The princess regretted it.

Chapter 248 Jiaoyu pleads guilty

Jiaoyu knelt motionless, continuing, "Father, I apologize to you. I have been taught by the royal family since childhood to always abide by the rules and behave in accordance with propriety. However, I have lost my manners and committed verbal offenses. In the heat of the moment, I completely lost the reserve and cultivation that a princess should have. I failed to be humble and polite, and even more so, I failed to protect my younger sister. My reckless words have not only hurt her and caused her unnecessary injustice, but have also betrayed your Majesty's kindness and broken your heart."

Her voice trembled. She paused here and then continued, "I have been confined to the palace these days, reflecting on my mistakes day and night. I know that I have committed serious sins. Whenever I think of this, I feel guilty and uneasy. Today I have come to beg you, father, to punish me. I only hope that you can calm down and not hurt yourself because of my mistakes." Her words were full of regret and self-blame, and she was choked with sobs at the last words.

After hearing her words, the emperor's resentment of her previous willful and inappropriate behavior melted away like snow under the warm spring sun. A wave of pity welled up in his heart, and he immediately rose from the high throne. The hem of his dragon robe swayed gently with his movements, making a subtle sound that was particularly clear in the silent hall.

He walked slowly with steady steps to Jiaoyu's front, looked at her small figure kneeling on the ground, bent down, stretched out his hand, gently held her arm, and helped her up.

Tears already covered Jiaoyu's fair face, like crystal-clear pearls, streaming down her cheeks and soaking her clothes. Her eyes were red, like rain-drenched peach blossoms on a spring day, revealing endless sorrow and grievance. She bit her lips slightly, as if trying to control her emotions and not let the tears escape. Furthermore, she looked quite haggard after being confined for so long, and her whole appearance was even more pitiful, like a wounded fawn, making people want to hold her in their arms.

The emperor could sense the chill from Jiaoyu's journey still lingering; she felt icy. Looking at his daughter, who looked at him timidly, his mind reeled back to her gentle and charming childhood, the memories of her adorable smiles and slumbers at his lap. He thought her actions were merely impulsive, yet now she was so sincerely admitting her fault, and wondered if his punishment was too harsh.

Heartbroken, he raised his hand and gently wiped the tears from Jiaoyu's face. The touch on her face was icy and piercing. His eyes were filled with pity and doting. He said softly, "I'm glad you understand your father's painstaking efforts. Don't do it again. Come, sit down." Then he took her hand and led her to a chair by the fireplace. He then sat down on the other side.

The Second Prince, standing beside her, was stunned by Jiaoyu's actions. His mouth remained slightly open for a long moment, his eyes filled with disbelief. He had never imagined Jiaoyu would be so sincere in admitting her faults and pleading guilty, or even so pitifully, shedding tears in front of her father. It was truly beyond his expectations.

He couldn't help but secretly doubt himself in his heart, wondering if he was not a good enough brother. As an older brother, he should have been able to see through his sister's thoughts, comfort her in time when she was sad, and patiently guide her when she made mistakes. But he didn't realize that his sister felt so deeply guilty and sad about the mistakes she had made before.

He had been filled with worry, fearing that his sister would lose her temper in front of the emperor because of those things, or act out again, so he was on edge the whole way and didn't even dare to speak to her casually, for fear that something he said would offend her and make the situation awkward.

But now it seems that I was judging others by my own standards. I never expected that my sister was so sad and suffered so much alone during the house arrest, and she reflected on the situation so thoroughly. At this moment, my heart is filled with heartache for Jiaoyu and regret for myself.

He quickly followed and stood beside Jiaoyu, looking at her with eyes full of heartache. Changsun Hongze glanced at his second son who had followed him and scolded him lightly: "Yunji, as an older brother, you should set a good example and pay more attention to your younger sisters. They are still young, and it is inevitable that they will be careless and make mistakes. As an older brother, you should guide and correct them when you find them making mistakes. Now that Jiaoyu has made a mistake, have you fulfilled your responsibilities as an older brother?"

Upon hearing his father's words, Changsun Yunji felt a surge of guilt. He quickly knelt, his knees making a dull thud as they made contact with the ground. He lowered his head, his tone filled with sincere self-blame, "Your Majesty is right. I certainly haven't done enough. I only cared about my sisters being sensible and well-behaved, and I neglected to look after them. I didn't take good care of my sisters, allowing Jiaoyu to make such a mistake. I truly bear the blame."

Jiaoyu glanced gently at her kneeling brother, her eyes cold. Then, timidly, she reached out and tugged at the emperor's sleeve, sobbing, "Father, please don't blame me. This was Jiaoyu's own fault. How can you blame me? I'm usually very kind to you. It's Jiaoyu's ignorance that led her to make such a blunder in the heat of the moment. If you want to blame someone, blame me. I'm willing to accept any punishment." She looked pitiful, her eyes brimming with tears, as if the emperor would burst her banks again if he showed any more severity.

Seeing her pitiful appearance, the emperor felt as if the softest part of his heart was gently touched. He reached out and gently patted the back of her hand, saying gently, "Alright, alright, don't cry. Your father doesn't mean to blame anyone. I'm relieved that you recognize your mistakes and apologize so sincerely. Yunji, please get up too. Your sister will need your care from now on."

The second prince thanked him quickly and stood up to stand beside the two of them. The emperor softened his voice and asked Jiaoyu some questions, and Jiaoyu answered them obediently. The atmosphere of the whole process was harmonious and warm. The haze that had previously shrouded the few of them because of Jiaoyu's mistake seemed to have completely dissipated. There were no more serious reprimands or oppressive silence in the Health Hall. Instead, there were concerned inquiries and soft responses between relatives. The scene seemed to have some of the harmony and warmth of an ordinary family.

After a while, Jiaoyu spoke, "Father, I want to apologize to Jinan. I was rude in my words before and hurt her feelings. I also destroyed the friendship between her and me as sisters. I have been thinking about it over and over again during the days of house arrest, and I feel so guilty. I think that if I can apologize to her in person, it will help her calm down, and we sisters can live in harmony in the future, and avoid any more grudges." As she spoke, Jiaoyu raised her eyes slightly, her eyes full of sincerity and expectation, and there was a hint of caution in her eyes as she looked at the emperor, as if she was afraid that the emperor would disagree.