Emperor Jianming hastily helped him up. "It's my incompetence and cowardice. For years, I've been a puppet. When the noble families commanded me to go east, I dared not go west; when they sought to kill someone, I couldn't stop them and even enabled their tyranny. The late emperor stood firm for political reform, preferring death to submission. I'm the most craven emperor of the Yuwen Family, and my uselessness nearly caused your demise."
"The implementation of the new policies is inevitable; Your Majesty must not waver." Marquis Zhenbei spoke with unyielding righteousness. "When the ruler asks for a subject's life, the subject must comply without hesitation. If Your Majesty truly desires my death, a single decree will suffice—you need not endanger yourself. Should harm befall the imperial body, it would be my sin."
"It's my fault; it's all my fault..." Emperor Jianming muttered in regret and remorse. "I lost my judgment in a moment of folly and wronged you."
