I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 275 Enough to Leave the Palace
Seeing Chu Liuzheng's hesitant expression, Xiao Jingfan offered a way out: "Anything else?"

Chu Liuzheng pursed his lips: "Also, the Prince Rui in the palace is an imposter hired by the Fifth Prince's wife. The real Prince Rui is imprisoned in Taoran Temple in Sishui Town."

[Wuhu~ Tyrant, hurry and save your dear brother!]

Zhou Yuande breathed a sigh of relief.

It's good that it's not that remnant of the previous dynasty still has soldiers.

"I am already aware that Prince Rui has been impersonated." Xiao Jingfan stared at Chu Liuzheng. "What else did you hear?"

Chu Liuzheng inexplicably sensed a hint of expectation in his deep eyes.

She thought it must be a hallucination caused by dizziness.

She thought about it carefully.

What else could we possibly tell the tyrant?

Xiao Jingfan said: Anything is fine, I'm not picky.

He even regretted that the fake Prince Rui hadn't entered the palace sooner, so he wouldn't have had to come up with that stupid excuse about auspicious beasts!
Feeling that the emperor was quite receptive to the idea, Chu Liuzheng thought for a moment and then sent out a few messages.

"Granny Qi is still working for the Second Prince of Western Xia. There are spies from Western Xia in the palace."

"The Fifth Prince's wife is a master of disguise and also knows how to use Gu. She has controlled many people with Gu worms. The massacre of the entire family in Sishui Town was caused by Gu worms."

"The Fifth Prince's Consort intends to use the Dragon Shadow Guard to assist Prince Cheng in his rebellion."

“Prince Cheng had long been secretly colluding with the Western Xia, selling weapons to them at low prices, and in return, the Western Xia sent troops to help him rebel.”

Each story was more shocking than the last, leaving Zhou Yuande dizzy with fear. He even had to breathe carefully, afraid that when the emperor beheaded Chu Liuzheng, he would also be beheaded.

It sounds so fake that someone could overhear such important news while half-asleep.

Chu Liuzheng knew it was a false pretense, but the opportunity was too good to miss.

She only selected news that could be related to the Fifth Prince's wife; the Emperor should believe it, right?
She held her breath, secretly observing the emperor's expression.

Expressionless, unfathomable.

[At least give some reaction, whether you believe it or not! Even the eunuch Zhou is pale with fright, but why isn't the tyrant reacting at all?]

Xiao Jingfan thought to himself that he was already shocked, so what kind of reaction could he possibly give?
Are you laughing?

So he actually smiled and curled his lips into a smile.

Chu Liuzheng: "..."

[It's over! The tyrant actually laughed after hearing this news. He doesn't believe it, does he? He doesn't believe it, does he? He doesn't believe it, does he?]

【Alas~ My life is over!!】

Xiao Jingfan couldn't help but raise his hand to touch the corner of his lips. Was his smile really that scary?

Grandpa Zhou, standing nearby, exclaimed: "Terrifying, absolutely terrifying! My legs went weak with fear!"

"I understand." Xiao Jingfan stood up. "I will send someone to verify it. If what you just said is true, I will give you a great reward."

[Phew~ So he believed me. The words of a trusted confidant really carry weight. In the past, the tyrant would have definitely fired a death ray at me.]

[Saving the emperor is one merit, and now another great one. With these two merits combined, shouldn't it be enough for me to leave the palace?]

Chu Liuzheng mentally calculated his next move, then began, "Your Majesty, you..."

Xiao Jingfan decisively turned and left, leaving behind the words, "Take good care of yourself and come back to work when you're fully recovered."

It was so fast that even Zhou Gonggong (a character from Journey to the West) almost couldn't keep up.

Chu Liuzheng blinked.

[I was thinking of suggesting that the tyrant drink some loquat syrup to soothe his throat since he was coughing a lot, so why is he walking so fast?] Xiao Jingfan, who had just stepped outside, stumbled and almost fell down the steps.

Just drinking loquat syrup?

"Your Majesty, please be careful." Zhou Yuande quickly helped the man up.

Xiao Jingfan stopped and turned to look at the waiting Imperial Physician Wu: "Go in."

