Zheng Shi covered her lips and laughed lightly, saying sarcastically: “Listen to that – the former Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace who never believed in ghosts and spirits is now trying to frighten people with ghosts and gods. How truly ridiculous!”

Zheng Shi paid no attention to Li Jiancheng’s extremely ugly expression, saying word by word: “Li Jiancheng, if you come back as a vengeful ghost, I’ll make you vanish into smoke and dust, unable to even become a ghost!”

Over these ten years, Li Jiancheng’s actions had already made Zheng Shi completely cold-hearted. At this moment, she only felt hatred toward Li Jiancheng, no longer holding even half a trace of affection!

As Zheng Shi was about to leave the prison cell, Li Jiancheng’s humble voice came from behind: “I beg you, spare them, mother and sons!”

Zheng Shi turned back, her face full of mockery: “What’s this? The always high and mighty Li Jiancheng, who never valued others’ lives, actually has times when he’ll humble himself and beg?”

Li Jiancheng tightly clenched his fists, lowering his head: “Consider all the past matters as me wronging you. Now Jirong and her sons are already imprisoned. Please show mercy and spare them a way to live!”

Zheng Shi stared at him for a moment, then suddenly began laughing, laughing continuously until tears came out, only then stopping. She raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corner of her eyes: “I’ll ask you one question. If you can satisfy me with your answer, I’ll spare Jirong and her sons.”

“Speak!” Apart from these two words, Li Jiancheng had no other choice.

“If today it were me begging you to spare me and my two children, would you agree?”

“I would!” Before the words had finished, Zheng Shi was already saying coldly: “You wouldn’t! You would only watch me die, watch Chengdao and the others die, while you – wouldn’t shed a single tear!” Dropping these words, she turned and left, allowing the guard to lock the door behind her!

Li Jiancheng couldn’t chase after her, only able to grab the bars and say anxiously: “I’ve already answered your question. You said you would spare Rong’er and her sons!”

The words “Rong’er” made Zheng Shi’s eyes twitch. In ten years of marriage, Li Jiancheng had never called her so intimately. Every time, his tenderness, his compassion, were all for another woman – a woman of low birth!

Zheng Shi stopped walking but didn’t turn back: “You did answer, but I said only if I was satisfied would I spare Jirong and her sons. Now… I’m very unsatisfied!”

Hearing this, Li Jiancheng finally understood that he had been played by Zheng Shi. Disregarding his chest wound, he forcefully struck the bars: “Slut! Come back here, slut!”

No matter how Li Jiancheng roared and shouted, Zheng Shi just left without looking back. From this moment on, Li Jiancheng and she, Zheng Guanyin, would have no more relationship!

Zheng Shi didn’t go to the cell where Jirong was imprisoned, but directly returned to Tranquil Garden. Although this place wasn’t as large as the Eastern Palace, it was quite elegant. Apart from moving out of the Eastern Palace and losing the title of Crown Princess, everything was the same as before. The provisions for Tranquil Garden – Li Shimin had ordered people to deliver them according to a Crown Princess’s allowance, which was actually better than before. As for Chengdao and Ying’er, they had also been brought here.

“Madam, Guard Duan has brought Jirong and her two sons.” Liuye’s words awakened Zheng Shi from her contemplation. She said coldly: “Bring Jirong in.”

Soon, Jirong, stripped of her luxurious clothes and jewelry, was brought in. Jinxiang said coldly: “Kneel down!”

Jirong completely ignored her words. Even though she had fallen into misfortune today, no longer the noble and favored consort of the Eastern Palace, she still wasn’t someone a mere servant girl could order around.

Seeing her ignore her words, Jinxiang frowned and intensified her tone: “In Madam’s presence, won’t you kneel down?!”

Zheng Shi raised her hand: “Forget it. If she doesn’t want to kneel, let her be. Before long, she’ll be begging to kneel.” Saying this, she stood up and walked in front of Jirong, who was wearing prison clothes. The back of her hand caressed Jirong’s haggard cheek as she said with a half-smile: “Only a few days, and this skin is already so rough it’s prickly. Tell me, if His Highness were to touch your face now, would he still dote on you as before?”

Jirong sneered: “I don’t know if His Highness would dote on me, but there’s one thing I’m very clear about – His Highness would never dote on you, this poisonous woman!”

Her words made Zheng Shi’s expression turn cold, but she quickly recovered her smile: “How rare – even at this point, still so sharp-tongued. Do you know what the most wrong thing I’ve done in my lifetime is?”

Meeting her cold gaze, Jirong said: “Letting me accompany His Highness to Hedong, right?”

“Correct. The first time I saw you, I knew you had intentions toward His Highness. But I didn’t mind – with your background, wanting to climb high branches and transform from sparrow to phoenix wasn’t unusual. But I truly didn’t expect you to have such methods, completely bewitching His Highness. For nearly ten years, I’ve been completely suppressed by you, not even having the slightest chance to turn things around. If this had continued, before long, you might truly have been able to completely replace me and become the Empress who mothers the nation. What a pity, truly a pity. Perhaps this is what they call the wheel of fortune turning – thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river.”

“It’s not a pity, it’s hateful. You’re His Highness’s wife, yet you helped the Prince of Qin to harm His Highness. Zheng Guanyin, you deserve to die!” Before the words finished, her left cheek felt intense pain – Zheng Shi had actually used her long, sharp nails to carve two bloody gashes on her face! For a moment, half of Jirong’s face was covered in blood!

Zheng Shi calmly took the handkerchief that Jinxiang handed her and wiped the blood from her nails: “Forgot to tell you – I hate sharp-tongued people the most!”

Jirong’s whole body trembled with pain. Since marrying Li Jiancheng, she had never suffered such agony. Zheng Guanyin – she was simply a madwoman!

Zheng Shi seemed to see her thoughts and laughed lightly: “You’re cursing me as a madwoman, right? Correct, I am a madwoman – driven mad by you and Li Jiancheng!” The last sentence was spoken through gritted teeth, sinister as if crawling up from underground.

Jirong endured the severe pain in her cheek and stared at Zheng Shi: “What exactly do you want?”

“What do I want…” Zheng Shi caressed the uninjured half of Jirong’s cheek. The latter’s heart jumped with fear, afraid she would carve two more gashes like before. But this time, Zheng Shi didn’t do so, quickly withdrawing her hand and whispering in her ear: “Naturally, to get back all the pain you previously inflicted on me, piece by piece!”

After saying this, Zheng Shi straightened up and said coldly: “Bring in her two sons.”

Soon, Li Chengzong and the three-year-old Li Chengde were brought in. The latter appeared very frightened, his small body shrinking beside Li Chengzong, who was also just a half-grown child.

“What are you going to do?” Li Chengzong’s speech was slow and stiff, not as fluent as normal people, because he had been deaf in both ears since childhood, unable to hear sounds. He had learned to speak through breathing techniques taught by lip-reading tutors. Being able to communicate normally with people was already very difficult.