Chapter 179 - The Palace Prison Cell (3)

"Why is this happening to me!? I didn't do anything wrong! I am being charged as a traitor because I am a servant of the Xiong household!"

The servant's voice was one Xiong Jingfei instantly recognized, Xiong Guang. The person she took to the front with her and got injured along the way.

"Aren't you trembling way too much, Xiong Guang?" Xiong Jingfei sat down on the dirty hay ground and next to Xiong Guang. "Care to tell me why?" 

She peered into Xiong Guang's eyes as if she was trying to find the answer herself. It was reasonable to be nervous in this situation, but something about it caught her attention. 

"N-no, Miss. I'm just afraid of what is going to happen to us." Xiong Guang whimpered and covered her face with her arms. "I'm too young to die..." 

What Xiong Guang said isn't wrong, she was too young to die, and that goes for most of the servants sharing the same cell as them. 

"I promise to protect you with everything I got." Xiong Jingfei patted her head. "This also goes to all of you, young or old." 

"Then why didn't you do anything!?" Xiong Changchang stood up and pointed her finger at Xiong Jingfei. "Aren't you the Eldest Miss who holds the most power in the household?"

"You're right. I am the person in charge when our father is away." Xiong Jingfei glanced up at her half-sister. "Are you telling me that by being the Eldest Miss, it's worth something to his majesty and defy his order?" 

Xiong Changchang clamped her mouth, and with a huff, she sat back down. 

Xiong Jingfei tilted her head back to get a small peek outside their small window cell. It was dark outside, and the stars were showing themselves. There wasn't anything she could do in their situation, so she closed her eyes to get some sleep.

Then she felt someone trying to wiggle their way between her and Xu Song. 

"Second Miss?" Xu Song moved to the side to let in the small Xiong Jiayi in. 

Xiong Jiayi sat quietly next to Xiong Jingfei and faced downwards. 

Are these two sisters of mine scheming something again? Why is she sitting by me instead of with Changchang? That was what crossed through Xiong Jingfei's head until she noticed Xiong Jiayi trembling. 

Just like that, Xiong Jingfei immediately felt terrible for even having that thought. She was about to give Xiong Jiayi the same pat she gave Xiong Guang, but it felt slightly awkward for her to do it. Somehow it was much easier for her to do it to a servant than her younger sister.

Xiong Jingfei took off her outer robe to give little Jiayi a little warmth in their cold cell. What happened tonight must have been traumatizing for someone like Xiong Jiayi. A sheltered child inside the Xiong Manor and by her mother, Li Roulan.

So, they sat in a small cell and waited. They kept on waiting to hear any news about their father or what is happening out there in the world. Even the tiniest whisper about their father's situation will bring hope, but nothing came for them. 

"Eldest sister… I'm hungry." Xiong Jiayi sleepy said as she was woken up by the morning sunlight. 

"I… We will have to wait." Xiong Jingfei sadly said. 

She didn't have time to bring anything with her, so it was up to the soldiers to feed them. She doubts their food for labeled traitors were delicious, but it should be edible, hopefully. 

"Why don't we play a game while we wait?" 

Xiong Jingfei didn't think she would ever say that to her half-sister, but she did and found herself patting Xiong Jiayi's head too. She smiled behind her veil. It was easier than she thought.

"Wait, right." Xiong Changchang scoffed and turned her head the other way. She mumbled, "As if they're going to give food to traitors." 

Xiong Jingfei ignored the remark and refused to engage in that conversation with Xiong Changchang. 

They got their small portions of food, but no news of their father or nothing happened. That was until the world outside was starting to get dark again. 

There was more than a pair of footsteps approaching their prison cell. The chains caging them inside rattle and 'clicked' the door swung open. 

It was the "leader" of the palace soldiers who raided their manor. He had a disgusting gaze as she eyed each of Xiong Jingfei's servants. They were put in separately by gender, so inside the cell were all women only. 

Then his lewd eyes stopped and landed on Xiong Changchang.

"Take her."

Two soldiers rushed into the cell and pushed the rest out of their way. 

"No! Don't touch me!" Xiong Changchang shrieked as fear washed over her face. She got up to run away by trampling over the other servants. However, there wasn't anywhere for her to run. 

Screams and fear broke out, and it became an uproar in Xiong Jingfei's cell. 

Xiong Changchang's hair became disheveled as she tripped next to her sisters. She grabbed the nearest one to her. "Take her! She is also Xiong Guozhi's daughter!"

"Sister!" Xiong Jiayi's soft eyebrows shot up. She clenched her claws into Xiong Jingfei's left arm while Xiong Changchang pulled on her arms. 

"Xiong Changchang!" Xiong Jingfei shouted and pushed Xiong Jiayi behind her back. "She is your sister! What do you think you're doing!?"

"Sister!? This brat never considered me to be her sister!" Xiong Changchang shouted back and tried to grab Xiong Jiayi again. "Go and replace me if you're my sister!"

"Eldest sister, save me!" Xiong Jiayi tightly gripped onto Xiong Jingfei's back. "Don't let them take me!"

The "leader" soldier laughed at the entertainment the Xiong's Misses were displaying for them. 

"Xiong! Changchang!" Xiong Jingfei pushed her away, so she will stop pulling at the Xiong Jiayi behind her. "I am greatly disappointed in you!"

"Why must they choose me instead of you!? You're the Eldest Miss and the person who will know insider information!" Xiong Changchang hissed. She grabbed Xiong Jingfei's by the arm and pulled her towards the disgusting leader. "Take her! She is the person you want!" 

Xiong Jingfei didn't push or pull Xiong Changchang off her. She stared at her half-sister and closed her eyes. "Fine. I'll go." 

Xiong Changchang went hysterical. "Did you hear? The Eldest Miss is willing to go with you. Take her!" 

"Xiong Changchang." Xiong Jingfei tenderly touched Xiong Changchang's soft face. "This is the last time I will do anything for you as your eldest sister. This first one is to wake you up."

"What?" Xiong Changchang let go of Xiong Jingfei's arm. 

Xiong Changchang quickly learned what "first one" meant. A loud smack resonated inside the stoned wall prison. Then another ringed again with a result of two palms on Xiong Changchang's delicate face. 

"That second one signified the ending of our sister bond." Xiong Jingfei brushed past the Second Miss of the Xiong household. "Show me the way." 

The protection shield I secretly put you in will become undone. Xiong Changchang, one day, you will regret not seeing me as your sister.