I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 435: Rumors Flying

"Me?" Chu Liuzheng blinked and smiled faintly, "Everyone has their own destiny, and I know it very well."

Xia Qiaoru could tell from her expression that she was forcing a smile, so she tightened her grip on her hand and said, "I'm not old enough to leave the palace yet, so I'll stay and keep you company."

"Nonsense!" Chu Liuzheng's smile vanished, and he said seriously, "Qiaoru, you should leave the palace."

Xia Qiaoru stared at her, stubbornly asking, "And what about you?"

Seeing her like this, Chu Liuzheng couldn't help but sigh softly: "Qiaoru, he is the emperor."

Xia Qiaoru's eyes reddened again, and her lips opened and closed repeatedly before she finally managed to utter, "You don't want to."

"I do." Chu Liuzheng's eyes curved slightly. "I do now."

Xia Qiaoru's gaze froze, staring intently at her as if trying to see into her heart.

"really?"

"Yes." Chu Liuzheng nodded. "Really."

Xia Qiaoru fell silent. She didn't know what to say, or rather, she didn't know how she could help Chu Liuzheng.

The two sat quietly facing each other for a moment. Chu Liuzheng couldn't help but start giving Xia Qiaoru some more instructions. He was filled with worry and unease. In the end, he could only watch as she walked out of the Yangxin Hall and her slender figure gradually disappeared into the distance.

She let out a deep breath.

"If you're worried, I can send someone to protect her." Without anyone noticing, Xiao Jingfan appeared behind her and pulled her into his arms. The surrounding palace servants all lowered their heads, not daring to look any longer.

Is this for real?

Chu Liuzheng immediately expressed his gratitude on behalf of Xia Qiaoru.

Seeing the smile return to her face, Xiao Jingfan's lips also curled up slightly. He pulled her towards the Imperial Garden, saying, "Come for a stroll with me."

The Imperial Garden was exceptionally lively today, as if the concubines of the harem had all made a pact to come and enjoy the scenery at this time.

Countless different gazes fell on Chu Liuzheng. If looks could kill, Chu Liuzheng would have died a thousand or eight hundred times over.

Xiao Jingfan frowned slightly and ordered Zhou Yuande to clear the area.

The concubines were forced to leave, secretly glaring at Chu Liuzheng.

Chu Liuzheng felt as if he were being riddled with resentful gazes from everyone.

[Tsk tsk, always picking on the weak. It's not like I ordered the clearing out. If you're so capable, go glare at the tyrant!]

Xiao Jingfan coughed lightly and promised, "It was my oversight. I will never let them disturb you again."

"Oh." Chu Liuzheng had lost interest in taking a walk. She looked up at the sky. "It's about time. Let's go back for dinner."

"hungry?"

"Kind of."

What did you order?

"I heard from Eunuch Zhou that you have been eating very little lately, so I ordered some appetizers. Please eat more later."

"it is good."

"The Imperial Kitchen has recently hired a chef who is skilled in Cantonese cuisine. His lotus leaf sticky rice chicken is excellent. I tried it at noon and it should suit your taste. You can try it later."

"Okay." "The soup is..."

……

From then on, Chu Liuzheng settled down in the Hall of Mental Cultivation and moved from the side room of the rear hall into the emperor's bedroom.

The emperor did not promote her, nor did she ask. She followed the routine every day, doing what she was supposed to do. When the emperor was busy, she would even ask someone to find a fishing rod and go to the Moon Pond to fish for koi.

The koi in Moon Pond were so overfed they were practically stupid; they'd bite the bait the moment you cast the line, making fishing utterly unenjoyable. Chu Liuzheng lost interest after two tries and didn't want to go again.

When Xiao Jingfan found out, he specially ordered someone to put some edible fish in the fishpond so she could fish for fun.

Since Chu Liuzheng moved into the emperor's bedchamber, the emperor had not set foot in the inner palace for half a month. Including the nearly three months before and after his trip, the emperor had not been to the inner palace for almost half a year.

