I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 286 A Messy Mess of Rags

Xia Qiaoru blushed slightly, clutching the hem of her clothes with her right hand, and mumbled, "It's about family matters."

Chu Liuzheng tilted his head to look at her: "Is it his house or your house?"

Xia Qiaoru pursed her lips and whispered, "His home."

"Oh~" Chu Liuzheng deliberately dragged out the tone.

"You're laughing at me!" Xia Qiaoru slapped her and said angrily, "I'm never talking to you again."

"No, I won't laugh." Chu Liuzheng took her arm and led her forward. "Go on, what's going on in his family?"

“Brother Zhang got married the year before last, and this year his wife gave birth to a chubby baby boy. He gave the child the silver lock that I had asked someone to send out of the palace, saying that both he and his wife were very happy.”

Xia Qiaoru had a faint smile on her face, as if she were talking about her own family affairs.

"He said he had already discussed it with my parents and that we would get married as soon as I left the palace. He told me not to worry, to take care of myself, and that he would always wait for me."

"I asked someone to bring him the silver and things, and together with the money he earned himself, we used it to build two new houses, so that he wouldn't have to worry about not having a place to live after the wedding."

As she spoke, her face flushed again, and her eyes shone brightly with anticipation.

Chu Liuzheng blinked: "Didn't you say you never gave him money?"

"Not much." Xia Qiaoru avoided her gaze, not daring to look at her.

Love truly can make people lose their minds.

Chu Liuzheng sighed inwardly and asked, "Since the marriage has been arranged, why wasn't it mentioned in the letter you received a few days ago?"

"Maybe it's to save money," Xia Qiaoru said. "None of my family members can read, so we pay someone to write for us. Writing fewer words saves money."

When they ask you for money and complain about being poor, they write three whole pages of letters, describing their dire situation as the worst possible. But discussing marriage can be done in just two lines. Why would they spend a few extra copper coins?

Chu Liuzheng wanted to say these words several times, but he forced himself to swallow them back.

Some people are genuinely confused, while others are pretending to be confused.

Living in this palace, one must always have some hope.

"Now that the marriage is arranged and the new house is built, shouldn't you start saving up your dowry?" Chu Liuzheng teased with a smile. "You still have several years before you leave the palace. Save up your monthly allowance and all the good things the nobles have given you, and you can get married in style when the time comes."

"Who's getting married?" Xia Qiaoru blushed with embarrassment and pretended to pat her.

“I’m serious.” Chu Liuzheng grabbed her wrist, his smile vanishing completely, and said seriously, “You know your family’s situation better than I do. You can’t just think about them; you also need to think about your own future.”

"I know what I'm doing." Xia Qiaoru lowered her eyes and pursed her lips.

Just as Chu Liuzheng was about to offer a few more words of advice to see if he could enlighten this silly girl, Xiao Anzi suddenly arrived with his men, saying that the emperor urgently summoned him.

The two hurriedly followed him to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

"Only Miss Liuzheng should go in." At the entrance of the bedchamber, Xiao Anzi reached out to stop Xia Qiaoru, who looked at Chu Liuzheng with concern.

"Go back first," Chu Liuzheng instructed her, then pushed open the door and entered the palace.

The hall was brightly lit by candlelight.

Behind the screen, Physician Wu was giving Xiao Jingfan acupuncture. Zhou Yuande was waiting nearby. When he saw Chu Liuzheng coming over, he beckoned to her and led her outside the screen.

Chu Liuzheng asked softly, "What's wrong with Your Majesty?"

"I can't sleep because of a headache." Zhou Yuande sighed, looking at her. "You massaged His Majesty last time, and he slept quite well. You can do the same later. Do you have the balm with you?"

Chu Liuzheng shook his head: "Just that one box."

Zhou Yuande was puzzled: "His Majesty gave you so much, have you used it all?"

Chu Liuzheng touched his nose. "Didn't we give the rest away?"

"Alright, I'll go to the storeroom to get it." Zhou Yuande glanced at the bedside and instructed, "Take good care of him, and don't displease His Majesty."

Chu Liuzheng nodded repeatedly; she wouldn't dare to anger the emperor even if she had a hundred lives.

