Cunning General Si Ning
Chapter 239: The Big Boys

Chapter 239: The Big Boys

The main court door opened and Concubine Ling and Xiu Junjie stepped in with Liu MingXia three guards meant to protect them.

Si Ning didn’t expect them to show up but he was glad to see them alive, they started walking towards him but the moment Si Ning lowered his gaze to meet Xiu Junjie’s eyes, he was glad that at least the two Princes were safe just like he promised Xiu Zhicheng to keep them safe but he was slightly shocked to see that fear was written all over Xiu Junjie’s face when he got nearer. The boy that was always fearless that seemed like he won’t even be scared if he sees a dragon now wore a scared expression and then he started running towards him.

To be honest Si Ning doesn’t have the strength to dodge the boy’s kick knowing Xiu Junjie was probably running toward him to vent his anger on him by kicking him so he just stood there and braced his legs for the impact but Xiu Junjie did something Si Ning never expected, he hugged him by the torso and started to wail out loudly.

Si Ning was taken aback, he was so surprised by this odd behaviour of Xiu Junjie that he quickly overcame his surprise because he was worried, he placed a hand on Xiu Junjie’s head to pat it to at least serve as a means of comfort but he was glad to see Xiu Junjie finally behaving like a child which he was, a child must cry sometimes. Xiu Junjie must have been scared by the night event so Si Ning stood there letting Xiu Junjie cry that the boy even used his trousers to wipe his nose.

The people present seemed shocked as they watched Si Ning take a glance at Xiu Yuan to see if he was still sleeping, the people were shocked because if they didn’t know Si Ning well they would have thought he was the father of the two boys that found solace in his embrace.

Si Ning would have loved to carry Xiu Junjie but he was carrying Xiu Yuan so it was impossible since he didn’t want to risk Xiu Yuan waking. "Come Junjie." He said as he led the boy towards the steps, he sat down, Xiu Yuan on his lap while he drew Junjie to him to wipe his tears.

Steward Yu came in with four servants that looked pale like blood had escaped from their bodies, they started to hang the lanterns and candles quickly and within a minute the courtroom had gotten so bright it almost seemed like it was during the day but the sun that created daylight instead of radiating a white light was now radiating a yellow light.

The Imperial Doctor also arrived with the guard that went to call him but Si Ning raised a hand to stop him from coming closer to him because now it was about Xiu Junjie and not him, he couldn’t ignore the boy by letting the Imperial Doctor treat him, first he had to make the boy stop crying.

The courtroom too was starting to get filled up, each Minister arrived dressed up in their morning assembly uniform, they arrived one after the other and some wore worried expressions, some wore confused expressions others seemed to wear straight faces as they went to stand in their position.

Some of the Minister looked so confused, their eyes on Concubine Ling who was standing, Concubine Ran who was on her knees crying, and the guard of Si Ning was standing there and gave them a murderous stare which made the Ministers direct their gaze to the floor like the floor was the most interesting thing to look at.

"I didn’t cry, Si Ning." Xiu Junjie said after calming down as he rubbed his eyes with his sleeves to wipe away his tears.

"No, you didn’t cry." Si Ning agreed while nodding, he wanted to place his hand on the boy’s cheeks to check his face but because his hands were dirty so he didn’t, the hall was bright enough so he only stared to see that Xiu Junjie’s eyes were only red and swollen due to him crying.

"I will never cry and you did not see me cry." Xiu Junjie told Si Ning.

Si Ning shook his head. "Oh no I never see you cry and I know you will never cry." He replied knowing the boy’s pride was at stake and he was ready to make Xiu Junjie feel better. If Xiu Junjie says he didn’t cry then he was going to agree to it.

"Let me tell you something." Xiu Junjie whispered. "Si Ning do you know that I sneaked out to go to my brother’s Palace?" He watched to see Si Ning shake his head. "I saw her, Xiu Yuan’s mother, Concubine Ran brought out a knife and stabbed Elder Qin in the stomach." He said in a low voice.

Wow.

Si Ning’s mouth parted slightly. "Did you really see this with your eyes?" He had to ask, he had a lot of things to solve but a boy telling a lie was something he doesn’t need and apart from that, an Imperial family killing a Servant had no punishment even if the Imperial family was at fault, it was like a human killing an ant, the human could never get punished for that.

It was quite unfortunate that Elder Qin met her demise like that but this proves that Concubine Ran had a thing to do with the attack because Concubine Ran was never someone who would stand up and say she missed her son and her son should stay with her throughout the night but first he had to confirm if Xiu Junjie was telling the truth even though he was sure the boy couldn’t conjure up lies.

"Yes, Elder Qin fell and I saw her maid carry my brother then they left but some people came and started killing the palace maidens." Xiu Junjie started crying again. "So I ran to my palace but it was the same in my palace they killed all of them then Concubine Liu came to save me." He explained while he rubbed Xiu Yuan’s head lightly.

"Don’t worry, you are safe, Xiu Yuan is safe but now." Si Ning reassured the boy, now he could see why the boy who always carry his shoulder high made his shoulder droop and was crying so much, it must have been like a horror show for him to witness killing at his age.

During their small talk, the courtroom was already filled up, the governmental officials coming in like water, they made sure to make each of their steps not to make too much noise as they all arranged themselves into their position, the Ministers that came earlier gaze were on the floor due to Xiao Pei whose stare seemed murderous while the ones that came newly watched the interaction between Si Ning and Xiu Junjie.

It was the Minister of the Foreign Affairs that came in making a loud movement like he wanted everyone to know he arrived but his loud footsteps made Xiu Junjie turn to check what was going on, his eyes widened as he turned back to Si Ning.

"Si Ning I didn’t cry." Xiu Junjie said in a panic as he started to wipe his nose and tears.

"Yes, you didn’t." Si Ning reassured him, he could see the boy’s childish fear that maybe the Ministers he was supposed to lead saw him cry which was not proper for a Crown Prince.

Jiang ChenMu came in with two Ministers that were bound with robes, he threw them on the floor right in front of Si Ning, the Ministers looked scared as they started shaking due to fear. Liu MingXia came in with her guards, holding the edict, and handed it to Si Ning then she stepped back to stay right beside Concubine Liu on the row that

Concubine Ran knelt, her tears dried up, her eyes vacant as she stares at the floor.

Si Ning was glad to see that the edict was intact and he gave it to the Prime Minister when he arrived, after the Prime Minister collected it, he went to stand at his position, it wasn’t long before the Minister of Defense too arrived, the Imperial Tutor walking in front of him. The Minister of Justice also arrived, It seemed the big boys had arrived so Si Ning knew it was time to start the meeting but first he had to let the Imperial Doctor who seemed lost treat him.

"Jiang ChenMu take A-Junjie and Yuan-er and find a place for them then come back immediately." Si Ning said.

"Yes General." Jiang ChenMu replied and carried Xiu Yuan who was still sleeping then he extended his hand to Xiu Junjie.

Si Ning expected Xiu Junjie to slap away the hand or start walking at the front but Xiu Junjie slide his hand into Jiang ChenMu’s hold and allowed Jiang ChenMu to start leading him out of the courtroom. Si Ning hoped that the night events won’t give Xiu Junjie trauma so he placed it in the back of his mind to find someone that knows about psychology that would see to Xiu Junjie’s mental health.