The entire harem was filled with resentment because of this incident, and rumors were flying everywhere.

Since no one dared to speak ill of the emperor, they all turned their criticism on Chu Liuzheng, maliciously slandering and speculating. Chu Liuzheng spent much more time gossiping every day, feeling that in their eyes he was comparable to the wicked and disastrous Su Daji.

She really is... what has she done to deserve this?

The Empress Dowager specially invited the Emperor to the Wanshou Palace for a talk. She told him that if the Emperor truly liked Chu Liuzheng, he should grant her a title and allow her into the harem, thus fulfilling the proper etiquette. What kind of behavior was it to have her living in the Yangxin Hall without any title or status? It would become a laughing stock for the whole world.

Xiao Jingfan agreed readily, but immediately forgot about it and had no intention of asking Chu Liuzheng to move.

Chu Liuzheng herself would naturally not bring it up. Moving out would mean facing the malice of the entire harem, and she wasn't tired of living yet.

The Empress Dowager tried to persuade the Emperor several times, but to no avail, so she turned her attention to Chu Liuzheng. However, the people she sent couldn't even get an audience with Chu Liuzheng; they were all turned away by the Emperor's men. The Emperor even sent a message saying that Chu Liuzheng was timid and that the Empress Dowager could speak to him freely.

The Empress Dowager was furious, but she couldn't do anything about the Emperor, who was determined to protect her. In the past, she could still ask the Empress to come and try to persuade the Emperor, and he would listen to her advice. But now the Empress was going to be in confinement for two months, and once the palace gates were closed, she wouldn't care about anything.

The Empress Dowager grew angrier the more she thought about it, and the imperial physicians were summoned to Wanshou Palace twice.

When Xiao Jingfan found out, he rushed over to visit her. The Empress Dowager was angry and spoke sarcastically. Xiao Jingfan listened without arguing back and showed concern in his words, but he did nothing. The Empress Dowager became even angrier.

Upon hearing this, the eldest princess worried that her mother would be upset by her bratty younger brother, so she hurriedly went to the palace to persuade her.

"Mother, don't you know His Majesty's temperament? He's in a good mood right now, why bother getting angry over such a trivial matter?"

"A trivial matter?" The Empress Dowager's eyes widened. "My son left the entire harem standing for a mere palace maid, and you call that a trivial matter?"

"Mother, please calm down." Xiao Jinshu gestured for the servants to leave and personally served her tea. "Do you still remember Consort Wen?"

"I won't drink it." The Empress Dowager leaned against the soft pillows and snorted coldly. "Of course I remember that troublemaking vixen."

"Now look at it," Xiao Jinshu placed the tea on the crabapple wood table beside her and gently massaged her shoulders. "Is there still someone like Consort Wen in this harem?"

Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in the Empress Dowager's eyes. "That's because she has wicked intentions; she deserves to die."

"Back then, His Majesty protected Consort Wen even more than Chu Liuzheng, but didn't he eventually abandon her?" Xiao Jinshu comforted him with a smile. "Once His Majesty gets into a temper, no one can stop him. Chu Liuzheng is just a palace maid with no power or influence behind her. No matter how much His Majesty favors her, she can't cause any real trouble..."

"Don't try to fool me," the Empress Dowager interrupted, glancing sideways at her daughter. "Isn't bestowing titles and honors just a matter of a word from my son?"

Xiao Jinshu smiled faintly: "It's not that simple. Even if His Majesty is willing, the entire court of civil and military officials would not be."

"That's true." The Empress Dowager's expression softened, and her tone became gentler.

Xiao Jinshu turned around and served her tea, which the Empress Dowager accepted this time.

Xiao Jinshu continued to persuade him: "His Majesty doesn't like to go to the inner palace, and you worry that he doesn't have a suitable person by his side, so you try every means to find a good girl. Now His Majesty has finally found one, and she is someone he can sleep with in the same room. Just this alone is better than the entire inner palace. Why are you unhappy about it?"

(End of this chapter)