Chapter 209 Xiao Haitang, I Don’t Want to Be Your Brother Anymore
The black-armored guards reached out to grab King Cheng. King Cheng stepped back and tried to dodge, but unfortunately the cell was only a few inches wide and he couldn't dodge at all.
When he was captured, King Cheng hissed, "Song Tangning, do you really not want to know where Rong Yue's child is?"
"I know you will torture him, but he is my life-saving talisman. If you don't let me go, I will never tell you where he is. Moreover, I have kept him in a secret place and have him under strict guard. If anything happens to me, he will not survive."
"He's Rong Yue's child, her blood. If you kill that child, Rong Yue will hate you..."
"Bang!"
Canglang slapped King Cheng in the face, causing the nonsense King Cheng to stagger and hit the wall. Before he could stand up straight, Canglang kicked him hard in the stomach. King Cheng screamed in pain and knelt on the ground and curled up.
"I've seen many people who talk tough, but once they enter the Criminal Division, they start crying and yelling."
Canglang grabbed King Cheng and threw him directly towards the prison door. Immediately, someone came forward, tied his hands and feet, and lifted him up.
Prince Cheng felt as if his internal organs had shifted, and he was being dragged out while sweating coldly from the pain.
When he passed by Song Tangning and saw that she didn't say a word, he could only turn his head and look across:
"Xiao Yan, I have no grudge against you. Why did you have to get involved and put me to death?"
"If it's just for the connections left by the Rong family, Rong Qian'an has been dead for so many years. How many people would still care about the friendship we had back then? I know you have made many enemies in the court, and I also know that you are not safe relying on His Majesty. As long as you let me go, I can do far more than Song Tangning. I can help you..."
Xiao Yan turned his head to look at King Cheng: "How can you help me?"
King Cheng said anxiously, "As long as you want, I can help you. As long as you and I work together, we can make your wish come true."
Xiao Yan laughed: "Really? Your Highness's words are indeed very touching."
Just as Prince Cheng relaxed a little, Xiao Yan said, "Since you are so sincere, why don't you first tell me where you brought Xie Yin back from?"
King Cheng's expression changed instantly.
Xiao Yan tilted his head: "Why, didn't His Majesty just say that whatever this Governor wants, Your Majesty will grant me?"
"That's not what I'm talking about..."
Prince Cheng suppressed his panic and raised Xie Yin as his own son. He did so in the hope that he could use Xie Yin to take over everything in the Rong family in the future, and he would be able to control his own son to help him.
But how could Xiao Yan tell Xie Yin's background? Once he knew Xie Yin's background, if he followed the clues and found out something he shouldn't have, how could he have a chance of survival?
"Xie Yin was just a random person I picked up from outside. Why should Governor Xiao care about such an insignificant person?"
"If you're unwilling to even tell me something insignificant, how can I expect anything else? After all, I don't trust someone like the prince who can deceive even the person next to him."
After Xiao Yan finished speaking, he said coldly:
"Take the person away!"
"Xiao Yan you... mmmmm..."
Canglang was quick to grab a bunch of hay and stuff it into King Cheng's mouth. The people who were holding him quickly dragged him away, and this time no matter how he struggled, no one gave him a chance to speak.
A long drag mark was left on the ground, and the sound of the prison door opening and closing could be heard.
In this special prison that holds the royal family, only Xiao Yan and the other two are left.
The prison was cold and dark, so Xiao Yan didn't stay and led Tang Ning out. Seeing that the little girl had been following him quietly, Xiao Yan slowed down.
"Did you believe what Xie Tianyu said?"
"No."
Tang Ning shook her head. She did believe him for a moment at first, but when she saw Xie Tianyu begging for mercy from her brother without any shame, she came to her senses.
With Xie Tianyu's shamelessness and the viciousness of the woman who was having an affair with him in secret, they have repeatedly killed people over the years and even refused to allow his aunt to get pregnant. Xie Tianyu still has no children. How could that woman allow the child to live?
Tang Ning followed him and whispered, "When my aunt gave birth, my grandfather was still alive, and the Rong family was at its peak. Xie Tianyu wanted to rely on my grandfather to fight for the throne and play a game with Crown Prince Li and his men. Secretly swapping the child was already a huge risk. If I keep my aunt's child, it will only bring endless troubles."
There is no such thing as an absolutely secret in this world. Truth will come out sooner or later. No matter how deep a secret is, it is likely to be leaked, unless no one mentions the secret anymore and all the people who know the secret are dead.
Almost no one who knew about this incident survived, and Nanny Jiang became the biggest "accident" simply because she couldn't die.
