After coming out of the palace, Ruan Jiu spotted Su Wan and Xie Yanchuan at once.
"Why are you here?" Ruan Jiu immediately stepped forward and asked.
"We just arrived in the capital. As soon as we heard from Xie Qinghuan that you were going to the palace to meet the emperor today, we rushed here right away," Su Wan explained.
Xu Henian looked around and asked, "Where's Huan'er? Why didn't she come with you?"
Xie Yanchuan lowered his head. "I thought my younger sister is pregnant. In case there's bad news, it's better not to let her know. So I asked her to wait at home."
"Did the emperor agree to release them?" Su Wan asked.
Ruan Jiu glanced at Xie Yanchuan, heaved a long sigh, and said, "Let's go to the prison to see them for the last time."
Hearing this, Xie Yanchuan's vision went black in an instant. His legs went weak and he slumped to the ground.
A wave of overwhelming grief welled up in his heart.
Heart - broken, he fell to the ground and wailed loudly.
Seeing Xie Yanchuan crying so sadly, Su Wan squatted down to comfort him. "Stop crying. He has done so many evil deeds. It's his just deserts."
Hearing this, Xie Yanchuan cried even louder.
While crying, he shouted, "Su Wan, is that how you talk?"
Su Wan patted his back and coaxed, "I'm just trying to comfort you!"
"Is this how you comfort someone?!"
"Then, after he's gone, how about I accompany you to invite a master to perform a proper memorial service for him, so that he can be a good person in his next life."
"Stop talking!"
"Hey, I heard that there's an abbot in Ling'en Temple who is extremely powerful. How about we go there and take a look?"
"Su Wan!"
...
Ruan Jiu on the side couldn't help covering her mouth and snickering.
But she didn't plan to tell Xie Yanchuan the truth.
After all, she still wanted to see a heart - warming scene of father and son later.
As for Xu Henian, he almost pinched his thigh blue in order to suppress the corners of his mouth from rising.
Just then, Xie Jingchu coughed twice and said in a solemn voice, "Get up quickly. You're such a grown - up. Aren't you afraid of being laughed at?"
Hearing Xie Jingchu's voice, Xie Yanchuan immediately stopped crying.
After all, he had been most afraid of his fourth uncle since childhood.
But he still sobbed softly, "My father is about to pass away. Can't I even cry?"
"Save your tears for later."
Hearing this, Xie Yanchuan immediately stood up.
Right, the most important thing now was to go and see his father for the last time.
He couldn't waste any time here!
In the prison, Xie Jing and Xie Wen were wearing prison uniforms, with messy hair and dirty faces.
There were also mottled bloodstains on their bodies, which showed that they had suffered a lot.
When they saw the familiar faces of Xie Jingchu and the others, they immediately rushed forward excitedly.
Xie Jing tightly grasped Xie Yanchuan's hand through the railing and asked, "Yan'er, are you here to rescue me?"
Hearing this, Xie Yanchuan couldn't help crying again.
Seeing this, Xie Jing was stunned. A look of fear quickly welled up in his eyes.
Xie Wen also immediately stepped forward and said, "Yan'er, say something!"
Xie Yanchuan sniffed. His two eyebrows were almost knitted together.
He said sadly, "Yan'er is unfilial! I failed to rescue you!"
After hearing this, Xie Jing seemed to lose all his strength. His hands dropped. "Is it... exile to the border?"
Xie Yanchuan bit his lip. His mouth opened slightly and then closed again.
Seeing that Xie Yanchuan was having a hard time speaking, Su Wan had to say on his behalf, "We're here to see you off for the last time."
"The final... final journey?!" Xie Wen widened his eyes.
Then he kept pounding on Xie Jing and roared, "If it weren't for you asking me to bribe the officials, I wouldn't have ended up like this!"
At this moment, Xie Jing couldn't hear Xie Wen's complaints in his ears.
He couldn't even feel the pain and just let Xie Wen beat him.
He seemed to have lost his soul, with a blank look in his eyes.
He kept muttering, "Am I really going to be beheaded?"
Xie Wen withdrew his fist. Even if he beat Xie Jing to death now, it wouldn't change anything.
He slumped to the ground all of a sudden.
Xie Yanchuan wiped away his tears and pretended to be strong. "Father, I'll take good care of mother for you. You just... just rest assured..."
Xie Yanchuan couldn't bring himself to say the rest of the words.
In the end, he swallowed them back.
Xie Jing came to his senses. Looking at Xie Yanchuan with reluctance in his eyes, he said in a trembling voice, "Yan'er, the thing I regret most in my life is that I won't be able to see you get married and have children.
I'm sorry, son! It's all because I was blinded by greed!"
After saying that, Xie Jing slapped himself hard several times.
Seeing this, Xie Yanchuan immediately held Xie Jing's hand and shook his head at him.
Xie Jing then continued, "In the future, don't be like your father. Once you make a wrong step, you'll make more mistakes! I only wish you a safe and smooth life in the future!
And your mother, you must take good care of her for me!"
Xie Jing was like a man making his last will. He forced himself to hold back the pain in his heart and choked out these words.
After hearing this, Xie Yanchuan couldn't hold back anymore and burst into tears.
In an instant, Xie Yanchuan's wails echoed throughout the prison.
Father and son hugged each other tightly through the railing.
Just then, a prison guard walked over.
Looking at them impatiently with a cold face, he unlocked the cell door and said, "Let's go."
After hearing this, although Xie Jing was extremely reluctant, he had no choice but to let go of Xie Yanchuan.
"Father!" Xie Yanchuan shook his head while tightly holding Xie Jing's fingers.
Xie Jing said to Xie Yanchuan sadly, "Yan'er, promise father that you won't watch when they carry out the execution later!"
He didn't want his son to see such a tragic scene!
This was the only bit of dignity he wanted to keep as a father.
After saying that, Xie Jing withdrew his hand and turned around resolutely.
Taking a deep breath, he asked the prison guard, "Under these circumstances, can't you at least let us have a full meal first?"
He had heard that people were always given a good meal before execution.
They had been eating steamed buns and porridge for more than half a month. They didn't want to die hungry.
"Yes. Just let us have a good meal before we go!" Xie Wen stood up and said choking back sobs. "Even if it's just a roast duck in soy sauce!"
"And a pot of strong liquor! Then we'll be drunk and won't feel the pain!" Xie Jing continued.
Just thinking about losing his head soon made his heart tremble.
He didn't know if the executioner's knife was sharp.
What if he didn't die with one blow?
Thinking of this, Xie Jing couldn't help touching his neck. A chill ran through his whole body.
"Roast duck in soy sauce?" The prison guard looked at Xie Wen.
Xie Wen nodded.
"Strong liquor?" The prison guard looked at Xie Jing.
Xie Jing nodded.
Then the prison guard immediately scolded, "If you want to eat, go home and eat!"
"Go... home?" Xie Jing was confused.
The prison guard snorted. "What do you think this place is? Do you think we're going to serve you like honored guests?"
After saying that, the prison guard glared at them and turned away.
Watching the prison guard's back as he left, Xie Jing was in a daze. "Why... why did he leave?"
Xie Yanchuan also didn't understand what was going on.
He turned around with a confused look on his face.
At this time, Ruan Jiu and the other two were standing there with their arms folded, looking at them playfully.
"What did he mean just now?" Xie Yanchuan looked at Ruan Jiu and asked. "Didn't you say we're here to see them for the last time?"
Ruan Jiu shrugged and replied, "This is the last time in the prison. Do they still want to come here in the future?"