I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 530 Extra 1
The emperor and empress were to be married, and court was to be suspended for three days.

While the legend of the Phoenix Maiden spread beyond the country and people were talking about the miracles of the phoenix, the Emperor and Empress never even left their bedroom.

Three days later, the emperor went to the morning court in high spirits, while Chu Liuzheng lay listlessly on the bed, letting Siyue massage her. She really wanted to pack up the colorful memories of the past three days and throw them into the trash.

She understood that they might be a little wild on their wedding night, but why did they also...?

Ah!! Some openings just can't be made!

"Aunt Moxiang has prepared the medicinal bath. Why don't you take a soak to relax?" Siyue wiped the remaining jasmine oil off her hands with a handkerchief and helped Chu Liuzheng up. "You have to go to Wanshou Palace to pay your respects to the Empress Dowager today."

Chu Liuzheng remembered it, otherwise she wouldn't have gotten out of bed.

Sigh, it's no good if my partner is too healthy; my stamina just can't keep up.

She even considered trying something new, haha, she'd better wait until the passion between an old married couple fades before thinking about it, otherwise she's afraid she'll get herself into trouble.

Sitting in the bathtub, the hot water soothed his skin, and a faint medicinal fragrance mixed with floral scents. Chu Liuzheng let out a comfortable breath, feeling as if he had come back to life.

Jasmine walked around the screen and came in, whispering, "Your Majesty, Lord Jiang returned to Moon City with his men last night, leaving a message that we should meet again when you have time."

Chenxing brought in a bucket of hot water, and upon hearing what Moxiang said, he remembered, "Doctor Feng also left this morning, saying there was something going on at Yinsha Island."

Chu Liuzheng: "..."

Oh dear! I've been hanging out with the tyrant for three days and completely forgotten about my friends.

She patted her forehead.

【Chu Liuzheng, Chu Liuzheng, how could you forget your friends for a beautiful woman?】

No, the main responsibility lies with the tyrant. If the tyrant hadn't been pestering me, would I have stayed home for three days straight?

She touched her flushed face, forcefully banishing certain images from her mind, and asked, "Have you arranged for someone to escort you?"

Chen Xing replied, "Lord Jiang brought his own guards, and His Majesty arranged for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to escort Doctor Feng."

It's fine as long as someone escorts them.

Chu Liuzheng soaked in the bath for a while before getting out of the tub, changing his clothes and dressing, eating a couple of simple snacks, and then leading his entourage to Wanshou Palace.

Having received instructions from the Empress Dowager, Granny Zhao was already waiting at the door. Upon seeing Chu Liuzheng, she smiled broadly and stepped forward to bow, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress. The Empress Dowager is already waiting. Please come in with this old servant."

Her attentive attitude made Chu Liuzheng very uncomfortable, and he glanced at Zhao Mama suspiciously again and again.

[Having visited Wanshou Palace so many times, this is the first time Zhao Mama has smiled at me like a sunflower. Something's definitely amiss; is the Empress Dowager perhaps plotting something wicked?]

Chu Liuzheng became wary and followed Granny Zhao inside.

As she walked along, she noticed that all the palace servants in Wanshou Palace were giving her mysterious smiles, as if they had eaten poisonous mushrooms.

If it weren't for someone accompanying him, Chu Liuzheng would have definitely turned and run away.

She secretly winked at Chenxing and Siyue.

Beware! Enemy situation!

The two people: ? ? ?
Upon hearing the report, the Empress Dowager strode to the entrance of the main hall, smiling kindly, "You've come, come in quickly."

Chu Liuzheng was pulled inside by the Empress Dowager before she could even perform the proper etiquette. Looking at the pink cushion on the chair that resembled a lotus platform, her eyes twitched, and she pointed at the cushion, asking, "What is this?"

"The jade one isn't finished yet, so I ordered several cloth ones to be sewn, with silk brocade coverings and the softest silk thread used for embroidery," the Empress Dowager said. "Besides this pink one, there are also white, cyan, and blue ones. Which one do you prefer?"

Three palace maids each carried a lotus-shaped cushion forward; they were all identical in design, differing only in color.

Chu Liuzheng's eyes twitched violently. He swallowed back countless complaints and forced a smile. "Mother, I'll just use the ordinary one."

"No." Seeing that Chu Liuzheng had glanced at the white lotus cushion a few more times, the Empress Dowager ordered the pink one to be removed and replaced with a white one.

Chu Liuzheng tried to convince himself that it was just an ordinary cushion, and then plopped down on it.

At this moment, Mo Xiang coughed softly and winked at her.

— Bow, bow to Your Majesty!
Distracted by the Empress Dowager, Chu Liuzheng had truly forgotten. She immediately stood up, but before she could speak, the Empress Dowager also abruptly stood up, asking with great concern, "Are you uncomfortable sitting here?"

Chu Liuzheng: "...No, your daughter-in-law has not yet paid her respects to the Empress Dowager."

The Empress Dowager waved her hand: "No need for such formalities."

Chu Liuzheng: "..."

Could the Empress Dowager really think of her as a deity?
There's no need to perform the eight-bow ceremony, but the bride still needs to drink the tea.

After drinking her tea, the Empress Dowager bestowed upon Chu Liuzheng the phoenix hairpin that the late Emperor had given her. She felt that no one was more suitable for this hairpin than Chu Liuzheng.

