Chapter 407 Female Prisoner
The dishes on the small table gradually dwindled as the couple talked. Meng Lingge had only intended to drink some ginseng soup, but under Wen Zhiming's feeding, she unknowingly ate more.
"Your Majesty, I have had your eunuch Chu bring your meal over. Would you like it brought in now?"
Chunhong gently knocked on the door.
Knowing that the Emperor would stay a while longer at the Empress's place, and since it was noon, they decided to have his meals delivered as well.
"Come in."
When Wen Zhiming saw that Meng Lingge was shaking her head and didn't want to eat anymore, he gently wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, his movements slow and affectionate.
Chunhong followed the order and came in, placing the newly brought-in food on the table and removing the previous bowls and chopsticks.
She worked quickly and efficiently, without looking at Wen Zhiming and Meng Lingge the whole time. After finishing, she quietly slipped out.
Wen Zhiming helped Meng Lingge lie down.
“My wife, you should rest for a while. Once they bring the main culprit, I will go with you to seek justice for our child.”
After saying this, he turned around, sat down, and began to eat.
Just as he picked up his chopsticks, he worried that he would disturb Meng Lingge's rest, so he prepared to move the table to the windowsill.
“No need to move.” Meng Lingge turned to the side. “I can’t sleep right now. Just sit here and I’ll watch you eat.”
Wen Zhiming sat down as instructed, and the two of them, one sitting and one lying down, watched Meng Lingge with deep affection, while Wen Zhiming would occasionally look up and chat with his wife.
The sun was shining brightly outside, but the room was cozy and inviting.
He ate his meal very quickly, probably guessing that the guards were bringing the main criminal to the scene soon and he didn't want to waste any time. He finished eating in less than fifteen minutes and had Chunhong come in to clear away the dishes.
At this moment, a palace maid ran in to report.
"Your Majesty, there are guards outside requesting an audience. They have brought in a female prisoner."
"A female prisoner?" Wen Zhiming asked, slightly surprised.
Jiang Lin had not told him beforehand whether the prisoner was male or female, but he instinctively felt that someone who could harm pregnant women and children could not possibly be a woman.
Moreover, this prisoner previously managed several casinos, and the fact that he was able to escape unscathed despite the vigorous crackdown on gambling dens clearly indicates that he is no ordinary person.
If this person is indeed a woman, then she should not be underestimated.
After a moment's thought, Wen Zhiming instructed, "Let them wait. I will summon them later."
"yes."
"The main culprit is a woman?" Meng Lingge was also somewhat doubtful. "Could it be that they arrested the wrong person?"
As a woman herself, she couldn't believe that any woman would harm an unborn child.
"That should be correct."
I learned from Meng Xixian's woman that the casino manager had come to see Meng Xixian several times last month, and that Meng Xixian originally owed the casino several hundred taels of silver, which he had not paid back at all, but the casino had not bothered him again.
They reached a consensus that, apart from committing such a heinous crime, Meng Xixian was not worth a few hundred taels of silver.
Wen Zhiming sat down on the bed and helped Meng Lingge sit up.
"My lady, I will go to the courtyard to interrogate her later. You can stay in the room. If there is anything you want to say or ask, you can send your maid over to ask. If the prisoner speaks insolently, or if it is necessary to use torture instruments, I will take her to another place for interrogation and come back to tell you after the interrogation is over."
My wife is not fully recovered and should not be subjected to any stimulation.
He wouldn't have brought the prisoner here if he hadn't known that Meng Lingge was so concerned about this matter.
“There’s no need to take her elsewhere.” Meng Lingge’s eyes sparkled. “She’s the one who did the wrong thing, so there’s no reason for me to avoid her. If she speaks rudely, Your Majesty can punish her as you see fit. I have no fear in seeking justice for my son Huaiqian.”
Wen Zhiming gently hugged her and whispered in her ear, "You have to promise me you won't get too excited. If you want to do something, send someone to tell me, but you must control your emotions, okay?"
The imperial physician said that Meng Lingge had suffered severe postpartum hemorrhage and her body was severely weakened. She needed to take good care of herself and avoid any emotional outbursts.
Hearing his gentle voice, Meng Lingge felt a little calmer and reassured him repeatedly before finally coaxing him to leave.
The courtyard of Fengyi Palace was very large. Wen Zhiming specially ordered the guards to escort the prisoner to the stone table closest to Meng Lingge's room.
Chunhong opened a window in advance so that Meng Lingge could hear the sounds outside from inside the room.
Wen Zhiming sat by the stone table, and only after the guards forced the prisoner to kneel down did he turn his gaze to the prisoner's face.
The prisoner had long, flowing hair and a slender figure, and was undoubtedly a woman.
He had a rather heroic appearance and sharp eyes, and even though he was brought here for trial, he showed no fear or panic.
Seeing the doubt in Wen Zhiming's eyes, Jiang Lin leaned close to Wen Zhiming's ear and said, "This woman usually dresses as a man. When I brought her here just now, I accidentally knocked off her hood, which is how I discovered that she is a woman."
No wonder this person can run several casinos; judging from the way she knelt down, she must have some fighting skills.
With his strikingly handsome features, a little dressing up can indeed make him appear somewhat androgynous.
Wen Zhiming pondered for a moment, his indifferent gaze sweeping over the subject before he paid any closer attention.
"Who is kneeling? Why are they plotting to murder the Empress?"
The female prisoner's eyes were bloodshot, and instead of answering, she spat out a loud "Pah!"
"A tyrannical ruler!"
Her eyes were filled with anger, as if Wen Zhiming had a blood feud with her.
After Wen Zhiming ascended the throne, he implemented new policies, executed corrupt officials, and did his utmost in everything. In just a few months, he had transformed the capital.
Whether they were officials in the court or ordinary people, everyone praised it.
This was the first time he had heard the term "tyrant" used to describe a ruler. After a moment of stunned silence, he couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.
"You call me a tyrant? Just because I shut down your casino?"
Casinos are places where chaos easily breeds, harming families and frequently resulting in violence.
To maintain stability in the capital, the cancerous tumor of casinos must be eradicated.
"The casino has made you a fortune, but do you know how many families have been ruined and killed because of your business? How many fights and murders have occurred in your territory every year? It harms your interests while benefiting countless people. In your eyes, is this what it means to be a tyrant?"
The female prisoner didn't answer a word, but continued to grit her teeth and stare at Wen Zhiming, her eyes radiating a wolf-like ferocity, as if she could rush up and tear Wen Zhiming apart the moment the person controlling her let go.
Thinking of Meng Lingge waiting for the results in her room, Wen Zhiming had little patience.
"I will ask you one more time: Who are you? And why did you plot to murder the Empress?"
The female prisoner snorted coldly and turned her head away.
Wen Zhiming's voice turned colder and deeper.
"I do not beat women, except for those who harm my wife and children."
Seeing that the female prisoner still had a cold expression, Wen Zhiming waved, and Jiang Lin loosened his knuckles and moved closer to the female prisoner.
As the oppressive atmosphere intensified, the female prisoner struggled incessantly, her eyes filled with hatred rather than fear.
Her voice was shrill, and she gave a sinister smile.
"Who in the world doesn't know that the Emperor cherishes the Empress and treats her like a precious treasure? You two are a perfect match, and I also have my ideal husband. We could have grown old together in love like you. But you killed my husband and left me all alone."
"You killed my husband, so what's wrong with me harming your wife?"
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