Shi A, who had been summoned, also rushed to Deyang Palace.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects!"

"No need for formalities!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"I have summoned my senior brother here today because I have a matter to ask him!"

Shi Agong said respectfully, "Your Majesty, please ask!"

Liu Hong nodded, then asked, "Among the wandering knights you've gathered, is there anyone skilled in disguise?"

Upon hearing Liu Hong's question, Shi A thought carefully for a moment and then said, "Yes! Not long ago, I recruited two wandering knights from Jiangdong, who happen to be proficient in this art!"

"Okay, that's good!"

Liu Hong smiled and said, "I have something I need them to do. Senior Brother, please go and tell them. Once it's done, I will definitely reward them handsomely!"

"They are all loyal to Your Majesty. If Your Majesty needs anything, please give the order, and we will do our best!"

"good!"

Liu Hong nodded. "Senior brother, please arrange for them to go to Yang Qiu and Lü Qiang to take orders. After that, they just need to follow their instructions!"

"promise!"

After Shi A left, Xi Zhicai's eyes lit up, and he looked at Liu Hong, "Your Majesty, could it be that you wish to?"

Liu Hong sneered, "That's right. More than ten days have passed, and even Yang Qiu and Lü Qiang haven't been able to find anything. This shows that those people are extremely careful. Even if they are secretly arrested, they won't get anything useful out of them. It's probably difficult to find out who is behind them."

"I'll just use a clever trick on them, and wait for the fish to bite the hook themselves!"

In Chang Le Palace, the female official Xiao Hong approached Dou Miao and whispered, "Empress Dowager, Attendant Lü said that the Imperial Household Department is short of manpower to make cotton-padded clothes, and His Majesty is pressing for it. He hopes that a few palace maids can be transferred from Chang Le Palace!"

Dou Miao nodded, then asked, "Is the Emperor planning to give one to all his ministers?"

"Judging from what Attendant Lü said, that must be the case!"

"Hehe~ Since it's the emperor's will, then go ahead and do it. As long as you're not transferred, Lü Qiang can choose any of the palace maids here!"

Dou Miao smiled slightly. She would naturally support Liu Hong's generous treatment of his court officials.

Thus, Lü Qiang arrived at Chang Le Palace, paid his respects to Empress Dowager Dou, and selected more than a dozen palace maids, including the ones they had previously chosen.

Outside the Southern Palace, in a dark basement, several palace maids with disheveled hair were tied to wooden stakes, their bodies covered in wounds. Next to them, a wooden platform was filled with various instruments of torture.

Lu Qiang entered the secret room and saw the unconscious palace maid. He frowned, then looked at a young eunuch beside him, "Well? Did she confess?"

Upon hearing this, the young eunuch shook his head. "Reporting to Attendant Lü, they are very stubborn. We've used all sorts of torture instruments, but they still won't confess!"

"Hmph, trash!"

Lu Qiang snorted coldly, which frightened the little eunuch into lowering his head and not daring to speak.

"Wake them up!"

"promise!"

Then the eunuch ordered someone to bring several buckets of cold water and splashed them on the faces of several palace maids.

Stimulated by the cold water, the unconscious palace maids slowly awoke.

Lu Qiang moved to the leftmost palace maid and reached out to lift her chin.

Looking at the palace maid's beautiful face, Lü Qiang's eyes turned cold, and finally a sinister smile appeared on his face. "If you don't want to be tortured anymore, then tell me, who sent you?"

The palace maid's eyes were filled with fear when she saw Lü Qiang's ruthless manner, but she kept her lips tightly shut and remained silent.

"Hmph~ You fool who doesn't know what's good for you!"

Seeing the palace maid's appearance, Lü Qiang felt a surge of anger. He then looked at the palace maid's pretty face and her large, fearful eyes.

Lu Qiang sneered, "Such a beautiful woman, ruined like this, what a pity!"

Then Lü Qiang waved his hand, and a young eunuch behind him understood, took a dagger, and walked towards the palace maid.

Upon approaching, the young eunuch picked up a dagger and pressed it against the palace maid's cheek. Feeling the chilling sharpness of the dagger, the palace maid turned pale with fright, and the fear in her eyes deepened considerably.

Lu Qiang also keenly noticed that the palace maid who was tied up in the middle seemed to have a change in expression.

Lu Qiang immediately shouted coldly, "Will you talk or not?"

The palace maid trembled at Lü Qiang's sudden shout, her lips shaking slightly. But thinking of the consequences of betraying those people, she closed her eyes and gritted her teeth.

"You're really stubborn!"

Lu Qiang narrowed his eyes and looked at the young eunuch. "Make your move!"

Upon hearing this, the eunuch exerted a slight force on his wrist, and the dagger slid slowly, causing a streak of blood to seep from the palace maid's cheek.

"don't want!!"

"stop!"

Just then, the palace maid who was tied in the middle suddenly shouted "No!" and Lü Qiang immediately stopped the little eunuch's actions.

Lü Qiang chuckled lightly, then looked at the palace maid in the middle, "What? Are you going to say something?"

Upon hearing this, the palace maid nodded weakly.

Upon seeing this, the palace maid who had just been tortured immediately cried out, "Sister, no! If they find out we betrayed them, our parents, brothers, and sisters will all be doomed. I'm only seven years old. If they sell me to a brothel, I'll be worse off than dead!"

Lu Qiang glared at the palace maid. "Hmph, shut up! Do you think they'll let your family go just because you don't talk? Once they find out you've been arrested, the first thing they'll do is silence you!"

Lu Qiang then continued, "If your answer satisfies me, perhaps I can step in and help you rescue your family members!"

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