I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 462 One shouldn't be too polite

"How dare you!" Qiu Sui stepped forward, frowning as she rebuked, "Women of the harem should kowtow before the Empress!"

This is forcing me to be arrogant.

Kneeling was out of the question. Chu Liuzheng raised an eyebrow, trying to make his expression resemble that of a spoiled and arrogant concubine.

"His Majesty allows me to move freely within the palace without having to bow. I don't even kneel before His Majesty. According to you, does that mean the Empress is more noble than His Majesty?"

Qiu Sui was furious with her smug look, but dared not respond.

The whole world belongs to the emperor; how can the empress be compared to the emperor?
She looked to the Empress for help, hoping that her lady could teach Chu Liuzheng, this smug little man, a lesson.

Empress Zhong raised her eyes and looked at Chu Liuzheng so seriously for the first time.

When Chu Liuzheng was still a palace maid, she preferred a simple and plain style of dress, and she still does now. It's not that she wants to avoid attracting attention like before, but rather that she's gotten used to it after seeing it for so many years, and naturally, she dresses however she feels comfortable.

It was hot, so she tied her beautiful hair up, securing it with only two white jade hairpins, a jade comb inserted at an angle, and adorned with silk flowers. Her face was bare of makeup, yet she appeared even more radiant and healthy than if she had applied it.

Today she wore a light cloud-colored long dress with two layers of cloud-patterned gauze over it. The light blue color made her skin look like jade, and it complemented the ice jade auspicious cloud pendant hanging around her neck.

Although his outfit was simple, how could Empress Zhong not recognize that the jade pendant around Chu Liuzheng's neck alone was worth more than the entire outfits of many people in the harem?
She remembered that this jade was a treasure in Xiao Jingfan's private collection. Consort Wen didn't have it, Consort Rong didn't have it, Consort Chun didn't have it, but now it appeared on Chu Liuzheng.

Empress Zhong was overwhelmed with emotion and, to conceal her feelings, reached out and patted the baby in the cradle beside her.

"Since it is His Majesty's grace, there is no need for you to kneel before me." She gestured for Qiu Sui to step back, and smiled faintly. "I would like to invite Miss Chu into the pavilion for a cup of tea. Would Miss Chu do me the honor?"

These words, ostensibly polite, subtly implied that Chu Liuzheng, despite serving the emperor for so long, remained without any official title or status. Anyone else would have been disgusted, but for Chu Liuzheng, it didn't bother her at all.

Whether it's a concubine, a noble concubine, or an imperial noble concubine, theoretically they are all concubines. If she were to get angry because the emperor didn't grant her the title of concubine, wouldn't she be out of her mind?

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, but I have no desire for tea. Farewell."

Managing the women in the harem is a tyrant's job, I'm not going to do it. I'm outta here!

She raised her hand to beckon Chenxing and Siyue to leave, but the palace servants blocking their way wouldn't let them.

Chu Liuzheng turned to look at the Empress, "It seems I can't leave without drinking Your Majesty's tea."

Empress Zhong neither agreed nor disagreed, but simply ordered someone to serve tea.

Seeing her so confident demeanor, Chu Liuzheng suddenly realized that one shouldn't be too polite; she needed to learn from this Empress.

So she said, "Hit."

Chenxing, who had been eager to try, darted out and took down all those blocking her way in the blink of an eye.

Everyone else was stunned.

They just hit someone like that?

"Let's go." Chu Liuzheng waved to Chen Xing and swaggered away with the two of them.

The three figures, seen from behind, exuded arrogance in the eyes of the Empress and her entourage.

Inside the pavilion, Qiu Sui was so angry that her lips were trembling. "Your Majesty, how dare she hit our people! This is outrageous!"

Empress Zhong lowered her eyelashes, her gaze fixed on the teacup opposite her, and after a long while said, "Your Majesty is the true ruler."

Qiu Sui was taken aback. Did Her Majesty mean that everything was His Majesty's fault?

That's right. If it weren't for His Majesty's protection, how could Chu Liuzheng have dared to hit the Empress's people?

Even the favored Consort Wen wouldn't dare to be so presumptuous in front of the Empress. Where does Chu Liuzheng get her confidence? Does she expect the Emperor to protect her for the rest of her life?
She said indignantly, "Your Majesty, are we just going to let this matter go like this?"

Empress Zhong glanced at the swaddled baby beside her. "Send someone to report this matter to His Majesty and let him handle it." Qiu Sui asked cautiously, "What if His Majesty doesn't handle it?" Wouldn't that make Changchun Palace a laughingstock?
Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Empress Zhong's eyes. She raised her hand and beckoned to her, whispering a few words in her ear.

Qiu Sui was delighted and hurried to take care of it.

Here, without Empress Zhong sending anyone to report, Chu Liuzheng herself recounted what happened when she encountered the Empress in the Imperial Garden, and she didn't forget about the beating incident.

Xiao Jingfan grunted in response, and his subordinates continued working on reviewing the memorials.

Chu Liuzheng stared at him. "Don't you want to say something else?"

Xiao Jingfan looked up in confusion: "What did you say?"

“It’s just that…” Chu Liuzheng emphasized, “I had Chen Xing beat up the Empress’s people. Don’t you think there’s something wrong with that?”

That's the Empress, you know.

“No…” Xiao Jingfan frowned and pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice, “There is indeed something wrong.”

Chu Liuzheng: "Where?"

"I forgot to issue a decree instructing everyone in the palace that you no longer need to bow to anyone," Xiao Jingfan said seriously. "It was my oversight that caused you to suffer this injustice today."

Chu Liuzheng: "..."

[What kind of tyrannical speech is this? Has the tyrant been possessed by something evil?]

[No, no, Chu Liuzheng, don't you know what's good for you? The tyrant is protecting you!]

[Wait a minute, this is so unprincipled. It seems the tyrant likes me more than I thought. Being liked by a beauty, hehehe... No, no, Chu Liuzheng, you can't be so smug. Love is something that goes up quickly and down even faster. Please stay sober!]

Chu Liuzheng regained consciousness.

Xiao Jingfan: ...Headache!
*
When the people from Changchun Palace came to Wenhua Hall to report, Chu Liuzheng sat to the side eating ice cream and listened to the whole process of Gao Yongfu complaining on behalf of his mistress.

Xiao Jingfan replied with only four words: "I understand."

According to procedure, the emperor should then announce how to handle the matter, and Gao Yongfu bowed and waited.

After a short while, the emperor's puzzled voice came from behind him, "What are you still standing here for? Does the empress have something to tell you?"

Gao Yongfu: "..."

Gao Yongfu: "..."

He looked up at the emperor, then glanced at Chu Liuzheng, who was eating intently to the side, and wanted to ask, "Aren't you going to punish me at all?"
Xiao Jingfan not only did not punish him, but also issued an imperial edict that Xu Chuliuzheng would no longer need to perform the rites in the palace.

The imperial edict was issued, which was like a resounding slap in the face to the Empress. Qiu Sui felt indignant for her mistress, but Empress Zhong had no reaction and only asked her, "How did things go?"

Qiu Sui immediately bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, it has been taken care of. Your Majesty, please just wait for the good news."

Empress Zhong nodded slightly, a smile appearing on her face, and asked, "Where is Yan'er?"

Qiu Sui checked the time and said, "The young prince should be awake by now."

"Bring him here," Empress Zhong said. "I'll take him for a stroll in the garden."

Qiu Sui immediately ordered someone to bring the little prince over.

As night fell, Chu Liuzheng suddenly developed an upset stomach because he had eaten too many cold drinks during the day, and his face turned pale.

(End of this chapter)