Tang Ning pursed her lips and glanced at the dim oil lamp hanging on the wall: "Actually, I don't care whether the child is still alive or not. Even if he is not dead, I don't plan to let him see my aunt."
When you have blood relatives, you have ties, and when you have ties, you become soft-hearted.
That child was the beginning of all the deceptions. Even though the child was innocent, Princess Cheng's half life was ruined by countless lies.
She would rather the child died than let her aunt, who had finally broken away from Prince Cheng's Mansion, be involved in it again, and let the child become her weakness after recognizing Princess Cheng, or even become the second "Xie Yin".
She could give him a good life and let him live in peace away from the capital, but she was unwilling to let him appear in front of Princess Cheng.
After Tang Ning finished speaking in a low voice, he looked at Xiao Yan and said, "Brother, am I being too cruel to think this way?"
The prison corridor was pitch black, with only the oil lamps on the walls on both sides swaying in dim light.
Xiao Yan walked half a step ahead of her. After hearing Tang Ning's words, he was indifferent and cold: "Everyone has their own closeness and distance. Feelings will naturally go towards the people you care about. If someone you have never met before appears, they will definitely hurt the people I care about. Then I will be more cruel than you."
It is not impossible to eradicate the problem completely.
His voice was like cold jade from the mountains, tinged with a hint of chill.
"You don't need to criticize yourself with worldly kindness, nor do you need to live under the eyes of others. There's nothing wrong with being selfish and willful. Just be happy and relaxed."
His father was perfect back then and was praised by everyone. He was the best prince in everyone's eyes. He always held himself to the highest standards of virtue and never overstepped the boundaries.
When he was in the Eastern Palace, everyone said that he would become an unprecedented wise ruler. But later on, didn't he die miserably, be infamous, and be despised by everyone?
Tang Ning looked up at the broad figure of the man beside her. His expression was normal when he spoke, but she inexplicably felt that he was a little sad after he said that.
It was as if he was hiding resentment and sarcasm that he had never revealed to anyone, as if he was mocking himself, or accusing something, even the air around him became oppressive.
Tang Ning suddenly reached out and grabbed Xiao Yan's wrist. The slender and slightly cool touch made Xiao Yan pause.
He turned around and saw the little girl's pink lips opening slightly: "Brother, are you sad?"
Xiao Yan was stunned for a moment and was about to say what he had to be sad about, since the dead could not be resurrected and sadness could not be eaten. But before he could say anything, he saw the little girl suddenly approach him, tiptoeing, raising her head, and reaching out to touch his forehead with all her strength.
"Don't be sad, I'm here."
She was petite, and when she stood on tiptoe to look at him, she was very close, with the tip of her upturned nose almost touching his chin. The two of them were standing very close, so close that it seemed as if he could just lower his head and their breath would mingle.
Xiao Yan's throat stagnated, and when the dim light and shadow around him pressed down, his eyes suddenly became dark.
"Little Begonia."
"Um?"
"I don't want to..."
There was a sudden "clang" sound outside, and the second half of Xiao Yan's whisper was drowned out by the sudden scream.
Tang Ning seemed to be distracted by the sounds of King Cheng and his men torturing him, and didn't hear Xiao Yan's words clearly. When the place became quiet, he turned around and looked at Xiao Yan in confusion, "Brother, what did you just say?"
Xiao Yan looked at her clear and trusting eyes and was silent for a moment: "Nothing."
He is now a eunuch, a castrator in the eyes of outsiders. If he had not kept her in Jiyun Lane as a brother, she would have become the target of public criticism.
Rumors would destroy the reputation she had worked so hard to restore, destroy the academy she had been looking forward to, and destroy her and the Rong family.
Xiao Yan was reluctant to let Tang Ning bear the brunt of the outside world.
He lowered his eyes to hide his thoughts, and when he raised them again, his mind was clear. Xiao Yan reached out and grasped the small hand that had just touched his brow, letting it go. He said softly, "Wait outside. I'll go and interrogate King Cheng. I'll let you in later when I give you the gift."
Tang Ning nodded obediently: "Okay."
The place where royal relatives were imprisoned was different from that of ordinary prisoners. Xiao Yan sent Tang Ning to a clean cell outside, and asked Jinyun to accompany him outside before striding back to the place where the interrogation took place in the prison.
"Girl, I'm outside. If you have any instructions, just call me." Jinyun was guarding outside the door.
Tang Ning nodded: "Okay."
After closing the partition, Tang Ning walked to the table as if nothing had happened, poured a cup of tea and placed it in front of him, then held the cup and stared blankly at the swaying water inside.
She actually heard it clearly just now.
Xiao Yan said softly.
"I don't want to be your brother anymore."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com