Ning Changle panicked. How could she not recognize that voice? It was the same cold and resolute voice that had ordered the Qingyu Guards to break her legs. It was exactly the same as the whisper of death she was hearing now.
She didn't even dare to turn around to look. The man claimed to be the Emperor, so there was nothing to doubt. It really was Xiao Xuan.
Ning Changle never expected that Ning Yin would receive the emperor's protection after giving birth to a stillborn child. He even came to the Ning residence in person for the sake of a woman.
Before she could turn her head, several Imperial Guards grabbed her arms, one of whom drew a dagger from his waist and was about to cut off her tongue.
After all, she was his own daughter. When Ning Yuanshan heard that someone was going to pull out Ning Changle's tongue, he immediately crawled forward on his knees, looking at Ning Yin with teary eyes.
All three of them had their hands tied behind their backs, and their mouths were stuffed with a tattered rag. Only their snobbish eyes showed fear.
Ning Yuanshan hesitated to speak, but then he saw Xiao Xuan stride over to Ning Yin's side, lift his robe, and sit down with an air of dominance.
"Ah Ning, why waste words with them? I'll order them to be executed right now!"
Ning Yuanshan and Liu Shi were completely stunned. The man sitting in front of them was majestic and cold, and the gold thread on his robe outlined lifelike dragons. It was a genuine dragon robe.
The three men dared not make the slightest move, even their breathing became cautious. Especially after hearing the words "kill them," they seemed to have lost their souls and no longer had the strength to struggle.
Ning Yuanshan had originally wanted to beg Ning Yin to spare his daughter, but now he didn't dare to move an inch and wished he could bury his head in the ground.
Lady Liu was terrified. She had seen Xiao Xuan before, and the person in front of her was undoubtedly the emperor. Their good days were truly over.
With a shrill scream coming from behind, Ning Changle's tongue was ripped out by the Imperial Guards, splattering blood all over the ground. The intense pain caused her to faint instantly, her body trembling and convulsing involuntarily.
Ning Yuanshan and Liu Shi wanted to turn around and look, but when they met Xiao Xuan's sinister eyes, they completely collapsed. Ning Changfeng, in particular, was so frightened that he wet his pants.
Xiao Xuan frowned, ordered his men to drag Ning Changfeng away, and then removed the rags from Ning Yuanshan and Liu Shi's mouths.
A deep, menacing voice slowly rose above them, questioning why they had harmed their mother-in-law and Ning Yin in this way.
Upon hearing this, Ning Yuanshan and Liu Shi's eyes flickered as they pondered how to answer in order to save their own lives.
Ning Yuanshan didn't know why the emperor suddenly asked about this matter. Could it be that Zhang Mama had been exposed and then sold him out?
However, even if he had participated in the murder of Ning Yin's mother, it was out of necessity. At that time, the family business was declining, and he had no choice but to obey Liu Shi's words.
After all, the Liu family held considerable power and influence, which could bring them significant benefits.
If it weren't for his years of hard work supporting this crumbling family and providing Ningyin with education, how could Ningyin have grown up to be so respectable and had the opportunity to marry the emperor and become a concubine in the palace?
Now, things have taken a turn for the worse; she's turning around and attacking her own biological father.
Thinking of this, Ning Yuanshan felt indignant. He suddenly puffed out his chest and questioned Ning Yin, "Ayin, from childhood to adulthood, your father has worked tirelessly for this family, just to ensure that you and your siblings can live a decent life. The fact that Your Majesty has taken a liking to you is because of the upbringing your family has given you over the years. Now, instead of being filial to your parents, you're throwing mud at your father. Your mother died because of poor health, which led to a difficult childbirth. How could it be that your father killed her?"
Ning Yuanshan argued vehemently that now that things had come to this, there was no way to verify the facts, and he doubted that Zhang Mama would dare to implicate him, since the incriminating document was still in his study.
As long as he insists that he didn't do it, the emperor can't just kill people at will.
Even if things go wrong, he is still Ningyin's biological father. Logically speaking, the emperor should grant him the status of imperial father-in-law. Killing an imperial father-in-law so casually would probably not be accepted by the people.
Ning Yuanshan thought he had made a reasonable argument, but Xiao Xuan's dangerous eyes became even sharper, as if he wanted to tear him to pieces in an instant.
With just one glance, Ning Yuanshan felt a powerful pressure that made it hard for him to breathe.
Immediately, with a wink from the man, there was a loud bang, and Zhang Mama was dragged in like a dead dog and thrown to the ground.
Zhang Mama was covered in blood, but she was still clinging to life. After all, Ning Yin's medical skills were superb, and it would be easy for her to make Zhang Mama wish she were dead.
She kept her alive with ginseng soup, making her suffer greatly, but she couldn't die.
Granny Zhang never expected that her master, who had always treated her like family and was kind-hearted, would do such a cruel thing.
A flash of resentment crossed her eyes, but she quickly put on a pitiful look. Right now, she could only try her best to make amends by confessing everything she knew, hoping that Ning Yin would spare her life for the sake of the time she had served her.
After all, killing her mother and the young prince was not her intention. If anyone is to blame, it is that shameless Lady Liu. If it weren't for her, why would she have done such a thing?
In the past, Ning Yin would have softened her heart, but now, her heart is as hard as iron.
The three people kneeling below not only took the lives of her mother and sister with their own hands, but also tried to kill her son. Such vicious acts would not stir any emotion in her heart, no matter how pitiful they pretended to be.
Ning Yin coldly watched the three of them bicker and shirk responsibility, then let out a sneer.
He ordered someone to bring in another peasant woman, who was the maid who had previously gone to invite Granny Zhang into the mansion on behalf of Madam Liu.
Although she didn't directly participate in harming anyone, she was still an accomplice. She knelt on the ground timidly and recounted the events of that year in detail.
Ning Yuanshan and Liu Shi never expected that Ning Yin would have such ability, even finding this maid.
"Ayin, would you rather believe an outsider than your own father? Don't forget whose blood flows in your veins. I am your father. How could I possibly harm you and your mother? It was all orchestrated by that poisonous woman, Liu! She did it. I had no idea!"
"Pah! You shameless bastard, how can you be so shameless? It's clearly you who covet the power and status of my family so that you can benefit from it. You want to curry favor with me and make me your legal wife. You even said that that bitch is old and faded, not even half as pretty as me, and that you've wanted to get rid of her for a long time. Now you're throwing all the mud at me. Are you even a man?!"
Liu spit a mouthful of phlegm onto Ning Yuanshan's eyes. Ning Yuanshan wanted to wipe it but had no hands to do so. He angrily wanted to retort, but was interrupted by Ning Yin.
"Enough! None of you three can escape. You will pay back what you owe a thousandfold. Now that we have all the evidence and witnesses, no one can save you!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com