I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 476 A two-pronged approach
The autumn air is crisp and clear, perfect for an outing.

Having recovered from his cold, Chu Liuzheng regained his spirits and, after strolling around the Imperial Garden with his entourage, set up a fishing rod by the lake to catch turtles.

"In the fourth month, I want to eat taro paste pastry and dried plums." She rested her chin on her hand, staring at the motionless fishing rod. "I want Chef Qiao to make the taro paste pastry."

"Okay." Siyue agreed, put away the red pills on the table, and ran to the imperial kitchen to give the order.

The wind was strong by the lake, and seeing Chu Liuzheng sneezing from the wind, Chen Xing was worried that she would catch a cold again, so she quickly went back to Yangxin Hall to get a cloak.

Chu Liuzheng casually grabbed a handful of fish food and scattered it down to feed the koi, to prevent them from biting the rod.

She looked up at the sky, and the refreshing lake breeze brushed against her cheeks and neck, ruffling a few strands of hair—it felt quite comfortable.

Life is indeed meant to be wasted; who would go to work if they had money and free time?

She lifted the still-unmoving rod to check; the bait was still there. She cast it back into the lake, muttering, "Turtle, come quick, turtle, come quick, come quick..."

Just as she was muttering to herself, a high-pitched voice suddenly came from behind her, "May the young lady be blessed."

Chu Liuzheng was startled and turned around to see a little eunuch standing behind him. The eunuch had a long face, big eyes, thin lips, and a smile on his face.

She didn't remember this person, so she asked, "Who are you?"

"This servant is Xiao Xuanzi, I work in the Imperial Kitchen, and I have met you, Miss." The eunuch who called himself Xiao Xuanzi had a food box slung over his arm. "Miss Siyue sent me to deliver some snacks to you."

"Oh." Chu Liuzheng raised his hand and pointed to the stone table not far away. "Put it there."

Xiao Xuanzi walked over and placed the food box on the stone table.

Chu Liuzheng remained seated and asked, "What did Siyue do?"

"Just now, Eunuch An came looking for Miss Siyue. I don't know what he said, but Miss Siyue went with him." As Xiao Xuanzi spoke, she opened the food box and put out the still steaming taro paste pastries and a small plate of dried plums.

"Before Miss Siyue left, she instructed me to bring her the pastries from the food box."

"I see." Chu Liuzheng smiled at him. "Thank you for making this trip."

"You flatter me, Miss. These are all my duties." Xiao Xuanzi pursed his lips and, seeing that Chu Liuzheng was sitting still, reminded her, "It's not good to eat cold food in autumn. The wind is strong by the lake, and this taro pastry will get cold quickly. You should eat it while it's hot."

Chu Liuzheng nodded, but said, "I like to eat cold taro pastry. The Imperial Kitchen is busy, so I won't see you off, Eunuch."

Xiao Xuanzi hurriedly said she dared not, bowed, and left.

Chu Liuzheng glanced at his back, but didn't touch the snacks on the stone table. He continued to prop his chin up and fish for his turtle.

Even a three-year-old knows not to eat food from strangers. Do I look stupid?

She'd bet that 99% of the taro pastries were spiked with something extra.

Let me see who's behind Xiao Xuanzi...

Chu Liuzheng, who had just turned on the system, suddenly heard a "ding" sound, followed by a "bang".

She quickly turned around to look.

The first thing that catches the eye is a dagger with a bluish blade.

Then came the bodyguard dressed in all black.

Finally, there was the little eunuch who was kicked away and lay on the ground unable to get up.

Wow, that's exciting!

Chu Liuzheng patted his pounding heart. It turned out that this time it wasn't poisoning, but an assassination attempt.

It was actually poisoning.

Looking at the blackened silver needles in Siyue's hand, Chu Liuzheng fully realized how much the people behind Xiao Xuanzi wanted her dead.

"It's a good thing you didn't eat it, sister." Siyue wiped the silver needles clean and reminded her again, "Sister, please remember, when Chenxing and I are not around, don't eat anything given to you by other palace servants." "Yes, yes." Chu Liuzheng nodded repeatedly and craned her neck to look at the corpse not far away.

