Long Xuan'en laughed. "Qiqi, whatever makes you say that? I have always doted on you and never once intended you any harm. Even a vicious tiger does not eat its cubs, yet you actually doubt my affection for you? Haha, you haven't been listening to some rumor, have you?"
Qiqi said, "I know I have done something wrong."
Long Xuan'en smiled. "What have you done wrong?"
"I took Yan Xuanming out of the Ministry of Justice without Your Majesty's permission."
Long Xuan'en deliberately asked, "Which Yan Xuanming?"
Qiqi said, "Yan Xuanming, the Governor of Haizhou, whose corruption and abuse of the law prompted Your Majesty to personally issue written instructions on his case."
"Oh," Long Xuan'en said. "Now that you mention it, I seem to recall something of the sort."
Qiqi sighed inwardly. When relatives were this false with one another, what familial affection could there be? Looking at Long Xuan'en's hypocritical face, she felt a chill of desolation. Perhaps he had never regarded her as family at all. Now that she had seen his true face, her heart hardened. "I hope Your Majesty will forgive my offense."
Long Xuan'en said mildly, "Why dwell on such a trivial matter? Since I entrusted affairs of state to you, naturally I would not doubt the person I chose. You may be a little willful, girl, but I see your hard work, and I see all you have done for Great Kang."
Qiqi said, "I made a grave mistake. I did not know Yan Xuanming was the son of Yan Tianlu, the bandit chief of Python Jiao Island. This man took bribes and twisted the law. His sins were grievous and unforgivable!"
Long Xuan'en's expression shifted slightly. The girl must have known Yan Xuanming's true identity long ago, but he had never expected