Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

Bian Hongzhen was always gentle with Bian Yushu, and always had a smile on his face when he spoke.

But when he truly suppressed his smile, his calm yet slightly oppressive gaze used to be enough to make Bian Yushu, who considered himself a playboy, behave himself for days.

Bian Yushu didn't dare to twist her fingers anymore, placing them neatly at her sides. Her eyes were a little red. "Shang Jingming saved me in time, and I wasn't hurt. Father, I'm sorry, Yushu made you worry."

Even through his son's evasive description, Bian Hongzhen could sense the danger at the time.

He lunged forward to block the dagger. Assassins are always aiming to kill, so you can imagine how much force they used. Even if it wasn't a vital spot, stabbing it anywhere would be fatal once it caused a high fever.

Bian Hongzhen dared not even imagine what would have happened if Shang Jingming hadn't saved his son in time, or if His Majesty hadn't had a backup plan.

Bian Hongzhen spoke calmly, "Is the point of this matter that I should be worried?"

Even though his father's tone was as gentle as possible, Bian Yushu could still sense the anger beneath the calm surface. His throat bobbed nervously as he stole glances at his father's expression. "I already know I was wrong, and His Majesty has punished me."

"How much was the fine?" Bian Hongzhen asked.

Bian Yushu's face turned bright red, and her voice was barely audible as she said, "He was punished with thirty strokes of the cane."

The son's flushed face was a result of being disciplined with a ruler, not a board.

Bian Hongzhen quickly made a bad connection: "Did His Majesty punish him personally?"

Bian Yushu was surprised that her father had even guessed this correctly, and nodded shyly.

Seeing his son's reaction, Bian Hongzhen's already unhappy expression became even more unpleasant, and he even felt a bit upset.

On one hand, she felt heartbroken that her son, with his sincere heart, had been beaten; on the other hand, she was afraid and annoyed by her son's recklessness; and on yet another hand, she was worried about whether the relationship between her son and His Majesty was that of a teacher and student or something else entirely.

For once, Bian Hongzhen did not side with his son. Although his voice was relatively calm and did not reveal much suppressed anger, the words he spoke were considered harsh in the past: "If I had been in the capital at that time, I would probably have asked you to receive your first family punishment."

Bian Yushu had never been disciplined by the family, but she knew that her brothers had.

Even someone as decisive and shrewd as my elder brother, who is hard to sway once he's made up his mind, has softened his stance many times after being disciplined by the family. Moreover, he never mentions his injuries, and if I ask him about them, he just pretends not to hear and quietly changes the subject.

His second brother would play the victim, but whenever he tried to check on his brother's injuries, his brother would clutch his waistband tightly and wail, "You've already lost your dignity, do you want your brother to lose face too? Be good, Yushu, don't make Father angry. Father loves you, but if he really gets angry one day... you wouldn't want to know, sigh!"

Bian Yushu still vividly remembers that final, heavy "sigh".

His older brothers' reactions greatly shocked him when he was little.

So even though his father was always very gentle with him, a single calm look from him was enough to make him tuck his tail between his legs and be afraid for days on end.

Bian Yushu didn't dare to lift her head, her ears burning red as she stared at the two floor tiles beneath her feet. Her hands, however, seemed to have eyes, precisely finding Bian Hongzhen's sleeve and tugging at it slightly. "I know I was wrong, Father, can you please not be angry?"

The smoldering fire in Bian Hongzhen's heart was suddenly extinguished, leaving only a wisp of bittersweet smoke.

"Is His Majesty so good that you would abandon your father and brothers, risking your life to shield him from a dagger?"

This was not an easy question to answer, but Bian Yushu answered firmly, "It has nothing to do with whether it's good or bad. Yushu can die, but His Majesty cannot die. If Father or my brothers were here, they would have done the same thing as me."

"Personal life, the life and death, honor and disgrace of a family, are not as important as the stability of the country and the peace and tranquility of the people. This is what Yushu learned from you, my brother, and my grandmother many, many years ago."

Looking at the determined look on his youngest son's face, Bian Hongzhen wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say. A thousand emotions were suppressed in his chest, like a pot that had been boiling but was covered, simmering his heart.

Bian Yushu knew his father's love and care for him. He squatted down and buried his head in Bian Hongzhen's knees. "Yushu just did what he was supposed to do, just like you. Even if you get angry and want to use family discipline, I won't change it."

Bian Hongzhen raised his hand and affectionately stroked his son's head, unable to utter words of praise, only letting out a sigh, "Father wants to be proud of you, but..."

"I know." Bian Yushu looked up and reached out to pat Bian Hongzhen's chest. "I'm sorry, Yushu made you sad."

Bian Hongzhen smiled faintly, "You suffered that punishment from His Majesty for nothing."

Bian Yushu shook her head, her ears turning red, and somewhat embarrassed as she explained her foolish mistake, "His Majesty taught me, but I acted rashly and impulsively, using my body to block the attack, even though I had a hidden dart in my hand. Besides, the guards were probably lurking around, so the situation wasn't actually that critical. Instead, I almost lost my life, causing my loved ones pain..."

As he said this, he glanced at Bian Hongzhen's face again. Seeing his father's gentle gaze, the unease in his heart quickly dissipated like water vapor.

With his ears red and his voice barely audible, he said, "You weren't in the capital at the time, but now you can still use family discipline."

Bian Hongzhen said helplessly, "Didn't I say I wouldn't change?"

Bian Yushu said guiltily, "I... I'll try to be smarter and not be so reckless."

It wouldn't be worth dying for nothing.

Bian Hongzhen flicked him on the forehead. "Still thinking about doing it again? Where are all these assassins coming from?"

Bian Yushu nodded in agreement, "That's true."

Seeing his son pecking at rice like a chick, Bian Hongzhen remembered what he had come here for today.

Judging from his son's words, his feelings towards His Majesty seemed more like admiration and unwavering loyalty than any romantic thoughts.

As for His Majesty... it's hard to say, after all, his son is obedient and sincere, and he risked his life to save the emperor without any regard for the consequences.

Bian Hongzhen carefully chose his words, "Your Majesty... is there anything special about you?"

Bian Yushu was a little confused; there were too many special features to mention.

Thinking that His Majesty had personally punished his mortal enemy and even rubbed his wounds, Bian Yushu proudly raised her face, "His Majesty would pinch my cheeks, and when he saw my injuries while riding in the carriage, he even made me lie on his lap!"

Bian Hongzhen: "..."

...

Second update delivered! We've actually reached our goal of 1500 words today! You guys are amazing! We'll continue with double updates tomorrow.