I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 284 Why bother outsiders with something as simple as collecting corpses?

Pei Yunjian and Yan Chengtong both shook their heads.

Seeing this, Yun Jijiu handed Chu Shangming a sealed envelope and waved to the three of them, saying, "It's getting late, go back and pack your things."

"The students take their leave." The three bowed in unison.

"I'll go this way." Yan Chengtong was not in the same dormitory as the two of them, so he left after saying this.

Pei Yunjian shook his head and walked back side by side with Chu Shangming.

Chu Shangming was looking down at the envelope in his hand.

Pei Yunjian glanced at it and said, "This is the seal of Prince Xiao's residence."

Chu Shangming was somewhat surprised, guessing that the King of Xiao might have something to instruct him, and planned to read the letter after returning to the school.

Pei Yunjian turned his head to look at him: "Why did you ask the teacher that question just now?"

"Don't we get a monthly allowance?" Chu Shangming scratched his cheek. "I was thinking that if the Ministry of Revenue doesn't provide meals, I'll just come back to eat."

Pei Yunjian: "..."

You're thinking quite far ahead.

He said, "It takes half an hour to go from the Ministry of Revenue to the Imperial Academy by carriage and back." Let alone walking.

Chu Shangming chuckled, "I can run fast."

Pei Yunjian: "..."

He said helplessly, "The Ministry of Revenue provides meals."

Chu Shangming's eyes lit up, and he was even happier.

He said, "I'll tell Brother Ren about this good news in a bit."

"Why tell him?" Pei Yunjian looked up at the sky, not being very familiar with the situation.

Chu Shangming glanced at him: "Did you and Brother Ren have another fight? Weren't you fine this morning?"
“Who argued with him?” Pei Yunjian quickened his pace, almost jogging.

Chu Shangming quickly caught up, wondering to himself, why are they acting so awkwardly again?
The two walked quickly and unexpectedly bumped into Ren Qingxia, who had rushed over after hearing the news.

Ren Qingxia took the opportunity to put her arm around the waist of the person in her arms to help them stand up.

Pei Yunjian's ears turned slightly red, and she glared at him.

Ren Qingxia's innocent face said, "You're the one who ran into my arms."

"I'm leaving now." Chu Shangming felt this was an opportunity for the two friends to reconcile, so he immediately jogged away.

Pei Yunjian: "..."

"I'll take you back." Ren Qingxia nudged him with her shoulder. "What does the Chief Priest want with you?"

Pei Yunjian ignored him and kept walking forward with his head down.

"Hey!" Ren Qingxia followed up, "It's my mother who wants to find me a girl, but I don't want to. Why are you getting angry with me? Isn't your aunt also looking for a girl for you?"

He felt wronged, he was angry, and he desperately needed someone to comfort him.

At the same time, Zhou Gonggong felt that the emperor also needed to be coaxed.

He cautiously observed Xiao Jingfan's gloomy face and secretly began to resent Prince Xiao.

With so many palace maids in the entire palace, why are they only ordering around Chu Liuzheng?
Chu Liuzheng was also quite depressed.

It's a joyous occasion that Princess Xiao is pregnant, and it's a good thing that Prince Xiao is happy and wants to send her some gifts. But how did this joyous occasion turn into her working overtime for no pay?
She doesn't know Princess Xiao's preferences, so why should she ask her about choosing a gift?
As she was secretly complaining, King Xiao held up a luminous pearl and asked her, "How about this?"

Chu Liuzheng nodded.

"Too ordinary." King Xiao put the luminous pearl aside and picked up a pair of jade bracelets, asking her, "What do you think?"

Chu Liuzheng nodded.

King Xiao glanced at her and said, "You're just trying to fool me."

"This servant wouldn't dare," Chu Liuzheng said sincerely. "This servant is ignorant and inexperienced. The things Your Highness has chosen are all good, and this servant thinks they are all good."

"Since everything is fine, then send it all back." King Xiao gestured to Kunqi to pack up everything on the table, and instructed, "Hurry up and make sure it's delivered before the Queen Consort sets off." The fetus is only a little over a month old and cannot withstand the bumpy journey.

Kunqi tied the gift with a red ribbon and carried it out.

Chu Liuzheng also wanted to leave, but King Xiao asked her to sit down and have tea and snacks.

