I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 475 Extremely ill
The beauty burst into laughter through her tears, almost making Chu Liuzheng swoon. She quickly coughed lightly and turned to order, "Chenxing, have two sedan chairs prepared."

"Yes." Chen Xing accepted the order and left.

Shao Liyi immediately felt that this Miss Chu was really considerate. Knowing that her eyes were swollen from crying and it was inconvenient for her, she specially prepared a sedan chair.

Actually, it was mainly for Chu Liuzheng's own convenience.

She was already ill and had little energy; she didn't want to walk an extra step unless absolutely necessary.

The sedan chair stopped not far from the Wenhua Hall. As soon as Chu Liuzheng got out of the sedan chair, he saw Consort Yu kneeling upright at the entrance of the hall.

[As expected of a princess capable of fighting on the battlefield, she can still hold on after kneeling for so long; her physical strength is truly enviable.]

Chu Liuzheng beckoned, and Xiao Anzi hurried over, smiling as he asked, "What are your orders, Miss?"

"Pour me a cup of hot water." Chu Liuzheng gestured in the direction of Consort Yu, and only after Xiao Anzi responded did he lift his skirt and enter the Wenhua Hall.

The hall was filled with a faint scent of camellias. Chu Liuzheng took off his cloak, knelt down and curtsied to the emperor behind the imperial desk, saying, "Your Majesty, may you be well."

"If you're sick, you should rest and recuperate. Why did you come all this way?" Xiao Jingfan put down his vermilion brush, stood up, and walked around the imperial desk.

Chu Liuzheng quickly took two steps back, extending one hand forward and covering his mouth and nose with the other. "I'm still recovering from my cold. Please don't get too close to me, lest you catch my illness."

"If you were going to get sick, you would have gotten sick long ago." Xiao Jingfan held her hand, found it was a little cold, and warmed it with his palm. He carefully examined her complexion. "When I went back at noon, you were still asleep. I didn't wake you because you were sleeping soundly. Are you still coughing badly?"

"The medicine from the Imperial Hospital is good; I've only coughed twice since waking up," Chu Liuzheng smiled. "I should be fully recovered after drinking a few more bowls of medicine."

"Hmm." Xiao Jingfan led her to sit down behind the desk, and only let go after her hands had warmed up. He then ordered someone to stew a bowl of bird's nest with rock sugar.

Seeing that he was about to continue reviewing memorials, Chu Liuzheng said, "Your Majesty, I have come here for Consort Yu."

She didn't want to be so blunt, but when you're sick, you're too lazy to think, so it's easier to just say it directly.

Xiao Jingfan put down his pen, turned to look at her, and asked, "Why are you meddling in this mess?"

[Isn't this Shao Liyi begging me? She cried so beautifully, I can't ignore her.]

Xiao Jingfan: "..."

His Majesty the Emperor felt a strange sense of unease, as if his head had been turned green for the first time in a long time.

"Just tell me whether you want to see me or not, and when." Chu Liuzheng leaned against his shoulder, as if he were too lazy to do anything.

Xiao Jingfan looked down at her, his tone neither too loud nor too soft, "How dare you."

"I wouldn't dare." Chu Liuzheng felt uncomfortable leaning against his shoulder and shifted her head, trying to find a more comfortable position. Xiao Jingfan simply reached out and pulled her into his arms, and Chu Liuzheng finally stopped moving.

[This was a pre-arranged trap to lure them in. The strongman and princess have been kneeling for almost three hours already; that's enough of a show. Why keep torturing them?]

She said softly, "Please let me meet you. I've already promised Shao Liyi."

"Is Shaoliyi more important than me?" Xiao Jingfan pinched her cheek, his tone full of dissatisfaction.

"You are important." Chu Liuzheng's drowsiness subsided a little from the massage, and he raised his hand to cup the handsome face above him, leaning in to kiss it haphazardly a few times. "You are the most important."

But His Majesty the Emperor is not so easily appeased.

[Tsk, troublesome.]

Chu Liuzheng was too lazy to coax him anymore; he didn't care whether he saw him or not.

Seeing that she was about to leave in a huff, Xiao Jingfan reached out and pulled her back, hugging her and coaxing her, "I'll see you right away."

