I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 421 You Can't Do It
Chu Liuzheng hissed and gasped for breath as the iron hand around his waist tightened, his eyes brimming with tears as he said, "It hurts."

[Damn tyrant, are you trying to hang yourself? The rope's so strong! If you want to strangle me, just say so!]

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingfan, who was consumed by anger, suddenly came to his senses and released his grip.

The struggling Chu Liuzheng was caught off guard and fell onto his chest, panting heavily, feeling that his waist was definitely bruised.

Suddenly, a nameless anger welled up in her heart.

There was no way to avoid or escape it, so all I could do was go along with it, endure it, and appease it. After so many days of smooth sailing, I was finally able to accumulate enough merit and see a glimmer of hope for leaving the palace when the emperor suddenly came and caused this commotion.

Yes, yes, yes, it was wrong of her to get drunk last night and try to molest the emperor, but didn't she just touch his face and not even see his abs? Is it really such a heinous crime that she has to face the emperor's madness as soon as she wakes up?

She was promoted to the rank of Imperial Concubine, enjoying great favor and wealth at her fingertips. Regardless of whether others were willing or not, Chu Liuzheng was not.

Call her ungrateful, call her hypocritical, call her stupid and unable to weigh the pros and cons, she just won't!

She might not care how many exes her future partner has had—every adult has a past, after all. But she does care about polygamy and sharing!
She has no ambition to become empress dowager and no interest in power struggles. She must be crazy to agree to stay in the cannibalistic harem for a man!
Besides, there are so many men in the world. Although they may not be as handsome and elegant as the emperor, even if she were to marry, she would marry someone who only has eyes for her and only her by his side. The emperor was never in her range of choices from the beginning!
"Speak." Xiao Jingfan regretted hurting Chu Liuzheng earlier, but he was too embarrassed to apologize since he was used to being coaxed. So he could only urge him with a cold face, trying to get Chu Liuzheng to soften his stance first, and then he would coax him properly.

Isn't this woman the most pragmatic?

[What a load of bull!]

Chu Liuzheng remained silent, afraid that if she opened her mouth, she would point at the emperor's nose and call him a beast.

Xiao Jingfan waited, but apart from that brief thought, he didn't hear another word.

Silence spread through the tent, the curtains billowing in the wind with a rustling sound.

Chu Liuzheng pursed his lips, trying to get up from the emperor, but how could Xiao Jingfan let go? He subconsciously hugged him tighter, but heard a groan of pain, so he quickly loosened his grip and coaxed with a frown, "Be good, don't make trouble for me."

Upon hearing this, Chu Liuzheng, who had been suppressing his anger and trying to find a way to let the matter go, exploded.

Who's causing trouble?
Who's the one who came here acting crazy?

She angrily raised her eyes and glared at the emperor, "You bastard!"

Xiao Jingfan was stunned by the scolding.

Many people curse him behind his back, but Chu Liuzheng is the first person to dare to call him a bastard to his face.

He wasn't angry at all; in fact, he smiled with a hint of curiosity and asked, "Where have I been a scoundrel?"

"You're a bastard everywhere!" Chu Liuzheng said, staring at him defiantly, "If you force me to do something against my will, you're a bastard!"

It's better to talk than to keep quiet. Xiao Jingfan patiently put his arm around her, "Why wouldn't you? I can give you anything you want, as long as you're willing."

Upon hearing this, Chu Liuzheng curled his lip and scoffed lightly, showing great disdain.

Xiao Jingfan frowned: "You don't believe me?"

"What I want, you can't give me." Chu Liuzheng raised his chin slightly, reached out and grabbed his collar, pulling him forward.

The scents of jasmine and sandalwood mingled, instantly shortening the distance between them until their breaths mingled. Xiao Jingfan's pupils contracted slightly, and he instinctively tightened his grip on the waist of the person on top of him, then loosened his grip slightly, worried about hurting them.

He asked, "What do you want?"

Staring at the clear reflection in his dark pupils, Chu Liuzheng raised his hand, his wide sleeve sliding down to reveal his snow-white arm, loosely hooking it around the young man's neck, a slight smile playing on his lips. This unprecedented act of intimacy startled Xiao Jingfan. The delicate scent of jasmine wafted over, their hearts pounding together, warm breath brushing against his fair earlobe. "I want... to choose only one from among many. Your Majesty, can you do that?"

Xiao Jingfan was taken aback, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Chu Liuzheng turned his head, their noses almost touching, their lips nearly touching. His almond-shaped eyes were bright, and his smile was captivating: "All three thousand concubines in the harem have been scattered. I... am at your disposal."

Her voice was soft, like the seductive chant of a siren.

Xiao Jingfan's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, his gaze turning terrifyingly deep.

He was a normal man, and the woman he loved was in his arms, smiling sweetly, her full, rosy lips so close he could almost touch them. With just a slight lean forward, he could capture that fragrance.

But... he slowly raised his hand, pulled down the arm wrapped around his neck, and a look of suspicion and scrutiny appeared uncontrollably in his eyes.

"See, you can't do it." Chu Liuzheng glanced at his arm that had been pulled away, sneered, and had long expected the emperor to make this choice.

She stared into those deep eyes: "You are a wise and sage ruler. You have to balance the court and the harem. You only care about the country and its people, and never about personal feelings."

She rose from the emperor's lap, took two steps back, and performed a proper curtsy, her demeanor and tone returning to normal.

“This servant has spoken recklessly and has offended her superiors. She shall be punished or beaten as she sees fit.”

*
At noon, the sun was blazing brightly.

Under the lush green shade of the trees, a person was kneeling upright.

Chu Liuzheng lowered his head slightly, listlessly counting the ants that passed by.

[One hundred and thirty-two, one hundred and thirty-three... wait, this one seems to be the same one as one hundred. With so many ants, is it going to rain?]

"Eunuch Zhou, why did His Majesty make Sister Liuzheng kneel as punishment?" Chenxing and Siyue rushed over as soon as they returned, eager to tear Zhou Yuande's sleeves off.

Zhou Yuande pulled his sleeves back with great effort, looked at the person under the tree and sighed, "Being too stubborn is not a good thing in the palace. Once she has thought things through, His Majesty will naturally let her up."

Chen Xing pressed further: "Think clearly about what?"

Zhou Yuande remained silent, only sighing again as he held his whisk.

I thought His Majesty would soon get what he wanted, but judging from the current situation, there's still a lot of trouble ahead.

The head eunuch couldn't understand. There were countless women in the world who wanted to enter the palace to accompany the emperor, which showed the many benefits of such an opportunity. Chu Liuzheng was usually so clever; why did she always turn down these advantages? Now that she had truly angered His Majesty, Chu Liuzheng's future days were likely to be much more difficult.

He still harbored some affection for Chu Liuzheng and wanted his emperor to be at ease, so he went over to persuade him several times. However, Chu Liuzheng was completely unmoved and would rather kneel as punishment than bow his head to the emperor first.

The head eunuch was troubled; why was he so stubborn?

Chenxing wanted to ask more questions, but Siyue tugged at her and winked at her.

Chen Xing shut his mouth and left with her.

Once they reached a less crowded area, Chenxing asked anxiously, "What's your idea?"

(End of this chapter)