I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 418 That Big Stick That Separates Lovers
As for Jiang Yao, she didn't want any rewards from the emperor; she only hoped that the emperor would treat the people of Yuecheng well. The specific details would be discussed between the two of them separately.

In short, what Chu Liuzheng and the others heard from Tongniang was that the two had reached an agreement: as long as Jiang Yao could become the city lord of Yuecheng, Xiao Jingfan would give her certain preferential treatment.

Tongniang smiled so much that her eyes crinkled into waves: "The head of the family sent a letter saying that the wedding ceremony has been prepared and that Miss will be able to marry Young Master Cang as soon as she returns."

Chu Liuzheng glanced at Jiang Yao, whose hair was turning increasingly white, and remembering what Feng Jing had said, she quietly pulled her aside and whispered, "Do you really want to get married?"

Jiang Yao tilted her head to look at her: "Why do you ask that?"

[Because you don't look happy at all; you look very unhappy.]

“If it’s your parents’ decision and not your own, you can ask His Majesty for support.” Chu Liuzheng glanced furtively at Xiao Jingfan and nodded at Jiang Yao, “Don’t waste it.”

Now that the emperor is in a good mood, and Jiang Yao is one of the heroes who saved Prince Rui, the emperor will definitely agree as long as Jiang Yao makes the request.

Doctor Feng said that Jiang Yao's premature ripening of the Shadow Moon Gu was detrimental to her lifespan, and she probably wouldn't live past forty.

This was Jiang Yao's own choice, and although Chu Liuzheng felt it was a pity, he expressed his respect.

Life is short, and she hopes that Jiang Yao will at least be happy in the days to come, rather than marrying someone she doesn't like for external reasons such as family or to meet someone else's expectations.

Jiang Yao tilted her head and stared at Chu Liuzheng for a long while. Suddenly, a smile appeared on her pale lips, and her delicate, doll-like face gained a touch of life. She said, "If I don't want to, no one can force me."

Does this mean you're willing?

Chu Liuzheng blinked.

Oh my god, I almost became the stick that broke up the couple!

She felt she couldn't be blamed for misunderstanding; based on the information she found in the system, she really couldn't tell that Jiang Yao liked that Young Master Cang. On the contrary, Young Master Cang really liked to get close to Jiang Yao, even if he didn't do anything, or just watched her meditate and practice martial arts for a whole day.

and many more!

Chu Liuzheng glanced at Jiang Yao and suddenly realized that he had been too attached to appearances.

That young master Cang was quite the chatterbox. When he was with Jiang Yao, he would chatter on and on, telling her about the latest happenings in Yuecheng. Although Jiang Yao rarely responded, she never found him annoying or tried to get rid of him.

This was nothing like the last time she hid in Jiang Yao's courtyard, where she was almost chased away by Jiang Yao, who was focused on practicing her skills, after only sighing for a while.

Wow, these two are truly in love!

Jiang Yao kept staring at her, and when she saw a look of sudden realization on her face, she rolled her eyes slightly, leaned close to her ear, and whispered in a voice so soft it was almost a sigh: "If you don't want to, send a message to Yuecheng, and I'll help you."

Chu Liuzheng took a moment to realize what Jiang Yao was talking about, and his lips parted slightly: "You—"

"Shh!" Jiang Yao pressed her index finger to Chu Liuzheng's lips, her eyes deep and unfathomable. "Remember my words."

Chu Liuzheng wanted to ask something more, but Jiang Yao stopped talking and called Tongniang to pack their luggage. The two of them still had to rush to Longkou Town to deal with the hidden dangers in the people's bodies before returning to Yuecheng.

Xiao Jingfan sent people to escort the two, and also took the now energetic Jiang Zhou back to the Xiancheng government office.

Marquis Wenzhao was worried, so after consulting with the emperor, he went to help.

Grand Tutor is getting on in years and is not recovering as quickly as Marquis Wenzhao; he still needs to rest.

