"King Ji, I thought you had some great ability to make me confess. Turns out all you do is torture me with a duck feather, ha ha..."
The man said, laughing, showing disdain for King Ji's claims of torture.
"You better save your laughter for now. I fear you won't be able to bear it later," King Ji said meaningfully.
"King Ji, torturing me with a duck feather is an insult," the man said, amused.
Soon, Shang Dong returned with a duck feather.
"Shang Dong, tie him to that chair, remove his shoes and socks, then stimulate his laughter points. After that, gently tickle the soles of his feet with the duck feather," King Ji commanded.
As soon as the words fell, Shang Dong understood King Ji's intention. So this was how His Highness planned to do it. This tactic was truly brilliant!
Immediately, Shang Dong and his two subordinates quickly tied the man up. Then, the three of them pinched their noses shut, removed the man's shoes and socks, and stimulated his laughter points. He immediately burst into laughter. Then, Shang Dong, holding the duck feather, gently tickled the soles of the man's feet.
The man's laughter soon filled the entire study. He continued to laugh uncontrollably, laughing for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, tears streaming down his face from laughter until he could no longer bear it.
At this moment, he finally understood the brilliance of King Ji's duck feather torture. It didn't require harsh interrogation or a waste of breath asking questions. He just had to wait until the man couldn't stand it anymore to confess.
"Who sent you? Tell us, and we'll stop," Shang Dong tempted him.
"I'll tell you, I'll tell you! Please, stop tickling me and release my laughter points," the man said, crying as he laughed.
"Your Highness, he's willing to speak."
Shang Dong turned to King Ji, who was examining documents, and said.
"Mm, then you may release his laughter points," King Ji said calmly.
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Shang Dong responded. He immediately stopped his actions, released the man's laughter points, and the man ceased his laughter, slumping onto the chair, utterly spent.
Shang Dong used the hilt of his sword to lift the man's chin and asked, "Speak quickly, who ordered you to spy on our King Ji's manor?"
"Yes, Concubine Rou ordered me to monitor people entering and exiting King Ji's manor near the entrance. I had three other people carrying out this task with me, and they were stationed at the other three entrances to the manor," the man confessed truthfully.
"Is that all Concubine Rou asked you to do?" King Ji asked incredulously. He knew that woman, Wen Yue Rou, would never do something so meaningless. She definitely had other motives.
As soon as the words fell, the man nodded vigorously.
"Shang Dong, since he's not telling the truth, continue the torture," King Ji threatened.
"No, no, no, King Ji, I'll tell you, Concubine Rou asked us to find an opportunity to sneak into King Ji's manor and... and... to kill King Ji's two children." The man stammered.
"What did you say? Concubine Rou actually wants to harm my two children who are only three months old? What a wicked woman," King Ji said in fury.
"Shang Dong, arrest him and those who were watching the manor entrances, and then kill them all," King Ji said with a somber expression.
"Yes, your subordinate will attend to it immediately!" Shang Dong replied respectfully with his two subordinates.
Then, they turned and escorted the man out of the study.
When King Ji was alone in the study, he thought to himself: Wen Yue Rou, since you are so wicked and dare to lay hands on my newborn children, I will never forgive you.
***
The next morning, Jun Mohan and Leng Ruo Li arrived at King Ji's manor again.
King Ji had also been waiting in his study for them to arrive to discuss matters.
"I wonder if King Leng and Consort Leng have come up with a countermeasure last night?" King Ji asked anxiously.
Hearing this, Leng Ruo Li nodded gently.
"King Ji, I need you to help me obtain some blood from Concubine Rou and bring it to me. I have a great use for it," Leng Ruo Li said seriously.
"Concubine Rou's blood? Her blood is truly hard to obtain. Consort Leng, is her blood absolutely necessary?" King Ji asked with a slight frown.
"Yes, I need to use her blood to determine if she has been poisoned by that particular toxin. Then, I can research the antidote that will 'reveal Concubine Rou's true colors' and secretly make her ingest it," Leng Ruo Li explained concisely and clearly.
"Alright, I will find a way to obtain that woman's blood," King Ji replied after a few seconds of thought.
He would need to rack his brain to get Wen Yue Rou's blood.
"If King Ji obtains Concubine Rou's blood, please have someone deliver it to Yun Lai Inn," Leng Ruo Li said calmly.
Afterward, Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mohan briefed King Ji on their plan before the couple left King Ji's manor.
This morning, they had not asked Yin Chen and the others to accompany them. Now, the couple could leisurely stroll through the bustling streets.
"Jun Mohan, we haven't had breakfast yet. How about we go buy two bowls of wontons over there?" Leng Ruo Li suggested, looking at a small wonton stall not far away.
They hadn't even eaten breakfast when they left this morning. After finishing their business at King Ji's manor, although King Ji had asked if they needed breakfast, they had immediately refused.
This was because they didn't want to trouble King Ji and his consort, and only wanted King Ji to enter the palace as soon as possible to obtain Concubine Rou's blood.
Leng Ruo Li guessed that King Ji would have to use a honey trap to get Concubine Rou's blood this time.
Then, the two walked to the wonton stall, each ordered a bowl of wontons, and slowly began to eat.
"Mmm, delicious. I didn't expect such delicious wontons from a street stall like this," Leng Ruo Li praised while eating.
"Luo'er, since you like it so much, let's come to this stall for wontons again tomorrow," Jun Mohan said with a smile.
At this moment, just as they put down their chopsticks, a little girl in dirty clothes suddenly hugged Leng Ruo Li's arm.
Leng Ruo Li immediately turned around and looked at the little girl. It was Xiao Yu.
"Sister, please save me. I don't want to be sold to a brothel," Xiao Yu pleaded, hugging her arm.
"Xiao Yu, what's wrong? How did you get yourself into this state?" Leng Ruo Li asked with a face full of confusion.
"Sister, after you left the night before last, not long after, my mother coughed up blood and died. However, my mother's body hasn't even been buried properly yet, and my grandmother is already selling me to a brothel. I struggled greatly to escape the brothel, but the madam still found me. She sent her thugs to chase me back," Xiao Yu said, pointing to several burly men who were about to catch up to her.
Immediately, Leng Ruo Li also turned around and glanced at the burly men.