I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 499 Even the Underworld Needs to Improve Its Performance

[Funny! So ruthless, is this what a secret guard is like?]

Wait, can bodyguards get married?

Uh, no, that's not the point!

Chu Liuzheng felt it wasn't worth getting angry. She said, "There are plenty of men in the world. If he really gets seduced by another woman, it just means that man isn't worth it. Just find another one. Why get angry and hurt yourself over it?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xing said, "What if that woman comes at you, sister? For example, she finds you and asks you to make room for her."

Chu Liuzheng smiled slightly, "I have some knowledge of martial arts."

Anyone who dares to dance in front of her, I'll beat them to a pulp!
After the three of them analyzed the situation, Chu Liuzheng roughly understood what was wrong with the emperor. After thinking for a moment, he decided to try to appease him.

She stood up, stretched, moved her hands and feet, picked out some perfume and applied it behind her ears, then picked out two pieces of milk candy from the box and took them to the Wenhua Hall.

When we went in, the sun was still half-hidden; when we came out, even the sunset glow had faded. A sky full of twinkling stars shone against the dark blue backdrop.

Chu Liu ordered someone to serve him a meal.

The emperor, who neglected some state affairs because of eating sweets, will have to work overtime tonight.

*
During the Grain Rain season, the imperial court received another piece of good news.

The Western Xia, allied with the Tatars, betrayed the Sheng army, but were killed in the ensuing battle. The Western Xia army of 50,000 was almost completely wiped out, and its commander fled in disarray. The new Tatar Khan ascended the throne and took the initiative to surrender with the remaining 3,000 warriors, willing to submit to the Great Sheng and pay tribute.

Half a month later, Consort Yu passed away. The emperor issued an edict posthumously conferring upon her the title of Imperial Concubine Yu, ordering her to be buried with the rites due to a fourth imperial concubine, and also sent a message to the Emperor of Gaochang.

Upon receiving the news, the Emperor of Gaochang locked himself in his room, wailing and weeping. He was about to look at his daughter's portrait when he was startled to see her beautiful real face. He was so frightened that he couldn't catch his breath, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.

Aidar hoisted his father onto his shoulder and found a safe spot to catch up.

The following day, the Emperor of Gaochang left the palace and happened to meet a woman who resembled the deceased Princess Aidar. He immediately adopted her as his goddaughter, named her Aidar, and brought her back to the palace, where he doted on her greatly.

A month later, the emperor granted the princess the rank of Grand General and gradually transferred most of Gaochang's military force to her. The civil officials' objections were ineffective, and the military generals remained silent.

Rumor has it that this princess subdued all the troublemakers in the army who disagreed with her, and she also had her own insights into leading troops into battle. She was decisive and efficient, much like the late Princess Aidar.

Some suspect that the princess was possessed by the ghost of Princess Aidar, which is why the emperor was bewitched and handed over military power to a woman.

[As expected of the strong princess, she can overcome all techniques with sheer strength; she actually became a general after all.]

The Emperor of Gaochang was helpless against his daughter who had come back from the dead. After all, anyone would be traumatized to find the head of a former Tatar Khan lying in their face upon opening their eyes. Moreover, the strong princess had a tyrant backing her up, and the Zhao family army sent by the Great Sheng to provide support had not yet been recalled. They could finish what the Tatars had failed to do at any time.

Speaking of which, the gifts from Gaochang Kingdom should be arriving in the capital soon, right? The Minister of Revenue shouldn't have to run to the tyrant to plead poverty for a while.

Chu Liuzheng scooped up a spoonful of yogurt and put it in his mouth, staring at the system interface and quickly switching between messages.

[The Western Xia's attempt to steal a chicken backfired spectacularly. Not only were they outmaneuvered by the Sheng army, but the Sheng army also pursued their advantage and captured three cities. If it weren't for the natural defenses that gave the Western Xia time to react, the Sheng army might have been able to take two more cities.]

