Seeing Ming Yan lower her head, Ming Zhaoshu said gravely, "Liuzhou was originally one of the main provinces where I contained rebellions across the twelve provinces of Mu Prince's domain. This Commissioner once advised the late emperor and was on very good terms with the former Crown Prince, Ming Hao. Now that I've ascended the throne, he's afraid I'll settle accounts with him later, so he deliberately exposed his own crime of embezzling military pay. He isn't truly seeking punishment. He's handing me leverage over him, so I can execute him whenever I please. There's nothing to worry about when it comes to someone you can execute at any time. This is his way of drawing close to me—in other words, he's pledging his loyalty, and he's willing to hand me evidence of his crime himself to do it."
"That's also why the amount wasn't large. If it had been too much, even I couldn't have protected him. Do you understand?"
Ming Yan suddenly looked up at Ming Zhaoshu, her eyes reddening. "Father, I don't understand why you insist on making me learn all this. I don't want to handle government affairs or get involved in any of this. Why do you have to force me?"
Ming Zhaoshu clenched his fists, his gaze full of frustration.
"You're still young. You can easily have another son to succeed you. I don't want to be involved in government affairs. Please let me go, Father. I... I want to go to the Great Yu Empire." Ming Yan pleaded softly, tears falling to the floor.
She'd had enough these past few days. She'd experienced a pressure she'd never felt before, and situations like the one just now happened every day. She truly didn't know how to handle them, and she didn't want to know.