I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 480 Outsiders
The following day, Lan'er, unable to withstand the torture, died suddenly in the Imperial Prison.

The emperor ordered the two eunuchs in charge of the execution to be flogged to death, and ordered Zhou Yuande to continue investigating the assassination of Chu Liuzheng.

When the news reached the inner palace, everyone felt insecure.

Xie Jieyu was the most panicked.

She thought Shao Liyi could take the blame for her, but unexpectedly, Chu Liuzheng appeared out of nowhere and managed to save Shao Liyi.

She was so anxious she couldn't sit still. She asked Liuli to help her think of any things that hadn't been dealt with properly, and she was afraid that the problem would be traced back to her.

Liuli said, "Your Majesty, let's go and beg the Empress Dowager." Now, the only one who can protect their master from the Emperor is the Empress Dowager.

"Let me think about it." Consort Xie bit her lip, looked out the window, and suddenly asked, "Has Consort Yu's illness improved?"

"No," Liuli shook her head. "I've been watching from the doorway, and the imperial physician comes every day. It seems like he's extremely ill."

“Extremely heavy…” Xie Jieyu repeated the two words, her eyes suddenly lighting up, “I have a way.”

She beckoned to Liuli, "Come here and do as I say."

*
Changchun Palace, sleeping quarters.

Qiu Sui took a sandalwood comb and combed her hair, then softly reported, "Your Majesty, Lan'er is gone, and the two in the Imperial Prison are gone too."

"What a pity, she was such a loyal maid." Empress Zhong looked in the mirror and gently spread her face cream. "Make sure she's cleaned up properly, and find someone to fill in for her."

"Yes." Qiu Sui put down the comb, and while tying her hair up, she asked, "What about Consort Xie..."

“This matter has nothing to do with Changchun Palace.” Empress Zhong raised her hand to draw her eyebrows, her hand not trembling even though her wrist was swollen like a bamboo joint. “Send the message to Wanshou Palace.”

"Yes."

*
In the evening, the suffocating sky finally gave way to rain.

The light drizzle made the autumn air even cooler.

In a side hall of Wenhua Hall, Chu Liuzheng, wrapped in a blanket, leaned against a couch listening to the rain. Incense smoke curled from a small incense burner, filling the room with the fragrance of bamboo.

Behind the desk, the emperor wrote furiously, extremely busy.

The ancients could compose three hundred poems about appreciating the rain, while I can sleep for three days straight. I'm just an ordinary person; I'd better just stick to eating melon seeds and enjoying the sunshine.

Chu Liuzheng ordered a plate of melon seeds to be served, and opened the system while eating them.

I never imagined that the first point would be so relevant to me.

[Liuli, the head maid of Yihe Palace, secretly sneaked into Ninghe Palace with the intention of murdering Consort Yu, but was caught. Mianmian, the head maid of Ninghe Palace, found a confession on her body, which stated...]

[Frog Fun! Consort Xie, you shameless bastard! You actually planned to kill the ailing Consort Yu and frame her for the assassination attempt on me. After Xiao Xuanzi's poisoning, you want to create another situation where there's no way to prove it? How can you be so capable?]

Chu Liuzheng spat out the melon seed shells.

[I've seen stupid people, but never this stupid. Instead of framing the ailing Consort Yu, they should ask the Empress Dowager for help. She's family, after all; the Empress Dowager wouldn't just stand by and watch her die.]

What's the point of this? Are they worried we don't have evidence, so they're just walking into a trap?

This saves Eunuch Zhou so much trouble; he should at least kowtow to Consort Xie.

She pulled it down.

[Oh ho, the Empress even sent someone to tip off the Wanshou Palace. She really thinks you're a pushover, seizing the opportunity to set a trap for the Empress Dowager. Trying to pin the blame on me? Am I, the victim, guilty of not obediently waiting to be killed?]

Surely the Empress Dowager can see through such blatant attempts to sow discord?

