'A careless mistake born from haste!'
'How could I have forgotten this crucial detail!'
Xie Anjun's expression flickered as a thousand excuses raced through his mind. Yet, when they reached his lips, he couldn't utter a single one—in this situation, any words would be nothing but a feeble defense!
He swallowed hard and, driven by his last shred of survival instinct, managed to stammer, "Th-this... Mercy, Your Majesty!"
Xie Anjun slammed his forehead against the floor with a dull thud, the very picture of utter remorse.
"I did indeed write a recommendation letter for Zheng Baosu, b-but it was at someone else's request, not of my own volition! I must have been out of my mind at the time, th-that's why—"
"Oh?" Emperor Muwu finally spoke. His tone betrayed no emotion, and his voice was low and steady, yet it carried an immense pressure. "At someone else's request? And who might that person be?"
"I—"
Xie Anjun was struck dumb.
