After Rebirth, She Becomes the Revenge Queen-Chapter 180 - 179: Did You Kill Liang Ning?

After Yang Zhan descended the mountain, Xu Yin was summoned by Prince Rong into the house.

After hearing the account of capturing Zhang Shicheng, Prince Rong stood in front of the window with his hands behind his back, silent and facing away from the door.

Xu Yin stood waiting with lowered eyes for a while, then said, "Although this incident came suddenly and caught us off guard, ultimately, Prince, your meticulous planning back in the day left no future troubles. Even if someone discovers some clues, it is of no major consequence. There is no need for you to worry so much. The Commandery Princess was quite frightened tonight, I shall take my leave first."

"Wait a moment."

Just as Xu Yin turned to leave, Prince Rong spoke. "There is something I have always wanted to ask you."

Xu Yin stood still. "Please, Prince, ask whatever you wish."

Prince Rong stepped out from behind the curtain, his gaze deep under the lamp light, "Was it you who killed Liang Ning?"

The lamp on the table suddenly burst open with a snap, sending out a string of sparks.

Xu Yin’s face remained calm, and after a moment, he said, "What makes you say such a thing?"

Prince Rong took slow steps forward, stopping two feet away from Xu Yin. "I still remember that night; Zhang Shicheng had people searching for the dagger all over Baiyu Lane. When they knocked on your door during the search, you didn’t reveal a word, yet later you came to see me voluntarily, saying you had a way to find it for me.

"You asked me for three days. Exactly on the third day, that lively girl from the Liang Family died in the fire.

"After that, you came to tell me that no one would ever find that dagger again.

"Of course, I didn’t believe it. Under such circumstances, not seeing the dagger would certainly mean a death sentence for you.

"But just then, my precious daughter barged in with the dagger, saying she already carried your child, and if I didn’t accept you, she would die in front of me."

Prince Rong’s eyes were filled with a hidden anger.

After a brief pause, he looked again towards the night outside the window, "Of course, it was later revealed that she was deceiving me.

"Over the years, I have thought about it carefully, Xu Yin. Let me speculate: at that time, the dagger fell into Liang Ning’s hands, and you saw it, which is why you came to me voluntarily and promised you could retrieve the dagger.

"But things didn’t go as you expected, Liang Ning didn’t give you the dagger, and you had already made a big promise in front of me and had to give me an explanation.

"So, you killed Liang Ning. This way, the dagger would indeed remain hidden.

"But you were still aware of the situation, knowing I would not tolerate you.

"Thus, before coming to report back to me, you found Yongping. That naive girl had long been interested in you, and you, being so smart, surely were aware.

"You let her know Liang Ning was dead, and that you were free again, allowing her to believe it was possible to be with you forever. You also showed her your fear and anxiety, so that naive child came with a dagger to force her father.

"To me, there are two ways to keep a secret: one is to turn someone into a dead person, the other is to make them family. You succeeded. Not only did you get rid of the disfigured Liang Ning, but you also managed to involve Yongping."

After Prince Rong finished speaking, the silence in the room caused the sound of the hourglass to suddenly become clear.

Xu Yin gradually furrowed his brow.

"My admiration for the Prince and my affection for the Commandery Princess, I did not expect to be regarded so poorly in the Prince’s mind."

"Am I mistaken?!" Prince Rong voice was heavy, "Xu Yin, you killed Liang Ning, how can you still put on such a passionate and righteous façade to deceive Yongping? How can you continue to have peace of mind while often visiting Baihe Temple?

"You killed a member of the Liang Family, surely dragging Prince Rong’s Mansion into trouble with you!"

Xu Yin pressed his lips together and said nothing. He stepped to the door, opened it, and gestured for Mrs. Zhang, who was speaking with someone, to leave. "Please have the Commandery Princess come in for a brief word."

Yongping entered the room with a puzzled expression, after glancing at Princess Rong.

Xu Yin closed the door. "Commandery Princess, do you still remember what you did on the night of the sixteenth of August in the sixteenth year of Shengyuan?"

Yongping hesitated for a moment, and her cheeks instantly flushed. "Why are you bringing this up?"

Xu Yin’s face was calm as still water, "My father-in-law has doubts about my integrity. To prove my innocence, I ask the Commandery Princess to help bear witness."

Prince Rong was stunned upon hearing this. "What witness could she possibly provide for you?!"

"That night, the Commandery Princess spent the whole night with me. Whether I had time to commit the crime, she knows best!"

Xu Yin turned to Yongping, "That evening, because Miss Liang went up the mountain to pray for her brother, and I couldn’t accompany her due to official duties, while preparing to go to a tavern with colleagues, I encountered the Commandery Princess along the way.

"I then accepted the Commandery Princess’s invitation to watch a play with her, and we had tea together. It was very late when I suggested to escort the Commandery Princess back, but she said she didn’t want to go back, and then..."

He didn’t finish the sentence.

There was no need to say any more!

Prince Rong gritted his teeth and turned away, while Yongping was so embarrassed that she couldn’t lift her head.

"With the Commandery Princess as a witness throughout the night, does my word now hold any credibility?" Xu Yin spoke slowly, "I, Xu Zixiu, have relied on the Prince to move forward smoothly. I can endure others accusing me of seeking wealth from the Prince’s Manor, but I absolutely cannot bear being called ungrateful!

"Should I have committed such acts, wouldn’t I become a hypocritical person who forgets loyalty for gain? And, Prince, if you love the Commandery Princess yet chose someone like me as a son-in-law, wouldn’t it be leading a wolf into the house?

"So, was your paternal love genuine or false?"

Prince Rong was left speechless.

Xu Yin gently escorted Yongping out of the room.

Shutting the door securely, the room became even quieter than before.

After a long silence, Prince Rong spoke, "Since Liang Ning wasn’t killed by you, then explain why you came to see me that night, claiming you would find the dagger?!"

"The dagger was indeed in Liang Ning’s possession. She had promised to give it to me, but no one expected her sudden death. Moreover, it happened on the same night I was with the Commandery Princess.

"Liang Ning and I spent eight years together, our love was profound, and she treated me with sincere affection. The one time I wronged her, she lost her life, and I still can’t get over that in my heart.

"I always think that if I had accompanied her up the mountain that day, everything would have been better, so I still can’t bear to disregard the Liang Family to this day.

"Of course, I also know that this is unfair to the Commandery Princess, but she was fully aware that I was betrothed to Liang Ning that night when she was with me. Hence, even if my remembrance of the Liang Family is excessive, she should understand a bit.

"After all, if I can carry on in such peace under these circumstances, how could I be fit to be a son-in-law of the Prince Manor?"

Though Prince Rong’s expression was still unpleasant, he said nothing further.

Xu Yin gathered his hands in front of him and continued, "By the way, those two people killed by my brother in the lane, what is their background? I beg the Prince for some enlightenment."

Prince Rong furrowed his brow, "Why do you ask this?"

Xu Yin straightened his stance, "I just thought that given the dignity of your presence in the court, even if this matter were to spread, it might not shake the foundation of the Manor. Initially, I paid it no mind, but seeing tonight how unsettled you and the Princely Heir are, it came to mind.

"After all, I am half a member of the Prince Manor. When the Manor faces problems, how could I not care?"

"It’s better for you not to know."

Prince Rong took a deep breath and stepped out.

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