Chapter 420: Are You Sure You’re Second Master Xie’s Biological Daughter?

Chapter 420: Chapter 420: Are You Sure You’re Second Master Xie’s Biological Daughter?

Soon, Xu Jingxi was brought in.

The eager gazes of Fang Qingdai and Second Master Xie followed his every move.

"My son..." Fang Qingdai couldn’t help but call out as Xu Jingxi walked past her.

However, Xu Jingxi did not spare her a glance. He simply knelt calmly in the hall.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

The Emperor got straight to the point. "Ningning says you are the child of Xie Dizhi and Fang Qingdai. Is this true?"

Before entering the palace, Xu Jingxi already knew his parentage could no longer be hidden.

He nodded lightly. "It is."

At his affirmative answer, tears streamed from Fang Qingdai’s eyes.

Her lips trembled. "You’re not dead. That’s wonderful, you’re not dead."

Xu Jingxi recounted the events of that year to the Emperor exactly as they had happened. When Fang Qingdai heard that he had once gone back to look for her, she wept uncontrollably, while Second Master Xie’s face was grim with self-reproach.

After hearing everything, the Emperor sighed deeply.

"Such a sensible child. Both your mother’s and your father’s side could have given you a life of privilege, yet you lived in such misery and never sought them out."

Xu Jingxi’s gaze was deep, dark, and cold, like a persistent, lingering fog.

"Because this commoner understood very well that my mother and father each had their own families. No matter which of them I returned to, it would cause a huge uproar. I did not wish to be a burden to anyone, so I chose to remain with my grandfather, and we relied on one another."

’If I had gone back to find Fang Qingdai, how could she have explained to the officers and soldiers in the army why her child was suddenly heading to the Capital City?’

’If I had gone to seek refuge with Second Master Xie, how could he have explained to outsiders where this son of his had suddenly come from?’

’I had no choice but to leave.’

Fang Qingdai said through her tears, "Yuan’er, my child, you’ve suffered so much all these years."

Xu Jingxi’s gaze was calm, as if he no longer cared about the past. He looked only at Shen Ningning, his eyes conveying his gratitude to the little girl.

The dark depths of Shen Ningning’s eyes shimmered with faint expectation. She had thought that finding one’s parents would be a joyous occasion, yet Xu Jingxi’s expression was as tranquil as the world after a heavy snowfall.

He wasn’t as happy as she had imagined.

It was only then that Shen Ningning suddenly understood what Xu Jingxi had meant when he said they were different.

She longed to find her parents and for her family to be reunited. Even after learning that her mother had passed away, the little girl still held onto that hope.

But Xu Jingxi knew exactly who his parents were, which was why he couldn’t seek them out and no longer held any expectation of a family reunion.

Second Master Xie gazed at Xu Jingxi, his expression a mixture of complexity and anguish. His sharp eyes, which had never shed a tear, were now red and brimming with them.

’He actually had two children with Fang Qingdai.’

’And for all these years, he had failed in his responsibility and had never been there for them.’

Endless regret flooded Second Master Xie’s heart.

The Emperor sighed again. "This child... how pitiful."

Seeing this, Xie Yuanjiu grew even more furious. She hadn’t exposed the affair to watch them reconcile for their child’s sake!

"Your Majesty! General Liang passed away less than a year ago—his bones have not yet grown cold! The daughter he raised with his own hands turns out to be another man’s child. If word of this gets out, what will the people of the world and the Liang Family Army think of him? If, one day, Fang Qingdai and my father rekindle their old flame, won’t that allow people to slander General Liang’s good name even after his death?"

As she spoke, she shot a vicious glare in Shen Ningning’s direction.

Xie Yuanjiu felt that all the hardships and setbacks in her life had started from the moment she met Shen Ningning.

"Your Majesty should banish General Fang and her children to the far corners of the earth, separating them from my father. They should never be allowed to meet again until they die. Only that would be fair."

At these words, Second Master Xie furiously rebuked Xie Yuanjiu, "Silence! How can you still be so malicious at a time like this?"

The Emperor was also quite surprised and frowned at Xie Yuanjiu.

"No matter the circumstances, Xu Jingxi and Liang Yici are still your older brother and sister. Your words are utterly devoid of humanity."

