Song Ming glanced at him suspiciously, thinking, "Is he just letting him in so easily? Is this guy here just to make his presence known?"
Jian Shijie was certainly not. He was here to confirm. He looked at the long line of prisoners behind, his brows furrowed into a tight knot.
He had actually managed to find out. He really wanted to take the people away directly, but he had to have the capability for that.
The Dali Temple was now Gu Yanchen's stronghold. Those who had originally defected to him had gradually distanced themselves from him after the first show of force failed. Not to mention, Gu Yanchen had now become Prince Rui.
The Emperor's favoritism towards him was undisguised. The fence-sitters in the Dali Temple were practically ready to switch allegiance. Let alone causing trouble for Gu Yanchen, he was finding himself restricted everywhere in the Dali Temple lately. Forget about snatching people; he could only honestly wait to witness Gu Yanchen's glory.
And he'd also be dragged down a peg.
Song Ming directly escorted the prisoners to the imperial prison.
Upon receiving the news, Gu Yanchen and Meng Changdong quickly arrived. Gu Yanchen patted Song Ming on the shoulder, "Well done. Any news about the forged silver?"
"We searched the entire courtyard and only found some items belonging to the Meng Mansion."
"It's fine. We'll follow the clues; we'll find it," Gu Yanchen said, looking at the long string of clues with a good mood. With so many people, he didn't believe there wasn't a single person among them who knew anything.
Gu Yanchen had a chair brought over, brewed some tea, and after moistening his throat, had the group separated and locked up. Several interrogation rooms started working simultaneously, employing various methods, and various sounds instantly filled the prison.
Gu Yanchen was interrogating the Fourth Concubine.
Mao Pengyi leaned over, "Boss, a woman's heart is the most venomous. You can't underestimate this woman."
"Nonsense, could an ordinary woman conspire with others to exterminate her husband's entire family?"
The woman bound on the rack heard this and sneered. Because her mouth was stuffed, only the mocking curve of her lips was visible.
Mao Pengyi, considering himself a righteous and upright man who couldn't bring himself to lay hands on a woman, pushed the problem onto Gu Yanchen, "Boss, should we use torture?"
"Why are we jumping straight to violence? It makes our Dali Temple seem so barbaric. Just watch carefully; I'll have a chat with this lady."
"Alright." He removed the cloth from the Fourth Concubine's mouth. Due to the muscle relaxant, there was no need to worry about her biting her tongue to commit suicide.
The sky outside the small skylight had already darkened. Someone took a fire starter and lit a lamp. The candle holders in the corners of the small room were lit one by one, illuminating the room that had little light even during the day.
It illuminated faces that, though aged, still held their charm.
Lu Nianfu, tied to a pillar, her pupils contracted, and she couldn't come back to her senses for a long time. Hua Qian Yue, Rong Si Liang, Liu Ru Mei – each had been exceptionally beautiful in their prime. It was a pity that time defeated beauty, and they couldn't keep up with the younger generation and could only eke out an existence in the Ling Yan Pavilion, with their clientele declining drastically.
Lu Nianfu looked around. Even this torture chamber was exactly like the Ling Yan Pavilion in her previous life.
Was she dreaming? Otherwise, why would she have come to the brothel she had fallen into in her past life, and why would she see people she thought she would never interact with again in this lifetime?
"Oh, she really is a beauty. Look at those lively eyes," Hua Qian Yue leaned closer, scrutinizing her face.
Only then did Lu Nianfu realize she was tied to a pillar, with Feng Xin Yao also tied beside her. At this moment, she was completely weak, likely having been dosed with the muscle relaxant.
Rong Si Liang looked at Feng Xin Yao, "This one won't do. Her skin is too dark."
Liu Ru Mei walked a few steps with a graceful sway and chuckled, "Sister Rong's eyesight has deteriorated. Look at this young girl's features; as long as her skin is taken care of, she'll be a great beauty."
Hearing this, Rong Si Liang looked closer, "Even if she's made fairer, she won't compare to the one in front. Tsk, it's been a long time since our Ling Yan Pavilion has had such good merchandise. Where did Madam Jin find her?"
"Probably bought from some rural place. Look at the clothes they're wearing; the fabric is so rough."
"What's there to fear about poor fabric? Expensive fabric is the real trouble. It's possible she's a lady from a prominent family who was framed. Our Ling Yan Pavilion can't afford such a disturbance."