I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 297 A Touching Bond Between Ruler and Subject

The injury on his neck wasn't serious, and Chu Liuzheng returned to work after only three days of rest.

Of course, it wasn't that she was too enthusiastic about going to work, but rather that the emperor had been troubled by something lately and couldn't sleep.

Even acupuncture by Physician Wu was ineffective.

Zhou Yuande urgently sought help, and Chu Liuzheng had no choice but to go back to the Yangxin Hall to work as a massage therapist.

I thought the emperor would fall asleep quickly like last time, but to my surprise, he was incredibly energetic and didn't even close his eyes. It seemed like he could get up and review another three pounds of memorials.

[What good person sleeps with their eyes open? We're not fish!]

Chu Liuzheng's back and arms ached from the massage, and he was filled with resentment, wanting to quit.

Tomorrow she will train all the palace maids in the Hall of Mental Cultivation and assign them the massage work.

"I can't sleep." Xiao Jingfan pushed her hand away and sat up, his eyes bright and alert.

Hehe, I noticed.

Chu Liuzheng said, "This servant will have someone bring a cup of calming tea."

Xiao Jingfan simply said, "I won't drink."

Chu Liuzheng: "..."

If this guy in bed wasn't a tyrant, I'd...

Countless images of disciplining unruly children flashed through her mind, and she felt a slight itch in her hands.

Xiao Jingfan didn't hear anything more for a while, so he lifted his eyelids to look at her.

Chu Liuzheng... chickened out.

The big boss isn't a spoiled brat.

She took out a tinderbox and lit the candle, preparing to stay up all night with the big boss.

Seeing the lights come back on in the hall, Zhou Yuande pushed open the door and went in to take a look.

Xiao Jingfan said to him, "Set up the chessboard."

Well, even Liu Zheng's massage didn't work.

Zhou Yuande was so anxious that he even considered the outrageous idea of ​​having the imperial physician apply pressure to the emperor's acupoints to induce sleep.

How can someone who's always busy not get any sleep?
However, the chief eunuch dared not.

So the candles were lit, the chess table was set, and tea and snacks were served.

Chu Liuzheng considered herself completely uninterested in such refined pursuits as chess, so she clapped her hands and tried to slip back to sleep. However, Zhou Yuande was faster than her and even slammed the door shut behind her.

Chu Liuzheng: "..."

There's something I'm not sure if I should say.

A soft voice came from behind: "Come here."

【Aww~ My little bed!】

Chu Liuzheng was filled with grief and indignation, and turned back to play chess with the emperor.

It was already past midnight.

“Wrong move, move this way.” Xiao Jingfan’s slender finger tapped lightly on the chessboard.

Chu Liuzheng suppressed the urge to yawn and numbly moved the chess piece to a different position.

I don't know where the emperor got the interest from, but he actually condescended to teach her, a terrible chess player. No, with her level of Go, she wasn't even a terrible player.

It was utterly ridiculous that he would condescend to teach a palace maid who was not even a complete novice at chess.

If you can't sleep, go review the imperial edicts!

Chu Liuzheng was filled with grief and indignation.

She really wanted to go back to sleep!

How can there be a tyrant in the world who dislikes sleeping so much?!

Xiao Jingfan looked at the person opposite him who was so sleepy that he could barely open his eyes, raised an eyebrow slightly, and casually flicked a chess piece from his fingertip, hitting him right on the forehead.

Chu Liuzheng jolted awake in pain, his mind still foggy from sleep, and without thinking much, he grabbed a handful of chess pieces and threw them back.

Down with the evil forces that never sleep!

Such audacity was truly beyond Xiao Jingfan's expectations. Sitting cross-legged, it was difficult to dodge, and he took several hits squarely.

Seeing the red mark on the emperor's handsome face, Chu Liuzheng instantly woke up from his drowsiness and felt a surge of excitement in his mind.

【Aaaaaah!!! Chu Liuzheng, what have you done?!】

How could you attack the tyrant?! You don't want to live, but I do!

