I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 496 It's a pity his family background is not good enough.

"Flower viewing party?"

In a side hall of the Wenhua Hall, Chu Liuzheng blinked, spat out a fruit pit, and decisively said, "I'm not going."

[This sounds like a trap; anyone who goes is a fool.]

Chen Xing went out to report after receiving the message. Yan Hui, who was being rejected for the first time today, looked rather unhappy.

Our Lady is in charge of the Phoenix Seal on behalf of the Emperor; who in the harem would dare to refuse? Even Consort Chun did not refuse, yet this Lady Chu, with no rank or status, dares to refuse!

She couldn't afford to lose her temper at the entrance of Wenhua Hall, so she suppressed her anger and asked, "Miss Chu, do you have something important to attend to the day after tomorrow?"

Chen Xing nodded, "Busy accompanying the emperor."

Yan Hui: "..."

She couldn't say anything more, no matter how much she wanted to say. How could admiring flowers compare to being accompanied by a royal procession?

She gave a forced smile, then left, seething with anger; her unhappiness was evident even from her retreating figure.

During dinner, Chu Liuzheng casually mentioned to the emperor that Consort Shu was going to hold a flower-viewing banquet in the Imperial Garden the day after tomorrow.

Xiao Jingfan wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and said, "If you also want to do it, just send someone to the Imperial Household Department to give the order. Don't tire yourself out."

Chu Liuzheng looked at him: "Are you encouraging me to compete with Consort Shu?"

[If others hold flower-viewing parties, and I hold flower-viewing parties too, isn't that just asking for trouble?]

Xiao Jingfan hadn't really thought that far ahead. He said, "I thought you liked it."

“We’re not even that close.” Chu Liuzheng picked up a piece of fish belly meat with his chopsticks and put it in his bowl. “I only helped Shao Liyi once before, and then someone tried to pin the blame on her. I’d better not hurt anyone.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingfan looked up at her and said gently, "I will send someone to bring Lady Chu and Xin'er into the palace to keep you company for a while."

“No, Xin’er has to go to school.” Chu Liuzheng refused. “That girl has finally settled down to learn something. If she’s brought into the palace, she’ll become lively and arrogant again.”

Recalling Chu Yuxin's lively and chattering manner, Xiao Jingfan couldn't help but chuckle, "Then let's bring Madam Chu into the palace."

"Please spare my father." Chu Liuzheng poked at the fish in his bowl with his chopsticks. "You don't know, last time my mother went to the palace for treatment, my father almost turned into a stone waiting for his wife at home, and he lost weight. He just didn't say it, but he really couldn't bear to part with my mother."

Putting himself in his shoes, it was indeed inappropriate to leave his father-in-law alone in an empty room, so Xiao Jingfan said, "I'll take you out of the palace for a walk."

Chu Liuzheng's eyes lit up, and he suddenly remembered, "I remember you said before that after we wiped out the pirates on Wangyue Island, you would take me to Yuelu Island for a few days. When are we going?"

"Recently, the court has been busy. The summer tax collection has already begun. There are bandits looting in Qianzhou, cult activities in Pancheng, and several dikes in the southeast need to be reinforced by conscripting people to prevent flooding. Mengzhou..." Seeing the smile on Chu Liuzheng's face fade, Xiao Jingfan changed the subject, "I will arrange it as soon as possible."

"Never mind, matters of state come first." Chu Liuzheng wasn't an unreasonable person. "Just wander around the capital for a bit, and we'll go after you're done with your work."

But when will the emperor ever be finished with his work?

All matters of the world converge on the emperor's desk. Except for a few days during the New Year, memorials are submitted every day, and there are matters of great importance and small matters that require the emperor's decision.

Even during the New Year, the emperor was busy with banquets and sacrifices, and there were even more things to do than usual.

The period last year when the emperor was arrested outside the palace was slightly easier, but even then, the urgent memorials were still delivered by fast horse every day. It was as if the emperor's affairs followed him wherever he went.

