Ci Jinzhi

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

"He Qingxiao dares to deceive me. I will only punish him with thirty strokes. It's 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 your 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 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 process for ministers to receive the imperial staff. Those responsible for the execution are the eunuch Sun Yan and the commander of the Jinlin Guards Feng Nian.

When the chamberlain arrived, He Qingxiao had already received three canes, and the fourth one 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 an oral order that Changle Marquis He Qingxiao will go to Qianqing Palace immediately."

Feng Nian was stunned and looked 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 and calm ambassador of Beizhen.

"What are you doing standing there in a daze? Why don't you help Mr. He up!" After being stunned for a moment, Feng Nian said to the Han general.

Several big 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 instructions.

Feng Nian looked at the tall and straight figure and sighed regretfully in his heart: It only took three blows.

"Commander Feng, let's go." Sun Yan walked past Feng Nian.

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

"Let him in."

Xin You 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, but 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 saint.

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 court battle ended suddenly.

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

When Emperor Xingyuan saw his actions, he thought that Feng Nian had acted very quickly. He subconsciously glanced at Xin You, feeling somewhat 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.

Is Ayou crying for him?
  This discovery made his heart palpitate, and it was a bit unreal.

In his impression, Ayou was resourceful and courageous, but he rarely saw 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 also a little 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 the rest of the imperial staff will be spared."

As expected, it was Ayou who 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 sounded a warning, "Stay back."

"My minister 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: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

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

He actually 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.

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."

The eldest 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 let Ayou 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.

After leaving 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 ordered the coachman to stop: "Ayou goes and asks Marquis 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.

In comparison, the pain from the injury and the humiliation of being beaten with a cane in public seemed to be insignificant.

"Miss Xin——" He Qingxiao hesitated, "or... Your Highness the Princess?"

He still didn't know what agreement the father and daughter reached after meeting.

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

They were stopped by Mr. He outside the alley this morning, and they had already decided on their words. When Mr. He was questioned, he admitted that he knew her identity when he 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 trip 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 unconsciously raised her lips: "I only got three blows."

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

"Feng Nian, the commander of the Jinlin Guards, 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 kill people if they are struck to the point of 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)