back here and explain yourself!" Mei Ju shouted angrily, her face changing drastically. But no one paid any attention to her. The door closed again, and the two burly men and two old women looked at her with particularly fierce eyes.
"What are you going to do!" Mei Ju's heart skipped a beat, and a bad premonition grew stronger, a chill creeping into her heart.
"Speak! What is your purpose in coming to Prince Chen's residence? Who is behind you? Empress Lin? Is Lin Chang still in the Lin family?" an old woman shouted. Upon hearing this, Mei Ju's face flashed with a look of surprise and uncertainty. Although she tried her best to hide it, she still managed to arouse suspicion.
"What, you don't want to talk? Someone, bring the food." Another old woman's face turned fierce as she sneered.
"No! I am Baili Chen's concubine. You dare to treat me like this! You will all be severely punished!" Mei Ju shouted angrily upon hearing this.
A man suddenly swung his hand, slapping her head to the side, leaving a large red mark on her face: "What a fool! Even now she dares to blame the Prince. Pull all her teeth out first!"
An old woman smiled and said, "That's a good idea, but Meiju is a beautiful girl, and if all her teeth are pulled out, it would be a shame for her beautiful face. She's so young and her teeth are already falling out. Is she some kind of monster? She's maintaining her beauty on the surface, but she's already an old woman inside."
The other old woman looked even more stern. She was dressed in dark green and sneered, "That's fine. Just keep the front teeth. The back ones are probably useless now, so just pluck them all out. Hearing her say these things makes me feel as disgusted as if I've swallowed a fly."
Both men were dressed in black, except one had his hair combed higher and the other had a mole on the corner of his mouth. The man with the mole said, "That's a good idea. Let me handle this good thing."
"I'll hold her down for you, so she doesn't struggle and mess up your technique." It sounded like this man with the mole was a professional tooth puller, but Meiju was quite frightened. She was so young, and if she only had a few teeth left in the front row, what would happen to her?
"No! No! You can't do this, you can't!" Mei Ju jumped up and struggled to run away, but before she could take two steps, the man with the mole swung his hand and slapped Mei Ju on the head with a "bang." She fell to the ground, her nose hurting and a little liquid was flowing down.
Meiju was pulled up and struggled to get away, but the four men were all stronger than her. How could she escape? They dragged her to the wooden bed and pressed her down on it. Then the man with the mole took a pair of iron pliers and shoved them into Meiju's mouth.
"Ah! No!" Meiju screamed in terror, her voice shrill. But the man with the mole ignored her completely, stepped forward, pressed down, and then forcefully pulled. Meiju convulsed in pain. When the iron pliers were taken out, they were covered in blood, and the two white teeth on them were so conspicuous. Meiju was in pain, angry, and hateful, and almost fainted because she couldn't catch her breath.
The old woman in dark green next to them said, "You'd better behave and suffer less. Otherwise, this is just an appetizer. We have plenty of ways to make you talk. Whether you talk sooner or later, it's all the same. Our methods will only get more and more ruthless in the future. You'd better think it over. No one here will sympathize with you."
"Tsk tsk tsk, such a beautiful face! I never had one when I was young. It's such a pity to ruin it like this." Another old woman, however, was anything but gentle as she pinched and twisted Meiju's face, her face full of jealousy.
Mei Juxin's heart leaped into her throat, and she broke out in a cold sweat even more than she had from the pain of having her tooth pulled. The importance of a woman's appearance to her was selfless; even someone like Mei Juxin, who was willing to sacrifice herself for her plan, couldn't completely ignore it. In Xiuge, she was adored by countless men, and her reputation for beauty far surpassed that of her father when he was alive. Although many women called her shameless, she was incredibly popular among men. Proud as she was, her popularity stemmed from her cold and aloof demeanor, her overflowing talent, and her alluring yet spirited appearance. To ruin her like this would be to destroy everything she had achieved. Even though she was seeking revenge, she had never considered disfigurement!
