Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Fate is destiny.

"Reason." Xie Zhi looked into her weathered yet remarkably determined eyes and said calmly.

"Do you know who I am?"

"Lin Qiao."

"You do know." She suddenly chuckled when she heard the name. "Then do you know why the prince is so determined to kill me?"

Xie Zhizhi knew what she was talking about must be about past events in the imperial court, and her eyes couldn't help but fall on Pei Jue standing nearby. Pei Jue seemed to understand and was about to leave, but Lin Qiao spoke to keep him.

"This gentleman should stay. Otherwise, no one will believe what I say today."

Pei Jue glanced at Xie Zhi, and after he nodded, he just sat down and took notes with a pen.

But what he didn't expect was that Lin Qiao's first sentence almost made him unable to hold the pen steadily.

"Xie Zhi, you are the real prince."

Xie Zhi's pupils suddenly constricted.

The meaning of this sentence was so heavy that one almost dared not think deeply about it. In a flash, he almost understood everything.

Why is the Crown Prince so weak! Why is his mother so partial! And why do they frequently attack the Imperial Concubine and the Crown Prince?

So that’s how it is!

A drop of thick black ink fell onto the paper, casting a large shadow and obscuring Pei Jue's handwriting. Only then did he recover from his shock and couldn't help but change the paper and write again.

"Back then, the eldest prince born to Empress Wencheng died at the hands of Prince Jin. Later, when the Emperor ascended the throne, the Imperial Concubine, hoping to give birth to her eldest son before Empress Wencheng, took drugs to hasten labor eight months into her pregnancy. Ultimately, however, she was unable to achieve her wish, and gave birth on the same day as the Empress."

Lin Qiao's face was filled with hatred. "That bitch Bai Xi! She bribed the midwife early in the morning and poisoned the late queen when she was weak after giving birth, pretending it was a difficult labor and killing her! Then she petitioned the emperor to raise two children together, so she had the opportunity to switch your identities!"

"How did you know that?"

"I saw it with my own eyes, how could it be false?" Lin Qiao sneered. "From then on, she used the excuse of poor care as an excuse to kill everyone who spoke. If I hadn't escaped the palace in time, I'm afraid the truth would have been buried forever!"

The truth was revealed bit by bit, but Xie Zhi did not feel any ecstasy after knowing the truth.

He simply looked at Lin Qiao indifferently, asking as if it were a routine question, "Does anyone else know about this besides you?"

"All those who knew about it were silenced by Bai Xi. The rest are my subordinates, and they learned it from me."

When Xie Zhi heard her talk about her subordinates, he asked her, "Who are they?"

"These were the old members of the Lin family." Lin Qiao sighed. "Many of the Lin family members died or were injured on the battlefield. Only these people are left. It took me many years to gather them together."

When she said this, even Xie Zhi couldn't help but admire her.

A woman over fifty years old persisted for several years, endured countless cold stares, and made countless painstaking lobbying attempts before she was able to gather such a well-trained team.

"No wonder the remnants of King Jin, who had long disappeared in recent years, have resurrected. It turns out it was all a cover-up by you."

Lin Qiao's face showed contempt. "Those people left behind by the King of Jin are just a bunch of rabble. They can be recruited with just a few words."

"You are really amazing."

"I'm just an old woman." Lin Qiao smiled coldly, hatred suddenly bursting out of her eyes. "But, I watched Wanyue grow up! Even if I have to risk my life, I will avenge her!"

Pei Jue, standing by, seemed a little worried. "Although you are a witness, you must have physical evidence to support your claim. Otherwise, after so many years, I'm afraid the Emperor won't believe it."

"That's your business. This is all I can do." Lin Qiao shook his head and looked at Xie Zhi coldly. "I originally wanted to kill the prince and put an end to it, but I never thought that you, a fool like you, would block it for him! Otherwise, there wouldn't be such trouble today!"

Xie Zhi pursed his lips and looked at her.

She is now a remnant of Prince Jin. No matter what she says, no one will believe her. The emperor will also vent his anger on the former Lin family, suspecting that they have an affair with Prince Jin.