"Hmm." Chu Liuzheng patted his hand. "I'm going to take a nap in the side hall. Remember to wake me up for dinner."

The emperor replied indulgently, "Very well."

Emerging from the main hall, Chu Liuzheng, still drowsy from the effects of the medicine, saw Consort Yu and Consort Shao kneeling together, which jolted her awake somewhat. [Why are they still kneeling?]

She gave Shao Liyi a wink, not caring whether she understood or not, because she was going to sleep anyway.

Behind him, Zhou Yuande, carrying a whisk, walked up to Consort Yu and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, His Majesty wishes to see you."

Consort Yu was taken aback and looked at Consort Shaoli, whose eyes were red with emotion.

Shao Liyi whispered, "She said she would help." Unexpectedly, it actually happened.

Dewdrop helped Mianmian lift Consort Yu up and massaged her legs and knees.

"It's nothing." Consort Yu grimaced as the two men rubbed her, but she still tried to put on a brave face.

Mianmian was so heartbroken that she kept crying.

It took Consort Yu a while to regain her sense of walking. She said to the three people who were looking at her expectantly, "You should go back first. I don't know when I'll come out."

Shao Liyi shook her head, "I'll wait for you to go back together."

Mianmian and Luzhu refused to leave.

Consort Yu sighed helplessly, raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of Consort Shaoli's eyes, and smiled, "Take good care of Mianmian for me."

She might go in vertically and come out horizontally this time.

Shao Liyi felt uneasy at the tone of the words entrusted to her, but Consort Yu had already followed Zhou Yuande and strode into the Wenhua Hall. Her silver-red skirt slid across the threshold, like a fish entering the water.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects! Long live the Emperor!"

*
As evening fell, the sky was ablaze with a magnificent sunset, as beautiful as satin and brocade.

Chu Liuzheng leaned against the window, eating bird's nest while watching the sunset. All the famous poems he had memorized in his previous life converged in his mind into two words: beautiful.

[As planned, Gaochang and the Tatars were at war. The tyrant sent troops to aid Gaochang, then used a clever ruse to wipe out both the Tatars and the Western Xia.]

The strongwoman princess's sudden request, while indeed saving Gaochang, also gave the tyrant a chance to kill three birds with one stone. One for three, plus a valiant female general—tsk tsk, the tyrant's a huge win!

Chu Liuzheng opened the system and browsed through it.

[Speaking of which, wasn't the tyrant after all set his sights on the strongwoman princess from the very beginning?]

[Let me see... First, he deliberately leaked information from the battle report, making the Strong Princess anxious. Then, he pretended to be unwilling to send troops to rescue her, making the Strong Princess come to him for help. Finally, he signed an unequal treaty... Wow! Is he a villain or a tyrant?]

As Chu Liuzheng was sighing inwardly, the bowl she was holding was suddenly snatched away. She turned around and saw Xiao Jingfan slowly finishing the rest of the bird's nest soup, with a perfectly reasonable excuse: "Eat less, it's time for dinner."

"Oh," Chu Liuzheng replied, and was about to get out of bed and put on his shoes when Xiao Jingfan said, "No rush."

He kicked off his shoes, squeezed onto the tatami mat, and pulled the person, blanket and all, into his arms, rubbing his chin against the top of his head as they watched the sunset together.

Chu Liuzheng leaned closer to him, finding it more comfortable than leaning against a soft pillow.

*
That night, the imperial physician was summoned from Ninghe Palace. Consort Yu had fallen ill due to excessive worry.

The next day, Shao Liyi came to visit, crying as she went in and being helped out with swollen eyes. She was so heartbroken that she could barely stand.

One imperial physician after another came and went, each with a somber expression and sighing repeatedly.

Rumors circulated in the palace that Consort Yu was terminally ill and might not survive the autumn.

Three days later, Dasheng sent reinforcements to Gaochang, appointing the Duke of Zhao as commander and several generals. Among them was a young man who looked unfamiliar. It was said that he was a person who had been placed there through connections to gain military merit. He was incredibly strong and could toss people around like a child.

(End of this chapter)