Ci Jinzhi

Emperor Xingyuan was happy to see Xin You return, but he was not very happy after hearing her words.

“He Qingxiao dared to deceive me, I only punished him with thirty sticks, because he saved you.”

The girl kneeling on the cold floor tiles straightened her body. After hearing these words, her eyelashes trembled slightly and her tears rolled down: "So I only ask to be punished together with Master He. I begged him to keep the secret for the time being. Master He was wrong, and I am even more guilty." Wrong. If Mr. He is punished alone and I stay out of it, then I will not be able to forgive myself."

As she spoke, she straightened her back and leaned down: "I beg your Majesty to grant me permission."

Emperor Xingyuan looked at the girl's tears hitting the gold bricks one by one. He felt very complicated: Just now, he said that he didn't want the title of Princess Xia. He was so stubborn. How can he cry now?

But because he was so prejudiced against her, Emperor Xingyuan relented: "That's all, bring Marquis Changle back."

 After receiving the oral order, the chamberlain hurried to the Meridian Gate.

There is also a certain process for ministers to receive imperial cudgels. Those responsible for prison sentences are the **** Sun Yan and the commander of Jinlin Guards Feng Nian.

When the chamberlain arrived, He Qingxiao had already received three sticks, and the fourth stick he held high was about to fall.

 “Stop!”

As the chamberlain shouted, the Han general in charge of the execution raised his long stick hand and subconsciously looked at Feng Nian.

The chamberlain hurriedly walked up to Feng Nian and Sun Yan: "It is said that I have given you an oral order that Changle Marquis He Qingxiao will go to Qianqing Palace immediately."

Feng Nian was stunned for a moment, looking at the young man lying on the ground with complicated eyes.

His clothes and pants were taken off, and one side of his face was on the ground. He was obviously extremely embarrassed and humiliated, but the fact that he never frowned made people think that he was still the calm envoy of Beizhen.

"What are you doing standing there, why don't you help Mr. He up!" After a moment of daze, Feng Nian said to the Han general.

 Several Han generals hurriedly helped He Qingxiao up.

He Qingxiao refused help from others, put on her clothes silently, and went to Qianqing Palace with the chamberlain who came to deliver the oral message.

Feng Nian looked at the tall and straight figure and sighed with regret in his heart: He only received three blows.

“Commander Feng, let’s go.” Sun Yan walked past Feng Nian.

In the Qianqing Palace, the chamberlain reported: "Your Majesty, the envoy of He Zhen has arrived."

 “Let him in.”

Xinyou looked at the door and saw He Qingxiao walking in.

Different from the embarrassment in the picture, his crimson official uniform does not look dirty, except that after removing the official hat, a strand of hair falls on the side of his face, which is a look that does not usually appear when facing the saints.

 He Qingxiao also saw Xin You.

When their eyes met, he saw her reddish eyes and the remaining tears, and he suddenly understood why the courtship ended suddenly.

Using all his self-control to look away, He Qingxiao slowly knelt down and saluted: "I have met your majesty and met your eldest princess."

 Emperor Xingyuan saw his actions and thought that Feng Nian had acted very quickly. He glanced at Xin You subconsciously, feeling a little guilty for no reason.

Xin You naturally could tell that He Qingxiao had received the imperial cane, but he didn't know how many.

Her eyes were sore and tears fell.

He Qingxiao’s expression froze, at a loss and confused.

 Ayou is crying for him?

This discovery made his heart palpitate, and it was a bit unreal.

His impression of Ayou is that she is resourceful and courageous, but he rarely sees her weak and crying.

Xin You, whose eyes had been falling on He Qingxiao, noticed his confusion, and her original guilt and heartache suddenly turned into helplessness.

Mr. He is too down-to-earth. Tears are not valuable, it would be a good deal to shed more in exchange for him suffering less.

“Ahem.” Emperor Xingyuan cleared his throat, “Marquis Changle, I think you have done a great job in saving Ayou, so I will spare you the rest of the imperial staff.”

 As expected, Ayou interceded for him.

He Qingxiao clenched his fists and lowered his head: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for showing mercy." "I won't do this next time." Emperor Xingyuan's cold voice was a warning, "Back off."

 “I retire.”

He Qingxiao slowly stood up and walked away backwards.

Emperor Xingyuan looked at Xin You: "I saw it, he is fine."

Xin You wiped her tears and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Emperor Xingyuan endured it, but couldn't hold it back: "Ayou values ​​Marquis Changle very much."

 In fact, he wanted to say that he cared, and secretly suspected that his daughter liked that bastard.

Xin You raised her eyes and looked at Emperor Xingyuan with clear eyes and a calm expression: "Master He is my savior. When I was a bandit girl and Mr. Xin, I never regretted running around for strangers and getting into danger. How could he remain indifferent when his savior was in danger?"

 Speaking of this, she looked suspicious: "Could it be that your Majesty suspects that I have a romantic relationship with Mr. He?"

Emperor Xingyuan suddenly felt embarrassed.

 It’s because he is too vulgar, how can he speculate on Ayou based on common sense.

“Ayou misunderstood, I didn’t think so. Oh, since I’m back, why not leave the palace after dinner.”

Princess Zhaoyang knew that Xin You was unwilling, so she declined on her behalf: "There are many rules in the palace. I have been busy for most of the day today, so I'd better let A You go to my sister's place to have a rest. You can come into the palace at any time in the future."

Emperor Xingyuan agreed upon hearing this and no longer forced him to stay.

Out of the palace gate, Xin You and Princess Zhaoyang got on the carriage, and soon they caught up with He Qingxiao who was walking.

Princess Zhaoyang considerately asked the coachman to stop the car: "Ayou goes and asks the Marquis of Changle if he has a carriage. If not, let him take this car back to the Marquis' Mansion."

 “Thank you, aunt.”

Xin You got off the carriage and walked towards He Qingxiao: "Master He."

He Qingxiao stopped and looked at the girl in a plain dress walking quickly, his eyes stopping at the end of her slightly red eyes.

For the first time, He Qingxiao felt despicable.

 He was actually happy because Ayou shed tears for him.

Comparatively, the pain from the injury and the humiliation of being beaten with a cane while taking off his clothes in public seemed to be insignificant.

"Miss Xin—" He Qingxiao hesitated for a moment, "or...your highness the princess?"

 He still doesn’t know what agreement the father and daughter reached after they met.

"There is no such thing as a princess, Mr. He calls me Miss Xin." Xin You couldn't tell the extent of the injury from He Qingxiao's expression, so she pursed her lips and asked, "Am I late?"

They were stopped by Mr. He outside the alley this morning. They decided on their excuse. When Mr. He was questioned, they admitted that they knew her identity when they went south.

If there had not been this trip south, once it was revealed that Miss Kou was Mr. Xin, it would be difficult for Mr. He to win the trust of that person if he denied knowing her true identity. And if he admitted it, a crime of this nature of deceiving the emperor would not be easily exposed. .

 The journey south saved her from falling into the water and gave her the best chance to admit the matter.

Looking at her concerned eyes, He Qingxiao raised her lips and said, "I only got three blows."

　　After a pause, he said softly: "It's just thirty sticks. I can bear it. Miss Xin shouldn't plead for me."

“The commander of the Jinlin Guards, Feng Nian, is not friendly to Master He. With him in prison, it is possible to take away half of your life with thirty sticks.”

　　Thirty sticks can strike someone to death. Feng Nian did not dare to take Master He's life, but it was not difficult to make him suffer greatly.

 (End of this chapter)