Chapter 254: Chop It Off If It’s Useless

"Your Majesty, Concubine Gao has passed away." In Changchun Palace, Gao Yongfu hurried into the hall to report as soon as he received the news.

Qiu Sui was shocked. Although she knew that Gaopin was in a bad condition, she didn't expect that she would be gone just like that.

She looked at Queen Zhong, who sat quietly holding a hand warmer for a while, then turned to look out the window.

The snowflakes were falling heavily and getting heavier.

She asked softly, "Has His Majesty given instructions on how to arrange the funeral?"

"I heard that Your Majesty passed away before Concubine Gao passed away and did not see her for the last time." Gao Yongfu lowered his voice. "I guess the news has only just reached Your Majesty now."

Queen Zhong nodded and ordered, "Listen carefully to the news."

She looked at Qiu Sui and said, "Go to the Imperial Household Department and come back after the imperial decree is issued."

"Yes." Gao Yongfu and Qiu Sui took the order and went out.

Queen Zhong glanced at the servants in the room and said, "Everyone, leave."

The palace maids bowed and left the house.

Queen Zhong turned her head to look out the window, staring at the falling snow, and gradually became lost in thought.

On the other side, the eunuch who came to announce the death came to Wenhua Palace. Zhou Yuande saw that his eyebrows were drooping, his eyes were red, and there were traces of tears on his face, so he knew that Concubine Gao was gone.

He sent the eunuch away with a few words, looked at the falling snow and sighed.

It was not a good sign that a concubine who was pregnant with the emperor's fetus died in the harem just after the New Year.

He told Xiao Anzi to guard the door well and lift the curtain to go in.

Xiao Anzi rubbed his hands and blew a breath of hot air into his palms.

After the snow fell, the weather, which had just warmed up, became cold again.

The hall was bright with candlelight and silent.

The emperor sat behind the imperial desk, reading memorials, circling and drawing with a red pen from time to time, as if nothing was different from usual.

But based on Chu Liuzheng's experience of working overtime, the emperor was much slower in reviewing memorials and was obviously absent-minded.

She glanced resentfully at the eunuch who walked in.

[You're so good, Fatty Zhou! You went out on your own and left me here to face the tyrant who's clearly in a bad mood. If I die, I'll turn into a ghost and haunt you for the rest of my life!]

Zhou Yuande was completely unaware of Chu Liuzheng's inner thoughts. He stood before the imperial desk and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, the eunuch from Youlan Residence just reported that Concubine Gao has passed away."

Xiao Jingfan paused with his pen in hand and looked up at him.

Zhou Yuande asked cautiously: "This funeral ceremony..."

"Tell the Ministry of Internal Affairs to follow the rules." Xiao Jingfan continued to review memorials with his head down.

This meant that he would not be posthumously honored. Zhou Yuande understood and took the order and left.

【Eunuch Zhou, wait for me! 】

Chu Liuzheng, who was standing against the wall, stepped forward on tiptoe.

"stop."

[Don’t call me, don’t call me, don’t call me…]

Chu Liuzheng covered his ears and stole the bell and continued walking. Anyway, he didn't want to stay and serve the tyrant who was in a bad mood.

"Chu Liuzheng, I told you to stop." Xiao Jingfan narrowed his eyes slightly and pursed the corners of his lips in displeasure.

Oh wow!

Chu Liuzheng, who could no longer pretend not to hear, stopped with a bitter look. Zhou Yuande turned around to look at her with a look of sympathy and... encouragement?

Chu Liuzheng blinked his eyes, sympathizing with her and understanding her. Why did he encourage her?

【Ying! Eunuch Zhou, please take me with you! 】

She watched the door curtain rise and close, cutting off her last glimmer of hope.

"come over."

Chu Liuzheng took two deep breaths and stood in front of the imperial desk, "Your Majesty, please give your instructions."

Seeing her obedient look with lowered brows, Xiao Jingfan put down the red brush, raised his hand to rub his eyebrows, and told everyone else to go out.

The hall was already quiet, and now with only two people left, it was even more eerily quiet.

Chu Liuzheng could even hear his own chaotic heartbeat.

Tight, nervous.

Harm, fear.

Seeing her stiff as a stick, Xiao Jingfan tapped the desk with his fingers, "Raise your head."

