"Don't you dare?" Nan Yi murmured, then sneered, "A lowly concubine, and her brother dares to call himself the Crown Prince's brother-in-law? It's laughable."

She patted Lü Biao's face with the back of her knife and said with a sinister smile, "Tell me, if the Crown Prince knew about Lü Yun's background, and knew that her brother was nothing but a heinous bandit, what do you think would happen to your sister? Would she still be able to see the sun rise the day after tomorrow?"

Greenbiao's pupils contracted sharply, his face turning ashen with fear, but he still knew to protect his only sister. He angrily denied it, "You're talking nonsense. Who's the robber? My sister is an innocent girl. Don't make false accusations."

"I'm talking nonsense. I heard your conversation just now. Green Cloud Village is a den of robbery and plunder. Green Concubine's family has been doing all sorts of dirty work. If this is reported to the Emperor, they will be punished by having their property confiscated and their entire family wiped out."

"No, you can't exterminate nine generations! My wife is innocent. She didn't kill you. Please spare her!" Xiong Er was terrified and begged Nan Yi.

"When you stormed into the Tong family, did you ever think about all the old, weak, women, and children in that courtyard? Didn't they beg you to let them go? Huh?"

Nan Yi glared at the two men with bloodshot eyes and roared angrily, each word dripping with blood, "My youngest nephew, he's only three years old, three years old, how innocent he is, how could you do this to him."

Enraged to the extreme, she plunged her dagger into Xiong Er's body, stabbing him again and again. But as the screams of agony reached her ears, she felt no satisfaction in her revenge, for the Tong family was gone forever, a loss that nothing could ever make up for.

"And your sister, Lüyun, this idea came from her, didn't it? But I don't understand why she asked you to deal with the Tong family. Did the Tong family offend you, or rather, did I offend her?" Nan Yi turned around and questioned Lü Biao.

Green Leopard was quite patient, stubbornly turning his head away and remaining silent. At this point, it was too late to say anything.

Nan Yi scoffed, "Ha, you've got guts. You won't talk, huh? Fine, I'll show you what I'm capable of later."

She lifted Lü Biao's clothes, but Zheng Yong pressed her hand down and pulled her aside, saying seriously, "This is not something you should do. Don't get your hands dirty."

Nan Yi lowered his head, his gaze falling on his hands, and said, "I want to take revenge myself."

"You've already reported it. Leave the rest of the interrogation to me. Don't worry, dismemberment, huh? That's my specialty," Zheng Yong said casually.

Nan looked up, her eyes red.

A hint of pity flashed in Zheng Yong's eyes. He raised his hand and ruffled her hair, then gestured toward the stone house with his mouth, "Go inside and wait. Leave the rest to me."

Nan glanced at the dozen or so people tied to the tree and wanted to stay, but Zheng Yong seemed to have guessed her thoughts and did not agree, saying, "It's too bloody, I don't recommend you watch it."

Nan Yi remembered something, and the words "Ten Cruelest Tortures of the Qing Dynasty" flashed through her mind. She pursed her lips, decisively turned around, and went into the stone house.

So she listened to the bone-chilling wails that lasted until midnight. Even the Green Frogs screamed more and more pitifully. In the end, they were determined to die and confess all the bad things they had done. Only then did Zheng Yong end their lives.

Zheng Yong found a place, dug a large pit in the dark, and buried them on the spot.

Taking it back is not allowed.

The things that Greenbiao and his gang confessed involved the Fourth Prince's residence. If His Majesty knew about it, he might be angry with the Fourth Prince. As the Fourth Prince's concubine, Nan Yi's fate was intertwined with his.

The Fourth Prince has aroused the Emperor's suspicion, and Nan Yi will not fare any better.

This matter cannot be brought to the public eye.

Inside the room, Nan asked Zheng Yong, "What did he confess? Was it because of me?"

She had objected to Fourth Master bringing Green Cloud back and forbade him from taking Green Cloud into his household, but this was something only Fourth Master and she knew, and Green Cloud could not possibly know.

The only thing that could make her hold a grudge was probably the time in Jiangnan when she scolded Lüyun, which made her resentful.

Zheng Yong shook his head, a hint of confusion in his eyes. "It's just a woman's petty jealousy. I don't quite understand. As her master, scolding a servant shouldn't have led her to kill the Tong family. Lü Biao mentioned several times that his sister hated you for getting in her way. What about the Fujin agreeing, but you secretly sabotaging things? What did you do to her?"

He asked Nan Yi in confusion.

Nan Yi remained silent with a sullen face.

Zheng Yong then said, "I have been in the palace for many years, and the most powerful thing I have ever seen and heard is the absurdity of words that can be spread without bloodshed. Because many words are distorted as they are passed on. This Green Cloud hates you very much."

In my experience, holding a grudge against her for once, to the point of wanting to wipe out your entire family, is clearly excessive. She is now a concubine of the Crown Prince; given her status, at most she can cause you some trouble, making you feel uncomfortable while allowing you to vent your anger—that's the limit.

What are you trying to say?

"I've thought of something. Perhaps someone whispered something in her ear that deepened her hatred for you. Also," Zheng Yong was still preoccupied with the previous question, otherwise he couldn't deduce it, "what exactly did you do to her?"

Nan Yi smiled bitterly upon hearing this and frankly admitted, "I did it. I don't like her, and I mentioned to that gentleman in private that he was not allowed to take her as a concubine. But this matter is only known to Fourth Master and me; no outsiders would know..."

Under Zheng Yong's shocked gaze, she lowered her voice and finally shut up completely, realizing that what she had said was outrageous, but Fourth Uncle had agreed.

He said that Green Cloud had another use, but he didn't expect it to be offered to the Crown Prince. This matter concerns the Fourth Master, so she wouldn't be foolish enough to reveal it to Zheng Yong.

Zheng Yong was utterly bewildered. How did Nan Yi come to this? How did she manage to survive in the backyard and persuade the Fourth Prince not to take any other concubines?

Green Cloud had investigated and found that the maidservant that the Fourth Prince brought back from Jiangnan was unexpectedly met by the Crown Prince in private. He fell in love with her at first sight and wanted to serve in the Eastern Palace. She currently has no official rank; to put it nicely, she is a concubine, but in reality, she is just a maidservant in name only.

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