I became the God Brother of the Regent King after Transmigration!-Chapter 359 - 277: Rong Heng Is Too Harsh

Rong Heng paused with the piece of meat, noticing that it suddenly disappeared in the pot.

"Speak up!" Rong Heng said in a low voice.

Xie Yun recounted his conversation with Su Wenzhong to both of them, then said:

"I want to ask the Prince’s men to reinvestigate the event when my entire Xie Family was executed back then."

Gu Lan put down his chopsticks and mused:

"You suspect that someone from the Xie Family other than you is still alive, and this person is trusted by the Emperor. Because of this person’s presence, the Emperor has always favored you and given you special treatment. Su Wenzhong also followed the Emperor’s orders to ensure your safe existence. Could this person be your brother?"

Xie Yun nodded.

He couldn’t have mistaken Su Wenzhong’s last expressions and words; all of this certainly involves the Emperor.

However, when he tried to probe subtly after entering the palace yesterday, he got no clues from the Emperor. Now he could only ask Rong Heng and start the investigation from scratch.

Rong Heng was extremely displeased with Xie Yun interrupting his hotpot meal with Gu Lan and said coldly, "Whether you have siblings or not, you should ask your parents."

Xie Yun scratched his head on the spot and sat down naturally under Rong Heng’s cold gaze, speaking with frustration:

"In my memory, my mother, Ms. He, was a talented woman in the Capital City, gentle and kind. As for my father, Xie Xu, though he was known for being a debonair, he loved my mother dearly. The two concubines had no children, and until the Xie Family was executed, I had no direct siblings, only two older cousins and one cousin sister."

Gu Lan: "What a happy family."

"Not anymore," seeing him sit down, Rong Heng’s eyelid twitched, and his words became even more poisonous, "Maybe your dad has an illegitimate child out there, and your mom—"

Gu Lan quickly interrupted Rong Heng to prevent him from further provoking the already depressed Xie Yun: "Brother Hang, keep your mouth shut, don’t say anything rash that might upset Vice Minister Xie. Could that illegitimate child of the Xie Family be Song Zhi?"

Xie Yun: "..."

Does Gu Lan think her words didn’t provoke him?

"See, Song Zhi is about the same age as you, and his attitude towards you is different from how he is with me. He’s also a confidant of the Emperor. If Rong Jing favors you because of Song Zhi, wouldn’t that make sense?"

What she said made sense, but indeed sounded nonsensical.

Xie Yun shook his head: "Before yesterday, I had never interacted with Song Zhi."

"What if Song Zhi has been silently protecting his younger brother all this time?"

Rong Heng felt a slight stir inside, waved his long sleeve, and issued the Crow Order.

In no time, You Ying leapt over the wall and arrived: "What are your instructions, Master?"

In Gu Lan’s astonished gaze, the Prince Xiang finally displayed his glowing aura of a male protagonist and said lightly:

"Within the time of burning an incense stick, I want all information on Song Zhi."

"Yes."

Gu Lan gave a thumbs up.

"Song Zhi, no courtesy name, twenty-nine years of age, from Qinghe County. His father was a County Magistrate of Qinghe County and died when he was ten. After both parents passed away, he wandered as a beggar in the Capital City for a few years until he was taken as a guard by the former head of the Imperial Guards. Gradually, he became the head of the Imperial Guards and later a close confidant of the Emperor—"

After reading his information, Gu Lan sighed: "It seems, he has nothing to do with the Xie Family."

Rong Heng glanced at Wei Chengyuan, who was eating snacks in the corner, and said suggestively:

"Some people’s registered identity might be fake; perhaps, Song Zhi and you are paternal or maternal half-brothers."