He just looked at Pei Jue, "Master Pei, this is a serious matter and requires careful consideration."

Pei Jue nodded slightly with a serious expression, "I know."

It was already evening when Xie Zhi returned to the mansion. Perhaps Nie Xiangyi had heard his morning chatter, but she had returned to the house and was teasing Xi Shi with a feather.

He looked at the beautiful face in the sunset, as if Lin Qiao's words had finally given him a sense of reality.

He felt a little bit of joy at having lost something and then found it again. It turned out that she was his. It was actually them who had been engaged since birth.

Fate was predestined. Even if Xie Chengxin and she hit it off right away during the Lantern Festival, what would it matter? She was destined to be his wife.

"Asi." He called softly.

Nie Xiangyi was having fun with Xi Shi, and when he called her, she looked up at him in confusion, "What's going on?"

"Nothing." Xie Zhi reached out and stroked her hair, and suddenly felt that everything was so beautiful.

He pursed his lips and chuckled softly. The moment was like ice and snow melting, the waves suddenly brightened, extremely vivid. Nie Xiangyi stretched out her fingertips and curiously poked the corner of his lips, "Your Highness seems to be very happy."

Xie Zhi held her hand and left a light kiss on her fingertips, "Well, I'm very happy."

I'm glad that our fate was predestined, earlier than anyone else's. I'm glad that fate was a coincidence, and even though you recognized the wrong person, I still married you in the end.

At this moment, those beautiful eyes were like the shimmering water in spring, staring at her intently. The sudden tenderness made Nie Xiangyi's cheeks burn, "You..."

Why is today so different from usual?

Xie Zhi suddenly asked her, his voice soft but firm, "Ah Si, do you want revenge?"

Nie Xiangyi was suddenly startled.

Before the end of the first month of the lunar year, at the emperor's behest, the remnants of the Prince of Jin were beheaded in the market as a public display. Meanwhile, Xie Zhi brought home an old woman with a scarred face.

"Wanyue's former residence. I'm more familiar with this place than you are." She was a little surprised. "The imperial concubine actually gave this place to you?"

As she spoke, she seemed to understand something. "Perhaps because she was managing the six harems and couldn't take care of these properties outside the palace, she just randomly pointed out one place for you. It's a perfect match for you mother and son."

She chuckled incomprehensibly, "You see, what's yours is yours after all."

Xie Zhi listened to this, but his eyes fell on Nie Xiangyi, "Ah Si, she will take care of your daily life from now on."

Xie Zhi said that you can just call her Aunt Qiao.

Nie Xiangyi always felt that Aunt Qiao looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen her.

She thought that Aunt Qiao was here to teach her manners just like Aunt Wu, but she never expected that this old aunt was even more adept at climbing up roofs and trees than she was, and she had a lot of fun playing with her.

Days like this reminded her of the time she spent with her grandparents. She pouted and said, "I miss my grandparents."

Aunt Qiao looked at her and reached out to rub her head. "Then you can also call me aunt."

Along with the remnants of the Prince of Jin, the rest of his former allies were also under investigation. The Emperor seemed determined to eradicate them completely, bringing up many past incidents. Wherever the Black Armored Guards of the Divine Strategy Guards went, panic reignited.

It was on such a day that Jiang Yun'e came to visit.

"The Third Prince's wife is still asleep. Please wait a moment." Aunt Qiao poured a cup of tea expressionlessly and handed it to Jiang Yun'e.

But Jiang Yun'e waited until the tea cooled down, but Nie Xiangyi didn't come out.

It was already noon, and she thought that Nie Xiangyi was playing tricks on her, and she was anxious. Seeing that her aunt was serious, she couldn't help but smile and test her.

"It's this hour, and Xiangyi, as the mistress, is still lazy in bed. It's my fault as a mother for not teaching her the proper manners." She glanced at Aunt Qiao's expression and said, "If you have time, Aunt Qiao, please give her some more advice so as not to annoy His Highness."

Aunt Qiao gave her a cold look and said, "Madam, if you continue to overstep your bounds and speak nonsense, I will follow the rules of the government and slap you in the face."

