Your Highness, your wife has had her virginity mark applied and married someone else.

Shen Mingshu subconsciously took a step back, and the next moment, she was forced to kneel down by the soldiers.

Seeing the handkerchief that Wei Ziye had not destroyed, Shen Mingshu belatedly realized that this trip was not for her body at all!

Wei Ziye's goal was to exchange her for Shen Yangjue from Lu Yanzhi!

That really took a lot of painstaking effort!

Shen Mingshu's eyes trembled slightly, and she couldn't quite describe her feelings.

It seems that her life is forever being led by others.

Despite her painstaking efforts and many twists and turns, she ultimately gained nothing.

It truly lived up to Wei Ziye's words—as long as he is around, Shen Mingshu will never have a chance to turn things around!

Shen Mingshu lowered her head and smiled bitterly.

"You've really gone to great lengths, Wei Ziye, setting up such a huge scheme just to save Shen Yangjue?"

The handkerchief in Wei Ziye's hand was respectfully taken away by the soldiers, and he looked down at Shen Mingshu expressionlessly.

"He premeditatedly murdered someone three years ago, and injured someone with a weapon three years later."

"Shen Mingshu, do you plead guilty?"

Shen Mingshu: "I acknowledge you as my grandfather."

Wei Zishi frowned: "What?"

Shen Mingshu glared at him and roared, "I'll acknowledge you as my uncle! Wei Ziye! You idiot! If you want to arrest me, just do it openly! You've been pretending to be so convincing the whole way, are you fucking crazy—uh!"

Shen Mingshu's head was forcefully pressed to the ground by the soldiers, making a loud thud.

"Behave yourself!"

Shen Mingshu was dizzy from the impact, and her tense shoulders and neck suddenly relaxed. She simply stopped moving, and all that remained in her body was a deep sense of exhaustion and disappointment.

Wei Ziye hates her, why does she always forget that?

Ha, she really doesn't learn her lesson. She always fantasizes that he will feel even a little bit sorry for her.

Even if it's just a tiny bit.

Seeing the soldiers' rudeness, Wei Ziye turned cold and was about to say something when Liu Yi suddenly shouted.

"No! Ah! She actually has the same pulse as the fifth girl!"

Shen Mingshu suddenly opened her eyes again—there was definitely a problem!

Wei Zishi was puzzled: "What do you mean?"

Liu Yi's expression was grave. "She lost too much blood, but it stopped unusually easily, just like the Fifth Miss's massive hemorrhage. Moreover, after the bleeding stopped, her pulse was similar, it was just like—"

Liu Yi paused, racking her brains but unable to find the key to this phenomenon. Finally, she silently looked at Shen Mingshu, who was being pressed to the ground.

But this time, Shen Mingshu wouldn't reply to him.

Wei Ziqing was silent for a moment and ordered: "Let go."

The officers and soldiers obeyed the order and released Shen Mingshu.

"Ugh—"

The pressure came suddenly, and the release was equally sudden; Shen Mingshu's left shoulder bone made a cracking sound.

She was in so much pain that she knelt on the spot and didn't recover for a long time.

Wei Ziye stepped forward and lifted her face. Seeing that her eyes were closed and she was enduring pain between her delicate brows, he frowned and examined her bones.

Sensing the loosening of control, he gave the soldier a cold look.

"Go and receive thirty lashes!"

Thirty strokes of the military rod would either cripple a person or bankrupt them by offering gifts and medical treatment.

The soldiers hadn't expected Shen Mingshu to be so fragile, and they immediately knelt down and begged for mercy.

"Your Highness, spare my life! I didn't mean it! I was just doing my duty!"

As the person was dragged away, Shen Mingshu found it amusing and was just about to mock him.

"what!"

With a snap, her left shoulder returned to its original position, and Shen Mingshu's forehead immediately broke out in a fine sweat: "Wei! You! You! You're deliberately seeking revenge, aren't you?!"

Wei Ziye expressionlessly took out the wound medicine and applied it rather gently to the bruise on her forehead.

"You taught me that bone setting requires surprise."

Shen Mingshu: "..."

When Wei Ziye was young, he went to the battlefield once, accompanied by Shen Mingshu.

Shen Mingshu often went to the logistics wounded soldiers' camp to learn skills. The first thing she treated for Wei Ziye was his dislocated finger.

At the time, he didn't care about his injury. He was engrossed in studying military books and was focused on how to fight his way back. No one could persuade him otherwise.

