ist priest to our house, but they were just swindling us out of food and drink. Until seven years ago, I met a wandering young Taoist priest who told me that I would have seven more years before retur..."Arrest them all."

Feng Ling, with a single order, saw the black-clad figures who had fallen to the valley floor apprehended by Lei Song's men and brought back to the military camp.

"Your Highness, seventeen are dead, and thirty-two remain alive."

Lei Song came to report, looking at Feng Ling Xi's cold and sharp eyes, his face was full of respect.

"Keep an eye on him, and bring the Prince out when dawn breaks." Feng Lingxi instructed, then led Xiao Li back to the military camp.

The thirty or so people brought back were all kneeling on the ground, with varying degrees of wounds on their bodies. When Feng Lingxi appeared, they only let out a cold snort and looked at her defiantly.

"Well, who sent you there"

"If you want to kill, just kill. We won't say a word."

Feng Lingxi looked at the leader of the men in black, his face was injured, his expression ferocious, staring at Feng Lingxi, the unwillingness and anger in his eyes made Feng Lingxi couldn't help but sneer.

"Quite gutsy, aren't you Not afraid of death"

That man let out a cold snort, "Despicable tactics."

Feng Lingxi crouched down, looking at the anger in his eyes. She pinched his chin, and the man angrily wrenched her hand away. Feng Lingxi tightened her grip, and the man winced in pain, glaring furiously at Feng Lingxi. “Kill me or skin me as you please, want to humiliate me Dream on.”

"Come on, who sent you"

Feng Lingxi gave him a cold glance and, before he could speak, coldly reminded him, "If you want to die, it's not that easy. If you don't say anything, I have other ways."

He glared at her, his furious eyes causing Feng Lingxi's brows to rise. "Quite the stubborn one," he said.

"Your Majesty, I haven't seen him many times in the camp. I don't know when he sneaked in."

After Lei Song finished looking at the black-clad man's appearance, he was very certain that this person did not have a title in this camp.

"The people you protect won't come to your rescue. If you tell me the truth, I can spare your life."

"Bah! You wretch, you poisoned the late emperor and now hide here The Emperor will not let you get away with this."

The man in black spat towards Feng Lingxi, his hateful eyes made Feng Lingxi smile.

"You accuse me of poisoning the late Emperor How could I have poisoned him here Don't you think you're a bit too gullible to believe their words If I had poisoned him, wouldn't I have done it before arriving here"

The man in black looked at her, anger blazing in his eyes, "You poisoned the late emperor for what You really think I don't know, you vile woman. The Emperor shouldn't have kept you back then."

"My lady, this man insults you. Allow me to teach him a lesson."

Lei Song was listening to him calling him a despicable person, and he was so angry that he wanted to step forward and teach him a lesson. Feng Lingxi stopped him.

"Getting angry with him is unnecessary, he's being blinded right now."

"If I really wanted to poison the late emperor, what would my purpose be" Feng Lingxi looked at him, seeing him staring at her, and sneered. "If it were for the throne, why would I leave before poisoning the late emperor Do you believe that ghost story about Dugu Yan too"

"You are not allowed to speak of the Emperor."

The man in black turned red-eyed, roared angrily, and looking at his nervous expression, Feng Lingxi smiled. "It seems you are really sent by Dugu Yan. You are indeed loyal to him. What benefits did he give you that made you believe him so much and come here to kill Dugu Cheng"

"What are you talking about I wasn't sent by the Emperor."

"Explanation is just a disguise, it seems like I guessed correctly, you were sent here by Dugu Yan to kill Dugu City."

Feng Lingxi's words made his eyes flicker, and that expression made Feng Lingxi's smile at the corner of her lips deepen.

"I said I wasn't sent by the Emperor."

That person glared at Feng Lingxi with a ferocious look in his eyes. Looking at him like this, what was originally uncertain became even more certain – the mastermind behind him was indeed Dugu Yan. She had thought it might be the Sixth Prince or the Empress Dowager, but she hadn't expected it to be Dugu Yan. It seemed that power and status were indeed better than feelings.

"What benefits does he offer you to kill Dugu City Don't you know this is his territory Aren't you afraid of not being able to live back"

"What's there to fear about death" The man in black glared at her, "Besides, I wasn't sent by the Emperor."

“In that case, you're not afraid of death, so you must have been prepared beforehand. You killed Dugu City for the Emperor, and the benefits will certainly go to your family. Lei Song, check his identity and lock him up. If he dies, exterminate his entire family.”

Feng Lingxi spoke, the black-clad man panicked and shouted angrily, "What do you have to rush at me for, you..."

Before she could finish her words, Feng Ling Xi's eyes turned cold. "If threats were useful, I would have died millions of times over. Besides, don't even think about suicide. Even if you died, I could find out your identity, your family—none of them would escape."

Feng Lingxi finished speaking, with a wave of her hand, Lei Song immediately stepped forward and pushed him down.

"I'll give you time to think it over. When you've made up your mind, have someone let me know. To be honest, even if you don't say anything, I'll find out eventually. If you dare to die, your whole family will pay the price."

"You wicked woman, I won't let you get away with this, even in death."

The man in black was dragged away, curses echoing through the night sky. Feng Lingxi showed no fear, her cold eyes swept over the other men in black, and she said coldly, "If there's no one at home, I can't do anything to you. But if there are still family members who want to live, just tell me the truth, and I guarantee I won't kill you."

Even if you don't kill us, we can't live. They won't let us live.

A man in black looked at Feng Lingxi unwillingly, “He won’t let you go.”

Feng Lingxi looked at the man in black who was speaking, "Your family is in their hands. Do you really think that by killing Du Gu Cheng, your family will be able to walk away unharmed What if all of you are here 'dead', then maybe they and you can both live."

"What do you mean by that"

These people began to waver, no one wanted to die. Who would be willing to die for others when they could barely survive themselves

Feng Lingxi knew their intentions. She said calmly, “I can pass on a message, saying that your assassination attempt failed and since so many people died for you, it's impossible to blame your families for the mission failure. You just need to submit to me, and when the time is ripe, I will allow you to return and reunite with your families.”

Those captured looked at each other, moved by Feng Lingxi's words.

"Think about this carefully, I'll give you some time."

Feng Lingxi signaled Lei Song to lock them all up. By the time Feng Lingxi was finished, it was already two o'clock in the morning.

"My lady, it's getting late. You should rest now. We have things to do tomorrow."

Xiaoli watched the Crown Princess's slightly pale face, her eyes full of worry, afraid she couldn't hold on.

Feng Lingxi ordered, "Strengthen the defenses and don't let them die. Report anything that happens immediately."

Lei Song responded and took the people down.

Feng Lingxi returned to the camp, looking exhausted. She didn't know if Duguxing had woken up yet. Whether this was orchestrated by Duguyan remained uncertain. After all, Duguyan was born to the Empress Dowager. Perhaps, the Empress Dowager was the real mastermind behind it all.aving. Moreover, Feng Ling Xi's personality wouldn't allow her to marry immediately, and she didn't have any other men around her now.This child must be of the Dugu family's bloodline.You must find ou...