Meiju had considered losing her virginity for revenge, but she never wanted to discard her beauty. Meiju was torn between her inner thoughts and her own, but in the end, she gritted her teeth and endured it.
The two old women chuckled instantly: "Tsk tsk tsk, what a stubborn one! Bring on the basin."
The two men turned and went to the corner of the wall, where they brought over a large basin. The basin was very tall and wide. As the two men carried it over, Meiju heard strange sounds such as "rustling" and "hissing" coming from inside. When Meiju saw what was inside after the basin was moved, her expression changed drastically, and she bent over as if she was about to vomit.
The two old women smiled and said, "Miss Meiju must be tired from accompanying us. She hasn't taken a bath yet, so why don't you enjoy yourself inside?"
"No! No!" Meiju was terrified, her face turning deathly pale. She kept shaking her head, but they forced her head down. Her eyes widened, her stomach twisting and turning. Below were scorpions, centipedes, ants, snakes, and all sorts of poisonous insects. She wondered if her head would still be there when she pulled it out.
"Clap clap clap," the old woman clapped her hands again, and soon brought over another basin. This basin was about the height of a person, and it was obviously much better than the previous basin. It was full of snakes that kept flicking their tongues, as well as thread-like fish. Then, one after another, several more basins were filled with poisonous insects and other things.
The old woman in the dark green dress smiled and said, "Miss Meiju, which one do you want to choose first? Don't worry, as long as you don't like the first one, the rest will be used one by one."
Mei Ju's face was deathly pale, and her lips trembled as she cried out, "No...no...don't!"
The old woman in the black and green clothes had cold eyes: "That won't do. If you don't tell me, you'll taste everything in here. If you don't agree, what will happen? Everything in here is specially prepared for you."
Meiju trembled, her legs weak with fear. However, she was being supported by two people, and even though she was about to kneel on the ground, they held her down tightly. They were also pressing down on her head, so she couldn't turn her head to avoid looking. Seeing those disgusting worms, she felt like she was going to vomit, but there was nothing in her stomach. She felt nauseous but couldn't vomit. She felt waves of cramping pain and couldn't describe how she felt at that moment. She only felt like she was about to die.
"Hurry up and choose. Although we all have to stay with Meiju all the time, we don't want to waste this precious time," another old woman said with a smile.
The two burly men had already pressed Meiju's head down and were pushing it into the centipede basin.
"Ah! No! I'll talk, I'll talk!" Mei Ju shouted as the person drew nearer, and sure enough, he pulled her hand back.
The old woman in dark green laughed and said, "Miss Meiju, wouldn't it have been better if you had cooperated like this earlier? Alright, now tell me, why did you come to Prince Chen's mansion? Why did you pretend to be Prince Chen's concubine? And who sent you here? What is your purpose?"
Meiju's heart was still pounding wildly, and she couldn't calm down for a long time.
"Slap!" The man with the mole casually slapped Meiju again, waking her up. Meiju shuddered in pain, her eyes still glazed over as she stared at the basin. Opposite her was the smiling old woman waiting for her answer. Meiju's heart clenched instantly.
"I...when I was in Lincheng, Prince Chen went to Xiuge, but he didn't give me any face at all. I am a courtesan who sells her art but not her body, and he actually insulted me, calling me a lowly prostitute. I was originally the daughter of an official, how could I tolerate such an insult? So...I thought I would take the opportunity to pester him, let him see what I'm capable of, make him infatuated with me, and then I would take revenge." Mei Ju said with a fierce look on her face, speaking as if it were a true story, and indeed, there are such psychologically disturbed people.
No one is obligated to like her, yet she can hold a grudge over such trivial matters and slap someone in the face at a crucial moment. This kind of thing has indeed happened in wealthy families before.
"Slap!" However, Mei Ju's words earned her another slap.
The old woman in dark green clothes frowned, coldly sneering at Meiju: "You really won't give up until you're pushed to the limit. Strip her clothes off and throw her in the basin!"