What should I do? How can I save my life?

Chu Liuzheng's mind went blank, but her body slid to her knees in a flash. By the time she realized what was happening, she was already kneeling on the ground, begging for forgiveness.

Using the last vestiges of her brain, she thought for a moment and realized there was nothing else she could do, so she recited her last words in her mind with practiced ease. She had said them so many times that she could practically recite them backwards.

Xiao Jingfan, who had heard it countless times and could recite it by heart, was speechless.

The chess pieces are made of warm jade, smooth to the touch, translucent and beautiful, and they hurt when you hit them.

He rubbed the spot where the chess piece had hit him.

I haven't been slapped in the face in so many years.

That's incredibly audacious!

Chu Liuzheng felt as if every second was an eternity, and secretly glanced at the emperor.

Give me a straight answer: is he dead or alive?

Xiao Jingfan thought to himself: He definitely can't die, but if he lives, he can't let Xijun go easily either.

He pondered for a moment and said, "There is something that is troubling me. If you can solve it for me, I will not hold it against you."

Chu Liuzheng's eyes lit up, then dimmed again.

[What troubles a tyrant must be matters of national importance; how could I possibly understand them?]

[Well, at least it's a chance to survive. I still have the system, so I might as well try anything.]

She said respectfully, "Your Majesty, please speak."

"I want to bring back a batch of goods from Japan. How can I do it quietly?" Xiao Jingfan rested his chin on his hand, staring down at her forehead where the red mark had not yet faded, thinking that he would not slap her face next time.

Chu Liuzheng's question left him speechless.

[Asking a lowly palace maid about such a difficult matter? Has the tyrant lost his mind and stopped sleeping?]

To save her life, she frantically searched through the system.

【No, no, no... um?】

[Frog Fun!! The great conman Han has secretly sent a ship full of gold to the tyrant; it's already on its way!]

[A whole boatload! A whole boatload!! What kind of earth-shattering bond of loyalty between ruler and subject is this?!]

Xiao Jingfan's spirits lifted.

Why didn't you say so earlier?!

It made him think about it for so long!!

I can't sleep because I'm thinking about gold!

He ground his back teeth and said coldly, "No need to answer, I've changed my mind."

Chu Liuzheng instantly turned his attention away from the gold.

[Holy crap! Aren't the emperor's words supposed to be law, and his word is law? What kind of emperor goes back on his word?!]

Chu Liuzheng was stunned by Xiao Jingfan's shamelessness, and was then punished by Xiao Jingfan to set up a chess game according to the chess manual all night, and was also checked the next day.

Chu Liuzheng: "..."

She just didn't understand. Did being the emperor's confidant necessarily mean you had to be good at chess? She'd definitely have to ask Eunuch Zhou if he was a skilled chess player someday.

However, compared to my life, a few games of chess are nothing.

She yawned as she arranged the items and took notes, striving to meet the KPIs set by the big boss.

The crisp sound of pieces being placed echoed all night.

On the dragon bed, Xiao Jingfan slept soundly all night.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window, gently falling on my eyelids, both warm and dazzling.

Chu Liuzheng, who was lying on the chessboard, scratched his face, turned his head and buried his face in his arms, and continued to snore.

"cough!"

The person lying down didn't move.

"Cough cough!"

The person lying down remained motionless.

Zhou Yuande gathered his strength: "Miss Liu Zheng?"

Chu Liuzheng raised his hand to cover his ears.

Zhou Yuande raised his voice: "Chu Liuzheng!"

"Yes!" Chu Liuzheng stood up like a spring, his eyes opened instantly, a little smaller than usual, his eyes were watery and he looked particularly sleepy, and his hair was sticking up in all directions.

Zhou Yuande looked her over and sighed for the eightieth time in his heart.

What a great opportunity last night! The imperial bed was so close, how did I end up lying here?

The head eunuch was utterly disappointed.