[Tsk tsk, Wei Mingrui has really been screwed over by the tyrant this time. He got a severe scolding from the Western Xia emperor, received twenty lashes, and was stripped of all his posts, becoming a completely idle person, confined to his residence to reflect on his mistakes. His officials were either demoted or punished; apart from a few shrewd ones, none of them fared well.]

[One son is gone, another rises. The Western Xia emperor finally remembered he had a son named Flower Butterfly, who was practically rotting away with idleness. Compared to his illegitimate son, the Western Xia emperor found Flower Butterfly much more agreeable and immediately entrusted him with the crucial task of negotiating peace with the Great Sheng.] [It's easy to invite a god, but hard to send him away. Flower Butterfly knew this task wouldn't be easy, but with the opportunity before him, he had to take it no matter how difficult it was.]

Come on, come on, the tyrant has already sent a peace-making think tank to wait for you. Feel free to jump into the pit!

After shutting down the system, Chu Liuzheng finished the rest of his yogurt and prepared to go for a walk to digest his food.

She first went to the main hall to take a look and found that the hall door was still closed, so she asked Eunuch Zhou, who was guarding the door, "Is Lord Yi still inside?"

Zhou Yuande nodded slightly.

Chu Liuzheng grunted and said, "I'm going to take a stroll in the Imperial Garden. If His Majesty asks about it later, please give him a message for me."

Zhou Yuande smiled and said, "This servant has noted it down. Please go ahead, young lady."

After strolling through the Imperial Garden, they went to the Imperial Kitchen. By the time Chu Liuzheng returned with her entourage, the doors of the Wenhua Hall were already open. She lifted her skirt and went inside. Apart from Zhou Yuande, there was no one else in the hall.

The emperor clasped his hands together, rested his elbows on the imperial desk, frowned, and stared blankly at the blue scroll in front of him.

Zhou Yuande gave Chu Liuzheng a wink, implying that His Majesty was in a bad mood.

Chu Liuzheng: I understand.

She curtsied and said, "Your Majesty, may you be well."

"You're back." Xiao Jingfan snapped out of his reverie, looked up at her, and beckoned her, "Come and sit down."

Chu Liuzheng did as instructed and went over, while Zhou Yuande tactfully withdrew and gently closed the door behind him.

Xiao Jingfan picked up the blue scroll from the imperial desk and handed it over, saying, "This was just sent by Minister Yi. Please take a look."

"Yes." Chu Liuzheng sat down beside him, took the scroll, and unfolded it to examine it closely.

[Wow, this really does spoil the plot! It's amazing Brother Xiaoyao didn't get struck by lightning.]

Wildfires, floods, droughts, locust plagues, hailstorms, snowstorms... Tsk tsk, has the Sheng Kingdom broken some heavenly law? There hasn't been a single peaceful year in the last five years; disaster relief alone has emptied the national treasury several times over. Please, let's pray for a year of good weather!

She now understood why the emperor's face was so grim; if all of this came true, the people of Sheng Kingdom would be doomed.

“Here.” Xiao Jingfan’s long fingers touched the scroll. His voice was lower than usual as he read out each word carefully. “In the seventh month of the sixth year of Shunguang, Qingzhou experienced a month of heavy rain. The Minjiang River swelled and breached the dikes, flooding tens of thousands of acres of farmland and sweeping away thousands of people. Many villages were destroyed by mudslides, leaving people homeless.”

[With people homeless, refugees will inevitably abound. If the imperial court's relief efforts are not timely, starvation will spread across the land, leading to countless chaotic situations. Moreover, July and August are the hottest months; if the corpses are not dealt with promptly, their rotting and piling up will inevitably cause plagues, resulting in even more deaths. What if these people then wander around carrying the disease...]

Chu Liuzheng's palms were ice-cold.

[Good heavens, this is a life-or-death situation, like a game between the gods and the underworld! Does the underworld also need to boost its performance?]

Xiao Jingfan: "..."

Why does everything become unserious and serious once this woman speaks of it?
(End of this chapter)