I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 497 The drunkard doesn’t care about drinking

Back in the palace, Chu Liuzheng realized he had missed a great deal of excitement.

At the flower-viewing banquet hosted by Consort Shu, Consort Dou and Consort Shao both fell into the water and accused each other of pushing them.

Because there was no evidence, Consort Shu could not make a decision, so she sent someone to ask the Emperor for a ruling.

Chu Liuzheng then went with the emperor to Zhaoyang Palace to watch the excitement.

The two people who fell into the water are now in the main hall of Zhaoyang Palace. They have changed out of their wet clothes, drunk ginger soup, and cleaned up their disheveled state. They are now eagerly awaiting the emperor's decision.

After listening to Consort Shu recount what had happened, Xiao Jingfan looked at Consort Shaoli and asked, "How can you be sure that Consort Dou pushed you?"

Seeing that the emperor had asked about Shao Liyi first, Consort Dou pouted in dissatisfaction and glared at Shao Liyi.

Shao Liyi replied, “Your Majesty, Consort Dou said she had something important to discuss and asked me to go for a walk by the lake with her. She also asked me to dismiss everyone else. When I fell into the water, Consort Dou was the only one by my side.”

Under such circumstances, Consort Dou is indeed the most suspicious.

"Your Majesty, please don't believe her one-sided story!" Consort Dou interjected excitedly. "I didn't push her; she dragged me into the water! Look!"

She rolled up her sleeve to show the emperor the scratches on her arm.

It was clear that the bloodstains from the fingernails had congealed, making them particularly noticeable against the fair skin.

Everyone looked at Shao Liyi, whose face was pale as she explained, "It was Consort Dou who pushed me, so I pulled her."

"When did I push you?" Consort Dou sneered. "The wind was strong by the lake. I saw you were unsteady and kindly helped you, but you dragged me into the lake and now you're trying to shift the blame."

"I didn't." Overwhelmed with emotion, Shao Liyi's eyes reddened, and tears gradually welled up in them. "You pushed me."

"You're slandering me!" Consort Dou exclaimed angrily. "It was clearly you who dragged me with ill intentions!"

"I do not have."

"You have!"

Both of them are victims, why are they arguing here? Why don't we direct our criticism at Consort Shu?

Chu Liuzheng fiddled with the system.

[Speaking of which, why did Consort Shu arrange this whole thing? What benefit did she gain from it?]

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingfan glanced at Consort Shu, who was sitting below him.

The lake water was cold, but not to the point of freezing one's bones in the dead of winter, and the person was quickly rescued, at most catching a cold. In the past, this might have been used to prevent the emperor from using the green-headed plaque (a symbol of favoritism) and thus prevent him from serving the emperor, but now that the tyrant doesn't even choose a plaque, what's the point?

Chu Liuzheng was somewhat puzzled and secretly glanced at Consort Shu, only to find that her gaze remained fixed on the opposite side. Following Consort Shu's gaze, her eyes lit up with a "biu".

Wow! When did the tyrant's harem get new concubines? So beautiful... Wait, this beauty looks like Consort Zhu. So Consort Zhu suits more muted colors? Her style of dress and makeup have changed so much I almost didn't recognize her.

Inside the palace, Consort Shaoli and Consort Dou were still arguing, each sticking to their own version of events.

A headache was being thwarted by the noise. Xiao Jingfan felt as if a flock of wild geese were cawing in his ears. He coldly shouted, "All of you, shut up!"

The hall fell silent instantly. Not only did Consort Shaoli and Noble Lady Dou stop talking, but even the concubines who had been exchanging glances and whispering among themselves fell silent as well.

Just then, a timid voice rang out, "Your Majesty, I saw how Consort Li and Noble Lady Dou fell into the water."

Everyone looked over at the sound and saw a slender figure slowly stand up and give the emperor a graceful curtsy.

"So it was Sister Zhu." Consort Shu smiled and said reproachfully, "Since you saw me, why didn't you say so earlier?"

