forgive

After hearing Zhao Fanghua say that he came for Shen Xiujin's death, the haze that shrouded Zhao Qinglan instantly dissipated, and the oppressive atmosphere in Wanhe Hall also instantly relaxed a lot.

As if she hadn't heard clearly, Zhao Qinglan pressed the issue again, "Are you so anxious to see me just because of Shen Xiujin's death? Is there nothing else?"

Zhao Fanghua nodded hurriedly: "Yeah, that's all, nothing else."

The matter of Chen Xiu Jin alone was enough to cost her her life, so how could she dare to do anything else? She was not a nine-tailed fox.

So that's how it is...

After confirming it again and again, Zhao Qinglan's brows relaxed instantly, his heart leaping with joy in his chest. The corners of his lips had already curved into a smile without him realizing it, and he even had to pretend to cough twice by clenching his fist against his lips.

Although Zhao Fanghua didn't understand why Zhao Qinglan asked repeatedly if there was anything else, and even secretly complained that he was not only deaf but also had a broken brain, her main purpose was to come and apologize, so she honestly pleaded for herself.

"Your Majesty, it was truly an unintentional mistake, and there were reasons for it. You've already left it alone, and I've already knelt. Could you please, for the sake of our past relationship, be lenient with me?"

From Zhao Qinglan's perspective, he saw Zhao Fanghua kneeling on the ground, his furry little head slightly tilted, his eyes looking at him pitifully, looking very funny.

Zhao Qinglan couldn't hold it in any longer and chuckled softly, then quickly pursed her lips and turned away awkwardly, pretending to be stern and saying, "Get up first."

After waiting for a long time, there was no movement from the people on the ground.

Zhao Qinglan turned back suspiciously, frowning slightly at Zhao Fanghua. He'd already asked her to get up, so why was she still kneeling? Surely he had other requests!

Zhao Qinglan's tone darkened again: "What's wrong?"

Zhao Fanghua looked up pitifully, her voice as soft as a mosquito: "I... my legs seem to be numb..."

Zhao Fanghua felt like crying but had no tears: It’s not that I don’t want to remember, I’m not a masochist, it’s just that I knelt too hard just now, and kept the same posture for too long, so my legs are numb.

I was trying to rub my legs and try to stand up, but suddenly I felt a gust of wind.

Zhao Fanghua was still wondering why there was wind in the hall, but in an instant a faint scent of ambergris enveloped her. Before Zhao Fanghua could react, a pair of arms steadily supported her and helped her up.

Something flashed through Zhao Fanghua's mind. Just as she was about to think about it, the arm that was supporting her suddenly loosened. She staggered and let out a hiss, instantly forgetting the previous abnormality.

Zhao Qinglan put his hands behind his back and turned his face slightly to the side, leaving Zhao Fanghua with only a delicate profile and a sharp jawline.

For some reason, Zhao Fanghua felt her ears getting hot. She pinched them and asked tentatively, "Then, Your Majesty...what are you going to do with me...can you please not spank me?"

Shuyu was only beaten with twenty boards, but the guards beat her with discretion out of consideration for her, so it was inevitable that her skin was torn and flesh was exposed.

Not to mention her, she was just a little unlucky girl, and she didn't have the aura of the male protagonist like Shen Xiujin. Twenty boards would definitely take half her life.

Zhao Qinglan turned around and looked at Zhao Fanghua, who looked worried and flattering. Unable to bear it, she said seriously, "Chen Xiujin's intention to commit adultery with the princess is a serious act of disrespect and he deserves death according to the law. Your actions are within the law and you don't need to be punished."

Zhao Qinglan should have arranged for someone to deal with Shen Xiujin's situation long before he returned to the palace. The Imperial Guards had found Shen Xiujin at the bottom of the mountain, battered beyond recognition. He had witnessed what had happened to Shen Xiujin with his own eyes. Even if Zhao Fanghua hadn't intervened, he wouldn't have spared Shen Xiujin's life. Emotionally and logically, Shen Xiujin didn't deserve to remain in this world.

But he didn't expect that Zhao Fanghua would come to him so seriously to apologize. What crime had she committed?

All of this is Shen Xiujin's fault.

Zhao Fanghua didn't completely relax when he heard that he didn't need to be punished. Instead, he asked tentatively, "Really, I don't need to be punished?"

Zhao Qinglan took a deep breath, but still patiently soothed him, "No need."

Zhao Fanghua obviously didn't believe it: "But don't you like him very much?"

Zhao Qinglan's eyebrows jumped, and her tone became a little higher: "Who said I like him?"

Zhao Qinglan clearly remembered that during the Rebirth Festival, Zhao Fanghua also said that she liked him. Whoever spread rumors about him should be arrested and thrown into jail.

Zhao Fanghua muttered softly, "That's how it's written in novels... You two are both teachers and friends, confidants of each other, and have become a beautiful story of ruler and minister."

"What?" Zhao Qinglan didn't quite understand what she said and asked subconsciously.

Zhao Fanghua quickly shook her head: "Nothing."

She let out a long sigh, and her brows slowly relaxed, but suddenly froze.

Zhao Fanghua lowered her head slightly, bit her lower lip, and then raised her head again as if she had made up her mind and asked, "Is it really nothing? I... killed someone..."

