Meng Shuping stared at Wan Shi in shock, "Whoa! I never would've thought! This lady looks so delicate and gentle, yet she pulled something like this. You really can't judge a book by its cover!"
Seeing Wang Jie still had the audacity to bring it up, Wan Shi retorted indignantly, "Who was it that promised me I'd be the only one? And who was it that took a concubine? You broke your vow first, and yet you still have the nerve to blame me?"
Meng Shuping looked at Wang Jie in disbelief, "Seriously? He's pretending to be poor but still got a concubine? So his wife's the only one suffering?"
"It's not that I look down on him, but if you're going to pretend, do it thoroughly. Even in this situation, he still couldn't resist playing the victim. If he doesn't get reported, who will?"
Wang Jie tried hard to ignore Meng Shuping's mockery and said self-righteously, "Who says you can't bear children? If you don't let me take a concubine, do you want my family line to die out?"
Meng Shuping couldn't help but feel speechless, "Does his family have a throne to inherit? With those measly scraps, who'd even want 'em? Could it be that he still wants someone to inherit his embezzled funds?"
"I can't bear children?" Wan Shi retorted without backing down, "I think you're the one who's shooting blanks! I haven't seen the concubine you took give birth to a single son or daughter either!"
She looked Wang Jie up and down disdainfully, "It's not that I look down on you, but take a look at yourself—like a bean sprout—totally useless. Strangers would think I'm torturing you! Others feed you lies to flatter you, and you actually buy it?"
Meng Shuping was shocked, "Wow, is it really that small? He can't even satisfy his own wife, yet he still goes looking for concubines. Isn't he afraid it'll wear down to nothing?"
"Tsk tsk tsk, no wonder his wife stepped out on him. Look, he can't satisfy her in bed and still makes her live a hard life. If she doesn't give him the green hat, who should she give it to? Hahahaha!"
Jiang Cihe looked at Meng Shuping helplessly. Who taught him all this? How does he know so much at such a young age?
Being humiliated by Wan Shi in front of everyone, Wang Jie felt deeply embarrassed. His face flushed red as he stammered, "You... you... what nonsense are you spouting?"
If it weren't for the inappropriate setting, Meng Shuping would have almost burst out laughing, "Hahaha, I told you not to provoke women, not to provoke women. Now you're publicly humiliated, aren't you? If I were him, I'd wanna dig a hole and hide right now!"
"Enough!" Wang Jie's expression was extremely unpleasant, "Who says I'm not capable? Rong... didn't you later give birth to two sons?"
"You mean them?" Wan Shi said lightly, "I forgot to tell you, they're someone else's."
Meng Shuping looked at Wang Jie with some sympathy, "Wow, so he's been raising another man's kids all along?"
Wang Jie was so angry his face turned pale. He sprang up to hit Wan Shi, "You treacherous woman, how dare you deceive me?"
The guards on both sides quickly pressed him down firmly, "Stay down! Don't move!"
Wang Jie almost coughed up blood. He had always thought Wan Shi was under his control, but he never expected that one day she would deceive him like this!
Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do to Wan Shi now. Once he got out, he would make sure she regretted it and was brought to tears!
Wan Shi said righteously, "If I hadn't deceived you, should I have just waited for you to throw me out? Since you can't make me pregnant, I found someone else who could."
Meng Shuping couldn't help but agree inwardly, "Exactly, exactly. You were worried about having no heir? Now isn't it solved? What a great thing—you have sons, so be grateful. As for whose they are, why do you care so much?"
Wang Jie was so angry his hands trembled, "You... you..."
As if worried he wasn't angry enough, Wan Shi added, "Don't worry, even though they're not your biological sons, after you die, they'll still send you off properly!"
Meng Shuping couldn't help but admire, "You know what, gotta hand it to her. Even though this Wang guy is pretty scummy, his wife is pretty considerate. She didn't even make him put in the effort and gave him two sturdy sons. And he still has the nerve to be dissatisfied with her? How does he have the nerve?"
