Xi Xizhi and Zhao Feiyi were both startled and remained silent.
Xi Xizhi knew An Honghan's temperament well; he would never show mercy when he took action. Moreover, those in positions of power had an extremely strong sense of territory, much like the alpha wolf in a pack. They were born with pride and would not allow other creatures to run wild in their territory.
No matter how calm and composed Zhao Taifu was, all his pretense shattered when An Honghan uttered those words.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I didn't mean that," Zhao Feiyi said, flustered and trying to explain.
An Honghan slammed his fist on the table in anger, "Then what do you mean? Are my people so easy to bully? Just because you're a mere tutor, I can hit them as I please?"
An Honghan spoke without any hesitation, his words filled with nothing but concern for others.
These words also revealed to everyone just how high Xi Xizhi's status was in An Honghan's heart.
"Your Majesty, I had no intention of doing this. Please forgive me!" Grand Tutor Zhao shouted hysterically.
Xi Xizhi felt that the voice was a bit grating, especially since Zhao Taifu was already very old. When he shouted at the top of his lungs, it felt like his heart was being torn apart, and she was afraid that he would run out of breath and suddenly kick the bucket.
Xi Xizhi watched quietly, her eyes darting back and forth between An Honghan and Zhao Feiyi.
"Forgive me? If I forgive you, then what will quell my anger!" An Honghan raised his eyebrows coldly, his tone chilling. "Take him away and execute him. Tomorrow, post an imperial edict to recruit the Grand Tutor back into the palace."
The last sentence drifted lightly into everyone's ears, leaving Grand Tutor Zhao completely stunned.
He had considered this when he came: even if An Honghan made things difficult for him, he wouldn't harm his life. Because he had been teaching for so many years, he knew many high-ranking officials, and many ministers had to call him "Grand Tutor." Although he hadn't devoted himself to Fengze Kingdom like those ministers, he had still cultivated many talents for Fengze Kingdom.
"Your Majesty...Your Majesty, you can't treat me like this. I only made a small mistake."
Hearing Zhao Feiyi plead for mercy repeatedly, An Honghan felt quite annoyed.
Two guards stepped forward and grabbed Zhao Feiyi, trying to drag him away. Zhao Feiyi protested and kept arguing, his mouth never stopping.
Xi Xizhi suddenly stood up at this moment, "Isn't granting me death too severe? He only gave me twenty-seven lashes with the rattan cane."
Besides, even if Zhao Feiyi has a bad temper and punishes people at the drop of a hat, he has still paid tribute to Fengze Kingdom. If he were killed for such a trivial matter, the people's hearts would likely be unsettled.
Xi Xizhi didn't want An Honghan to make such a big mistake for her sake.
An Hong turned to look at Xi Xizhi with a cold face. Why did this child always talk back to him about other people's things?
"Spare him? On what grounds? Since he touched my things, how can he not pay the price?"
“But the price is too high.” Xi Xizhi wouldn’t listen to reason.
The surrounding palace maids and eunuchs were completely silent, but they all thought in unison, "This child is too reckless. He even dares to contradict His Majesty. How can they have the right to interfere with His Majesty's decision to kill someone?"
Xi Xizhi was a cultivator and understood the law of cause and effect. In particular, An Honghan already possessed enough bloodlust and murderous aura; if he continued to kill like this, he would inevitably harm himself and others one day.
"Whether it's serious or not is for me to decide," An Honghan said domineeringly and forcefully, without backing down.
Xi Xizhi gritted her teeth and shouted clearly, "Why should you decide this? I'm the victim, so of course I should have the final say."
Xi Xizhi blushed with anger.
An Honghan's expression wasn't much better.
This was the first time the child dared to yell at him... and it was for someone who was completely unrelated to him.
"Just based on those words, I want to kill him even more." An Honghan would never admit in his heart that this was naked jealousy.
He hated seeing Xi Xizhi protect everyone except him...
Xi Xizhi's heart pounded in fear. She pursed her lips, like a deflated balloon, and said, "Apart from murder, you can do whatever you want with me."
Xi Xizhi began to negotiate, even though she had no bargaining chips, she was very confident that An Honghan would agree.
Just as Xi Xizhi had thought, although this Grand Tutor Zhao did not have real power in the court, he had trained many students. If he were to be killed for such a trivial matter, a large number of officials would probably plead for his life.
An Honghan was not afraid of any instability in public sentiment; after all, he was just a minor tutor, and no one could shake his position.
Xi Xizhi's bright eyes darted around, and she used her old trick, hugging An Honghan's arm and rubbing against him. If it weren't for the hem of her clothes covering her tail, Xi Xizhi would definitely have wagged her tail along with it.
Xi Xizhi was already adorable, and now she was acting all cute, making everyone's hearts pound so hard they almost couldn't handle it.
But An Honghan still felt it wasn't enough. He reached out and pinched the child's pink cheek. Touching that delicate skin, a warm and comforting feeling flowed into his heart, instantly extinguishing the raging fire of anger.
"If you kiss me, I will consider sparing his life." Looking at Xi Xizhi's rosy lips, An Honghan suddenly remembered that the little sable had once kissed him. He wondered if the feeling would be different after he transformed into human form.
One of the children's faces quickly stiffened, and her teeth chattered. Even though she didn't say anything, everyone knew she was cursing in her mind.
In fact, everyone was right.
A series of voices roared in Xi Xizhi's heart, all cursing An Honghan for being shameless, cunning, and treacherous!
In the end, Xi Xizhi lost half the momentum. She slowly moved closer to An Honghan, but before she could take any action, her cheeks were already flushed red.
Seeing that she was hesitant to act, An Honghan deliberately said, "Time waits for no one. Perhaps I will change my mind and refuse to release her in the next moment."
A blatant threat and oppression!
Xi Xizhi went all out and, with lightning speed, kissed An Honghan's cheek.
A loud "pop" echoed throughout the hall.
The soft, sticky sensation instantly overwhelmed An Honghan, making him indulge in it.
This time, the feeling was much stronger than before, leaving An Honghan's mind blank.
Time seemed to stand still, and the actions between the two seemed to be frozen in time.
The scene presented to everyone was filled with warmth and joy.
After a few seconds, Xi Xizhi slowly stood up straight, her pair of bright blue eyes shimmering with a captivating light that stirred the heart.
"We...we kissed." Xi Xizhi tugged at An Honghan's clothes, embarrassed.
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