Xie Yun’s mouth twitched, he took the dossier from Gu Lan, and after reading it, he said:

"The timelines don’t match. Look here—Song Zhi’s father was the County Magistrate of Qinghe County, and his mother was the renowned Tofu Beauty of the area. Unexpectedly, one day when his mother went out, she caught the eye of the County Magistrate and was humiliated; she couldn’t bear the shame and committed suicide, which enraged his father to kill the magistrate’s entire household. However, the magistrate himself escaped as he was out of town, and the parentless Song Zhi became a beggar as a result."

Gu Lan picked up the narrative, continuing:

"During the time Song Zhi was begging, the Xie Family was still a prominent family in the Capital City. If Song Zhi were indeed an illegitimate child of the Xie Family, whether Xie Xu fancied the Tofu Beauty or Ms. He admired that righteous man, they wouldn’t have left him abandoned, and they certainly wouldn’t have let Song Zhi live as a beggar... But the records show that the County Magistrate lived peacefully till Song Zhi became an imperial guard officer, whereupon he was captured and beheaded."

Rong Heng closed his eyes and pondered for a while: "Besides, you and Song Zhi don’t resemble each other."

With Song Zhi ruled out, Gu Lan recalled that in the original work, Song Zhi went to Chen Country for the Second Prince. If Xie Yun were his brother or relative, it wouldn’t make sense for him to act like that.

"Then perhaps, one of your cousins is still alive and has become an influential minister in the court, an intimate of the Emperor..."

Yet, before Gu Lan, the face of that cold man with peach blossom eyes emerged—Rong Jing doesn’t seem like someone who could form deep connections with anybody.

Rong Heng looked at Xie Yun, saying coldly: "That makes as much sense as saying Han Ande is his second uncle, Fan Hongyi is his third uncle, or his father and Rong Jing were sworn brothers, and he entrusted his orphan before his end."

Xie Yun: "... Sorry to bother you."

First of all, the minsters loyal to the Emperor in the court have known names and have served for many years. If the Xie Family were so remarkable, with so many safeguards, they wouldn’t have been easily wiped out.

Furthermore, the Xie Family was part of the Third Prince’s faction back then. If there really were an orphan entrusted, it wouldn’t have reached Rong Jing, the Crown Prince at the time.

"I will help you investigate the Xie Family descendants but don’t hold much hope. There’s only one Gu Chengluan in this world, and she could only save the youngest child," Rong Heng said as he gazed at the boiling hotpot, raising his chopsticks nonchalantly, "You may leave now."

Xie Yun gracefully curled his lips, thanking: "Thank you, Prince. To celebrate this, we should toast and drink deeply."

Rong Heng mercilessly mocked: "You, half a member of the Su Family, brought the whole Su Family into the Ministry of Justice’s prison, yet you’re still in the mood to drink. Now that you are not playing the refined and gentle First Noble Son, are you letting yourself loose?"

Xie Yun’s fingertips trembled slightly, as if he hadn’t heard Rong Heng’s words. Casually, he picked up a cup and poured himself a drink: "Thanks to both of you."

Rong Heng frowned. He still wished to throw this man out, for disturbing his dinner with Lanlan in the middle of the night.

But just the next moment, Xie Yun lowered his head, letting a tear fall into the cup, shattering the hazy moon.

He cried.

Gu Lan felt a "thud" in his heart, thinking, oh no, Xie Yun was really brought to tears by Rong Heng’s harsh words.

Xie Yun quickly wiped the corners of his eyes, with a smile on his lips, standing up: "Oh dear, the wind is too strong, I’ll take my leave and not disturb you any longer."

Rong Heng’s eyes darkened slightly, he snorted, casually raising his hand, a dart emerging from his sleeve, cutting the rope of the ladder Xie Yun used to climb the wall.

"You can’t go back, stay and have a drink."

Gu Lan placed his watermelon juice in front of Xie Yun, curving his eyebrows: "Tonight, let’s drink to our heart’s content—a kind allowing tears, go ahead and cry, Rong Heng and I will pretend not to see."

Xie Yun laughed and scolded helplessly: "You two beasts."

Rong Heng retorted coldly: "Bitch Xie."