"I didn't say it earlier because I was worried I might have misjudged," Consort Zhu explained softly, her head slightly lowered, revealing a section of her fair nape. "I only realized I wasn't mistaken after seeing the scar on Consort Dou's arm, so I dared to speak up. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

“You’ve always been meticulous,” Consort Shu said, looking at the Emperor and asking for his opinion. “Your Majesty, since Consort Zhu saw it, let’s hear what she has to say.” Xiao Jingfan nodded and looked at Consort Zhu. “Tell me what you saw.”

"Yes." Zhu Meiren curtsied again, her posture elegant and standard. A light blue long dress outlined her curvaceous figure, and her tone was so gentle it could melt water.

Oh~~~

Chu Liuzheng let out a long, long "oh" in his heart.

She got it.

[Today, Consort Shu has set up a scheme with ulterior motives. She uses the incident of Consort Shao and Noble Lady Dou falling into the water to lure the tyrant to the inner palace, and then seizes the opportunity to push Consort Zhu before him.]

[This is a test using Consort Zhu to see if the tyrant is still devoted to me. If he develops feelings for her and summons her to his bedchamber, then Consort Shu can have her herself later. The Duke of Ying is hoping she'll give birth to a prince so he can advance his own career.]

Thinking this, she looked at the emperor, wanting to see what his expression was, but found that the emperor was looking at her.

Chu Liuzheng: ? ?
Why is the tyrant looking at me like that? Is there tea on my face again?

She raised her hand to touch her face, but felt nothing.

Xiao Jingfan: "..."

His Majesty the Emperor withdrew his gaze in disappointment and listened to Consort Zhu speak.

It turns out that when Shao Liyi and Consort Dou fell into the water, Consort Zhu was resting in the pavilion and happened to see the two fall into the water.

She deduced that the stone slab under Consort Dou's feet was loose, and Consort Dou hadn't noticed, so she reached out to help Shaoliyi.

Stones fell from the edge, causing the slab to tilt suddenly, which made Consort Dou lose her balance and fall onto Shao Liyi. The two were holding hands, so it looked just like a push.

Unsteady on her feet, Shao Liyi instinctively grabbed Dou Guiren, but Dou Guiren herself was unsteady and couldn't hold her back. This caused both of them to fall into the water.

Upon hearing her words, Xiao Jingfan ordered someone to go to the lakeside to check the shore where the two had fallen into the water.

A short while later, Zhou Yuande returned with his men, saying that some of the stone slabs were indeed crooked and loose.

"You've wronged an innocent person." Consort Dou glared at Shao Liyi, her charming fox-like eyes filled with anger and resentment, concealing the grievance of being wronged.

Shao Liyi wiped away her tears with a handkerchief and said softly, "It was because you lost your footing that I fell into the water. It's not an injustice."

Consort Dou was furious and wanted to argue further, but then the Emperor spoke up, "Alright, now that the matter has been investigated and it was an accident, you two should return to the palace and summon the imperial physician to take a look."

"Your Majesty!" Consort Dou cried out in protest. Her arm was injured; was this matter really going to be left like this?

Seeing that she seemed determined to cause trouble, Consort Shu ordered, "Someone, escort Consort Dou back."

[Tsk tsk, the former Consort Rong used to give Consort Shu a lot of attitude. Now that their positions have been reversed, how can Consort Shu not take this opportunity to get her revenge?]

Yan Hui led his men forward and politely invited Consort Dou out.

Shao Liyi rose and said, "This concubine takes her leave."

She curtsied to the emperor and left with the dewdrops on her face.

After the matter was settled, the emperor pulled Chu Liuzheng away, without giving the meticulously dressed Consort Zhu a second glance.

Zhu Meiren lowered her eyes in disappointment, crumpling the handkerchief in her hand into a mess.

Watching the Emperor and Chu Liuzheng leave hand in hand, Consort Shu silently murmured "Don't be impatient" a few times. She had no intention of keeping the other concubines to talk and dismissed them.

(End of this chapter)