After being kicked by the bodyguard, Xiao Xuanzi committed suicide by poisoning herself.

To be precise, after Chen Xing's brief autopsy, it was determined that Xiao Xuanzi had taken poison first before attempting to assassinate Chu Liuzheng. Regardless of whether the assassination succeeded, in the end, there would be no way to prove anything.

Of course, there is no such thing as a dead man without a witness in front of Chu Liuzheng.

With the system in hand, I have the truth.

Open the system and start browsing!
*
When news of Chu Liuzheng's assassination reached the Wenhua Hall, the emperor was shocked and furious, and ordered a thorough investigation.

In less than half an hour, the news spread throughout the entire harem as if it had grown wings. Some were surprised, some regretful, and some worried.

In Changchun Palace, after listening to Gao Yongfu's report, Empress Zhong asked, "How is Lady Chu?"

"I heard she was just a little frightened," Gao Yongfu said. "The Imperial Physician was summoned from the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and he prescribed a calming remedy."

Empress Zhong paused in her writing, ink dripping from the tip of the brush and blurring the characters into a mess. She put down the brush and sighed softly, "What a pity."

Qiu Sui hurriedly ordered people to change the paper.

Empress Zhong waved to Gao Yongfu, who bowed and withdrew.

"Your Majesty, Xiao Xuanzi committed suicide by poisoning himself, leaving no clues whatsoever." Qiu Sui handed over a cup of tea and said softly, "Although His Majesty ordered a thorough investigation, there is no way to verify the truth since he is dead. I'm afraid... we won't be able to find anything."

Empress Zhong glanced at her, her eyes turning cold. "Don't interfere."

"This servant dares not." Qiu Sui lowered her eyes and looked at the two volumes of Buddhist scriptures that she had copied on the table.

A few days ago, the Empress Dowager suddenly ordered Zhao Mama to send over a copy of the "Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra," instructing the Empress to copy three scrolls of it every day and deliver them to the small Buddhist hall in the Wanshou Palace, without fail.

It took two hours to copy one scroll of paper, and six hours for three scrolls. Apart from sleeping, Empress Zhong spent almost all her time copying scriptures, to the point that her wrists swelled up.

Qiu Sui felt sorry for him, but Empress Zhong forbade the imperial physician to be summoned or the emperor to be informed. She applied the medicine casually and continued copying the text the next day.

Qiu Sui felt that Chu Liuzheng must have slandered her to the Empress Dowager. Otherwise, why would the Empress Dowager, who had never been involved in affairs, think of using such a torturous method against her master? And it just so happened to be the day after Chu Liuzheng had dinner at Wanshou Palace. Qiu Sui simply couldn't believe it was a coincidence.

With both old and new grudges combined, Qiu Sui hated Chu Liuzheng so much that she wanted to grind her teeth, but unfortunately, Xiao Xuanzi didn't take her life.

"Send someone to keep an eye on them." Empress Zhong picked up her brush again, dipped it in ink, and said softly, "It's not time for the flowers to wither yet."

"Yes."

*
The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

Chu Liuzheng pinched his nose and stood three meters away from the so-called calming soup, then mumbled a negotiation with the emperor, who was sitting behind his desk reading memorials, "Can I not drink it?"

"No." Xiao Jingfan didn't even look up. "Drink it while it's hot."

Chu Liuzheng: "I'm really not scared, and I wasn't frightened at all."

"Hmm." Xiao Jingfan said while writing annotations on the memorial, "Do you want to drink it yourself or do you want me to feed you?"

These words instantly reminded Chu Liuzheng of the cruel act of grabbing a certain concubine by the neck and forcing her to drink a bowl of medicine.

She should just drink it herself.

Seeing that she drank it herself, His Majesty the Emperor felt a little regretful.

Siyue took the empty medicine bowl away, and Chu Liuzheng, with a candied fruit in his mouth, leaned back on the couch and casually picked up a travelogue to read.

Let me see where Zhou Gonggong (the Duke of Zhou) has gotten to.

Hmm... Did they find out I have some kind of indirect grudge against this Eunuch Xuan?

(End of this chapter)