The song they were singing was the lullaby their mother used to lull them to sleep when they were little. It was this very song that caused Xiao Jin heartache again and again, and every time he recalled it, he felt like he was living a life worse than death.
"Enough!"
Xiao Jin slammed his hand on the table with a "bang," successfully shattering the corner of the table. One couldn't help but imagine how painful it would be if that punch landed on a person.
The princess involuntarily shrank back, a hint of fear flashing in her eyes, which Xiao Jin caught.
"So you were just faking your madness. What, you think you can get away with it just by pretending to be crazy?"
"Hahahaha, Xiao Jin, how cruel you are! You watched Xiao Heng grow up, and you killed him without hesitation!"
The princess stopped pretending and laughed until tears streamed down her face. Her face was covered in mud and her hair was a mess, showing no trace of the former princess's glory.
She never intended to deceive Xiao Jin; she simply didn't want to face the already rotten Xiao Heng, didn't want to face reality, and only wanted to immerse herself in her own fantasy.
After her maniacal laughter subsided, the eldest princess looked at Xiao Jin's furious face and said, "My mother deserves to die! She doesn't care about me, her daughter, at all; her heart and soul are only for you!"
She recalled that since Xiao Jin was born, she had never felt the warmth of her mother's embrace.
"Tch, that biased old hag. Heng'er is clearly her grandson, but she refuses to help us kill those two little bastards. Since that's the case, I'll strike first."
"You have no idea, that old man was calling your name until his dying breath, but alas, you couldn't hear him anymore!"
The princess grew more and more agitated as she spoke, as if recalling the scene from that time, and burst into hearty laughter: "Hahahaha, how utterly despicable!"
Xiao Jin clenched his fists, every muscle in his body tense, the scene described by the Eldest Princess flashing through his mind—just how desperate must his mother be?
"You beast, I will have you executed by slow slicing!"
"If you've got the guts, then give me a quick death!"
The princess was panting heavily. She had no intention of living, but she didn't want to die in such a painful way either. She deliberately provoked Xiao Jin in order to get a quick death.
But Xiao Jin was even more ruthless than she had imagined. She didn't get what she wanted, which only strengthened Xiao Jin's resolve to torment her.
Xiao Jin paused, then said again, "Wait!"
The eldest princess thought Xiao Jin had changed his mind and looked on expectantly, but in the next moment, she was struck dumb.
Because Xiao Jin instructed: "After she has endured all eighteen cruel tortures, she should be executed by slow slicing. Remember, she must be kept alive, with a breath left."
The newly promoted head guard received orders to take the person away, but the princess refused. She started yelling and screaming, disregarding everything else. She couldn't bear any form of torture.
She finally realized she was afraid and begged loudly, having no face left, she kept kowtowing until her head bulged.
"Xiao Jin, Your Majesty, my elder sister begs you, please grant her a quick death!"
"Your mother also pleaded with you in the same way, and what did you say in response?"
Xiao Jin felt even more hatred. He looked at the eldest princess, who was clearly his own sister, but he wished she could kill him and wouldn't even spare his own mother.
"If you can bring the Empress Dowager back to life, what harm would it do for me to abdicate the throne to you?"
Xiao Jin's words instantly turned the princess's face ashen. She should have known this day would come. The victor is king, the loser is villain. She didn't regret it. Her only regret was not dying sooner.
After the head guard dragged the man away, the entire court returned to its usual calm, a deathly silence.
Xiao Jin stood there for a long time, gazing in the direction of Shou Kang Palace, before finally letting out a long sigh.
Mother, I wonder if you are satisfied with the outcome of my actions? It can be considered as avenging you.
...
After that day, Xiao Jin devoted himself to palace affairs, focused on handling state affairs, checking the brothers' studies, and examining their martial arts skills.
It wasn't until the day when the eldest princess was executed by slow slicing and the servants reported the news that Xiao Jin's pent-up anger finally dissipated.
Looking at the news coming from the border, he thought, it's time, it's time to bring back the pair of lovers from Qingshan Temple.
"The Northern Kingdom, in alliance with the Great Jin tribe, is coming to war once again. Xie Changling, it is time for you to serve me."
Xiao Jin muttered to himself as he looked at the stacks of secret letters on the table, all of which were about Qingshan Temple.
Thinking of Song Lingxi, whom he was about to see again, his suppressed emotions finally eased a little.
"Xi'er..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com