Seeing Fan Xian's anxious expression, Chen Pingping was deeply moved.
He felt that everything he had done for Fan Xian had been worth it!
"What did His Majesty say?"
After checking him over and finding nothing wrong, Fan Xian finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Chen Pingping smiled. "Fortunately, I confessed in time, and I'm an old servant of the throne. His Majesty intended to punish me severely, but there wasn't much he could say. In the end, he only docked half a year's salary and put twenty strokes on my account."
"That's good! That's good!"
Hearing this, Fan Xian finally felt completely reassured.
Half a year's salary meant nothing to Chen Pingping.
Chen Pingping had received countless rewards from Emperor Qing, and Fan Xian had seen the extravagance of his lifestyle. That paltry court salary really would not cover even a few random vases and jars at his residence.
As for those twenty strokes held in reserve, Fan Xian thought they were merely a means for Emperor Qing to display his authority. They would never actually land on Chen Pingping.
Seeing Fan Xian reassured, Chen Pingping relaxed as well.
He truly did not want Fan Xian to overthink things. He liked Fan Xian's present disposition very much.
As for Emperor Qing's punishment, he likewise thought nothing of losing half a year's salary. What truly made him wary was those twenty strokes hanging over him, yet to fall.
An emperor's words were gold and jade. If Emperor Qing said he would keep them on account, then on account they would remain.
For now, he was still useful, so those strokes would not fall on him yet.
Once he ceased to be useful, or crossed one of Emperor Qing's forbidden lines, those twenty strokes would descend like heavenly punishment and take