Yan Heng was unusually silent.
Xu Jingxiu's overjoyed expression revealed his anticipation for the newborn.
He was willing to risk offending the emperor if Yan Heng were to bestow his so-called honors upon the unborn child, given the unborn child and a six-year-old daughter.
This clearly shows what kind of life Xu Qingshu lived in the Xu family.
After Xu Jingxiu finished speaking, he noticed that Yan Heng remained silent for a long time, and his expression slowly changed.
He cupped his hands in apology and said, "I have offended you, Your Majesty. Please forgive me."
Yan Heng's tone was unreadable: "Your daughter's position as the head of the village has already been granted by my imperial decree, and it cannot be taken back. If you want to give this honor to your other child, you'll have to come up with a solution that satisfies both sides."
Xu Jingxiu spoke almost without hesitation, quickly revealing his plan: "Your Majesty may not know, but my daughter appears docile on the surface, yet she is extremely rebellious and always angers the old lady at home. If you are willing to grant me this favor, then it would be better to abolish her position as the head of the village and issue the decree after my child is born in a few months."
After speaking, Xu Jingxiu seemed to realize that his request was a bit excessive, so he knelt down and stopped talking.
But that's clearly what he thinks.
Yan Heng was born in the palace and was an unfavored prince. He knew very well how many hardships an unfavored child had to go through from childhood to adulthood.
When Xu Jingxiu chose his side, he made the right choice and followed him. Yan Heng noticed that this man had some ulterior motives, but he didn't take it to heart.
Knowing people well and making good use of them, Yan Heng will not demand perfection from Xu Jingxiu as long as he can achieve his goals.
However, the fact that he could even discard his own child like trash... Yan Heng's impression of Xu Jingxiu changed somewhat.
He remained silent, and Xu Jingxiu continued kneeling. Neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere became tense.
After a short while, Yan Heng finally spoke.
He didn't mention Xu Jingxiu's two children, but simply asked him, "General Xu, is your border also like this?"
Xu Jingxiu sensed that Yan Heng's words had a hidden meaning, but he couldn't understand them for the time being, so he could only kowtow and say, "Your Majesty, I don't know what you are talking about."
Yan Heng's tone was calm, yet icy: "You were my right-hand man back then, helping me conquer the country. I admire your abilities, so I entrusted you with the important task of guarding the border."
"You have rarely returned to the capital these past years, and your hard work and contributions are well-known to me. But—"
Yan Heng's tone became more stern: "I am the emperor, and you are my subject. You have no choice but to obey my decrees. Not only do you not obey, but you also try to bargain with me, and you have even already thought of other ways!"
"I can't help but wonder if you've become a local tyrant on the border, with everyone showing you respect, making you forget your place once you return to the capital!"
The moment the hat pressed down on him, Xu Jingxiu felt a chill run through his body.
"Your Majesty, I did not mean that. I... I was just carried away by my pride. I thought my daughter was just a woman, and my ex-wife was of bad character and divorced me. She was not worthy of the title of village princess. That's why I thought of letting my more outstanding child receive your reward. I was short-sighted. Please forgive me!"
Xu Jingxiu was quite adept at changing his tune. As soon as he saw the emperor was angry, he didn't hesitate to attribute the problem to his daughter's background.
Yan Heng's expression grew even colder as he slowly repeated a few words: "...The former wife was of questionable character?"
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