Finally, Shen Mingshu went to him, sat in his lap, kissed him to attract his attention, and quietly put his finger bone back in place.

Wei Ziye remembers that pain and sweetness very well.

Shen Mingshu gritted her teeth in frustration—she was a vengeful wretch herself! How dare she say that about her!

Liu Yi coughed lightly and asked, "Fifth Miss, do you know something?"

Shen Mingshu sneered coldly, "Now that we're here, wouldn't it be better to ask the divine doctor?"

Liu Yi shook his head helplessly: "The divine physician has a rule: if you enter the valley and don't see anyone, it means you won't receive them, so—"

"So even if this plan falls through, we won't waste another one, right?"

Shen Mingshu laughed in exasperation.

Liu Yi sighed: "Fifth Miss, you were indeed impulsive just now, but don't worry, if you can heal the Second Miss, this matter can be dealt with leniently."

"Leniency?" Shen Mingshu looked at the unconscious Shen Yangjue: "If she really dies, I might be willing to plead guilty."

Wei Ziye's icy voice came: "If she dies, this young master wouldn't mind letting you go and serve under the divine physician."

Shen Mingshu: "..."

Shen Mingshu tightened her grip on her fingers: "I can say, but I need to see Lu Yanzhi first!"

So far, Shen Mingshu can only trust him, and since this matter can cause turmoil in the capital, the Lu family will definitely not be able to stay out of it.

"This..." With Lu Yanzhi's arrival, the situation became uncontrollable. Liu Yi hesitated and looked at Wei Ziye.

Wei Ziye snorted coldly, turned around and ordered, "Take the person inside. Tell the divine physician that my gift has been delivered. If they still act coy, the Imperial Guards will be coming next!"

"yes!"

The officers and soldiers pressed Shen Mingshu down again, but this time, they were gentler.

"..."

Liu Yi watched as Shen Mingshu was forced to walk towards the foot of the back mountain. During this time, Shen Mingshu did not utter a word, while Wei Ziye stood with his back to her, completely unmoved.

In this silent contest, it all comes down to who can outstubborn the other.

As they descended the small, dilapidated path, the sunlight was gradually blocked by the dense foliage. Shen Mingshu, her hands bound, was being led deeper and deeper by two constables.

With no way forward in sight, one feels as if they are in a cold cellar, sending a chill down one's spine for no apparent reason.

"My lords," the white-robed Taoist emerged from the miasma, cupping his hands in greeting, "the area ahead is a forbidden zone. Hand the person over to me."

Despite the thick miasma, the white-robed Taoist's face showed no sign of bloodlust.

His ancient eyes were completely still, fixed on Shen Mingshu with a deathly silence.

Shen Mingshu swallowed hard, suppressing her panic as her mind raced.

She has now given in and told Wei Ziye what he wanted to know. She was imprisoned and will wait for Lu Yanzhi to exchange Shen Yangjue for her. Although all her previous efforts have been in vain, at least she can still survive.

If she continues to be stubborn and enters the miasma forest, inhaling the poisonous gas, she will become a lamb to the slaughter in the hands of the divine doctor. She might be able to learn about her physical condition from it, but it would also benefit Wei Ziye.

If Wei Ziye were to use this intelligence to exchange for Shen Yangjue from Lu Yanzhi, she would truly become a wronged ghost!

Rely on!

"I'll say it!"

The moment the pale, ashen hand of the man in white grasped Shen Mingshu's shoulder, Shen Mingshu staggered backward.

"I said! Take me upstairs right now!"

The officers and soldiers also felt the surrounding environment was terrifying. Without even looking at Wei Ziye's expression, they immediately led their men back up the slope.

Shen Mingshu walked quickly, still shaken. During the walk, she secretly glanced back, and that glance almost made her legs go weak!

"Fifth Sister! I'll untie you right away!"

Seeing that Shen Mingshu had finally given in, Liu Yi breathed a huge sigh of relief and immediately stepped forward to untie her ropes himself.

Wei Ziye's trembling hands, hanging by his sides, suddenly relaxed, and his taut back loosened a little.

Turning around, I saw Shen Mingshu looking distracted, her head hanging low, her face pale with fright.

"Fifth Miss, what's wrong?" Liu Yi saw Shen Mingshu standing there dumbfounded and couldn't help but reach out to check her pulse.

"what!"

Shen Mingshu suddenly screamed, startling Liu Yi: "W-what did you see?"