I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 498 Leaving a Whole Corpse

Back at Huaqing Palace, Consort Dou sat down at her dressing table. Xianglu removed her hairpins and took out a medicine box. While applying medicine to the scratches on her arm, she asked in confusion, "Your Highness, you clearly knew that the stone slab had been tampered with, so why did you still invite Consort Shaoli over? It's heartbreaking to see her injured arm like this."

“The stage is already set up, wouldn’t it be a waste not to start the performance?” Consort Dou said. “The Consort Shu wants to test His Majesty’s heart, which suits me just fine. Why not put on a show? It will let her know that all I have left is the ability to make a fuss, which will ease her mind and save her from having people watching me all day long.”

Upon hearing this, Xianglu understood and smiled, "Master is indeed very thoughtful."

She took some gauze and wrapped it thinly around the wound, making it breathable and preventing the ointment from smearing elsewhere.

Consort Dou said, "Boil some hot water, I want to take a bath to warm myself up."

"Yes." Xianglu immediately went to prepare.

*
"Your Majesty, the matter at Zhaoyang Palace is settled."

In Maohua Palace, Qingyi strode into the hall, her voice filled with barely concealed joy, "Just as you guessed, no one was punished, and His Majesty didn't take a liking to anyone."

"Understood." Consort Chun raised her hand and fed some food to the goldfish in the tank. "Today was quite a show for me. Have the kitchen prepare two more dishes for dinner. I'd like to have a small drink."

Qingyi: "...Your Majesty, didn't you say the other day that you would never drink again?" You forgot about the headache after waking up from a drunken stupor so quickly?

Consort Chun Zhao corrected, "It's not about drinking too much."

Qingyi really didn't want her mistress to drink too much, so she advised, "But Madam instructed..."

"Go quickly." Consort Chun's eyes turned cold. "Don't make me say it a third time."

Qingyi had no choice but to swallow her words and go about her business.

Meanwhile, Chu Liuzheng, who had been deliberately left at the Hall of Mental Cultivation by the emperor, belatedly realized after eating a piece of Poria cocos cake that the emperor seemed a little unhappy.

【Why? 】

She rested her chin on her hand, chewing on a poria cocos cake as she pondered.

[I was focused on watching the drama unfold, I didn't do anything except drink tea, what's gotten into the tyrant?]

Unable to figure it out by herself, she decided to pool her wisdom and resources. So she beckoned to Chenxing and Siyue, "Come on, I have something to ask you."

The two put down what they were doing and came over to sit down.

Chenxing: "What does sister want to ask?"

"I think His Majesty is angry with me." Chu Liuzheng pushed the poria cocos cake towards the two of them. "Can you help me analyze this? Am I right?"

“His Majesty is indeed somewhat displeased.” Siyue picked up a piece of Poria cocos cake and gently curved it downwards, “His mouth looks like this.”

"His eyes were icy cold," Chen Xing added, pointing to his eyes.

Chu Liuzheng: "...Haven't he always been like that?"

[Aside from when he's laughing, the tyrant always has this expression on his face, like someone owes him 30,000 taels of silver and is demanding payment.]

Siyue and Chenxing shook their heads together and said in unison, "It's not like that lately."

The emperor was usually quite happy when he was with Chu Liuzheng, so it was rare to see him with such an expression today.

"Okay, let's just assume he's angry." Chu Liuzheng slumped onto the table. "Can you guys help me analyze why he's angry?"

"Because of you." Chenxing and Siyue said in unison again.

Chu Liuzheng pointed to himself in surprise: "Me?"

I didn't summon the tyrant! Why is it all because of me?

“Yes, because of you.” Chen Xing took a bite of the poria cocos cake, speaking clearly, “and also because of Lady Zhu.”

Is there something to do with Consort Zhu in this?

"Tell me in detail." Chu Liuzheng picked up the small teapot on the table and poured a cup of water for each of them.

Chenxing, busy eating snacks, winked at Siyue, signaling her to speak. Siyue then said, "Sister, don't you think Consort Zhu's outfit today looks familiar?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Liuzheng rested his chin on one hand and began to recall.

[This does seem somewhat familiar. Where have I seen it before?]

Seeing her blank expression, Siyue pointed it out directly, "She is dressed like my sister. The orchid earrings she is wearing look exactly like the ones my sister wore a few days ago. His Majesty even praised my sister for looking good in them."

"Not just the earrings, but also the color and style of the clothes, the hairstyle, the gemstone ring on the left hand, the jade bracelet on the wrist, the butterfly hairpin and jade comb in the hair, and..." Chen Xing counted on her fingers one by one, listing more than ten items in a row, not even missing the patterns on the shoes.

One similarity could be considered a coincidence, but nearly ten similarities could only be intentional. Hearing the two say this, Chu Liuzheng realized for the first time that the two beads in his eye sockets might just be decorations.

[Could it be that Consort Shu and Consort Zhu think the tyrant now prefers my type, and that dressing up like me would attract his attention more?]

[What's going on? Turning himself into a substitute? He should wait until the original dies first. Otherwise, why would the tyrant leave the original alone to find substitutes? Are they collecting them for a match-3 game?]

[Besides, everyone's factory settings are different; they're not mass-produced on a factory assembly line. What kind of terrible idea did Consort Shu come up with?!]

[No wonder Zhu Meiren changed her makeup, hairstyle, and clothes; it turns out this game was all for me! Can't she do something useful?!]

She looked at Chen Xing and the other person and exclaimed sincerely, "You two are quite observant."

“These are all compulsory courses for the secret guards,” Chen Xing said. “They learn them from a young age.”

Siyue said, "If you don't study well, you won't have anything to eat."

Chu Liuzheng immediately pushed the snacks toward her, "Here, have some more."

[Those two poor kids, learning a skill isn't easy at all.]

Siyue smiled and ate a piece of pastry.

Chu Liuzheng also took a piece and put it in his mouth, but as he chewed, he suddenly felt something was wrong.

[Wait a minute! Since the beauty is imitating me, shouldn't I be the one who's angry? What's the tyrant getting angry about?]

She voiced her question, and both Chenxing and Siyue looked at her with complicated expressions.

Chu Liuzheng: ?

"What's with those expressions? Just say what you have to say."

Chen Xing sighed, "Sister, you are truly the most unromantic woman I have ever met."

Mitsuki, standing beside him, nodded in agreement.

Chu Liuzheng: ? ?
She tapped the table. "Explain yourself clearly." What kind of riddle was she speaking of?
Siyue lowered his head to eat snacks, letting Chenxing speak.

Chen Xing said, "Sister, someone is seducing His Majesty right in front of you, aren't you angry?"

"Huh?" Chu Liuzheng was completely taken aback, not expecting it to be because of this. She was dumbfounded and asked in confusion, "Why are you angry?"

[The tyrant didn't even glance at Lady Zhu twice, why should I be angry?]

Chen Xing: "..."

Her expression turned strange for a moment. She glanced around, leaned closer to Chu Liuzheng, and asked in a low voice, "Sister, do you really have feelings for His Majesty?"

Chu Liuzheng nodded.

Just looking at the emperor's face, one has to be fond of him.

Chenxing blinked and poked Siyue. Siyue put down her snacks and said calmly, "If anyone tries to seduce my husband in front of me, I will leave her a whole corpse."

"I won't even leave a complete corpse." Chen Xing smiled, revealing a shallow dimple on her left cheek.

(End of this chapter)