While Eunuch Zhou went to the storeroom to fetch the balm, Physician Wu finished acupuncture on Xiao Jingfan.

Xiao Jingfan's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, but his eyelids drooped, clearly indicating that he was still not feeling well.

A palace maid brought in calming tea, which Chu Liuzheng took and offered to Xiao Jingfan with both hands. "I won't drink it." Xiao Jingfan didn't like the taste of calming tea to begin with, and now that he was in a bad mood, he disliked it even more.

Chu Liuzheng didn't try to dissuade him. He turned around, placed the teacup on the tray, and said softly to the little palace maid, "Bring me a cup of Dendrobium Dew."

The young palace maid curtsied and carried the tray out.

While packing his medicine box, Physician Wu instructed, "His Majesty has been overworking lately and needs to take a break."

Xiao Jingfan was tired of hearing the same two sentences every time, so he waved his hand and told him to leave.

Chu Liuzheng saw the person out the door, listened to Physician Wu's instructions, took the Dendrobium Dew brought by the maid, and turned to enter the hall.

Xiao Jingfan raised his hand to press his throbbing temples, glancing at the teacup: "What is this?"

"Dendrobium dew can nourish yin, soothe the stomach, and calm the mind." Chu Liuzheng handed the teacup forward. "Your Majesty, please have one."

Xiao Jingfan forced down half a cup and asked, "Why didn't you brew some Ganoderma lucidum tea?"

Because you're already in a bad mood, how could I dare to provoke you?

Chu Liuzheng said, "If Your Majesty wishes to drink, this servant will have someone prepare it immediately."

"No need." Xiao Jingfan didn't want to drink.

At this moment, Zhou Yuande returned with the perfume and essential oils, handed them all to Chu Liuzheng, and then led his men out of the hall.

Chu Liuzheng: "..."

Are we just going to leave her to fight this battle alone?
Xiao Jingfan lay down on the bed, his eyes fixed on the top of the bed curtains, his temples throbbing.

Chu Liuzheng covered him with a blanket and, after carefully distinguishing the scents, chose the same jasmine balm as last time.

She blew out all the candles in the hall, leaving only the luminous pearl by the bedside to emit a soft, precious light, illuminating the bed.

He reached out and closed the box containing the luminous pearl halfway, instantly dimming the light so much that Xiao Jingfan couldn't even see the person sitting by the bed.

A slight coolness on the fingertips, and with the massage, the delicate fragrance of jasmine slowly spreads.

Since giving the emperor a massage last time, Chu Liuzheng took the time to learn from Physician Li, and his massage skills have now reached a new level.

Whether it was the fragrance or something else, the tension in Xiao Jingfan's mind gradually eased, the throbbing pain subsided, and wisps of sleepiness washed over him like a tide.

He unconsciously closed his eyes, and amidst the lingering fragrance, his breathing gradually became even.

[Didn't you fall asleep pretty quickly?]

Chu Liuzheng listened to the even breathing of the person on the bed, hesitated for a moment, and then pressed down.

She massaged for about fifteen minutes, and her back and arms ached. She slowly withdrew her hands, held her breath, and waited for a while.

His breathing remained long and even.

He probably won't wake up.

She got up very slowly, and before she could stand up straight, she felt a slight pull.

Look down.

In the dim light, the hem of her skirt was somehow grabbed by the person on the bed and held tightly, making it impossible to pull it out.

Chu Liuzheng propped himself up on the edge of the bed, reached over to grab the scissors used to trim candle wicks from the bedside table, and with a swift movement, cut the hem of the skirt around that large hand.

【Ugh~ I've only worn it twice.】

Xiao Jingfan frowned slightly and tilted his head inward.

Chu Liuzheng thought he had woken up, and waited anxiously for a while. When he saw that he did not make any other movement, he gently tucked the hand outside the quilt back in and tiptoed away.

The next day, during his day off, Xiao Jingfan slept until the end of the morning.

The hall was quiet, with no one moving around.

He stared at the sachet by the bedside for a while, then sat up. Just as he was about to call someone in to serve him, he suddenly felt that something was wrong.

He stared at his hands.

Where did this tattered piece of cloth come from?