I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 523 I'm most reluctant to part with her
The imperial physician arrived relatively quickly and diagnosed that Consort Xie's liver qi was stagnant, leading to phlegm and fire disturbing her heart and causing her to lose her mental clarity.

In short, there are indeed signs of him going insane.

Physician Wu said, "Consort Xie is now suffering from recurring nightmares and her eyes are bloodshot. If she is not treated in time and allowed to develop further, she may become uncontrollably irritable, confused, and unable to recognize her parents."

If someone doesn't even recognize their parents, then they've completely gone mad.

Xiao Jingfan frowned upon hearing this and asked, "How should it be treated?"

"In my humble opinion, we should proceed step by step," said Physician Wu. "I will first prescribe some herbal medicine to soothe the liver and regulate Qi for Consort Xie. Once Consort Xie's mood has improved, we will then use acupuncture to remove the lesions."

"If Consort Xie can sleep peacefully at night, her illness will be mostly cured. After that, she only needs to take a calming pill when she is feeling agitated."

He paused here, glanced at the emperor, and continued, "Consort Xie's madness is a mental illness. If the mental illness is not cured, even if it is cured now, it will relapse in the future."

That means the root of the problem is the emotional one, and curing the emotional one is the key to solving the problem.

Chu Liuzheng: "..."

[Consort Xie's biggest worry is me, this vixen. If you want Consort Xie to stop going crazy, you'd better get rid of me first.]

I didn't do anything to her, but she's blaming me for getting sick.

Xiao Jingfan glanced at her and asked the imperial physician, "The hot springs at Muxu Palace can replenish vital energy. Would that be beneficial to Consort Xie's illness?"

After a moment's consideration, Physician Wu nodded: "The environment of Muxu Palace is serene and suitable for calming the mind, which is beneficial to Consort Xie's condition. If Consort Xie can soak in the hot spring for a quarter of an hour every day, the lesions will also heal faster."

"Since it's beneficial, then let's go." Xiao Jingfan instructed Zhou Yuande to deliver the decree to Lanju Pavilion, and also ordered Physician Wu to recommend another physician to accompany him.

Everyone else who goes to Muxu Palace feigns illness, but Consort Xie is genuinely ill.

After Physician Wu left, Chu Liuzheng looked at the Emperor and said, "Your Majesty, it is better to treat illness sooner rather than later. Consort Chun and Noble Lady Dou will be traveling the day after tomorrow. Consort Xie can travel with them and have someone to talk to and keep her company on the road."

Xiao Jingfan glanced at her: "You don't like Consort Xie?"

"I wouldn't say I dislike her," Chu Liuzheng said. "I simply hate her."

Regardless of whether she's truly insane or not, Consort Xie is a ticking time bomb to me. She might pull out a knife and attack me at any moment. Of course, the sooner she's gone, the better. Who wants to keep a violent lunatic around?

Besides, perhaps if Consort Xie doesn't see me, her illness will heal itself without medicine.

She glanced at the expressionless emperor. "Are you heartbroken or just reluctant to part with him? If you're reluctant, there's still time. The person hasn't..."

"No." Xiao Jingfan had only been lost in thought for a moment, but he didn't expect to hear these words. Without thinking, he immediately denied it.

"Oh~" Chu Liuzheng drawled, standing up as he said, "Since you're not reluctant, then I'll go ahead and make the arrangements."

"Come back." Xiao Jingfan reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her into his embrace. Their eyes met, and he asked in a deep voice, "Don't you know who I can't bear to part with?"

"Ahem." Chu Liuzheng cleared his throat, his eyes darting around. "To make wild guesses about the Emperor's will is punishable by death, I wouldn't dare."

Xiao Jingfan hugged the person tighter, "I allow you to speculate."

Chu Liuzheng's eyes darted around. "Then I'll guess."

Xiao Jingfan: "Mm."

Chu Liuzheng: "Is it... the eldest daughter of the fifth family from the entrance of South Sixth Alley?"

Xiao Jingfan, who was expecting to hear a certain name, frowned. "Who?"

"You don't recognize him?" Chu Liuzheng asked in surprise, raising her hand to smooth the wrinkles between his brows, her eyes sparkling with a gentle smile. "Would you like to think about it again?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingfan thought carefully and suddenly remembered that the Chu family's general store was the fifth one counting from the entrance of South Sixth Lane.