"Yes." Imperial Physician Wu carried his medicine chest into the room, and Xia Qiaoru quickly curtsied to the Emperor and followed him in.

"The young lady has just caught a cold, it's nothing serious, she'll recover after taking some medicine for a few days." Doctor Wu withdrew his hand from taking her pulse and took out his acupuncture kit. "I'll give the young lady a couple of acupuncture needles to clear her meridians, which will relieve her dizziness and headache."

[A trusted confidant really makes a difference; I'm now someone that Dr. Wu can use acupuncture on!]

Chu Liu, unable to obtain the request, immediately lay down and waited for the needle with Xia Qiaoru's help.

Dr. Wu's movements were steady, accurate, and swift. He also taught Xia Qiaoru some massage techniques, which could be used once the swelling subsided to help Chu Liuzheng recover as quickly as possible.

"The young lady should take two pills three times a day in this porcelain bottle. Do not take more than that. Remember that." Dr. Wu took out a white porcelain bottle from his medicine box and handed it over.

"Thank you." Chu Liuzheng took it and saw that the red slip had the words "Wind and Cold Pill" written on it.

[Waaah~ There are ready-made pills now, so what about all that bitter and smelly medicine I used to drink?]

She sincerely thanked Dean Wu again; if it weren't for her neck injury, she would have personally escorted the person out.

Cai Baolin's death caused no ripples in the palace, because Prince Rui fell ill, very seriously, and was being personally cared for by the Empress Dowager, with no one allowed to visit him.

Even the newly arrived Prince Xiao was not allowed to go, because it was said that they were worried about him catching the illness.

King Xiao did not insist on visiting him, but sent someone to deliver gifts, which was enough to fulfill his duty as an elder brother.

That night, King Xiao played chess with the emperor all night, and the next day he took up a post in the Ministry of Revenue at the Fengtian Hall. He would not return to his fiefdom for a while.

King Xiao hadn't expected that his trip would leave him behind, so he wrote a letter to his queen saying that he would send someone to pick her up once she was settled.

The emperor specially ordered the Ministry of Works to renovate the Third Prince's residence outside the palace and bestowed upon it the plaque "Xiao Wang Fu" (Prince Xiao's Residence).

Because renovations will take some time, King Xiao is temporarily residing in the palace, in the place where he lived when he was still a prince—the Magnolia Hall. It is named after the magnolia trees that fill the courtyard.

On the third day after King Xiao moved into the palace, Chu Liuzheng recovered from his injuries and returned to work.

I was able to go back to being a beast of burden so quickly, all thanks to Doctor Qin's miraculous acupuncture needle. Anyone who's tried it knows how effective it is.

It's good that the injury has healed, but I received some unpleasant news during the morning court session.

Heavy snow has been falling for days in more than a dozen towns north of Lingshou City, causing hundreds of people to freeze or starve to death. They are pleading with the imperial court to send grain for relief.

When the emperor was furious and the court officials were in uproar, Minister Dou stepped forward, took the lead in donating money and supplies, and even volunteered to take on this troublesome task of disaster relief.

In just three days, they were fully prepared and marched at full speed to deliver supplies to Lingshou City, relieving the urgent needs of the local people.

At the same time, the Imperial Medical Academy distributed preventative pills to everyone in the palace, including civil and military officials and their families, citing the high risk of contracting the epidemic in early spring.

Outside the government-run charitable halls, small stalls were set up to distribute free herbal medicine to prevent the epidemic, requiring people to drink it on the spot.

Free things are always tempting. Although the herbal medicine had an odd reddish color and tasted bad, it could cure diseases.

People would call on their friends and relatives to line up, receive a bowl of herbal soup, and use it to treat illnesses or strengthen their bodies.

While the common people were happily drinking their herbal medicine, hundreds of imperial guards stormed into the Qianfeng Trading Company and found evidence of treason in a secret room where the company kept its hidden accounts.

After verification, the evidence was conclusive.

The Imperial Guards acted swiftly and decisively, arresting everyone in the Qianfeng Trading Company, from the owner and manager down to the cooks and cleaners, and imprisoning them all in the Imperial Prison to await trial.

The people gathered around, holding their medicine, some watching the spectacle, some sighing, and some worried.

Regardless of their feelings, there was one consensus: Qianfeng Trading Company was finished.