I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 494 Foster Care
[The real Consort Yu is currently wreaking havoc on the battlefield, eagerly preparing to dig a pit for Western Xia. How should we nurture her?]

[Shao Liyi is beautiful and kind-hearted, and she takes good care of children. However, in two years, her childhood sweetheart will retire, and the tyrant will have to keep his promise to let her go. If he raises the prince under his wing, it will likely cause another problem.]

After this analysis, Chu Liuzheng couldn't find a suitable one among the high-ranking concubines. As for the lower-ranking concubines, it was out of the question.

She spread her hands and said to the emperor, "Anyone is suitable, and no one is suitable."

You should just worry about it yourself.

Just as she was about to go back to sleep, she suddenly heard Xiao Jingfan say, "I have someone in mind."

For some reason, Chu Liuzheng's eyelids twitched twice. Seeing the emperor's gaze fall on her, she pointed at herself and asked in surprise, "Me?"

Xiao Jingfan nodded.

Chu Liuzheng: "..."

[Frog Fun! Are you kidding me? I haven't had enough of my leisurely life yet, who wants to raise kids?]

【Well, although there are plenty of wet nurses and palace maids, and I might only need to talk to them, the bet isn't over yet, and the future is uncertain. I don't want to raise any!】

Xiao Jingfan felt a headache coming on.

The prince was highly sought after in the entire harem, but the woman beside him avoided him like the plague.

Does this woman even know what it means to raise a prince?
He raised an eyebrow and asked, "You don't want to?"

"What right do I have to ask for it or not?" Chu Liuzheng pouted, her slender fingers hooking around his sleeve. "I'm already attracting a lot of criticism just by living in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. People outside are saying I'm a femme fatale who brought ruin to the country. If I really raise another prince, wouldn't the court and the harem be turned upside down?"

"You already have enough troubles, why add this one? Besides, you just brought the eldest prince out of Wanshou Palace and then handed him over to me. What do you think the Empress Dowager will think? She will want to talk to you again then."

Xiao Jingfan: "I will handle these matters myself."

"It's better to avoid trouble," Chu Liuzheng said. "Actually, there is someone more suitable than me to take care of the eldest prince."

"Who?" Xiao Jingfan followed the slender fingers, grabbed the whole hand, and played with it in his palm.

"Your Highness, Princess." Chu Liuzheng felt a little itchy and tried to pull her hand back, but Xiao Jingfan grabbed it and they intertwined their fingers.

"Her Highness the Eldest Princess is the eldest prince's aunt. If you entrust the eldest prince to her care, although there may be some complaints from the court and the harem, it will not cause any trouble. At most, some censors will grumble about the prince being raised outside the palace. You will have much less to worry about."

"You do seem to think of me." Xiao Jingfan looked down at the fair and soft hand in his palm, his voice low. "Actually, you just don't want to."

Chu Liuzheng remained silent.

[Being a mother painlessly? Doesn't that have to be legitimate? What kind of nonsense is it for me to pick up a prince and raise him? Besides, if you're so capable of raising a child, then be capable of fulfilling the bet. Raising a child isn't difficult if you have the money; consider it adoption. I could afford to raise two more.]

[Speaking of which, apart from the princess born to Consort Shu and the eldest prince born to the Empress, the tyrant probably doesn't have any other hidden gems among the common people, right?]

Xiao Jingfan: No!

If he had known he would encounter such a woman who was his nemesis, he would have...

"I'm just temporarily unwilling." Recalling how the emperor had treated her these past few days, Chu Liuzheng explained softly, not caring whether the emperor would misunderstand, she wouldn't say another word anyway. The wind from the moving carriage lifted the curtain, and a beam of light poured in from the window, illuminating the woman's beautiful eyebrows and eyes at an angle. The enamel butterfly hairpin swayed gently at her temple, and the pale shadows slid across her jade-white skin.

Xiao Jingfan stared intently, his chest churning, the sound almost making his ears ring. He wanted to ask more, but fearing to disturb the carefully alighting butterfly, he simply reached out and pulled the person into his arms, whispering, "I know."

[I don't know!]

Chu Liuzheng closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around his waist, his voice gentle and deep in his ear, "It was my haste that caused you trouble."

It's alright.

Chu Liuzheng mumbled an "uh," buried his head in the sandalwood-scented chest, and after a long while uttered a muffled sentence, "Remember to be more thoughtful in the future."

"They really know how to push their luck." Xiao Jingfan thought to himself, then lowered his head and placed a light kiss on the top of the head of the person in his arms, replying, "Okay."

*
The following day, after the morning court session, the emperor summoned the eldest princess to the palace for an audience.

Half an hour later, the Emperor and the Eldest Princess went to Wanshou Palace to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager. When they left, the Eldest Princess took the eldest prince, Xiao Dunyan, with her.

It is said that the Empress Dowager was unwell and unable to take care of the eldest prince, so the emperor decided to temporarily place the eldest prince in the care of the eldest princess.

Inside the main hall of Zhaoyang Palace, Consort Shu coaxed the princess to finish drinking the goat's milk and then coaxed her to sleep before leaving and proceeding to the study on the east side.

"Your Highness, you were so busy with the princess this morning that you didn't even have time to eat before you started dealing with the matters reported by the Imperial Household Department." Yan Hui served a bowl of lotus seed soup and said softly, "There is still some time before lunch, so please eat something, or you will get a stomachache again."

Consort Shu picked up the lotus seed soup, stirred it with a spoon, and a sweet aroma immediately wafted out. She forced herself to eat two bites and then put it down.

Yan Hui advised, "Your Majesty, please have some more."

"I have no appetite." Consort Shu wiped her lips with a silk handkerchief, her face showing a hint of melancholy.

Seeing her like this, Yan Hui didn't try to persuade her anymore. She put the lotus seed soup on a tray and ordered someone to take it away.

She knew why her mistress was in a bad mood.

Ever since the Emperor sent the eldest prince to Wanshou Palace for upbringing, the Empress Dowager has said that the eldest prince will not stay in Wanshou Palace for long. These days she has been planning how to bring the eldest prince to her palace for upbringing. This has caused some unpleasantness between her and Consort Chun, who, having no children of her own, does not want to let go of this opportunity.

Everything was clearly planned out, and there was a 60-70% chance of success. But then the emperor had a stroke of genius. Instead of looking for any of his many concubines, he sent his perfectly healthy eldest prince to live with the Princess. The emperor wasn't even afraid of being chased and scolded by the censors.

Even if he disliked the Empress, the eldest prince was still just a child, and the only prince at present. He should at least stay in the palace to be raised. Yan Hui really couldn't understand what the Emperor was thinking.

Consort Shu glanced out the window and asked, "Has Pan Shouyi returned yet?"

"Eunuch Pan returned after inquiring about the news," Yan replied. "You were taking care of the princess, so Eunuch Pan didn't dare to come in and disturb you. He's probably gone to the Imperial Household Department by now."

Consort Shu looked at her: "What kind of information has he found out?"

"Nothing else, but I roughly know why His Majesty took the eldest prince out of Wanshou Palace," Yan Hui said. "According to a palace maid in Wanshou Palace, the eldest prince always cried and made a fuss at night, disturbing the Empress Dowager's sleep, which made the Empress Dowager sick."

"His Majesty instructed the Imperial Observatory to calculate that the officials of the Imperial Observatory believed that the Princess's good fortune could protect the Crown Prince from evil influences and reduce his illnesses. Therefore, His Majesty decided to temporarily place the Crown Prince in the Princess's residence."

(End of this chapter)