Xiao Jingfan was used to being busy and hadn't thought much of it before, but now, seeing the undisguised disappointment on Chu Liuzheng's face, he secretly thought that perhaps it was time to promote and train some new people to share some of the burden.

Chu Liuzheng had no idea what the emperor was thinking. She had accidentally bitten into a peppercorn earlier, and it was so numb that her face involuntarily scrunched up.

These Sichuan peppercorns are definitely effective for treating toothaches!
On the day of the flower-viewing banquet, Chu Liuzheng took the emperor out of the palace for lunch. They ate Jiang Po Po's mixed rice noodles at the entrance of East Third Alley. He also packed two portions to take to the Princess's residence so that the Princess could also try them and see the eldest prince who had left the palace.

The servants remained the same. Apart from being a little unaccustomed to life on his first day, the eldest prince quickly adapted to life at the princess's residence. He ate and slept all day, and when he woke up, he could play with the young prince Xiao Yu. He was even happier than in the palace, and he no longer made a fuss at night.

The Emperor and the Princess were talking in the flower hall. Chu Liuzheng couldn't sit still for long, so he ran to the corridor to watch two children building blocks. To be precise, Xiao Yu was building them, and Xiao Dunyan was taking them down.

Xiao Yu has a good temper. Even when her cousin dismantles the building blocks she has built, she doesn't get angry. Instead, she takes the blocks and teaches him how to build them.

Xiao Dunyan listened attentively and even clapped his hands for his cousin, before continuing to disassemble the device.

Chu Liuzheng found it amusing and reached out to help put a few pieces on the table.

Xiao Yu glanced at her, picked up a triangular piece of wood with his left hand, handed it to her, and pointed ahead, "Put it here."

Chu Liuzheng obediently placed it on the table, arranging it neatly, which perfectly suited the young prince's wishes.

Thus, Chu Liuzheng successfully obtained the second building block.

[Comparison is indeed painful. Compared to the Crown Prince who's always taking things apart, my obedient building block partner is so much easier to manage.]

Following the young prince's instructions, she placed the items on the table, then casually pinched the cheek of the eldest prince who was leaning in, successfully pulling him away and saving the house that the young prince had painstakingly built.

Chu Liuzheng noticed that Xiao Yu looked at her with even more satisfaction.

Chu Liuzheng smiled, finding it quite amusing to tease a well-behaved child.

When the emperor came looking for him, he found Chu Liuzheng asleep on the swing set. He had just picked him up when he woke up.

Chu Liuzheng rubbed his eyes and got out of his arms. He looked up and saw the Princess standing under the corridor, looking in his direction.

Xiao Jingfan reached out and smoothed the slightly messy strands of hair on the side of her head, teasingly saying, "I've heard you're quite good at building with blocks."

Chu Liuzheng: "...I was just teasing the child."

"Mm." Xiao Jingfan took her hand. "Let's go, it's time to go back to the palace."

The princess saw the two off at the door and only returned to her residence after the carriage had disappeared from sight.

"Granny, what do you think of this Chu woman?"

"She seems like a good person." Granny Liu helped her walk back, saying as they went, "The young master likes her quite a bit."

"She's quite pretty, but it's a pity her family background isn't good enough." Xiao Jinshu casually plucked a red camellia and tucked it into Liu Mama's neatly combed hair. Turning her gaze to examine her, she said earnestly, "She looks good in this, Mama."

Liu Mama was immediately flattered and beamed with joy, "This old servant is practically half-buried in the ground, only Your Highness still thinks this old servant is beautiful."

"Beauty knows no age," Xiao Jinshu laughed. "Wearing flowers in one's hair is just for fun; what do I care about what others think of it as beautiful or ugly?"

“The princess is right.” Granny Liu looked at the camellias blooming by the roadside. “So what if his family background is poor? As long as His Majesty likes it, that’s all that matters.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinshu glanced at her, reached out and plucked another camellia, placing it next to the one she had just worn in her hair, and left with a smile.

The pomegranate-red hem of her skirt brushed against the stone steps, shimmering with golden light.

Granny Liu raised her hand to touch the camellia by her temple, and then followed after him.

(End of this chapter)