After her mind was read, the spoiled brat became the darling of the whole group.

"That's not how it is," Madam Xie instinctively retorted, but then she fell silent.

She didn't know what to say.

What parent is born incapable of loving their child?

Mrs. Xie is already a mother of four children, how could she not understand?

Compared to Xie Yuze, Xie Mingzhu, and others, she seemed to naturally view Xie Xing with a scrutinizing gaze.

Is this person worthy of being my daughter?

What right does she have compared to my other children?

She would use her eyes to find countless faults in Xie Xing, simply because she wasn't a child raised by her side.

She had all sorts of "bad habits" that she had learned from others.

Is this really Xie Xing's fault?

No, it's just that Xie Xing doesn't resemble the child she taught; he's not the child she watched grow up.

So she was worried, and in her heart, Xie Xing would always come after her children.

This child includes Xie Mingzhu.

Madam Xie seemed to realize this as well, her face turning red and then pale.

She was trembling all over, unable to believe the truth.

She actually couldn't love her own daughter.

Even though she had realized that Xie Xing was her real daughter.

Xie Yuze had long anticipated this outcome. He stepped forward and looked at Xie Xing with gentle eyes: "Xing'er, we owe you love, and we can never repay it in a lifetime."

“But these are special times. You can’t go back to the Song family, or you will harm the Song family.”

"Did it harm the Song family?"

Xie Yuze said, "You and Prince Jin..."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Those who know that Prince Jin treats you specially will only see you as his weakness."

“Your adoptive parents are just ordinary people. They can’t protect you. Your elder brother has just gained a foothold in the court. Once he enters the cabinet, he becomes the target of everyone’s criticism. He can’t even take care of himself. How can he take care of you?”

Xie Xing fell silent.

"Although your second brother was granted the title of general, you know he is just a minor general with a low rank."

"Do you want to drag the entire Song family down because of you?"

Xie Xing himself was a person with little power. In this harem, the only people he could be considered to have connections with were the Fifth Princess and Consort Lin.

Leaving aside the Fifth Princess, who was Consort Lin giving Xie Xing special treatment out of respect for?

It's because of the power behind Xie Xing, not Xie Xing himself.

Xie Yuze appealed to his emotions and reasoned with him: "No matter how you look at it, you shouldn't sever ties with the Xie family."

"Besides, you are now the Fifth Princess's study companion."

Xie Yuhe looked at Xie Xing, took a step forward, and smiled gently, "Xing'er, at least now is not the time to sever ties."

Xie Xing took out the tiger tally and said, "I know that now is not the time to sever ties."

"What I mean is, after everything is over, I, Xie Xing, will never have any, not even the slightest, relationship with your Xie family again."

"Even if I owe the Xie family a lot, I have already repaid it by saving two of their lives."

After saying this, Madam Xie covered her face and sobbed.

She regretted her actions, but there was nothing she could do.

Xie Yuhe never expected Xie Xing to be so resolute.

Have they really done something so unforgivable?

Xie Yuhe looked at his blood-related sister, a trace of sorrow flashing in his eyes: "Xing'er, no matter what you think, the Xie family's door will always be open for you."

Xie Yuze lowered his head.

Since Xie Xing has made up his mind, he has no right to say anything more.

After obtaining the tiger tally, the three members of the Xie family left the palace.

Xie Xing stood there, watching the departing figures of Madam Xie and the others.

[I disrupted the plot, preventing them from dying. What will happen to them afterward?]

The system stated: "Once Luo Hanfeng ascends to the throne, he will inevitably take action against them sooner or later."

Change is temporary; nothing lasts forever.

Their current state is truly laughable; the person who would truly make them regret their actions is long dead.

[Now, those who wanted to see it can't, and it's only disgusting to others.]

Xie Xing nodded. "Yes, in the story, when the original owner longed for their love, she never received a single moment of regret from the Xie family, even until her death."

Now that they've discovered Xie Mingzhu, whom they've doted on for so many years, is an ungrateful wretch who caused the death of her entire family, they're turning back to try and win me back.

There's no such thing as a free lunch.

Upon hearing this, Xie Yuhe and Xie Yuze, who had not gone far, paused in their tracks.

Xie Yuze blushed.

Xie Yuhe wasn't much better off.

The two exchanged a glance, gritted their teeth inwardly, but in the end did nothing and left with the tiger tally.

……

Meanwhile, in the emperor's palace.

After treatment by the imperial physician, Luo Hanfeng's life was finally saved.

Emperor Chu stood by the bedside with his hands behind his back, and asked the imperial physician in a deep voice, "How much longer?"

The imperial physician said, "Your Majesty, we have stopped the bleeding and disinfected the area. It will probably be tomorrow before His Highness wakes up."

The Chu Emperor said, "Wake him up as soon as possible."

"Yes."

After thinking for a moment, the imperial physician and several other physicians around him hurriedly began to give Luo Hanfeng acupuncture.

At this moment, a eunuch from the emperor's side bowed and came to the emperor's side, "Your Majesty, Prince Jin requests an audience."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor of Chu said, "Let him in."

The eunuch went to report.

A short while later, Jun Lanjin walked in from outside.

"Zhiheng, you've come at just the right time." The Chu Emperor beckoned to Jun Lanjin, then turned to look at him. "Today, when I left the palace, I happened to encounter the Seventh Prince being chased, and that's how I rescued him."

"But now Lao Qi is telling me that in that battle, the Xie family joined forces with the Southern Kingdom to kill him to silence him."

"But Xie Tongchen also told me that it was the seventh prince who joined forces with the Southern Kingdom."

"Tell me, whom should I believe?"

Jun Lanjin walked to Luo Hanfeng's bedside, looked down at Luo Hanfeng, and said in a low voice, "The Seventh Prince was born to a palace maid, which is a disgrace to His Majesty. He has been neglected and raised in the cold palace since childhood."

"Even His Majesty knows how desolate and bleak the Cold Palace is."

"His Majesty has no idea what the Seventh Prince has sacrificed to survive in this cold palace until now, or how much resentment he harbors in his heart."

"How could we possibly know whether the Seventh Prince was committing adultery with the Southern Kingdom because he harbored resentment towards His Majesty?"

The Emperor of Chu frowned: "Zhiheng's words make sense, but—"

But there's always a "but".

The Chu Emperor spoke up: "But regarding the Xie family, I first confiscated the property of the entire Xie family, and then imprisoned Xie Tongchen's father. It is impossible for him to harbor resentment and defect to the Southern Kingdom."

Jun Lanjin said calmly, "How many Southern traitors did Xie Tongchen kill in the last battle?"

"Leaving aside the fact that his father and family are in Your Majesty's hands, just consider the Southern Kingdom. After the last battle, which Southern Kingdom person doesn't hate him?"

"That doesn't make sense."