Wang Jie glared angrily at Meng Shuping. If you think she's so virtuous, would you want such a scheming woman?
Being glared at, Meng Shuping was very confused, "Why is he glaring at me? It's not like I gave him the green hat. Why take it out on me?"
Unable to vent his anger on Meng Shuping, Wang Jie could only direct his rage at Wan Shi, "Scheming woman! Do you think just because those two bastards aren't mine, they'll get away with it? Let me tell you, someone else has already given birth to another son for me! Once I divorce you, I'll bring another woman into the house!"
"Oh," Wan Shi laughed lightly, "You're talking about that woman you keep outside, right? Are you sure the child she gave birth to is yours?"
Hearing this, Meng Shuping immediately got excited, "No way! He actually has an outside mistress! Trashy. So trashy! It's no wonder at all that his wife cheated on him and reported him!"
"It's not that I'm criticizing him, but if he can't satisfy one woman, how's he handling three? What, is he trying to prove his virility? Hahaha, too bad he doesn't have it in him."
Wang Jie wavered for a moment at Wan Shi's words but quickly steadied himself. He said with a dark face, "Of course it's mine. Hmph, do you think everyone is as unfaithful as you?"
Meng Shuping couldn't help but undermine him inwardly, "That's not necessarily true. I think what his wife said makes sense. After all, his wife and concubine haven't given him a child in all these years. How is it that the outside mistress gave birth so easily? Calling it a coincidence seems a bit far-fetched, doesn't it?"
Wan Shi burst into laughter. After laughing enough, she said triumphantly, "Don't worry, it's definitely not yours. I had a doctor examine you—you simply can't get anyone pregnant!"
Wang Jie still refused to believe it, "Impossible, you treacherous woman. Do you think I'll believe you just like that?"
Seeing them argue back and forth without any resolution, Meng Shuping felt extremely anxious, "Damn it! Is that outside mistress's child really his or not? I really want to know! Ah, I've got it—why not just summon that outside mistress and ask!"
He immediately looked at Jiang Cihe, "Your Highness, I think those embezzled funds must have been given to his outside mistress. Why don't we have her brought in for questioning?"
Wang Jie's heart sank, but he quickly calmed down. It's fine—they don't know where Rongniang is. Besides, even if they find her, she might not talk.
A clerk nearby looked at Meng Shuping doubtfully. Is that really the case? He felt like this official just wanted to hear the follow-up.
Jiang Cihe curled his lips and agreed, "Alright."
He asked Wang Jie, "Tell us, where does your outside mistress live?"
Wang Jie lowered his head, "I don't know. She ran away after she found out I was arrested!"
He thought that with this answer, they would have no way to deal with him. But as soon as he finished speaking, he heard Wan Shi say, "Your Highness, I know! I can help you bring her in!"
Wang Jie looked up sharply, staring hatefully at Wan Shi, "Scheming woman, how do you know?"
Wan Shi looked at him disdainfully, "Hmph, do you think you hid it well? Let me tell you, I found out within two months!"
Wang Jie was furious, his eyes wide with rage, "Scheming woman! Once I get out, I will definitely divorce you!"
Wan Shi immediately looked at Jiang Cihe, "Your Highness, but I have one request—I hope you can have someone give him a beating!"
He still has the nerve to act tough at a time like this? Does he still think she's afraid of him?
Jiang Cihe said quickly, "Approved!"
Wang Jie's face turned pale, then red, but since he was being held down, there was nothing he could do to Wan Shi. In the end, he could only rage helplessly, "Scheming woman! I hope you suffer!"
Meng Shuping laughed heartily, "Hahaha, what is this called? Guess it's true—a woman's gotta be ruthless to hold her ground?"
Not long after, Wang Jie's outside mistress was brought in. As soon as Meng Shuping saw her, he couldn't help but exclaim, "Tsk tsk tsk, look how she's dressed. Anyone who didn't know would think this outside mistress is Wang's rightful wife!"