"Your Highness, I must return to serve His Majesty his dinner. If you have no further instructions, I shall take my leave."

She really didn't want to listen to the ramblings of the Duke of Zhou.

King Xiao raised an eyebrow: "Don't you want to hear the result?"

I'm still thinking about it. Although the system can also view it, searching for it takes time.

Chu Liuzheng immediately sat down, adopting an attitude of listening attentively.

King Xiao said, "I have chosen three people, and Chu Shangming is one of them."

Chu Liuzheng opened his eyes wide in surprise and exclaimed, "Your Highness is wise!"

King Xiao chuckled: "According to you, I wouldn't be wise if I didn't choose Chu Shangming?"

Chu Liuzheng continued to flatter, "Whatever decision Your Highness makes will be wise."

King Xiao didn't argue with her, saying, "Do you know what I want them for? It might not be a good thing, and you might even be condemned by everyone."

"No, that won't happen." Chu Liuzheng's eyes crinkled into a smile. "This servant believes in His Majesty and the Prince. What His Majesty and the Prince are going to do is definitely something that benefits the people's livelihood."

Upon hearing this, King Xiao's gaze deepened. He stared at her for a moment and realized that she was not flattering or fawning, but genuinely believed him.

He couldn't help but shake his head: "To be so trusting of people while living in the palace, if you were to lose your life one day, I might be able to collect your body."

Chu Liuzheng: "..."

Then I'd rather not.

Why bother an outsider with something as simple as collecting a body? Her brother is perfectly capable of doing it.

"Achoo!" At the back door of the general store, Chu Shangming, carrying two large bundles, looked up at the sky and sneezed loudly.

Chu Yuxin opened the door and looked at her brother with a puzzled expression: "Big brother, why are you back? Shouldn't you be studying hard at the Imperial Academy?"

"Something's up." Chu Shangming walked inside.

Food was laid out on the stone table in the courtyard, and Bai Shi and Chu Die sat at the table.

Seeing him suddenly return, Madam Bai hurriedly asked, "Have you eaten?"

"No." Chu Shangming put the bundle back in his room and came out holding a long scroll of paper.

Mrs. Bai went to the kitchen to get bowls and chopsticks and called her son over to eat.

Chu Shangming handed the rolled-up paper to Chu Yuxin and went to the kitchen to wash his hands.

Chu Yuxin unfolded the scroll and found a drawing of a beautiful girl on it.

She didn't look closely, then turned and called out to the kitchen, "Brother, is that your wife in the picture?"

A loud crash came from the kitchen.

Chu Shangming's shout to his sister startled him so much that he knocked over the basin of water.

"Don't talk nonsense." He came out wiping his hands. "The picture is of your sister."

The three of them were stunned.

Chu Shangming said, "Today His Majesty visited the Imperial Academy, and I saw Youmiao. She looks just like this in the painting."

He was afraid he would forget, so he hurriedly drew it.

The three of them stared intently at the painting, their burning gazes seemingly trying to bore a hole through it.

"Yes, it's Youmiao." Bai covered her mouth, her fingers trembling as she stroked the portrait.

She wouldn't mistake those features; they were indeed hers, Youmiao's.

Chu's father felt a lump in his throat as he read this.

When he went to Xiancheng to find his relatives, something unexpected happened, and he was gone for five years. At that time, Youmiao was only seven years old.

She was a small, thin girl who was always cheerful. She smiled at everyone and spoke in a pleasing way, so everyone in the village liked her.

I can't believe how big he's gotten in the blink of an eye.

"Sister," Chu Yuxin murmured, then burst into tears without warning, large tears streaming down her face.

The crying startled Chu Shangming and the other two.

Bai quickly comforted her daughter.

Chu Yuxin buried her face in her mother's arms and cried bitterly, as if she had been hit with a carrying pole.

Hearing the commotion, Xiao Wu leaped onto the wall and asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Chu Shangming pointed to Chu Yuxin. "It's just that this girl misses her sister."

Xiao Wu glanced at the portrait on the table, didn't ask any questions, picked up the peanuts Chu Shangming handed him, and climbed back over the wall.

With Bai's coaxing and patting, Chu Yuxin finally stopped crying and looked at her brother with her red, rabbit-like eyes: "Why didn't you bring my sister back?"