Her voice was neither salty nor bland, but it startled Jiang Yun'e. She was just a nanny, yet she dared to be so arrogant.

"You!" She was about to scold, but saw Nie Xiangyi coming late.

After not seeing her for a long time, the beautiful girl has become even more beautiful, and there is a hint of arrogance in her wild and unruly look.

Her hair was tilted sideways, still showing the laziness of getting up in the morning. After entering the house, he did not look at her, but just looked at Aunt Qiao with his hair in his hand, and his voice seemed to be coquettish.

"His Highness's bun is so ugly." She pursed her lips as if complaining, "He is so clumsy."

Aunt Qiao smiled and said, "It's rare that there is something that Your Highness doesn't know."

The two of them chatted back and forth, ignoring Jiang Yun'e as nothing.

Jiang Yun'e couldn't help but speak, "Xiangyi..."

Although she was an elder, she was now asking for help, so her tone was inevitably much more humble. "I came here today because I want to ask you something."

Nie Xiangyi didn't respond, but just raised his eyebrows and looked at her with contempt as if he was looking at an object.

Jiang Yun'e was annoyed, but she could only force a smile. "Today, the remnants of Prince Jin are causing trouble again... As you know, my father was just a small official under Prince Jin back then, so he wouldn't have been a problem. Can you... mention this to the Third Prince..."

Nie Xiangyi naturally knew that what she said was true.

Her family background had little to do with the King of Jin, otherwise she would have lost her life in the initial purge that year.

It's just that this relationship is neither close nor distant. The emperor is superstitious about the Prince of Jin, and anyone who is associated with these two words will have a bad end.

When her family was convicted, her father had the audacity to hide her in his house. After her mother died and the rumors died down, he even dared to make her his principal wife.

Aren't you just trying to give others something to hold against you?

"Okay." Nie Xiangyi suddenly raised her lips and smiled, her smile was bright and flamboyant.

After Jiang Yun'e relaxed her smile, she suddenly said viciously, "Then I will tell His Highness and punish you for your crime."

Jiang Yun'e's smile suddenly froze on her face.

"Xiangyi!" Her expression changed. "Even if you hate me, you still have to consider the Nie family! One mistake could implicate the entire family!"

"The Nie family?" Nie Xiangyi sneered. "It was in the Nie family that I suffered the most torture and the most rumors. Even my mother died in the Nie family. Jiang Yun'e, you killed my mother, how dare you come to me and beg me?"

Jiang Yun'e looked at her expression and her heart skipped a beat, and the teacup in her hand suddenly fell over.

"You...you..." She widened her eyes in horror, "You actually know everything?"

She seemed to be suddenly panicked and subconsciously grabbed Nie Xiangyi's sleeve, "No! Xiangyi! Listen to me! It wasn't my idea! In fact, it was all..."

"I know everything." Nie Xiangyi suddenly interrupted her. She looked at the panicked Jiang Yun'e with cold eyes, "No matter what happens to others, I want you to die first."

After saying this, Aunt Qiao extended her hand and asked her to leave.

As she was dragged out by the servants, she was still shouting in silence, "Nie Xiangyi! Do you think I'm the only one? The Marquis clearly acquiesced! Why is it only me?"

Her voice faded away, but Nie Xiangyi's eyes revealed a blank and empty look, "So he knew..."

After the beheading of the "general", the old case was reopened. The Shen Ce Guards swiftly and decisively arrested those who were related to the King of Jin and sent them to the execution ground, including the Yongyi Marquis Mansion.

The Marquis of Yongyi and his wife were implicated in a conspiracy with the Prince of Jin, and harbored a criminal, for which they were sentenced to death. The rest of their family members were made slaves and sent to the palace.

On the day Jiang Yun'e was sentenced to death, Nie Xiangyi happened to see Nie Yuanwei following the crowd into the palace.

Her eyes were red as she looked at Nie Xiangyi with hatred, "Father and mother are both dead! Are you satisfied now?"

"Satisfied." Nie Xiangyi chuckled, then just looked at her quietly, "Nie Yuanwei, when my mother died, I was much younger than you."