Chapter 531: Not Biological Son
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Rebelling is… What? Rebellion?” Prince Jiangning almost jumped up.
“How… how can this be? Your Majesty, is there some misunderstanding?” Prince Jiangning was about to cry. Any other matter would have been fine, but they were talking about a rebellion. The crime of rebellion would lead to one losing one’s head! The kind where his entire family would be beheaded!
He knew that his son was a little ambitious, but he did not know that his ambition was so big!
“Your Majesty, please forgive him. There must be some misunderstanding. How can he rebel when he only knows how to use the abacus? Your Majesty…” Xiao Shihang did have the ambition to rebel and had secretly won over some officials. However, he had not taken any substantial steps to initiate the rebellion. Therefore, when he was convicted, he could not really be charged with the crime of rebellion.
However, Xiao Jin didn’t say this out loud. He simply watched as Prince Jiangning became as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.
“For the crime of rebellion, the most severe punishment is the execution of the entire clan. Even the lightest punishment is exile. I grew up under Prince Uncle’s watch and I also understand Prince Uncle’s personality. I am aware that you have been implicated by your son this time.”
“Yes, yes, yes. I was implicated by him. Your Majesty, please show mercy.
Don t… don’t execute my entire clan. You can seize my family assets. I will hand over everything. I will definitely not hold anything back!”
Xiao Jin’s dark eyes turned into a deeper shade. He would not kill Prince
Jiangning. He still had another son guarding his fiefdom.
However, Xiao Shihang must die!
Your Majesty, can I visit that unfilial son?” Prince Jiangning thought about this request and eventually still asked out loud. There were some things that he had to seek clarification from his son.
This was against the rules, but Xiao Jin still very kindly permitted his request.
“I am very angry, but I am soft-hearted. Prince Uncle, you can send him off on his last journey.”
Prince Jiangning looked at Xiao Jin’s disappointed expression and sniffed. His son wanted to rebel, but his nephew was still so magnanimous. “Thank you, Your Majesty. You will definitely live beyond a hundred years!”
Xiao Jin remained silent.
When Prince Jiangning was brought to the Imperial Prison, he covered his nose in disgust. The smell inside was really too unpleasant.
Xiao Shihang was a felon who had committed a serious crime. He was locked up in the cell located in the deepest part of the prison.
The official led Prince Jiangning to the last cell and took out the key to open the cell door.
“You have only fifteen minutes. If Your Highness has anything to say, just say it.”
Prince Jiangning nodded and walked in.
Xiao Shihang’s hands and feet were bound by iron chains, and the other ends of the chains were secured to the wall. His range of movement was limited to mere inches.
Xiao Shihang heard the commotion and raised his head. When he saw Prince Jiangning, he was a little stunned, but his eyes immediately lit up after that.
“Father! Father, save me! You must save me!”
Prince Jiangning slapped Xiao Shihang’s face with an anguished expression. “You unfihal son! Of all the things you could have done, why did you have to go and tear down your ancestor’s memorial tablet? Do you think I’ve had enough of my happy life?”
Xiao Shihang was filled with resentment. He felt that Zhou Xiangrong was the reason he had fallen to this level. If she had not insisted on dealing with the Empress, his matter would not have been exposed so quickly!
Father, you… you must think of a way to save me. I… I don’t want to die.”
Prince Jiangning sighed heavily and lowered his voice as he said, “I don’t care what thoughts you had in the past. Now that you’ve angered the Emperor, the Emperor will definitely not let you off easily. But this is not necessarily a dead end. Tell me first. What are the businesses you have managed over the years? I am referring to those that are also not under your name. Let me try and offer all your business assets to the Emperor and see if he will spare your life.”
Xiao Shihang wasn’t willing to hand over all his business assets. After all, these were the fruits of all his hard work for so many years.
When he saw that his son was still hesitating, Prince Jiangning raised his hand and slapped him again. “I thought you were a smart kid, but I didn’t expect you to be stupid at times. If you lose those things, you can always find a way to earn them back. If you die, can you bring these things to the underworld?”
Of course not!
Although Xiao Shihang was not willing, he eventually told Prince Jiangning everything about his business assets. However, he did not notice the shrewd look that flashed past in Prince Jiangning’s eyes.
After Xiao Shihang finished speaking, Prince Jiangning confirmed with him again and again. “Where’s your secret stash of silver? Have you accounted for everything? Physical money is also very important. If any sum is missing, the Emperor may suspect something.”
Xiao Shihang shook his head. “I have told you everything. There’s some gold buried in the small courtyard in the back courtyard of the Prince’s Residence.”
After confirming that Xiao Shihang was not lying, Prince Jiangning slowly stood up. His face no longer had the look of bitter disappointment from before. Instead, he appeared a little smug.
Xiao Shihang felt an ominous premonition welling up in his heart when he saw that expression. He grabbed Prince Jiangning’s clothes. “Father, when can I leave this place?”
Prince Jiangning lowered his eyes and looked at him with an ambiguous expression. “On the day you are to be beheaded, you will be led out, won’t you?”
Xiao Shihang’s expression changed drastically. “What do you mean?”
Prince Jiangning gave a scornful sneer. “What do I mean? Don’t you know better than me? You are not my flesh and blood at all! Why would I genuinely care about your life and death?”
Xiao Shihang was struck by a bolt out of the blue. He felt that Prince Jiangning was deliberately saying this to cut ties with him. “This… this is impossible! Impossible!”
“Your mother was fancied by the late emperor back then. The two of them had been secretly carrying on for a long time. If it weren’t for the fact that the founding emperor didn’t agree to their marriage, she wouldn’t have married me. Prince Jiangning was a hedonistic son of a rich family. At a young age, he was already fooling around with women. He could tell with a glance whether a woman had engaged in sexual intercourse before. He could even tell with his naked eyes whether a woman was pregnant.
Xiao Shihang’s biological mother was already pregnant before she married
him. He didn’t have to think to know whose child it was.
However, at that time, the late emperor had already gained power. Prince Jiangning was afraid of getting into trouble, so he could only grit his teeth and play the role of this giant cuckold. For so many years, he had been holding back his sense of humiliation.
Now that he saw the two brothers Xiao Shihang and Xiao Jin fighting each other, he was simply overjoyed. Why would he think of a way to save this son?
“Go to hell and accompany your slutty biological mother!”
Prince Jiangning kicked Xiao Shihang to the ground. He had come today only to find out what Xiao Shihang’s hidden assets were and then take the opportunity to humiliate him. All these years, he had almost been driven to his death by swallowing this sense of humiliation!
Xiao Shihang fell to the ground in disbelief.
It turned out that he actually had the bloodline of the late emperor.
It turned out that he was also qualified to inherit the throne.
I m the emperor’s offspring? I’m the late emperor’s son. Let me out! I’m the late emperor’s son!”
Prince Jiangning gestured to the officer to close the cell door and shook his head with a pained expression. “It’s all my fault. I didn’t teach this child well and allowed him to cause trouble for the Emperor.” He wiped his tears as he calculated in his heart how much silver he had to hide to ensure that he would still be rich for the rest of his life.
What power? Was it not good to be an idle prince?