I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 434 Plan
His Majesty the Emperor proposed the first condition: the couple could not consummate their marriage, but they had to sleep together and kiss and hug.

Chu Liuzheng thought of it as dating a handsome guy. As long as it didn't lead to anyone getting killed, she could accept it, so she nodded in agreement.

His Majesty the Emperor proposed a second condition: When summoning Chu Liuzheng to accompany him, Chu Liuzheng shall not refuse for any reason other than illness.

Chu Liuzheng decided to go to work on time, as he was used to doing the work in front of the emperor, so he agreed again.

His Majesty the Emperor proposed a third condition: Chu Liuzheng must praise the Emperor three times a day, morning, noon and evening, and cannot repeat it within five days.

Chu Liuzheng didn't quite understand the emperor's purpose in proposing this.

[Hasn't the tyrant had enough of hearing so much flattery every day?]

Xiao Jingfan narrowed his eyes, and Chu Liuzheng jumped and quickly agreed.

It's just a daily compliment, a matter of three sentences, simple!
Before affixing his fingerprint, Chu Liuzheng suddenly remembered something and cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, may I add another condition?"

Xiao Jingfan saw the words "taking an inch and wanting a mile" written all over her face.

Chu Liuzheng took his silence as consent and quickly said, "I want to leave the palace once a month to see my family!"

Xiao Jingfan: "Leaving the palace is not allowed."

Chu Liuzheng immediately understood and changed his plan from leaving the palace to summoning his family into the palace.

Xiao Jingfan then reluctantly picked up his pen and added it.

"Your Majesty, you are so kind!" Chu Liuzheng leaned over and gave him a loud kiss on the cheek.

Xiao Jingfan didn't want this woman to push her luck, but he couldn't help but smile.

The two signed and sealed the document, and Xiao Jingfan affixed his personal seal.

Chu Liuzheng looked at it several times before handing it to Xiao Jingfan and telling him to put it away.

Xiao Jingfan: "Aren't you worried that I'll destroy it?"

"Don't worry." Chu Liuzheng smiled, his eyes crinkling. "His Majesty is a man of his word."

So what if it gets destroyed? I'm penniless and have no backing. This is just a gentleman's agreement. If the tyrant doesn't want to keep his promise, even if I have an imperial edict, it's useless.

She was inspired by Siyue and, during lunch, thought of making a big bet with the emperor.

To her surprise, her life was quite important to the emperor, so important that the emperor was willing to agree to such an outrageous bet.

In terms of the gamble alone, she gained a host of benefits without doing almost anything extra, while the emperor had to bear pressure from all sides. In the end, regardless of whether the emperor could withstand the pressure, Chu Liuzheng personally won.

The only two scenarios where the emperor would lose are if he changed his mind halfway through the process or if the situation deteriorated to the point where the emperor could no longer handle it and then abandoned her as a pawn.

She only had one life to live, and rather than being trapped in the palace and forced to accept the emperor's rules, she would rather voluntarily gamble her life on a possibility.

Xiao Jingfan gave Chu Liuzheng a deep look, put away the folded paper, and pulled Chu Liuzheng toward the bed.

Chu Liuzheng asked in confusion, "What are you going to do?"

"They won't change their minds so quickly, will they?"

【Uh, no, even if the tyrant wanted to back out now, he wouldn't have the means to do so. His impotence hasn't been cured yet.】 Xiao Jingfan's forehead veins throbbed twice upon hearing this. He simply picked the person up and threw him onto the bed, then lowered the bed curtains and lay down as well.

[Oh, it was just a nap.]

Chu Liuzheng turned his head to look at the young man lying next to him. His almond-shaped eyes were wide open. He had slept too long in the morning and had just made a bet. He was so excited that he couldn't sleep at all.

Xiao Jingfan was wide awake from her gaze, so he simply hugged her and lowered his head.

[Ouch—my lip injury hasn't healed yet, can't we wait a couple of days before kissing?]

"Well!"

There was a rustling sound coming from inside the bed curtains, and it took a long time for things to quiet down.

Grandpa Zhou stood at the door holding a whisk, his chubby face beaming like Maitreya Buddha.

After waking up from his afternoon nap, Xiao Jingfan went to the Wenhua Hall. Chu Liuzheng, who was to accompany him, also had to go. However, this time he didn't have to stand until his legs cramped; he could sit or lie down and there were fruits and snacks available.

Lu Fei entered the hall to report on matters, and after Xiao Jingfan made a decision, he mentioned Xia Qiaoru's desire to see Chu Liuzheng.

Xiao Jingfan ordered Zhou Yuande to go to the side hall and inform Chu Liuzheng of this matter.

Upon hearing that Xia Qiaoru had stayed because she was worried about her, Chu Liuzheng felt a warmth in her heart and was deeply moved.

Zhou Yuande said, "Your Majesty means that if you wish to see him, you should bring him here."

"I want to see her," Chu Liuzheng said immediately. "Thank you, sir."

About half an hour later, Xia Qiaoru was brought to Chu Liuzheng by Xiao Anzi. The moment she saw Chu Liuzheng, tears welled up in Xia Qiaoru's eyes and she covered her mouth, sobbing uncontrollably.

Xiao Anzi immediately led the people in the side hall out, leaving the place for the two of them to talk.

"Why are you crying?" Chu Liuzheng's eyes were also red. He pulled her to sit down on the long couch, took out a handkerchief and wiped her tears. "You should be happy to leave the palace."

"You...you..." Xia Qiaoru was too excited, her tearful eyes staring at Chu Liuzheng, sobbing and unable to utter a complete sentence.

"I'm fine." Chu Liuzheng squeezed her hands, his eyes curving slightly. "Don't worry."

“You’re always like this.” Xia Qiaoru opened the bundle she was carrying and pulled out the silver notes that were pressed under her clothes. Her voice was choked with sobs. “You secretly gave me all the money you’ve saved up in the palace over the years. You guessed from that time that you couldn’t leave the palace, didn’t you?”

"How could I possibly have that ability?" Chu Liuzheng laughed it off, changing the subject. "After you leave the palace, go to the government office to exchange for your official documents, and then deposit this silver in a money exchange. Don't let your family know. You may not like what I'm saying, but this might be the last time I say it, so just listen."

“I know you’re soft-hearted and can’t bear to see your family suffer, but you have to be considerate of people and situations. They keep asking you for money without ever asking if you’re okay or not. Have they ever considered your difficulties in the palace? They just want to leech off you.”

"Since you sold yourself into the palace and gave all the money to your family, you've repaid the debt of giving you life. Consider the support you've provided over the years as repayment for raising you. You don't owe them anything. After you leave the palace, don't go back in headfirst and let them drain you dry until there's nothing left but bone fragments."

"I..." Xia Qiaoru's face turned pale as she tried to explain, but Chu Liuzheng said, "Let me finish speaking first."

“I asked around and found out that your brother Zhijie is a good person, someone who can manage a household. It’s just that his brother and sister-in-law are a bit calculating, but they’re not bad people at heart. If you’re determined to be with him, then you should start planning your life together. Relationships are built over time. If you treat people sincerely, as long as they’re not blind and heartless, they will definitely see your good qualities.”

"But there's only one thing: don't let him know you have this money so quickly. It's your fallback plan, a guarantee that you can live well even if you leave anyone. With the skills you learned in the palace, you can set up a business after you leave and make a living..."

Listening to Chu Liuzheng's rambling on and on, his words filled with worry for her, Xia Qiaoru couldn't help but ask, "What about you? What are you going to do?"

(End of this chapter)