"No wonder his wife reported him. Making his wife suffer at home while pampering his mistress—if it were me, I wouldn't be able to stand it either!"
The outside mistress, suddenly brought here, was very panicked. She said pitifully, "Your Highness, what crime have I committed? Why have you brought me here?"
Meng Shuping glanced at Jiang Cihe with shining eyes, "Wow wow wow, is she making eyes at the prince? Even at a time like this, she still has the energy for that. I have to say, she's really bold!"
As soon as he said this, both Jiang Cihe and Wang Jie's faces darkened. Wang Jie, while enduring the pain, glared dissatisfiedly at Meng Shuping. Rongniang would never do such a thing!
Jiang Cihe looked expressionlessly at Meng Shuping, "Aren't you going to question her?"
"Oh, oh," Meng Shuping quickly got to the point. He said seriously, "Shen Rong, right? I ask you, is the child you gave birth to really his?"
Wang Jie held his head high, extremely confident. How could it not be his?
But the next moment, he heard Shen Rong quickly deny it, "Of course not! That child was born to me and someone else. How could he be his?"
Meng Shuping was cracking up, "Hahahaha, so it really isn't his! I knew it—what are the odds? Ah, now he must be worried about who's gonna inherit the family business, right?"
Wang Jie was staring at her, unable to believe his ears, "What did you say? Not mine? Impossible! I was by your side when you got pregnant!"
When she found out Wang Jie had been thrown in jail, Shen Rong, afraid she and her kid would get dragged into it, immediately said, "What do you mean, 'impossible'? Weren't you away from home when I got pregnant?"
Wang Jie was furious, "You bitch! Why would you do this?"
"And you have the nerve to ask me?" Shen Rong shot back confidently, "It's your own fault for being so useless! If you couldn't get me pregnant, why shouldn't I find someone else to help?"
Meng Shuping couldn't help but laugh his ass off, "Exactly, exactly! She just wanted to fulfill your wish to be a father—what did she do wrong? In fact, you should be thanking her!"
Wang Jie, this just pushed him over the edge, roared angrily, "You bitch! I provided you with good food, fine clothes, and the lap of luxury, and this is how you repay me?"
Shen Rong said with contempt, "Don't act like I've wronged you. Do you know what I had to go through for your money? You were terrible in bed, yet I still had to praise you and tell you how great you were! Do you have any idea what you're like? What, did you actually believe my compliments?"
At this point, Shen Rong grew even more dissatisfied, "If it was just hard work, that would be one thing, but you even planned to abandon me if I couldn't bear children! Then all that suffering would've been for nothing, right?"
Meng Shuping, it all clicked for him, "Tsk, tsk, tsk, no wonder he got cuckolded so often. Not only was he terrible in bed, but he was also a scumbag. Look at him now—getting his comeuppance, huh?"
Learning that several of his so-called sons were not actually his, Wang Jie was about to lose his mind. He could maybe understand Wan Shi's betrayal, but he felt he had never wronged Shen Rong in any way. How could she do this to *him*?
Hahaha! Did Shen Rong think she could get off scot-free after causing him such humiliation?
He turned to Jiang Cihe in fury, "Your Highness, all the embezzled money is with her! It's hidden in a secret compartment under the bed, along with the account books. She knew about this too!"
"Hahahaha! He must have lost it—look at him, he's even spouting off whatever comes to mind!"
Meng Shuping laughed but then paused, "Huh?"
"Wait, why did he confess? We were just supposed to go through the motions! What am I supposed to do now that he's confessed?"
Meng Shuping was furious, "Look, I don't mean to be critical, but isn't your temper a bit too bad? Big deal, so you were cuckolded a few times? Why throw such a fit? Couldn't you just suck it up a little?"
Wang Jie shot Meng Shuping a triumphant look. Though he didn't understand why Meng Shuping was so upset about his confession, seeing Meng Shuping unhappy gave him immense satisfaction!
