I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 529 Finale
[Oh dear, when I was in the palace, I never noticed how high the altar for the sacrificial ceremony was, or how many stairs there were. I didn't know the wedding dress was so long and difficult to walk in!]

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the emperor and empress climbed the sacrificial altar hand in hand.

Chu Liuzheng tried her best to walk with dignity, mainly because the phoenix crown was too heavy and made her neck uncomfortable, so she couldn't help but walk with dignity.

She suspected that the phoenix crown was so heavy to prevent the bride from looking around.

She squeezed the large hand she was holding and asked softly, "Have you made arrangements with Lord Yi?"

"Mm." Xiao Jingfan responded, turning his head to look at her. Seeing that she was having difficulty walking, he considerately asked, "Shall I carry you upstairs?"

Chu Liuzheng resolutely refused. In front of everyone, the emperor carried her to the sacrificial altar. Did she still have any face left as empress?

She said, "Please walk slowly, I can keep up."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingfan slowed his already slow pace even further, keeping a close eye on Chu Liuzheng's condition. When Chu Liuzheng accidentally stepped on her skirt, he stopped in time and waited for her to adjust before continuing.

Everyone craned their necks and waited and waited until their necks ached, but the Emperor and Empress still hadn't finished climbing the stairs.

The Minister of Works nudged the Minister of Revenue beside him with his elbow and asked in a low voice, "Was it this long last time?"

The Minister of Revenue glanced at him. His Majesty had not yet ascended the throne when he married the deposed empress. The wedding was held at the prince's residence. Where did this "last time" come from?
Upon being looked at like that, the Minister of Works remembered it and secretly regretted his foolishness. He thought that this Empress Chu was indeed more fortunate than the deposed empress, and she was truly worthy of being the reincarnation of a phoenix maiden.

Not far away, Xie Hui and Lü Fei stood together, also looking up at the Emperor and Empress slowly climbing the stairs.

Xie Hui asked in a low voice, "Will we be able to see the phoenix today?"

Lu Fei glanced at him sideways, as if to say, "He's not Feng Nu, go ask Feng Nu if you dare."

Xie Hui clicked his tongue. If he had known that His Majesty would favor Chu Liuzheng so much, he should have cultivated a good relationship with Chu Liuzheng when she was still a palace maid.

Sometimes, the whispers in someone's ear can be more powerful than swords, and might even save their life at a crucial moment.

Alas, what a missed opportunity!

At the very front, Prince Rui stood beside Prince Xiao's wheelchair and muttered to himself, "The wedding dress is so heavy and long. If I were the elder brother, I would just carry my sister-in-law up there."

King Xiao glanced at him and said, "Sacrificing to Heaven is not child's play; it must be done with solemnity."

"Tsk." Prince Rui was getting more and more annoyed by these rules.

King Xiao gazed at the two figures slowly ascending and sighed softly, "The more difficult it is, the more precious it becomes, and the more we will cherish it."

Prince Rui looked at him and asked, "Are you referring to yourself or your elder brother?"

King Xiao: "I'm talking about you."

Prince Rui: "..."

King Xiao: "You're not young anymore. You've been playing around outside for so many years, it's time for you to settle down and start a family. Why don't you ask His Majesty to grant you a marriage?"

Before he could finish speaking, Prince Rui quickly moved to the side, deciding to stay far away from his brother who had suddenly become like a strict father.

He hasn't had enough fun yet. He's free and easy on his own, why would he want to become a family?

On the other side, in the group of foreign guests, Feng Jing rubbed his neck and turned to look at Jiang Yao beside him, "Why didn't Young Master Cang come with you?"

Jiang Yao said, "Yue'er has just been infected with the Gu, and she can't be left alone. He's staying at home to take care of her."

She glanced at Feng Jing, who was also alone, and said, "You're alone too."

Feng Jing: "..."

Jiang Yao: "Can it be done before my life ends?"

Feng Jing: "...I'll do my best."

[Wow! Finally made it up.]

Chu Liuzheng stood on the altar and looked down, finding it higher than he had imagined. The people below looked like tiny dots, as if they could reach the sky with their outstretched hands.

Yi Zhen, dressed in the official robes of the Imperial Observatory, had been waiting for a long time. He winked at Chu Liuzheng and began the formalities.

The ceremony was similar to the previous Star-Picking Pavilion sacrificial ceremony, but the theme was quite different.

Last time, it was to pray for favorable weather and abundant harvests; this time, it is to announce to the heavens that the emperor is marrying the phoenix maiden, praying for divine blessings and eternal protection for the country.

Wisps of smoke curl upwards, winding their way to the heavens.

The prayers had just ended when a sudden change occurred.

Suddenly, a rainbow bridge descended from the clear blue sky, dazzling and beautiful, like a ladder descended from the heavens by a deity, landing precisely in front of Chu Liuzheng's feet.

An uproar erupted below, "Phoenix Girl! Phoenix Girl is going to die!!"

Exclamations arose, and the crowd stirred.

[Stay calm! Don't laugh! It's my turn to perform.]

Chu Liuzheng closed his eyes tightly, his expression solemn, and suddenly a dazzling golden light burst forth from his body.

Come forth, phoenix, spread your wings!

"Qiang!"

A clear, resounding phoenix cry that pierced through the clouds and split rocks suddenly echoed throughout the universe, and a huge golden phoenix phantom, carrying magnificent divine power, broke through the flames and flapped its wings.

Its wings spread wide, its golden feathers seemingly burning with rosy light, as it circled once above everyone's heads. Especially when it flew over the Empress Dowager's phoenix carriage, it deliberately hovered for a moment, its dazzling phoenix tail almost brushing against the Empress Dowager's eyes. The Empress Dowager was so shocked that her eyes widened, her body jerked backward, and she almost fainted on the spot.

Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! Truly, it's like a god descending to earth!

Granny Zhao was so terrified she nearly lost her soul. She held onto the swaying Empress Dowager tightly, not daring to look up at the sky.

At the same time, ethereal and melodious celestial music resounded from the void, countless golden petals fluttered down, and a refreshing fragrance permeated the surrounding area.

The phoenix raised its head and cried out, its voice shaking the heavens. Within that resounding phoenix cry, there was a faint, majestic, and deep dragon's roar, like distant thunder echoing its call.

Everyone looked in shock towards the sound, and saw a huge and majestic golden dragon phantom moving through the clouds above Xiao Jingfan's head, appearing and disappearing intermittently.

The dragon's roar was like thunder, intertwining and echoing with the clear and melodious phoenix cry, as if the heavens and earth were resonating with the emperor and empress!
[Tsk, the tyrant is secretly adding his own drama to his life, how sly!]

Although dragons and phoenixes symbolize good fortune, they are not the same species and should have reproductive barriers, right? Could these two be a pair?

Chu Liuzheng kept complaining in her heart, but she tried her best to maintain a holy expression on her face, with colorful light flashing in her open almond eyes.

[System, my fellow villager is the main character. The dragon doesn't need to be too majestic; just leave the emperor with a dragon tail.]

Yes, we should subdue the dragon; we can't let it overshadow the phoenix.

Yi Zhen directed the operation on-site.

The golden dragon in the sky let out one last roar, then disappeared into the clouds.

[The phoenix's voice grows louder; it's time to wrap things up.]

Don't worry, you'll earn back these points once the bonuses for this world are distributed.

【Come, heed my command, one, two, three, gather!】

Phoenix feathers fluttered, scattering gold like rain. Amidst countless gazes filled with shock and awe, the enormous golden phantom let out a clear cry and gracefully flew back to the top of Chu Liuzheng's head.

In an instant, the golden light surged.

Amidst the dazzling light, the phoenix phantom transformed into golden streams of light, flowing into Chu Liuzheng's body like water.

The light faded, the phoenix disappeared, leaving only a faint golden glow surrounding the woman.

In the blink of an eye, even the golden light disappeared.

OK, the performance is over, let's wrap it up!

A deathly silence fell over the scene. Everyone seemed to be frozen in place, holding their breath and so focused that even their heartbeats could be heard clearly.

"The Phoenix Maiden has descended! Long live the Empress!!!" A shout of wild joy, almost hoarse, was like a stone thrown into water, instantly creating a wave of excitement.

The crowd suddenly knelt down, and a deafening roar erupted like a tsunami.

"Long live the Empress! Long live the Empress! Long live the Empress!!"

"Long live the Empress! Long live the Empress! Long live the Empress!!"

"Long live the Empress..."

This devout torrent surged out of the palace walls, and the people, who had already been prostrate on the ground in awe of the divine miracle, were now even more excited, joining the pilgrimage with their shouts hoarse.

Each sound, each word, converged into a deafening roar, surging and soaring into the sky, as if even the majestic palaces trembled in response.

Good heavens! Even the entourage of a national idol isn't this impressive! What have I done to deserve this...?

Chu Liuzheng's ears went numb from the shock. He forced himself to endure the shame of his toes digging into the ground and turned to look at the person beside him.

Xiao Jingfan was smiling at her, his deep eyes reflecting the sunlight and her slightly stunned figure. His warm hand firmly grasped her slightly cold fingers, with undeniable strength, leading her to the very front of the altar.

The morning light pierced through the clouds, enveloping the two of them. They stood side by side on the high platform, their dark red and black wedding gowns overlapping and fluttering in the wind.

Below, the people prostrated themselves.

From the civil and military officials, members of the imperial family and nobles nearby, to the densely packed, endless crowds of commoners outside the palace walls in the distance, it was like a thick brocade spread across the land.

Chu Liuzheng stared blankly at the scene with his mouth slightly open.

If someone had told her twelve years ago that one day she would stand shoulder to shoulder with the emperor at the highest point, receiving the homage of all people, she would have spat at that person, cursed them as a liar, rolled her eyes, and turned away.

From an unknown palace maid to the throne of empress, her experience is surely worthy of being recorded in history.
When I get old, I will definitely write a memoir. I've already thought of a title: "The Struggle of a Tea-Serving Palace Maid."

[Hmm...that feels too ordinary and not appealing enough. Let's call it "From Tea-Serving Maid to the Fated Phoenix Throne: My Path to Effortless Empress Success."]

[That doesn't seem to work either. How about "A Teacup in One Hand, a Phoenix Seal in the Other: The Tyrant Insists I'm the True Phoenix"?]

[Uh, I must have been reading too many storybooks lately. Everything here sounds like a storybook. It's not grand enough. Let me think again… what should I name it?]

Xiao Jingfan's eyes twitched as he listened. What kind of bizarre names were these?
He squeezed his clenched hand and asked in a low voice, "What are you thinking about?"

Chu Liuzheng turned to look at him, his gaze sweeping over his handsome features, and said with a light smile, "I'll tell you later."

Why am I in such a hurry? There's plenty of time; I can think about it slowly.

——End of text——

　The ending was quite difficult; I kept thinking about what kind of ending to give Liu Zheng. As I wrote this, I suddenly felt it would be a perfect ending for the main story, so let's leave it at that. The remaining bit of the ending will be in a side story, starting tomorrow.

　　(End of this chapter)