Prince Rui should not travel long distances at this time, so Xiao Jingfan decided to stay a few more days until Prince Rui was better before returning to the capital. The responsibility of treating Prince Rui naturally fell to Feng Jing, who also needed to care for the soldiers injured at Thousand-Foot Cliff, with the military doctor only able to assist him. Therefore, Doctor Feng was so busy every day that he didn't even have time to drink water.

Siyue's injuries have largely healed. As long as she doesn't engage in combat, she will be fully recovered in a few days. She is skilled in both medicine and poison, and by assisting Feng Jing, she can learn some things as well.

As for Chenxing, she wasn't idle either. Every day, she followed the soldiers into the underground palace. While the soldiers carried gold and silver jewelry, she and Lü Fei were responsible for counting, cataloging, and sealing the boxes.

Everyone else was busy with their own things.

Seeing that his companions were working really hard and had lost a lot of weight, Chu Liuzheng switched to a larger pot while stewing the emperor's tonic soup, giving each of his busy companions a bowl, subtly taking advantage of the emperor.

Xiao Jingfan chose to turn a blind eye to this. The gold and silver treasures that Yin Lanci had hidden in the underground palace had greatly enriched the emperor's private treasury, so he didn't care about this little bit.

Feng Jing was deeply moved, feeling that Chu Liuzheng was a truly worthwhile friend, mainly because of the delicious soup.

In the fourth month, I felt the nourishing soup was delicious and wanted another bowl.

Chen Xing is always clinging to Chu Liuzheng, showering him with compliments.

Zhou Yuande and others also thought that Chu Liuzheng's cooking skills were good. Lü Fei even thought that if Miss Chu were a chef, he would definitely offer a high price to invite her back to his mansion.

Huang Qian suspected that the emperor favored Chu Liuzheng because of her excellent cooking skills. He secretly discussed with Huang Xin sending a message to the palace, asking his niece to study the skills properly, in case she gained favor because of it.
Sun rises and sets, day and night alternate.

Three days later, Prince Rui awoke.

Xiao Jingfan was overjoyed and rushed to visit him.

The two royal brothers talked for nearly two hours. If Prince Rui hadn't been exhausted, they probably would have talked until sunset.

Inside the tent, Xiao Jingfan watched as Feng Jing took Prince Rui's pulse. Only after confirming that Prince Rui was simply tired and not suffering from any health problems did he feel relieved. He then sent a letter to the capital to reassure the Empress Dowager.

With Prince Rui's awakening, the atmosphere in the entire military camp became relaxed, and a bonfire was even lit that night, with everyone sitting around it to celebrate.

Zhou Yuande led his men to the city to buy wine in advance. Upon learning that the wine was best for spring, he generously ordered two cartloads of large wine vats weighing fifty catties each.

Springtime Intoxication is brewed with peach petals that bloom in early March and spring water. It has a beautiful color, delicious taste, and a sweet aftertaste. Although it is called Springtime Intoxication, it has a low alcohol content and is almost intoxicating, making it suitable for all ages.

Chu Liuzheng rarely drank alcohol in the palace, but perhaps the taste of Spring Intoxication was too much like fruit juice, because she drank an entire pot. By the time everyone noticed, her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were watery, and she was so drunk that she could barely stand, yet she still wanted to dance with Chen Xing.

Just as Chen Xing was about to help the person back to rest, Xiao Jingfan came over, took off his cloak and covered Chu Liuzheng with it, then carried the person back.

Chen Xing had only taken one step when she was grabbed by seven or eight outstretched hands. Everyone shook their heads at her, signaling her not to go and cause trouble.

Chen Xing pursed his lips, having no choice but to abandon his eavesdropping idea, and went to refill the empty wine jug.

The others exchanged glances and continued drinking and having fun.

Compared to the noise around the campfire, it was much quieter around the tent.

Xiao Jingfan placed the drunkard on the bed and was wondering whether to take off his shoes or wipe his face when he was suddenly tackled to the ground by the drunkard.

The ground was hard as a rock, and his head slammed into it. Xiao Jingfan hissed in pain, but the person on top of him wouldn't stop.