Xie Yuanjiu let out a cold, hysterical laugh. "Malicious? Am I supposed to just stand by and watch Fang Qingdai return to the Capital City, letting Father completely abandon my mother and me? Is that what’s right?"

Shen Ningning held a small cup of flower tea in her little hands, her round face framed by clear, dark eyes.

"Don’t be so sanctimonious. You think no one here can see through your little scheme?" the little girl pointed out sharply, her voice soft and sweet.

She looked at Xie Yuanjiu.

"If you were truly doing this for the happiness and integrity of your mother and your family, why would you have resorted to poisoning Second Madam Xie? In the end, you’re only doing this for yourself."

"You’re afraid of losing your status as a Miss of the Xie family. You’re unwilling to admit your mistakes, and even less willing to bear the consequences. Instead, you just keep pushing the blame onto others."

"Mmm, I bet after all I’ve said, right now you’re cursing me in your heart for being a busybody, aren’t you? That’s because you’re fundamentally incapable of realizing your own mistakes. You only think that others are making things difficult for you."

Hearing this last sentence, Xie Yuanjiu froze for a moment, then an even more sinister venom filled her eyes.

She turned her gaze to Second Master Xie. ’She couldn’t do anything to Shen Ningning, but surely she could still influence her own father?’

"Father, no matter how you deal with me, I am still your daughter. Go ahead, keep ignoring me. We’ll see how the world looks at you after I spread this story, how they’ll condemn you and General Fang for having a child out of wedlock!"

"You!" Second Master Xie seethed with rage, then suddenly clutched his chest, a sharp pain making him gasp as he sank to one knee.

Xie Suzhi rushed to support him. "Second Brother!"

Second Master Xie had an old ailment, and the Divine Doctor had warned that he must not experience extreme emotional swings, or it would be detrimental to his health.

Xie Yuanjiu had provoked him on purpose.

She knew the Xie family would not accept her anymore, so naturally, she wouldn’t let Second Master Xie and the others have an easy time either!

Shen Ningning quickly put down her small cup, pitter-pattered over, and took out the sachet she carried with her, holding it under Second Master Xie’s nose.

"These are the Concentrating and Calming Pills that Grandpa Divine Doctor taught me to make a while ago. They’re good for Second Uncle’s condition."

The main reason was that the medicinal herbs in the sachet were precious. They were all grown in her Immortal Realm, bathed in Spiritual Spring Water, which doubled their efficacy.

Sure enough, after Xie Suzhi held it for Second Master Xie to smell for a moment, his breathing became steady.

Seeing this, the Emperor frowned and said, "A decision must be made on this matter as soon as possible. It is Our opinion that Xie Yuanjiu attempted to poison her own mother and her words are vicious. This is far beyond the nature of a child. She deserves to be sentenced to death. Xie Dizhi, what are your thoughts?"

Second Master Xie slowly wiped the blood from the corner of his lips and raised his bloodshot eyes, giving Xie Yuanjiu a cold, detached glance.

"I will abide by the Emperor’s judgment." He cupped his hands, completely giving up on this child, Xie Yuanjiu.

The Emperor then looked to Second Madam Xie.

She was sprawled on the floor, crying so hard she could barely breathe. She kept beating her chest, blaming herself for her own foolishness.

Xie Yuanjiu hadn’t expected that neither of them would plead for her.

She laughed coldly. "You both owe me far too much. Do you think I’m afraid to die? Once news of my death spreads, rumors that you treated your wife and daughter cruelly for the sake of an old flame will appear right along with it."

"Even if I die, you and Fang Qingdai, and all of you, can forget about having a peaceful life!"

Xie Yuanjiu stared at Shen Ningning, her smile wild and arrogant.

’So what if Shen Ningning is intelligent? What can she possibly do to stop the wagging tongues of the world?’

Suddenly.

Mo Lingwei, who had seemed completely unrelated to the matter, spoke up coolly, "Are you so sure that you are a daughter of the Xie family?"

Those words made the wild and insolent Xie Yuanjiu freeze in place.

Her chilling eyes stared at Mo Lingwei.

"What do you mean by that?"