Xing Maozhi asked cautiously, "According to Secretary Jiang's opinion, what kind of punishment would be best?"

Jiang Zhiyu searched his memory: "I remember there was a punishment called combing? The name sounds very suitable for a prince."

The so-called combing and washing is to strip the prisoner's shirt, put him on an iron bed, pour boiling water on him, and then use an iron brush to comb out the burned areas, repeating this process until the bones are exposed.

Xing Maozhi hadn't expected her to mention such torture right away. Shocked, he quickly said, "Shishu, why don't you think about it again? No one in history has ever been able to endure this kind of punishment..."

You might as well just say you want him dead and be done with it.

But Jiang Zhiyu had made up his mind, so Xing Maozhi had no choice but to order the clerk to prepare things.

Anyway, I have tried to persuade him. Now that Malzahar is dead, even if he is angry, it cannot be directed at me.

It's all because Jiang Zhiyu insisted on his own way!

Malzahar looked at the things the clerks had brought in, his heart beating faster due to nervousness, his Adam's apple rolling constantly, and he tried his best to suppress the panic in his heart.

All his composure came from the fact that the emperor would not kill him, but when this idea was destroyed by Jiang Zhiyu, Malzahar could no longer maintain his composure and became hysterical.

"Are you crazy? Even the emperor doesn't dare to kill me! You want to kill me?!"

"Are you determined to start a war between the two countries? You witch!"

"How dare you! I am the Prince of Nan Gu! How dare you!!!"

Malzahar struggled and was pressed down on the iron bed by the clerks. His gorgeous robes were torn to pieces in an instant. The cold iron made him want to get away, but the clerks held his shoulders and legs and pinned him down, making him unable to move.

The friction between the cold iron bed and the wound on his chest made Malzahar take several breaths.

The petty officials tied his hands and feet tightly with ropes so that they would not be able to suppress his pain.

After the preparations were completed, the clerk looked at the adults and saw Jiang Zhiyu nodded. Another clerk scooped a spoonful of boiling water and slowly poured it on his back.

As soon as he went up, his skin was burned and turned white and blistered. Malzahar cried out in pain, his fingers tightly gripping the edge of the bench, his fingertips turning white from the pressure.

The sweat on his face fell like raindrops, and his eyes were red as he stared at Jiang Zhiyu, unable to utter a word.

Jiang Zhiyu raised his hand to signal the clerks to stop, then walked up to Malzahar and looked down at him. "Well, now you know who your accomplice is?"

Malzahar gritted his teeth and said, "I... dare to speak, but do you dare... to listen?"

Jiang Zhiyu didn't care about the answer. He waved his hand and the clerk poured boiling water on him again.

"Ah!" Malzahar couldn't help but scream out loud, his face covered with physiological tears.

Xing Maozhi turned away.

After repeating this five or six times, Malzahar's back was already red and swollen with blisters. The clerk put down the bucket, took out an iron brush, gripped the handle tightly, and brushed his back again and again.

The flesh and blood were peeled off in strands along the brush. Malzahar could feel nothing except extreme pain. He could not see or hear clearly.

In such pain, even fainting is an extremely luxurious thing at this moment.

The skin and flesh exploded. Jiang Zhiyu looked up and found a white worm between his ribs.

——It’s the mother Gu.

Malzahar was breathing more out than in at this moment. Xing Maozhi couldn't help but say, "Jiang Shishu, please stop for now. If you continue like this, he'll probably die before we can even find out who his accomplices are."

The clerk immediately stopped what he was doing and stood aside.

Jiang Zhiyu stood beside Malzahar and chuckled when he heard this: "Just as Lord Xing said, the smell of blood in this prison is very strong. I feel a little dizzy, so I'll leave first."

Xing Maozhi didn't believe her nonsense at all, nor did he dare to stop her. He smiled and said, "Minister Jiang, take care. As for the emperor..."

Jiang Zhiyu took over his words: "Don't worry, Master Xing. It was I who insisted on the torture. I will report the truth to His Majesty."

Since she was so understanding, Xing Maozhi just laughed it off and said a few words to her, then personally escorted her out of the imperial prison.

Watching her disappear, the smile on Xing Maozhi's face faded, and he ordered, "Be smart, everyone. Don't worry about the one inside, but don't resort to lynching him again. Whether he can survive depends on his luck. If anyone asks about what happened today, you all know what to say, right?"

The petty officials nodded in agreement.

Xing Maozhi turned back to the Imperial Prison, muttering softly, "A witch... She really is a witch!"

…

In the imperial study, Qian Hu was slowly recounting rumors in the capital. "Recently, there have been more and more messages about the Third Young Lady, praising her for her exceptional martial arts prowess and medical skills, claiming she can cure any disease, like a miracle doctor in a storybook. Furthermore, when I went to capture Malzahar, he used the same rhetoric to lead me to suspect the Third Young Lady. I believe someone else is behind this."

Are you kidding? I saw Jiang Zhiyu in action with my own eyes. I can tell at a glance whether it is demonic power or real ability!

It is ridiculous to deny everything about her just based on her age and gender and conclude that it is the work of a demon!

The emperor paused, looking at He Yanting beside him: "What do you think?"

"I and the commander share the same view," He Yanting turned and asked, "Does the commander know where the rumor originated?"

"From the Third Young Lady's clinic, it was said that a man had an incurable disease and had begun vomiting blood. He collapsed at the door of the clinic. The Third Young Lady happened to be there, so she carried the man in and treated him personally."

Qianhu added: "This is the most reasonable version I hear. I don't know the circumstances at the time."

He Yanting nodded, and the captain continued, "There's another rumor about the Second Prince..."

He looked at the emperor, not knowing whether he should speak.

"Look at what I do, and tell me what you want to say."

The captain sighed and said, "It is said that when the Second Prince became a monk and was traveling, he passed by a village. That village was very strange. Every night, the sound of several babies crying could be heard. The villagers prayed to the gods and Buddhas, but to no avail."

"Until the Second Prince took action. That night, some villagers witnessed him chanting Buddhist scriptures. Light emanated from his body, driving away the resentful spirits of the babies. Since then, no more cries have been heard in the village."

After he finished speaking, the room suddenly fell silent, and Qianhu immediately knelt on the ground, not daring to look up.

After a long while, the emperor snorted coldly: "How dare you say that."

Qianhu: "..."

Didn’t you say you would speak your mind?

"Forget it, what are my princes doing?"

"Your Majesty, the princes have been staying indoors these past few days. Even if there are visiting cards, they are all turned away. The Second Prince has left the palace a few times to discuss Buddhist principles with other monks."

"Buddhist principles?"

The captain hesitated, but finally said, "Ever since the Second Prince returned to the capital, the monks have felt like they have found a pillar of support and have been discussing matters with Yuchun Hall frequently."