Serves you right for gloating!
The clerk standing nearby looked at Meng Shuping with admiration. Amazing, truly amazing! Earlier, he had thought this young lord didn't know what he was doing and had no method to his interrogation. But now it seemed the young lord was incredibly perceptive!
He said Wan Shi knew some inside information, and she did. He said the embezzled money was with the mistress, and it was. No wonder the Emperor had sent him here—he really was this capable!
Never judge a book by its cover!
Though he felt a bit sorry for Meng Shuping's upcoming troubles, Jiang Cihe was nearly laughing hysterically inside. He's just too adorable!
He struggled to keep a straight face and ordered the others, "Send someone to search the place."
"Yes!"
Hearing that the interrogation was over, Cao Jie hurried over. Seeing Meng Shuping looking dejected, he assumed they had made no progress and pretended to comfort him, "Did you not get anything out of him? Don't worry, Fifth Young Master Meng, take your time. After all, even our Ministry of Justice hasn't been able to crack this case."
"Not exactly," Jiang Cihe said, barely containing his laughter. "He did get a confession. He's just worried about embarrassing you all and is trying to figure out how to break the news."
"What?" Cao Jie was stunned. "He got a confession? How is that possible?"
He eyed Meng Shuping suspiciously, "Fifth Young Master Meng, you didn't resort to torture, did you?"
Jiang Cihe retorted, "Is that the only way your Ministry of Justice gets confessions?"
Cao Jie was indignant. Without torture, would the prisoners willingly cooperate? Even with torture, they might not confess honestly, let alone without it.
Meng Shuping shot Cao Jie a resentful look, "I told them not to send me, but they insisted. Now look—we've been proven wrong! How am I supposed to decline future assignments now?"
"Sigh, is this Cao guy doing this on purpose? He knows I don't want to be an official, yet he assigns me such an easy case. Just because I offended him a little—does he have to hold such a grudge?"
Cao Jie nearly spat blood. How was this an easy case? Wang Jie was carefully selected for Meng Shuping—tight-lipped and difficult to interrogate, even with torture. How could Meng Shuping claim he had gone easy on him?
After Meng Shuping and Jiang Cihe left, Cao Jie approached the clerk who had recorded the interrogation. "Pang Hui, tell me, how did they conduct the interrogation?"
At Cao Jie's question, Pang Hui's face lit up with admiration. "Sir, that young lord is truly remarkable! I have no idea how he figured it out. He barely asked any questions related to the case, and he didn't ask many questions at all. Yet, miraculously, the prisoner confessed! The most amazing part is that the confession matched his earlier predictions exactly!"
But as soon as he finished, he noticed Cao Jie's dark expression and quickly toned down his excitement, coughing awkwardly. "Of course, these are just trivial tricks. They can't compare to the methods of our Ministry of Justice!"
Cao Jie was skeptical. "Tell me exactly how the interrogation went, word for word if possible."
Though puzzled, Pang Hui repeated the entire process as accurately as he could. After hearing it, Cao Jie's mind went blank. That's it?
Was it just a coincidence, or did Meng Shuping really have some special talent? How could it be so absurd?
The next day, Meng Shuping was summoned to the palace again. The same people were present. Emperor Qianyou, having heard that Meng Shuping had made significant progress in the case shortly after arriving at the Ministry of Justice, was curious. He smiled and asked Meng Shuping, "Didn't you say you weren't capable? Then how is it that I heard you managed to get a confession not long after arriving at the Ministry of Justice?"
Meng Shuping was at a complete loss. He hurriedly explained in a panic, "Your Majesty, this time it really was a coincidence! I truly don't know how to interrogate anyone! I—I was just a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse!"
He was so nervous that his voice cracked. Someone chuckled, and Meng Shuping snapped, "What's so funny? Is this amusing to you?"
Emperor Qianyou laughed, "Last time was a coincidence, and this time is also a coincidence? Do coincidences just keep happening to you?"