Zhao Qinglan looked at Zhao Fanghua's slightly red eyes and moist eyes, and her heart softened.

This time, he could finally comfort her using the identity of Zhao Qinglan.

His voice was low and gentle, with an unprecedented sense of cherishment: "Sister, this is not your fault. It is Shen Xiujin who deserves death. He deserves all this."

Zhao Qinglan insisted on saying "he deserved it".

Zhao Fanghua's body trembled slightly, her almond-shaped eyes brimming with tears. She looked up at him and spoke softly, as if afraid of disturbing something: "Why is the emperor so good to me..."

This question contains three parts confusion and seven parts temptation.

Zhao Qinglan looked at her gravely, an undercurrent surging in his eyes, and each word seemed to be carefully ground between his lips and teeth. "Didn't my sister say that between you and me... there is a deep love between brother and sister?"

As soon as Zhao Qinglan finished speaking, Zhao Fanghua threw herself into his arms, warm tears gushing out. She finally couldn't help but burst into tears, and all the composure she had forced herself to maintain was gone at this moment.

She sobbed and hugged Zhao Qinglan tightly, as if holding her own solid support: "Wuwuwu... You don't know, a living person is gone in my hands. I have never killed anyone before. Wuwuwu, I'm so scared... I'm also worried that you will blame me and make me, make me pay with my life... Wuwuwu, I'm scared..."

Zhao Qinglan's body stiffened slightly. That soft body was pressed tightly against him, sticky and hot, but he didn't want to push it away at all.

Instead, he stretched out his hands, one arm around Zhao Fanghua's waist, and the other hand gently patted her back. His voice was hoarse: "Sister, don't be afraid, I'm here."

The Wanhe Hall was quiet, and the two of them were still hugging each other.

After a while, Zhao Fanghua stopped sobbing and withdrew from Zhao Qinglan's arms somewhat embarrassedly.

Zhao Qinglan clung to the warmth in his arms and couldn't bear to let her go. Seeing her red eyes, he reached out and gently wiped away her tears. He asked with concern, "Sister, what's wrong?"

Zhao Fanghua's face flushed slightly, and she bit her lip and mumbled, "It hurts..."

"Where does it hurt?" Zhao Qinglan suddenly became nervous.

Zhao Fanghua whispered, "My knees... maybe I've been kneeling for too long..."

Zhao Qinglan was immediately annoyed: "It's all my fault, I shouldn't have—"

I shouldn't have let my sister kneel outside for so long just because of my dark suspicions and shameful thoughts.

Seeing Zhao Qinglan's face full of self-blame, Zhao Fanghua quickly waved her hands. "It's okay, it's okay. It just hurts a little, really!" Afraid he wouldn't believe her, she reached out and lifted the hem of her skirt to her knees. "Look, it's just a little scrape, a minor injury!"

Zhao Qinglan's breath was caught in his throat as a white calf suddenly came into view. He hurriedly turned his face away, but his ears turned red.

"Sister, you..."

Still playing by unconventional means as always.

"I'm really okay, hiss!" Zhao Fanghua wanted to move his legs to prove that he was okay, but he gasped in pain as soon as he moved.

Zhao Qinglan heard the sound of her throbbing in pain, and before his brain could react, his body had already taken action.

He picked the man up and carried him sideways with steady movements.

"Oh!" Zhao Fanghua was startled and quickly hugged his neck.

She could feel the warmth from his chest through the fabric of his clothes. Her face suddenly felt hot and she felt inexplicably panicked.

Zhao Qinglan held her in his arms and strode towards the East Warm Pavilion, his steps steady and fast.

Zhao Fanghua secretly looked up at him. His angular profile looked particularly handsome in the candlelight. She suddenly felt that the outline looked familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before, and there was this inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Zhao Qinglan gently placed her on the small couch, coughed uncomfortably, and then carefully lifted the hem of Zhao Fanghua's skirt.

When he saw the redness on the white knees, he couldn't help but gasp: How could they be injured like this?

Zhao Fanghua has been spoiled since she was a child. Unlike him who has been practicing martial arts since she was a child and has a strong body, this injury is enough for her.

He leaned over, his eyes filled with heartache and regret, and blew gently on the wound.

The warm breath brushed across her knees, and Zhao Fanghua couldn't help but shiver slightly, her face slightly hot.

In fact, for her, kneeling for such a short while to avoid punishment was already a good deal. When she was a child, she had injuries much more serious than this when she climbed trees and caught fish. Now, this was not even an injury. The skin was not even broken, it was just a little red.

She was about to speak to comfort him, but she saw Zhao Qinglan had already stood up and took out a bottle of medicinal wine from the drawer of the shelf.

He poured the medicinal wine into his palms, rubbed his hands together to warm them, then knelt on one knee in front of her and gently covered her knees.

Zhao Fanghua had originally closed her eyes and prepared to endure the pain, but she did not feel the pain as expected. She only felt the warmth from his palm, and the force was unspeakably gentle.

She looked down and saw that he was rubbing her wound attentively, appearing to be extremely gentle.

Zhao Fanghua decided to take back all the bad comments he had made about Zhao Qinglan. Although he seemed a little cold and unkind sometimes, he was still very soft-hearted at heart. He was an awkward guy with a cold exterior but a warm heart.