As the Commander of the Imperial Guard, Wang Feifei’s strength was extraordinary. Her Long Saber danced in her hands with flair, whistling with every swing.
However, the people on Chen Daorong’s side were unexpectedly strong as well. Six of them surrounded Wang Feifei, launching attacks, and surprisingly managed to hold their own. It made one wonder where Chen Daorong had found such skilled fighters.
Sweeping her gaze over the scene, Di Lingwei said calmly, “Imperial Uncle, did you think you could escape? Do you think you can leave in my presence?”
Hearing Di Lingwei’s voice, Chen Daorong turned around, his expression unsightly.
All the rumors about Di Lingwei flashed through his mind. The might of the Heavenly Mandate Empress made every step she took feel like a mountain tilting before it crumbles.
Not only was Chen Daorong under immense pressure, but his men were as well. They frequently glanced toward Di Lingwei while clashing with Wang Feifei.
The might of the Heavenly Mandate Empress was deeply ingrained in everyone’s heart.
Di Lingwei also looked at these people. “Do you still want to continue this fight? Do you dare to defy me to my face?”
Hearing Di Lingwei say this, the six men grew restless. Wang Feifei seized the opportunity to launch a fierce assault, and for a moment, the six couldn’t even suppress her alone, forced into disarray.
Seeing this, Di Lingwei put her hands behind her back, her expression solemn. A sense of majesty radiated from her naturally. “My patience is limited. Kneel immediately and confess everything you know. I can decide to spare your lives. Otherwise, you will all be Drawn and Quartered.”
The six men’s faces turned green.
Drawn and Quartered was a very famous punishment. A person would experience immense despair before dying in intense agony. It was a penalty that made one’s hair stand on end just hearing it.
On one side was survival. On the other, being Drawn and Quartered. How should they choose?
Immediately, one man threw down his blade and left the fray, kneeling before Di Lingwei. “I surrender! I’m willing to surrender!”
In these situations, the first surrender leads to more. In the blink of an eye, the others had discarded their weapons and knelt.
Seeing this, Chen Daorong’s face couldn’t help but turn pale. These six were skilled fighters he had found and recruited from various places over a long time, providing them with good food and drink to protect him. Yet at this critical moment, they had surrendered just like that.
But seeing Di Lingwei standing there, Chen Daorong felt inexplicably that their surrender was understandable. After all, this was the Heavenly Mandate Empress!
As Chen Daorong’s men surrendered, the Imperial Guards surged forward and seized him, forcing him to his knees before Di Lingwei. Chen Daorong himself had no combat ability.
“Imperial Uncle Chen.” Di Lingwei looked down at him from a height and asked unhurriedly, “Do you have anything else to say? If you have something to say, speak now. Otherwise, you might not get another chance to see me.”
Chen Daorong had accepted his fate by this point and was oddly unafraid of Di Lingwei. He sneered, “Di Lingwei, oh Di Lingwei, did you think catching me would end this? You’ve only caught me, not my son yet. My son will surely avenge me!”
It was apparent that he knew his crime deserved death.
In fact, when Di Lingwei had summoned him to the Imperial Palace for questioning some time ago, he had known that many things he’d done were exposed to her. She just likely lacked evidence. He knew she wouldn’t act without it.
But later, Mu Fuwan secretly investigated, eventually finding evidence that made him nervous. Once that evidence reached Di Lingwei, he would be finished.
So when he discovered Mu Fuwan, he used some special assistance to subdue Mu Fuwan and her people.
If he had known Di Lingwei would personally storm his mansion so quickly, he would have disposed of Mu Fuwan and the others immediately. But he hadn’t anticipated such a thing. He had wanted to extract information from them first, so he’d only imprisoned them and hadn’t acted yet. As a result, it was now too late.
At this moment, only his son, who was already far away, could give him peace of mind. Regarding the matter of raising troops, he had handed it over to his son, Chen Yuanbao, and his nephew, Chen Hongming. He had merely provided the funds. He didn’t even know the location of the troops himself.
“Avenge you?” Di Lingwei paid no mind to this.
Under Wang Feifei’s protection, she had become much more at ease about her own safety.
“Don’t think you’re so safe. There are too many people who want to kill you, maybe even right beside you. No matter how invincible your martial arts are, there will be a single slip in a thousand precautions. You will die sooner or later,” Chen Daorong said through gritted teeth.
Such words were not the first time Di Lingwei had heard them, and she still paid them no mind.
“Is that all you wanted to say, Imperial Uncle? If that’s all, I’ve heard enough.” Di Lingwei ordered the Imperial Guards, “Escort him to the Ministry of Justice for processing.”
“As you command, Your Majesty.”
The Imperial Guards responded in unison.
Dealing with Chen Daorong didn’t cause any waves. After all, the difference in strength was vast. Next, Di Lingwei just had to wait.
First, for the Ministry of Justice to extract information from Chen Daorong.
Second, for Mu Fuwan to wake up.
Before that, Di Lingwei returned to the palace.
…
After returning to her bedchamber, Di Lingwei glanced at Wang Feifei, who seemed somewhat uneasy, and said, “Don’t worry about Little Wan. The Imperial Physician said she just needs to rest well and will wake up by tomorrow at the latest.”
Wang Feifei came back to her senses and replied, “Feifei isn’t thinking about that. In her heart, she is a little curious. How did Your Majesty know where Little Wan was being held?”
It wasn’t just Wang Feifei who was curious; everyone undoubtedly was.
To this, Di Lingwei said with her usual expression, “It’s nothing special, just a mental calculation.”
She spoke very vaguely.
But it was precisely this vague answer that made Wang Feifei show an expression of sudden understanding.
As expected of Your Majesty, her unparalleled wisdom is not just empty words. She must have deduced the answer from countless subtle details. Feifei has been by Your Majesty’s side the entire time and couldn’t pick up on any of that information. The gap between us is too vast.
Wang Feifei thought this, her admiration for Di Lingwei immense.
Sitting down on a chair in the bedchamber, Di Lingwei asked Wang Feifei, “When I saw you throwing pebbles as hidden weapons at the Imperial Uncle’s mansion earlier, I remembered there was something I forgot to ask you. Did you storm the execution grounds that day?”
Wang Feifei knew what incident Di Lingwei was referring to. She nodded her head, then said shyly and nervously, “Feifei knows she was wrong.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not blaming you. I’m just curious about one thing.” Di Lingwei pondered how to broach the subject.