"I'm telling the truth, I'm really telling the truth!" Mei Ju cried out in fear, but this time no one paid any attention to her. Her clothes were instantly torn into strips by the two men and thrown directly into the large basin that had been brought over first. Mei Ju screamed, "Ahhh, I'm telling the truth, I'm telling the truth, pull me out of here!"
However, the four of them looked at her coldly. The old woman in dark green said coldly, "We already gave you a chance, but you still tried to play us. If we don't teach you a lesson, do you really think we wouldn't dare?"
Another old woman said coldly, "Let me tell you, as long as I don't kill you, just leave you with a breath of life, that's fine. I came from the palace. I may not have learned anything else in there, but I've mastered all the methods of torture. If you don't believe me, we'll try them on one by one. I guarantee you'll experience every punishment, and you'll still be alive and well in the end."
"Pfft!" A crisp sound suddenly rang out in the room. Mei Ju was startled for a moment, then suddenly screamed, "Ahhh, I won't do it again, please... please let me out! I'll tell you everything, please let me out!"
However, the four people still didn't move. The old woman in dark green said, "We will definitely release you, but you were ungrateful just now. Now that we've released you, you'll still be hoping for a lucky break. Let you experience it a little more."
"I was wrong, please, let me out, please!" Meiju cried out in anguish.
After a while, the two men kindly pulled Meiju out. Her body was covered in marks, and a snake was even wrapped around her chest, its coils tightening. The rest of her body was in no better condition. The two men quickly removed the insects and other debris and threw Meiju to the ground.
"It hurts!" Mei Ju cried out in pain, lying limply on the ground naked, her body a pitiful sight.
An old woman stepped on Meiju's face and then lifted her up with her toes. Meiju's lips were bleeding from being bitten so hard. She sneered, "Fine, speak up. If you keep being stubborn, we won't be polite. How did you feel just now? Let me tell you, this is just an appetizer. There are many more fun things waiting for you. Our mission is to entertain you, and we're not afraid to play with you for a few more days. It's just that your little body... tsk tsk tsk, I'm afraid you won't be able to take it."
The old woman's eyes and tone of voice were strange. Although she didn't finish her sentence, Meiju could clearly sense that what she was implying was something even more cruel.
Meiju was filled with intense hatred, but she was completely helpless. What could she do? What good was loyalty? Distant water couldn't quench a nearby fire. She didn't want to die such a miserable death—no, she didn't want to be unable to even die. She couldn't take it anymore: "I...I'll talk...I'll tell you everything..."
The old woman kicked her face: "That's a good girl. Quickly put a coat on our Meiju girl, so she doesn't catch a cold."
The old woman in dark green immediately came over with a smile, carrying a garment. Although it was just an outer robe, it was much better than being naked before. Mei Ju's hands were in a lot of pain, but she gripped the garment tightly. The old woman in dark green pulled her and pressed her down onto a chair, but Mei Ju's face changed drastically: "No...no, I'll stand...I'll stand, I won't sit..."
The two burly men and the two old women exchanged knowing smiles. The two burly men even moved chairs and sat by the door to prevent Meiju from escaping. The room was dark, with no windows, and it was only daytime; it would be even darker at night. Meiju watched the two burly men's actions, a look of despair flashing across her face. She finally gave up her last thought of escaping, her body going limp, almost collapsing to the ground. But thinking of the consequences of sitting down, she forced herself to endure it, biting her lip tightly as if she were suffering intense pain.
"Speak!"
"I was originally the daughter of a general..."
The two old women listened attentively, remembering every word and every first syllable of Meiju's speech. But the more they listened, the more alarmed they became, and their expressions grew increasingly somber. After Meiju finished speaking, they both fell silent.
The old woman in dark green said, "Is what you're saying true?"
“Every word is true.” Meiju nodded softly; there was no need to hide it anymore at this point.
"What a cruel heart!" another old woman cursed angrily.
"First, report the results to the Princess. This person must be kept under constant guard and absolutely cannot be allowed to leave. Then, transfer some more people over."
"yes."