The so-called young lady was none other than—a beautiful figure reflected in his deep black eyes. Xiao Jingfan smiled and nodded seriously, "You guessed right. I have been in love with her for many years and I am most reluctant to part with her."

After saying this, he sighed softly, his long eyelashes drooping, "But I wonder if she treats me the same way I treat her."

Chu Liuzheng, who had shot himself in the foot: "..."

She cleared her throat, then cleared it again, and then cleared it once more. Looking at the captivating face before her—a face she'd looked at for years without growing tired of it, but which she found increasingly alluring—it was incredibly difficult to say "no" against her will. [Sigh... I'm just that frog in the lukewarm water.]

She closed her eyes, nodded with a look of resignation, and said, "It's the same."

Xiao Jingfan raised an eyebrow and pressed, "Where are they the same?"

Hey! They're really pushing their luck!

Chu Liuzheng, enraged, cupped the handsome face so close to his own and lowered his head to kiss those thin lips.

[What a ridiculous question! Don't you know your grandma would be shy?]

Hearing the words from her heart, Xiao Jingfan let out a soft laugh, gripped the slender waist in his palm, and instantly took the initiative.

Chu Liuzheng originally wanted to fight, but later found that the enemy was too strong and he could not win, so he quickly opened the city gates and lay down.

Spring was in full bloom in the Wenhua Hall, while at the Summer Palace on the other side, the Empress Dowager, having finally received the news, was thunderstruck and nearly fainted from anger. She immediately led her entourage back to the palace.

Xiao Jinshu tried to persuade him for a while but to no avail. She had no choice but to send a message to her troublemaking younger brother, saying that she couldn't hide it anymore and that the emperor should deal with the trouble he had caused himself.

Three days after Xiao Jingfan received the letter, the Empress Dowager's carriage arrived in the capital without any ceremonial procession or message to welcome her.

The Empress Dowager led Zhao Mama directly to the Wenhua Hall, only to find it empty.

The emperor has left the palace to inspect the capital region's military camps; he is not here.

The Empress Dowager then went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, only to find it empty.

Chu Liuzheng left with the emperor and is no longer here.

The Empress Dowager, unable to find anyone: !!!

She left a message, her face grim, and returned to the Wanshou Palace, waiting for the emperor to come and find her.

Outside the palace, in the garden of the Chu residence, Xiao Jingfan, who had just returned from his inspection, was accompanying Chu Liuzheng to look at the flowers and plants planted by the Bai family.

Under Bai's meticulous care, the flowers and plants are growing vigorously and haven't wilted even under the scorching sun.

Chu Liuzheng stared at it, "Why do I remember that what was planted here before wasn't roses?"

Xiao Jingfan: "You've got it wrong."

Chu Liuzheng turned to look at him: "Just bought it?"

Xiao Jingfan: "...Hmm."

Bai wanted to grow flowers, but it seemed like he and flowers were just not compatible. If he planted ten plants, it was already good if one of them survived. If he encountered a difficult-to-grow variety, not a single one would survive.

It was a rare occasion for the eldest daughter to bring her emperor son-in-law back to her parents' home. Not wanting her son-in-law to laugh at her, she had someone buy some flowers and plants to make up for it, hoping to also give her daughter face in front of her son-in-law.

Unaware of her mother's thoughts, Chu Liuzheng muttered to herself, "My mother's vegetables are the most beautiful in the village; everyone praises them. How come she can't grow flowers well?"

Xiao Jingfan knows how to appreciate flowers but doesn't know how to tend them, so he really can't answer this question.

Zhou Yuande glanced at his emperor and said understandingly, "Too much fertilizer burns the roots, too much water damages the roots. Madam Chu is being a little too meticulous."

Chu Liuzheng: "..."

The price of one flower seedling can be equivalent to that of a hundred vegetable seedlings. With her mother's frugal nature, how could she not be careful?

I'll find a chance to talk to my mother about it. We should treat these flowers like vegetables; whether they bloom or not, at least they'll survive.

At this moment, a dark figure appeared out of thin air, knelt down and reported: "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager did not see you and Miss Chu after returning to the palace, and has already returned to Wanshou Palace."

"Hmm." Xiao Jingfan responded softly, then turned to Chu Liuzheng and said, "It's time to return to the palace."

(End of this chapter)