I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 282 Is it alright not to return to the palace?
Chu Shangming laughed, "That sounds like something Xin'er would do. That girl is always restless, like a monkey. She even told me that when she went to see the emperor on the street, she saw a little eunuch lose his balance and fall off the carriage..."

"Wait!" Chu Liuzheng turned to look at him. "Is he a little eunuch with slightly dark skin?"

Chu Shangming thought for a moment: "It seems so."

Chu Liuzheng: "I am that little eunuch."

Chu Shangming: ?

Chu Shangming: !

He stared at Chu Liuzheng and blinked, "I remember our mother gave birth to a girl."

"What are you thinking?" Chu Liuzheng slapped her brother's arm. "I was ordered to impersonate a eunuch."

"I'm your own brother." Chu Shangming rubbed his arm; he looked thin, but he had a surprisingly strong punch.

"I wouldn't hit someone who isn't my own brother." Chu Liuzheng pouted, turned his head to look him up and down, and gestured with his hand, "You were only this tall when I entered the palace."

“It’s been almost eight years, I can’t have not grown at all, right?” Chu Shangming reached out and rubbed his sister’s head. “You’ve grown quite a bit taller, and your face has matured. I didn’t even recognize you when I saw you in the dining hall today.”

"Don't mess up my hair." Chu Liuzheng dodged slightly. With her brother's skills, he could turn her neatly combed hair into a bird's nest in no time.

Chu Shangming awkwardly withdrew his hand: "Didn't we always rub like this before?"

"You still have the nerve to bring up the past." Chu Liuzheng rolled his eyes at him. "I can't outrun you anyway."

Although her mother was ill in bed, she really didn't need her older brother's loving hugs and head pats.

"Then I'll change from now on, brother." Chu Shangming quickly admitted his mistake.

"Just use less strength." Chu Liuzheng hummed and pulled him into the library.

At this time, classes were still in session, and there were hardly any people in the library.

Chu Shangming led her to the bookshelf and pointed, "All thirty-two books are here. Which ones are usable?"

“Anything His Majesty hasn’t seen is acceptable.” Chu Liuzheng, who was in charge of Xiao Jingfan’s daily life, knew all about the books he had been reading recently. She said to her brother, “You help me move them out, and I’ll find them.”

"Okay." Chu Shangming agreed and moved all thirty-two books out and placed them on the ground.

He brushed the dust off with his sleeve and pulled Chu Liuzheng to sit down.

Chu Liuzheng flipped through the books one by one, and could tell whether the emperor had read them just by looking at the cover and the beginning, so the selection process was relatively quick.

"Did you continue learning to read after you entered the palace?" Chu Shangming asked as he put the books she had picked out that she didn't want back on the bookshelf.

"Yes, I secretly read some medical books while working at the pharmacy," Chu Liuzheng replied casually, his hands still turning the pages.

"Were you bullied?"

Chu Liuzheng paused in his book-turning, then looked up and smiled, "I'm so fierce, who can bully me?"

“Brother, go and beg the Emperor for mercy. Let’s not go back to the palace, okay?” Chu Shangming squatted down, staring at her intently, and said seriously, “Since Father came back, Mother hasn’t had a relapse in the past few years. The grocery store is doing well, and the land in the village is rented out to people to cultivate. Every year, we can harvest enough grain to pay taxes and we won’t go hungry anymore.”

Brother has already passed the county-level imperial examination and is studying hard for several years. If he's lucky, he might even pass the metropolitan-level examination. We're not going to be slaves anymore. You can leave the palace, and I'll protect you. Our family will be reunited. You..."

"Brother." Chu Liuzheng handed him the book, interrupting him at the same time, "How did you do on that question just now?"

The topic jumped too far, and Chu Shangming was taken aback for a moment before asking, "What topic?"

"These are the test questions that Chief Chancellor Yun sent out." Chu Liuzheng opened another book. "Did you answer them carefully?"

Chu Shangming nodded: "I've written down everything I can think of."

Upon hearing this, Chu Liuzheng smiled, her eyes crinkling. Her brother was quite hardworking.

She looked around to make sure no one was around before leaning closer to her brother and whispering, "Those were the questions His Highness Prince Xiao set himself."