Chu Liuzheng was about to check the Empress Dowager's reaction when he looked up and saw Zhou Yuande walking in carrying a whisk. "Your Majesty, Liuli, the head maid of Yihe Palace, infiltrated Ninghe Palace with the intention of harming Consort Yu. A confession was found on her." Zhou Yuande presented Liuli's confession and the confession to the imperial desk. "Under interrogation, Liuli confessed that she harbored resentment towards Miss Chu because of Consort Xie's imprisonment, so she secretly bribed Xiao Xuanzi to assassinate Miss Chu. It was all her own doing and had nothing to do with Consort Xie."

Here it comes: the classic scene of a trusted palace maid taking the blame for her master!

Chu Liuzheng was invigorated.

Xiao Jingfan: "..."

He glanced at the confession and plea agreement, and asked coldly, "Where is Consort Xie?"

Zhou Yuande: "The Lady Consort is waiting outside the palace."

Xiao Jingfan: "Announce."

Zhou Yuande went out to fetch the people.

Chu Liuzheng continued eating sunflower seeds.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects. May Your Majesty be well." Consort Xie wore a scarlet dress, the hem of which was stained with rainwater, showing varying shades of discoloration, making her look somewhat disheveled.

Xiao Jingfan tapped the confession on the table with his finger. "Liuli was your head palace maid. You really knew nothing about what she did?"

"Your Majesty, I was unaware of this," Consort Xie said softly. "Since Your Majesty ordered me to remain in the palace to reflect on my actions, I have been reflecting on myself every day and reciting Buddhist scriptures to calm my mind. Inadvertently, I have neglected to supervise the palace servants. Although I was unaware of Liuli's audacious act, I am still responsible and beg Your Majesty to punish me."

[Tsk tsk, admitting fault proactively, taking a step back to advance, this time he's actually heeded the Empress Dowager's teachings.]

To avoid spoiling the atmosphere, Chu Liuzheng put down the melon seeds and sipped his tea.

"Since you are powerless to control the palace servants, then let's find someone else." Xiao Jingfan sneered, "Consort Xie..."

"The Queen Mother has arrived!"

A loud shout interrupted the emperor's words.

"Greetings, son to mother."

Chu Liuzheng could no longer lie down, so he curtsied to the Empress Dowager and said, "May the Empress Dowager enjoy boundless blessings."

"Aunt." Xie Jieyu crawled over on her knees with tears in her eyes, hugged the Empress Dowager's legs and wailed, like a wronged child.

A look of heartache appeared in the Empress Dowager's eyes as she pulled her up. "Alright, stop crying. With me here, I'll see who dares to wrong you."

As she spoke, her gaze fell on Chu Liuzheng, who was standing behind the emperor.

Chu Liuzheng: ? ? ?

[I haven't said a word except for eating sunflower seeds and drinking tea, why are you looking at me? I haven't even had a chance to start my charade yet.]

Xiao Jingfan invited the Empress Dowager to sit down, "Mother, it's still raining, why did you come?"

"I've come for Yu'er." The Empress Dowager held Xie Jieyu's hand and looked at him. "Yu'er is simple-minded. She's already felt guilty and wronged enough for being deceived by those below her. She sincerely apologized, yet you still helped outsiders bully her. What kind of logic is that?"

Chu Liuzheng didn't want to take it personally, but the Empress Dowager kept staring at her when she said the word "outsider," making it hard for her not to take it personally.

[Alright, I'm an outsider and not worthy of your presence. Goodbye.]

The Empress Dowager was clearly there to protect her niece, Xie Jieyu, and wanted to make trouble for her, an "outsider." She wouldn't be foolish enough to clash with the Empress Dowager directly, lest she benefit Xie Jieyu, her enemy.

She was about to get up and leave, handing over the battlefield to the emperor and his mother to do as they pleased, when Xiao Jingfan grabbed her arm and asked the Empress Dowager, "Who are the outsiders that Mother is talking about?"

(End of this chapter)