"I specially ordered the kitchen to simmer a nourishing soup overnight. It's cooked to perfection now. Try it and see if it suits your taste." The Empress Dowager ordered someone to bring up a bowl of nourishing soup and looked at Chu Liuzheng with great kindness as he drank it.

Chu Liuzheng got goosebumps from her gaze, but fortunately the tonic soup tasted good, and she ate it all in silence. "Is that enough?" the Empress Dowager asked with concern. "There's more if you're not satisfied."

As he spoke, he wanted to order someone to add more.

Chu Liuzheng quickly said, "That's enough, thank you for your concern, Mother."

The Empress Dowager sighed regretfully and ordered someone to send the remaining tonic soup to the Wenhua Hall for the Emperor to replenish his energy.

Chu Liuzheng never imagined that her relationship with the Empress Dowager could be so harmonious. Before she knew it, they had been talking for an hour. In the middle of the conversation, Princess Huirong came in to play. When she saw Chu Liuzheng, she called out "Phoenix" and asked Chu Liuzheng to transform into a phoenix for her. In the end, Zhao Mama took the phoenix away.

Seeing that it was getting late, Chu Liuzheng stood up and said to the Empress Dowager, "I have other matters to attend to in the palace. I will come to pay my respects to you another day."

"Come often." The Empress Dowager reluctantly saw them off at the door, almost wiping away tears with a handkerchief, truly heartbroken to part with them.

Chu Liuzheng: "..."

slip away.

Only after the Empress Dowager could no longer see anyone did she return to the palace with her entourage. She ordered that the lotus platform cushion be carefully put away so that if the jade platform was not ready when the Empress came next time, it could be used as a backup.

Meanwhile, Chu Liuzheng led his men back to Changchun Palace.

Changchun Palace was freshly painted, and all the decorations were arranged according to her preferences. The chrysanthemums in the courtyard were replaced with jasmine, roses, and other flowering plants. The overall style was fresh and elegant, quite different from the solemnity that Empress Zhong pursued.

Chu Liuzheng has no intention of returning to Yangxin Hall. Given the emperor's physical condition, it is very necessary for him to live in a separate palace.

The emperor, who had been exempt from court for three days, was very busy today. He not only had to meet with foreign guests and ministers, but also ordered the Ministry of Rites to issue an edict granting favors to the empress, grant a general amnesty, and bestow rice and silk upon the elderly.

There were quite a few people requesting an audience at Changchun Palace, but none of them had anything important to discuss. With Moxiang and the others around, Chu Liuzheng no longer had to do everything himself and was able to rest undisturbed for a day, finally regaining some of his energy.

So when Mo Xiang asked her where she would have dinner, she chose Changchun Palace without hesitation and ordered the palace gates to be closed early.

Xiao Jingfan, who had finally finished dealing with official business, was unexpectedly turned away when he came to see his wife.

Chen Xing stood at the door and curtsied, saying in a clear voice, "Your Majesty, the Empress has already gone to bed. Please return."

Xiao Jingfan: "..."

[Chenxing should be able to keep the tyrant at bay, right? Even though we're still newlyweds, I'm doing this for the tyrant's own good; too much of that stuff can lead to kidney deficiency.]

[Tsk tsk, where can you find such a considerate queen as me?]

Inside the bedchamber, Chu Liuzheng was sitting by the window flipping through a storybook when he suddenly heard the door open. Thinking it was Chen Xing returning, he looked up.

Greetings, tyrant! Goodbye, tyrant!
Xiao Jingfan stood with his hands behind his back, raising an eyebrow slightly: "Asleep?"

"Hehe, aren't I just about to go to sleep?" Chu Liuzheng chuckled dryly, silently wrapping the blanket tighter around himself, stealing a glance behind him, trying to find someone to rescue him from this predicament.

Xiao Jingfan lifted his robe and sat on the couch, looking at the person huddled up in a ball, and reached out his hand: "Come here."

Chu Liuzheng said warily, "If he's just sleeping, I'll go over."

Please, please take a couple of days off. A balanced diet with both meat and vegetables is the healthiest thing to do.

Xiao Jingfan: "...I am not a beast."

That's not necessarily true.

However, the disparity in strength between the enemy and himself was too great. After thinking for a moment, Chu Liuzheng quickly rolled over, hugged the person, and kissed him twice.

"I'll have someone prepare hot water. It's a new formula developed by Dr. Feng, and it's very relaxing. You've had a long day, so soak for a while longer."

[It would be best if you stayed in the bath until I fell asleep before coming back.]

Glancing at the person who was wrapped up tightly, Xiao Jingfan did not expose Chu Liuzheng's little thoughts. He called out to have hot water prepared, and then carried Chu Liuzheng to the bath room.

Chu Liuzheng sensed something was wrong and quickly said, "I've already washed."

"Hmm," Xiao Jingfan said, "Aren't you tired? Since soaking in water can relieve fatigue, then soak for a while longer."

"No need, right?" Chu Liuzheng felt like a meat bun thrown to the dog. "I'm not tired now."

"Really?" Xiao Jingfan looked down at her, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Chu Liuzheng, realizing what was happening, was speechless.

Whether she answers yes or no, she's the one who suffers!
However, it wasn't without its enjoyment.

It's normal for newlyweds to be a little clingy. Considering her physical condition, she hugged the emperor's neck tighter and emphasized, "Just once."

"it is good."

Clothes slipped off, and in the misty air, the scent of medicine mingled with the fragrance of flowers, creating a shallow ripple.

(End of this chapter)