Chu Shangming was startled and asked in a low voice, "Why?"

"Ministry of Revenue." Chu Liuzheng stopped there, patting her brother's chest, "You'll have to work hard later."

Chu Shangming was completely bewildered by her pat: "Strive for what?"

"Of course it's an interview, it's what I got for saving the emperor." "You'll see in a moment." Chu Liuzheng smiled, "His Highness Prince Xiao is quite easy to get along with, don't be afraid."

Chu Shangming: ? ? ?

Chu Liuzheng encouraged her brother: "Brother, I believe in you!"

Although he was still full of questions, that didn't stop Chu Shangming from nodding vigorously: "Yes!"

Fifteen minutes later, Chu Liu selected three books and held them in his arms, while Chu Shangming put the rest back on the bookshelf.

Chu Shangming led her to the steward to register. Because she had the token of Yun Jijiu, the steward did not make things difficult for her at all.

The brother and sister walked back side by side, chatting and laughing.

As they approached the flower hall, Chu Liuzheng suddenly stopped and tilted her head to look at her brother: "You are not allowed to beg His Majesty to let me leave the palace later, do you hear me?"

Chu Shangming: !

He didn't say anything, how could Youmiao know what he wanted to do?
"I know you too well, you're so stubborn." Chu Liuzheng muttered, grabbing her brother's sleeve and shaking it, and said in a soft voice, "Brother, the rules in the palace are paramount, you can't just beg for them. If we offend His Majesty, we'll both be punished, and we might even lose our heads."

She made a "snap" gesture on her neck.

Chu Shangming: ! !
Isn't the emperor supposed to be a wise ruler? How come he gets beheaded for saying the wrong thing?
Chu Liuzheng said, "I know you are worried about me, and I also want to leave the palace as soon as possible, but it's not the right time yet."

Chu Shangming pressed further, "When will you be able to come out?"

"Maybe this year, maybe next year." Chu Liuzheng couldn't say for sure, so he could only say, "I'll think of something as soon as possible."

Chu Shangming wasn't so easily fooled: "What can you do?" After all, the emperor sounded so fierce.

"Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed." Chu Liuzheng smiled at him.

Chu Shangming: "..."

Chu Liuzheng patted his shoulder: "I'm a favorite of His Majesty now, no one can bully me, so don't worry."

"Don't lie to me." Chu Shangming stared into her eyes.

“It’s all true, I promise.” Chu Liuzheng raised four fingers. “Otherwise, may I never earn any money in my life.”

The vow was quite convincing, and Chu Shangming reluctantly believed it. He reached out and gently patted her head: "Remember to send a message home before you leave the palace, and we'll go to the palace gate to meet you."

"Okay!" Chu Liuzheng held back his tears, forced a smile, and nodded vigorously.

"Silly girl." Chu Shangming sighed inwardly and handed her the book he was holding. "Let's go. That fat eunuch has already looked this way twice."

Chu Liuzheng chuckled: "That was Chief Steward Zhou, who went to the house to deliver the imperial decree. Don't you remember?"

Chu Shangming frowned. The one who came to his house didn't seem this fat, did she?

"Eunuch Zhou doesn't like hearing people say he's fat," Chu Liuzheng whispered to her brother. "Don't say anything wrong, he holds a grudge."

Chu Shangming said, "He was quite kind when he came home last time."

"Really?" Chu Liuzheng was somewhat surprised.

Chu Shangming nodded: "He also told Mother that you are doing well in the palace."

Upon hearing this, Chu Liuzheng decided to refrain from silently criticizing Eunuch Zhou in his heart from now on.

The two entered the flower hall, and after exchanging greetings, Chu Liuzheng presented the book he had found to Xiao Jingfan for review.

Xiao Jingfan glanced through the papers briefly and then put them aside, continuing to look at the remaining answer sheets.

"Come with me." King Xiao beckoned to Chu Shangming, and Kunqi pushed his wheelchair behind the screen.

Chu Shangming quickly followed.

Chu Liuzheng's gaze immediately shifted to that direction, his hands clenching tightly in nervousness.

[The interview has started, good luck, bro!]