Chu Liuzheng looked up as he was told.

Xiao Jingfan stared into her watery almond eyes and asked, "If I don't go to see Concubine Gao for the last time, do you think I'm cruel?"

Chu Liuzheng:?

[Don't you know whether you're cruel or not? Ask Concubine Gao about this kind of life-threatening question. It's not like you're going to see me for the last time!]

Xiao Jingfan: "..."

[The person is already dead, what's the point of still worrying about whether he was cruel or not? ]

Chu Liuzheng didn't understand. Shouldn't this kind of problem be worried about while the person is still alive and has a chance to make amends?

[Could it be that the tyrant suddenly realized that he truly loved Concubine Gao, and regretted it after receiving the news of Concubine Gao's death?]

As a worker who needs to curry favor with someone, shouldn't I offer some words of comfort to the tyrant?

Chu Liuzheng secretly looked at the emperor behind the desk. He didn't look like he needed comfort.

Besides, there are so many beautiful women in the harem waiting in line to comfort the emperor, so why does he need a little maid like her to meddle in other people's business?

She knelt down and said, "I dare not overstep my bounds. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

[The love-hate relationship between the emperor and his concubines is just a sideshow; it's fun and people shouldn't get involved.]

Xiao Jingfan stared at the back of her well-behaved head, not understanding why he had asked such a stupid question just now.

He raised his hand and waved it, and the memorials piled up in front of him fell to the ground with a "crackling" sound.

Chu Liuzheng shrank his neck in fear: "Your Majesty, please calm down."

【Luckily I was kneeling far away, so I couldn't get hit. 】

Xiao Jingfan: "..."

Zhou Yuande heard the commotion in the hall and called out worriedly, "Your Majesty?"

"Nothing." Xiao Jingfan lowered his eyes to look at Chu Liuzheng and said coldly, "Come here."

Chu Liuzheng's heart was in his throat. He got up from the ground and walked to the desk and stood still. "What are your instructions, Your Majesty?"

"I have a headache." Xiao Jingfan stared at her unhappily. Why was she so irritating?

"I'll call the imperial physician right away." Chu Liuzheng ran out impatiently.

【Finally I can slip away! 】

Xiao Jingfan's face turned black: "Come back!"

Chu Liuzheng: “…”

[Tsk, he's so unpredictable, tyrants are really hard to please.]

Xiao Jingfan gritted his teeth and glanced at her clasped hands in front of her: "If it's useless, chop it off."

Chu Liuzheng:!!

In the face of the imminent danger of losing her hands, she suddenly had an idea and quickly said, "When I was working in the pharmacy, I learned the technique of massaging the head. If Your Majesty doesn't mind, I can do it for you."

Xiao Jingfan glanced at her.

Chu Liuzheng's eyes were very sincere.

Nonsense, if you are not sincere, your hand will be gone.

A tyrant is definitely capable of doing such a cruel thing!

Xiao Jingfan calmed down a bit and nodded: "Yeah."

【Huh~ I finally smoothed out my hair.】

Chu Liuzheng walked back quickly and used ointment instead since she didn't have any essential oil on hand. But when she took out the ointment, she remembered that it smelled like jasmine.

She glanced at the emperor. It seemed that the tyrant didn't like the smell of jasmine.

Seeing her pause, Xiao Jingfan frowned: "What are you dawdling for?"

His tone was very impatient, as if he was about to chop off his hands at any moment.

Chu Liuzheng shuddered and quickly rubbed the jasmine ointment on his fingertips, gently placed it on the emperor's temple, and massaged it with moderate force.

It had been a long time since she had massaged anyone's acupoints. While she was doing it, she recalled the nearby acupoints and techniques, and was completely focused.

The coolness of her fingertips just relieved the pain in her temples. As she massaged, a delicate jasmine fragrance drifted slowly.

Xiao Jingfan's eyelids were half closed, and he felt drowsy in the fragrance.

Chu Liuzheng felt a little bored as he pressed the button.

She turned on the system while massaging the emperor.

[While I have some free time now, I need to check whether Concubine Gao has been poisoned.]

Xiao Jingfan, who was about to fall asleep, suddenly lost all sleepiness and pricked up his ears without making a sound.

Turn it over quickly, I'm listening.