“We only caught that accomplice. The female assassin hasn’t been found yet.” Before Li Shimin finished speaking, Li Xuanba was already urging, “Second Brother, let’s go in quickly. In the entire mansion, only this ice cellar remains unsearched. In my opinion, she must be hiding here.”

Li Shimin nodded, signaling for Yunyi to leave. After she departed, he entered with Li Xuanba and the others. As soon as they stepped in, they felt the temperature drop sharply, with cold penetrating through their autumn clothes. The ice cellar was pitch black. Duan Zhihong had come prepared and took out a fire starter. By the weak light of the fire starter, they could see enormous ice blocks piled along the walls, constantly emanating cold air.

After walking a few steps, a guard exclaimed, “Look, there are clothes here.”

Li Xuanba reacted fastest, quickly stepping forward to pick up the clothes scattered on the ground. After sniffing them, he said, “There’s a heavy smell of blood on them. They must have been left by that assassin. They were indeed hiding here.” With a sinister smile, he said, “Search! We must find her!”

The guards searched everywhere as ordered, not even missing the spaces between ice blocks. However, aside from those clothes and a medicine-grinding jar, there were no other discoveries!

Li Xuanba said hatefully, “Damn it, she escaped again!”

Li Shimin felt something was off about the whole situation, but couldn’t put his finger on it for the moment. He could only have people collect everything and then retreat from the ice cellar.

Li Xuanba said unwillingly, “She’s injured and can’t have gone far. She must be hiding nearby. Come, immediately search with me!”

Despite Li Shimin’s attempts to stop him, he searched the surrounding area thoroughly. Unfortunately, he still couldn’t find the assassin, which made him furious. He said angrily, “To let her escape from under our noses three times – how frustrating! I refuse to accept this. Even if I have to dig three feet into the ground, I will find her!”

After Li Xuanba and the others left, Li Shimin said to Duan Zhihong, “Come, let’s go to the dungeon.”

When they arrived at the dungeon, Li Jiancheng happened to be there as well. However, he appeared to be in a very bad mood. Li Shimin walked over and said, “Why did Elder Brother come here?”

Li Jiancheng said in a deep voice, “I heard this little thief keeps refusing to talk, so I came to see. I didn’t expect his mouth to be truly stubborn – he’s endured so much torture yet still won’t speak.”

Shen Moping was half-suspended in the air, covered in wounds, looking like he had only one breath left. Li Jiancheng took a breath and said, “How did things go on your end?”

Li Shimin reported truthfully, “We found their hiding place – in the ice cellar. However… the female assassin had already escaped one step ahead. Third Brother is currently searching.”

Li Jiancheng slammed his hand on the armrest hatefully and said through gritted teeth, “Ice cellar! No wonder we couldn’t find them anywhere. They really thought of everything!” Saying this, he looked at Shen Moping suspended in mid-air with an unpredictable expression, then suddenly smiled coldly and called over a servant, whispering a few words in his ear.

The servant bowed and left. After a while, he returned carrying a jar and said, “Elder Young Master, this is the jar-braised shredded chicken and bird’s nest soup just prepared in the kitchen. Please see if it suits your needs.”

Li Jiancheng glanced at it and said, “Put him down.”

The servants quickly followed his order and lowered Shen Moping. As soon as he touched the ground, he collapsed, lacking even the strength to stand.

Li Jiancheng took the jar of shredded chicken and bird’s nest soup and said coldly, “All of you withdraw. Second Young Master and I are sufficient here.”

After the servants withdrew from the dungeon as ordered, he crouched in front of Shen Moping. As the lid was lifted, a fragrant aroma filled the cold dungeon, causing Shen Moping to struggle to raise his head and look at the jar of bird’s nest soup with intense longing, constantly licking his cracked lips.

“Want to eat it?” Li Jiancheng said softly, “As long as you tell me where that female assassin is hiding and who sent you, this jar is yours. Moreover, you can eat as much as you want.”

Shen Moping looked at him with longing and said hoarsely, “Really?”

Seeing his interest, Li Jiancheng was delighted and said, “Of course. Not only can you eat your fill, but I can even spare you the death penalty and let you leave the Governor’s mansion.” This was naturally false – Shen Moping, having attempted to assassinate Li Yuan, could never leave the Governor’s mansion alive.

Shen Moping stared fixedly at the jar of bird’s nest soup. After a long time, he seemed to make up his mind and said tremblingly, “Fine, I’ll tell you. But I’m too hungry to have strength. You… you must let me drink the bird’s nest soup first.”

“Good!” As soon as Li Jiancheng agreed, Shen Moping immediately used all his strength to grab the jar of bird’s nest soup, drinking it in large gulps without caring about the heat. He had been hungry for too long. Only after drinking it completely did he reluctantly put down the jar, his cheeks bulging, obviously still holding a mouthful of bird’s nest soup.

“You’ve eaten your fill, so you can…” Li Jiancheng had only spoken halfway when he was suddenly spat upon in the face, with some even spraying into his mouth.

Over there, Shen Moping sneered, “Li Jiancheng, do you think I would believe your dog words? Release me? Hmph, I’ve said it before – if you have the guts, kill me. If you want to extract information from my mouth, go have your pipe dreams!”

Before he finished speaking, fists were already raining down heavily on him, accompanied by Li Jiancheng’s furious voice, “Lowly thing, you actually dare to trick me! It seems I’ve been too polite to you!”

Li Jiancheng cursed while beating Shen Moping mercilessly. In his twenty-odd years of life, this was the first time he had been played like this. And… just thinking about the bird’s nest soup that had sprayed into his mouth earlier made him feel sick!

Fist after fist landed on Shen Moping’s body. The bird’s nest soup he had just swallowed was long since beaten out of him. Amid muffled groans, dark red blood seeped from Shen Moping’s nose and mouth. Yet he maintained a mocking smile at the corner of his mouth, which undoubtedly made Li Jiancheng even angrier, continuously increasing his force, wishing he could beat this person to death.

Seeing the situation was wrong, Li Shimin stepped forward and forcefully restrained him, saying, “Elder Brother, stop beating him. Before we capture that female assassin, he cannot die yet!”

Li Jiancheng stared at Li Shimin intently. After a long time, he reluctantly loosened his grip and said breathlessly, “Then what do you suggest we do?!”

Shen Moping spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and said with difficulty, “Dead cripple, are you already out of strength from beating? This young master is just getting comfortable!”

“You!” Li Jiancheng flew into a rage. Ever since his leg problem developed, he would get angry even when people looked at him twice, let alone being called a cripple to his face. If Li Shimin hadn’t stopped him, he would have beaten this dog slave to death. He said through gritted teeth, “I will make you regret being born human!”

Li Shimin crouched down and said slowly, “Shen Moping, I know that when you and Shen Yunyi entered the mansion, you called each other siblings. Now you’re protecting her so desperately, risking your life – it seems you have deep feelings for each other. But now that you’re both trapped in the Governor’s mansion, even if you don’t speak, she will be captured sooner or later. Why make things so difficult for yourself?”